My Real Strategy for Using Credit Cards on Cruises

Jun 26

I am not a credit card affiliate. Any credit card link on No Point Left Behind is my own personal referral link for cards I personally use. If you choose to use one, we may both earn a bonus — but I never earn commissions from banks. My advice is always free and based on real strategies my family uses.

Everything I share in this guide comes straight from my own experience — not theory, not affiliate hype. I’ve personally used every card, perk, and protection mentioned here to save on real cruises. There are dozens of ways to save, and this is simply the system that works for me. Feel free to take these ideas, mix and match, and build your own strategy using the tips that fit your travel style best.

If you’re new here, you can start with my Start Here page or browse my Cruise Hubfor all my cruise guides.

Why Credit Cards Matter More for Cruises Than You Think

Cruises are one of the easiest vacations to save money on — if you’re using the right cards in the right places. Not “get a new card for this cruise” advice. Not “open five cards to earn a free balcony.” Just the exact strategy I use on every sailing to stack points, perks, and protections without overthinking it.

If you’ve ever wondered which cards actually help with cruises — from booking the cruise itself, to flights, hotels, onboard spending, and travel insurance — this guide walks you through the exact setup I use.

If you want to see how I actually book cruises using this strategy, here’s how I book cruises and how I save on shore excursions.

The Big Picture: You Don’t Need a New Card for Your Cruise

Let’s get this out of the way early: You do not need a new credit card to take a cruise. You don’t need a premium card. You don’t need a “cruise card.” You don’t need to spend more money.

You need to use the cards you already have strategically.

This guide shows you how to do that — and if you do want to add a card later, I’ll tell you which ones I personally use and why. But there’s no pressure. No wrong way to do this.

If you’re brand new to points, my Beginner Points Guide and What’s In My Walletbreak everything down simply.

How I Use Credit Cards for Cruises (My Real Setup)

My real credit card strategy when I book cruises

Here’s the exact system I use on every cruise — simple, repeatable, and beginner‑friendly.

1. Use a strong travel card to book the cruise

You want:

Trip delay coverage
Trip cancellation/interruption coverage
Lost luggage protection
Primary rental car insurance (if you’re renting pre‑ or post‑cruise)

For me, that’s the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve. I’ve filed multiple claims with Chase (hello, 2025 chaos), and they paid out every time.

I’ve actually used travel protections from both Chase and Capital One — and not just once. Between weather delays, cancellations, and getting stranded overnight, I’ve filed multiple claims with each bank. Both covered hotels, meals, and unexpected expenses when travel went sideways. If you want to see exactly how those claims played out, you can read my full stories here:

2. Use a dining/grocery card to hit the minimum spend before the cruise

If you’re working toward a sign‑up bonus, cruises are perfect timing because:

You can put the cruise deposit on the card
You can put the final payment on the card
You can put pre‑cruise hotels, flights, and excursions on the card

This is how I’ve earned hundreds of free flights over the years - I have been doing this for over 20 years!

3. Use a no‑foreign‑transaction‑fee card in port

Cruise ports = international transactions. You want a card that doesn’t charge an extra 3%.

Most travel cards qualify, but double‑check yours.

4. Use a card with strong travel protections for flights to the port

If your flight is delayed and you miss the ship, you want coverage. This is another reason I use Sapphire for flights.

I’ve also had a flight delay in Boston, where we almost missed our cruise — and the only reason it didn’t turn into a disaster was because of the travel protections on my card. If you want the full story, you can read it here:

→ Our Boston flight delay where we almost missed our cruise

I’ve also had a weather delay that caused me to miss an entire cruise — and the only reason I wasn’t out all that money was that the travel protections on my card covered it. You can read the full breakdown here:

→ My weather delay that caused me to miss a cruise — and how it was covered

5. Use a card with strong multipliers for onboard spending

Cruise lines code differently:

Some code as travel
Some code as entertainment
Some code as other

Chase Sapphire usually codes onboard spending as travel, which is great. But I always check my last statement to confirm.

