Carnival Credit Card

[cellfree]

Debating the pros and cons of the Carnival Credit Card.  Any insights?  The one things that is not clear to me (and of course I could phone and call) is whether or not you receive "2X Fun Points" if you use it to pay for a Carnival cruise.  It says you get "2X Fun Points" when making a purchase on a ship, etc., but I cannot find anything in the print as to whether or not it applies to paying for a cruise.

[ShakyBeef]

12 minutes ago, cellfree said:

Debating the pros and cons of the Carnival Credit Card.  Any insights?  The one things that is not clear to me (and of course I could phone and call) is whether or not you receive "2X Fun Points" if you use it to pay for a Carnival cruise.  It says you get "2X Fun Points" when making a purchase on a ship, etc., but I cannot find anything in the print as to whether or not it applies to paying for a cruise.

 

Yes, you get 2 X the FPs (FunPoints) for any purchase from Carnival, including your cruise fare, shore excursions, etc.

 

[ShakyBeef]

You also get a 10% discount on Carnival Shore Excursions when using this card.

 

From the Barclays (the issuing bank) website:

 

How does the 10% reFUNd work?

Cardmembers who use their Carnival World Mastercard to purchase a Carnival shore excursion on carnival.com prior to their cruise will receive a 10% discount on the shore excursion package (taxes and fees are not included in the discount). The discount will be awarded in the form of a statement credit and will appear on the statement within 1 billing cycle.  

Shore excursions may be booked online prior to sailing up until the Pre-Sail cut-off time of 11:30pm ET, the evening prior to the cruise departure. A statement credit will be posted to the account within 1-2 business days and will appear on the account billing statement within 1 billing cycle. Please note, if a statement credit is going to be more than $2,499, it will require a few extra days to post to the cardmember's account.

[ShakyBeef]

16 minutes ago, cellfree said:

Debating the pros and cons of the Carnival Credit Card.  Any insights?  The one things that is not clear to me (and of course I could phone and call) is whether or not you receive "2X Fun Points" if you use it to pay for a Carnival cruise.  It says you get "2X Fun Points" when making a purchase on a ship, etc., but I cannot find anything in the print as to whether or not it applies to paying for a cruise.

 

I've got plenty of insight and experience with this card.  I've had it since 2005.  I've taken several free cruises with my FunPoints over the years.  If you have specific questions, I'll be happy to answer.  Forgive me for not going into depth, or for any lack of lucidity in my answers today.  I'm currently suffering the results of sleep deprivation and so am a little less coherent than usual.  But I'll do my best.  

[M2LR]

I recently signed up for the card myself. It comes with a $200 sign up bonus I can use on my cruise plus 10% off shore excursions which was a sweet enough deal for me. I probably won't use it to pay for the rest of the cruise since I do better buying gift cards at Meijer and Kroger which net me more in the 6-10% off range when I use their loyalty programs.  

[cellfree]

ShakyBeef, thank you, appreciate positive report from someone who has used it since 2005. Sounds like I should "jump on board!" Glad to hear it gives 2Xs FPs when paying for a Carnival Cruise. That really was what I wanted clarification on. Again, thank you.

[Bookster99]

12 minutes ago, M2LR said:

I recently signed up for the card myself. It comes with a $200 sign up bonus I can use on my cruise plus 10% off shore excursions which was a sweet enough deal for me. I probably won't use it to pay for the rest of the cruise since I do better buying gift cards at Meijer and Kroger which net me more in the 6-10% off range when I use their loyalty programs.  

How does that work? I have Kroger, and have bought gift cards from them. They never offered my 6-10% off. Just gas points.

[elcuchio24]

6 minutes ago, cellfree said:

ShakyBeef, thank you, appreciate positive report from someone who has used it since 2005. Sounds like I should "jump on board!" Glad to hear it gives 2Xs FPs when paying for a Carnival Cruise. That really was what I wanted clarification on. Again, thank you.

 

Also, no annual fees....

