Credit Cards » Credit Card Reviews » Princess Cruises Rewards Visa Card Review 2023
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Princess Cruises Rewards Visa Card Review 2023

The Princess Cruises Rewards offers flexible redemptions and 0% intro APR, but the point rewards rate are quite low.
Author: Baruch Mann (Silvermann)
Baruch Mann (Silvermann)

Writer, Contributor

Experience

Baruch Silvermann is a financial expert, experienced analyst, and founder of The Smart Investor, which helps consumers make better financial decisions.  Silvermann’s areas of expertise include investing, banking, and credit cards. Silvermann has contributed to Yahoo Finance and cited as an authoritative source in financial outlets like Forbes, Business Insider, CNBC Select, CNET, Bankrate, Fox Business, The Street, and more. Aside from being a finance expert, his background includes working as a business and financial analyst. Above all, he is passionate about teaching people how to manage their money and helping millions on their journey to a better financial future.
Interest Rates Last Update: September 20, 2023
The banking product interest rates, including savings, CDs, and money market, are accurate as of this date.
Author: Baruch Mann (Silvermann)
Baruch Mann (Silvermann)

Writer, Contributor

Experience

Baruch Silvermann is a financial expert, experienced analyst, and founder of The Smart Investor, which helps consumers make better financial decisions.  Silvermann’s areas of expertise include investing, banking, and credit cards. Silvermann has contributed to Yahoo Finance and cited as an authoritative source in financial outlets like Forbes, Business Insider, CNBC Select, CNET, Bankrate, Fox Business, The Street, and more. Aside from being a finance expert, his background includes working as a business and financial analyst. Above all, he is passionate about teaching people how to manage their money and helping millions on their journey to a better financial future.
Interest Rates Last Update: November 1, 2023

The banking product interest rates, including savings, CDs, and money market, are accurate as of this date.

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Princess Cruises Rewards Visa Card

Princess Cruises® Rewards Visa® Card

Rewards Plan

1x – 2x 2 points per dollar on Princess purchases and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases

Welcome Bonus

50,000 miles 50,000 miles if you spend $5,000 within three months of opening your account

Credit Rating

Good – Excellent

0% Intro

15 billing cycles on balance transfers

Annual Fee

$0

APR

20.24% – 29.99%
Princess Cruises Rewards Visa Card

Princess Cruises® Rewards Visa® Card

Rewards Plan

1x – 2x 2 points per dollar on Princess purchases and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases

Welcome Bonus

50,000 miles 50,000 miles if you spend $5,000 within three months of opening your account

0% Intro

15 billing cycles on balance transfers

PROS

CONS

APR

20.24% - 29.99%

Annual Fee

$0

Balance Transfer Fee

5% or $5, whichever is greater

Credit Requirements

Good - Excellent

The Princess Cruises Rewards Visa is a solid card for those who enjoy taking cruises with this line and its sister companies. Since you earn a higher rewards rate for Princess Cruises purchases and can redeem your rewards as statement credit against your cruise purchases, there is the potential to save a great deal.

However, there are some downsides to this card. Firstly, the introductory rate is only available for balance transfers and the standard rate applies to purchases from day one. Next, the benefits package for this card is a little limited. Despite being a co-branded card, there are no perks related to the cruise line, such as a discount for onboard purchases or travel insurance.

So, unless you are highly brand loyal to Princess Cruises, if you are looking for a card that offers a good suite of travel benefits, you may want to consider a general credit card.

  • Introductory APR
  • Flexible Redemptions
  • Free Access to Your FICO Score
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees
  • Access to Concierge Service
  • Security Features
  • Low Rewards Rate
  • No Fixed Redemption Value
  • Balance Transfer Fee

Can I get pre-approved?

There is no option for pre approval on the Barclay’s website, but Barclays may occasionally send out mailers and other marketing material offering pre approval for select customers. This will provide you with a code and link to click to complete your application.

How do I redeem rewards?

You can redeem your rewards for statement credit against cruises, onboard purchases and amenities, discounts on partner airline airfares, or gift cards. However, the redemption value of your points depends on the statement amount. The current values are:

  • One cent per point for statement credit of $50 to $499
  • 25 cents per point for $500 to $2000.99
  • 5 cents per point for $2001 to $4000.99
  • Two cents per point for $40001 or higher.

When you’re ready to redeem your points, you’ll need to log into your account and you can explore the redemption options. From there, you can select which transactions you would like to apply the statement credit to.

In this Review

Rewards Simulator: Unveiling Your Potential Benefits

Getting the exact rewards calculation for this card is tough because it depends on how you actually use it. Whether you use it often or only sometimes, and if you use it for certain types of purchases, it affects your rewards.

But no worries, we did some calculations and can give you an estimate of the rewards you might earn with the Princess Cruises card. We looked at how people usually spend on things like groceries, travel, and dining, and came up with an average estimate of the total rewards you could receive.

Princess Cruises® Rewards Visa® Card

Spend Per Category
Princess Cruises Rewards Visa Card
$10,000 – U.S Supermarkets
10,000 points
$3,000 – Restaurants
3,000 points
$5,000 – Airline
5,000 points
$4,000 – Cruise
8,000 points
$4,000 – Gas
4,000 points
Estimated Annual Points
30,000 Points

Pros and Cons

Similar to other credit cards on the market, the Princess Cruises Rewards has its own set of pros and cons

Pros
Cons
Introductory APR
Low Rewards Rate
Flexible Redemptions
No Fixed Redemption Value
Free Access to Your FICO Score
Balance Transfer Fee
No Foreign Transaction Fees
Access to Concierge Service
Security Features

New customers can enjoy a 0% APR for 15 billing cycles on balance transfers. However, you need to have the balance transfer post to your account within 45 days of opening your account and balance transfer fees still apply.

