What's the best credit card for a cruise?

The best credit card to use for a cruise depends on what type of rewards you are looking for. There are cards that earn cash-back or cruise points, but we recommend cards that earn travel rewards. The Ink Business Preferred card and Chase Sapphire Reserve card both earn 3x points on cruises, so they’re great options to use with any cruise line.

What is the best cruise line credit card?

Cruise line credit cards tend to offer very similar earning structures and bonuses, so there’s really not much difference between them. However, there are a few that stand out. The Carnival World card earns 2x points on cruises on multiple cruise lines, giving you more flexibility. The Norwegian Cruise Line card earns 3x points on Norwegian cruises, 2x points on airline and hotel purchases, and offers more flexibility when it comes to redeeming your points.

Can the Carnival World card be used anywhere?

Yes the Carnival World card can be used anywhere Mastercard is accepted, however, the points you earn on the card can only be redeemed toward Carnival cruises.

Do Carnival credit card points expire?

No the FunPoints you earn through the Carnival World card don’t expire.

The 15+ Best Credit Cards for Booking Cruises [2023]

Cruises can be a wonderful way to travel. They are a great way to see a lot of places on a single trip and they can provide good value since most of your food and entertainment are included. They are also great when traveling with family or a large group.

We’ve previously discussed the best ways to book your cruise with points and miles, but what’s the most rewarding option when you just want to pay for your cruise with a credit card?

When you’re getting ready to book a cruise, there are a few things you should think about — do you want to earn transferable points, do you prefer cash-back, or would you prefer to earn cruise line perks like onboard credit or discounts?

We’ve picked some of the best options in each of these categories so you can make an informed decision about which credit card is right for you. Once you’re ready, don’t forget to book your cruise through a website that offers great prices, bonuses, and perks.

Table of contents

The 5 Best Personal Credit Cards for Booking Cruises
The 3 Best Business Credit Cards for Booking Cruises
The 4 Best Credit Cards for Purchasing Cruise Gift Cards
4 Personal Credit Cards That Earn Cash-back
3 Business Credit Cards That Earn Cash-back
Cruise Line Credit Cards
Final Thoughts

Table of Contents

The 5 Best Personal Credit Cards for Booking Cruises
The 3 Best Business Credit Cards for Booking Cruises
The 4 Best Credit Cards for Purchasing Cruise Gift Cards
4 Personal Credit Cards That Earn Cash-back
3 Business Credit Cards That Earn Cash-back
Cruise Line Credit Cards
Final Thoughts

The 5 Best Personal Credit Cards for Booking Cruises

You may notice that some credit cards earn bonus points on the general category of “travel.” The good news is that the travel category usually includes cruises.

Here are some great credit cards that offer bonus points on all types of travel (including cruises).

Card Summary

Card	Welcome Bonus and Annual Fee	Cruise and Travel Benefits
Chase Sapphire Reserve®	Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $550	3x points on travel, including cruises Access to Chase Offers Trip interruption and cancellation insurance
American Express® Green Card	NEW OFFER: Earn 60,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first 6 months. Plus, earn 20% back on eligible travel and transit purchases made during your first 6 months, up to $200 back as a statement credit. Annual fee of $150	3x points on travel, including cruises Access to Amex Offers
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card	Earn 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $95	2x points on travel, including cruises Access to Chase Offers Trip interruption and cancellation insurance
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card	Earn 75,000 miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $395	2x miles on all non-bonus purchases, including cruises $300 Capital One Travel credit Airport lounge access
The Platinum Card® from American Express	Earn 80,000 points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first 6 months. Annual fee of $695 (rates and fees)	2x points on cruises booked through American Express Cruise Privileges Program Premium travel benefits

1. Chase Sapphire Reserve® — 3x Points

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card is a powerhouse among travel rewards credit cards. The list of benefits it offers is long and includes perks that come in handy when traveling on a cruise including a $300 yearly travel credit, a Priority Pass membership, primary car rental insurance, excellent travel insurance coverage, and a fee credit for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, or NEXUS.

