11/02/12, 01:58:14 EST

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Princess Cruises to Debut New Rewards Visa Credit Card

money.cnn.com

New 'Princess Points' Program Offers Most Cruise-Related Redemption Options of Any Cruise Line Credit CardEveryday Purchases Can Earn Free Cruises, Discounts and Onboard Amenities

Princess Cruises and Barclays today announced the Princess Rewards Visa Signature card, a new co-branded credit card and rewards program that offers passengers the opportunity to earn free cruises, onboard credits, and discounts toward their cruise fares, air travel or special amenities. Applications for the no-annual-fee card will be accepted starting December 10, 2007 at www.princessvisa.com.

"Our passengers have been asking for this type of credit card option from Princess, so we're very excited to offer them one with a rewards program that features the most cruise-related redemption options of any card in our industry," said Jan Swartz, Princess' senior vice president of customer service. "And we've added a number of features I'm sure many will appreciate, such as no capacity controls or blackout date restrictions on rewards." Swartz emphasized that another important feature will be the cardholder's ability to still use their favorite travel agent to book reward travel.

"Working closely with Princess, we customized a credit card program that would help cruise enthusiasts earn reward travel and other amenities faster, thus making everyday purchases with the card almost as rewarding as the cruise itself," said Lloyd M. Wirshba, CEO of Barclays U.S. credit card business. "With the Princess Rewards Visa card, Barclays is delighted to help make it easier for more people to experience an unforgettable travel experience on Princess Cruises."

The Princess Rewards Visa Signature card introduces the "Princess Points" program, in which card holders will earn two points for every dollar spent on Princess purchases, whether for cruise fare or onboard expenditures, and one point for each dollar on all other purchases. Rewards start at just 2,000 points, and include a variety of choices, including:


* Free Cruises - beginning at 150,000 points, with no blackout dates or
capacity limits.
* Cruise Discounts - card holders can redeem points for discounts ranging
from $100 to $2,000 off Princess cruise fares
* Air Travel Discounts - valid on any air travel, card holders can
receive a credit when they book any flight
* Special Occasion Packages - passengers can celebrate an anniversary,
honeymoon, vow renewal or any special occasion with a choice of free
packages, ranging from a Champagne Balcony Breakfast to a Grand
Occasion Package
* Cruise Merchandise - card holders can choose to receive onboard gifts
such as Lotus Spa credits, a bottle of champagne, a bouquet from the
onboard florist and many other options
* Onboard Credits - passengers can reward themselves with onboard credits
to be used for any onboard purchases, whether a romantic dinner at
Sabatini's, an adventurous shore excursion or the ultimate souvenir
from the onboard boutiques



The Princess Rewards Visa Signature card is offered at a low introductory APR and features up to 10,000 bonus points after the first qualifying transaction, including 5,000 points for signing up and up to 5,000 more points for balance transfers within the first 30 days. Princess Captain's Circle members are also eligible for an additional 5,000 bonus points when they use the card to book a cruise by January 31, 2008.

 Printable Version  | published Nov 06, 2007