Carnival MasterCard Review

Carnival MasterCardThe Carnival MasterCard is for people who are regular Carnival cruise travelers or who may be considering booking a cruise in the near future.  Card members earn FunPoints which can be redeemed for cruises on Carnival and other World Leading Cruise Lines.  This card is issued by Barclays Bank Delaware.

New account holders can earn 5,000 bonus Funpoints upon approval.  To be eligible, you only need to make your first transaction on the card.  This can be either a purchase or a balance transfer (which will incur a fee).  Balance transfers which post to your account within the first 30 days that your account is open will earn 1 FunPoint for every dollar transferred.  The amount of balance transfer FunPoints you can earn during this promotional period is capped at 5,000.

New cardholders receive a 0% introductory APR for the first 15 billing cycles following any balance transfer that posts to your account within 45 days from the date your account is opened.  (Note: balance transfers may take up to four weeks to process and post to your account.)  After this time, your APR will be 13.99%, 16.99%, or 20.99%, depending on your creditworthiness at the time of approval.  Each balance transfer will be charged a fee of $5 or 3% of the total amount of the transfer (whichever is greater).  This fee is never waived.

There is no 0% introductory APR offer on purchases for new members.  As stated above, your specific APR will be 13.99%, 16.99%, or 20.99%, based on your credit score.

Card members earn FunPoints which can be redeemed for Carnival cruise rewards.  The amount of points earned is based on the following types of transactions made on the card:

  • Two points per dollar spent on Carnival Cruise vacation and Carnival Vacation Club purchases.
  • Two points per dollar spent on purchases charged to the Sail and Sign account onboard any Carnival Cruise ship.
  • One point per dollar spent on any other purchases (where MasterCard is accepted).

Members can redeem FunPoints for a statement credit towards the purchase of a Carnival Cruise or other World Leading Cruise Lines vacation which includes:

  • Costa Cruises
  • Cunard Line
  • Holland America Line
  • Princess Cruises
  • The Yachts of Seabourn

Card members can book a cruise from any source, pay for it with the Carnival MasterCard and redeem for discounts at the Barclaycard US website.  Cardholders can also redeem FunPoints for Onboard amenities and packages which will be delivered during your cruise.  All orders for amenities must be submitted at least 15 days prior to the cruise departure date.

Members are not charged foreign transaction fees on any purchases made with the card while traveling internationally.

The Carnival MasterCard is a World MasterCard with these additional benefits:

  • MasterCard Global Services
  • Worldwide Acceptance
  • Global Concierge

There is no annual fee associated with this card.

The Facts

Below we have broken down the details of the Carnival MasterCard to help you determine if it’s a good choice for you.

The Good:

Signup bonus:

New card members can earn 5,000 bonus Funpoints upon approval (equal to a $50 statement credit).  To receive these points, you only need to make your first transaction which can be either a purchase or a balance transfer (which will incur a fee).  Additionally, balance transfers that post to your account within the first 30 days that your account is active will earn 1 FunPoint for every dollar transferred.  The maximum number of balance transfer FunPoints which can be earned during this promotional period is 5,000 (up to 10,000 points total or the equivalent of a $100 statement credit).

0% introductory APR on balance transfers:

New members receive a 0% introductory APR on balance transfers for the first 15 billing cycles after each balance transfer posts to your account.  All transfers must be processed and completed within 45 days from the date your account is opened.  A balance transfer fee will be charged for each transfer- either $5 or 3% of the total amount of the transfer (whichever is greater).  This fee is not waived during the introductory period.  Balance transfers can take up to four weeks to post to your account.  Not all balance transfer requests will be approved.  After this time, your APR will be 13.99%, 16.99%, or 20.99%, based on your credit score at the time of approval.

Earning points is easy:

Card members earn FunPoints at the following rates:

  • Two points for each $1 spent on Carnival Cruise vacation and Carnival Vacation Club transactions.
  • Two points for each $1 spent on purchases charged to the Sail and Sign account onboard any Carnival Cruise ship.
  • One point for each $1 spent on all other transactions.

Cardholders do not earn points for cash advances (including ATM withdrawals), PIN-based Debit Card transactions, balance transfers (except the New Member offer), fees, finance charges, or travelers check purchases.  Cash Advances at any onboard Casino also are not eligible.

Points redemption is easy:

Members can redeem points for a statement credit towards the purchase of a Carnival Cruise Lines vacation or one with any of the following eligible cruise lines:

  • Costa Cruises
  • Cunard Line
  • Holland America Line
  • Princess Cruises
  • The Yachts of Seabourn

Any hotel or airline purchase also qualifies.  The purchase price must be $50 or greater and the transaction must have posted to your account within the last 180 days to be eligible for points redemption.  Cardholders can redeem points at the Barclaycard US website.  Members can also redeem points for onboard amenities and packages which will be delivered during the cruise.  All orders must be made at least 15 days prior to the cruise departure date.

World MasterCard benefits:

Card members receive these additional benefits with this card:

  • MasterCard Global Services – If your card is ever lost or stolen, a replacement card and other emergency services will be provided anytime, anywhere.
  • Worldwide Acceptance – The card is accepted at more than 32 million locations worldwide.
  • Global Concierge – Specialists are available 24/7 to help with dining reservations, travel planning, and finding the perfect gift.

No foreign transaction fees:

Card members are never charged foreign transaction fees when using the card for purchases while abroad.

No annual fee:

There is no annual fee for this card.

The Bad:

No introductory APR on purchases:

There is no 0% introductory APR on purchases.  From the time your card is activated, the APR will be 13.99%, 16.99%, or 20.99%.  Your actual APR is determined at the time of approval and is based on your credit score and payment history.

The Ugly:

Limited rewards:

This card is basically designed for people who routinely book cruises with Carnival Cruise Lines or one of the other World Leading Cruise Lines and want to earn rewards towards those vacations.  Points can be redeemed for statement credits on cruise purchases or for onboard amenities packages.  There are no cash back rewards offered with this card.

High redemption for Onboard Credits (OBC):

FunPoints can be redeemed for Onboard Credits but the rates are fairly high.  For example, 6,100 points earns you a champagne and chocolate delight.  You will need 7,200 points for a bathrobe. And a $200 Spa Credit (OBC) will require 20,000 FunPoints.  The rate of return on most of these redemptions is less than a penny per point.  As rewards go, this is extremely low.

Approval is not guaranteed:

Not everyone will qualify for the World MasterCard version.  If you do not meet the credit or income requirements necessary to be approved you may be given a Platinum Card which can have different benefits and costs as well as a lesser rewards program.