Plus, the Chase Sapphire Reserve card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points. When you pay for your cruise with your Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you’ll earn 3x points. According to our points and miles valuations, Ultimate Rewards points are worth ~2 cents each, which means you’d be netting a ~6% return.

Another benefit to using a Chase credit card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve card is access to Chase Offers. You’ll often find discounts or rebates for cruises that can help you save money on your vacation.

Chase Offers Carnival — Chase Offers can help you save money on your next cruise. Image Credit: Chase

2. American Express® Green Card — 3x Points

While the Amex Green card might not be the most exciting travel rewards credit card out there, it’s actually got some great bonus categories — including travel. With this card, you’ll earn 3x points spent on all types of travel, including cruises.

In addition, this card earns 3x points on transit purchases, including trains and subways and at restaurants, so it’s a great one to keep in your wallet if you want to earn lots of American Express Membership Rewards points.

Keep an eye out for Amex Offers on cruises — you can stack these rewards with any other points and perks offered by your American Express card.

3. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card — 2x-5x Points

If you want to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points, but aren’t sure if the Chase Sapphire Reserve card’s annual fee is worth it, check out the card’s sibling, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.

This card’s annual fee is easier to swallow and you’ll still get lots of great benefits. With the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, you’ll earn 2x points spent on travel, including cruises. That’ll give you about 4% return on your spending, which is a solid value.

However, if you book your cruise through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal, you can earn 5x points spent, which nets out to a 10% return.

In addition, this card offers benefits including travel insurance and a $50 hotel credit.

Bottom Line: The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is a great place to start if you’re just getting into points and miles. It offers solid benefits for a reasonable annual fee and is the card we recommend for beginners.

Additional Personal Credit Cards for Booking Cruises

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card — This card earns 2x miles on every purchase, including cruises. Plus it comes with a nice list of additional benefits including airport lounge access, a $100 Global Entry or $78 TSA PreCheck credit, and up to $300 in credits for travel booked through Capital One Travel.
The Platinum Card® from American Express — With this card, you’ll earn 2x points on cruises booked through American Express Travel. Additionally, you’ll be eligible for the Cruise Privileges Program which includes a shipboard credit of $100 to $300 per stateroom (based on cabin type and cruise line) on eligible cruises of 5 nights or more, plus an additional exclusive amenity based on your cruise line. The Amex Platinum card comes with a lot of premium benefits that make it one of the most popular travel rewards credit cards available.

Bottom Line: You can easily earn 2x to 3x points or miles when you pay for your cruise with the right card. Don’t forget to stack these rewards with those offered by the cruise line or an online travel agency. There are lots of great websites you can use to book your cruise that offer perks and bonuses like onboard credit or free specialty dining.

The 3 Best Business Credit Cards for Booking Cruises

Card Summary

Card	Welcome Bonus and Annual Fee	Cruise and Travel Benefits
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card	Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $15,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $95	3x points on travel, including cruises (up to $150,000 per year) Access to Chase Offers Trip interruption and cancellation insurance
The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express	Earn 15,000 points after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months. Annual fee of $0 (rates and fees)	2x points on all purchases (up to $50,000 per year) Car rental insurance Access to Amex Offers
Capital One Spark Miles for Business	Earn 50,000 miles once you spend $4,500 on purchases within the first 3 months. Annual fee of $0 intro for the first year, $95 after that	2x miles on all purchases $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck 2 free visits to Capital One Lounges

1. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card — 3x Points

The Ink Business Preferred card is one of the best business credit cards to book a cruise.

In addition to great benefits like travel insurance and cell phone protection, the Ink Business Preferred card earns 3x points on travel, including cruises (up to $150,000 per year). Don’t forget you’ll also earn 3x points on flights to get you to your departure port, a hotel room for the night before your cruise, and even your taxi ride to the cruise port. Based on our valuations, that gives you a return of about 6% on your spending.

Like the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, these points can be used for travel in the Chase travel portal or you can transfer them to one of Chase’s airline or hotel partners.

2. The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express — 2x Points

The Amex Blue Business Plus card is a great option for business owners who want to earn lots of Membership Rewards points and who value simplicity because it earns 2x points on all purchases (up to $50,000 per year).