If your balance transfer does not post within 45 days, the standard APR of 20.24% – 29.99% will apply.

Many co-branded credit cards typically have fairly rigid redemptions, but this is not the case with the Princess Cruises Rewards Visa. With this card, you are not limited to only Princess Cruises.

You can redeem your points for statement credit towards Carnival Cruises, Cunard Line, Costa Cruises, Holland America Line, P&O Cruises, Seabourn, Fathom and Aida. There are also other travel related redemption options along with gift cards.

With this card, you can enjoy free access to your FICO score online via the Barclays website or app. This means that you can monitor your credit score and check to see what impact your activities have on your credit score

You won't be charged any fees for making purchases abroad with the Princess Cruises card.

Cardholders can receive personal assistance via phone. This includes recommendations or reservations for travel, dining, entertainment and more. While the concierge service is free of charge, you will be responsible for any associated charges for the products or services that you receive.

The rewards rate is low compared to top travel cards. There are cards that offer 5X, 10X, and even 20X points when it comes to their brand. 

Although there are multiple redemption methods available, the redemptions can be a little complicated, since there is no fixed redemption value.

This card has a tiered system for redemption values, so the more you redeem for statement credit, the higher the redemption rate.

While there is a 0% APR introductory period, you not only have to have the transfer posted to your account within 45 days of opening your account, but you will need to pay a balance transfer fee. 

The fee is $5 or 5%, which can add up to hundreds of dollars on a large transfer.

The Princess Cruises Rewards Visa has a decent suite of security features including $0 fraud liability protection. This means that you won’t be held responsible for any unauthorized or fraudulent charges on your account.

The card also features chip technology for greater security when you’re paying for your purchases at chip terminals both here and abroad.

Is the Princess Cruise Rewards Card Right for You?

Since this is a co-branded credit card, it is obviously designed for those who are brand loyal to Princess and take cruises on a regular basis. This will not only allow you to get the most reward points on your purchases, but you can get the best redemption rates.

The card could also be a good choice for those who aspire to take a cruise, but need to pay down a credit card balance. Since the card offers a generous 0% APR, it could make it easier to clear an existing credit card debt and earn rewards on your purchases. 

If you would like to check more alternative travel cards, here are some good candidates:

Card
Rewards
Annual Fee

chase_sapphire_preffered

2X – 5X 5x total points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3x points on dining and online grocery purchases and 2x on other travel purchases. Plus, earn 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases
$95

Holland America credit card

1x – 2x 2 points per dollar on all Holland America purchases, including any onboard purchases. 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.
$0

bank of america royal caribbean credit card

1x – 2x 2x on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises and 1x on all other purchases
$0

Wells Fargo Autograph

1X – 3X 3X points on restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans. Also, earn 1X points on other purchases
$0

Carnival World Mastercard review

1x – 2x 2x FunPoints for every dollar spent with Carnival Cruises and World Leading Cruise Lines brands and 1x FunPoints on all other purchases
$0

1X – 10X 5X total points on air travel and 10X total points on hotels, car rentals when you purchase through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, immediately after earning your $300 annual travel credit. Also, earn 3x points on dining at restaurants and travel (after meeting the $300 travel credit), then 1x points per dollar spent on all other purchases
$550

amex platinum

1X – 5X 5X points on up to $500,000 spent on directly-booked airfare and flights and prepaid hotels booked through American Express Travel (per calendar year), 2X points on prepaid car rentals through American Express Travel and 1X points on all other purchases

FAQs

There are no official income requirements for this card, but you do need to have good to excellent credit to qualify. This means that while income is a factor, it is not the only consideration when your application is being evaluated for an approval decision.

This card is not a good idea if you don’t take cruises regularly. Since the rewards and redemptions are weighted towards Princess Cruises, you won’t be able to get the best value from this card unless you book cruises at least once per year. In this case, you would be better suited to a general travel rewards credit card.

Although this is a travel themed credit card, the Princess Cruises Rewards Visa does not offer travel insurance, regardless of whether you purchase your fares with your card.

Baruch Mann (Silvermann)

Baruch Mann (Silvermann)

Baruch Silvermann is a financial expert, experienced analyst, and founder of The Smart Investor, which helps consumers make better financial decisions.  Silvermann's areas of expertise include investing, banking, and credit cards. Silvermann has contributed to Yahoo Finance and cited as an authoritative source in financial outlets like Forbes, Business Insider, CNBC Select, CNET, Bankrate, Fox Business, The Street, and more. Aside from being a finance expert, his background includes working as a business and financial analyst. Above all, he is passionate about teaching people how to manage their money and helping millions on their journey to a better financial future.

Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.

Credit Card Reviews Methodology

In order to determine the best possible credit cards, we look at things like fees, interest rates and rewards. We do this with companies that are associated with us as partners as well as other offerings. From there, we make a decision about what the best card is related to different categories and needs. We focus on interest rate cost & fees, especially the cost of carrying a balance, rewards – cards accumulate rewards in different currencies—points, miles, cash back—and their values vary widely usability – cards that accept a wide range of credit profiles and offer simple solutions for things like checking your credit score or contacting. We also consider customer reviews.

We look at cards related to good or excellent credit ratings that will then provide a range of different benefits and improvements for someone who has these scores. We also look at low fees when it comes to those who have lower credit scores.