A popular pick for cruise enthusiasts looking for promo financing

Cruises are a popular way to travel because people visit multiple destinations in one trip. Today, cruise ships tend to offer as much entertainment on board as you’ll find in each port.

One way to earn and save on your next cruise is to use a rewards credit card — and if you prefer sailing with Carnival, you may want to consider the Carnival® World Mastercard®. The card includes a welcome bonus, promotional financing for Carnival cruises, and discounts on Carnival beach excursions.

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Purchases with Carnival earn double points with your card. But you can also get double the price with Carnival’s partner brands on the world’s leading cruise lines. These brands currently include AIDA, Costa, Cunard, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, P&O Cruises Australia, P&O Cruises UK, Seabourn and Fathom.

When you’re not spending money on cruises, you’ll still earn 1x points for every dollar you spend. Whether you’re buying groceries, gas, or something else, you’ll earn unlimited 1x points on your purchases.

Like other credit cards, some types of transactions do not count toward rewards earnings. These include balance transfers, cash advances, card fees, lottery tickets, interest charges, unauthorized purchases, and more.

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There are a few redemption options for the points you earn with the Carnival World Mastercard, largely centered around future cruises. You can use points to earn statement credits toward Carnival purchases, onboard experiences, gift cards, merchandise, airline and hotel travel, and more.

The redemption rate varies based on the type and size of your purchase, but you’ll get the best value when you use points for statement credits on Carnival purchases and onboard amenities:

• Carnival purchases from $50 to $1,499.99 earn a 1% redemption rate (100 FunPoints equals $1)

• Carnival purchases between $1,500 and $5,000 earn a 1.5% refund rate (100 FunPoints equals $1.50)

• Purchases using the world’s leading cruise lines earn a 1% refund rate. (100 FunPoints equals $1)

• Airline and hotel statement credits earn a 0.9% refund rate. (100 FunPoints equals $0.90)

Points can be redeemed online or by calling the number on the back of your card. You have up to 180 days from the date of purchase to request a statement credit from your FunPoints and can redeem points for statement credits starting at 5,000 for $50. This means you can earn points after your cruise to help pay for your purchases.

There are some additional cruise benefits you can get with your Carnival World Mastercard, including a special financing offer, shore excursion discounts, and no foreign transaction fees.

• Promotional financing offer. When you book a qualifying Carnival cruise with your credit card within the first six months, you can enjoy a promotional 0% APR. If you do not pay off your purchase before the promotional rate expires, the standard APR will apply. This promotional APR only applies when you purchase a cruise with your Card, not any associated spending or purchases you make during the cruise.

• Travel protection. This card comes with some travel protections that can help keep you and your money safe, including travel cancellation and interruption coverage, baggage delay insurance, travel accident insurance, and more.

• No foreign transaction fees. Cruises tend to visit many ports and countries outside of the United States, so getting a credit card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees is important. This card saves you about 3% on every purchase abroad by eliminating these hidden fees that some credit cards charge.

The Carnival World Mastercard is best for people who love to travel on cruises. You can earn and redeem rewards on Carnival and its world-leading cruise line partners, so you have plenty of options. While you can also redeem points for travel and gift cards, the redemption value is very low. To get the most out of this card, you should focus on traveling on Carnival and its cruise partners.

• Introduction to offering APR on balance transfers

• Special financing for Carnival cruise purchases

• No foreign transaction fees

The Carnival credit card is a Mastercard, one of the most widely accepted credit cards in the United States and the world. If a merchant accepts credit cards, they will usually accept Mastercard for payments.

If you’re traveling internationally, the Carnival Cruise Credit Card is a good card to bring because it doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees. Although its rewards structure isn’t as lucrative as other cards, it doesn’t charge fees for purchases abroad which could negate the value of the rewards you’ll earn.

The Carnival World Mastercard is issued by Barclays Bank in the US, so you can send payments, check balances and find other card information through Barclays:

• Online at

• Set up automatic recurring payments

• Barclays US Mobile App (, )

• Pay by phone by calling (877) 523-0478

• Payments are mailed to one of two addresses, depending on what’s listed on your statement:

  • Credit Card Payments, PO Box 13337, Philadelphia, PA 19191

  • Card Services, PO Box 60517, Industry City, CA 91716

• Customer service is available 24/7; Call or send a secure message through your online account

• General inquiries phone number: (877) 523-0478

• Carnival World MasterCard service phone number: (866) 255-1304

The Carnival credit card offers attractive rewards and benefits to people planning a Carnival cruise vacation. But if you want more flexibility in your rewards or get higher rewards on your purchases, other cards may be a better option.

Why we like it: For a $95 annual fee, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns flexible points that can be redeemed for cruises, flights, hotels and more. You’ll earn 5x back on travel booked through Chase Travel℠; 3x on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries; 2x on all other flights; And 1x on everything else. You can redeem points for travel, cash back, gift cards, and more. You can also transfer points to Chase’s partner airlines and hotels. When you use points to book travel through Chase Travel, your points are worth 25% more. It also includes valuable travel and purchase protection for trips you book with the card.

Why we like it: With the $95 annual fee Capital One Venture Rewards Card, you’ll earn 2x unlimited miles on every purchase you make. Plus, this price increases up to 5x miles when you book hotels, vacation rentals, and car rentals through Capital One Travel. Cardholders get access to Lifestyle Collection hotel benefits, Hertz Five Star status and Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit. The miles you earn They can be redeemed for travel, cash back, gift cards, and more — or you can transfer them to Capital One’s 15+ transfer partners. If you choose to use your points toward a statement credit for a previous travel purchase, you will have up to 90 days after you make the travel purchase to redeem miles for it.

Why we like it: The Delta SkyMiles Gold Amex Card can help you save on airfare costs that may be required to get to your cruise’s departure destination. This card earns 2x miles on Delta purchases at international restaurants and U.S. supermarkets, plus 1x on everything else. There is an introductory annual fee of $0 for the first year, then the cost is $150 per year ().

When you book award travel on Delta with You will get a 15% discount on the required number of miles. You can get a $200 Delta flight credit when you spend $10,000 during a calendar year, plus more annual benefits. On Delta flights, you’ll get your first checked bag free, priority boarding, and 20% off your onboard purchases.

Read more about saving with Delta SkyMiles credit cards:

This article was edited by Kendall Little

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