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Celebrity Cruises® Visa Signature® Credit Card review

Steven Dashiell
Steven Dashiell
Last updated:  

Designed with big-spending cruise lovers in mind.

  • Get this card if you want strong rewards for Celebrity Cruises getaways.
  • Pick something else if you can’t manage the spending that makes this card worth its price tag.
  • Apply with a good to excellent credit score of 670 or higher.

10,000

Points as welcome offer

Up to 2x

Points

$0

Annual fee

0%

Intro purchase APR

for the first 9 billing cycles (then 14.99% to 22.99% variable)

Details

Annual fee$0
Welcome Offer10,000 points making purchase in the first 90 days
Rewards2x points on Celebrity Cruises and sister brands and 1x points on all other purchases
Purchase APR0% intro for the first 9 billing cycles (then 14.99% to 22.99% variable)
Balance transfer APR14.99% to 22.99% variable
Recommended minimum credit score670
IssuerVisa

Expert review

Steven Dashiell

Review by

Steven Dashiell is a credit cards writer at Finder. He's worked on 250 Finder articles and counting, helping readers embrace and maximize credit cards. Backed by nearly a decade of research and reporting experience, Steve's work can be seen on Debt.com, CreditCards.com and Lifehacker.

Expert review

The Celebrity Cruises® Visa Signature® Credit Card offers cardholders a rewards program aimed squarely at providing discounts, upgrades, additional cruises and other benefits when taking Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean and Azamara Club cruises.

Bonuses on this card are solid as far as cruise line cards go: you can easily earn a decent welcome offer, and you’ll earn accelerated rewards on every Celebrity Cruises purchase.

Unfortunately, maintaining this value past the first year can become more difficult with the loss of the bonus intro if you don’t regularly spend with the cruise liner.

When combined with some of the other perks this card offers — such as Visa Signature travel benefits and airfare credit that you can gain by booking a flight along with your cruise — the card can offer strong value for Celebrity Cruises regulars.

Card benefits

  • Rewards: Up to 2x MyCruise points on eligible purchases.
    Every dollar spent on qualifying purchases at Celebrity Cruises and sister brands earn 2x MyCruise points. All other purchases earn 1x points per dollar. Points can be redeemed for cruise vacations, onboard credits and amenities, stateroom upgrades, cruise discounts, merchandise and as charitable donations.
  • Bonus miles.
    Earn 10,000 MyCruise points with your first transaction within 90 days of opening your account. You can earn an additional 5,000 points when you make a total of $1,000 in purchases within the same timeframe. According to the Celebrity Cruises website as of January 2019, when combined, the bonuses are worth $150 in onboard credit.
  • Cruise discount.
    Spend $5,000 within 60 days of your account opening and receive a $300 discount on a qualifying future cruise.
  • No foreign transaction fees.
    You won’t have to worry about any foreign transaction fees for purchases made outside the US.
  • Airfare discount.
    Earn a $50 discount on flights booked through Celebrity.
  • Cruise and tour discounts.
    Premium Beverage Packages and Private Journeys shore excursions come with a 10% discount. When you bring a second guest to any specialty restaurant, you’ll receive another 50% off.
  • Visa Signature travel rewards.
    With a Visa Signature card, you’ll enjoy several travel perks, including 24/7 concierge service, lost luggage reimbursement and car rental insurance.

No-annual-fee Celebrity Cruises® Visa Signature® Credit Card

A version of the Celebrity Cruises® Visa Signature® Credit Card with a $0 annual fee is also offered. Its rewards options are more limited, and you won’t get the discounts offered by the annual-fee version of the card.

The casual cruise-goer may get more value out of the no-annual-fee version.

What to watch out for

  • Annual fee.
    The card carries a $0 annual fee, meaning you’ll have to spend regularly for the card to pay for itself.
  • Potentially high APR.
    Starting purchase and balance transfer interest rates for the card range from 14.99% to 22.99% variable APR. Cash advances are also subject to a variable APR of 17.99% to 25.99%.
  • Expiring points.
    MyCruise points earned through your card expire five years from the month you earned them if they’re not spent.

Compare travel credit cards

Name Product Welcome offer Rewards Annual fee Filter values
American Express® Gold Card
American Express® Gold Card
60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 6 months
4x at restaurants including delivery and Uber Eats; 4x at US supermarkets on up to $25,000 annually (then 1x points) and 3x points on directly-booked flights
$250
Earn up to 4x points on select purchases, a bevy of travel perks, and a welcome offer worth up to $600 with this upper-mid tier travel card. Terms apply, see rates & fees
Apply now
View details
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
60,000 points after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months, a value of up to $750 through Chase Ultimate Rewards. Plus up to $50 statement credit towards groceries.
5x points on Lyft, 2x points on up to $1,000 on groceries until April 30, 2021, 2x points on travel and dining and 1x points on all other purchases
$95
Earn a signup bonus worth $750 plus up to $50 statement credit towards groceries with this popular travel card.
Apply now
View details
The Platinum Card® from American Express
The Platinum Card® from American Express
75,000 points after spending $5,000 in your first 6 months, plus 10x points at US gas stations and US supermarkets on up to $15,000 in combined purchases in the same timeframe
10x points at US gas stations and US supermarkets on up to $15,000 combined in the first 6 months, 5x points on directly-booked flights on up to $500,000 annually, then 1x points after that and on other purchases
$550
One of the most valuable premium travel cards, featuring two welcome offers worth up to $4,500, multiple travel credits and unrivaled lounge access. Terms apply, see rates & fees
Apply now
View details
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Compare up to 4 providers

Bottom line

While the first year of use can be lucrative in terms of rewards for cardholders, maintaining that value the subsequent year and beyond can prove difficult if you don’t take frequent cruises on Celebrity Cruises or its sister cruise companies.

If you want a rewards card without a yearly fee and a more diverse reward program, compare some of your options.

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