[ShakyBeef]

3 minutes ago, elcuchio24 said:

 

Also, no annual fees....

 

And no foreign transaction fees.

[elcuchio24]

1 minute ago, ShakyBeef said:

 

And no foreign transaction fees.

 

I dont mind racking up the various travel cards, as long as they dont have annual fees.....if they do I need to justify that into my usage and benefits. I only ever really use the CCL card for CCL stuff, but for what it is I think there is a good value there. 

Edited October 17, 2019 by elcuchio24

[ShakyBeef]

15 minutes ago, cellfree said:

ShakyBeef, thank you, appreciate positive report from someone who has used it since 2005. Sounds like I should "jump on board!" Glad to hear it gives 2Xs FPs when paying for a Carnival Cruise. That really was what I wanted clarification on. Again, thank you.

 

You're very welcome!

 

When you get the card, make sure you check out RewardsBoost, the shopping portal from your card's website.  The points multipliers offered by most retailers there put the 2X multiplier from Carnival to shame!

 

ETA:  It can be found in the "Rewards and Benefits" tab, as "Earn FunPoints faster with RewardsBoost".

Edited October 17, 2019 by ShakyBeef

[elcuchio24]

16 minutes ago, cellfree said:

ShakyBeef, thank you, appreciate positive report from someone who has used it since 2005. Sounds like I should "jump on board!" Glad to hear it gives 2Xs FPs when paying for a Carnival Cruise. That really was what I wanted clarification on. Again, thank you.

 

Also be aware, it will say you will get the initial points deposit (I think its 20,000?) when you used it to 'book your next CCL cruise'.........but, if you use it for say final payment for the balance of a cruise already booked, that counts too.

[M2LR]

3 minutes ago, Bookster99 said:

How does that work? I have Kroger, and have bought gift cards from them. They never offered my 6-10% off. Just gas points.

 

I am just estimating the savings. Meijer is 10% off since you get $5 off your next grocery purchase when you buy $50 carnival gift cards when they are running a gift card promo (using mperks up to $500 per promo). Kroger is harder to gauge. I watch for when they offer 4X the fuel points on the category that includes carnival. So a $250 gift card would get you 1000 fuel points which  is equal to $1 off per gallon. If I get 15 gallons of gas that is $15 which is equal to 6% ----- assuming I didn't screw up the math here. Technically not cash back but gas and groceries are staples so in my mind as good as getting cash off. 

[Bookster99]

5 minutes ago, M2LR said:

 

I am just estimating the savings. Meijer is 10% off since you get $5 off your next grocery purchase when you buy $50 carnival gift cards when they are running a gift card promo (using mperks up to $500 per promo). Kroger is harder to gauge. I watch for when they offer 4X the fuel points on the category that includes carnival. So a $250 gift card would get you 1000 fuel points which  is equal to $1 off per gallon. If I get 15 gallons of gas that is $15 which is equal to 6% ----- assuming I didn't screw up the math here. Technically not cash back but gas and groceries are staples so in my mind as good as getting cash off. 

OK. I can deal with that. I also use a credit card that gives me 1.5% back, so that adds to it as well.

[Joe817]

5 minutes ago, M2LR said:

 

I am just estimating the savings. Meijer is 10% off since you get $5 off your next grocery purchase when you buy $50 carnival gift cards when they are running a gift card promo (using mperks up to $500 per promo). Kroger is harder to gauge. I watch for when they offer 4X the fuel points on the category that includes carnival. So a $250 gift card would get you 1000 fuel points which  is equal to $1 off per gallon. If I get 15 gallons of gas that is $15 which is equal to 6% ----- assuming I didn't screw up the math here. Technically not cash back but gas and groceries are staples so in my mind as good as getting cash off. 

Makes sense. We shop exclusively at Kroger, and from what I've seen they offer 4X fuel points on all gift cards just about 365 days a year. We save a lot of money in gas costs during the holidays buying gift cards for Christmas presents. 

