You have a credit card affiliated with your favorite airline, and it gives you free checked bags and extra miles to redeem toward free travel. You have a card associated with your favorite hotel loyalty program, and you earn free nights and elite night credits. If you’re also an avid cruiser, does it make sense to get the credit card linked to your favorite cruise line in the hope of earning free cruises and making your way more quickly through the loyalty program tiers?
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.
Related: A beginner’s guide to picking a cruise line
Should you get a cruise line credit card?
Perhaps surprisingly, the best credit cards for booking cruises are usually not cobranded cards.
Before you apply for a cruise line’s credit card, consider which benefits and perks it offers. Then, compare those to TPG’s list of the best travel credit cards. It’s likely that those cards — though they don’t say “cruise” in the name of the card — will actually serve you better.
Why? Because they earn more valuable rewards, often at higher rates, which you can still use to pay for your future cruises. Plus, travel credit cards tend to offer protections cruise line credit cards don’t, such as covering the costs associated with canceled trips or flight delays that could cause you to miss your cruise.
If you’re chasing high-level elite status in a cruise line’s loyalty program, know that owning and spending with a cruise credit card will not get you to certain tiers more quickly. In fact, the two points-earning programs are entirely separate.
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.
Related: A beginner’s guide to cruise line loyalty programs
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Details on cruise line credit cards
Carnival World Mastercard
Welcome bonus: Earn 30,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days, redeemable for $300 onboard credit.
Annual fee: $0
Why we like it: The Carnival® World Mastercard® earns FunPoints, which can be redeemed at 1 cent apiece in value toward Carnival bookings and onboard purchases. The minimum redemption is 5,000 points, and redemptions can only be made for purchases made within the past 180 days.
You’ll earn 2 FunPoints per dollar spent on Carnival and 1 FunPoint per dollar on all other purchases.
For more details, check out our full review of the Carnival World Mastercard.
The information for the Carnival World Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Celebrity Cruises Visa Signature Credit Card
Welcome bonus: Earn 30,000 points after spending at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of card membership, redeemable for $300 onboard credit.
Annual fee: $0
Why we like it: You’ll earn MyCruise points with the Celebrity Cruises Visa Signature® Credit Card, which can be redeemed for onboard credit, cabin upgrades and cruise bookings on Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean and Silversea.
The Celebrity Cruises Visa Signature earns 2 points per dollar on purchases with Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean and Silversea and 1 point on all other purchases. Plus, you won’t pay foreign transaction fees on the card when traveling abroad.
The information for the Celebrity Cruises Visa Signature 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.
Disney Premier Visa Card
Welcome bonus: Earn a $300 statement credit after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Annual fee: $49 (there is also a no-fee version, under a slightly different name, with fewer perks and a smaller welcome bonus)
Why we like it: Earn Disney Rewards Dollars with the Disney® Premier Visa® Card, which can be used on Disney Cruise Line toward cruise packages, onboard activities and souvenirs. You can also save on select Disney island destination packages and experiences during your cruise.
You’ll receive 5% back as Disney Rewards Dollars on purchases made directly at DisneyPlus.com, Hulu.com or ESPNPlus.com; 2% back at gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants and most U.S. Disney locations; and 1% back on all other purchases.
For more information, check out our full review of the Disney Premier Visa.
Apply here: Disney Premier Visa
Holland America Line Rewards Visa Card
Welcome bonus: Earn 20,000 points after spending $500 in the first 90 days of card membership, redeemable for $200 onboard credit.
Annual fee: $0
Why we like it: The Holland America Line Rewards Visa® Card earns 2 points per dollar spent with Holland America and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. You can redeem points at 1 cent apiece toward onboard credit, cruises, gift cards or merchandise from Holland America.
With the Holland America Line Rewards Visa, you’ll also receive Visa Signature benefits, including the Visa Signature Concierge service. The card does not charge foreign transaction fees and offers a suite of travel protections, including travel accident insurance, trip cancellation and interruption coverage, baggage delay insurance and an auto rental collision damage waiver.
The information for the Holland America Line Rewards Visa 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.
Norwegian Cruise Line World Mastercard
Welcome bonus: Earn 20,000 points after making at least $1,000 in purchases on the card within the first 90 days of account opening, redeemable for $200 off a Norwegian cruise or $200 in onboard credit.
Annual fee: $0
Why we like it: The Norwegian Cruise Line® World Mastercard® earns WorldPoints that can be redeemed on purchases with the cruise line. You can use WorldPoints toward cabin upgrades, discounts, exclusive last-minute bookings, onboard credits, car rentals, hotel stays, cash and gift cards. Redemptions start at 2,500 WorldPoints.