While this card doesn’t offer many premium benefits, it does come with some perks that will appeal to business owners, such as employee cards, the ability to connect to Quickbooks, and Vendor Pay by Bill.com. Plus, you won’t be on the hook for paying an annual fee.

3. Capital One Spark Miles for Business — 2x Miles

The Capital One Spark Miles card is a no-nonsense business card that has an earn rate of 2x miles spent. What’s great is that the 2x earnings aren’t capped so the points can really add up quickly.

Additionally, this card comes with benefits like a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck fee credit, $0 fraud liability, and a virtual credit card number.

The 4 Best Credit Cards for Purchasing Cruise Gift Cards

Gift card purchase at grocery store — You can buy cruise line gift cards at grocery stores to earn some big-time points! Image Credit: Katie Seemann

The next card options we’re going to talk about are those that earn bonus points at grocery stores where you can purchase gift cards for your cruise. With these cards, you’ll earn your bonus points on the gift cards, then you can redeem the gift cards for your cruise.

While it adds an extra step, it’s a great way to earn points on cards that don’t offer a travel bonus category and a great way to take advantage of grocery store bonus point categories which can be quite lucrative.

Card Summary

Card	Welcome Bonus and Annual Fee	Cruise and Travel Benefits
Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express	Earn a $250 statement credit after spending $3,000 in purchases in the first 6 months. $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 (rates and fees)	6% cash-back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year) Secondary car rental insurance
American Express® Gold Card	Earn 60,000 points when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 6 months. Annual fee of $250 (rates and fees)	4x points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per year) Baggage insurance Secondary car rental insurance
The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card	Earn 15,000 points after you make $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. $95	3x to 4.5x points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year) Secondary car rental insurance
Discover it® Cash Back Card	Earn an unlimited dollar-for-dollar match of all the cash back you earned at the end of your first year. Annual fee of $0	5% cash-back on quarterly rotating categories

1. Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express — 6% Cash-back

The Amex Blue Cash Preferred card offers an impressive earning rate at U.S. supermarkets, where you can purchase cruise line gift cards. With this card, you’ll earn 6% cash-back on the first $6,000 you spend at U.S. supermarkets every year. Your cash-back can be redeemed as a statement credit, so this could be a good option to help offset the price of your cruise.

Additionally, the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card earns 6% cash-back on select U.S. streaming subscriptions, 3% cash-back on transit and at U.S. gas stations, and 1% cash-back on all other purchases. It also offers some unique benefits like a monthly Disney Bundle credit, a monthly Equinox credit, and return protection.

Per Amex’s terms, purchases of gift cards do not count toward a card’s welcome offer spend threshold.

2. American Express® Gold Card — 4x Points

The Amex Gold card offers great earning potential — 4x points — at U.S. supermarkets, and that means you can use it to purchase cruise line gift cards.

This is excellent news, especially because the cap on how much you can spend at that earning level is $25,000 per calendar year, which is much higher than other cards.

However, there is a potential catch: per Amex’s terms, the purchases of gift cards do not count toward the card’s welcome offer spend threshold and are ineligible to earn bonus points.

With that said, we’ve used this card to purchase gift cards at U.S. supermarkets and still earned points, but this is a definite case of “your earnings may vary.”

Aside from that, the Amex Gold card also earns 4x points at restaurants, making this a great option for collecting lots of Membership Rewards points. There’s also a $10 monthly dining credit and a $10 monthly Uber cash credit to help offset the cost of the annual fee.

Note: Be careful when using an American Express card to purchase gift cards. Each card’s terms can vary and many of them state that gift card purchases either don’t count toward welcome bonus minimum spending and/or won’t earn extra points in bonus spending categories. There are plenty of data points showing that some gift card purchases can fly under the radar, but you should go into it knowing that there’s a potential that your points either won’t post or could get clawed back.

