Using travel credit cards for your cruise can be a game-changer. They cover the cost and offer opportunities to earn points and miles that can fund future adventures. By choosing the right card and making strategic decisions, you can maximize your rewards and enjoy added perks during your trip.

Using Travel Credit Cards

Paying for your cruise with a travel credit card covers the expense and earns you extra points and miles for future trips. Use cards that offer more than 1% or 1 mile per dollar spent on travel purchases. Once onboard, register your credit card to earn points on additional expenses like shore excursions, fancy meals, and spa treatments.

Pay with a travel credit card for extra points and miles

Using a travel credit card to book your cruise can significantly boost your points and miles. Many of these cards offer more than 1% or 1 mile per dollar spent on travel, maximizing your rewards. For instance, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card and Chase Sapphire Reserve® card are excellent choices. With the Preferred card, you earn 2 points per dollar on travel, while the Reserve offers 3 points per dollar.

Register your credit card onboard

Enrolling your credit card with the cruise line when you board ensures that you earn points on every onboard purchase. From shore excursions and specialty dining to cocktails and spa treatments, all these expenses can accumulate additional rewards. Most cruise lines treat these charges as travel expenses, letting you earn extra points for each dollar spent.

Here's a rundown on how different cards can benefit you:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 2 points per dollar on travel, including cruises.
• Chase Sapphire Reserve®: 3 points per dollar on travel and dining, plus a $300 annual travel credit.
• American Express® Gold Card: 4 points per dollar at restaurants and 3 points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.

Meet sign-up bonuses

If you're planning a big cruise expense, consider applying for a new travel credit card before booking. Many cards offer significant sign-up bonuses if you meet the minimum spend requirement within the first few months. For example, The Platinum Card® from American Express offers 80,000 points when you spend $8,000 in the first six months. One high-end cruise could get you all the way to that bonus.

Special offers and promotions

Some travel credit cards come with additional perks like travel credits or bonus points for booking cruises. The Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers a $300 annual travel credit, which can be applied to your cruise spending. American Express cards often have targeted promotions through Amex Offers, providing additional points or statement credits for cruise bookings.

Maximize rewards with gift cards

Another strategy is to purchase cruise line gift cards using a credit card that offers high rewards at grocery stores or office supply stores. For example, the American Express® Gold Card offers 4 points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets. By buying cruise gift cards, you can turn grocery expenses into travel rewards.

Choose the right portal

How and where you book can also impact your rewards. Booking through your travel credit card's online portal might offer additional points. For example, using the Chase Travel℠ portal can give you up to 10 points per dollar spent on cruises and other travel expenses.

Don't forget the added perks

Booking with a travel credit card can also offer travel insurance, trip cancellation insurance, and other protections, which are particularly useful for significant expenses like cruises. Cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and The Platinum Card® from American Express offer comprehensive travel insurance benefits.

Using the right travel credit card can turn your cruise booking into a points-earning bonanza. With strategic planning, you get much more than just a vacation—you set the stage for future travels funded by your earned rewards. So, choose wisely, maximize your points, and make your next cruise the beginning of many adventures.

Earning Elite Status

Earning elite status isn't just reserved for road warriors and frequent fliers. Your cruise booking can be your ticket to the upper levels of airline or hotel loyalty programs. By strategically using co-branded airline or hotel credit cards, you can funnel your cruise expenditure into accruing elite-qualifying points, bringing you closer to those coveted elite tiers.

Consider the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®. With this card, you'll earn a mile for every dollar spent on your cruise. But the real magic happens with AAdvantage Loyalty Points. Spending $10,000 on a luxurious cruise nets you 10,000 Loyalty Points, pushing you a quarter of the way to AAdvantage Gold status, which unlocks perks like priority boarding and free checked bags.

For the hotel enthusiasts, the World of Hyatt Credit Card offers two World of Hyatt points per dollar spent on travel and two qualifying night credits for every $5,000 spent. Taking that dream cruise can accelerate your journey to milestones like free award nights or even the ultimate Globalist status, which includes suite upgrades and club lounge access.

And don't overlook the United MileagePlus and Delta SkyMiles programs. The United Quest Card grants 2 miles per dollar and up to 6,000 Premier qualifying points (PQPs), while Delta's credit cards rack up Medallion Qualification Dollars. Starting January 1, 2024, the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card will earn 1 Medallion Qualification Dollar for every $10 spent. Your high-end cruise spending could fast-track you to enjoying perks like in-flight upgrades and SkyClub access.

Marriott Bonvoy loyalists aren't left out either. The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card gives you an elite-qualifying night for every $5,000 spent, along with 2 points per dollar on travel. By turning your cruise into a series of elite night credits, you could soon find yourself enjoying Gold Elite status or even striving for Platinum, which comes with room upgrades and 4 p.m. late checkouts.

