Carnival Credit Card

[NightOne]

I understand. All I'm saying is for normal everyday purchases you need to spend twice as much as another card that gives you 2% back vs the 1% Carnival does. I buy those things such as internet, drink packages, whatever, with 10% off (or more when I can find them) gift cards. The only thing that's worse IMHO than the Carnival Card is people that use their debit card with no return. That's giving away free money.

 

I understand too. You are saying a general all purpose rewards card may be better in a lot of cases and I don't disagree with that. But, I'm saying that if you use the Carnival card only for Carnival purchases it may be a good option for someone too. It is all about the math. The math has been in my favor for what I have used it for thus far. If that quits being the case then I don't have to use it. :)

 

I think we have covered just about everything on the topic at this point. LOL

[firemanbobswife]

I understand too. You are saying a general all purpose rewards card may be better in a lot of cases and I don't disagree with that. But, I'm saying that if you use the Carnival card only for Carnival purchases it may be a good option for someone too. It is all about the math. The math has been in my favor for what I have used it for thus far. If that quits being the case then I don't have to use it. :)

 

I think we have covered just about everything on the topic at this point. LOL

 

I'm glad it works out for you. It would take me forever to earn anything with Carnival since typically my fares are around $900 and I don't spend that much onboard. So I'm way better off saving 10% by buying the discounted gift cards with my 2% back credit card for my fare, Fun Shop purchases, and onboard spending. Actually, I think everyone would but math isn't my strong subject so I could be wrong.

 

I agree, I think we've covered just about everything :D.

[layteacher]

how does the 10 percent back on excursions work? Do you get it up front or after the excursions?

[NightOne]

how does the 10 percent back on excursions work? Do you get it up front or after the excursions?

 

 

 

Up front - they give it to you as a statement credit within the week or so

[ZoeyVictoria]

I got the card for the $100 bonus back in 2013. Shortly after that they sent an email that was not worded correctly, leading me to believe that I would lose my rewards points if I didn’t transfer them to another account. Then they sent a corrected email just after I transferred the points. I was irritated and quit using the card. But now that I know about the 10% off excursions, I have started using the card for only Carnival purchases. I still use my 2% card for everything else, but someday I will have have enough points for some OBC in addition to the 10% excursion discount.

[Micahs Grandad]

Since we find private excursions much better and cheaper than cruise line ones we see no reason for getting a Carnival M/C.

 

Better off by far with our 3% we get from our Sams card

[livinthedream99]

We have one but only use it for travel purchases. I use a 2% cash back card for everything else. I prepay for my drinks package, gratuities, and any extras, before the cruise. That way, I can use the double point for that cruise. If I am getting close to a cruise and need a few extra points to hit a gift card goal, I'll swap to the Carnival card until I hit the goal. I pay both off in full each month.When we go to cruise, I usually have $100-$200 in onboard credits from the Carnival card. The 2% card nets me a decent amount of cash, I consider my casino fun $$$!

[JMKreno]

With my Bank of America premium rewards credit card, I get 3.5% on all travel & dining purchases, and 2.65% on all other purchases on the card. I have already racked up $900 in rewards this year (with the 50k sign on bonus). The points rack up QUICK. Plus I also get travel insurance (quite good coverage), $100 airline credit (for upgrades, on-board servces, luggage, lounge access, etc), $100 TSA precheck credit. I see no reason to get the carnival mastercard when I get incredibly better returns with other cards. The $95 fee is easily offset with the free trip insurance.

[BNBR]

With my Bank of America premium rewards credit card, I get 3.5% on all travel & dining purchases, and 2.65% on all other purchases on the card. I have already racked up $900 in rewards this year (with the 50k sign on bonus). The points rack up QUICK. Plus I also get travel insurance (quite good coverage), $100 airline credit (for upgrades, on-board servces, luggage, lounge access, etc), $100 TSA precheck credit. I see no reason to get the carnival mastercard when I get incredibly better returns with other cards. The $95 fee is easily offset with the free trip insurance.

 

Can you explain how you are getting 2.65% on this card? A quick look up shows 1.5% for "all other purchase"...

