Bank of America and Royal Caribbean have launched two brand new credit card products, the Royal One Card and the Royal One Plus Card. Both cards offer potentially intriguing welcome bonuses, and points can be used for cruises with Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, or Silversea.
The Offers & Key Card Details
| Card Offer and Details |
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 ⓘ $408 1st Yr Value EstimateClick to learn about first year value estimates 45K points Non-AffiliateThis is NOT an affiliate offer. We always present the best offer even when it means less revenue for Frequent Miler 45K points after $2K in purchases in first 90 daysNo Annual Fee Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. FM Mini Review: Points are worth $0.01 each toward onboard credit or cruise purchase with Royal Caribbean, which could make this a worthwhile option if you have an upcoming cruise booking. Earning rate: 3x Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea ✦ 2X eligible grocery, gas, and EV charging station ✦ 1X everywhere else Card Info: Visa Signature issued by BOA. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees. Big spend bonus: Annual $100 cruise discount after you spend $10,000 on purchases within the prior anniversary year Noteworthy perks: Priority boarding line at check-in terminal |
| Card Offer and Details |
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 ⓘ $538 1st Yr Value EstimateClick to learn about first year value estimates 70K points Non-AffiliateThis is NOT an affiliate offer. We always present the best offer even when it means less revenue for Frequent Miler 70,000 points after $3K spend in first 90 days$99 Annual Fee Information about this card has been collected independently by Frequent Miler. The issuer did not provide the details, nor is it responsible for their accuracy. FM Mini Review: Points are worth $0.01 each toward onboard credit or cruise purchase with Royal Caribbean, which makes this an attractive introductory bonus for anyone with an upcoming Royal Caribbean booking. Benefits like priority boarding/luggage handling and the TSA/Global Entry reimbursement are nice adds for the $99 annual fee, though they probably won't make this card a keeper for most folks. Earning rate: 4x Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea ✦ 2X eligible airline, hotel, dining, grocery, gas and EV charging station ✦ 1X everywhere else Card Info: Visa Signature issued by BOA. This card has no foreign currency conversion fees. Big spend bonus: Annual $200 cruise discount after you spend $20,000 on purchases within the prior anniversary year Noteworthy perks: Priority suite boarding ✦ Priority luggage handling ✦ up to $120 in statement credits every four years to use toward your TSA PreCheck® and Global Entry |
Quick Thoughts
Either of these cards could be intriguing for someone with an upcoming Royal Caribbean cruise.
The no-annual-fee Royal One card offers a relatively competitive introductory bonus of 45,000 points, worth $450, after spending $2,000 in the first 90 days. The card is light on benefits, offering priority boarding and the chance to get a $100 cruise discount if you spend $10,000 within a membership year. Still, for a relatively low spending requirement, that could be a great discount on an upcoming cruise.
The Royal Caribbean One Plus card has a $99 annual fee but offers a bonus of 70,000 points after $3,000 in purchases within the first three months. That’s worth $700 off a Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, or Silversea cruise. The card adds priority suite boarding through the suites lane at the cruise terminal, priority luggage handling, a Global Entry/TSA Precheck credit once every four years, and an annual $200 cruise discount after you spend $20,000 on purchases within the prior anniversary year.
Neither card offers a terribly compelling bonus category, with the best of the bunch being 3X on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea purchases on the Royal One card or 4X on the Royal One Plus card. Both cards offer some 2X bonus categories, which might be of use when spending toward the introductory spending requirement. However, long-term, you’re probably better off with a card that earns 2% cash back or better in those categories.
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Neither card looks compelling unless you do a lot of business with Royal. Honestly, I’d rather have a 2% cash back card than either of these. It’s a shame that neither card gives you any kind of Crown & Anchor Society status.
‘ The card is light on benefits, offering priority boarding and the chance to get a $100 cruise discount if you spend $10,000 within a membership year. ‘
Light? It is barely registering gravitationally. If you spent that $10,000 with Bilt you would get at least 30,000 points worth approx. $450.
But initial great offer for those who love RCCL.
I don’t think that the target market for a card that offers an intro bonus worth $450 off a cruise with no annual fee is the same as the target market for a card with a $495 annual fee, no way to use points at $0.01 each toward cruises, and a significantly more complicated earning structure. I’m not saying that the Bilt Palladium card isn’t a better card — it is — but it’s not a fit for someone who just wants $450 off a cruise this year and who might be happy with gaining Priority Boarding on top of the intro bonus. There’s definitely not much long-term, and it isn’t a card for me, but that doesn’t mean I can’t imagine the crowd for whom it is a fit.
I mean…this card is for a very different audience than a Bilt card. Apples and oranges.
Aww, Nick looks so happy in that photo. Great smile!
‘try reimbursement are nice adds for the $99 annual fee‘. But just above you say no annual fee. Cut-and-paste laziness?
I’m not sure where you’re copying that from. There are two cards here, the card with no annual fee, and a card with a $99 annual fee that adds global entry or TSA precheck reimbursement.
I see, the display is missing the $99 annual fee underneath the introductory bonus. I will fix that, thank you.
Also says 2k spend instead of 3k. Think it’s a great offer compared to the previous one. Thanks!