Carnival Players Club: Casino Points, FunMatch and Casino Cruises
Carnival Players Club gives you 1 Casino Point per $2 played on slots and 1 per $5 on video poker. Since September 1, 2026, every Casino Point you earn also adds 1 Carnival Rewards Star, so reaching Gold (10,000 Stars) from the casino alone takes $20,000 of slot coin-in. Casino offers and FunMatch deals can cover or discount the fare for guests 1 and 2, but you still pay a deposit, fees and taxes.
Carnival does not publish Players Club tier thresholds. Coin-in is the total of every bet, including winnings you bet again. It is not the amount you lose. Below are the earning rules, how casino play feeds Carnival Rewards, the terms of a real casino offer, FunMatch and the coin-in math for each Carnival Rewards tier.
By the CruiseLookup editorial team. We reviewed Carnival's official Players Club page, FunMatch terms, a published casino offer's terms and the Carnival Rewards launch announcement, plus the Ocean Players Club site. Where a detail appears only in press reports, we say so. The coin-in figures are our own calculations from the published earning rates. Updated .
How Carnival Players Club points are earned
Carnival's casino rewards program is Carnival Players Club. The rates below are the only ones Carnival publishes. The right-hand column shows what the same play now earns toward Carnival Rewards status.
- Casino Points
- 1 Casino Point per $2 of coin-in
- Carnival Rewards Stars
- 1 Star per $2 of coin-in
- Casino Points
- 1 Casino Point per $5 of coin-in
- Carnival Rewards Stars
- 1 Star per $5 of coin-in
- Casino Points
- Based on game, average bet and time played; no rate published
- Carnival Rewards Stars
- 1 Star per Casino Point earned
| Game | Casino Points | Carnival Rewards Stars |
|---|---|---|
| Slots | 1 Casino Point per $2 of coin-in | 1 Star per $2 of coin-in |
| Video poker | 1 Casino Point per $5 of coin-in | 1 Star per $5 of coin-in |
| Table games | Based on game, average bet and time played; no rate published | 1 Star per Casino Point earned |
Players Club perks named on Carnival's page are discounted or free rooms (taxes, fees, port expenses and deposit excluded), Drinks On Us while playing in the casino, invitations to Players Club events and access to tournaments. Casino drinks are for guests 21 or over, do not apply at land-based locations unless your offer says so, and are unavailable for several hours on embarkation day in some states, including Texas and New York.
Casino Points can be spent onboard on Funplay. That choice matters for Carnival Rewards, as the next section shows.
Sources: Carnival Players Club, Carnival Rewards launch announcement.
How casino play feeds Carnival Rewards Stars and Points
Carnival Rewards has two currencies. Stars set your tier and cannot be spent. Points can be spent on future Carnival cruises and eligible onboard experiences. Casino play earns both, but on different rules:
- Stars: 1 Star for every Casino Point earned, even if you already redeemed it onboard for Funplay.
- Points: 1 Point for every Casino Point still remaining at the end of the sailing.
- Posting: Points post about 14 days after the sailing ends.
- Tiers: Gold at 10,000 Stars, Platinum at 50,000 and Diamond at 100,000. The first qualifying window runs September 1, 2026 to December 31, 2028.
A player earns 1,000 Casino Points on a cruise and spends 400 of them on Funplay.
Stars: 1,000 (every point earned counts). Points: 1,000 minus 400 = 600.
Spending Casino Points on Funplay lowers your Carnival Rewards Points, not your Stars.
Carnival has not published a cash value for Carnival Rewards Points. Tier perks, cruise spending and VIFP conversion are covered in our Carnival Rewards guide.
Sources: Carnival Rewards launch announcement, Carnival Australia loyalty explainer.
Players Club tiers: what Carnival publishes
Carnival's Players Club page names no tiers and no point thresholds. It says only that "the more points you earn, the more benefits you get." It does list the casino cruise and event types below. The right-hand column is older press detail, which may no longer apply.
