What type of credit card do you use when booking cruises?

[Cruiser_1977]

@DarrenM You are assuming those putting it on credit cards are not paying it off immediately. I have the cash in the bank. Pay with my credit card which is a cash rewards card then transfer the cash to the CC to cover the expense. I could pay from my bank account but wouldn't get the CC protections/benefits.

 

@clo The question mark is to denote that this is a poll.

Edited January 21, 2020 by JennyB1977

[Roz]

18 minutes ago, klfrodo said:

Nope, that was Citi

 

Thanks for the clarification.

[ilikeanswers]

3 hours ago, DarrenM said:

I know this will irk some of you but life really is too short to use a credit card because I might save a few pounds/dollars somewhere sometime  in some random eatery.

 

I just dont care that much that I might 0.02985% cash back over 300 years.

 

It seems in America earning points is pretty easy so it I don't think it takes them 300 years😂. Australia it seems is just as hard as Britain. You either have to be flying at least every month with the same airline or your general spending has to be very high and there are so many exclusions to what they won't give you points on for charging to your card. On top of that they keep cutting earning opportunities. There are flights I use to get point for dollar that only gives me half. So I don't go out of my way to earn points, if there happen to be points available on my purchase then I will take them. Once I did earn enough for two return flights, did take me about seven years though😜.

[pacruise804]

11 hours ago, Stateroom_Sailor said:

I'm curious what % of people look for general rewards, miles, cash back, brand loyalty, or prefer not to use credit cards at all (Dave Ramsey approved).

 

 

Since you mention Dave Ramsey: we use a debit card, but processed through the Visa system (with all Visa protections) rather than as a point of sale transaction.  An exception is our upcoming Viking cruise where we receive a 3% discount for ACH/electronic check rather than credit.  

 

3 hours ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

Credit cards are a great tool for people who are financially responsible.  They are also really the only prudent way to pay for something substantial in the future, as you are protected against bankruptcy of the carrier.  People found that out the hard way back when airlines were going belly up. 

 

And done properly you get a lot more than the mocking "0.02465%" nonsense.  There are other good ones, but I happen to use CSR, which on top of the 5% repeat customer discount I get on my favorite cruiseline, and the 8-10% discount/OBC I get from whichever TA I use, gives me an additional 4.5% in points and booking portal - as well as a whole host of other valuable benefits.  That translates into free domestic first class flights to get to the cruiseport, for me.  Or free Business Class to Europe.  Just for doing all my normal spending activities on the card.

 

Now if someone is not financially responsible then by all means they should follow the Dave Ramsay advice and eschew credit cards.  But for those who are financially responsible, using a credit card is a complete no-brainer, IMO.  To do otherwise is just throwing away money - a lot of money.  Then it just comes down to which one fits you best.

We were always financially responsible: bills paid on time, high credit rating, etc.  Dave Ramsey has a different approach to finance though and it has worked for us over the years.  While many on these boards get points or cash back (I doubt both), we have many merchants that either charge extra for credit, give discount for cash, or just don't take credit at all (small markets).  

 

As you said, it's what fits your situation best.

[clo]

17 minutes ago, pacruise804 said:

Dave Ramsey

I've never heard his name before today. ???

[DarrenM]

52 minutes ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

It seems in America earning points is pretty easy so it I don't think it takes them 300 years😂. Australia it seems is just as hard as Britain. You either have to be flying at least every month with the same airline or your general spending has to be very high and there are so many exclusions to what they won't give you points on for charging to your card. On top of that they keep cutting earning opportunities. There are flights I use to get point for dollar that only gives me half. So I don't go out of my way to earn points, if there happen to be points available on my purchase then I will take them. Once I did earn enough for two return flights, did take me about seven years though😜.

It certainly must be different in the UK and Australia.

 

I dont know anyone that uses a credit card that much to get all these benefits.

 

I get the protection bit, but saving a few pounds/dollars here and there, or getting points towards flights etc just doesnt happen.

 

Mind you, anyone taking THAT many flights should be paying a premium thses days to pay for the outragous carbon foot print they will be racking up.

 

I mean GretaThunberg or Donald Trump?

[Stateroom_Sailor]

2 hours ago, clo said:

I've never heard his name before today. ???

 

Dave Ramsey is a radio talk show host, who offers a financial planning program, with the goal of escaping debt, and building a nest egg for retirement.  I am actually following his Roth IRA advice to a T, and am a subscriber.

 

I understand that some people overspend, which can be done with a debit card by the same principles, or are more responsible with cash.  Dave regularly claims to have never met a millionair who built their wealth with airline miles, yet I've never met anyone with Southwest card, claiming that it was their lucky lotto ticket.  Half of his talking points against credit cards are strawman arguments.