Additional Cards To Purchase Cruise Gift Cards

The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card — This card earns 3x points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 per year), but the great part is that if you have 30 or more transactions during a billing period, you’ll get a 50% bonus on the points you earned. That means you could earn 4.5x points when using your Amex Everyday Preferred card to purchase gift cards for your cruise, giving you a return of about 9.9%! Per Amex’s terms, purchases of gift cards do not count toward this card’s welcome offer spend threshold or toward the 30 transaction minimum for the 50% point-earning bonus.
Discover it® Cash Back Card — This card earns 5% cash-back on quarterly rotating categories and grocery stores usually show up as a bonus category at least once a year. The real magic of this card happens during your first year of having it. You’ll get an unlimited cash-back match of everything you’ve earned during your first year. That means, if you applied for this card and bought $1,500 in cruise line gift cards during the promotional period of your first year, you could get $150 in cash-back just from those purchases alone!

4 Personal Credit Cards That Earn Cash-back

Maybe you would prefer to earn cold hard cash-back on your cruise purchase instead of points? Well, there are some great credit card options for you, too.

Here are just some of the credit cards that offer bonus cash-back on cruises.

Card Summary

Card	Welcome Bonus and Annual Fee	Cruise and Travel Benefits
Chase Freedom Flex℠	Earn a $200 bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months. Annual fee of $0	5% cash-back on rotating monthly categories 5% cash-back on cruise purchases through Chase travel portal Access to Chase Offers
Chase Freedom Unlimited®	INTRO OFFER: Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back! Annual fee of $0	1.5% cash-back on all purchases 5% cash-back on cruise purchases through Chase travel portal Trip cancellation and interruption insurance Secondary car rental insurance
Citi Custom Cash℠ Card	Earn $200 cash-back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. Annual fee of $0	5% cash-back on your highest eligible spend category (up to $500 per month)
Citi® Double Cash Card	No welcome offer available. Annual fee of $0	2% cash-back on all purchases (1% when you make a purchase and 1% when you pay your bill on time)

1. Chase Freedom Flex℠ — Up to 5% Cash-back

The Freedom Flex card offers 2 ways to earn 5% cash-back on cruises. First, this card offers quarterly rotating bonus categories, and grocery stores (where you can purchase cruise gift cards) usually show up at least once a year. The maximum amount you can earn bonus cash-back on is $1,500 per quarter. If you max that out, you’ll earn $75 in cash-back on your cruise gift cards.

A second way to get lots of value is to book your cruise through the Chase travel portal using the Freedom Flex card — you’ll earn get 5% cash-back on any travel including cruises.

While this card is advertised as a cash-back card, you’ll earn it as points which can be redeemed for cash-back or can be used to book travel through Chase.

This card is a favorite among miles and points enthusiasts because it offers an excellent way to earn lots of Ultimate Rewards points fast and it includes some nice benefits for a no-annual-fee card, including cell phone protection.

2. Chase Freedom Unlimited® — 1.5% to 5% Cash-back

The Freedom Unlimited card earns 5% cash-back on travel, including cruises, through Chase Ultimate Rewards. It also earns 3% cash-back on dining and drugstores and 1.5% cash-back on all other purchases. In actuality, you’ll earn Ultimate Rewards points that can be redeemed as cash-back or used in the Chase travel portal for 1 cent each.

The real magic with this card is when you pair it with a premium Chase card — you’ll gain the ability to transfer the points you earn on your Freedom Unlimited card to Chase’s hotel or airline partners. This can greatly increase the value of those hard-earned points.

This is a great card to keep long-term to boost your Ultimate Rewards points balance on all of those non-bonus purchase categories. While its benefits list isn’t full of flashy credits or first-class perks, it does come with some nice travel insurance benefits, car rental coverage, and extended warranty coverage.

Hot Tip: The cash-back you earn on the Freedom Flex card and Freedom Unlimited card comes as Ultimate Rewards points worth 1 cent each. If you also hold a premium Chase Ultimate Rewards card (Chase Sapphire Preferred card, Chase Sapphire Reserve card, or Ink Business Preferred card), you gain the ability to transfer those points to Chase’s airline and hotel partners, making them even more valuable when redeeming Chase points.

