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SkyMiles Cruises has now rebranded as Delta Cruises. And now members now receive 2X miles on all cruises. Depending on how much you're spending on a cruise, this new earning rate can be far more rewarding than the previous program — which was a flat rate based on the length of your cruise.
In this article, we go over the details of the changes to how you'll earn Delta SkyMiles on cruises.
The New Delta Cruises Platform
Until recently, SkyMiles Cruises was set up as a separate company from Delta, but allowed both earning and redeeming of SkyMiles for cruises worldwide. Now, the platform has been rebranded to Delta Cruises — operated by World Travel Holdings.
Delta Cruises lets SkyMiles members book cruises with 21 cruise lines, including all major lines — Norwegian, Carnival, Princess, Royal Caribbean, etc. In addition to earning miles, you can often find far better deals than booking directly with the cruise line.
Find a better price elsewhere? Delta Cruises offers a 110% refund of the price difference if you find a better deal elsewhere within 48 hours of booking
Earn SkyMiles Through Delta Cruises
The biggest change between the two programs is that Delta Cruises is currently offering a flat 2X miles per dollar spent on cruises. That's a big change from the fixed bonus miles that SkyMiles Cruises used to offer.
With the old platform, members would earn between 1,500 to 13,000 SkyMiles per cruise — depending on the length and other factors. To get the maximum 13,000 bonus miles, members would need to book a cruise of 13+ nights. The average 7-night cruise would earn 3,000 bonus points.
Earning 2X miles per dollar could get members significantly more points, depending on the cruise they book. Based on reports, the average cost of a cruise in 2023 is roughly $200 per night per passenger. That equates to around $2,800 for a 7-night cruise for two.
Now, Delta members would earn 5,600 miles on that cruise instead of the 3,000 miles offered by SkyMiles Cruises. In recent AwardWallet redemptions, users have gotten an average of 1.38¢ from their Delta SkyMiles. At that rate, you're getting an average return of around $80 on your cruise — and that can be enough for an economy flight in North America.
A big caveat: The 2X bonus points only apply to the base fare of the cruise. You won't earn miles on taxes and fees, travel insurance, and port charges and expenses. And these can amount to a large portion of your total cost.
How Does Delta Cruises Compare with Other Airline Cruise Portals?
Delta Cruises isn't the only platform where you can earn rewards points on cruise bookings. CruisesOnly manages booking platforms for several airlines, hotels, and other companies, partnering with the same 21 cruise lines. Some other airlines and hotels you can earn rewards points on cruises include American Airlines Cruises, United Cruises, Alaska Cruises, and Marriott Cruises.
Each of these booking platforms comes with its own rewards. American Airlines Cruises also offers 2X miles. Meanwhile, United MileagePlus cardholders earn a base of 4X miles on cruises.
From an initial search, the prices of cruises appear to be the same across all the cruise booking portals. That makes sense, as they're all powered by the same booking platform.
Delta Cruises has offered promotions from time to time. But there is no current offer beyond earning 2X SkyMiles on all cruises.
Our Take
Despite the rebranding, Delta Cruises is essentially a third-party booking platform for 21 cruise lines, including all the major lines. Whether you book directly with the cruise line for the best service or with Delta Cruises to earn bonus miles will be up to your preference. The good news is that you may be able to earn far more SkyMiles than before with your cruise.
Do you have any cruises in the near future you can book to earn extra SkyMiles?
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Good to know! I’m planning a cruise in August, so I will take this information into account when deciding. Thanks
Thanks. Your article is really helpful to me, when I plan to cruise travel in the near future.