Carnival^® World Mastercard^®: Earn Rewards for Free Cruises and More

Cruising has grown significantly in recent years, and it's only natural that the cruise brands offer their own credit card product. More than any other cruise line, Carnival made its credit card product a key component of its customer loyalty strategy. While the rollout is still underway, here's a review of Carnival's credit card product, the Carnival^® World Mastercard^®, issued by Barclays.

Carnival World Mastercard Pros

• 2x FunPoints for every dollar spent on Carnival Cruise Lines
• Strong intro APR offer
• No foreign transaction fee
• No annual fee

Carnival World Mastercard Cons

• No bonus categories besides Carnival purchases
• 5,000-point threshold for redemptions
• Limited compelling redemption options

Carnival World Mastercard Welcome Offer

The Carnival World Mastercard currently has a sign-up offer: you'll earn 30,000 FunPoints for spending $1,000 in the first 90 days of account opening.

To put the offer in perspective, FunPoints are typically redeemable for 1% back on Carnival Cruise Line purchases, including purchases made on sister brands. That's effectively 31% back on everyday spending on the card during the welcome period.

Credit: Carnival

Carnival World Mastercard Earning Rates

The Carnival World Mastercard has a straightforward earning structure. Purchases on Carnival and Carnival sister brands earn 2x FunPoints per dollar spent. All other eligible spending earns 1x FunPoint per dollar. Eligible brands for the bonus category include:

• Costa
• P&O Cruises
• Princess Cruises
• Holland America Line
• Aida
• Cunard
• Seabourn

Carnival's terms and conditions also mention P&O Australia and Fathom cruises, but Carnival's parent company has discontinued those brands.

Carnival World Mastercard Benefits

There are a slew of ancillary benefits on the Carnival World Mastercard that might make sense for your travel and spending habits.

Interest-Free financing on Carnival cruises

One benefit that should please loyal Carnival cruisers is the ability to charge Carnival vacations to the card with 0% interest for six billing cycles. After that, regular APRs apply. The purchase must be a “qualifying purchase” for cruise fares only. For example, charges made on board Carnival ships would not qualify for this benefit.

This is a nice way to enjoy some time to pay off your cruise vacation, especially since the card earns 2x FunPoints per dollar spent on Carnival.

No foreign transaction fees

Since cruises typically visit foreign ports, it's nice that the Carnival World Mastercard offers no foreign transaction fees. While charges on board the ship should be coded as domestic charges, guests bringing their credit cards on shore during an excursion need not worry about pesky transaction fees.

10% statement credit on shore excursions

For all pre-purchased shore excursions made before your cruise with your card on Carnival.com or the CarnivalHUB app, you'll receive a 10% discount. This is a great way to save on adventure tours, cabana rentals, and even activities at Carnival's new private destination, Celebration Key.

Travel protections

Several travel protections come with the card's World Mastercard designation. Keep in mind, you must make trip charges to your Carnival credit card to take advantage of these benefits.

• Travel Accident Insurance: Covers accidental loss of life, limb, or sight while a cardmember is traveling on a common carrier.
• Trip Cancellation and Interruption: Reimburses for eligible trip cancellations or interruptions due to covered reasons, such as illness or injury, with coverage limited to the lesser of the trip cost or $1,500.
• Baggage Delay Insurance: Provides reimbursement for necessary purchases if your checked bags are delayed, up to $100 per day for up to 3 days.
• Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver: Covers damage to or theft of a rental vehicle when you charge the full rental cost to your card. This is secondary coverage.

Redeeming Rewards with the Carnival World Mastercard

There's a slightly complicated structure to redeeming FunPoints earned with the Carnival World Mastercard. Most will be interested in redeeming FunPoints for Carnival charges. Redemptions start at 5,000 FunPoints for $50 of Carnival charges, in $50 increments up to $5,000. That's a 1% return per FunPoint.

If redeeming 150,000 points or more ($1,500+), the redemption rate is 1.5% for your FunPoints. To earn that many FunPoints, you'll need to spend at least $75,000 on eligible Carnival charges, or $150,000 in everyday charges.

Travel redemptions start at 10,000 FunPoints ($100). Eligible travel purchases include flights and hotels purchased directly from the travel provider.

Redemptions start at 3,500 points for $25 worth of gift cards. Residents of the United States and Puerto Rico can also redeem a variable amount of points for merchandise.

As long as your account is in good standing, your FunPoints never expire.

Changes to the Carnival Rewards Mastercard Coming in 2026

Carnival is launching its new Carnival Rewards loyalty program in September 2026. With the launch of the new program, the Carnival World Mastercard is getting new benefits. The way you earn points on the Carnival World Mastercard is changing. Card spending will also help you earn towards Carnival Rewards elite status.

Beginning September 2026, these are the new earning rates:

• 3 Carnival Rewards Points + 1 Status Qualifying Star per $1 spent on Carnival (to a net total of 6 Points and 4 Stars per $1 spent on Carnival)
• 2 Carnival Rewards Points + 1 Status Qualifying Star status qualifying star per $1 spent at eligible grocery stores and restaurants
• 1 Carnival Rewards Point + 1 Status Qualifying Star per $1 spent on all other purchases

Under the new Carnival Rewards program, Status Qualifying Stars are how you'll earn Carnival status.

Note that if you currently have the Carnival World Mastercard, your FunPoints will be automatically converted to Carnival Rewards points when the new program launches in September 2026.

Application Restrictions

The issuing bank, Barclays, has fairly lenient application rules. Barclays has no limit on the number of credit cards you may hold at once, but you may only have one of each card type. There are reports of a “6/24” rule that is inconsistently applied. This means the bank may deny your application if you've opened six new credit card accounts in the last 24 months. Barclays also denies applicants who have received a Barclays credit card within the previous six months.

Cards That Compete with the Carnival World Mastercard

There are several competitors in the travel credit card space for the Carnival World Mastercard.

• If you're looking to maximize travel purchases, consider the Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card. It earns 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases. Learn more about the card in our comprehensive Sapphire Preferred review.
• For a larger welcome bonus, consider the Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card. The card currently offers a 60,000-point bonus when you spend $4,000 in purchases in the first 3 months. You can redeem it for $600 in travel or transfer it to one of Wells Fargo's travel partners.
• If you prefer simple, straightforward cash back, consider the Citi Double Cash^® Card. The card offers 2% cash back on every purchase:  1% when you buy plus 1% as you pay. We have an excellent Citi Double Cash review with more.

Bottom Line

If you are a loyal Carnival cruiser, it might make sense to apply for this card. However, in its current state, the card offers little in the way of rewards. The 5,000-point threshold for Carnival statement credits — the ideal redemption — is onerous. The good news is that change is on the horizon for this card. The new Carnival Rewards program will launch in 2026, and the credit card will be a key component of earning status with Carnival. The card's points-earning rates will also improve.

Overall, the Carnival World Mastercard isn't a fit for my wallet, but it can make sense for those looking to earn a statement credit on their next $1,000 in spend.

For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card (Rates & Fees), and Citi Double Cash^® Card (Rates & Fees)