Carnival Credit Card

[waterwatcher]

What is the advantage of using a Carnival Credit Card?  Is it worth having?

[havanadaydreaming]

as a bank manager I don't like to bash the competition. 

 

that said, it's not the most competitive card in terms of rewards.   UNLESS you use it for Carnival purchases and onboard spending, you get 2 points per dollar spent.   you do get 10% off excursions and 0% interest for 6 billing cycles on your Carnival purchases, which is nice when you book a cruise. 

 

 

[waterwatcher]

Thank you. 

 

[xDisconnections]

There are many better options. Figure out what your general everyday spend is on and find a credit card that provides you with the highest perceived value of rewards.

[sanmarcosman]

Pay it off in full each billing cycle and it's OK. It's issued by Barclay's Bank and the interest rates vary from 19.6% to 23.7% APR based on the credit worthiness of the person signing up for this revolving loan. 

[Butterbean1000]

We've had our CMC for many years.   It's worked well for us.  We have other cards with rewards for other things.  We make it work. 

[NightOne]

2 hours ago, waterwatcher said:

What is the advantage of using a Carnival Credit Card?  Is it worth having?

 

It is really good for Carnival purchases if you don't carry a balance. You get 10% discount on shore excursions (including FTTF) and double points for Carnival spending. Also, they don't require you to redeem a certain amount of points to get full value like the NCL card does.

 

Every time this topic comes up, someone comes along and says to get some other card because it is way better and then we do the math and find out that it really is not when it comes to pure Carnival purchases.

 

Plus, the give you $100 when you get the card. (10,000 points)

[xDisconnections]

10 minutes ago, NightOne said:

Plus, the give you $100 when you get the card. (10,000 points)

That's a very low sign up bonus.

[NightOne]

2 minutes ago, xDisconnections said:

That's a very low sign up bonus.

 

You don't have to spend a certain amount to get it though. (for example: a single $1 purchase gets it)

[xDisconnections]

1 minute ago, NightOne said:

 

You don't have to spend a certain amount to get it though. (for example: a single $1 purchase gets it)

Certainly isn't worth it... it's better to spend $5,000 in 3 months to get something worth $900 at the minimum in my opinion. Like I said in my previous post though, we all will have different opinions on credit cards. For some, premium and luxury cards make sense and for others, a cash back card works fine.

[NightOne]

2 minutes ago, xDisconnections said:

Certainly isn't worth it... it's better to spend $5,000 in 3 months to get something worth $900 at the minimum in my opinion. Like I said in my previous post though, we all will have different opinions on credit cards. For some, premium and luxury cards make sense and for others, a cash back card works fine.

 

Ok, give me $100 if it is so insignificant. LOL

 

The OP asked "What is the advantage of using a Carnival Credit Card?" and "Is it worth having?" 😉

[xDisconnections]

Just now, NightOne said:

 

Ok, give me $100 if it is so insignificant. LOL

 

The OP asked "What is the advantage of using a Carnival Credit Card?" and "Is it worth having?" 😉

Lol, if we're talking about Carnival purchases, I save at least three times that amount each year on Amex Offers by sailing on Carnival Corp lines.

 

The only way the answer could be yes would be if most of OP's purchases are Carnival purchases or they will only make purchases through the Barclay shopping portal. If they have to ask this question, the answer is no... they are not and this card may not be worth it for them. There are better options and the OP needs to categorize their everyday spend to figure out which card would have the highest perceived value of rewards. For all we know, the OP may be someone who can find the value in a Discover card.

 

I would never sign up for a credit card for $100.

[NightOne]

15 minutes ago, xDisconnections said:

Lol, if we're talking about Carnival purchases, I save at least three times that amount each year on Amex Offers by sailing on Carnival Corp lines.

 

The only way the answer could be yes would be if most of OP's purchases are Carnival purchases or they will only make purchases through the Barclay shopping portal. If they have to ask this question, the answer is no... they are not and this card may not be worth it for them. There are better options and the OP needs to categorize their everyday spend to figure out which card would have the highest perceived value of rewards. For all we know, the OP may be someone who can find the value in a Discover card.

 

I would never sign up for a credit card for $100.

 

First, go read this thread and come back:

 

 

Second, that is exactly what I said earlier: "It is really good for Carnival purchases if you don't carry a balance"

 

It's doesn't have to be your only card and it doesn't cost you anything to have it.

 

 

[cc75]

I recently got a Carnival Card, but only because it offered $200 statement credit after first charge regardless of amount.   It cost me nothing and they gave me $200 for charging $35.00 worth of gas I would have bought anyway.

Edited May 31, 2019 by cc75

[Saint Greg]

I have the card and like it. It works for me. I haven’t flown in 7 years. I don’t use a specific hotel chain or anything like that. The 2% “save a penny on every dollar you spend, save a penny on every dollar you pay” wouldn’t be enjoyable

for me because I would spend those pennies without noticing them. I did notice the free cruise I got on vista though. It’s only 1.5% but it actually came out a little better because I got OBC for a few price drops. I have used the excursion discount a couple times as well.

 

My NFL extra points card is mandatory because it gives me double points and 0% interest on my season tickets. It’s nice having that for playoff tickets as well since that expense pops up around the holidays. 

 

Since both cards are through Barclays it makes paying bills on the Barclays app very convenient.

 

[Micahs Grandad]

We have the card and no longer use it.

 

My Sams m/c gives us 3% back on all travel and restaurant bills and that is the bulk of our cc usage

[NightOne]

On 5/31/2019 at 6:41 PM, Micah's Grandad said:

We have the card and no longer use it.

