🛳️ Cruise Flights on Points: The Lazy Girl Guide to Getting to Port for Free
If you’ve ever booked a cruise and then realized the flights cost more than the cruise itself… welcome to the club. Lazy Girls don’t pay $600 to get to Miami — we fly there on points.
This guide shows you exactly how to use your travel cards to cover flights to and from cruise ports, whether you’re sailing domestically or abroad.
Some links in this post may be referral links. I only recommend cards I personally use and love — I do not use affiliate credit card links. If you choose to use my personal referral links, thank you! It helps support No Point Left Behind at no extra cost to you.
✈️ 1. Know Your Port Type
Understanding your cruise port type is the first step in picking the right points strategy. Domestic and international ports behave totally differently — and knowing which one you’re flying into saves you time, stress, and wasted points.
🌴 Port Types & Best Point Strategies
Domestic Cruise Ports — Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Seattle
Best Strategy: Southwest, JetBlue, Delta. Great for easy award availability and predictable pricing.
International Cruise Ports — Barcelona, Rome, Athens
Best Strategy: Air France Flying Blue, British Airways Avios, United MileagePlus. Perfect for long‑haul redemptions and partner sweet spots.
💡 Lazy Girl Tip
Your Cruise Port Guides are your best friend here — always know where you’re flying before you start planning how you’ll book it.
💳 2. Use the Right Card
Your Main Travel Card is your best friend for cruise flights. It gives you flexible points you can use in portals or transfer to airline partners.
Examples:
Chase Sapphire Preferred → Southwest, JetBlue, United
Amex Gold → Air France, British Airways
Capital One Venture → Air Canada, Turkish Airlines
If you’re not sure which card setup fits your goals, start with 3 Cards You Actually Need.
💳 Lazy Girl Example: My Main Travel Card
My main travel card is the Chase Sapphire Reserve (preferred is more than enough for most travelers)—and I love it because the travel protections have saved me more than five times in the last two years. Trip delays, cancellations, lost luggage… Chase handled it every time.
It’s the card I reach for first when booking cruise flights, hotels, and anything that touches travel. Flexible points + real protections = Lazy Girl peace of mind.
🧠 Lazy Girl Note: Portal vs. Transfers
You’re going to see people argue about “never use the portal” vs. “always transfer points,” and honestly? That’s not the Lazy Girl way.
Here’s how I think about it:
I rarely use the travel portal, but I do sometimes — and that’s totally fine.
As you learn more about points and miles, you naturally get better at your redemptions because you want to squeeze more value out of every point.
Do what feels comfortable for you right now. If the portal feels easy and you’re still learning, use it. If transferring points feels intimidating, you don’t have to force it on Day 1.
However… don’t be scared of transferring points forever.
I know it can feel intimidating at first — that’s why I like point.me for beginners. It basically holds your hand through the whole process, talking you through it step by step so you’re not guessing or panicking.
Lazy Girl translation: Start where you are, use what feels doable, and let your strategy grow with you.
🔄 Want to Learn Transfers Without the Stress?
If transferring points still feels intimidating, you’re not alone — it’s a big leap for beginners. I have a full walkthrough here: How to Transfer Points the Lazy Girl Way. It shows you exactly how transfers work, which partners matter, and how to avoid the common mistakes that waste points.
I’ll be refreshing that guide soon so it’s even easier to follow — but it’s already perfect for beginners who want step‑by‑step clarity.
🌍 3. Timing Is Everything
For cruise flights, the sweet spot is:
90–120 days before your cruise for domestic ports
120–180 days for Europe cruise ports
Avoid:
Saturday departures
Sunday returns
holiday weekends
spring break
Midweek flights = fewer points + less stress.
💻 Lazy Girl Tool: point.me
If transferring points feels intimidating, you’re not alone — it’s a big leap for beginners. That’s why I use point.me to help me find award tickets for my cruise flights. It’s beginner‑friendly, walks you through the whole process step‑by‑step, and shows you exactly which partners have seats available.
I even set award alerts for my cruises so I know the moment flights open up — no guessing, no stress, no checking 12 airline sites.
Lazy Girl translation: Use tools that make your life easier. point.me does the heavy lifting so you don’t have to.
🧋 4. Stack & Save
Use your points for flights, then stack cashback for everything else:
luggage
airport transfers
pre‑cruise hotels
travel gear
Tools I love:
See the full strategy in Stack & Save.
🏖️ 5. Real‑Life Examples
Want to see how I actually use points, miles, and casino deals for cruise travel? Here are all the Princess Cruises I’ve booked — flights, hotels, and cruise fares included.
👉 Princess Cruises Booked on Points & Miles
Lazy Girl Tip: Always take a screenshot of your redemption confirmation. If anything glitches, you’ll be glad you did.
🌸 Final Thoughts
Cruise Flights on Points isn’t about perfection — it’s about freedom. You’ve already earned the points; now let them carry you to the port for free.
✨ Simple. Smart. Rewarding.
👋 About the Author
Hi, I’m Julie — travel hacker, cruise lover, iced‑coffee enthusiast, and the creator of NoPointLeftBehind.net. I teach women how to travel smarter, not harder, using simple, Lazy Girl‑approved strategies that actually fit real life.
I run the Travel Hacking Moms Group on Facebook, where we help each other earn more points, book better trips, and avoid overwhelm.
If you ever feel stuck, come hang out with us — we’re all learning together.
