New insight on Carnival credit card...?

[AmberMarie]

We just got the Carnival credit card ad in the mail because we are approaching final payment soon (I'm assuming). I did a search, but came up with old threads.

 

Does anyone love the card, or do you find that other credit cards give you the same or better benefits?

[xbatt8]

We just got the Carnival credit card ad in the mail because we are approaching final payment soon (I'm assuming). I did a search, but came up with old threads.

 

Does anyone love the card, or do you find that other credit cards give you the same or better benefits?

 

Other cards give better benefits for most things, but the Carnival card gives you double points on all things Carnival. So if you cruise a lot, it's a pretty handy card. Plus, when you go to redeem points, if you look around a bit, you can get some better than 100-1 payback. I've gotten a couple of 66-1 so far.

 

It works for us, but YMMV...

 

Bob

[balcony bound]

We've done well shopping through the rewards boost portion of the site and also then redeeming points for cruise purchases over 1500 (redemption is 1.5 value over 1500 instead of 1.0). We don't fly so haven't found that other "travel" cards have worked for us. Not the best card out there but we've managed to earn a "free" cruise every year.

[Micahs Grandad]

Our Sams card gives us 3% for all travel and restaurant purchases. Since it would take forever to get to 100,000 points we leave the Carnival M/C in our pocket these days.

[jdemps]

We use the southwest premier card for everything, even a pack of gum. We get free flights, free hotels, free rental cars, free gift cards, etc. Its definitely a better value for us since we travel a lot of different ways, not just cruising.

[pblack]

I've gotten those ads many times, and for me the card itself just isnt worth it. We use our Costco Visa card for everything and it gives you 3% cash back on travel.

[Port of Tampa]

We just got it recently and so far so good...got the $100 gift card and 10,000 bonus points for first purchase. You do not need to get to 100,000 points to take advantage of the 1.5 multiplier if you use it towards $1,500+ statement credit for cruise cost...going to work great for our upcoming NY Canada cruise. As others have said sure there other cards with better niche rewards but this one works well if you it to your advantage of the perks and don't run a balance.

[hotsauce126]

Chase Sapphire Preferred card gives you double points on all travel, and when you redeem the points you get 1.25x value when you redeem it for travel vs cash back or something

[firemanbobswife]

I have just about every card there is, but my main one is Cap One Venture. I earn 2 points on everything every day. I can then erase the purchase for any travel. It's not restricted to a cruise line or even a mode of transportation. Uber, airlines, cruises, hotels, whatever. Plus when I charge let's say a cruise to my card for $1000, I earn 2000 points and then when it posts, I can redeem however many points I want to erase all or part of the charges. They have a huge sign on bonus to boot. It's well worth the small annual fee of $59 (first year is free).

[BelleVeeSxm]

I just got the carnival card, but also just realized there was no introductory APR for purchases :( which would've come in handy (pay for the cruise with the card and then pay of the balance before the intro APR date passed). So i'm not sure if I'll pay the balance of the cruise with it or use another card for that and just add the Carnival card to my sign and sail.

[firemanbobswife]

I just got the carnival card, but also just realized there was no introductory APR for purchases :( which would've come in handy (pay for the cruise with the card and then pay of the balance before the intro APR date passed). So i'm not sure if I'll pay the balance of the cruise with it or use another card for that and just add the Carnival card to my sign and sail.

 

 

Get yourself some discounted Carnival Gift Cards when they pop up again. You'll save 10% that way.

[BelleVeeSxm]

Get yourself some discounted Carnival Gift Cards when they pop up again. You'll save 10% that way.

 

Ah ok, thanks!

[mojavetex]

Carnival gift cards pop up where? I apparently have a lot to learn.

[firemanbobswife]

Carnival gift cards pop up where? I apparently have a lot to learn.

 

 

AARP (you don't have to be old, and you don't have to be a member), Verizon, Citi. Do a search and you will come up with tons of threads.

[auscgguysgirl]

I too have just about every reward card out there.

Like another poster ... the SW Reward card doesn't do me much good for 2 reasons (1) we rarely fly and (2) SW doesn't go most of where we do fly. I rarely use that card.

 

I do have other cards, which I use depending on the rewards offered ... absolutely LOVE my Chase Amazon Visa ... shop amazon like crazy ... it's very beneficial. Don't use it for anything else.

 

I have the CWMC and have commented on a few past threads for it. NEVER paid interest ... no annual fee ... use it for almost everything! Dbl pts for everything carnival (from paying for cruises, S&S account, shore excursions, etc). I also pay regular monthly bills w/ it that I would pay otherwise using our debit card or check. Redeem a lot of points for statement credits which I have turned around and rebook carnival for another dbl pts. Personally, I like the card and have redeemed 100,000+ points in a year. You can also redeem points for onboard stuff that is cheaper than paying for it out of pocket. Example - we used points to pay for gratuities on our upcoming cruise for 8 days. The gratuities paid out of pocket were $122.50 PP ... OR 9,600 points ($96.00) PP, obviously a better deal.

 

Recently used our AmEx cards for the $500 payment w/ $100 statement credit. Paid $1500 of cruise payments for $1200 ... can't beat that w/ a stick!

 

They key really is working the rewards for whatever card for your benefit.

