Marriott fans take note: You can get some serious bonus points in the coming weeks by booking a cruise.
As part of a limited-time promotion launched Friday, Marriott is offering customers who book a cruise through its Cruise with Points program up to 9 Marriott Bonvoy points for every dollar spent on a cruise. That’s three times the normal offer of 3 points for every dollar spent.
In addition, Marriott customers who use a Marriott Bonvoy credit card from Chase to book the cruise can get an additional 2 points per dollar spent, boosting their total earnings to 11 points per dollar spent.
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For example, if you spend $8,000 on a cruise during this promotion, you can earn up to 88,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.
That’s an enticing number of Marriott Bonvoy points. TPG currently values Marriott Bonvoy points at .84 cents each, meaning that 88,000 points would be worth $739.20 at our valuation. That’s almost 10% of the total purchase price.
Note that you must act fast to get the bonus points. The accelerated points earning offer is only available through March 5. It applies to new bookings for cruises scheduled to take place between now and Dec. 31, 2025.
Details of the bonus points offer
To get the most points from the Marriott Bonvoy bonus points offer, you’ll need to book a balcony cabin or suite (the two types of cabins that account for most cabins on many ships). Specifically, customers using a Marriott Bonvoy credit card from Chase will earn:
- 11 points per dollar spent on balcony cabins or suites, up from 5 points per dollar spent
- 8 points per dollar spent on all other cabins, up from 5 points per dollar spent
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Customers without a Marriott Bonvoy from Chase credit card will earn:
- 9 points per dollar spent on balcony cabins or suites, up from 3 points per dollar spent
- 6 points per dollar spent on all other cabins, up from 3 points per dollar spent
Among the caveats: Bonus points are earned per cabin and are awarded to only one passenger per cruise booking. In addition, to qualify, customers must book through the Marriott Bonvoy Cruise with Points program.
Other fine print:
- Cruises operated by The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, Seabourn, SeaDream Yacht Club and Silversea Cruises are excluded from the offer.
- The offer only applies to cruises of three nights or more.
- Points will be awarded six to eight weeks after the cruise is completed.
- Customers must provide a valid Marriott Bonvoy number at the time of deposit to get the points.
- The offer only is available to customers residing in the U.S. and booking reservations using a U.S. billing address.
- The offer is subject to change without notice.
Note that the number of points customers earn during the promotion is based on the total cruise purchase price, including taxes, insurance and processing fees. That’s not always the case with these sorts of promotions.
Which credit card should I use to book?
As mentioned above, you can maximize your purchase by using a Marriott Bonvoy credit card from Chase, such as the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card. Customers using a Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card get 2 Marriott Bonvoy points per dollar spent on cruises booked through Marriott’s Cruise with Points program.
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card carries a $95 annual fee but offers plenty of ways to get more value from it year after year. You’ll get automatic Silver elite status in the Marriott Bonvoy program with this card and 10% bonus points on stays at Marriott hotels. Cardholders also receive an annual free night certificate (worth up to 35,000 points) each account anniversary. Certain hotels have resort fees.
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless card is currently offering a sign-up bonus of five free hotel nights (each night valued at up to 50,000 points) after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months your account is open.
If you don’t have a Marriott Bonvoy credit card by Chase, it’s best to use a card that earns bonus points on cruises. A good option is the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card, which earns 2 points per dollar spent on travel, including cruises. Right now, you can earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
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