Are you planning to book a Royal Caribbean cruise in the coming months? You might want to do it with an American Express card.
Some American Express cardholders in recent days have begun seeing an offer for 20,000 bonus Membership Rewards points when spending $1,000 or more on a Royal Caribbean voyage.
That’s a notably large number of Membership Rewards points. TPG currently values Membership Rewards points at 2 cents each, meaning that the 20,000 bonus points would be worth $400 at our valuation.
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For example, if you spend $1,000 on a Royal Caribbean cruise using an American Express card, you’ll get 40% of that money back in Membership Rewards points.
Note that this is a targeted offer, which means not every cardholder will receive it. Also, you must enroll in this specific Amex Offer in order to redeem it.
Other caveats include the rule that cardmembers can only enroll in the offer with one American Express card. In addition, the offer is only valid on cruise bookings made in one of the following ways:
- Online through RoyalCaribbean.com.
- Through American Express Travel.
- By calling 866-562-7625.
- Through a travel agent where Royal Caribbean is reflected as the merchant of record.
In addition, reservations made via an online site must be booked on U.S. websites only.
The $1,000 spending threshold excludes money spent for onboard purchases, e-gift card and physical gift card purchases made online, as well as spending for transfers to Royal Caribbean ships. Spending on cruises related to MGM Resort International Joint Vacation sailings and Royal Wedding Packages also is excluded from the offer.
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Related: The ultimate guide to Royal Caribbean | The best Royal Caribbean cruise ships
The offer is only for the Royal Caribbean brand and not its Royal Caribbean Group sister brands, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises.
The offer expires July 31.
More new Amex cruise offers
The new Royal Caribbean promotion is just one of several cruise-related offers that have popped up for American Express cardholders in recent days.
Other offers sent to some American Express cardholders include:
- Spend $1,000 or more, and get $250 back from Norwegian Cruise Line. The offer expires July 24.
- Get 5 Membership Rewards points for every eligible dollar spent with river cruise line AmaWaterways. The maximum point total allowed is 50,000. The offer expires Aug. 4.
Some examples of Amex cards where you might receive these cruise offers are:
Several TPG staffers who carry various types of American Express cards in recent days received one or more of these offers. Different TPG staffers are seeing different mixes of offers.
To find out if you are eligible for one of the offers, check your American Express card account. If you do see one of the deals, it’s best to add it right away, as it might disappear. Some offers are capacity controlled.
Another tip: Only 100 Amex Offers are visible at one time. So, if you’re at capacity, add offers to your card, and new ones may appear.
Also, don’t forget that if you need to fly to or from your cruise port, Amex Travel will give you 5 points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year) and 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels booked on Amex Travel with The Platinum Card from American Express.
Related: The 6 classes of Royal Caribbean ships, explained
If you’re not an American Express cardholder, you might consider applying. The Platinum Card from American Express is offering a welcome bonus of 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of cardmembership.
You may also be eligible for a targeted 125,000- or 150,000-point bonus offer using the CardMatch tool (offers are subject to change at any time).
If the Platinum Card isn’t for you, read our guide on choosing the best American Express card that suits your style.
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