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Best Credit Cards for Cruises
Best Credit Cards for Cruises
There are many rewarding credit card options to book your next cruise, but they may not be what you think. Here are our top picks.Many or all of the products on this page are from partners who compensate us when you click to or take an action on their website, but this does not influence our evaluations or ratings. Our opinions are our own.
Updated · 2 min read Written by + more + more Edited by Assigning Editor + more + more SOME CARD INFO MAY BE OUTDATEDThis page includes information about the Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card, currently unavailable on NerdWallet. The information about the Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been provided or reviewed by the card issuer.
Thinking about setting sail on the open seas for fun, food and relaxation? Well, today’s cruise ships can suit almost any sensibility and budget. And just as you have many cruise options to choose from, there are numerous credit cards you could choose to pay with. Cruise line-specific cards might seem like an obvious choice, but they aren't always the best. Flexible rewards credit cards have more redemption options, often provide heftier bonuses for new cardholders and usually earn more points in many categories. Here are NerdWallet's best cards for cruises, why we like them and why many co-branded cruise credit cards may not be your best bet. » MORE: NerdWallet's best travel credit cards » MORE:Top credit cards for cruises
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card American Express Platinum Card® American Express Platinum Card® Branded cruise line credit card optionsChase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Apply now Apply now Read Review Why we like it: It earns 2 points per $1 spent on travel (including cruises), as well as bonus rewards on a variety of popular spending categories, including dining. Plus, it offers travel protections. Why we like it: Bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Bonus: Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Annual fee: $95. Annual fee: $95 Details: The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is a traveler favorite because of its solid rewards rate, versatile Ultimate Rewards® points and a midtier price point. Points earned from the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card are easy to redeem. Just use them to book travel directly in the Chase portal for hotels, airfare, rental cars, cruises and experiences. (Or transfer points directly to many large travel partners like Marriott, United, Hyatt and Southwest.) Details: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Though it can’t be done online, you can also use Chase Ultimate Rewards® points to book a cruise. Log in to your Chase account, navigate to the travel portal and search the "cruises" tab. A few cruise options will display there, but you’ll have to call Chase's Cruises and Tours department to book. And even if you don’t see a great cruise option in a search, you may be able to book cruises that aren't listed when you call Chase. If you book a cruise with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you’ll enjoy travel protections if the trip is canceled, interrupted or delayed. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card » MORE: Full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card » MORE Chase Sapphire Preferred® CardTerms and conditions apply. Credit products subject to lender approval.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Read Review Why we like it: It earns 2X miles per $1 spent on all purchases, including travel and cruises. Miles are easy to redeem, and the card gives some travel protections, too. Why we like it: Bonus: LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel. Bonus: LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel. Annual fee: $95. Annual fee: $95 Details: You’ll earn 2X miles on every purchase, every day. And while you may mistakenly think that miles can be redeemed for airfare only, Venture miles are actually incredibly versatile. You can use your miles as a statement credit to cover travel purchases, book new travel directly through Capital One or cash out miles for gift cards. All of these redemption options give you the ability to lock in a fixed value of one cent per mile. Details: It’s easy to use rewards to book a cruise. After you’ve found the best option for you, book it on any website using your Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. Then, use your miles to cover some or all of the charges. Or you could opt to cash out Venture miles for gift cards for Carnival, Princess, Disney and Royal Caribbean cruises, to name a few. Alternatively, you could book a cruise directly through the Capital One travel portal using miles. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers travel accident insurance and offers up to $120 in credit toward the application fee credit for TSA Precheck or Global Entry. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card » MORE: Full review of the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card » MORE: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit CardBank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card
Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card Why we like it: It earns 2X points per $1 spent on travel and dining and 1.5X points on everything else. Points are worth the same no matter how you redeem them. Plus, you’ll earn more with an eligible Bank of America® account. Why we like it: Bonus: Receive 60,000 online bonus points - a $600 value - after you make at least $4,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.. Bonus: Receive 60,000 online bonus points - a $600 value - after you make at least $4,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening. Annual fee: $95. Annual fee: $95 Details: The Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card offers solid rewards earnings and gives flexibility when you redeem said rewards. Earning potential gets even better if you’re a member of Bank of America’s Preferred Rewards® program, which is open to those with at least $20,000 in combined balances in Bank of America® or eligible Merrill accounts. Depending on the size of your account, you can get a rewards boost from 25% to 75%. Details: Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card Bank of America® has one of the broadest definitions of "travel" of any credit card issuer. Use your Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card to pay for the cruise, airfare, parking fees and some ship excursions, and you’ll earn at least 2X rewards on the purchases. Points can be redeemed for a credit on your statement, gift cards, a deposit into a Bank of America® or Merrill account (checking, savings or 529 plan) or travel booked through the Bank of America® Travel Center. Each point is worth 1 cent, no matter how you use them. Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card Book with your Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card and you’ll get trip delay reimbursement, trip cancellation coverage and other travel assistance services. Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card » MORE: Full review of the Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card » MORE: Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit cardAmerican Express Platinum Card®
