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Carnival World Mastercard Review: Lackluster Card for All but Carnival Cruise Lovers

Review Updated
Dana George
Dana George
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Nathan Alderman
Fact Checked: Nathan Alderman
Nathan Alderman
Nathan Alderman
Fact checker

Nathan Alderman has been a full-time Motley Fool employee since 2005, making errors his arch-enemies in a variety of roles including a six-year stint as the dedicated fact-checker for The Motley Fool's premium newsletter services. As Motley Fool Money's Compliance Lead, he makes sure that all the site's information is accurate and up to date, which ensures we always steer readers right and keeps various financial partners happy. A graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, Nathan spends his spare time volunteering for civic causes, writing and podcasting for fun, adoring his wife, and wrangling his two very large young children.

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Many or all of the products here are from our partners that compensate us. It’s how we make money. But our editorial integrity ensures that our product ratings are not influenced by compensation.

The Carnival® World Mastercard® -- cobranded with Barclays -- may appeal to fans of Carnival Cruise Lines, but for others, it's likely to fall short. Its most attractive feature is an APR of 0% for 15 billing cycles on balance transfers. Otherwise, the perks are nothing to write home about. Read our in-depth Carnival® World Mastercard® review to learn if the card offers the perks and benefits that are right for you.

Ratings Methodology

Carnival® World Mastercard®

Rates & Fees External Link Icon
Carnival® World Mastercard®
Credit Score: Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good (670-850)
Rates & Fees External Link Icon
Credit Score Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Good (670-850)

Intro APR Circle with letter I in it. 0% APR for 6 billing cycles from the transaction date on all qualifying Carnival Cruise Booking Purchases. 0% introductory APR for the first fifteen billing cycles following each balance transfer that posts to your account within 45 days of account opening.

Purchases: 0% for 6 billing cycles on Carnival cruise bookings

Balance Transfers: 0% for 15 billing cycles

Regular APR

20.24%, 26.24%, or 29.99% variable

Rewards Circle with letter I in it. 1X-2X

2x FunPoints for every dollar spent on purchases with Carnival Cruise Line and with the World's Leading Cruise Lines brands. 1X FunPoints for every dollar spent on other purchases.

Annual Fee

$0

Welcome Offer Circle with letter I in it. Earn 20,000 FunPoints after first purchase or balance transfer. That's enough to redeem for a $200 statement credit towards your next cruise

20,000 FunPoints

  • This credit card may be just what a Carnival Cruise lover is looking for, but doesn't offer much to non-cruisers.

    • 0% introductory offer, good for a 15-month balance transfer
    • Welcome offer worth $200 towards a cruise
    • Carnival Cruise customers can easily rack up reward points
    • 10% back statement credit when the cardholder books a Carnival shore excursion prior to cruising
    • No foreign transaction fee
    • Limited use of reward points
    • No upgraded perks
    • High standard interest rates
    • High balance transfer fee
    • Get 0% promotional APR for 6 monthson Carnival cruise bookings. After that, a variable APR will apply, either 20.24%, 26.24%, or 29.99%, depending on your creditworthiness.
    • 0% intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers made within 45 days of account opening. After that, a variable APR will apply, 20.24%, 26.24%, or 29.99%, based on your creditworthiness. There is a fee for balance transfers.
    • Earn 20,000 FunPoints after first purchase or balance transfer. That's enough to redeem for a $200 statement credit towards your next cruise.
    • Get 10% back as a statement credit when you book a Carnival shore excursion on Carnival.com prior to your cruise.
    • Earn 2X FunPoints for every dollar spent on any purchases with Carnival Cruise Line AND with the brands of the World's Leading Cruise Lines.
    • Count on earning a FunPoint for every dollar spent on all other purchases.
    • Redeem for statement credits toward any Carnival purchase, onboard experiences, and more. Redemptions start at 5,000 FunPoints for a $50 statement credit toward an eligible Carnival Cruise Line purchase in the last 180 days.
    • Enjoy greater freedom with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees on international purchases.

Credit card comparison

We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.

Offer Our Rating Welcome Offer Rewards Program APR Learn More
Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
4.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for cash back on rotating categories 		Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. 1% - 5% Cashback Circle with letter I in it. Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Intro:

Purchases: 0%, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months

Regular: 18.24% - 27.24% Variable APR

Apply Now for Discover it® Cash Back

On Discover's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for cash rewards on everyday spending 		$200 cash rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months. 2% cash rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers

Purchases: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening

Balance Transfers: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers

Regular: 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% Variable APR

Apply Now for Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

On Wells Fargo's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for unlimited rewards on purchases 		25,000 points Circle with letter I in it. 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases 1.5-3 points per dollar Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on travel purchases booked through the Bank of America Travel Center.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers will apply. A 3% fee for 60 days from account opening, then 4% fee applies to all balance transfers. Balance transfers may not be used to pay any account provided by Bank of America.

