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Need to stock up on some travel points? Bored with your current credit card arsenal?
Here are our top 10 picks for cruisers this month.
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
Why?: Bet you didn’t expect this one bat leadoff on our list 🙂 .
It’s a no-annual-fee card offering 10% cashback on Uber rides and Uber Eats deliveries through November 14, 2024. (Cashback can be converted to points when transferring to another card such as the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.)
This can help you save money on rides to/from cruise ports and airports. (We hope the benefit sticks around past that date.)
We also like that it earns 3X on dining, grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on popular streaming services, and on entertainment. (See what exactly that entails.)
You can transfer your cashback to Miles cards such as the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. They’ll then become Miles.
Current Welcome Offer: Earn $200 cash back after you spend $500 on purchases within the first three (3) months of being approved for card membership. The previous offer required a $1,000 minimum spending requirement.
Annual Fee: $0
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Why?: The Chase Sapphire Reserve® earns Ultimate Rewards points which can be redeemed at a value of 1.5 cents each when purchasing travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards. You can also transfer to a number of Chase travel partners.
The card also offers great trip interruption and delay benefits when you pay for even just a portion of your travels with the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
Some of our personal favorite points earnings are:
- 10X on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 10X on Lyft purchases through March 2025
- 5X on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 3X on dining
- 3X on all other travel purchases (after the card’s annual $300 travel credit is exhausted)
Card members also can enroll for a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership that also includes discounts or credits at select airport restaurants and vendors.
Current Welcome Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three (3) months of being approved for card membership.
Annual Fee: $550
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Why?: Several things come to mind. First, the card earns Membership Rewards® points which can be transferred to a bunch of travel partners or applied toward purchases made with Amex Travel.
Plus, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express welcome offer is pretty good: you can earn 120,000 bonus points after spending $15,000 within your first three (3) months of card membership. Yes, $15,000 is a little steep — but this card is aimed at businesses.
Next, I absolutely love the 35% Pay With Points rebate.
The card is also loaded with luxury travel benefits such as airport lounge access, a $200 airline statement credit, complimentary Gold status with Marriott and Hilton, and much more. (And yes, the card’s Delta Sky Club access will be restricted in 2025.)
Finally, the card is eligible for Amex’s Cruise Privileges program, which entitles the cardholder to
- Between $100 – $300 per stateroom shipboard credit
- Exclusive amenities (varies by each cruise line)
- Earn one extra Membership Rewards® point on dollar spent booking with American Express Travel
Current Welcome Offer: Earn 120,000 bonus American Express® Membership Rewards® after you spend $15,000 on purchases on the card within the first three (3) months of being approved for card membership. Terms apply.
Annual Fee: $695. But if you use the benefits, it’s fairly easy to earn that back each year.
Chase® Freedom® Flex℠Card
Why?: The Chase® Freedom® Flex℠Card is no-annual-fee card with very handsome bonus categories.
My personal favorite are the 5% cashback (awarded as 5X Ultimate Rewards points) categories that change each quarter. For October – December 2023, they’re PayPal, wholesale clubs, and select charities. I really like the PayPal option because so many online retailers accept it. (A maximum of $75/7500 bonus points) can be earned back in these categories each quarter. Activation is required.) The 5% is the sole reason I hold this card.
You can also earn 5% back on travel purchased through Chase. Plus, earn 3% on dining at restaurants including takeout and eligible delivery services. Finally, you get 3% on drugstore purchases.
The card also comes with DoorDash and Instacart benefits.
Current Welcome Offer: Earn $200 cash back after you spend $500 on purchases within the first three (3) months of being approved for card membership.
Annual Fee: $0
Read more here. (All information about the Chase Freedom Flex was collected independently by Frequent Floaters and was not reviewed by its issuing bank.)
American Express® Gold Card
Why?:Â We love the bonus points categories:
- 4X Membership Rewards® points at restaurants worldwide
- Includes takeout and delivery in the U.S
- 4X at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X).