[shellsd]

I am sure there may be better rewards cards out there but I am totally happy with my Carnival card. I just pay the statement balance and not the full balance each month and still avoid interest. Many of my cards seem to find a way to still charge me but this one doesn't, and it has paid for our Cheers on several cruises.

[mojavetex]

AARP (you don't have to be old, and you don't have to be a member), Verizon, Citi. Do a search and you will come up with tons of threads.

 

Thanks! I will check it out!

[crewsweeper]

I am sure there may be better rewards cards out there but I am totally happy with my Carnival card. I just pay the statement balance and not the full balance each month and still avoid interest. Many of my cards seem to find a way to still charge me but this one doesn't, and it has paid for our Cheers on several cruises.

 

Like button.

 

Unless you travel a whole heck of a lot on your own dime or shop til you drop or your closet/garage looks like a scene out of "Hoarders", all the difference in these extra "rewards" from other cards isn't going to get you that much more unless you spend more.

[tef43]

Barclay's customer service ranks somewhere below Comcast.

[firemanbobswife]

Like button.

 

 

 

Unless you travel a whole heck of a lot on your own dime or shop til you drop or your closet/garage looks like a scene out of "Hoarders", all the difference in these extra "rewards" from other cards isn't going to get you that much more unless you spend more.

 

 

Not true. All my bills are on auto pay on my Cap One card plus I use it for groceries, gas, etc. I pay in full each month so no interest, and I earn 2 points for every dollar I spend not 1 like the Carnival card. I have no need for 2 points per $1 spent on Carnival purchases because I buy discounted Carnival Gift Cards at 10% off which I put on my Cap One card earning me 2 points anyway. I can travel "for free" in half the time and am not restricted to Carnival. Should I choose not to buy gift cards, I can have them simply erase my cruise charges. I do have a Carnival card, but I only used it the one time for my $100 statement credit. Since then it remains in my wallet.

 

I also use airline online shopping sites to earn miles so that I rarely have to pay for airfare. Haven't paid for a hotel in a couple years, either due to my other credit cards. Amazing what sign on bonuses can get you. If you're only using a Carnival CC, you are giving away a lot of money. But do whatever works for you.

Edited March 30, 2017 by firemanbobswife

[JaniceB]

Interesting discussion. I need to narrow down to a few reward cards, I have too many right now so probably not getting the full benefit. One thing I like about the Southwest card is that points very easy to redeposit if your flight fare is lower and you don't have to use them within a year like a cash credit. I always try to book with points for this reason.

[AmberMarie]

Thank you for all of the insight, everyone. This helps.

[drgonzogoo]

I use a cashback card and get 2%. Yes reward cards can get some good bonuses but you have to have time to "work" their bonus multipliers or spend in a certain category. Alot of travel reward cards carry a fee but not all. You can open new accounts to get sign-on bonuses from time to time. But I also have life and work and family. I applaud those that have extra time.

[StarryFish07]

I too have just about every reward card out there.

Like another poster ... the SW Reward card doesn't do me much good for 2 reasons (1) we rarely fly and (2) SW doesn't go most of where we do fly. I rarely use that card.

 

I do have other cards, which I use depending on the rewards offered ... absolutely LOVE my Chase Amazon Visa ... shop amazon like crazy ... it's very beneficial. Don't use it for anything else.

 

I have the CWMC and have commented on a few past threads for it. NEVER paid interest ... no annual fee ... use it for almost everything! Dbl pts for everything carnival (from paying for cruises, S&S account, shore excursions, etc). I also pay regular monthly bills w/ it that I would pay otherwise using our debit card or check. Redeem a lot of points for statement credits which I have turned around and rebook carnival for another dbl pts. Personally, I like the card and have redeemed 100,000+ points in a year. You can also redeem points for onboard stuff that is cheaper than paying for it out of pocket. Example - we used points to pay for gratuities on our upcoming cruise for 8 days. The gratuities paid out of pocket were $122.50 PP ... OR 9,600 points ($96.00) PP, obviously a better deal.

 

Recently used our AmEx cards for the $500 payment w/ $100 statement credit. Paid $1500 of cruise payments for $1200 ... can't beat that w/ a stick!

 

They key really is working the rewards for whatever card for your benefit.

I just got this card. How do I redeem points for the gratuities? thanks!

[ArkTraveler82]

I use Barclays Arrival, same company as the Carnival card, which I also have but never use anymore. The Barclays card has a much better rewards program than the Carnival card. For every $1 I spend anywhere, I get 2 points, which adds up quickly! There is a nice sign up bonus and rewards add up quickly. I just purchased airline tickets for our next cruise for $732 and my current rewards balance will cover that plus our hotel room plus some of our onboard account purchases. We put everything we purchase and every bill we pay on the credit card. The key is to pay it off every month so you don't wipe out the rewards via interest. Carnival doesn't have an annual fee but Barclays does, which is $89 and waived the first year. That fee almost deterred me but I did the math and I still come out hundreds of dollars ahead, despite the fee. Plus, I was able to use my points to pay for the fee. I LOVE this card because I save over $1,000 every year on our vacation. I'm going to check out some of the other cards mentioned in this thread too. Never hurts to get a new sign up bonus... ;)