Additional Personal Cards That Earn Cash-back

Citi Custom Cash℠ Card — This card awards 5% cash-back on your highest eligible spend category each month on up to $500 in spend. One of the eligible spending categories is “select travel,” which includes cruises in addition to airlines, hotels, and travel agency purchases.
Citi® Double Cash Card — With this card, you’ll earn 2% cash-back — 1% when you make a purchase and 1% when you pay your bill on time. There are no categories to consider and no maximum to the amount of cash-back you can earn. If you also have a premium Citi card like the Citi Premier® Card you’ll unlock access to Citi’s hotel and airline transfer partners which can make your points even more valuable.

3 Business Credit Cards That Earn Cash-back

Card Summary

Card	Welcome Bonus and Annual Fee	Cruise and Travel Benefits
Ink Business Premier℠ Credit Card	Earn $1,000 cash-back after you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 3 months. Annual fee of $195	5% cash-back through the Chase travel portal 2% cash-back on all other purchases Primary car rental insurance
American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card	Earn a $250 statement credit after making $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. $0 (rates and fees)	2% cash-back on all purchases (up to $50,000) Secondary car rental insurance
Capital One Spark Cash Plus Card	Earn up to a $1,000 cash bonus; $500 once you spend $5,000 in the first 3 months, and $500 once you spend $50,000 in the first 6 months of account opening. $150	2% cash-back on all purchases Roadside assistance

1. Ink Business Premier℠ Credit Card — 2% Cash-back

The Ink Business Premier card is a new card from Chase that earns 2.5% cash-back on purchases over $5,000, 5% cash-back on travel purchases through the Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal, and 2% cash-back on all other purchases.

Additionally, this card comes with benefits like cell phone protection, primary car rental insurance, extended warranty coverage, and purchase protection.

Rewards earned on this card can be redeemed for a statement credit, cash-back, a deposit to your linked bank account, or redeemed for Apple products or gift cards. Points earned on this card can’t be transferred to Chase airline and hotel partners or other Chase credit cards.

2. American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card – 2% Cash-back

The Amex Blue Business Cash card is a great option for business owners looking for a great cash-back earning rate. This card earns 2% cash-back on all purchases up to $50,000 per year. Other benefits of the Amex Blue Business Cash card are car rental insurance, the ability to connect to Quickbooks, purchase protection, Vendor Pay by Bill.com, and extended warranty protection.

3. Capital One Spark Cash Plus Card – 2% Cash-back

The Capital One Spark Cash Plus card earns a flat 2% cash-back on all purchases with no limit. Additionally, this card earns 5% cash-back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

While the Capital One Spark Cash Plus card’s benefits list isn’t star-studded, it does come with some perks that will appeal to business owners including a $200 rebate if you spend $200,000 in a year, extended warranty protection, roadside assistance, and no foreign transaction fees.

Bottom Line: There are both personal and business cards that offer 2% cash-back on purchases, so aim for at least that much in cash-back on your next cruise purchase.

Cruise Line Credit Cards

We couldn’t write a post about the best credit cards to use to book a cruise without mentioning cruise line-specific credit cards. Unfortunately, these cards generally don’t offer as much value as other travel rewards credit cards unless you’re a cruise-only traveler and have zero interest in earning flexible points or cash-back. In most cases, a cruise line-branded credit card won’t be your best option.

So while we generally don’t recommend these cards, we wanted to mention them for those times when they may make sense.

Although many cruise lines offer branded credit cards, they aren’t usually the best option to maximize your points. Image: Carnival Cruise Lines

