If you're a cruise fan that wants to earn free cruises, onboard credit, and useful benefits, the new Royal ONE card may be a strong addition to your wallet.
Plus, the Royal ONE Plus card has launched with a high-value welcome bonus that could be used for your next cruise, assuming you can meet its spending requirements.
A month ago, Royal Caribbean Group revealed it would launch two new cards to replace the current credit card, with the new cards offering new benefits that extend across all three brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea.
Here's what to know about the current offer on this new card for fans.
Royal ONE and Royal ONE Plus current offer
Royal Caribbean is launching its new credit cards with two different welcome offers, depending on which version you choose. Both bonuses are tied to a minimum spending requirement in the first 90 days, which is standard for travel rewards cards.
The Royal ONE card offers 45,000 points after you spend $2,000 within the first 90 days of account opening. That lower spending threshold may make it the more accessible option for casual cruisers or anyone who doesn't want to shift a lot of spending right away.
The higher-tier Royal ONE Plus card comes with a larger bonus of 70,000 points, but it requires $3,000 in spending within the first 90 days. For travelers who can meet that requirement, the extra points could go further toward onboard credit, cruise fare discounts, or other redemptions across Royal Caribbean Group brands.
As with most credit card welcome offers, the key is whether you can comfortably meet the spending requirement without going out of your way. If you can, the difference between 45,000 and 70,000 points is significant enough to factor into which card makes more sense.
The Royal ONE card has no annual fee, but the Royal ONE Plus card has a $99 annual fee.
How to apply for each Royal Caribbean credit card
If you’re interested in either card, Royal Caribbean has set up separate application pages for each option through its new Royal ONE program, which is powered in partnership with Bank of America.
You can apply directly using the links below:
- Apply for the Royal ONE card (no annual fee)
- Apply for the Royal ONE Plus card ($99 annual fee)
Both applications follow a standard credit card process, and approvals are subject to creditworthiness. The cards are available to U.S. residents, and once approved, you’ll be able to start working toward the welcome bonus right away.
Why you should apply for the Royal ONE cards
The new Royal Caribbean credit cards offer more ways to earn points and then use them on any of the RCG brands, including some extra perks too:
Royal One Card
- 3X points on purchases with Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea
- 2X points on groceries, gas, and EV charging
- 1X point on all other purchases
Plus, cardholders get these perks for having it:
- Priority boarding on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity cruises
- A $100 anniversary reward after qualifying spend
- No foreign transaction fees
Royal ONE Plus Card
- 4X points on purchases with Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea
- 2X points on groceries, gas, EV charging, plus air, hotel, and dining
- 1X point on all other purchases
Extra benefits for this card include:
- Priority suite boarding across all three brands
- Priority luggage handling (Royal Caribbean and Celebrity)
- A $200 anniversary reward after qualifying spend
- A $120 TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit every four years
- No foreign transaction fees
Considering the Plus card's $99 annual fee, there are plenty of ways to recoup its value by maximizing credits and rewards.
Bottom line
Choosing between the two cards, the choice mostly comes down to how much you plan to spend and whether the higher bonus and added perks on the Plus version justify the annual fee.
Compared to other travel cards, the best thing about the Royal One cards is you can earn points to be used on any Royal Caribbean Group brand ship. No other credit card can offer that.
Moreover, these new cards are a step up from the old card that didn’t allow points to be used across all three brands.
