Norwegian Cruise Line® World Mastercard® overview
The Norwegian Cruise Line® World Mastercard® is designed to reward frequent NCL cruisers with reductions, onboard credit and free cruises. The cardboard is interesting for its no annual payment and no overseas transaction charges, however it lacks different compelling advantages. Card ranking*: ⭐⭐½
* Card ranking relies on the opinion of TPG’s editors and isn’t influenced by the cardboard issuer.
Nevertheless, in case your aim is to get a free cruise by signing up for the NCL bank card, it’ll take a variety of spending to take action. It is because the bonus classes usually are not compelling sufficient to make it an on a regular basis spending card.
Let’s take an in-depth take a look at the Norwegian Cruise Line bank card to see if it’d make sense for you.
The data for the Norwegian Cruise Line bank card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
Norwegian Cruise Line World Mastercard welcome supply
The Norwegian Cruise Line World Mastercard is at the moment providing a sign-up bonus of 25,000 factors after making at the least $1,000 in purchases inside the first 90 days of account opening. The 25,000 factors are value $250 in onboard credit score.
This welcome bonus falls consistent with what you possibly can usually count on on a no-annual-fee card that requires $1,000 or much less in spending. Nevertheless, you possibly can sometimes get a a lot better worth from the welcome bonus on most common journey bank cards, particularly for those who’re keen to pay an annual payment of round $100.
Associated: Bank card sign-up bonuses you possibly can earn with $1,000 or much less in spending
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Norwegian Cruise Line World Mastercard advantages
The NCL bank card is gentle on advantages. Its two massive highlights aren’t any annual payment and no overseas transaction charges. The dearth of overseas transaction charges is beneficial for many who continuously make purchases outdoors the U.S., equivalent to when touring by Norwegian cruise ship. Many playing cards that supply this perk have an annual payment, in order that’s some extent within the World Mastercard’s favor.
Nevertheless, the cardboard lacks the journey and procuring protections that many different journey bank cards have; such protections embody journey delay insurance coverage, misplaced or delayed baggage safety, journey cancellation insurance coverage, prolonged guarantee or buy safety. These protections can turn out to be useful if you’re going through journey troubles, though you should buy stand-alone insurance coverage insurance policies if you do not have a bank card that gives them.
Cardholders do obtain some advantages below the cardboard’s World Mastercard label. Amongst them are a complimentary ShopRunner membership and cellphone safety with as much as $1,000 in yearly protection (most two claims per 12 months, for as much as $600 per declare, $50 deductible) in case your cellphone is broken or stolen.
Associated: 6 helpful journey perks you can get with a bank card
Incomes factors on the Norwegian Cruise Line World Mastercard
The NCL bank card earns WorldPoints, that are utterly completely different from the Latitude Rewards factors you possibly can earn from Norwegian’s loyalty program.
The incomes charges on the NCL bank card are barely higher than competitor cruise playing cards, just like the Carnival World Mastercard and the Royal Caribbean Visa Signature Credit score Card. NCL cardholders earn 3 WorldPoints for each greenback spent on Norwegian purchases, 2 WorldPoints per greenback spent on eligible air and lodge purchases and 1 WorldPoint per greenback spent on all different purchases.
Plus, for those who’re a Financial institution of America Most well-liked Rewards member, you possibly can earn 25% to 75% extra factors on each buy, utilized to the bottom earn of 1 level per greenback.
Each the Carnival Cruise bank card and the Royal Caribbean bank card solely supply 2 factors per greenback spent on their cruise traces and simply 1 level per greenback spent on all different purchases, with no bonus factors for air and lodge purchases just like the NCL bank card. The flexibility to earn extra as a Most well-liked Rewards member means you possibly can rack up factors just a bit bit quicker with the NCL bank card.
Nonetheless, there are lots of different bank cards that earn extra bonus factors on particular class spending, equivalent to journey, eating, gasoline and groceries. That is most likely not a card to make use of for on a regular basis spending as a result of it would take a very long time to earn a considerable quantity of factors.