 

My Sams m/c gives us 3% back on all travel and restaurant bills and that is the bulk of our cc usage

 

Fantastic.

 

We already covered the math in the other thread where you said the exact same thing. 

 

Question: Do you have to maintain a Sam's Club membership to have the card? Do they only give you the cashback once a year?

[ShakyBeef]

Slightly OT, but speaking of the Carnival MC and Sam's Club, I jumped on Sam's Club dot com through my Barclays RewardsBoost shopping portal yesterday to do my regular, free shipping, grocery and household items shopping to find the pleasant surprise that Sam's is currently offering 3 extra points per dollar spent -  up from their usual 2 RB points per dollar.  That's 4 points total (3 RB points plus the regular 1 point for all non-Carnival spending) per dollar spent on things I was buying anyway, from the retailer I was going to buy from anyway, shipped free to my house so I don't have to load as much into my cart and car on my next visit to the store.  I saved time, money, hassle, and got free money (in the form of a future statement credit when I next cash in my FPs), all with a few simple mouse clicks.  That's a no-brainer, total win for me.   And 3 points is on the low end of RB retailer offerings.

 

RewardsBoost is a big reason that this credit card is "worth having" for me.  I rack up at least 175,000 FPs each year on this card, have never paid a penny in fees or interest, and have gotten back many thousands of dollars in statement credits since I first got the card in 2005.

 

As others have said, everyone's spending habits and reward preferences are different.  I'm not for a moment implying that this is the best card for everyone.  But for me, for the time being, it is the best card. 

[Micahs Grandad]

59 minutes ago, NightOne said:

 

Fantastic.

 

We already covered the math in the other thread where you said the exact same thing. 

 

Question: Do you have to maintain a Sam's Club membership to have the card? Do they only give you the cashback once a year?

We do get cash back once a year and have to go to Sams to get it so would think membership is required

[xDisconnections]

44 minutes ago, ShakyBeef said:

Slightly OT, but speaking of the Carnival MC and Sam's Club, I jumped on Sam's Club dot com through my Barclays RewardsBoost shopping portal yesterday to do my regular, free shipping, grocery and household items shopping to find the pleasant surprise that Sam's is currently offering 3 extra points per dollar spent -  up from their usual 2 RB points per dollar.  That's 4 points total (3 RB points plus the regular 1 point for all non-Carnival spending) per dollar spent on things I was buying anyway, from the retailer I was going to buy from anyway, shipped free to my house so I don't have to load as much into my cart and car on my next visit to the store.  I saved time, money, hassle, and got free money (in the form of a future statement credit when I next cash in my FPs), all with a few simple mouse clicks.  That's a no-brainer, total win for me.   And 3 points is on the low end of RB retailer offerings.

 

RewardsBoost is a big reason that this credit card is "worth having" for me.  I rack up at least 175,000 FPs each year on this card, have never paid a penny in fees or interest, and have gotten back many thousands of dollars in statement credits since I first got the card in 2005.

 

As others have said, everyone's spending habits and reward preferences are different.  I'm not for a moment implying that this is the best card for everyone.  But for me, for the time being, it is the best card. 

Well said and a perfect example where this card can be valuable.

[bnorris10]

I use my carnival card for pretty much everything i love the fact that when i book a cruise i can go to carnival card and either get a few hundred of OBC or paying of my gratuities for a trip 

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

I had the Carnival card. No longer. I have the BoA Premium Rewards card. 2% per dollar on travel. yes $95 a year for the card but we cruise 4-6 a year and this is also included. Travel Insurance protections to assist with trip delays, cancellations and interruptions, baggage delay inconvenience, lost luggage and emergency evacuation and transportation and a lot more. Up to $5000 pp. Well worth it.

[ShakyBeef]

56 minutes ago, twodaywonder said:

I had the Carnival card. No longer. I have the BoA Premium Rewards card. 2% per dollar on travel. yes $95 a year for the card but we cruise 4-6 a year and this is also included. Travel Insurance protections to assist with trip delays, cancellations and interruptions, baggage delay inconvenience, lost luggage and emergency evacuation and transportation and a lot more. Up to $5000 pp. Well worth it.

 

I average at least 2% on everything on my Carnival Mastercard, not just travel.  No annual fee.  And my Carnival MC comes with everything you list and more:

 

• ·        10% reFUNd

• ·        No Foreign Transaction Fees

• ·        No limit on points you can earn

• ·        Online account servicing

• ·        Go Mobile

• ·        Sail & Sign Card Convenience

• ·        Complimentary FICO Score online access

• ·        Alerts

• ·        24-hour customer service

• ·        0% promo APR for 6 months

• ·        Extended Warranty

• ·        Purchase Assurance

• ·        World Mastercard Concierge

• ·        ShopRunner

• ·        Price Protection

• ·        Satisfaction Guarantee

• ·        $0 Fraud Liability protection

• ·        Chip Card Technology

• ·        Mastercard ID Theft Protection

• ·        No Foreign Transaction Fees

• ·        Travel Accident Insurance

• ·        Baggage Delay

• ·        Travel Assistance

• ·        Chip Card Technology

• ·        Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver

• ·        Mastercard Global Service

• ·        Trip Cancellation & Interruption

•       RewardsBoost Shopping Portal to multiply points fast

[coevan]

really, CCL only pays 1% on MOST purchases, I charge everything, including insurance, phone, utilities, a once a year cruise even at 3X points, is a minimal advantage

 

1X FunPoints

Count on earning a FunPoint for every dollar spent on all other purchases. ²

[hotsauce126]

The shore excursion discount is the only real benefit. Everything else is matched or beat by other travel rewards cards