- Carnival's description
- "Experience Next Level"
- Older press detail
- 2018: sailings of 6 days or more, prizes up to $20K
- Carnival's description
- "Your chance at $100K"
- Older press detail
- 2018: by invitation, prizes up to $100K
- Carnival's description
- "Only the best for the best"
- Older press detail
- 2018: the top level, for the best players; TravelPulse listed complimentary drinks throughout the cruise and VIFP Platinum status for the voyage
- Carnival's description
- "A pirate's bounty of treasures"
- Older press detail
- No details found
- Carnival's description
- Exclusive perks and prizes
- Older press detail
- No details found
- Carnival's description
- Sailings Exclusively for Adults
- Older press detail
- 2025: four Carnival Conquest sailings from Miami in August and September 2025
| Type | Carnival's description | Older press detail |
|---|---|---|
| Premier | "Experience Next Level" | 2018: sailings of 6 days or more, prizes up to $20K |
| Ultra | "Your chance at $100K" | 2018: by invitation, prizes up to $100K |
| Elite | "Only the best for the best" | 2018: the top level, for the best players; TravelPulse listed complimentary drinks throughout the cruise and VIFP Platinum status for the voyage |
| Treasure Chest Voyages | "A pirate's bounty of treasures" | No details found |
| Limited Edition | Exclusive perks and prizes | No details found |
| SEA Cruises | Sailings Exclusively for Adults | 2025: four Carnival Conquest sailings from Miami in August and September 2025 |
In 2018, TravelPulse and Travel Market Report described four levels: Getaway (3 to 5 day sailings, prizes up to $10K), Premier, Ultra and Elite. Getaway is not on Carnival's current page.
URComped reported in 2019 that casino drinks started at 1,000 points on sailings under 5 days or 1,500 points on sailings of 5 days or more, and that a Premier invitation took 7,500 points in one sailing. At 1 point per $2 on slots, that would be $2,000, $3,000 and $15,000 of slot coin-in (CruiseLookup calculation). These figures are seven years old and not on any official Carnival page, so treat them as history, not current rules.
Sources: Carnival Players Club. Press: TravelPulse (May 31, 2018), Travel Market Report (June 1, 2018), URComped (November 20, 2019), Cruise Industry News (May 27, 2025).
How Carnival casino cruise offers work
Carnival casino offers are booked with a rate code: the FEL terms below tell guests to request Rate Code FEL. Carnival's FunMatch terms say full deal terms are at carnival.com/offers, where you sign in with your Carnival Guest Number. The published terms for offer code FEL show what a "free cabin" offer includes and what it leaves to you.
- Terms
- An Interior room fare for guests 1 and 2 (offer headline: "FREE INTERIOR ROOM + DRINKS ON US!"). The terms say the promotion is available for room-assignment and guarantee rooms in Interior, Ocean View and Balcony. Guests 3 to 5 pay the going fare.
- Terms
- Up to $411, paid by you
- Terms
- Up to $175.99, paid by you
- Terms
- From $50 per person, non-refundable and non-transferable
- Terms
- From $50 per person, up to $200 per cabin, varying by sailing length
- Terms
- Free while actively playing, for the member and one companion in the same stateroom (21+)
- Terms
- Up to 3 sailings; the named member must sail; capacity controlled; not combinable; not valid on Carnival Australia cruises
- Terms
- November 3, 2025 (this offer has expired)
| Offer code FEL | Terms |
|---|---|
| What is free | An Interior room fare for guests 1 and 2 (offer headline: "FREE INTERIOR ROOM + DRINKS ON US!"). The terms say the promotion is available for room-assignment and guarantee rooms in Interior, Ocean View and Balcony. Guests 3 to 5 pay the going fare. |
| Required Cruise Fees & Expenses | Up to $411, paid by you |
| Government Taxes & Fees | Up to $175.99, paid by you |
| Deposit | From $50 per person, non-refundable and non-transferable |
| Onboard credit | From $50 per person, up to $200 per cabin, varying by sailing length |
| Casino drinks | Free while actively playing, for the member and one companion in the same stateroom (21+) |
| Limits | Up to 3 sailings; the named member must sail; capacity controlled; not combinable; not valid on Carnival Australia cruises |
| Book by | November 3, 2025 (this offer has expired) |
The terms do not say whether the $411 and $175.99 caps apply per person or per booking, so check the total in your own quote. Guarantee rooms are assigned later, and Carnival notes that guarantee Ocean View or Balcony rooms may have partly or fully obstructed views. Cancellation and no-show penalties apply.