You’ll earn 3 points for every dollar spent on Norwegian Cruise Line purchases, 2 points per dollar on eligible airline and hotel purchases and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
The information for the Norwegian Cruise Line World Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Princess Rewards Visa Card
Welcome bonus: Earn 20,000 points after making $500 in qualifying purchases with the card in the first 90 days of account opening, redeemable for $200 in onboard credit.
Annual fee: $0
Why we like it: The Princess® Rewards Visa® Card earns points that can be redeemed for onboard credit and amenities, gift cards, statement credits toward Princess purchases and eligible airfare purchases, making it a more versatile card than many other options on this list.
You’ll earn 2 points per dollar on your purchases with Princess, including all onboard purchases, and 1 point per dollar on everything else.
The Princess Rewards Visa comes with Visa Signature perks, including Visa Signature Concierge. Travel coverages also come with the card. These include travel accident insurance, trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage, baggage delay reimbursement, travel emergency services and an auto rental collision damage waiver.
You’ll get free access to your FICO score and $0 fraud liability protection, meaning you won’t be responsible for unauthorized charges. You also won’t be charged foreign transaction fees.
The information for the Princess Rewards Visa 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.
Royal Caribbean Visa Signature Credit Card
Welcome bonus: Earn 30,000 points after spending $1,000 in the first 90 days, redeemable for $300 onboard credit.
Annual fee: $0
Why we like it: The Royal Caribbean® Visa Signature® Credit Card earns MyCruise points, like the card for its sister brand Celebrity Cruises. You can redeem MyCruise points for upgrades, discounts and flexible onboard credits you can use in various ways, such as dining at specialty restaurants, shore excursions, in shops or at the spa.
You’ll earn 2 points per dollar on qualifying purchases with Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea, and 1 point per dollar on other purchases. The card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees and comes with numerous discounts, offers, travel perks and event access with Visa Signature perks.
To learn more, read our full review of the Royal Caribbean Visa Signature Credit Card.
The information for the Royal Caribbean Visa Signature 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.
Comparing cruise credit cards to general travel credit cards
Now that you’ve seen the welcome bonuses, earning rates, redemption options and extra perks for the cruise line cards, let’s take a look at how they stack up against general travel rewards cards.
Credit cards from cruise lines tend to have a flat redemption rate of 1 cent per point. Thus, it will require significant spending on your credit card to earn enough points for a free cruise this way.
On the other hand, rewards that you can earn from other travel credit cards have higher values, according to our monthly point valuations. Paying for your cruise with a general travel credit card may earn more points in the long run, along with offering points that are more valuable and allow more options in how you redeem your points. Yes, you can use these points to pay for cruises, but you could also redeem them for other parts of your upcoming vacation.
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.
Related: How to pick the right travel credit card for you
Comparing a common travel rewards card to a cruise line credit card
Compare the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card to the Royal Caribbean Visa Signature Credit Card.
While the Royal Caribbean card has no annual fee, it earns 2 points per dollar only on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea 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.
On the flip side, the Sapphire Preferred has an annual fee of $95. The points it earns, however, are worth 2.05 cents apiece, according to TPG’s December 2024 valuations. 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 the Chase Travel℠ portal. You’ll also earn bonus points on additional spending categories, including dining (including eligible takeout and delivery services), streaming services and online grocery purchases.
Royal Caribbean’s welcome bonus is easier to earn; you get 30,000 points (worth $300) after spending $1,000 in 90 days.
While you have to spend $4,000 within three months to earn the Sapphire Preferred’s welcome bonus, it’s a much more generous 60,000 points (worth $1,230, per TPG’s December 2024 valuations).
The Sapphire Preferred is also the more flexible card because its points can be redeemed in a variety of ways. 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.
Additionally, you could also use your Chase points to book hotels or rental cars, book activities from tour operators available on the site or transfer your points to Chase’s airline and hotel partners to book flights and hotel nights.
While the Disney Premier Visa and some cruise credit cards do allow you to redeem points for flights, the spending required to earn enough points for these redemptions will be significant since points are worth just 1 cent each.
Given the weaker welcome 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.
Related: How to book a cruise using points and miles
Bottom line
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.
If you are loyal to a particular cruise line and feel its credit card could add value thanks to discounts on shore excursions or other onboard benefits, combining this with one of our best travel credit cards may be your ideal solution. Spend just enough on the cruise card to access the initial bonuses and then only use it to pay for cruise-specific purchases. Use your general travel card for everything else.
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.”
Related: 15 ways that cruising newbies waste money on their first cruise