[clo]

31 minutes ago, Stateroom_Sailor said:

Dave Ramsey is a radio talk show host, who offers a financial planning program, with the goal of escaping debt, and building a nest egg for retirement.  I am actually following his Roth IRA advice to a T, and am a subscriber.

 

I actually looked him up a little while ago. We're in our 70s, totally debt free and when I read his what? "baby steps" I said "yup." Good for you. Unfortunately we came along too late or is that early for Roth's but we're still fine. And we're fine because we have always and will always live below our means. And our CC points give us at least on intl. flight a year if not two. I understand that outside the US can be quite different. Thanks.

[Toofarfromthesea]

4 hours ago, Stateroom_Sailor said:

 

Dave Ramsey is a radio talk show host, who offers a financial planning program, with the goal of escaping debt, and building a nest egg for retirement.  I am actually following his Roth IRA advice to a T, and am a subscriber.

 

I understand that some people overspend, which can be done with a debit card by the same principles, or are more responsible with cash.  Dave regularly claims to have never met a millionair who built their wealth with airline miles, yet I've never met anyone with Southwest card, claiming that it was their lucky lotto ticket.  Half of his talking points against credit cards are strawman arguments.

 

What a profoundly ridiculous remark.  No one is expecting to become a millionaire or build wealth on airline miles.  

 

But I bet virtually every millionaire got there with the judicious use of credit.

 

 

[datone]

I use my credit card for a number of reasons.   These are some of the benefits we get here in Australia.   Apart from earning points that you can redeem for gift vouchers, flights, variety of products, etc. if I pay for my trip on it, we get free travel insurance which includes unlimited medical and evacuation costs.   Also get extended warranty e.g. if I buy a tv with a 1 year warranty on my credit card, it is increased to 2 years warranty.   There is also Purchase protection - if I buy something on my credit card and I see it at a cheaper price within 60 days, I am covered for the difference in price up to a maximum of $500.   Also included is purchase cover insurance - anything I buy on my credit card up to $5,000 I am covered for theft, loss or damage for the first 60 days.   I do always pay it in full though each month - may as well take advantage of the interest-free period and keep the money in the bank until payment is due - not that I'm earning much interest at the moment.   

[dogs4fun]

Traveler Rewards credit card used & entire balance paid monthly. Definitely a win for us.

[Joebucks]

11 hours ago, Stateroom_Sailor said:

 

Dave Ramsey is a radio talk show host, who offers a financial planning program, with the goal of escaping debt, and building a nest egg for retirement.  I am actually following his Roth IRA advice to a T, and am a subscriber.

 

I understand that some people overspend, which can be done with a debit card by the same principles, or are more responsible with cash.  Dave regularly claims to have never met a millionair who built their wealth with airline miles, yet I've never met anyone with Southwest card, claiming that it was their lucky lotto ticket.  Half of his talking points against credit cards are strawman arguments.

 

Ramsey's credit card advice caters to those who have no self-control. If you constantly put yourself in debt, taking away that tool that makes it easier is a "solve".

 

The truth is, my credit card pays for itself many times over. If you travel a lot, it is a big miss on your part to not have a good travel card. The Sapphire Reserve just had its annual fee increased to $550, which I understand can price some people out of it. However, $300 of it is super easy to get back as ANY travel gets credited to you. That leaves $250 a year. I can tell you that even if I bought third party insurance on all of my trips, it would still cost me more than $250 a year. Let alone the free meals at airports through priority pass, rewards, no foreign exchange fees, no fraud liability, TSA precheck/global entry, etc.

 

And oh yea, imagine paying for entire cruise fares in just points. You'll hear infinite tips on here on how people "save money" on their cruises. Lots of it being a bunch of nonsense, if we're being honest. How about taking the purchases you are already making and turning it into a vacation with little to no out of pocket expenses?

[pacruise804]

7 hours ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

What a profoundly ridiculous remark.  No one is expecting to become a millionaire or build wealth on airline miles.  

 

But I bet virtually every millionaire got there with the judicious use of credit.

 

 

 

Others have posted that you are throwing money away if you use your bank account instead of credit cards (to get airline miles or cash back).  They save/make thousands per year with their spending - how is that not considered building wealth?

 

 

According to Ramsey's story he became a millionaire the first time with credit, and went bankrupt because of credit.  He became a millionaire again without credit.  

 

 

[LDVinNC]

We recently booked and paid for a Hawaii/South Pacific cruise.  This is a trip-of-a-lifetime so we splurged on a suite.  One of our credit cards had a bonus reward if you charged $10k in three months, so we put that much on the card and paid it off right away.  Another card had no interest for 9 months, so we are making equal payments until September when that will be paid off.  The rest we put on our every-day 2% cash back card, which is also paid currently.  Kind of klugy, but we think the best way to maximize the rewards.