- You pay the deposit, Required Cruise Fees & Expenses and Government Taxes & Fees.
- Only guests 1 and 2 get the offer fare; extra guests pay the going fare.
- Rooms may be guarantee rooms, assigned by Carnival.
- The named player must sail, and name changes are not allowed.
- Offers are capacity controlled and cannot be combined with other offers.
Sources: Carnival FEL offer terms, Carnival Casino FunMatch, Carnival Players Club.
Carnival FunMatch: the casino status match
FunMatch lets players with loyalty cards from other casinos ask for a Carnival offer without playing on Carnival first. You register, upload your other casino cards and wait to hear back. Answering the optional questions about what you play, your average bet and how many hours a day you play may improve your chances, according to the terms.
- Terms
- Legal residents of the 50 US states and DC, aged 21 or over
- Terms
- Your loyalty cards from other casinos (the form has room for 3), front and back, showing your name and expiration date
- Terms
- An email in about 7 business days, only if Carnival has a deal for you. No deal is guaranteed.
- Terms
- Free or discounted cruise fare for guests 1 and 2. Guests 3 to 5 pay the going fare.
- Terms
- $100 per person, non-refundable and non-transferable
- Terms
- Up to $411, paid by you
- Terms
- Up to $175.99, paid by you
- Terms
- $100 per person, up to $200 per cabin, varying by sailing length
- Terms
- About $300 to $7,000, depending on the deal
- Terms
- Set by each deal; an unbooked deal expires
- Terms
- Until at least December 31, 2026
| FunMatch | Terms |
|---|---|
| Who can apply | Legal residents of the 50 US states and DC, aged 21 or over |
| What you submit | Your loyalty cards from other casinos (the form has room for 3), front and back, showing your name and expiration date |
| Reply | An email in about 7 business days, only if Carnival has a deal for you. No deal is guaranteed. |
| What is free | Free or discounted cruise fare for guests 1 and 2. Guests 3 to 5 pay the going fare. |
| Deposit | $100 per person, non-refundable and non-transferable |
| Required Cruise Fees & Expenses | Up to $411, paid by you |
| Government Taxes & Fees | Up to $175.99, paid by you |
| Onboard credit | $100 per person, up to $200 per cabin, varying by sailing length |
| Free room value | About $300 to $7,000, depending on the deal |
| Booking deadline | Set by each deal; an unbooked deal expires |
| Program end | Until at least December 31, 2026 |
Registering also enrolls you in Carnival Rewards, and you can opt out. Deals cannot be shared, transferred or exchanged for cash.
One limit runs the other way: Princess's casino Tier Match accepts offers from other cruise lines except Carnival Cruise Line, so a Carnival offer cannot be used to get a Princess match.
Sources: Carnival Casino FunMatch, Princess casino Tier Match.
Ocean Players Club: Carnival Corporation's casino umbrella
Ocean Players Club describes itself as "Carnival Corporation & PCL's Global Casino Rewards Program". The Carnival Corporation lines we checked each run their own casino club: Carnival Players Club on Carnival and Holland America Players Club on Holland America, for example. Both publish the same rates of 1 point per $2 on slots and 1 per $5 on video poker.
- Carnival's Players Club page links to oceanplayersclub.com for casino contact and responsible gaming.
- Holland America's casino page links to it for casino credit applications and offer checks.
- It hosts the Holland America Match Program, open to US residents aged 21 or over.
