Using Points and Miles to Book Your Next Cruise

A cruise is an extraordinary way to spend a vacation. And there are options for nearly everyone. I mean, just think about it! Interested in visiting some of the most epic places on earth? Go on a cruise. Intrigued about taking it slow and traveling across the Atlantic like we used to before air travel? Go on a cruise. Want to see Europe, Africa, South America, Antarctica, or other parts of the world in a way you haven’t? Go on a cruise. You can see extravagant parts of the world in a whole slew of different ways by going on a cruise and it seems like more and more people are beginning to realize that. 

The cruise industry took it on the chin for a while (beginning around March of 2020), but the industry is currently poised for a massive comeback. According to a recent AAA survey, 52% of U.S. adults are just as likely or more likely to consider booking a cruise as they were before the COVID-19 pandemic started. For context, only 45% answered the same way a year ago.

“Cruising is back in a big way. We expect a lot more people to book cruises in 2023,” says Paula Twidale, AAA Senior Vice President of Travel. 

There are several factors for this: 

• Usually plenty of deals you can find
• Ample opportunity to take advantage of miles and points through the booking process
• The unique places cruises sail to
• Health and safety measures have been updated across the board. 

“Cruise lines have undertaken extensive measures to promote health and safety onboard, so you can expect attention to detail and cleanliness,” said Twidale. 


Cruise deals

Whether it’s through the website of a particular cruise line or a third-party website (like Expedia or Travel Zoo), there are always cruise deals to be found. As I’m writing this, I did a search and found four cruises with major discounts attached to them. I would definitely start there if you are thinking about going on a cruise. 

I wish I could tell you a specific date or time of year to look for deals, but there doesn’t seem to be a magical time of the year where cruise lines offer more deals. So make sure you keep your eyes peeled if you’re thinking about booking a cruise vacation in the coming months for a flash sale, special promotion, or the like.

One other call out: based on what I am reading, traditionally, the “offseason” for cruise lines is in the fall when kids are back in school - so you may find a good price when booking a cruise for that time of year.


Booking with miles and points

Another way to make cruising a breeze on your wallet is through miles and points. Using a cruise line branded credit card is one option. For instance, many in my family are fans of Disney. Having a Disney-branded credit card would allow you to earn points on everyday purchases that can go toward a Disney cruise. 

If, like me, you don’t have any cruise line branded credit cards, using the travel credit cards you already have or are planning on getting is your next best bet. One route you can take is looking into whether or not those cards have co-branded partnerships with any cruise lines. For example, Hyatt and Lindblad Expeditions have partnered together allowing you to use World of Hyatt points to book cruises. Lindblad, famous for expeditions to places like Antarctica, Galapagos, and Fiji, is certainly an enticing choice for the adventure-seeking type. 

Of course, those co-branded partnerships are very targeted and specific, by design. If you don’t want to go on a Lindblad cruise or don’t have a Hyatt account, the partnership is of no use to you. The alternative would be to use miles and points to lower the cost of your next cruise. Using Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Citi Thank You, or Capital One points toward airfare, for instance, would significantly lower the out-of-pocket cost. Another option for those credit card companies I just listed is to use their travel portal and book with points that way. 

Pro tip for the Chase and the Citi travel portals: for some reason, you can’t book a cruise directly on the portal. You have to find the itinerary and cabin you want on the cruise line’s website and then call a Chase or Citi travel specialist directly. Additional pro tip: booking through the travel portal may not allow you to take advantage of certain sales (if, say, in order to take advantage of said sale, you need to book the cruise through the cruise lines website). So do the math and make sure booking through the travel portal is a good deal for your particular situation. 

If you’re looking for a simple, no-need-to-call-anyone way of redeeming points for a cruise, your best bet is to use a fixed-value structure like, for example, Capital One’s Venture card. Booking a cruise this way allows you to book directly with the cruise line or travel agency and then when the charge shows up on your statement pay it off using the points you already accrued. 


Other ways to save

A repositioning cruise - which is exactly what it sounds like - is a cruise you can book when a cruise line needs to reposition a ship. Oftentimes, you’ll find these repositioning cruises to be during the fall or spring when a cruise line needs to get a ship to one of their popular winter or summer ports of call. The routes are one-way and typically include multiple days in a row at sea. This is where you’ll find cruise itineraries that go from Alaska to Hawaii or the Caribbean to the Mediterranean. 

Setting sail on an older ship is another way to save. When a new cruise ship comes online, the demand is high, and that means the prices will likely be higher too. Booking a cruise on an older ship with fewer amenities and less demand is a good way to save. 

As mentioned earlier, using points to book flights, hotels, or rental cars is an easy and great way to save big when going on a cruise.


Bottom line 

For some, cruises are a regular occurrence on their vacation calendar. For others, they’ve never been. Whichever camp you fall in, cruises are a great way to see the world. And it’s possible to do it on the cheap not only by using points but also by being smart about when you book, where you book, the kind of itinerary you choose, and the kind of ship you want to sail on. 

Now go out there and sail the world! 


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