Best Credit Cards for Cruises Compared
| Credit Card | Category | Annual Fee | Rewards Rate |
| Holland America Line Credit Card | Best Overall | $0 | 1 - 2 points / $1 |
| Royal Caribbean® Credit Card | Best for Initial Bonus | $0 | 1 - 2 points / $1 |
| Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (see Rates & Fees) | Best for Any Cruise Line | $95 | 2 - 5 miles / $1 |
| American Express Platinum Card® | Best for Cruise Benefits | $895 | 1 - 5 points / $1 |
Methodology for Selecting the Best Credit Cards for Cruises
To identify the best credit card offers for cruises, WalletHub’s editors regularly compare more than 1,500 credit cards based on their miles, points or cash back earning rates as well as their annual fees, foreign transaction fees, approval requirements and, to a lesser extent, their APRs. We calculate how much different types of travelers would earn over either one year or two years of use, depending on the type of travel rewards card and the manner in which it is likely to be used.
More specifically, we calculate net rewards to estimate earnings after annual fees, and the cards with the lowest two-year costs are selected. These calculations, along with an analysis of the most popular cruise lines and cruise-related expenses, help us find the best cruise credit cards for each major category. We do not consider bonus rewards rates or redemption bonuses that require the cardholder to use the credit card issuer’s travel booking portal. These portals often have relatively high prices and limit customers’ options.
Finally, we repeat this exercise on a regular basis, updating our picks whenever offers change enough to warrant it.
How Two-Year Cost Is Calculated
Two-year cost is used to calculate the monetary value of cards for better comparison and is calculated by combining annual and monthly membership fees over two years, adding any one-time fees or other fees (like balance transfer fees), adding any interest costs, and subtracting rewards. Negative amounts indicate savings. When fees or other terms are presented as a range, we use the midpoint for scoring purposes.
Rewards bonuses and credits have been taken into account for two-year cost calculations. However, bonuses applicable to only a very small portion of cardholders are not considered. For example, credits and bonuses awarded for spending or redeeming rewards through a company portal with non-co-branded cards have not been taken into account. Similarly, bonuses and credits related to spending with specific merchants using a non-co-branded card have not been taken into account (for example, if Card A offers credits with DoorDash, this feature would not be factored into calculations because it is hard to assess how many cardholders would use the benefit or exactly how much value they'd get from it).
Cardholder Spending Profiles
Given that different users have different goals and are likely to use their credit cards differently, we identified spending profiles that are representative of different users’ financial priorities and behaviors. For each cardholder type, we have assumed a specific amount of monthly spending by purchase type (e.g., groceries, gas, etc.), as well as an average balance, balance transfer amount, amount spent on large purchases and average monthly payment. Spending assumptions are based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for consumers.
Sources
WalletHub actively maintains a database of 1,500+ credit card offers, from which we select the best travel credit cards for different applicants as well as derive market-wide takeaways and trends. The underlying data is compiled from credit card company websites or provided directly by the credit card issuers. We also leverage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to develop cardholder profiles, used to estimate cards’ potential savings.