Purchases: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases

Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days

Regular: 18.24% - 28.24% (Variable)

Apply Now for Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

On Bank of America's Secure Website.

Full Carnival World Mastercard review

This credit card is a good fit for: Fans of Carnival Cruise Lines or consumers seeking a 0% promotional rate on balance transfers.

Top perks

In the right hands, the Carnival® World Mastercard® could become a favorite. Here are the perks customers are likely to appreciate.

0% for 15 billing cycles on balance transfers

A 0% for 15 billing cycles offer isn't a lifetime, but it is enough time for a cardholder with a plan to transfer high-interest debt and pay it off before the 0% intro offer expires.

Welcome offer worth $200 toward a cruise

The first time a new cardholder makes a purchase or balance transfer, they're credited with 20,000 FunPoints. Those points are worth $200 toward their next cruise.

No annual fee

The goal of credit cards is to make them work for you without draining your checking account. The fact that the Carnival® World Mastercard® has no annual fee is a step in the right direction.

Easy to rack up reward points

Frequent Carnival Cruise Line customers are likely to find it easy to rack up points, especially because they earn 2X FunPoints for every $1 spent on purchases with Carnival Cruise Line and with the World's Leading Cruise Lines brands.

10% back statement credit on shore excursions

To bump the rewards of being a Carnival® World Mastercard® cardholder, 10% of the cost of shore excursions is returned in the form of a statement credit.

No foreign transaction fee

Since Carnival travels to so many foreign ports, it's nice for cardholders to know they won't have to pay a foreign transaction fee as long as they make purchases with their Carnival® World Mastercard®.

Free access to FICO® Score

While FICO isn't the only credit scoring model out there, it is the one most commonly used by lenders. Having the ability to check your FICO® Score any time you would like is a good way to better understand how well you're managing credit.

Fraud liability protection

Because it's a Mastercard, the Carnival® World Mastercard® is backed by Mastercard's promise of fraud liability protection.

What could be improved

No card is right for every consumer. Here's where we believe Carnival® World Mastercard® falls short.

Limited use of reward points

Anyone who regularly cruises with Carnival can benefit from the way reward points are issued back to them through statement credits. However, non-cruisers will find no benefit. The most valuable rewards -- 20,000 FunPoints as a welcome offer and points earned on purchases -- can only be used toward Carnival purchases.

No upgraded perks

Given that the Carnival® World Mastercard® is cobranded with Barclays, it's surprising that perks are not more exclusive. For example, the Carnival® World Mastercard® doesn't offer early boarding, exclusive seating in the dining room, or other perks that set them apart from the standard cruise line passenger.

High standard interest rates

With 20.24%, 26.24%, or 29.99% variable APRs, that means even highly qualified applicants will be stuck with a rate over 20%

High balance transfer fee

The balance transfer fee on the Carnival® World Mastercard® is $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater. While nearly all balance transfer offers include a fee, many balance transfer cards charge 3% rather than 5%. Say a cardholder transfers $7,000 of high-interest debt from other credit card companies. The 5% transfer fee means an additional $350 will be added to their balance due.

Suggested credit score

We recommend a FICO® Score of 650 or higher (which is considered good credit) for this card. Approved applicants have an average score of 745. That said, approval depends on a range of factors. These include your annual income, credit history, and debt-to-income (DTI) ratio. Although your credit score is important, it's not the only thing a credit card company focuses on when determining eligibility.

The Carnival World Mastercard is right for you if:

You are a big fan of Carnival Cruise Lines and have an upcoming trip (or trips) planned. It may also be a good option if you have high-interest debt that you would like to transfer and pay off while taking advantage of the 0% for 15 billing cycles introductory rate.

Our credit card methodology

At Motley Fool Money, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.

We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how Motley Fool Money rates credit cards.

FAQs

  • 20,000 FunPoints isn't considered an especially generous offer (especially because points must be redeemed on Carnival products or services). However, the card does make it easy to receive the points. While many cards require you to spend thousands of dollars within the first few months of card approval, all a cardholder must do is make a single purchase or balance transfer to receive the points.

  • The best way to land a lower APR is to have a strong credit score. The higher your score, the lower the rate you'll be offered.

  • The ideal way to use a credit card without paying interest is to pay the card off in full each month. That way, you can earn rewards without forking out money to cover interest.