Carnival FunPoints: How To Earn & Redeem

Travel Rewards
Want to make the most of your Carnival cruise? Learn about FunPoints and how to earn and use them with this helpful guide and our handy calculators.
Last Updated 2023-04-27 By R.Flowers III

Carnival FunPoints is the loyalty program of Carnival Cruise Line and can only be earned using the Carnival® World Mastercard®. Points can be redeemed for free or discounted cruises, on-board purchases, spa credits, gift cards, and more.

How much Carnival FunPoints are worth

Carnival Funpoints will have the best value when redeemed as a statement credit towards Carnival purchases. You can get up to 1.5 cents per point based on the Carnival net purchase amount meaning that 10,000 FunPoints can be worth as much as $150 in cruise value.

Carnival FunPoints Value
Redemption options Redemption value in cents
Carnival net purchases of $1,500 to $5,000 1.5
Carnival net purchases of $50 to $1,499.99 1
Transactions made with other World's Leading Cruise Lines 1
Airline and hotel statement credits 0.9
Gift cards 0.75

Carnival Funpoints redemption options

Carnival FunPoints can be redeemed for cruises, on-board amenities, other travel, gift cards, and merchandise.

Carnival Cruise Line redemptions

You can get the best value out of your FunPoints by redeeming them for purchases made with Carnival. You'll get either 1 cent or 1.5 cents per point based on the net cost of your Carnival purchase.

Carnival Cruise Line Redemptions
Carnival net purchase FunPoints value in cents
$50 - $1,499.99 1
$1,500 - $5,000 1.5

Due to the big difference in value, you'll want to be extra careful when redeeming your FunPoints. If you redeem your FunPoints for net purchases with Carnival that range from $1,000 to $1,499.99, you'll be shooting yourself in the foot.

This is because redeeming FunPoints for a $1,000 net purchase would cost you 100,000 FunPoints... the same cost for a $1,500 net purchase!!

  • $1,000 Purchase: Redeem 100,000 FunPoints for 1 cent in value per point.
  • $1,500 Purchase: Redeem 150,000 FunPoints for 1.5 cents in value per point.

Why make $1,000 in net purchases with Carnival for 100,000 FunPoints when you make $1,500 in net purchases with Carnival for the same 100,000 FunPoints?

In conclusion, if you end up passing $1,000 in net purchases, splurge until you hit $1,500.

World's Leading Cruise Lines redemptions

In addition to being able to redeem Carnival FunPoints for Carnival Cruises, you can also redeem your points on the other nine cruise lines that are part of World's Leading Cruise Lines. This includes:

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

Redeeming your FunPoints on these nine cruise lines will always give you a value of 1 cents per FunPoint no matter the cost. This can be useful if you're trying to shave off the cost of your cruise ticket on a partner cruise line.

Do note that both Princess Cruises and Holland America Line also have their own co-branded cruise line credit cards (but don't bother as they don't offer much).

Airline and hotel redemptions

Carnival Funpoints can be redeemed for airline and hotel redemptions. This will give your Funpoints a value of 0.9 cents per point which isn't the best option when it comes to redeeming your points.

You would earn more value applying your FunPoints to your cruise and paying out of pocket for your hotel and airline costs.

Gift cards and certificates

Carnival FunPoints can be redeemed for Gift Cards and Certificates. These options will bring the value of your Funpoints down to 0.75 cents each. If you're looking to earn gift cards from reward programs, FunPoints are not going to get you the best value.

You would be better off with a cash back credit card since cash back earned can be redeemed at an even ratio of 1 cent for 1 cent.

Other redemptions

Funpoints can also be used for onboard amenities, merchandise, and travel redemptions through the Barclays website. The value of these redemptions will vary.

Are Carnival Funpoints worth it?

While the FunPoints program is a great way to shave down the cost of Carnival cruises, the Carnival World Mastercard itself falls short in several ways.

Intro Bonus

The intro bonus for the Carnival World Mastercard, as of April 2023, is 25,000 FunPoints after spending $500 within the first 90 days which is equal to a $250 statement credit towards purchases made with Carnival. While this is a solid bonus, there are travel rewards credit cards that offer significantly higher intro bonuses that can almost pay for your entire cruise.

Earning Rates

Unless you're consistently using the Carnival Mastercard on Carnival and partner cruise line purchases, you'll be earning 1 FunPoint per $1 spent on all purchases. This means it will take a long time to build up enough rewards for a redemption.

Redemption Rates

If you normally make net purchases of less than $1,000 with Carnival, you'll only be getting 1 cent in value per point which means a 1% return on most of your card purchases. And if you do make large purchases, you'll need at least 100,000 FunPoints which will an extreme amount of spending to reach due to the low earning rates.

Minimum Redemption

If you don't have enough FunPoints to cover the cost of your purchase, you'll only be able to redeem points in $50 statement credit increments which costs 5,000 FunPoints.

How to earn Funpoints

Carnival FunPoints is a rewards program exclusively for Carnival World Mastercard holders. For every dollar spent using the card, FunPoints are earned. It's important to note that FunPoints are not earned through Carnival cruises alone, but rather through any eligible purchases made with the card.

Credit Card Benefits Annual Fee
  • Earn 2X FunPoints for every dollar spent on any purchases with Carnival Cruise Line AND with the brands of the World’s Leading Cruise Lines, and 1X FunPoints on all other purchases.
  • Get 10% back as a statement credit when you book a Carnival shore excursion on carnival.com prior to your cruise.
  • No annual fee and no foreign transaction fees.
$0

What's the best rewards program for Carnival?