The Ocean Players Club home page lists no member tiers or earning rates, and no official page we found says casino points or tiers transfer between Carnival, Princess and Holland America. Treat each line's casino club as separate.
Sources: Ocean Players Club, Holland America Match Program, Holland America Casino Action, Carnival Players Club.
Coin-in for Carnival Rewards tiers through casino play
The formula: coin-in needed = Stars needed × dollars per Casino Point. Slots are $2 per point and video poker is $5. The last column shows the eligible Carnival spending that earns the same Stars at 3 per $1, for comparison.
- Stars
- 10,000
- Slot coin-in
- $20,000
- Video poker coin-in
- $50,000
- Eligible spend instead
- $3,333
- Stars
- 50,000
- Slot coin-in
- $100,000
- Video poker coin-in
- $250,000
- Eligible spend instead
- $16,667
- Stars
- 100,000
- Slot coin-in
- $200,000
- Video poker coin-in
- $500,000
- Eligible spend instead
- $33,333
| Tier | Stars | Slot coin-in | Video poker coin-in | Eligible spend instead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | 10,000 | $20,000 | $50,000 | $3,333 |
| Platinum | 50,000 | $100,000 | $250,000 | $16,667 |
| Diamond | 100,000 | $200,000 | $500,000 | $33,333 |
Spending figures are rounded to the nearest dollar: 10,000 ÷ 3 = $3,333.33, 50,000 ÷ 3 = $16,666.67 and 100,000 ÷ 3 = $33,333.33.
Most players will combine both. Say your eligible Carnival spending credits you with $2,000 in a window: 2,000 × 3 = 6,000 Stars.
Gold needs 10,000, so 4,000 Stars must come from the casino: 4,000 × $2 = $8,000 of slot coin-in, or 4,000 × $5 = $20,000 of video poker coin-in.
Stars from the cruise fare are divided among the enrolled guests in the stateroom, so count only your share.
Coin-in is not money lost. It counts every bet, and winnings you bet again count again. A $100 stake played through a slot several times can produce several hundred dollars of coin-in. At $1 per spin, Gold from slots alone takes 20,000 spins.
What you lose depends on the game's hold, the share of each bet the casino keeps over time, applied across all of that coin-in. Carnival publishes no hold figures, and hold varies by game, machine and pay table, so we do not estimate a loss for any tier. Actual results swing widely in both directions.
Sources: CruiseLookup calculation from the earning rates on the Carnival Players Club page and the Star rates and thresholds in the Carnival Rewards launch announcement. Fare Stars split: Carnival Australia loyalty explainer.
Who Carnival Players Club is worth it for
Worth using if
- You already gamble on cruises and keep to a set budget either way.
- You want your casino play to count toward Carnival Rewards status, which it now does.
- You hold a loyalty card from another casino and want to try FunMatch.
- You price every offer against the paid fare, including deposit, fees and taxes.
Not worth chasing if
- You would gamble more than you planned to reach a tier or an offer.
- You mainly play video poker, which needs 2.5 times the coin-in of slots per point.
- Your goal is Gold status: about $3,333 of eligible spending earns the same 10,000 Stars as $20,000 of slot coin-in.
- You sail as three or more, since only guests 1 and 2 get the offer fare.
Gambling extra to earn a comp or status rarely beats paying the fare. If you are going to play anyway, Carnival now gives you something back twice: casino offers and Carnival Rewards Stars. If the cruise is the goal, watch fares instead with a free CruiseLookup price alert. For how Carnival compares with Royal Caribbean, Princess and others, see our cruise casino programs comparison.
How do you earn Carnival Players Club points?+
Do Carnival casino points count toward Carnival Rewards?+
How much do you have to gamble for Carnival Rewards Gold?+
How much do you have to gamble to get a free Carnival cruise?+
What is Carnival FunMatch?+
Is a Carnival casino cruise really free?+
What is Ocean Players Club?+
Price Carnival cruises before you take an offer
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More in this series: Carnival Rewards, cruise casino programs, cruise loyalty programs compared.
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