Cruise line loyalty programs have traditionally offered good benefits to travelers things like compl

Cruise line loyalty programs have traditionally offered good benefits to travelers things vacation rentals in florence oregon like complimentary WiFi and laundry, cabin upgrades, and even free cruises. But, those same programs often offered few, if any, ways to leverage your participation if you cruised aboard a competing line.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and Bank of America are looking to change the face of affinity programs vacation rentals in florence oregon by launching an improved loyalty program, MyCruise Rewards, and co-branded credit cards that will offer shared benefits for fans of Azamara Club Cruises , Celebrity Cruises , and Royal Caribbean .
MyCruise Rewards points can be used to redeem cabin upgrades or converted to onboard vacation rentals in florence oregon credit. You can also use points to buy logo gift items and book onboard packages like the Royal Caribbean Grand Romance Package . You can also trade in your points for a free cruise once you amass enough of them. For example, 50,000 points will earn you a three- or four-night Caribbean sailing for two (not to exceed a $1,000 value) on a Royal Caribbean ship. You'll need 240,000 points to get a seven- to eight-night Caribbean sailing for two on a Celebrity ship (not to exceed a value of $2,400).
Each cruise line-branded credit offers slightly different benefits. For example, Bank of America offers two flavors of Celebrity Cruises credit cards. vacation rentals in florence oregon Both card types award double points for purchases vacation rentals in florence oregon on Azamara, Celebrity, and Royal Caribbean as well as one point for every dollar spent elsewhere. And, both cards came with a 10,000-point bonus after your first qualifying purchase.
The first card has no annual fee. The upgraded version carries a $69 annual fee but comes with additional perks. For example, the Celebrity Cruises credit card also offers two-for-one vacation rentals in florence oregon annual airfare (students not eligible), a $300 discount off a future cruise of at least 7 nights or more in a Concierge Class stateroom (after $5,000 in transactions within your first 60 days of card ownership, a 10,000-point bonus annually when you spend at least $10,000, 50% off second guest at any specialty restaurant, 10% discount on a Private Journeys vacation rentals in florence oregon shore excursion, 10% discount on Premium Beverage Packages, and no foreign transaction fees.
There's only one Royal Caribbean-branded credit card and it comes with no annual fee plus the opportunity to earn double MyCruise Rewards points for every $1 spent on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Azamara plus one point per dollar spent on everyday purchases. You'll receive 10,000 bonus points after your first qualifying transaction. You'll also get two-for-one airfare after spending $3,500 within vacation rentals in florence oregon the first 90 days of holding the card.
Azamara vacation rentals in florence oregon offers one credit card and it carries vacation rentals in florence oregon a $69 annual fee. It's similar to the fee-bearing card from Celebrity with one important difference. The bonus you'll receive after your first purchase is 15,000 MyCruise Rewards points instead of 10,000.
And if you end up with more points than you can use yourself, you can donate the cash value of MyCruise Rewards points to nonprofit organizations that the cruise lines support, vacation rentals in florence oregon like the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Andrea M. Rotondo is a freelance writer based in New York City. She covers cruise news and luxury vacation rentals in florence oregon travel trends for Fodors.com and writes for a variety of outlets, including her website Luxury Travel Mavens . Follow her on Twitter: @luxtravelmavens .
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