Heavy on the cruise perks but limited everyday rewards #CashNews.co

Whether you plan on sailing to the Bahamas on the Norwegian Breakaway or cruising to the Mediterranean on the Norwegian Dawn, using the Norwegian Cruise Line® World Mastercard® could be a good way to earn extra rewards. You’ll earn up to three points per $1 spent on Norwegian cruise bookings, and the card has no annual fee.

However, the card’s rewards program offers limited rewards on other purchases. Unless you’re a Norwegian Cruise Line devotee, another credit card may be a better choice.

The Norwegian Cruise Line World Mastercard doesn’t have an annual fee. Assuming you pay off your statement balance in full each month, you can use the card and earn valuable rewards at no added cost.

You can earn 20,000 points if you spend at least $1,000 on purchases within 90 days of account opening. Although the value of those points varies based on your redemption method, the bonus could be worth as much as $200.

With some credit cards, the new cardmember welcome offer requires you to spend thousands in a short time, so the $1,000 spending requirement and 90-day timeline is more accessible than most. You can qualify for the bonus by spending a modest amount, or by using the card for routine purchases like gas and groceries.

There is no introductory APR offer for purchases or balance transfers on the Norwegian Cruise Line World Mastercard; the regular APR applies to all transactions from the time you open the account. If you book a cruise, that means there’s no way to spread out the cost over several months without carrying a balance and paying interest.

The best introductory 0% APR credit cards available

You’ll earn the following rewards when you use the Norwegian Mastercard:

• 3x points per $1 spent on Norwegian Cruise Line, including cruise fare and on-board purchases

• 2x points per $1 spent on airfare and hotel stays

• One point per $1 spent on all other purchases

Norwegian is the third-largest cruise line in the world, serving nearly 3 million guests per year. If you have the Norwegian Cruise Line World Mastercard, you can earn rewards by booking cruises on one of the company’s 17 ships.

You can also earn a higher rewards rate on airfare and hotel stays, so using the card whenever you travel will allow you to earn more rewards quickly. For example, here is how much you could earn in rewards by spending $6,000 on a Norwegian cruise vacation:

Depending on how you redeemed those rewards, you could get as much as $140 in value for your points.

You can redeem your Norwegian Mastercard points when you’ve accrued at least 2,500 points. The card allows you to redeem your points in the following ways:

• Norwegian cruise stateroom upgrades

• Norwegian cruise onboard credits

• Car rentals

• Hotel stays

• Cash in the form of statement credits

• Gift cards

In general, your points are worth one cent each; some redemption methods, such as gift cards, may have a different value. You’ll typically get the most value from your points by redeeming them for future Norwegian Cruise Line cruises, stateroom upgrades, and onboard credits.

Although it is a travel rewards card, the Norwegian Cruise Line World Mastercard’s benefits could be more extensive. However, it does offer the following benefits:

• Cell phone protection: Pay your cell phone bill with your card and your phone is automatically covered against damage or theft, up to a maximum of $600 per claim and $1,000 per account. Each claim is subject to a $50 deductible.

• Mastercard Global Service: If you’re traveling and lose your card or it’s stolen, Mastercard Global Service can ship you a new card, and you may qualify for an expedited cash advance.

• Mastercard Airport Concierge: The Airport Concierge is a service that can connect you to chauffeured service to and from the airport, assist you with luggage at baggage claim, or escort you through the airport.

The Norwegian Cruise Line World Mastercard is suitable for cruising enthusiasts who prefer Norwegian Cruise Line over other cruise lines. It offers a higher rewards rate on Norwegian bookings and no annual fee.

However, the card’s value is limited for other travelers. If you aren’t an avid cruiser, you may get more value from another travel rewards card with a more general rewards structure.

• No foreign transaction fees: The Norwegian Cruise Line World Mastercard doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, so there’s no cost to use the card to make purchases in other countries — a useful perk when you’re on a cruise with different ports of call in multiple countries.

• No annual fee: Unlike many travel rewards cards, the Norwegian Mastercard doesn’t have an annual fee.

• Cell phone protection: The Norwegian Mastercard includes cell phone protection, protecting you against theft or damages.

• Sparse travel benefits: Unlike many major travel credit cards, the Norwegian Cruise Line World Mastercard’s list of benefits is quite limited. It lacks common travel benefits like trip cancellation or interruption insurance, trip accident insurance or baggage delay reimbursement.

• Lower rewards on most purchases: Only Norwegian purchases are eligible for the highest rewards rate. All other purchases give you a lower rate of rewards, making it more difficult to build points.

• No promotional APR on purchases or balance transfers: Although many travel cards have special promotional APRs, particularly for new travel bookings, the Norwegian Mastercard doesn’t have a promotional APR for purchases or balance transfers.

The Norwegian Cruise Line World Mastercard is a co-branded card issued through Bank of America. You can make a payment online, through the Bank of America mobile app or by mailing a check:

Bank of America

PO Box 15019

Wilmington, DE 19886-5019

Bank of America, the issuer behind the Norwegian Cruise Line World Mastercard, is known for its strong customer service. It was ranked second in the J.D. Power 2023 Credit Card Satisfaction Study, beating 17 other issuers.

Its customer support team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week:

If you aren’t a fan of cruises or like more flexibility with your rewards, consider these alternatives:

This article was edited by Rebecca McCracken

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