Using Points for Cruises: When It Makes Sense — and When It Doesn’t

• Chase Ultimate Rewards points are often worth about 1 cent per point toward cruises.
• American Express Membership Rewards points are often worth around 0.5 to 0.7 cents per point through Pay with Points-style travel redemptions.
• Capital One miles can often offset travel purchases, including many cruise purchases, at about 1 cent per mile.

Compare that to flights, where 1.5 cents per point or higher is often achievable with the right redemption.

That doesn’t mean you should never use points for a cruise.

It just means cruises are usually not the first place we would look when trying to get the most value from points.

If your goal is:

• To reduce the cost of a cruise
• To use points you already have
• To make a trip more affordable right now
• To avoid spending extra cash out of pocket

Then using points for a cruise can absolutely make sense.

We don’t believe in chasing “perfect value” if it doesn’t match your real goals.

Sometimes the best redemption is simply the one that helps you take the trip.

That said, we do believe you should understand the trade-off before you use your points.

A cruise trip may also include:

• Flights to the cruise port city
• A hotel stay the night before
• Transportation to and from the port
• Baggage fees
• Pre-cruise meals or activities

That is why we would usually look at flights and hotels first.

If points can save more money or create better value on those pieces, it may make sense to use them there before applying them directly toward the cruise.

It is very common to get 1.5 cents per point or more from airline redemptions, and sometimes significantly higher depending on the route, timing, and program.

For example, using points to cover flights to Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, Vancouver, London, or Barcelona may deliver better value than applying those same points directly toward the cruise fare.

Hotels can also provide solid value, especially for:

• Pre-cruise stays
• High-demand port cities
• Expensive one-night stays near the port
• International cruises where arriving early is important

Hotel value is not always as consistent as flight value, but it is absolutely worth checking before using points on the cruise itself.

And if you already have points sitting in an airline or hotel loyalty account, we would usually look there first before transferring flexible points.

Flexible points are valuable because they give you options. Once you transfer them, you usually cannot move them back.

Chase Ultimate Rewards is one of the more straightforward ways to use points toward cruises. In many cases, Chase points are worth about 1 cent per point when applied toward cruises.

That means:

• 10,000 points = about $100
• 50,000 points = about $500
• 100,000 points = about $1,000

The nice thing about Chase is flexibility. You may be able to pay entirely with points, pay entirely with a credit card, or split the payment between points and cash.

Chase may also offer additional cruise benefits on select sailings, such as onboard credit or other extras. Those perks can vary, so it is worth comparing the full offer, not just the points value.

American Express Membership Rewards can also be used toward cruises through Amex Travel, but the challenge is value. Amex points are often worth around 0.5 to 0.7 cents per point for many Pay with Points-style travel redemptions.

For example, if you are only getting around 0.7 cents per point:

• 10,000 points = about $70
• 50,000 points = about $350
• 100,000 points = about $700

Amex may also offer cruise-related perks through its travel programs, such as onboard credit or complimentary dining on select sailings. Those perks can help, but they do not automatically make this a strong points redemption.

Capital One is one of the simpler ways to use points toward cruises because you may not need to book through a cruise-specific portal. With cards like the Capital One Venture or Venture X, you can often book a cruise normally and then use miles to offset an eligible travel purchase.

Typical value is usually around 1 cent per mile, which means:

• 10,000 miles = about $100
• 50,000 miles = about $500
• 100,000 miles = about $1,000

Citi ThankYou points may also offer ways to book travel or redeem points toward travel purchases, but cruise usefulness can be more limited and less consistent. In many cases, the value may be around 1 cent per point or less, depending on the card and redemption method.

For most travelers, Citi points may be more valuable when used through transfer partners or other travel redemptions.

You do not have to hunt for award availability. You do not have to transfer points. You do not have to book through a specific cruise portal.

You just book the cruise and use points afterward to reduce the cost.

Examples may include:

• Capital One Venture / Venture X
• Bank of America Premium Rewards
• Citi ThankYou cards, depending on card and redemption option

Typical value is often around 1 cent per point or mile, though this varies by card and program.

The trade-off is simple:

Purchase eraser options are easy, but they are usually not the highest-value use of points.

They can still make sense if your priority is reducing the cash cost of the cruise and you have already looked at higher-value uses like flights and hotels.

The general path is:

• Transfer flexible points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
• Link your Virgin Atlantic Flying Club account to Virgin Red
• Look for eligible Virgin Voyages redemptions through Virgin Red

Virgin Red and Virgin Atlantic Flying Club both use Virgin points, and linking the accounts allows points to be used across the broader Virgin rewards ecosystem.

This can create occasional cruise redemption opportunities, but there are important limitations.

Virgin Voyages redemptions may be limited-time offers, restricted to specific sailings, restricted to specific cabins, unavailable when you want to travel, or not always a better value than using points for flights or hotels.

This is one of those areas where strategy and timing matter.

If the right offer lines up with a cruise you actually want to take, it can be worth exploring. But we would not transfer points speculatively unless you know exactly what you are booking.

They are usually more like cruise-specific rewards cards.

Major cruise line cards may include examples such as:

• Norwegian Cruise Line Mastercard
• Royal Caribbean Visa
• Carnival Mastercard
• Princess Rewards Visa

These cards typically earn rewards that can be used for things like:

• Onboard credit
• Cruise discounts
• Statement credits toward eligible cruise purchases
• Cruise line-specific rewards

That can be useful.

But the rewards are usually tied to that cruise line or its ecosystem.

So while these cards may be simple, they are generally less flexible.

Flexible points cards can often be used for:

• Flights
• Hotels
• Cruises
• Transfer partners
• Travel portals
• Statement credits or purchase erasers

Cruise credit cards are usually more focused on:

• One cruise line
• Onboard credit
• Cruise discounts
• Cruise-specific benefits

That does not make cruise credit cards bad.

If you are loyal to one cruise line and want simple rewards, they may be worth considering.

But for most travelers who care about maximizing value, flexible points cards usually offer more options and more upside.

The better approach is:

1. Look at the full trip.
2. Price the cruise, flights, hotels, and extras.
3. Check where points deliver the best value.
4. Use cash where points are weak.
5. Use points where they reduce the most meaningful cost.

For many cruise trips, that means using points for flights first.

Then checking hotels.

Then looking at whether using points toward the cruise fare makes sense.

But if your goal is reducing out-of-pocket cost, and you have already evaluated flights and hotels, using points toward a cruise can still be a perfectly reasonable strategy.

The key is making the decision intentionally.

Because the best use of points is not always the one with the highest theoretical value.

Sometimes, the best use of points is the one that helps you take the trip you actually want to take.