- 3XÂ on flights booked directly with airlines or at amextravel.com
- 2X on prepaid hotel bookings at amextravel.com
American Express® Gold Card members also receive monthly $10 Uber Cash deposits. (The deposits expire if not used by the end of the month.)
Current Welcome Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on purchases on the card within six (6) months of being approved for card membership. Terms apply.
Annual Fee: $250. That’s easily offset with the Uber Cash deposits, monthly food statement credits for select merchants, and points earnings.
The Platinum Card® from American Express
Why?: Like its business counterpart, the Amex Platinum features a bunch of luxury perks. These, though, are geared toward people who don’t need to worry about how to spend Dell statement credits — and instead enjoy more lifestyle-oriented benefits.
This, too, entitles members to the Amex Cruise Privileges Program.
Cardholders also can receive up to $200 in Uber Cash deposits each year. Plus, there’s airport lounge access, airline incidental fee statement credit options, $200 hotel credit on select bookings, and a ton more.
Current Welcome Offer: Earn 80,000 bonus American Express® Membership Rewards® after you spend $8,000 on purchases on the card within the first six (6) months of being approved for card membership. Terms apply.
Annnual Fee: $695
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Why?: A great welcome offer and good points earnings.
You can earn 100,000 bonus Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first three (3) months of being approved for card membership. (The card’s previous welcome offer required a $15,000 minimum spend.)
Plus, the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card features decent trip protection and cell phone protection.
Here’s how things go earnings-wise:
3X per eligible $1 on the first combined $150,000 spent on these categories:
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- Travel
- Internet, cable, and phone services
- Advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines
- Shipping purchases
Current Welcome Bonus: Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first three (3) months of being approved for card membership.
Annual Fee: $95
Boundless® Card
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless®
Why?: I love the welcome offer and took advantage of it myself.
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Card awards new card members three (3) Free Night Awards after they spend $3,000 within three (3) months of being approved for card membership. Each night is valued at up to 50,000 points.
And here’s why I hold the card: its $95 annual fee easily covers the annual Free Night Award worth up to 35,000 points. (That benefit kicks in starting year two. But, hey, you have three free nights to keep you busy until then.)
Current Welcome Offer: Earn three (3) Free Night Awards after spending $3,000 within your first three (3) months of card membership
Annual Fee: $95
Read more here. (All information about the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Card was collected independently by Frequent Floaters and was not reviewed by its issuing bank.)
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Why?: The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card offers at least 2X Miles on all eligible purchases. It’s great for traditionally non-bonused spend. It also earns 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X on flights booked through Capital One Travel.
Card members can earn up to $300 in statement credit each anniversary year (starting in year one!) for purchases made through Capital One Travel.
Plus, Capital One awards cardholders 10,000 bonus points each anniversary year (starting in year two).
Those two perks basically cover the card’s $395 annual fee.
Card members can access Capital One’s growing network of branded lounges. They also can enroll in Priority Pass Select.
And here’s something great: they can add FOR FREE up to four additional cardholders who enjoy the airport lounge and TSA PreCheck-Global Entry statement credits.
Current Welcome Offer: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three (3) months of being approved for card membership.
Annual Fee: $395
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
Why?: If you live in the United States and have a cell phone plan, you need the no-annual-fee Ink Business Cash® Credit Card. It earns 5% cash back/5X Chase Ultimate Rewards points on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases each account anniversary year on internet, cable, and phone services and at office supply stores.
You can transfer to those points to another Chase Ultimate Rewards card card such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, or Ink Preferred and redeem them at elevated rates through Chase Travel.
Current Welcome Offer: Earn $750 bonus cash back (75,000 points) after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first three (3) months of being approved for card membership.
Annual Fee: $0
Time to Set Sail!
We picked what we thought was a diverse array of cards offering decent welcome bonuses, travel perks, and bonus points earnings. Some don’t have annual fees, others run several hundred dollars. But it’s not too hard to earn them back.
Frequent Floaters has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. FrequentFloaters and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
Responses are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