[clo]

7 hours ago, datone said:

we get free travel insurance which includes unlimited medical and evacuation costs. 

Wow! Unlimited! That's great. We get $100k with CSR and I thought that was great.

[DarrenM]

Who needs travel insurance? Live a little dangerously people.

[Warm Breezes]

On 1/21/2020 at 5:37 AM, Stateroom_Sailor said:

I'm curious what % of people look for general rewards, miles, cash back, brand loyalty, or prefer not to use credit cards at all (Dave Ramsey approved).

 

I couldn't directly answer your question.  I purchase Carnival Gift Cards at either Meijer or AARP for a 10% discount using my Double Rewards Credit Card and pay for the cruise with my Gift Cards.  Just before the cruise I cash out my Double Rewards on my credit card (which I pay for just about everything with and payoff in full every month) and use the cash for my spending money.  I usually end up bringing half or more of my cash back with me and put in the bank to go towards paying off the that credit card.  

[Stateroom_Sailor]

2 hours ago, Warm Breezes said:

I couldn't directly answer your question.  I purchase Carnival Gift Cards at either Meijer or AARP for a 10% discount using my Double Rewards Credit Card and pay for the cruise with my Gift Cards.  Just before the cruise I cash out my Double Rewards on my credit card (which I pay for just about everything with and payoff in full every month) and use the cash for my spending money.  I usually end up bringing half or more of my cash back with me and put in the bank to go towards paying off the that credit card.  

 

I would count your Double Rewards then, since you are paying for the cruise indirectly.  I've heard of people buying Carnival Gift  Cards with Target's Red Card, for a 5% discount.

[iancal]

Over the past month we have had $900. in credit card rebates.   Expecting another $200. later this month.

 

Last spring we had a refund of $1800. in cancellation insurance from our premium credit card. 

 

We rented cars in Greece four times for a total of approx. 20 days  14 days in Cyprus this past fall.  The credit card covered rental insurance. Probably at least $5 day so that is another $175.   Typically we rent a car at least twice a year anywhere from 20 days to 30 days each trip.

 

Not bad for a cards that cost us about $150 per year.

[Underwatr]

On 1/21/2020 at 12:47 PM, DarrenM said:

I know this will irk some of you but life really is too short to use a credit card because I might save a few pounds/dollars somewhere sometime  in some random eatery.

 

I just dont care that much that I might 0.02985% cash back over 300 years.

I use my Costco Visa card for travel, restaurants and gasoline; I earned over $650 cash back in 2019.

I use my Amex Cash Everyday card for groceries and it's up to just under $150.

I use my Citi Double Cash card for just about everything else and its cash back balance is up to almost $750.

None of my cards have an annual fee (aside from the Costco membership fee) and I pay the bill in full each month.

 

Edit:

Costco Visa: 4% on gas, 3% on restaurants and travel

Amex: 3% at supermarkets

Citi Double Cash: 2% on everything.

 

 

Edited January 23, 2020 by Underwatr

[Stateroom_Sailor]

In 2019, I used:

Sam's Club for gas and in store purchases: $200

Bank of America Cash Rewards for online purchases: $300

American Express Gold for dining and grocery: $800 value

American Express Blue Business Plus: $600

Wyndam/Marriott cards, used for hotels only, maybe another $100.

 

I won't go into the Business side of things, but it at least matches the rewards of the personal.

[FlyerTalker]

2019:  Four first class tickets on Cathay Pacific.  One half to Hong Kong, the other to Australia.

 

Retail equivalent....$30,000.

[DarrenM]

5 hours ago, Underwatr said:

I use my Costco Visa card for travel, restaurants and gasoline; I earned over $650 cash back in 2019.

I use my Amex Cash Everyday card for groceries and it's up to just under $150.

I use my Citi Double Cash card for just about everything else and its cash back balance is up to almost $750.

None of my cards have an annual fee (aside from the Costco membership fee) and I pay the bill in full each month.

 

Edit:

Costco Visa: 4% on gas, 3% on restaurants and travel

Amex: 3% at supermarkets

Citi Double Cash: 2% on everything.

 

 

But having to remember all of that and having that many cards would just fry my brain.

 

Too much. Dont need it in my life.

[Underwatr]

5 hours ago, DarrenM said:

But having to remember all of that and having that many cards would just fry my brain.

 

Too much. Dont need it in my life.

Three is too many? How do you possibly choose a cruise cabin?

 

They're all on Google Pay, so mostly I just need my phone.

[DarrenM]

Honestly I dont even know what google pay is. I only use google to search the world wide web.