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Also be aware that the 3% foreign transaction fee can add up quickly. So if you plan to make sizable purchases at your ports of call, it may be wiser to choose a card with no foreign transaction fees. With its generous rewards on travel, transit, and dining purchases, the relaunched American Express® Green Card is an attractive option. That said, the annual fee is a bit steep, considering the limited perks and lack of Gold or Platinum prestige. The reality, however, is that most people will be better served by a general travel card. If you ask us if you should get a cruise line credit card, the answer in most cases will be "no."
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Royal Caribbean may be known for its megaships and incredible onboard entertainment, but its credit card offering is much less flashy. If you're looking to get free cruises by signing up for the credit card, you might be disappointed to see how much you'd need to spend on the Royal Caribbean credit card to do so. The Carnival Cruise credit card earns FunPoints, which are different from the VIFP Club points you can earn from Carnival's cruise loyalty program.
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Plus, you can earn 2 points per dollar on all travel spending (not just one cruise line) and 5 points per dollar if you purchase travel through Chase's portal. Plus, you'll earn bonus points on additional spending categories, including dining, streaming services and online grocery purchases. The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card keeps everything simple by offering 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 2X miles on all other purchases.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Best for VIP perks
We'll explore the benefits of applying for a card with your favorite cruise line and compare that to using a more general travel rewards card. You might be surprised at which type of card actually gets you free cruises more quickly. The Royal Caribbean credit card earns MyCruise points, which are completely different from the Crown & Anchor Society points you can earn from Royal Caribbean's loyalty program. The Platinum Card® from American Express also comes with luxury travel perks that can make your journey to the cruise ship more pleasant when you enroll, like automatic hotel elite status and airport lounge access.
Plus, the card comes with an annual credit of up to $100 at Saks for pre-cruise shopping. The Cruise Privileges Program works with a dozen major cruise lines, like Royal Caribbean, Holland America and Crystal. When you call this specific department at American Express and book with your card, you’ll earn 2X points on the price of a cruise. Cardholders of The Platinum Card® from American Express are entitled to the benefits of the American Express Cruise Privileges Program when they book at least five nights. You’ll get access to benefits like a credit of up to $300 redeemable toward dining and spa services onboard, plus amenities like wine, champagne and chocolate. Forbes Advisor rates cards both as stand-alone products (the card rating on the review) and compared to others in a specific use case.
9-month cruise drama: TikToker made a bingo card to follow along - Business Insider
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Best for Cruise Benefits
The information for the Celebrity Cruises Visa card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The information for the Carnival card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. While the cruise industry came to a screeching halt at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the major cruise lines are back in full operation now. In fact, guests looking for a cruise in North America and elsewhere will find a full roster of ships and itineraries to choose from. This includes options from budget-friendly operators like Carnival and MSC Cruises, as well as luxury or adults-only cruises with companies like Virgin Voyages and Silversea.
EARN 25,000 FUNPOINTS –
Cardholders earn 2 MyCruise points for every dollar spent on qualifying purchases with Royal Caribbean and its sister brand, Celebrity Cruises, and just 1 MyCruise point for every dollar spent on all other purchases. If you book a cruise with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you’ll enjoy travel protections if the trip is canceled, interrupted or delayed. Forbes Advisor uses data from multiple government agencies to determine how much a typical cardholder might spend. We use the same numbers for cards in the same category to make sure we are comparing cards the same way.
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The bonus categories for spending included with each card are factored into our determination of how many rewards a cardholder could expect to earn if they use the card as a consumer normally would. For instance, a card that might be considered mediocre overall could be the top card on a list of rewards cards with no annual fee. That’s because the card might offer limited features compared to other rewards cards, but after we remove cards that charge an annual fee, it’s the best card that remains.
A co-branded cruise card is a good idea when you are a frequent traveler on a specific cruise line and you get value out of the perks offered by credit card. Some cruise cards offer special events onboard or discounts for cardholders, while others only offer a small bonus on your cruise purchases. That said, a more general travel rewards credit card will usually be a better fit than one tied to a specific cruise line. Also our pick for best mid-tier travel rewards card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card offers excellent perks for the price. Travel purchases, including cruises, earn elevated rewards when booked through the Chase Travel℠ portal. Alternatively, if you’ve saved up a stash of Chase Ultimate Rewards® points, you can use them to pay for all or part of your cruise.
Currently, a free cruise redemption begins at 50,000 points for a three- or four-night Royal Caribbean cruise in an ocean-view cabin. The value of the cruise vacation fare must not exceed $1,000, so this is better than the 1-cent-per-point offerings. The information for the American Express Green Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence.
The information for the Royal Caribbean credit card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The information for the Norwegian Cruise Line credit card and the Royal Caribbean credit card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. If you do not have enough FunPoints to redeem for the full purchase amount, you can only redeem points for $50 statement credits in increments between $50 and $5,000. You'll get the best value by redeeming your FunPoints on eligible Carnival purchases and onboard amenities. This card has no annual fee and has a recommended credit score of at least 700.
Just like with the Royal Caribbean card, you could use the points from your Sapphire Preferred to book a cruise in the Chase travel portal, paying with your points as if they were cash. While the Royal Caribbean card has no annual fee, it earns 2 points per dollar only on Royal Caribbean spending and 1 point per dollar on everything else. These points can only be used with Royal Caribbean and are worth just 1 cent apiece. Perhaps surprisingly, the best credit cards for booking cruises are usually not cobranded cards.
To view rates and fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express please visit this page. We’re transparent about how we are able to bring quality content, competitive rates, and useful tools to you by explaining how we make money. Bankrate has partnerships with issuers including, but not limited to, American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi and Discover. There is no limit to the total FunPoints you can earn, and your FunPoints will not expire, which are two upsides to this card. These include a complimentary ShopRunner membership and cellphone protection with up to $1,000 in yearly coverage (with a maximum of two claims per year, for up to $600 per claim, $50 deductible) if your phone is damaged or stolen.
A cruise credit card earns points based on dollars spent that can be redeemed as credits to cover card purchases. A cruise line's loyalty program issues a separate type of point, based on days or cruises sailed, that leads to status levels that offer increasing cruise perks, discounts and freebies. Thus, having a cruise line's credit card can help you earn a free cruise but won't help you earn status with that cruise line. The innovative Bilt World Elite Mastercard® lets you earn rewards on your monthly rent with no additional fees for the transaction.
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