One of the strange things about cruising is how much can change between the day you book and the day you finally walk onto the ship. A loyalty program can be replaced. A new attraction can open at a private island. A deeply discounted fare can suddenly make a last-minute sailing tempting. Something that looks like ordinary cruise news can also create questions about how much preparation time you need, how usable a new attraction will actually be, or how to respectfully experience something when touch is one of the ways you understand the world. Several changes happening now are worth paying attention to before the next cruise.

Carnival Rewards begins September 1

Carnival is replacing its VIFP loyalty program with Carnival Rewards on September 1, 2026. Existing members need to enroll in the new program and accept its terms, and Carnival has been asking current members to complete the transition before the end of August so their existing status and sailing history carry into the new system.

The biggest change is that Carnival is moving away from a loyalty system based primarily on nights sailed. Spending becomes much more important under Carnival Rewards. Eligible cruise fare, onboard purchases and casino activity can earn Rewards Points and Status Qualifying Stars, and Carnival’s branded Mastercard can provide additional earning opportunities. That is a significant philosophical change for people who earned status simply by cruising frequently.

The benefits attached to higher status still matter, particularly priority embarkation and debarkation. Getting onto the ship before the terminal reaches peak chaos can make orientation considerably easier, and getting off without being caught in the largest crowds can make an already hectic morning more manageable.

I would still keep loyalty benefits separate from accessibility assistance. If you need assistance boarding or navigating the terminal, request it regardless of loyalty status. Priority earned through a cruise program is a perk, not a substitute for accommodations. If you have Carnival status that matters to you, this is one of those rare loyalty-program emails worth opening rather than automatically deleting.

Princess Standby offers a bargain with very little planning time

Princess has introduced a standby program for selected sailings that can produce some extremely attractive fares. The tradeoff is uncertainty.

Current rates can begin around $79 per person per day for inside and ocean-view cabins and around $99 for balconies, depending on the sailing. The catch is that Princess may not confirm the booking until only a few days before departure. For somebody who lives near a cruise port, has a flexible schedule and can leave with very little notice, that could be a great deal. My concern would be everything surrounding the cabin.

A cruise trip may also involve flights, airport assistance, hotels, transportation, shore excursions and communication with the cruise line about onboard needs. Traveling with a guide dog adds another layer of destination requirements, veterinary paperwork, food, relief planning and port rules. None of that makes standby cruising impossible. It simply changes the bargain. You are not only trading certainty for a lower fare. You are also trading away preparation time.

Anyone who needs a particular stateroom configuration should also find out exactly how Princess handles that under the standby program before committing. I would not assume a specific accessible cabin will become available simply because one is needed. For the right traveler, standby could be a terrific way to cruise. I would just make sure the rest of the trip can move as quickly as the reservation does.

Great Stirrup Cay will soon show us how well a new attraction works in practice

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Great Tides Waterpark at Great Stirrup Cay is scheduled to open September 4. The nearly six-acre park will include 19 waterslides, a wandering river, cliff-jump attractions, family areas and other features, with admission sold separately from the cruise fare. Norwegian has already published some accessibility information, including accessible walkways and a pool lift for the Wandering River. That is encouraging, but the more interesting questions will begin once passengers start using the park.

I want to know how clearly the layout is communicated. Can someone explain the shape and intensity of a slide before I climb several stories to ride it? How easy is it to locate queues, lockers, food areas, changing rooms and entrances? Are staff comfortable giving useful directions that do not depend on pointing? Those are the details that determine whether an attraction works once you are actually inside it.

A new facility is one of the best opportunities a company has to build accessibility into the experience instead of retrofitting it later. Norwegian has made some physical provisions. The next step is hearing what happens when people begin using them.

Alaska’s totem controversy is also a reminder about touch

Native leaders in Southeast Alaska have asked visitors to stop using totem poles as props for social-media videos after tourists were recorded dancing around, leaning against, climbing on and otherwise treating the poles as decorations. Tlingit & Haida has emphasized that the poles represent histories, family relationships, clan stories, ancestors and responsibilities within living Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian cultures.

There is an additional lesson here for anyone who uses touch as part of experiencing a place. Touch can reveal an enormous amount about shape, scale, texture and detail. It is one reason tactile access is so powerful. But access through touch does not create an automatic right to handle everything. At a cultural, religious or historic site, an object may have meaning or rules surrounding who may touch it. A carving, shrine, textile, sculpture or ceremonial object may be something to learn about without physically exploring it.

My approach is simple: ask.

If there is a tactile reproduction intended to be handled, use it. If a guide says an object may be touched, take advantage of the opportunity. When touch is inappropriate, description, history, conversation and storytelling become the access point instead. That principle travels far beyond Alaska. Experiencing another culture also means respecting the boundaries of that culture.

Disney’s smaller ships could be interesting

The cruise industry has spent years turning ships into increasingly large floating resorts. Disney’s next class is heading in a somewhat different direction. Disney Cruise Line has announced three ships expected to begin entering service in 2029. At roughly 105,000 gross tons and about 3,000 passengers, they will be smaller than Disney’s newest Wish-class ships. Disney says the size will give the company more flexibility to visit additional destinations.

The scale is what interests me, I have been on very large ships that became easy to navigate after I learned their basic layout, so size alone does not determine whether a ship works well. Consistency is often more important. Still, a ship carrying fewer passengers can mean less crowding around elevators, restaurants and entertainment venues. Shorter distances and fewer sprawling neighborhoods may also make the ship easier to learn.

We do not yet know enough about the new vessels to make any judgment about their accessibility. Their internal layouts, digital systems, cabin controls, elevator design and wayfinding have not been detailed sufficiently. But I am glad to see a major cruise company acknowledge that the next new ship does not necessarily need to be larger than the last one. That is worth watching as the designs develop.

Small cruise changes can have large consequences

None of these stories alone changes the way we cruise. Together, however, they are a reminder that the trip you booked six or twelve months ago may not be exactly the trip you are preparing for now. The reservation may not have changed, but the world around it probably has.

Have you tried Princess Standby, or are you planning to visit Great Stirrup Cay after Great Tides opens? I would be interested in hearing how either experience works once people begin using them in the real world.

See you at the gate

-Ted and Fauna