The cruise industry took a major hit during the pandemic. But now, cruise volume has rebounded and cruises are more popular than ever.
According to AAA, it’s estimated that 19 million Americans will go on a cruise this year, up 4.5% from 2024. For reference, the number of Americans who took cruises in 2020 and 2021 hovered around 2 million.
If you’re thinking of taking a cruise this year so you can leave your worries onshore, make sure you earn some rewards in the process.
Best Credit Cards for Cruises
It’s important to note that not every issuer classifies cruises as travel purchases. So read the fine print before making your purchase. American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase and Citi all have credit cards that offer bonus rewards for cruise spending.
American Express
When it comes to American Express, the best credit card to book a cruise with is going to be the American Express® Green Card. It comes with an annual fee of $150 and earns:
— Three points per dollar on travel, including airfare, hotels, campgrounds, cruises and more
— Three points per dollar on transit, including trains, buses, ferries, subways and more
— Three points per dollar on dining at restaurants, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.
— One point per dollar on all other purchases
Now, a good runner-up is The Platinum Card® from American Express because it comes with something called the Cruise Privileges Program.
You can receive benefits like:
— Up to $300 onboard credit per stateroom to use toward dining, spas and more
— One unique amenity per stateroom
— Two Membership Rewards Points per dollar on each booking
This credit card is a good option if you already have it, but I wouldn’t recommend applying for the card just for a cruise, because it comes with a hefty annual fee of $695. See Rates & Fees
Bank of America
The Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card is a good choice for cruises because it earns two points for every dollar spent on travel and dining purchases and 1.5 points for every dollar spent on all other purchases.
It comes with an annual fee of $95 and, depending on your Bank of America Preferred Rewards tier, you could earn 2.5 points to 3.5 points for every dollar you spend on travel and dining instead of your regular two points, and 1.87 points to 2.62 points for every dollar you spend on all other purchases.
Capital One
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a solid option for booking a cruise. Cardholders earn 2 miles per dollar spent on every purchase. You can also use your miles to book a cruise, not just flights.
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card does come with an annual fee of $95, but it offers a plethora of travel benefits to help offset the cost. For example, you can receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. (See Rates & Fees)
Chase
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the best travel cards (in general) to book a cruise on. This is because cardholders earn five points per dollar spent on travel purchased through Chase Travel? — and that includes cruises.
The card comes with a $95 annual fee and also earns:
— Three points per dollar spent on dining, select streaming services and online groceries
— Two points per dollar spent on all other travel purchases
— One point per dollar spent on all other purchases
Citi
The Citi / AAdvantage cards are the best option for booking cruises with Citi because of their program, AAdvantage Cruises. Cardholders earn 1 additional AAdvantage mile on select sailings booked by June 30, 2025, for departures through Dec. 31, 2026. However, this offer appears to exclude the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
.
| Card | American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp | Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® | Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® |
| Rewards Rate |
— Earn 2 miles for every $1 spent at grocery stores — Earn 2 miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases — Earn 1 mile for every $1 spent on other purchases |
Earn 2 miles for every $1 spent at restaurants, gas stations and on eligible American Airlines purchases |
— Earn 10 miles for every $1 spent on eligible hotels booked through aadvantagehotels.com and on eligible car rentals booked through aadvantagecars.com — Earn 4 miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases |
| Annual Fee | $0 | $99 (waived first year) | $595 |
| Best For | Everyday purchases | Travel rewards | Admirals Club Membership (a value of up to $850) |
Cruising With Kids
According to a May 2025 report from Barclays, one in five (21%) parents have a growing interest in cruise lines and are enrolled in a cruise line loyalty program.
So if you’re cruising with kids, look for a ship that has a nursery and/or a kids club. Some of the best kid-friendly cruise lines include Royal Caribbean International, Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line and Princess Cruises.
Royal Carribean’s Oasis-class ships are especially popular with families as they boast family-friendly activities like rock climbing walls, ice skating rinks, zip lines and more.
Princess Cruises offer activities for both kids and teens, ranging from video game tournaments and story time to dance classes and late-night movies.
Also, the older your kids get, the more likely you’ll need to book two cabins instead of one. So keep that cost in mind when booking.
[Read: Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards.]
Should You Get a Cruse Line Credit Card?
Similarly to how you would get an airline credit card or a hotel credit card, a cruise credit card rewards you for being loyal to one particular cruise line. So this only makes sense if you cruise often.
It’s always best to compare these co-branded cards to their general travel card counterparts, to see what benefits and perks will tip the scales.
It’s also important to note that owning and using a cruise credit card won’t help you achieve status with that cruise line any faster than you would with a regular travel card. This is because the way you earn points differs.
A few of the most popular cruise credit cards include:
| Card | Carnival® World Mastercard® | Bank of America Norwegian Cruise Line® World Mastercard® | Princess Cruises Rewards Visa® Card | Bank of America Royal Caribbean® Visa Signature® Credit Card |
| Rewards Rate |
— Earn two points for every $1 spent on purchases with Carnival Cruise Line — Earn one point for every $1 spent on all other purchases |
— Earn three points for every $1 spent on Norwegian purchases — Earn two points per $1 spent on eligible air and hotel purchases — Earn one point per $1 spent on all other purchases |
— Earn two points per $1 spent on all Princess purchases including onboard purchases — Earn one point per $1 spent on all other purchases |
— Earn two points for every $1 spent on qualifying purchases with Royal Caribbean and sister brands, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea — Earn one point for every $1 spent on all other purchases |
| Annual Fee | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
As you can see, the rewards are a bit underwhelming. While the cards listed above don’t come with an annual fee, the rewards hover at around one to three points. Not only would you earn the same or more on a general travel rewards card, but you’re also not locked in to only using your credit card for cruises.
More from U.S. News
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What to Wear on a Cruise: Daytime, Formal Nights and More
The Best Cruise Packing List for 2025 (Print-Ready)
Sail Smarter: Get the Most Out of Credit Cards on Cruises originally appeared on usnews.com
