2026 is a transition year for cruise loyalty: Carnival is replacing its long-running VIFP Club with Carnival Rewards on June 1, 2026, and Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society was just named Best Cruise Line Loyalty Program in the 2026 The Points Guy Awards. The programs reward genuinely different behavior, so which one is "best" depends entirely on how often you cruise and which line you already prefer.
The three major programs compared
| Program | How you earn | Top perks | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society | 1 point/night standard cabin, 2 points/night suite or solo double-occupancy | Suite upgrades, priority boarding, unlimited wifi at higher tiers | Cruisers doing 2+ Royal Caribbean sailings per year |
| Carnival Rewards (replacing VIFP, June 2026) | Status Qualifying Stars for tier, separate points redeemable for onboard purchases | Redeemable points toward excursions, dining, spa | Occasional cruisers who want direct, practical value |
| Norwegian Latitudes Rewards | Points accumulate toward tier thresholds | 30% specialty dining discount, unlimited wifi, suite upgrades, free excursions at Ambassador tier | Frequent Norwegian cruisers chasing the top Ambassador tier |
If you already hold elite status with another travel brand, checking whether a cruise line status match applies can let you skip entry-level tiers entirely and jump straight to meaningful perks. [Replace this box with your actual loyalty status match affiliate link once approved.]
Example: Check cruise loyalty status matches →Royal Caribbean Crown & Anchor Society tiers
| Tier | Points required |
|---|---|
| Gold | 3+ |
| Platinum | 30+ |
| Emerald | 55+ |
| Diamond | 80+ |
| Diamond Plus | 175+ |
| Pinnacle Club | 700+ |
Crown & Anchor points carry the highest real-dollar value among the major programs, at roughly $18-24 per thousand points — a meaningful edge for cruisers who sail Royal Caribbean regularly and let points accumulate over several years.
Carnival's 2026 shift: VIFP to Carnival Rewards
Carnival's VIFP Club currently runs on a "Days Sailed" model (Blue at 1 cruise, up through Diamond at 200+ days), but on September 1, 2026, it pivots to a "Dollars Spent" model under the new Carnival Rewards program. Anyone who reaches Diamond status by August 31, 2026 is grandfathered into Lifetime Diamond status under the new system — worth knowing if you're close to that threshold and can plan a sailing before the cutoff.
If you're close to Carnival's Diamond VIFP threshold, sailing before August 31, 2026 locks in Lifetime Diamond status under the new Carnival Rewards program — a deadline worth building a trip around if you're already close. [Replace this box with your actual Carnival booking affiliate link once approved.]
Example: Book a Carnival cruise before the VIFP deadline →The bottom line
Royal Caribbean's Crown & Anchor Society delivers the highest per-point value and the strongest overall perks for cruisers who sail that line two or more times a year. Carnival's move to Carnival Rewards in June 2026 shifts the program toward direct, redeemable value rather than pure status — good for occasional cruisers who want practical returns. Norwegian's Latitudes program rewards frequent cruisers chasing the Ambassador tier with genuinely strong perks like free excursions and unlimited wifi. The real strategy for any of them is the same: pick one line and concentrate your cruises there rather than splitting nights across several programs.