How to Book a Cruise Using Points and Miles

While I haven’t personally sailed many cruises, one thing is clear: cruise people are cruise people, and they are dedicated.

Booking flights and hotels with points? Pretty straightforward. Booking a cruise with points? That’s where most people give up. But you’re not most people — and neither are we at Daily Drop.

Cruise lines don’t get nearly as much love in the points and miles world, but they should. Cruises bundle your transportation, lodging, meals, and entertainment into one giant vacation, so naturally… they’re expensive.

You can use points or miles to cover all or part of your cruise, but the value varies. Knowing when to redeem rewards and when to just pay cash is key to booking a cruise the smart way.

Let’s break down how to book cruises using points and miles, what to avoid, and which credit cards will give you the biggest payoff.

Why Redeeming Points for Cruises Is Different

When you use points for flights or hotels, you can usually get decent value (think two, three, or even more cents per point). Cruises are… not like that.

Most airline and hotel programs that let you redeem for cruises will define your miles at about one cent a pop (and sometimes less). That’s not terrible if you have a giant pile of miles you’ll never use, but it usually won’t be the best redemption in your wallet.

Think of cruises as a nice win when you want to save on cash and have a ton of points, or when you just want to free up some cash flow for extras like excursions, flights to your port city, or extra snacks on board.

How to Book a Cruise With Points

Airline Programs

A few airline loyalty programs have dedicated cruise booking portals. United Cruise Awards and AAdvantage Cruises let you pay with miles, cash, or a mix of both.

The upside? It’s pretty straightforward. The downside? The value isn’t usually amazing, and you’re limited to the sailings they’ve loaded into their system. But if you’re 300,000 AAdvantage miles collecting dust, then why not cash some of those in for a little cruise action?

Hotel Programs

Marriott Bonvoy’s “Cruise With Points” program lets you pay for cruises directly or offset part of the fare. Don’t expect huge value… redemptions usually hover between 0.7 and 1 cent per point.

Still, it can be a nice option if you’re already sitting on a nice pile of Marriott Bonvoy points.

Using Credit Card Travel Portals to Book a Cruise

This is my personal favorite. Chase, American Express, and Capital One — all of their travel portals can book cruises, but some portals require you to call in and book.

The nice thing about the portals is the flexibility, and you can pick almost any sailing and simply use your points as cash. That can make a cruise way more attractive than using airline or hotel programs, where you’re stuck at one cent per point or less.

Co-Branded Cruise Cards

Most cruise lines have their own credit cards that earn points or onboard credits (like Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Celebrity, and so on). These cards aren’t usually worth a long-term spot in your wallet, but they can be a nice aid if you want to book a cruise and get out.

More often than not, their points are best used for upgrades or onboard spending, rather than paying off an entire cruise.

Best Credit Cards for Booking Cruises

Cruises are huge transactions, which means two things:

1. They’re a chance to earn a boatload of points. See what I did there?

2. You want a card that comes with strong travel insurance.

Some of my favorites include:

• Sapphire Preferred — great travel protections, decent points on travel, and better redemptions through Chase Travel^SM

• Sapphire Reserve — points are worth even more in the portal, and the trip protections are about as good as it gets

• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card — you can book cruises directly through Capital One Travel or just retroactively cover the purchase with miles (for up to 90 days)

• American Express Platinum Card® — not the best for redemptions, but comes with strong travel perks and can be worth it if you’re stacking with Amex Offers

• Cruise co-branded cards — again, these are niche, but if you’re sailing the same line year after year, onboard credits and upgrades can stack well

Personally, I love the idea of pairing AAA’s Hertz trick for rental cars (which saves you cash pre-cruise) with a card like the Sapphire Reserve for the actual cruise fare. That way, you’re getting great coverage, earning points, and you don’t sweat hidden fees.

My Approach to Booking a Cruise

Again, I’m not personally a cruise gal. But, if I were, here’s how I would handle the booking.

I would start by finding the cruise I want. Then, I would check the portals and see what the redemption math looks like. If I could get 1.2 cents or more per point, then I might go for it. If the value looks rough, I’d rather pay cash, earn a pile of points, and maybe use those for flights or hotels surrounding the cruise.

The key is not forcing it. Cruises can be booked with points, but you should always ask: Is this the best use of my rewards?

Bottom Line

Cruises aren’t always the “sexiest” way to use your points and miles, but they can be the most practical. If you’ve been dying to take a cruise and the price just feels too steep, checking your credit card portal or an airline cruise site could help.

I like to think of it this way: using points for flights and hotels is about chasing maximum value. Using points for cruises is about creating affordable experiences. If trading some points for a week of ocean views, unlimited buffets, and waking up in a new port every morning makes sense for you, then go for it.

Because at the end of the day, those points aren’t just numbers but fuel for the kind of travel you actually want to take. And that looks different for everyone!