We’ve always been more into points and planes than ships and sea days. But over time, cruising has started to grow on us. My wife Sharon’s enthusiasm tends to drop if it’s a cruise where we’d have to maneuver around a bunch of kids. Unless, of course, there’s a FlowRider involved. That might be the one thing that could excite her about stepping on board a Royal Caribbean ship.
So, when a Royal Caribbean Visa Signature credit card offer showed up in the mail (yes, I do read my junk mail), I figured it was worth taking a closer look. If there’s even a chance we’ll sail with them, could this card be worth adding to the wallet?
The Royal Caribbean Visa Signature® Card
Here are the details of the current public offer for this card from Bank of America.
Annual Fee
The Royal Caribbean Visa Card has no annual fee.
Sign Up Benefit
You earn 30,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 or more on purchases within 90 days of account opening
Spending Bonus Categories
- 2 MyCruise Points per $1 on qualifying purchases with Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Silversea
- 1 MyCruise Point per $1 on all other purchases
$50 Air2Sea Airfare Discount
You’ll get a $50 credit for airfare booked through the Air2Sea program after spending at least $3,500 within the first 90 days of account opening (student accounts are not eligible.) The discount expires 18 months after the issue date.
No Foreign Transaction Fees
The Royal Caribbean Visa Signature Card doesn’t charge any foreign transaction fees.
What’s a MyCruise Point??
Here’s how Royal Caribbean explains MyCruise points.
You’re on your way to earning MyCruise® Rewards and enjoying the incredible benefits of your Royal Caribbean Visa Signature® card. We are excited to offer you a bold range of redemption options to take your next adventure to the max — from onboard credits and amenities, to cruise discounts and merchandise, even FREE cruises that live up to the hype. The possibilities are endless — but adventure is guaranteed.
Some 5,000 point redemptions are:
- Upgrade on a 3 or 4 night Royal Caribbean sailing for two, (minimum available oceanview stateroom); value of upgrade may not exceed fifty dollars ($50 USD value)
- Fifty dollar ($50 USD value) Royal Caribbean or Celebrity Cruises onboard credit toward onboard purchases i.e. spa, shore excursions, gift shop, bar, etc. (multiple onboard credits may be applied to a reservation if earned)
- Two Royal Caribbean robes delivered onboard ($100 USD value; available only on Royal Caribbean ships)
For 10,000 points (The value of the sign up bonus) you can get:
- One hundred dollar ($100 USD value) Royal Caribbean or Celebrity Cruises onboard credit toward onboard purchases i.e. spa, shore excursions, gift shop, bar, etc. (multiple onboard credits may be applied to a reservation if earned)
- Royal Packet — includes 2 Royal Caribbean towels, towel clips, and beach bags ($100 USD value); delivered to the address provided
- Royal Wear – includes 2 Royal Caribbean Polo Shirts and 2 baseball caps ($100 USD value); delivered to your address provided
If you manage to get 50,000 points, here are your choices:
- Five hundred dollar ($500 USD value) Royal Caribbean or Celebrity Cruises onboard credit toward onboard purchases i.e. spa, shore excursions, gift shop, bar, etc. (multiple onboard credits may be applied to a reservation if earned)
- Five hundred dollar ($500 USD value) discount off any Royal Caribbean or Celebrity Cruise
- Upgrade on a 9+ night Celebrity Cruises Caribbean cruise, (veranda to minimum available concierge class stateroom); value of upgrade may not exceed five hundred dollars ($500 USD value)
- 3 or 4 night Royal Caribbean cruise, (minimum available oceanview stateroom); value of cruise vacation fare may not exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000 USD value)
If you want to redeem your points for something of cash value, like an onboard credit, discount or upgrade, the value of your point is $0.01. 10,000 points = $100. 50,000 points = $500. If you are using your points for upgrades or companion fares, you can get a value of close to $0.02 per point.
Is it worth getting?
With no annual fee and a sign-up bonus worth up to $300 in onboard credit, the Royal Caribbean Visa Signature card might seem like a decent deal at first glance. But once you compare it to other no-annual-fee cards—or even basic travel cards—it starts to fall short.
The only bonus category is for spending with Royal Caribbean (and its sister cruise lines), and the rewards structure isn’t compelling enough to use the card for everyday purchases. Even the $50 Air2Sea airfare discount requires a high $3,500 spend—and you can earn more cashback or points by putting that same spend on a more versatile card like the Chase Freedom Unlimited.
Unlike other co-branded travel cards, this one doesn’t offer any real perks while on board—no priority boarding, no discounts, no room upgrades—nothing that would make you feel rewarded just for being a cardholder. At least the Disney Visa throws in a photo op and some small park perks.
Even for loyal Royal Caribbean cruisers, this card is a tough sell. There are just better options out there with stronger sign-up bonuses, better earning categories, and more flexible rewards.
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