Best Points System For Cruises

Two words: purchase eraser. Capital One offers the best option for booking cruises with points because it’s the least restrictive system. You won’t get outsized value booking a cruise with points through any program. The best you can realistically expect is 1 cent per point. With Capital One, you can book any cruise you want with any company and avoid being locked into a travel portal. Then you can erase all or part of that purchase with Capital One miles, giving you maximum flexibility and simplicity.

The best way to use Chase Ultimate Rewards points for a cruise is through the Chase Travel portal, which lists sailings from most major cruise lines. While you can search online, you’ll need to call a Chase travel specialist to complete the booking. Let them know you’d like to use points toward the cruise, and you can pay with any combination of points and cash.

American Express allows you to search for and book cruises directly through Amex Travel without having to call, which makes the process more straightforward than Chase. You can pay with points, cash, or a combination of both. However, cruise redemptions through Amex Travel typically yield less than 1 cent per point in value, which limits the upside. That’s why we rank Amex below Chase for cruises, even though the booking experience is simpler and fully online.