If you're big on cruising and you want to earn travel rewards at an excellent rate that can take your spend further, I highly recommend considering the following rewards programs:

Capital One Venture Rewards

Venture miles can be redeemed for 1 cent in value towards any kind of travel purchase made to the card. Unlike FunPoints, you're not restricted to redeeming points for Carnival Cruises for maximum value.

Venture miles can not only be redeemed for Carnival purchases, but also airfare, hotels, car rentals, parking, tolls, and more. You can even redeem your points for other cruise lines—all at the same value of 1 cent per mile!

Here's the credit cards you can use to earn Venture miles:

Credit Card Highlights Annual Fee
Best Premium Card For Unlimited Miles
  • Intro Bonus: 75,000 bonus miles
  • Earn 10X Miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
  • Earn 5X Miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
  • Earn an unlimited 2X Miles on all other purchases
  • $300 back annually as statement credits for booking made through Capital One Travel
  • 10,000 bonus miles annually starting on your first anniversary (worth $100 towards travel)
  • Access to Capital One Lounges and Priority Pass Lounges
  • Up to $100 towards a Global Entry or TSA Precheck application fee
$395
Best For Unlimited 2X Miles
  • Intro Bonus: 75,000 bonus miles
  • Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
  • Earn an unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
  • Two complimentary lounge visits per year to Capital One Lounges or Plaza Premium Lounges
  • Up to $100 towards a Global Entry or TSA Precheck application fee
$95
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
Best For No Annual Fee
  • Intro Bonus: 20,000 miles
  • Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
  • Earn an unlimited 1.25X miles on all other purchases
  • No annual fee
$0

Chase Ultimate Rewards

Chase Ultimate Rewards is one of the leading travel rewards programs in the United States. Points earned in the program can be redeemed for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards at a value of 1.25 to 1.5 cents each.

Chase points can also be transferred directly to airline frequent flyer and hotel loyalty programs such as Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, Marriott Hotels, and Hyatt Hotels. This can give your points anywhere between 1.3 and 2+ cents in value which can stretch your points further!

Here's our top picks for Chase Ultimate Rewards:

Credit Card Highlights Annual Fee
Best For High Value & Travel Benefits
  • Intro Bonus: 60,000 Bonus Points
  • Earn 10X points on hotels and car rentals booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards
  • Earn 5X points on flights booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards
  • Earn 3X points on travel worldwide and dining at restaurants
  • Earn 1X points on all other purchases
  • $300 statement credit for travel purchases charged to the card each anniversary year
  • Complimentary Priority Pass Select membership
  • Up to $100 towards a Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee
  • 50% boost to point value on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards
$550
Best For Flexible Travel Rewards
  • Intro Bonus: 60,000 Bonus Points
  • Earn 5X points on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards
  • Earn 3X points on dining, online grocery purchases, and on select streaming services
  • Earn 2X points on other travel purchases
  • Earn 1X points on all other purchases
  • 25% boost to point value on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards
  • $50 credit every cardmember anniversary good towards hotel stays booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards
  • 10% bonus points based on how much you spend the prior cardmember year
$95
Best For Flexible Business Travel Rewards
  • Intro Bonus: 100k Bonus Points
  • Earn 3X points on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year
  • Earn 1X points on all other purchases
  • 25% boost to point value on travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards
$95

Conclusion: Carnival FunPoints

Carnival FunPoints is rewarding for anyone that makes high annual net purchases with Carnival and World's Leading Cruise Line partners. The program can also be worth it for booking Carnival shore excursion on carnival.com prior to cruising as you'll receive a 10% rebate when you pay with the Carnival Mastercard.

If neither of those apply to you, the Carnival FunPoints program will not be the best bang for your buck. There are plenty of travel rewards programs that offer bonus points, miles, and cash back on everyday purchases that can earn you enough rewards for a free cruise or two per year.

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Use the rewards calculator to determine which credit cards will earn you the most rewards based on the monthly or yearly spending amounts you enter.

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FAQ

What are Carnival FunPoints?

Carnival FunPoints is the rewards currency of Carnival Cruise Line.

How do I earn Carnival FunPoints?

Carnival FunPoints are earned for every eligible dollar spent on the Carnival World Mastercard.

What are the benefits of Carnival FunPoints?

Carnival FunPoints allows you to wipe out the cost of Carnival purchases made to a Carnival World Mastercard. This can help shave down the cost of a cruise or pay for a cruise entirely.

How can I redeem my Carnival FunPoints?

Carnival FunPoints can be redeemed as a statement credit to wipe out Carnival purchases, World's Leading Cruise Line purchases, airline and hotel purchases, gift cards, and onboard amenities.

What is the value of Carnival FunPoints?

FunPoints are worth 1 cent each when used to pay for Carnival net purchases totaling $50 to $1,499.99 and 1.5 cents each when used to pay for Carnival net purchases totaling $1,500 to $5,000.

Looking for the best travel credit cards? Check out a few of our top picks below and use our calculators to find out how much you can earn!

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Our Credit Card Rewards calculator can help you find the perfect card and offers based on your monthly and yearly spending habits. Simply enter your spend amounts into our tool and let us do the work for you!

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