Carnival credit card- your thoughts?

Hi!

I was just debating getting a Carnival card, and wondering if any of you have any insight about the whole Fun Points setup? Do the 10,000 initial points expire? Have you found any loopholes or issues with your card or redeeming your points that make you regret getting it, or feel as if it is too much hassle to bother with? Any thoughts welcomed!

Thanks!

We have the card and have gotten money off our cruise before. It is not the only card we use, so I guess it depends on how much you put on a card. After a period of time, you do lose the points--seems like 5 years but I am not certain. Booking a cruise gives you double points and one time I had a large group that booked and some of the people had me book their room and paid me back. It gave me a lot of points and I was able to get one of our rooms free later on but paid for taxes and ports fees. I still use it but probably won't get over $100 to $200 off our next cruise. Seems like last year i redeemed points and got about $250 off.

This sort of relates. I have a Holland America card and it is great. I accumulated enough point to pay for a 12 day cruise in a suite. I would think there are no down sides for you getting a Carnival Card.

That's great info, thanks!

I've had the card since 2005 and love it. I charge everything I possibly can on it, including insurance, electric, and cell phone bills and pay it off in full every month. I have never paid a dime in interest or fees. I have taken 2 free cruises, and gotten one free S&S total balance (which was more than our cruisefare on that cruise), and am about to take another free cruise (in a Vista Suite, at that:D).

The best way to redeem your FunPoints is on a statement credit for a qualifying purchase of at least $1500. That way, you get bumped up to a better redemption rate. You have 180 days after making a 'qualifying purchase' to redeem FunPoints for a credit for that purchase. Redeeming points couldn't be any easier.

FunPoints can also be redeemed for air travel, gift cards and gifts, and cruises on any of the cruise lines under Carnival ownership, including Princess, HAL, and others. Although you don't get as good a redemption rate for these lines.

FunPoints expire 5 years after they are issued, or if the account is closed.

RewardsBoost, Barclays' (the bank that issues the card) online shopping portal has hundreds of retailers and other sellers that offer bonus FunPoints for shopping with them this way. The points some of them give blow the 2 points per dollar spent for Carnival purchases look pathetic. For instance, eBags offers 8 points per dollar! And that's in addtion to the 1 point per dollar you already get for any purchase!

No annual fee. No foriegn transaction fee (very nice feature for those of us that travel a lot, eh?;)). No hoops to jump through. No loopholes or difficulties I've come across. Just practically effortless accruing of points that lead to free crises.:)

Mastercard also had a special last Jan where they gave a credit on your statement from $100-400 based on length of cruise. An unexpected surprize...hope they do it again

Also realized that a shipboard credit for $50 costs 7500 points but is you redeem for bar credits it only cost 5000 points. The obc was on my s&s account and didn't matter how it was used?? Same for higher denominations.

As others above, I also use the card to pay for everything I can... cable, phone, electric... if they would let me pay my mortgage with a credit card, I would use it for that as well.

We have taken several cruises, all paid for with points... zero out of pocket costs to us.

I have compared the Carnival card to my banks "cash back" reward card, and really it is about a wash.... they both accumulate about the same value, and in about the same amount of time. But getting a little cash credit each month isn't nearly as fun as booking a cruise and not paying anything for it.

As others above, I also use the card to pay for everything I can... cable, phone, electric... if they would let me pay my mortgage with a credit card, I would use it for that as well.

 

We have taken several cruises, all paid for with points... zero out of pocket costs to us.

 

I have compared the Carnival card to my banks "cash back" reward card, and really it is about a wash.... they both accumulate about the same value, and in about the same amount of time. But getting a little cash credit each month isn't nearly as fun as booking a cruise and not paying anything for it.

So true!:)

I, too, wish my mortgage company would take credit card payments. I don't pay my internet & phone bill with the card because Verizon charges something like $5 convenience fee:rolleyes: to do so. Wish they didn't. That would be a few more points I'd be getting every month and a check I wouldn't have to write and a stamp I wouldn't have to buy.:o

To OP and others looking to get more FunPoints faster: all this bill-paying on the card really helps add the points. But shopping through RewardsBoost blows every other point-building method out of the water.;)

Also, I just remembered one negative about this card that I have seen others mention is that it apparently has a high APR. I honestly don't know what my APR is, because I never carry a balance on the card so never pay interest. If you are in the habit of or planning to carry a balance on your credit card, you might not want this one.;)

Your question is general enough that I think I can chime in safely with an alternative suggestion.

Look at Citi's new DoubleCash card. You get 2% cash back on everything. That means that you get twice the return on most expenses compared to the Carnival card (the same on Carnival expenses) and you're not limited to spending the cash back on Carnival.

