Carnival Cruise Line has overhauled its loyalty program, rewarding big spenders over frequent cruisers and removing lifetime loyalty status. Its new Carnival Rewards™ Mastercard®, issued by Barclays Bank, is the best way for cruisers to advance through the loyalty tiers and earn more onboard perks and freebies.

Cardholders can also earn points redeemable for Carnival purchases, from cruise deposits and bookings to onboard purchases, such as drinks, Wi-Fi plans and shore excursions.

For dedicated Carnival cruisers, the card's combination of no annual fee, status earning and Carnival-specific rewards can be compelling. But if you don't sail with Carnival regularly, a flexible travel rewards card will likely offer more value.

* Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG's editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.

The information for the Carnival Rewards Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

The Carnival Rewards Mastercard replaces the Carnival World Mastercard as the sole co-branded credit card for Carnival Cruise Line .

Existing cardholders will automatically receive a new card, with previously earned points transferring on a 1:1 basis to the new program. New applicants can earn 50,000 Carnival Rewards points after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days. The card has no annual fee and is only available to U.S. residents.

It earns 3 points per dollar on eligible Carnival purchases, 2 points per dollar at restaurants and grocery stores and 1 point per dollar on other purchases.