What the Carnival Cruise Card Does
The Carnival Cruise Card is a co-branded credit card issued by Barclays in partnership with Carnival Corporation, the parent company of Carnival Cruise Line. It's designed for people who cruise regularly or plan to take their first cruise soon. The card earns rewards specifically tied to cruise bookings and onboard spending, rather than cash back on everyday purchases.
The card's main feature is that it gives you points for purchases made through Carnival's website or by phone, and bonus points when you use it to pay for things while you're on the ship — drinks, dining upgrades, shore excursions, and cabin upgrades. You can redeem those points as onboard credit, which means a dollar amount you can spend on the ship itself.
Unlike general travel cards that give you points on any purchase and let you redeem them flexibly, this card is narrower: it rewards you most heavily for cruise-specific spending. That makes it most useful if you're already committed to cruising with Carnival, or if you cruise frequently enough that the rewards add up faster than they would on a general card.
Key Takeaways
- The card earns points on Carnival cruise bookings and onboard purchases, with higher earning rates for onboard spending than for booking the cruise itself.
- Points convert to onboard credit only — you cannot redeem them for cash, airline miles, or other rewards outside the Carnival ecosystem.
- The card has an annual fee, and Barclays may require a credit score in a certain range to be approved, though the exact requirement is not published.
- The card's value depends entirely on how often you cruise and how much you spend onboard; it offers little benefit if you cruise rarely or prefer other cruise lines.
- You can use the card to pay for the cruise itself and earn points, then use those points as onboard credit on the same trip or a future one.
How Points Earning Works
The card earns points at different rates depending on where you spend. When you book a Carnival cruise through Carnival's website or by calling their reservations line, you earn a base rate of points per dollar spent. When you use the card onboard the ship — at bars, restaurants, the casino, the spa, or for any other purchase — you earn at a higher rate per dollar.
The exact earning rates change periodically and may vary based on the card version you hold, so you should check Carnival's website or your cardholder agreement for the current numbers. The key point is that onboard spending earns more than booking spending, which means the card rewards you most heavily for money you spend during the cruise itself, not before it.
Points do not expire as long as your account remains open and in good standing. However, if you close the card or let it become inactive for an extended period, Carnival may close your rewards account and forfeit your points, so check the terms for the specific inactivity period.
Annual Fee and Other Costs
The Carnival Cruise Card carries an annual fee that you pay once per year to keep the card open. This fee is charged whether you use the card or not. Barclays may waive the first-year fee as an introductory offer, but you should confirm the current promotion before you explore, because offers change.
Beyond the annual fee, the card works like any other credit card: if you carry a balance month to month, you pay interest at the card's variable annual percentage rate (APR). If you pay your full statement balance by the due date each month, you pay no interest. The card may also charge late fees, over-limit fees, and other standard credit card fees if you miss a payment or exceed your credit limit.
To decide whether the card is worth the annual fee, you need to estimate how much onboard credit you'll earn in a year. If you take one cruise and spend $2,000 onboard, and the onboard earning rate is 5 points per dollar, you'd earn 10,000 points. Whether that converts to more than the annual fee in onboard credit depends on the redemption rate — again, check Carnival's current terms.
Who Should Consider This Card
The Carnival Cruise Card makes sense if you cruise with Carnival at least once per year and spend a meaningful amount onboard. If you take one cruise every three years, the annual fee will eat up most or all of your rewards, and a general travel card would serve you better. If you cruise with other lines — Royal Caribbean, Disney, Norwegian — this card offers you nothing.
The card is also worth considering if you're planning a large Carnival cruise in the next year and want to maximize the onboard credit you earn. You could explore, book the cruise on the card, use it onboard, and then decide whether to keep the card for future cruises or close it after the first year.
If you rarely cruise or prefer to earn flexible rewards you can use anywhere, a general travel card with cash back or transferable points will almost always give you more value. Those cards earn on all your spending, not just Carnival bookings and onboard purchases, and you can redeem the rewards for anything you want.
Approval and Credit Requirements
Barclays does not publish the specific credit score or credit history requirements for the Carnival Cruise Card. Generally, co-branded travel cards from major issuers like Barclays tend to require a good to excellent credit score — typically 670 or higher — though this varies by the specific card and the applicant's overall credit profile.
When you explore, Barclays will pull a hard inquiry on your credit report, which may temporarily lower your credit score by a few points. If you're denied, you can call Barclays to ask why, though they may not give you a detailed reason. You can also wait a few months, work on improving your credit score, and explore again.
Having an existing relationship with Barclays — a checking account, savings account, or another credit card — may improve your chances of approval, though this is not may provide. If you're approved, your credit limit will depend on your credit score, income, and existing debts.
How Onboard Credit Works in Practice
When you redeem your points as onboard credit, Carnival adds a dollar amount to your onboard account before or during your cruise. You can then spend that credit on anything the ship offers: drinks at the bar, specialty dining, spa services, casino chips, shore excursions booked through the ship, or cabin upgrades.
The onboard credit does not carry over to future cruises — you must spend it during the cruise it's attached to. If you have $200 in onboard credit and only spend $150, you lose the remaining $50. Some cruise lines allow you to transfer unused credit to a future booking, but you should confirm Carnival's current policy before you sail.
You cannot convert onboard credit back to cash or use it to pay your cruise fare directly. It's a spending voucher for the ship only. This is an important distinction: if you earn $300 in points and redeem it as onboard credit, you're getting $300 to spend on the ship, but you're not getting $300 off your cruise fare.
Comparing This Card to Other Options
If you cruise frequently with Carnival, this card may earn you more onboard credit than a general travel card would earn in cash back, because the earning rates are higher and targeted to cruise spending. However, if you also want to earn rewards on non-cruise spending — groceries, gas, hotels, flights — a general travel card gives you more flexibility and often a higher overall return.
Some people use both: a general travel card for everyday spending and the Carnival card specifically for cruise bookings and onboard purchases. This approach lets you maximize rewards in both categories, though it means paying two annual fees and managing two accounts.
If you cruise with multiple lines, a general travel card is almost certainly the better choice. You'll earn rewards on all your cruise bookings, not just Carnival, and you can redeem them however you want. Cards like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or American Express Gold earn points on travel purchases broadly and let you transfer those points to airline and hotel partners.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use the card to pay for someone else's cruise and earn points?
Yes. You can book a cruise for family members or friends on your card and earn points on the full booking amount. However, only the cardholder can use the card onboard to earn the higher onboard earning rate — the other passengers cannot use your card to make purchases on the ship.
What happens to my points if I close the card?
Carnival may close your rewards account and forfeit your points if you close the card or let it become inactive for a long period. The exact inactivity threshold varies, so check your cardholder agreement. If you're thinking about closing the card, redeem your points first or use them onboard before you do.
Does the card come with travel insurance or other benefits?
Co-branded cruise cards typically offer fewer ancillary benefits than premium general travel cards. Check your cardholder agreement or Carnival's website for the current list of benefits, which may include things like onboard discounts, cabin upgrades, or travel protections, but these vary by card version and change over time.
Can I earn points on a cruise I booked before I had the card?
No. You earn points only on purchases made with the card after you open the account. If you booked a cruise before you applied, you cannot retroactively earn points on that booking. However, you can use the card onboard during that cruise and earn the higher onboard earning rate on your purchases.
What if I want to cancel my cruise after I've earned points?
If you cancel the cruise, Carnival will refund your fare, but the points you earned on that booking may be forfeited or adjusted depending on Carnival's policy. Contact Carnival directly before you cancel to understand how the points will be handled.