[elcuchio24]

50 minutes ago, Joe817 said:

Makes sense. We shop exclusively at Kroger, and from what I've seen they offer 4X fuel points on all gift cards just about 365 days a year. We save a lot of money in gas costs during the holidays buying gift cards for Christmas presents. 

 

The initial points deposit when you sign up is the biggest bang for you buck, without actually having to use the card a ton. I got a $300 credit off of a $1500+ charge on CCL.

[Joe817]

2 minutes ago, elcuchio24 said:

 

The initial points deposit when you sign up is the biggest bang for you buck, without actually having to use the card a ton. I got a $300 credit off of a $1500+ charge on CCL.

You make a good argument for applying for one! Thanks for the input!

[elcuchio24]

24 minutes ago, Joe817 said:

You make a good argument for applying for one! Thanks for the input!

 

The larger the charge you are seeking credit on, the larger the reward. Read the fine print, but I believe you get your biggest bang for your buck when redeeming on a charge that is over $1500

[ShakyBeef]

1 hour ago, elcuchio24 said:

 

The larger the charge you are seeking credit on, the larger the reward. Read the fine print, but I believe you get your biggest bang for your buck when redeeming on a charge that is over $1500

 

This is correct.  A statement credit on a Carnival purchase of $1500 or more is the only way I ever have or ever will redeem my FunPoints.  Choosing OBC or any other redemption reward is just throwing money away, IMO.

 

 

From Barclays Carnival FunPoints MasterCard FAQ:

 

 

What's the best redemption value among eligible transactions?

 

Carnival Cruise transactions with a value of $1,500 or more offer you the best redemption value. 100,000 FunPoints may be redeemed for a $1,500 statement credit toward an eligible purchase.

 

 

What are the redemption values for eligible transactions?

 

Redemption values for eligible transactions are: 
Carnival Cruise transactions of $1,500.00 or more = 1.5%  
Carnival Cruise transactions of $50.00 - $1499.99 = 1%  
World's Leading Cruise lines transactions of $50.00 or more = 1%  
Airfare or hotel transactions of $50.00 or more = 0.90%

 

 

BTW, y'all:   As long as your card is open, active, and in good standing, your FunPoints do not expire.  If you can be patient and save them up until you have at least 100,000 FPs, and a Carnival purchase of $1,500 or more on which to redeem them, you'll get a lot more 'bang for your buck'  than any other way of using them.

Edited October 17, 2019 by ShakyBeef
The cut-and-pasted text was missing an Oxford comma. We can't have that.

[James4me]

Is this an interest free credit card for cruises only?

[grandmarnnurse]

5 hours ago, cellfree said:

Debating the pros and cons of the Carnival Credit Card.  Any insights?  The one things that is not clear to me (and of course I could phone and call) is whether or not you receive "2X Fun Points" if you use it to pay for a Carnival cruise.  It says you get "2X Fun Points" when making a purchase on a ship, etc., but I cannot find anything in the print as to whether or not it applies to paying for a cruise.

As someone who uses her Carnival Mastercard religiously for EVERYTHING to earn reward points faster, I can honestly tell you that ANY Carnival purchase, cruise booking included, gets you 2X points. And if you use it to book any Carnival excursions, you not only earn those 2X points, but get a 10% off credit on that excursion on your statement. Also, if you go into your online account for Barclay bank, you can do a “Reward Boost”. It gives you a list of all the participating stores and the rewards earned. But you have to click on the store in the list and do your shopping right from that site to get those rewards. I earned 10X points for a luggage set from ebags, and 4X from Harry and David gift baskets last Christmas. For my last cruise I redeem enough reward points after booking total price of cruise on the card for a $1200 statement credit. Then, for every 5,000 points I earned, I redeem for $50 bar credits. I had $350 bar credits for my last cruise, and left ship with only a total bill of $43. I have 3 cruises booked for 2020, so I’ve been applying all my reward points diligently to have smaller final bills when I leave those ships.

