Best Credit Cards for Cruise Travel

Comparing the best credit cards for cruise rewards

A closer look at the best credit card for cruises

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Cruise and travel benefits: 3x points on travel, including cruises + trip interruption and cancellation insurance + $300 annual travel credit

Intro APR: N/A

Regular APR: 22.24% to 29.24%

Signup bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.

Best for: Always on the road

Our verdict: One of the most generous travel cards around, Chase’s Sapphire Reserve should be a mainstay in any traveler’s wallet. Their $300 annual travel credit has loose rules for how it can be used as compared to competitors’ cards, and its 3x points on all travel purchases (or 5x points if booked via Chase Ultimate Rewards) make it easy to accrue enough points to cover your next trip easily.

Pros:

• 5x points on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards
• 3x points on restaurants, takeout, and food delivery services
• 3x points on travel purchases
• $300 annual travel credit
• Priority Pass membership
• Chase Sapphire Lounge access
• Trip cancelation/Interruption insurance
• Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver
• Baggage Delay Insurance
• Trip Delay Reimbursement

Cons:

• $550 annual fee

Appy now: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

American Express® Green Card

Cruise and travel benefits: 3x points on travel, including cruises + $189 CLEAR Plus Credit

Intro APR: N/A

Regular APR: 20.99% to 28.99%

Signup bonus: 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.

Best for: Always on the road

Our verdict: The Amex Green Card is one of the most popular cards around. One of the few travel cards to offer coverage for CLEAR® memberships, it’s also got a generous bonus of 3x points for transit purchases, maximizing your next rideshare trip to the port where your next cruise is docked. If you’re planning to travel within the next six months, apply for this card now and get a bonus of 20% back for any eligible travel purchase.

Pros:

• 3x points on all travel
• 3x points on eligible transit
• $100 LoungeBuddy credit
• $189 CLEAR Plus credit
• Trip Delay Insurance
• Baggage Insurance
• Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance
• Global Assist hotline
• No foreign transaction fees

Cons:

• $150 annual fee
• Charge card and not credit, meaning you’ll need to pay off your balance every month

Appy now: American Express® Green Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Cruise and travel benefits: 5x points on trips booked via Chase Ultimate Rewards, 2x points on travel, including cruises

Intro APR: N/A

Regular APR: 21.24% to 28.24%

Signup bonus: Earn 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.

Best for: Always on the road

Our verdict: The little sibling of the Reserve card, the Preferred still has incredible value at a fraction of the annual fee. Trips booked via Chase’s Ultimate Rewards platform will get you 5x points for every dollar. If you can’t make it work, don’t worry, Chase will still give you 2x points for every travel purchase booked elsewhere.

Pros:

• Lower annual fee than Reserve
• 5x points on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards
• 3x points on restaurants, takeout, and food delivery services
• 2x points on travel purchases
• $50 statement credit every year for hotel stays booked in Chase Ultimate Rewards
• Trip cancelation/Interruption insurance
• Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver
• Baggage Delay Insurance
• Trip Delay Reimbursement

Cons:

• $95 annual fee

Appy now: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Cruise and travel benefits: 2x miles on non-bonus purchases, including cruises + $300 Capital One Travel credit

Intro APR: N/A

Regular APR: 21.74%, 25.74% or 28.74%

Signup bonus: Earn 75,000 miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.

Best for: Always on the road

Our verdict: Booking your trip through Capital One Travel automatically gets you an annual $300 statement credit on this card, making it easy to get significantly discounted prices on cruises. Combine the travel credit with an impressive 10,000-point bonus on your card anniversary every year and you may end up with a free vacation!

Pros:

• $300 Capital One Travel credit
• $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit
• 10,000-anniversary bonus miles every year

Cons:

• $395 fee
• Travel credit only available for trips booked via Capital One Travel Portal

Appy now: Venture X Rewards credit card

Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card

Cruise and travel benefits: 2x points on travel, including cruises + $200 in travel statement credits

Intro APR: N/A

Regular APR: 19.99% to 26.99%

Signup bonus: Receive 60,000 online bonus points – a $600 value – after you make at least $4,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening

Best for: Always on the road

Our verdict: With 2x points on travel and dining purchases, it’s easy to rack up points quickly with this card. Plus, the generous $200 travel statement credits let you cover incidentals like baggage fees or airline lounge passes, more than covering the annual fee.

Pros:

• 2x points on travel
• 2x points on dining
• 1x points on all purchases
• $100 travel statement credit on airline fee incidentals
• $100 travel statement credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry fees every 4 years
• No foreign transaction fees

Cons:

• $95 annual fee
• Travel statement credit covers specific purchases that may not apply to all trips

Appy now: Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card

How to choose the best credit card for cruises?

Finding the best credit card for cruises isn’t an easy task, especially since there are so few co-branded cruise line cards. First, check to see which cards offer bonus points for cruise-specific purchases. Most of the premier cards will have bonuses available in their proprietary travel portals, so it may take some digging to find if your preferred cruise line is eligible.

Next, check to see what additional perks the card comes with that can make your trip more comfortable. Some cards will offer complimentary airline lounge access, making it easier to fly to your port, while others have generous statement credits for travel-related purchases that can reimburse you for the cost of your trip.

Finally, check the other point-earning categories and fees. If you plan to check out a few ports of entry, you’ll want a card that gives you a little extra for typical purchases at these tourist towns (restaurants, transit, etc). Also, it’s a good idea to verify your card has no foreign transaction fees as they can add up quickly.

Are cruise credit cards worth it?

Co-branded cruise credit cards are hard to come by and don’t typically offer the robust level of points and perks a “generic” travel credit card can. If you’re a dedicated customer for a specific line, a co-branded card might sound good but it’s likely you’ll still end up earning more back from a premium travel card instead.

Methodology

The methodology used to calculate the best cards for fair credit relied on a number of factors, with the most prominent of those being:

• The required credit score to apply successfully for the card.
• The additional benefits offered by the card beyond rewards.
• The rewards rate of the card, if applicable.
• Overall difficulty in securing the credit card with fair credit.
• The history of the card issuer itself.
• Any potential costs associated with owning the credit card.

The product information provided here is based on research conducted up to a specific date and may have changed. For the latest and most accurate information, we recommend you to visit the respective card’s website before proceeding.