Norwegian Cruise Line bank card factors expire 5 years after the month they have been earned, no matter exercise.
The data for the Carnival Cruise bank card and the Royal Caribbean bank card have been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
Associated: Do you have to get a cruise line bank card? This is a more in-depth look
Redeeming factors on the Norwegian Cruise Line World Mastercard
You may redeem your WorldPoints for onboard credit score, cabin upgrades, cruise reductions, free cruises, automotive leases, lodge stays, money rewards and present playing cards. Redemptions start at 2,500 factors.
Redeeming for cruise reductions and onboard credit score is easy with the NCL bank card with rewards valued at 1 cent per level. You may redeem as few as 5,000 WorldPoints for $50 of onboard credit score or 10,000 factors for $100 off any cruise ($50 per individual).
Free cruise redemptions are supplied at a flat price (somewhat than a dollars-to-points conversion). At present, free cruise redemptions start at 80,000 factors for an inside cabin on a three- or four-night Bahamas cruise for 2. The factors redemption contains all relevant authorities taxes, port bills and charges.
As a way to redeem your factors, you possibly can register to your account on the Financial institution of America web site and choose the Rewards tab, or you possibly can name Norwegian at 1-866-954-4077.
Which playing cards compete with the Norwegian Cruise Line World Mastercard?
Even if you’re a cruise lover, you may probably get extra worth from a cash-back or common journey rewards bank card like one of many following three:
- If you wish to earn extra factors in your journey purchases: Take a look at the American Categorical® Inexperienced Card. It earns 3 Membership Rewards factors per greenback on journey purchases, together with cruises. This implies you may earn bonus factors on the cruise reserving in addition to any airfare or lodge purchases you make to get to and out of your cruise. The cardboard has a $150 annual payment but in addition contains a number of journey protections and has annual assertion credit for Clear Plus and LoungeBuddy. For extra info, learn our full evaluation of the Amex Inexperienced.
- If you wish to earn versatile rewards: Strive the Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card. It expenses a $95 annual payment (see charges and charges) and has an incomes price of at the least 2 miles per greenback on all purchases. The miles earned may be transferred to airways and lodge applications, redeemed for airfare, motels and rental automobiles by the Capital One journey portal, or redeemed as a press release credit score for journey purchases, like cruises. It additionally comes with a credit score for World Entry or TSA PreCheck. For extra info, learn our full evaluation of the Enterprise Rewards card.
- If you need a flat incomes price with no annual payment: The Citi Double Money (see charges and charges) earns 1% if you purchase and 1% if you pay your invoice (for a complete of two% money again on all of your purchases). The cardboard does have a 3% overseas transaction payment, so that you’d need to use an alternate card for purchases outdoors the U.S. For extra info, learn our full evaluation of the Double Money.
For added choices, see our lists of one of the best cash-back and common journey rewards bank cards.
Associated: One of the best bank cards for reserving cruises
The data for the American Categorical Inexperienced Card has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
Is the Norwegian Cruise Line World Mastercard value it?
For those who solely go on a Norwegian cruise yearly and cost the price to your NCL bank card, the factors wouldn’t add up shortly. For instance, a $5,000 cruise would solely earn 15,000 factors. Massive cruise spenders may discover the cardboard barely extra interesting.
Backside line
The Norwegian Cruise Line World Mastercard may also help you lower your expenses in your cruise purchases and even earn you free cruises — for those who can spend sufficient on the cardboard earlier than the factors expire.
Nevertheless, frequent cruise vacationers may do higher signing up for a common journey card to earn an enormous welcome bonus or utilizing a card that provides extra factors per greenback on on a regular basis spending. You will be in your method to a free cruise a lot quicker.
For charges and charges of the Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card, click on right here.
For charges and charges of the Citi® Double Money Card click on right here.