[grandmarnnurse]

32 minutes ago, James4me said:

Is this an interest free credit card for cruises only?

No. It is a regular credit card. I use it to pay for EVERYTHING, but I never maintain a balance. I have no idea what the interest rate is as I’ve never kept a balance. It’s a very useful card, as I use it to apply bar credits to my cruises, but I’ve also used redeemed points towards a $1200 statement credit for last cruise I took.

[grandmarnnurse]

1 hour ago, ShakyBeef said:

 

This is correct.  A statement credit on a Carnival purchase of $1500 or more is the only way I ever have or ever will redeem my FunPoints.  Choosing OBC or any other redemption reward is just throwing money away, IMO.

 

 

From Barclays Carnival FunPoints MasterCard FAQ:

 

 

What's the best redemption value among eligible transactions?

 

Carnival Cruise transactions with a value of $1,500 or more offer you the best redemption value. 100,000 FunPoints may be redeemed for a $1,500 statement credit toward an eligible purchase.

 

 

What are the redemption values for eligible transactions?

 

Redemption values for eligible transactions are: 
Carnival Cruise transactions of $1,500.00 or more = 1.5%  
Carnival Cruise transactions of $50.00 - $1499.99 = 1%  
World's Leading Cruise lines transactions of $50.00 or more = 1%  
Airfare or hotel transactions of $50.00 or more = 0.90%

 

 

BTW, y'all:   As long as your card is open, active, and in good standing, your FunPoints do not expire.  If you can be patient and save them up until you have at least 100,000 FPs, and a Carnival purchase of $1,500 or more on which to redeem them, you'll get a lot more 'bang for your buck'  than any other way of using them.

I did that, and received a statement credit of $1200.

[Lee Cruiser]

2 hours ago, ShakyBeef said:

 

This is correct.  A statement credit on a Carnival purchase of $1500 or more is the only way I ever have or ever will redeem my FunPoints.  Choosing OBC or any other redemption reward is just throwing money away, IMO.

 

From Barclays Carnival FunPoints MasterCard FAQ:

 

What's the best redemption value among eligible transactions?

 

Carnival Cruise transactions with a value of $1,500 or more offer you the best redemption value. 100,000 FunPoints may be redeemed for a $1,500 statement credit toward an eligible purchase.

 

 

What are the redemption values for eligible transactions?

 

Redemption values for eligible transactions are: 
Carnival Cruise transactions of $1,500.00 or more = 1.5%  
Carnival Cruise transactions of $50.00 - $1499.99 = 1%  
World's Leading Cruise lines transactions of $50.00 or more = 1%  
Airfare or hotel transactions of $50.00 or more = 0.90%

 

This is why there are much better cards available out there.  I have the Carnival card and have used it for the $1,500 credit twice.  Then I went back and did some research on my spending.  Even with the "bonus"  points for certain transactions, I was not earning near as much as if I would have used my Citi card that gives 2% cash back on EVERY purchase.  Those $1,500 on my Carnival card would have been worth over $1,800 the first time and right at the $1,900 mark the second time with my Citi card.  That is another $700.  This is figuring in the "bonus" points I got on my Carnival card for cruise purchases and monthly bonus areas.  Plus, it is so much easier to keep up with the Citi card rebates because you get the 2% on everything.  In addition, with the Citi card you get cash back that can be used for anything and you don't have to wait until you have 100,000 points to cash it in to get the best rate.  You can still wait and use it to pay for your cruise.  I currently have $1,000 in rebates available that will go towards my next cruise.  Some will tell you the bonus points and double Carnival purchase points make up the difference from the max 1.5% you get on everything else.  But that certainly was not the case for me.

 

The best thing about the Carnival card that I still use it for is to get the 10% back on excursions.  That is all I use this card for.

Edited October 18, 2019 by Lee Cruiser
word correction

[James4me]

We just obtained the credit card.  We have 6 months 0 % APR. Once we obtain the card we will pay off the balance and not have my husband stressed out getting the cruise paid off prior to cut off date.