It's a strategy worth considering: Book that incredible cruise, but do it with a co-branded credit card that funnels spending into elite-qualifying points. Not only will you be closer to elite tiers, but future travels also become more rewarding with the benefits you've earned. Your dream vacation becomes a step towards luxurious experiences, smooth upgrades, and an overall enhanced travel lifestyle.

Booking via Airline Portals

Booking through an airline's portal can be a smart move for maximizing rewards. You can earn credit card points and rack up airline miles for the same cruise expense, essentially doubling your rewards.

Take United Cruises, for example. Travelers can earn up to 7 miles per dollar spent through their cruise portal. Depending on your MileagePlus status, that's a significant boost in miles. If you hold a United-branded credit card, those miles keep adding up, with a potential to earn 4 additional miles per dollar spent. On a cruise costing a few thousand dollars, you could be looking at tens of thousands of miles that can be used for future flights or upgrades.

Delta SkyMiles Cruises offers similar benefits. Booking through their portal can earn you up to 100,000 SkyMiles on luxury cruises. Triple bonus points promotions and waived deposits are just a few of the perks available. Plus, you could potentially earn up to 2x miles per dollar spent if you're using one of Delta's co-branded cards. Delta SkyMiles elite members can also enjoy exclusive onboard perks like complimentary drinks or spa credits.

American Airlines AAdvantage members can also benefit from similar perks via their cruise portal. Here, you can earn up to 3 AAdvantage miles for every dollar spent, especially if you're using an American Airlines co-branded credit card. On an $8,000 cruise, between the bonus miles from the AA portal and the credit card, you could be looking at up to 24,000 miles—enough for a round-trip domestic flight.

Strategy Tips:

• Book your cruise through these portals to capitalize on the bonus miles
• Pay for it using your high-earning travel credit card
• Use earned miles for free flights, class upgrades, or even first-class tickets

Don't forget about the extra perks like onboard credits and complimentary gratuities during promotions. Booking through airline portals can sometimes net you $200 to $300 in onboard credit, which can be used for cocktails, spa treatments, or discounted excursions.

A word of advice—always do your due diligence. Prices can vary, and sometimes booking directly with the cruise line can get you exclusive deals that third-party portals might miss. Compare and cross-check before booking.

But when you do find those great promotions on the airline portals, don't hesitate. You're not just setting sail; you're setting the stage for maximum rewards and future travel adventures.

Redeeming Hotel Loyalty Points

Did you know you can redeem hotel points for cruise bookings? Programs like Marriott Bonvoy have opened up this option, allowing you to use your hotel points to offset some of the costs of your dream cruise. That's right—you can cash in your hotel points without setting foot in a hotel.

Marriott Bonvoy's Cruise with Points portal is your gateway. Members can earn and redeem points on a variety of cruise lines, which provides a flexible way to use your stash if you're more interested in setting sail rather than staying in a suite. Earning points works similarly to hotel stays, with 3 points per dollar spent on cruises. On top of that, if you book using a Marriott Bonvoy credit card, you snag an additional 2 points per dollar.

However, it's important to note that redeeming hotel points for cruises doesn't always get you the highest value. If you're looking at luxury 5-star hotels, the value of your points can often be higher. For example, Marriott Bonvoy points often yield higher cents per point on high-end hotel stays compared to cruise bookings. But if you have more Marriott points than you know what to do with, using them for a cruise isn't a bad option.

Redeeming is straightforward. You can take $500 off the total cruise price with 125,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. There are other tiered redemption options, letting you mix and match points and cash as per your balance and budget. While the redemption rate hovers around 0.4 cents per point (not ideal but useful), it provides an easy way to reduce the cash you need to spend for your next adventure at sea.

This option is great for the set-it-and-forget-it traveler or someone looking to redeem points that are otherwise just sitting idle. Plus, it adds an extra layer of flexibility, letting you get more creative with how you use your rewards.

Keep in mind that you might not get the same VIP treatment as at a swanky hotel where you usually spend points for upgrades. But cruising is all about the experience—buffets, shore excursions, and poolside lounging. And now, you don't have to blow your entire travel budget to enjoy those experiences.

While hotel points might fetch you greater value in opulent hotel stays, using them for cruise bookings can still stretch your travel goals in fun, unexpected ways. Points are there to reduce costs and enhance travel experiences. As long as you're getting out there and enjoying the journey, you're using them right.

So go ahead, spread those Marriott wings—or should I say, sails—and enjoy a well-earned voyage on the high seas. Your points are meant to be used, after all!

Incorporating travel credit cards into your cruise planning isn't just about covering expenses—it's about setting yourself up for future travels filled with rewards and perks. Choose wisely, maximize those points, and let each trip be a stepping stone to even more adventures.

1. Chase Ultimate Rewards. Chase Travel Portal. 2023.
2. American Express. Membership Rewards Program. 2023.
3. Marriott Bonvoy. Cruise with Points Program. 2023.
4. United Airlines. MileagePlus Program. 2023.
5. Delta Air Lines. SkyMiles Program. 2023.
6. American Airlines. AAdvantage Program. 2023.