[dsotm73]

With my Bank of America premium rewards credit card, I get 3.5% on all travel & dining purchases, and 2.65% on all other purchases on the card. I have already racked up $900 in rewards this year (with the 50k sign on bonus). The points rack up QUICK. Plus I also get travel insurance (quite good coverage), $100 airline credit (for upgrades, on-board servces, luggage, lounge access, etc), $100 TSA precheck credit. I see no reason to get the carnival mastercard when I get incredibly better returns with other cards. The $95 fee is easily offset with the free trip insurance.

 

 

 

When I access this card online I see 2% on travel and dining and 1.5% on everything else. Is there some special qualifications to get the higher percentages you are citing?

 

NM, I see that is based on your deposit relationship with BofA.

 

 

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[BNBR]

When I access this card online I see 2% on travel and dining and 1.5% on everything else. Is there some special qualifications to get the higher percentages you are citing?

 

 

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I believe it's on the redemption side, after looking again. You get bonus rewards depending on your relationship with the bank and how much money you keep on deposit. So you can get 75% increase on the 1.5% return.

 

Personal cards only, which kind of keeps me out of the game :)

[NightOne]

Since we find private excursions much better and cheaper than cruise line ones we see no reason for getting a Carnival M/C.

 

Better off by far with our 3% we get from our Sams card

 

When it comes to excursions I book like 75% private and 25% Carnival. It just depends on the excursion. Carnival ones are obviously going to be MUCH more crowded but some of them have advantages. (like the Lamanai one in Belize that uses a private Carnival area for travel that reduces the travel time significantly)

 

So sometimes it makes sense. And obviously FTTF buyers cannot get that via 3rd party.

 

So with FTTF being $99.99 for a 7 day cruise now a 10% discount is basically $10. (plus roughly $2 in points) On your 3% card you need to spend $400 to get the same $12 back. So I buy roughly 4 FTTFs for $400 and get back nearly $50 in discounts for the same $400. Again, I like the math for me.

 

I realize the AARP cards, Amex, and Verizon deals can change the math but they aren't always available so you cannot count on them being there when you need them. :)

[JMKreno]

Can you explain how you are getting 2.65% on this card? A quick look up shows 1.5% for "all other purchase"...

 

Standard is 1.5% on all purchases, and 2% on travel, which is still pretty good.

 

Depending on rewards tier, that can be bumped by 25, 50, and 75%

 

I am Platinum Honors with Bank of America based on brokerage/deposits with them so get a 75% boost on all rewards with them. I have all my banking with them so I can benefit from all the relationship benefits.Similar to flying a single airline to maximize rewards, or booking through a single hotel.

[NightOne]

With my Bank of America premium rewards credit card, I get 3.5% on all travel & dining purchases, and 2.65% on all other purchases on the card. I have already racked up $900 in rewards this year (with the 50k sign on bonus). The points rack up QUICK. Plus I also get travel insurance (quite good coverage), $100 airline credit (for upgrades, on-board servces, luggage, lounge access, etc), $100 TSA precheck credit. I see no reason to get the carnival mastercard when I get incredibly better returns with other cards. The $95 fee is easily offset with the free trip insurance.

 

If it works for you then fantastic.

 

$95 Annual Fee means that even at 3.5% your first $2850 each year basically gets no cash rewards. TSA Credit is nice but that is $85 every 5 years. However, it does sound like there are some other perks that are nice if you can use them.

 

Everyone's situation is not the same. :)

[JMKreno]

When I access this card online I see 2% on travel and dining and 1.5% on everything else. Is there some special qualifications to get the higher percentages you are citing?

 

NM, I see that is based on your deposit relationship with BofA.

 

 

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Yes, correct. I am Platinum Honors with Bank of America so I maximize those benefits. Obviously, not everyone has that relationship, but 1.5% on all purchases, and 2% on dining/travel is not bad. Though, had I not had the relationship, I would have probably gone with the Chase Preferred Sapphire.

[elcuchio24]

You are almost always better off simply getting a 2% cashback card and using the cash towards your cruise.

