Earn up to 9x Marriott Bonvoy Points on Cruises [Book by March 11]

Did you know you could earn points and miles when booking a cruise? While it may not always present the best deal, tons of programs out there allow you to earn extra rewards, including American Airlines, American Express, and even Marriott Bonvoy.

Now, Marriott is out with a new promotion allowing you to earn up to 9x points per $1 spent on your cruise — but is it worth it? Let’s take a look.

New Marriott Promotion Earns Points on Cruises

Marriott’s newest promotion allows eligible guests to earn triple Marriott Bonvoy points on any cruises they book, though the actual rate will depend on their room type.

This offer lasts through March 11, 2025. If you’re interested, you’ll want to book soon. Earnings depend on your room type:

• Inside or oceanview room: Earn 3x points per $1 spent
• Balcony or suite stateroom: Earn 9x points per $1 spent

Note that this offer is only valid on sailings through 2025 and doesn’t extend into 2026. And the promotion is really only valid on balconies and staterooms since the typical amount you’ll earn is 3x points per $1 spent. Thus, you’ll still earn the regular number of points on those staterooms.

Is It Worth It?

We value Marriott Bonvoy points at 0.7 cents each, which means if you take advantage of this offer and earn 9x points, you’ll end up with a return of 6.3%.

Plus, by pairing this promotion with other offers, you can get benefits such as an open bar, a free second guest, Wi-Fi deals, and more.

In this example, which shows a 3-night cruise on MSC to the Bahamas, you’ll pay $388 per person for a balcony room, which is eligible for the 9x offer.

Booking the same cruise directly with MSC shows a slightly higher price: $397 per person.

And while you can still earn rewards on your purchase — Rakuten, for example, earns 1.5% cash-back or 1.5x points on MSC cruise purchases — you’re still just looking at a 3.3% return (assuming you use Rakuten for American Express Membership Rewards, which we value at 2.2 cents each, rather than earning cash-back).

With this math, you’ll pay more for your cruise while earning less in rewards. In this case, Marriott’s promotion truly is worth looking at.

Final Thoughts

Marriott Bonvoy is out with a new promotion allowing members to earn up to 9x points per $1 spent on cruise purchases. While many cruise promotional offers don’t actually provide superior value (especially versus booking direct), this one does. If you’re interested in booking, do so before the promotion ends on March 11, 2025.