The Cards I Personally Use for Cruises

These are not affiliate links — just the cards I actually carry and use.

1. Chase Sapphire Preferred / Reserve

My go‑to for:

Booking the cruise
Flights to the port
Hotels
Excursions
Travel insurance protections
My personal referral link (Feel free to use it — no pressure. It’s just the card I personally carry.)

2. Chase Freedom Unlimited

My boys each have this card, and their points transfer to me. It earns:

3% dining
1.5% everything else

Perfect for:

Pre‑cruise dining
Gas
Groceries
Random Target runs for last‑minute cruise items
My personal referral link (Feel free to use it — no pressure. It’s just the card I personally carry.)

3. Capital One Venture X

Great for:

No foreign transaction fees
Strong travel protections
Easy-to-use points

I use this in port when I’m not using Sapphire.

‍ ‍My personal referral link (Feel free to use it — no pressure. It’s just the card I personally carry.)

How to Stack & Save on Every Cruise

This is where the magic happens — the part most people skip.

1. Book the cruise with a card that has travel insurance

This alone has saved me thousands.

I always like to be clear about this part: you may or may not want to purchase separate travel insurance for your cruise. My parents carry an annual policy because it fits their travel style. I personally do not — I rely on the travel protections that come with the credit cards I already use.

This is not financial advice. I’m simply sharing my own journey and what has worked for me over years of cruising, delays, cancellations, and even missing a cruise due to weather. Use whatever combination of credit card protections and insurance makes you feel comfortable.

2. Book flights with the same card

Keeps all your protections under one roof.

3. Use a dining/grocery card to hit a sign‑up bonus before you sail

Cruises are perfect timing for this.

4. Use a no‑foreign‑transaction‑fee card in port

Never pay 3% extra.

5. Use a travel card onboard

Most cruise lines code as travel — easy extra points.

Real Example: Star Princess Cruise

To show you exactly how this strategy works in real life, here’s how I booked our Star Princess mini‑suite using the same cards I talk about in this guide.

I paid for the cruise itself out of pocket, but everything around it — flights, hotels, and pre‑cruise expenses — was covered using points from the cards I already use every day.

I booked the cruise with my Chase Sapphire for the travel protections
I used Freedom Unlimited + Citi Strata Premier for everyday spending to build the points I needed
I booked my flight with points
I booked our pre‑cruise hotel with points
I earned additional points on the cruise deposit + final payment
And I’ll use a no‑foreign‑transaction‑fee card in port

This is the exact system I use on every cruise — simple, repeatable, and based on real experience.

If you want the full story of how I booked this sailing, you can read it here: How I booked the Star Princess

What If You’re Brand New to Credit Cards?

Start with:

A simple travel card
A simple everyday card

Then build from there. You don’t need 10 cards. You don’t need to be “good at this.” You just need a system that works for you.

Final Takeaway

Cruises are one of the easiest vacations to save money on — not by opening new cards, but by using the right ones at the right time. This guide gives you the exact system I use, and you can copy it, tweak it, or simplify it however you want.

There’s no wrong way to do this. There’s only the way that works for you.

About the Author

Julie is the travel blogger behind No Point Left Behind, where she teaches families how to travel better using points, strategy, and real‑life experience. She’s booked dozens of cruises using the same simple system she shares in this guide — including her Star Princess exampleand her full list of Princess cruises booked on points.

Every tip she shares comes from her own journey — from weather delays, missed cruises, and covered claims to the everyday card strategy she uses with her family. Nothing here is financial advice; it’s simply what has worked for her over years of cruising and travel hacking.

If you want more tips like this — plus real examples, beginner help, and weekly strategy — come hang out with us in my Facebook community: Join my Facebook group

And if you want to follow along with my trips, cruise reviews, and behind‑the‑scenes travel hacking, you can also follow my page here: Follow me on Facebook

Julie Davis