Best credit cards for booking cruises
There’s a common question we get from TPG readers who are cruise enthusiasts: Which credit card is best for booking cruises?
It seems logical that the best way to earn a travel booking reward is to get one Cruise line co-branded credit card. However, these often don’t offer as solid value best travel credit cards.
For example, Royal Caribbean® Visa Signature® Credit Card now offers a welcome bonus of 30,000 points (worth $300 in built-in credit) after you spend $1,000 within 90 days of account opening, and an ongoing rate of 2 points per dollar spend on qualifying purchases with Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea. This may seem like a good bonus, but you can actually get much better value from it welcome bonus on most common travel credit cards.
If you want to get the most value from your holiday shopping, here we explore the best credit cards for booking cruises and why you should always want to pay for your cruise vacation with a credit card.
Information about the Royal Caribbean Visa Signature Credit Card has been independently collected by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Why use a credit card to book your travel?
At TPG, we recommend using credit cards whenever and wherever possible so you’re always earning rewards on your purchases. When traveling on a cruise, you’ll receive some significant benefits when you book with a credit card.
Earn points and miles
A cruise is a significant expense, which means it’s an opportunity to earn significant rewards.
You can use cruise bookings to help you meet your spending requirements and earn a valuable welcome bonus on your new card, or earn rewards to put towards future travel using your earned card Bonus points or miles when purchasing travel.
Protect against payment errors
We’ve all experienced billing mistakes and the headaches that come with them. If you used cash or a debit card for your trip, a payment error could mean the money disappeared from your account before you realized there was a problem. By using a credit card, your money will be safe while you are there work to resolve the problem.
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Protect your spending
Many travel rewards cards included Trip delay and cancellation insuranceso you’ll be covered if your travel plans go wrong. If you have important shopping plans while on the train, you can use it The card has purchase protection to ensure your belongings arrive home safely.
Related: Cruise travel insurance: What it covers and why you need it
Best credit cards for booking cruises
When deciding which credit card to use to book cruises, you’ll want to consider the rewards the card earns on cruises and benefits like travel and shopping protections.
You can also take advantage of the card’s more specific perks, such as statement credits for travel and airport lounge access.
With this in mind, we recommend these credit cards for booking cruises:
Information about the American Express Green Card has been independently collected by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
American Express Green Card
Welcome bonus: Earn 40,000 points after spending $3,000 in the first six months of card membership, worth $800 as of January 2025 by TPG valuation.
Annual fee: $150
Why booking a cruise is great: Amex Green earns 3 points per dollar spent travel shoppingincluding cruises. This means you’ll earn bonus points for booking travel as well as any airline or hotel purchases you make to get to and from your trip. You will also receive Trip delay insurance* covers up to $300 per trip (up to two claims in a 12-month period) and Purchase protection**for up to 90 days after your purchase.
*Eligibility and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit Americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Insurance policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
**Conditions and benefit levels vary by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit Americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by Amex Insurance Company.
For more details, see our Full review of Amex Green.
Related: Who should (and shouldn’t) get an Amex Green Card?
Bank of America Premium Rewards credit card
Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 90 days of account opening, worth $600.
Annual fee: $95
Why booking a cruise is great: The Bank of America Premium Rewards credit card earns 2 points per dollar spent on all travel purchases, including cruise purchases as well as hotel and airline purchases. You’ll also get travel protections like trip delay/cancellation/interruption insurance.
And if you’re a Bank of America Preferred Rewards member, you’ll earn an additional 25% to 75% in rewards on every purchase – giving you an even bigger return on your travel spending your go.
For more details, see our Full review of the Bank of America Premium Rewards credit card.
Register here: Bank of America Premium Rewards credit card
Related: Everything you should know about the Bank of America Preferred Rewards program
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Welcome bonus: Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. According to TPG January 2025 valuationThis offer is valued at $1,388.
Annual fee: $95
Why booking a cruise is great: Capital One Venture Rewards earns 2 miles per dollar spent on all purchases, including travel bookings. You can redeem the rewards you earn for statement credits to cover travel expenses, including train ticket purchases.
For more details, see our Full review of Capital One Venture Rewards.
Learn more here: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Related: 7 reasons to get the Capital One Venture Rewards card
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Welcome bonus: Earn 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 in the first three months of account opening, worth $1,388 as of TPG January 2025 valuation.
Annual fee: $395
Why booking a cruise is great: Like Venture Rewards, Venture X earns 2 miles per dollar spent on all purchases, including cruises, and comes with several travel protections. What makes Venture $300 annual credit for travel booked through Capital One Travel.
For more details, see our Full review of Capital One Venture X.
Learn more here: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Related: Is Capital One Venture X worth the $395 annual fee?
Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening, worth $1,230 as of January 2025 by TPG valuation.
Annual fee: $95
Why booking a cruise is great: Chase Sapphire Preferred earns 2 valuable points per dollar spent travel shoppingincluding booking cruise tickets. What makes this card stand out is its impressive travel protection. When you use it to book travel, you’re protected against lost or delayed luggage, as well as travel delays, accidents and cancellations.
For more details, see our Full review of the Chase Sapphire Preferred.
Register here: Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
Related: 6 reasons why the Chase Sapphire Preferred is the perfect card for budget travelers
Chase Sapphire Sanctuary
Welcome bonus: Earn 60,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening, worth $1,230 as of January 2025 by TPG valuation.
Annual fee: $550
Why booking a cruise is great: Chase Sapphire Reserve earns 3 points per dollar spent on travel purchases, including travel reservations. You’ll also get a slightly better travel protection package than the Sapphire Preferred, along with airport lounge access and a credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. However, perhaps the best benefit of this card is $300 annual travel statement credit automatically applied to travel purchases, meaning you can get $300 back on travel bookings when you use this card to pay.
For more details, see our Full review of Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Register here: Chase Sapphire Sanctuary
Related: Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Sapphire Reserve: Should you choose mid-tier or premium?
American Express Platinum Card
Welcome bonus: Earn 80,000 points after spending $8,000 in the first six months of card membership, worth $1,600 as of January 2025 by TPG valuation.
Annual fee: $695 (see exchange rates and fees)
Why booking a cruise is great: You won’t earn bonus points when you book travel with this card, but you will get access to them American Express cruise privilege programwhere you’ll receive onboard credits and additional onboard amenities for every trip booked.
Additionally, Amex Platinum earns 5 points per dollar spent on flights when booking with the airline or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 in these purchases per year). calendar, then 1 point per dollar) and comes with Comprehensive airport lounge accessso it’s also a great way to book travel to and from your cruise’s departure port.
For more details, see our Full review of Amex Platinum.
Register here: American Express Platinum Card
Related: How to maximize benefits with the Amex Platinum Card
Bottom line
Using the right credit card to book your travel allows you to get some important rewards when booking and protects yourself against many risks.
Whether you’re focused on scoring a valuable welcome bonus to help fund your next trip or earning bonus points for in-flight cocktails, you can feel great knowing your card is working. Work hard while you’re relaxing at sea.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some benefits may be provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Benefits Guide for details on when terms and exclusions apply.
For Amex Platinum rates and fees, click This.
