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Should you get a cruise line credit card? Here's a closer look
The card offers elevated rewards on dining and travel purchases, including cruises. Rewards points are transferable to a number of air and hotel programs. Like our other flexible card recommendations, you can either earn points by paying for your cruise with the card or redeem points by purchasing your cruise through Bilt’s travel portal. Spend just enough on the cruise card to access the initial bonuses and then only use it to pay for cruise-specific purchases. A cruise credit card will not earn you special status with your cruise line, give you a ton of travel perks or get you free cruises quickly. You'll likely get more bang for your buck with a more general travel card.
How to choose a credit card for cruises
You can also earn 75,000 bonus miles — worth $750 in travel — when you spend $4,000 within three months of account opening. Many travel credit cards can help you to cover the cost of your cruise with rewards, and some can also help with flights and hotels. Note that all of the cards that made our ranking can be used to book cruises with any cruise line, not just with a specific carrier. The Carnival cruise credit card's two big highlights are that it has no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. Cardmembers also receive a 10% discount on shore excursion packages (taxes and fees not included) when purchased on Carnival.com prior to sailing. The Carnival World Mastercard is currently offering a sign-up bonus of 20,000 FunPoints after your first purchase or balance transfer.
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For additional options, see our full list of the best travel rewards credit cards. The credit cards on our recommended list earn either cash back or flexible points, which can be used in multiple ways. Not only can you redeem your points or use cash back to purchase a cruise, you can use your rewards for all types of travel expenses, as well.
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Whether you dream of sailing up a Norwegian fjord or of calling in at a faraway island port, a cruise presents an appealing vacation option. If your goal involves loading up on points and miles to redeem toward a maritime adventure or you’re looking for a card with cruise-related benefits, you’re in the right place. Our list of the best credit cards for cruises includes a boatload of cards you’ll want to have on board before you sail off into the sunset. Rewards cards, in general, including cruise credit cards, typically require good to excellent credit as defined by FICO.
Cobranded Cards
The card earns 5 points per dollar on airfare and hotels booked through American Express travel. Though the card comes with a hefty annual fee, its list of benefits is extensive and if you use enough of them, the card might be worth the high-tide price tag. Given the weaker sign-up bonuses, lack of travel protections and significant spending required to earn a free cruise, cruise line credit cards pale in comparison to travel rewards credit cards. If you decide to apply for a credit card of any type, review our guide to application rules from each bank. These will help you understand the application process and your chances of approval. With this 1.5X earning rate, spending $10,000 on your card within a year will net you 15,000 miles.
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REDEEM FOR $300 ONBOARD CREDIT, OR STATEROOM UPGRADES & MORE
The information for the Carnival cruise credit card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. When you pay for your trip with The Platinum Card® from American Express, you’ll be covered for trip delays and cancellations, lost luggage and emergency medical assistance, and you’ll get primary rental car coverage, too.
On top of that, you can redeem your points for hotels, flights and even cruises. It’s easy to collect points quickly since you’ll earn at least two points on all eligible purchases. If you book travel through the Capital One Travel portal, you can earn five points per dollar on your flight purchases to get you to your departure port. If you need an overnight stay beforehand, then earn 10 points per dollar by snagging your hotel through the Capital One travel portal. The Royal Caribbean card includes some additional benefits under its Visa Signature label.
The 20,000 FunPoints can be redeemed as a statement credit of $200 off your next cruise purchase. The welcome bonus is a decent offer, considering that the card has no annual fee, and you can make one small purchase (like a pack of gum) and get an easy $200. Additionally, the Sapphire Preferred has far more perks built into what it offers card members than Royal Caribbean's minimal Visa Signature benefits.
Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories, except where prohibited by law for our mortgage, home equity and other home lending products.
Sometimes, cards with average stand-alone ratings may still rank highly on a particular list according to how a person looking for a card in that category may value certain card features. Our editors are committed to bringing you unbiased ratings and information. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and companies, so all are measured equally. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and the credit card methodology for the ratings below. There’s a sea of incredible benefits to enjoy with the Royal Caribbean Visa Signature® card even when you’re not sailing. From rental car coverage and roadside assistance to price protection and purchase security, cardholders enjoy these benefits with their card.
Moreover, the welcome bonuses from cruise credit cards are not strong. General travel credit cards offer bonuses that are worth much more than this — sometimes providing more than $1,000 in value. Additionally, cruise credit cards usually don't offer travel protections for any problems you encounter during your trip. Being able to make a single purchase (or do a balance transfer) and receive a welcome bonus helps make this card worth considering for frequent Carnival cruisers.
For statement credits, purchases must have been posted to your account within the prior 180 days. Offering a rare mix of high rewards rates and redemption flexibility, this card is a dream for frequent spenders on travel & dining – while charging a modest annual fee. The Sapphire Preferred is also the more flexible card because its points can be redeemed in a variety of ways.
The Discover it® Miles is a solid rewards credit card for cruises if you don’t want to pay an annual fee. This card gives you 1.5X miles for each dollar you spend, and Discover will match all of the miles you earn during your first year of card membership (after the first year is up). You can redeem your miles in the form of statement credits to cover eligible travel purchases (including cruises) at a rate of 1 cent per mile. The ultra premium The Platinum Card® from American Express (terms apply, see rates & fees) offers extra onboard amenities on cruises booked through American Express Travel’s Cruise Privileges Program. Similar to the American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts program, Cruise Privileges provides additional perks such as onboard ship credit. By holding an Amex card, you’ll get access to the Amex Offers program which regularly features discounts or extra points for various cruise lines.
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