American Express Platinum Card® Apply now Apply now Read Review Why we like it: It comes with boatloads of luxury perks, extensive travel protections and bonus credits. Why we like it: Bonus: You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $12,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Terms apply. Bonus: You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $12,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Terms apply. Annual fee: $895. Annual fee: $895 Details: While you won't get the highest possible value when redeeming points for a cruise (points will be worth just 0.5 to 0.7 cent each this way), the American Express Platinum Card® can be a great card to book your trip with and carry while you cruise. Details: American Express Platinum Card® Cardholders of the American Express Platinum Card® 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. Terms apply. The Cruise Privileges Program works with a dozen major cruise lines, like Royal Caribbean, Holland America and Crystal. American Express Platinum Card® The American Express Platinum Card® 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. Terms apply. American Express Platinum Card® » MORE: Full review of the American Express Platinum Card® » MORE: American Express Platinum Card®Branded cruise line credit cards
There are many cruise line-specific credit cards that can be appealing to brand loyalists. Some offer exclusive perks and discounts that you won’t find anywhere else, and most don't charge annual fees. Since many cruise lines have partnerships, the rewards earned on some cards are interchangeable among several cruise brands, too. But the truth is, for most people, these cards aren't the best option for cruises. In general, co-branded cruise line cards are underwhelming. They tend to offer subpar welcome offers and ongoing rewards, confusing redemption options, and, of course, the biggest drawback is that they lock you into using your credit card rewards solely on a cruise. When compared with other "flexible currency" cards, their value pales in comparison. More on these cards: Carnival World Mastercard: Offers a low promotional APR on purchases and on balance transfers, and gives a 10% statement credit when you book a Carnival shore excursion prior to your trip. But its tiered rewards redemptions can be hard to navigate. Carnival World Mastercard: Norweigan Cruise Line® World Mastercard®: You can redeem points not only for cruise-related charges, but for airline tickets, cash back and more. This card is eligible for Bank of America®’s Preferred Rewards program, meaning you can earn a 25% to 75% boost in the rewards rate if you have an eligible account with appropriate funds. Norweigan Cruise Line® World Mastercard®: Princess Cruises Rewards Visa® Card: This card offers an introductory 0% APR on balance transfers, and points can be redeemed for onboard credits and amenities as well as other travel, like airfare and hotels. But the amount of points needed to redeem varies by how large your cruise purchase is, making the program confusing and cumbersome. Princess Cruises Rewards Visa® Card: Princess Cruises Rewards Visa® Card Holland America Line Rewards Visa® Card: Like the Carnival- and Princess-branded credit cards, the Holland America Line Rewards Visa® Card features a tiered redemption program, meaning the value of your points depends on what you choose to redeem them for and the amount of your purchase. Rewards are worth 1% to 2.5% toward Holland America purchases or 1% toward purchases on other cruise lines. You can choose to do a balance transfer and receive an introductory 0% APR. Holland America Line Rewards Visa® Card: Holland America Line Rewards Visa® Card Royal Caribbean Visa Signature® Credit Card: This is a run-of-the-mill co-branded card that earns 2X points per dollar on qualifying cruise purchases and 1X points on all other purchases. In addition to a small bonus, it offers a $50 discount on Royal Carribean’s Air2Sea program when you spend $3,500 on purchases in the first 90 days. Royal Caribbean Visa Signature® Credit Card : Celebrity Cruises® Visa Signature® Credit Card: Like its sister card (the Royal Caribbean Visa Signature® Credit Card, noted above), the Celebrity card offers a bonus and earns 2X points per dollar on qualifying cruise purchases and 1X points on everything else. Points earned on both the Royal Caribbean and Celebrity versions of the card can be redeemed for purchases on either cruise line. Celebrity Cruises® Visa Signature® Credit Card: Disney Credit Cards: Disney cruises are among the most popular (and often priciest) of cruise options. Both the Disney® Visa® Card and the Disney® Premier Visa® Card earn Disney Rewards Dollars that are worth $1 each when redeemed toward eligible Disney goods or services, and both cards offer an introductory 0% APR. Disney Credit Cards : Disney® Visa® Card Disney® Premier Visa® Card To view rates and fees of the American Express Platinum Card®, see this page. To view rates and fees of the American Express Platinum Card®, see this page. American Express Platinum Card® Article sources NerdWallet writers are subject matter authorities who use primary, trustworthy sources to inform their work, including peer-reviewed studies, government websites, academic research and interviews with industry experts. All content is fact-checked for accuracy, timeliness and relevance. You can learn more about NerdWallet's high standards for journalism by reading our editorial guidelines. About the author Erin Hurd Erin is a former writer and assigning editor on the NerdWallet Content team who now heads NerdWallet's travel business. She's a credit card and travel rewards expert at NerdWallet, based in Baltimore, Maryland. Her work has been featured in Yahoo, Nasdaq, TheStreet, International Living, the Daily Reckoning, Personal Finance and FinanceBuzz. Previously the director of strategic growth at a large financial publishing company, Erin is passionate about harnessing the power of credit card and loyalty rewards to travel the world. When she's not writing, she's planning the next adventure for her family of four using points and miles. Twitter: @ErinHurd1. See full bio. Limited Time Only: Earn $1,000 Toward Travel! Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Travel For a limited time, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is offering new cardholders an especially rich bonus: Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel! Read full reviewFind the right credit card for you.
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