 

I agree. We use a Barclays cash back travel card....you can use the points for any travel on any cruise line, airline, hotel, etc...alot more flexible for us especially as we cruise different lines frequently.

[NightOne]

Standard is 1.5% on all purchases, and 2% on travel, which is still pretty good.

 

Depending on rewards tier, that can be bumped by 25, 50, and 75%

 

I am Platinum Honors with Bank of America based on brokerage/deposits with them so get a 75% boost on all rewards with them. I have all my banking with them so I can benefit from all the relationship benefits.Similar to flying a single airline to maximize rewards, or booking through a single hotel.

 

OK, so then very likley not applicable to the OP who asked about the Carnival card. :)

[JMKreno]

OK, so then very likley not applicable to the OP who asked about the Carnival card. :)

 

Not this scenario, but I actively looked at getting the Carnival MC but had to weigh all options. In my case, I found there was a better option, but even without my relationship with the bank, there are cards with better returns. HOWEVER, even that being said, keeping up on what rewards a card has to know which is best to use is practically a full time job. If they like the card, good! Any return is better than no return. This is the first step to smart investing!

 

Also, the OP was asking if the card was worth it. I answered that with a "not really" and emphasized that by checking with your own bank, you might find a better card that gets better rewards. I suggest anyone interested visit nerdwallet.com as they go over these cards and rank them by rewards.

 

I've made it a hobby at this point to see how to maximize returns without having to pay extra taxes (yay! for rewards, boo for crappy interest on savings!).

Edited August 23, 2018 by JMKreno

[nealstuber]

We had one for years, only use it for Carnival Purchases, and never carry a balance on it.

 

With the Hub App to book shore excursions and no finance charge to get Casino cash, we basically have our deposit for the next cruise done by the time we get off the boat.

 

 

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[IntrepidFromDC]

You are almost always better off simply getting a 2% cashback card and using the cash towards your cruise.

 

Agreed. I have the Carnival card but only accepted it because of the promotion. Do the math and you'll agree the Citi DoubleCash Card provides much better rewards, even when used for Carnival cruise purchases. I have a spreadsheet available if anyone wants a shortcut to the analysis.

[NightOne]

Agreed. I have the Carnival card but only accepted it because of the promotion. Do the math and you'll agree the Citi DoubleCash Card provides much better rewards, even when used for Carnival cruise purchases. I have a spreadsheet available if anyone wants a shortcut to the analysis.

 

 

 

Sure, throw it up on Google Docs and provide a link.

 

Thanks

[skiorcruise]

The most important point of all of the above posters is to PAY OFF THE BALANCE EACH MONTH. (sorry to shout, but it is important.) If you do that, the Carnival card is one of many travel cards that can give you a positive dollar experience. If you don't pay off the balance each month and have to pay interest, they are making money by lending you money. Be smart, avoid debt.

[cruiserll]

Agreed. I have the Carnival card but only accepted it because of the promotion. Do the math and you'll agree the Citi DoubleCash Card provides much better rewards, even when used for Carnival cruise purchases. I have a spreadsheet available if anyone wants a shortcut to the analysis.

Yes I would be interested in your spreadsheet analysis. Thanks!

[MsOne]

Are they? I booked a $299.99 shore excursion and they rebated me back $30 (10%). Every time I buy FTTF it is 10% cheaper as well. You get double points on Carnival spending which means for $5000 I get back $100 in statement credit. (so 2%)

 

So if you use the Carnival Card for Carnival spending and do not carry a balance I think it is pretty decent.

 

Am I missing something with the math? It does not sound terrible to me.

 

Yes, but you can just buy the gift cards and get the 10% off upfront. That's better than a statement credit where you run the risk of paying interest if you don't pay it off in time one month.

[NightOne]

Yes, but you can just buy the gift cards and get the 10% off upfront. That's better than a statement credit where you run the risk of paying interest if you don't pay it off in time one month.

 

Gifts cards are not always available. Also, the credit comes within a couple of days of the purchase it so there is zero risk of paying interest because you get 25 days. :)