Best way to use funpoints on C.Mastercard

[girlsjustwannacruise]

Okay. So I recently have gotten a carnival mastercard through Barclay. I am cruiseing in July and am weighing my options on how to use my fun points. I notice that I can get a 100.00 bar credit for 10,000 points or 100.00 onboard credit for 12,500 points??? why is there such a difference?

I currently have 24,000 points.

What should I do with them????

 

any tips would be appreciated.

 

I thought about going online and using my carnival card to buy gift cards since my cruise is paid for now and using the gift cards onboard? am I thinking in the right terms? or is that just useless hassle?

Edited April 27, 2016 by girlsjustwannacruise

[reerun25]

The most bang for your buck would be not to use as OBC, but keep accumulating points until you reach 100,000. Then, you can charge $1,500 or greater to Carnival, say for a future cruise, then with the 100,000 point you can get a bill credit of $1,500. If you did not want to wait to reach 100,000 points, I still think you would be better off letting the charges hit your card and getting a bill credit than taking OBC.

[cuyahoga11]

As a statement credit is always the best bang for your buck

[BrotherCraig]

Statement credit.

[drosphot]

Statement credit applied to a charge over $1500. You don't need to have points to cover the entire charge to get the higher redemption rate, either...

 

Second one listed is for $1300 on more than $1500 Carnival charge.

[Mrslindsey218]

When you use points for a statement credit, is it a straight 1 point equals $0.01 in statement credit? Or is there some type of sliding scale?

 

I'm thinking about getting the card now before our cruise in April. I got an offer for 10,000 bonus points after one purchase plus a $100 Carnival gift card. So, I'm thinking if I get the card, I'll use it for my Sail & Sign to get the 2x points and then use the points to pay off the charges from the cruise (gratuities, bar tab, etc). So, I'm just curious as to how far the 10,000 points (plus whatever I make from purchases on the cruise) will go...any thoughts?

Edited February 17, 2017 by Mrslindsey218

[Momma1980]

I'm interested in this as well. Subscribing.

[mistycruiser]

If you are using the points for statement credit the points are .01 for Carnival purchases less than $1500.

 

 

If the charge is over $1500 the points are .015 so it's a better return.

[auscgguysgirl]

There are a few options to look at. The basic concept is about $1.00 per point. 10,000 points = $100.00. You want to look for things that relate to that equivalent or HIGHER.

 

Generally, I redeem points for a statement credit and then use that credit for more carnival purchases to re-earn double points. Redeeming points to pay for your gratuities in advance is a little bit of a $ saver. We will also use points for onboard spa credit (20,000 pts = $200 spa credit) as we pretty much live in the spa on sea days.

[Mrslindsey218]

Thanks for the input!

[Gamecock_Cruiser]

For each 10,000 points earned, you get about $150 in a statement credit to use again cruises. You have up to 6 months after the date of the cruise to apply the credit to your statement. That seems to be the best bang for your buck that I have found for Carnival points.

[ajaxisarobot]

I just cashed in some of my points for bar credit. Can anyone tell me how that is delivered? It asked me for my shipping address but also for my booking #...so is it automatically added to my sail & sign account or will I get gift cards in the mail? That wasn't made clear during the checkout process.

[auscgguysgirl]

I just cashed in some of my points for bar credit. Can anyone tell me how that is delivered? It asked me for my shipping address but also for my booking #...so is it automatically added to my sail & sign account or will I get gift cards in the mail? That wasn't made clear during the checkout process.

 

 

It will be added to your S&S account as a credit. My recommendation is to print your confirmation and take it w/ you. They will send a letter to you confirming the purchase but IME it doesn't always arrive prior to sailing - a few times it has been in the mail when we've returned home after the cruise.

You should be able to check your S&S account shortly after the cruise begins to see that it is credited. If not, you can use your printed confirmation @ the service desk to show it should be there. As long as you've given it enough time (a few weeks before sailing is required) you should be fine.

[Chantel615]

So is it better to use the funpoints as a statement credit or use it for onboard credit? I'm a little confused.

[firemanbobswife]

So is it better to use the funpoints as a statement credit or use it for onboard credit? I'm a little confused.

 

 

Statement credit.

[Port of Tampa]

I just did the statement credit for a $1,519.00 charge I had for paying off an upcoming cruise and got 1.5x points reimbursement value...saved another $250.00

[auscgguysgirl]

So is it better to use the funpoints as a statement credit or use it for onboard credit? I'm a little confused.

 

It's really a preference ... and opinion as to value. I use both. I like to redeem for onboard gratuities b/c the point redemption value is better than paying out of pocket for the gratuities. I also like to use statement and onboard credits. However, the 20,000 pts for $200 onboard credit is the best value. The others are more points, but lesser credits.

[firemanbobswife]

It's really a preference ... and opinion as to value. I use both. I like to redeem for onboard gratuities b/c the point redemption value is better than paying out of pocket for the gratuities. I also like to use statement and onboard credits. However, the 20,000 pts for $200 onboard credit is the best value. The others are more points, but lesser credits.

 

 

Or you can get a gift card. $100=10,000 points.

[Micahs Grandad]

Actually you would be better off getting rid of the Carnival M/C and getting a Sams M/C that gives you 3% cash back for all travel and restaurant charges.

 

We rarely use our Carnival card these days

[firemanbobswife]

Actually you would be better off getting rid of the Carnival M/C and getting a Sams M/C that gives you 3% cash back for all travel and restaurant charges.

 

 

 

We rarely use our Carnival card these days

 

 

I agree there are much better cards out there. I don't think the 10% off gift cards count as travel though do they?

[CruiseAdict218]

Been waiting for this to come around again...

 

I got it mainly because of our cruise a few months ago, but we now suddenly are planning on two more cruises so now I really want to rank in the points in between.

 

As a young person I also got it as a "starter" credit card to build credit.

[Micahs Grandad]

I agree there are much better cards out there. I don't think the 10% off gift cards count as travel though do they?

 

Sorry no idea but a good question.

 

When the Carnival card came out it was a good deal when you got 2% back for Carnival travel but now many other cards are so much better.

[geonurse]

There is an option to pay gratuity with Barclay points- I would do that - would be a good savings

[firemanbobswife]

Sorry no idea but a good question.

 

 

 

When the Carnival card came out it was a good deal when you got 2% back for Carnival travel but now many other cards are so much better.

 

 

I totally agree. My Cap One Venture card earns me double points everyday on everything and the sign on bonus was awesome. I only got the Carnival card for the initial 10,000 points which I used for a statement credit of $100. Hasn't been brought out since. I was hoping they would have the gift card deals like they did a few years ago for Father's Day I think it was. That's really the only reason I still have it.

[hrwi]

I just got this card, just for my trip. I have one question you all might know the answer to though. If I buy airfare through the Fly 2 Fun program, does that get double points (as a carnival transaction)? That could gain me some good quick statement credit, and then I'll just pay off the card and probably close it after the cruise.