Royal Caribbean relaunched its credit card earlier this year, and the top-tier Royal ONE Plus card is starting to look like the better deal for frequent cruisers. The card costs $99 a year and includes priority boarding through the suite line and priority luggage delivery, the same embarkation perks Pinnacle Club members earn after years of sailing.
The comparison that matters is The Key. Royal Caribbean's per-person add-on runs $59.99 per person per day on a six-night Legend of the Seas sailing and $39.99 on a seven-night Odyssey of the Seas sailing, and it must be bought for everyone in the cabin over age six. The card's sign-up bonus alone, 60,000 points after $2,500 in spending within 90 days, works out to about $600 in onboard credit, and the card earns four points per dollar on Royal Caribbean purchases plus a $200 cruise discount after $20,000 in annual spending.
What it means for your sailing: if you cruise more than once a year and mostly buy The Key for the faster boarding, the $99 card gets you through the suite line for a fraction of what The Key costs per sailing, and the sign-up bonus covers an internet package or a specialty dinner. If you cruise once a year or less, the annual fee is hard to justify, and carrying a balance wipes out the savings, so pay it off monthly.
New to Royal Caribbean? Start free.
15 Royal Caribbean Hacks is our free starter guide: the booking, boarding, and onboard moves that save money and skip the rookie mistakes.