70,000-Point Welcome Bonus
The new Royal ONE Plus Visa Signature Credit Card mostly shines because of its 70,000-point welcome bonus that is worth $700 in onboard credit or cruise discounts. Spend $3000 in 90 days to receive the generous welcome offer.
Earning Rates and Where It Fits
Cruise Spend (4x Points)
Earn 4x points on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Silversea purchases. This isn’t bad, especially following the loss of 3x points on cruises with the Chase Sapphire Reserve and devaluations on the Altitude Reserve card (formerly 4.5%). I currently use the Altitude Connect credit card for 4% cashback on cruises, better than 4% in points that offset cruise purchases.
Some may deposit funds at table games or Video Poker machines as a room charge with credit, so the 4% back can be useful if lacking other options like the Altitude Connect, the Chase Ink Preferred (3x points), the Amtrak Guest Rewards Preferred Mastercard (2x Amtrak Points), or the Amex Green Card (3x Membership Rewards points).
Everyday Categories (2x Points)
Earn 2x on airlines, hotels, dining, grocery, gas, and EV purchases. There’s nothing special here, but this can be somewhat useful for very high spenders in the grocery and gas categories.
Annual Spend Incentive: Easy Pass
Earn a yearly $200 discount on a cruise booking after spending $20,000 on purchases. Most should probably skip this, and won’t be paying outright for a cruise when they have comp offers from MGM Rewards or other sources.
Perks That Don’t Move the Needle
TSA PreCheck / Global Entry Credit
Earn a $120 statement credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, once per four years. This benefit is present on many other credit cards, so this isn’t appealing.
Priority Boarding and Luggage Handling
Board with priority luggage handling and priority suite boarding. I don’t find these benefits to be valuable. After boarding a cruise ship, I usually go to lunch, and by the time I head to my room, my luggage is often ready within an hour or two. Because of that, I don’t personally assign much value to priority luggage handling or priority suite boarding.
Annual Fee Strategy
The new credit card also has a $99 annual fee. After the first year, when the second annual fee posts, it’s probably best to downgrade to a no-annual-fee Royal Caribbean credit card because the ongoing benefits (namely the $200 credit after spending $20,000) are likely not compelling.
Redemption Details (Fine Print Matters)
To redeem points, the credit card fine print says:
“Redemptions start at 5,000 points. You can redeem your points for rewards, such as onboard credits and cruise discounts, by logging into your guest account through the available website or mobile app for the Royal Caribbean Group® cruise line corresponding to your cruise vacation.
You can also call their corresponding contact centers:
• Royal Caribbean®: (888) 305-4626
• Celebrity Cruises®: (800) 760-0654
• Silversea®: (888) 978-4077”
Where This Card Could Actually Shine
I’ve never redeemed Royal Caribbean points before, but if it’s possible to add multiple $50 credits to a comped cruise, this seems like a great opportunity to offset internet charges, drink packages, excursions, and other cruise expenses people would typically pay for out of pocket.
The Bank of America Approval Puzzle
This new credit card looks like a decent win in the first year, but it competes with other Bank of America cards because approval with Bank of America can sometimes be difficult, especially if you have recently opened many credit accounts or have had many hard credit inquiries. It’s also possible that approval of the new Royal Caribbean card will decrease your chances of approval for other Bank of America cards, and certainly will delay other card approvals.
Better Alternatives to Consider
Personally, I really like the Bank of America Atmos credit cards and find them more valuable than earning a $700 signup bonus, which is basically cashback limited to only cruising.
The Bank of America Premium Rewards card offers a $600 welcome bonus and a flexible $100 airline incidental credit, not limited to cruise purchases. Bank of America also offers the Business Advantage Unlimited Cash Rewards Mastercard and the Business Advantage Customized Cash Rewards Mastercard, but with $500 welcome bonuses and no annual fee.
If you’re new to the credit card space, it’s also probably best to prioritize credit cards with Chase, the Capital One Venture X card, various business cards not adding to personal credit, and even other cards like the MGM Rewards Iconic credit card (you are reading a gambling site, after all).
Final Verdict: Likely A Pass For Me, Maybe Not For You Though
Overall, the new Royal Caribbean Royal ONE Plus card has some promise, but competing cards are likely more promising for most. Perhaps some deep into the credit card space may apply, since they lack other options, but it’s likely going to be a pass for me, still wanting Atmos credit cards with Bank of America.
As always, gamble responsibly and use credit intelligently. Here’s a podcast episode I released on this:
Looking beyond Royal Caribbean cruises?
TravelZork Travel helps clients book casino cruises, premium cruise vacations, and more customized sailings when you want something different from the usual. We specialize in elevated cruise experiences, including multi-generational travel, family cruises, and small group trips, with an emphasis on strong value, thoughtful planning, and real support throughout the process. Request a quote: here
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