Royal Caribbean Visa Signature® Card — This card earns 2x MyCruise points on qualifying purchases with Royal Caribbean and its sister brands Azamara Club Cruises and Celebrity Cruises. MyCruise points can be redeemed at 1 cent each for things like onboard credit, stateroom upgrades, and cruise discounts.
Princess Cruises® Rewards Visa® Card — This card earns 2x points on all Princess Cruises purchases. Each point is worth 1 cent and can be redeemed for onboard credits, onboard amenities, cruise rewards, and discounted airfare.
Norwegian Cruise Line® World Mastercard® — This card earns 3x WorldPoints on Norwegian Cruise Line purchases, 2x WorldPoints on air and hotel purchases, and 1x WorldPoints on all other purchases. WorldPoints are worth 1 cent each and can be redeemed in a number of ways including things like onboard credits, upgrades, and cruise discounts.
Carnival® World Mastercard® — This card earns 2x FunPoints on purchases with Carnival Cruise Lines plus any of the other “World’s Leading Cruise Lines” brands including Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, and more. FunPoints can be redeemed as a statement credit towards any Carnival purchase, including onboard charges.
Celebrity Cruises Visa Signature® Card — This card earns 2x MyCruise points on qualifying purchases with Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean and 1x MyCruise points on all other purchases. Points can be redeemed for things like stateroom upgrades, spa treatments, and shore excursions.

Bottom Line: Cruise line credit cards generally don’t offer the most bang for your buck when it comes to travel rewards. For maximum travel rewards and benefits stick to cards that earn transferrable points or cash-back.

Final Thoughts

There are so many great credit cards out there that it can sometimes be a little confusing to know which one is right for you. When you’re choosing a credit card to book a cruise, think about what benefits you would like to earn — bonus points, cash-back, or cruise line perks.

Once you know what you’re after, you can narrow down your options to choose the right credit card for your vacation. Now all that’s left to do is pack your bags and set sail.

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
The information regarding the Royal Caribbean Visa Signature® Card, Princess Cruises® Rewards Visa® Card, Norwegian Cruise Line® World Mastercard®, Carnival® World Mastercard® and Celebrity Cruises Visa Signature® Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

The information regarding the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the The Amex EveryDay® Preferred Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Chase Disney Premier Visa® Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Green Card, click here.

5 comments

Jennifer Justice January 6, 2021

What credit card do I need to rent a car?

- Jarrod West January 6, 2021
  
  Hi Jennifer,
  
  You can rent a car with any sort of credit card, you do not need a specific card.
  
Brighton December 18, 2021

Did the benefits of the Citi Premier change? When I look at my card benefits on the Citi website, it only shows 3x for air travel and hotels.

- Katie Seemann December 27, 2021
  
  Hi Brighton,
  Yes, in 2020, the Citi Premier card changed from offering 3x points on all travel to 3x points on airfare and hotels only. We’ll be sure to get this post updated!
  
Angela January 15, 2023

I don’t know if all cards do this, but our Blue from American Express (its clear card like the EveryDay card but the center is blue) many times a year has targeted offers. For example $150 cash back when you spend $500 on ________ cruiseline (cruiselines and amount back vary)..

The 5 Best Personal Credit Cards for Booking Cruises

Card Summary

1. Chase Sapphire Reserve® — 3x Points

2. American Express® Green Card — 3x Points

3. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card — 2x-5x Points

Additional Personal Credit Cards for Booking Cruises

The 3 Best Business Credit Cards for Booking Cruises

Card Summary

1. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card — 3x Points

2. The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express — 2x Points

3. Capital One Spark Miles for Business — 2x Miles

The 4 Best Credit Cards for Purchasing Cruise Gift Cards

Card Summary

1. Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express — 6% Cash-back

2. American Express® Gold Card — 4x Points

Additional Cards To Purchase Cruise Gift Cards

4 Personal Credit Cards That Earn Cash-back

Card Summary

1. Chase Freedom Flex℠ — Up to 5% Cash-back

2. Chase Freedom Unlimited® — 1.5% to 5% Cash-back

Additional Personal Cards That Earn Cash-back

3 Business Credit Cards That Earn Cash-back

Card Summary

1. Ink Business Premier℠ Credit Card — 2% Cash-back

2. American Express Blue Business Cash™ Card – 2% Cash-back

3. Capital One Spark Cash Plus Card – 2% Cash-back

Cruise Line Credit Cards

Final Thoughts

Frequently asked questions

What's the best credit card for a cruise?

What is the best cruise line credit card?

Can the Carnival World card be used anywhere?

Do Carnival credit card points expire?

About Katie Seemann

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