Great Card If
- You frequently take cruises with Carnival.
Don’t Get If
- You rarely take cruises or cruise with a company other than Carnival.
- You’d prefer a more flexible travel rewards credit card.
Carnival Rewards Card: Is It Worth It?
If you frequently cruise with Carnival, it may be worth adding the Carnival Rewards card to your wallet to earn more points on paid trips and redeem them for future trips.
That said, if you’re not loyal to Carnival or just go on cruises occasionally, you might be better off with a more general travel rewards credit card.
Carnival Rewards Card Top Benefits and Perks
Here is a look at the benefits you can expect as a Carnival Rewards cardholder:
- Earn Status Qualifying Stars: Earn 1 Status Qualifying Star per $1 spent on purchases with your card to help qualify for Carnival Rewards status faster.
- Promotional APR on Carnival cruise bookings: Get a 0% promotional APR for 6 months on all Carnival cruise bookings, allowing you to pay down the cost of your cruise over that window without accruing interest. After that, a variable APR applies.
- No foreign transaction fees: Use your card while traveling internationally without a fee.
- No annual fee: Keep your card a regular part of your travel rewards strategy without needing to pay an annual fee each year.
Best Ways To Earn and Redeem Your Rewards
Using your card for purchases that earn bonus points is the best way to earn. The Carnival Rewards card earns up to 6x points on Carnival Cruise purchases, 2x points at eligible restaurants and grocery stores (excluding Target and Walmart), and 1x points on all other purchases.
Once you’re ready to redeem your rewards, you can choose among Carnival purchases, onboard credit, experiences, and more, with each point worth 1 cent and minimum redemptions starting at 3,500 points.
Alternative Cards to the Carnival Rewards Card
If you’re not fully committed to the Carnival program, a more well-rounded travel credit card might suit you better.
The Capital One Venture card earns 5x Capital One miles on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and an uncapped 2x miles on all other purchases. Plus, you get perks including up to a $120 credit for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee every 4 years, no foreign transaction fees, and access to Capital One transfer partners.
Additionally, you can easily use your Capital One miles to book cruises with virtually any cruise company through the Capital One travel portal.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is a well-rounded travel rewards card with flexible redemption options.
It earns 5x Ultimate Rewards points on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3x points on dining, gas and EV charging, and vacation homes, and 2x points on all other travel purchases. It also has perks like no foreign transaction fees, access to Chase’s transfer partners, a $100 annual Chase Travel hotel credit, and great travel protections.
Although you can’t book cruises online using your Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you can perform a search for cruises on Chase Travel and then call Chase’s cruises and tours department to book.
