After revamping its rewards program, Carnival Cruise Line is also relaunching its co-branded credit card.
About the Carnival Rewards Mastercard:
Barclays and Carnival have officially announced the debut of the new Carnival Rewards Mastercard. Billed as a “first-of-its-kind card in the cruise industry,” this new option replaces the former Carnival World Mastercard. Those with the previous card will be seamlessly transitioned to the new product with their next billing cycle and will see their Fun Points converted to Carnival Rewards Points at a rate of 1:1.
With the Carnival Rewards Mastercard, cruisers can earn up to 6x points on eligible Carnival purchases — although this includes 3x points from the card itself and 3x from Carnival Rewards. Eligible purchases include cruise fares as well as shore excursions, onboard activities, spa treatments, and specialty dining. Speaking of dining, the card also earns 2x at eligible restaurants and 2x at grocery stores (excluding Walmart and Target). All other purchases earn 1 point per dollar spent. Earned points can be redeemed toward cruise upgrades or even used in real time toward eligible Carnival purchases.
Additionally, cardholders can earn up to 4 Status Qualifying Stars per dollar spent on Carnival purchases (including those earned through Carnival Rewards) as well as 1 Status Qualifying Star per dollar spent on all other purchases. Status tiers start at 10,000 stars earned, with perks at various tiers including complimentary beverages, priority access, onboard extras, and more.
To mark the launch of the Carnival Rewards Mastercard, new cardholders can earn 50,000 bonus rewards points after spending $1,000 in purchases on the card within their first 90 days. The Carnival Rewards Mastercard has no annual fee.
What They’re Saying:
Announcing the updated card, Carnival Cruise Line president Christine Duffy stated, “Carnival is always looking for new ways to bring our guests closer to the experiences they love. Together with Barclays, we’re offering our guests a new way to experience Carnival beyond the ship.”
Duffy added, “The Carnival Rewards Mastercard strengthens the connection between everyday life and the vacations our guests look forward to, creating a more seamless and rewarding experience from planning to sailing and beyond.”
My Thoughts:
For those who like to cruise often, this card could be useful — not only for the rewards points but also the potential boost to their status. There’s also no annual fee, which makes it easier to swallow.
Looking at the previous card, this is also a big step up, as that card only offered 2x on Carnival purchases and 1x on all other purchases. If Carnival and Barclays want to get cardholders actually spending on their cards, then I think that this refresh is a good strategy.
As always, though, if you’re not a big Carnival Cruise Line customer, then this card isn’t for you as points can only be redeemed with Carnival itself.