I have had much better luck using my Capital One Credit Card to redeem points than any card I've ever used ( and that includes the Carnival Card and Royal Caribbean's credit card )

If you have an excellent credit rating you can get a card that gives you 2 points for EVERY dollar spent !!

There is a $59 yearly fee after the first year, but that's small potatoes compared to the benefits !!

Example - Charge $50,000 on Carnival MasterCard - and we'll assume $10,000 is a Carnival charge - 60,000 points

Charge $50,000 on my Capital One and it's worth 100,000 points :)

And the BEST part is that it doesn't matter what the cruise cost is, or how much you pay - it is strictly a 1:100 payout ( or should that be the other way around lol)

If you make a 750.00 cruise payment on your credit card you just go online and redeem 75,000 points for a $750 credit - it is SO much easier !!

Like all the other credit cards, it makes absolutely no sense to do this if you're charging a lot and not paying it off EVERY month :eek:

Go online and check it out !!

If anyone has any questions, please don't hesitate to ask !

Jane

I have had much better luck using my Capital One Credit Card to redeem points than any card I've ever used ( and that includes the Carnival Card and Royal Caribbean's credit card )

If you have an excellent credit rating you can get a card that gives you 2 points for EVERY dollar spent !!

There is a $59 yearly fee after the first year, but that's small potatoes compared to the benefits !!

 

Example - Charge $50,000 on Carnival MasterCard - and we'll assume $10,000 is a Carnival charge - 60,000 points

Charge $50,000 on my Capital One and it's worth 100,000 points :)

 

And the BEST part is that it doesn't matter what the cruise cost is, or how much you pay - it is strictly a 1:100 payout ( or should that be the other way around lol)

 

If you make a 750.00 cruise payment on your credit card you just go online and redeem 75,000 points for a $750 credit - it is SO much easier !!

Like all the other credit cards, it makes absolutely no sense to do this if you're charging a lot and not paying it off EVERY month :eek:

Go online and check it out !!

If anyone has any questions, please don't hesitate to ask !

Jane

Hi, neighbour.:) (Are you on the Lower Shore or Upper Shore? I'm Lower.;))

Your card sounds good. I just wanted to point out that I (and others that use RewardsBoost frequently) am averaging more than 2 points per dollar with the Carnival MC. The points per dollar spent can vary greatly - it all depends on how one uses the card.;)

Hi, neighbour.:) (Are you on the Lower Shore or Upper Shore? I'm Lower.;))

 

Your card sounds good. I just wanted to point out that I (and others that use RewardsBoost frequently) am averaging more than 2 points per dollar with the Carnival MC. The points per dollar spent can vary greatly - it all depends on how one uses the card.;)

Hi Shaky !

We are from the mid-shore area ! I am looking forward to our Pride cruise next month ( our 3rd ! ) - love the ease of cruising out of Baltimore , which I see you do quite frequently :)

I hadn't realized the rewardsboost thing made that much difference - Capital One got rid of their shopping portal that gave you extra points - Hmmmm

Something to consider !

Jane

Hi Shaky !

We are from the mid-shore area ! I am looking forward to our Pride cruise next month ( our 3rd ! ) - love the ease of cruising out of Baltimore , which I see you do quite frequently :)

 

I hadn't realized the rewardsboost thing made that much difference - Capital One got rid of their shopping portal that gave you extra points - Hmmmm

Something to consider !

Jane

Definitely love cruising out of Baltimore! We're on Pride next month, too - Sept 21.:) And we'll be doing another Grandeur cruise before too long, as well. Now if we could only get NCL or Celebrity to come back to town...:D

The RewardsBoost thing can make a small to very large difference, depending on how much you use it and with what sellers. I am in the habit of always checking RewardsBoost first when I need or want something. Practically all of the retailers that I would shop with anyway are on there. And by just going through the one extra step of using the RB portal to get to their online stores, I get all kinds of extra points.

Some of my recent examples:

• Yesterday, ordered DD's required art supplies and some for me as well from Blick for 4 points per dollar (in addition to the regular 1, making it a total of 5 points per $)
  
• A couple days ago, bought cruise supplies (including a foam mattress topper :P) from WalMart for a total of 3 FP per $
  
• a couple weeks ago, bought DDs' backpacks for school, and a new purse and sunhat for me from eBags for 9 FP per $!
  

Recently, I've been thinking about joining Angie's List (just hesitating because I don't know if they have good lists for MD's ES). I just noticed today That Angie's List is a RB seller for 30 FP per $!:eek:

Sorry I'm babbling - I just get kinda excited about all the extra points I'm getting.:o