Smart Travel: Upgrade Your Getaways
Insider Strategies for First-Class Cruise Perks Without the Premium Price
07 May 2025
Is a cruise actually cheaper than a land vacation? Learn how to sail smarter and save big on your next getaway. Are cruises really a budget-friendly alternative to land vacations? What’s the best credit card to use for travel and Costco expenses? Hosts Meghan Coyle and Sally French discuss cruise travel, pricing strategies, and credit card hacks to help you understand how to get the most value out of your next vacation. But first, they break down the latest travel headlines, including Southwest Airlines’ newly rebranded fare classes and upcoming assigned seating; United Club’s updated lounge access rules; transfer bonuses from Chase Ultimate Rewards and Citi ThankYou Rewards; and a limited-time Hyatt-American Airlines promo for national parks glamping. Then, Meghan and Sally talk about cruise travel in 2025 and why it might be your smartest trip yet. They explore two brand-new ships — MSC World America and Norwegian Aqua — and break down how cruise vacations can be surprisingly cost-effective, especially when factoring in bundled perks like entertainment and dining. Sally shares additional knowledge from recent interviews, including veteran cruise reporter Matt Roseboom giving his best money-saving tips for cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line CMO Adam Malone offering insights on the unique value of cruise elite status. Plus: how to save with cruise-friendly credit cards, when to use general travel rewards versus co-branded cards, and how solo travelers can benefit from cruise line perks designed just for them. Card benefits, terms and fees can change. For the most up-to-date information about cards mentioned in this episode, read our reviews: Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card: https://www.nerdwallet.com/reviews/credit-cards/southwest-rapid-rewards-priority World of Hyatt credit card: https://www.nerdwallet.com/reviews/credit-cards/world-of-hyatt Chase Sapphire Reserve: https://www.nerdwallet.com/reviews/credit-cards/chase-sapphire-reserve Citi Costco Anywhere Visa® Card: https://www.nerdwallet.com/reviews/credit-cards/costco-anywhere-visa Wells Fargo Active Cash: https://www.nerdwallet.com/reviews/credit-cards/wells-fargo-active-cash Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card: https://www.nerdwallet.com/reviews/credit-cards/bankofamerica-cash-rewards Norwegian Cruise Line® World Mastercard®: https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/credit-cards/norwegian-cruise-line-card Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: https://www.nerdwallet.com/reviews/credit-cards/capital-one-venture-x Chase Freedom Flex card: https://www.nerdwallet.com/reviews/credit-cards/chase-freedom-flex Resources discussed in this episode: Current Credit Card Transfer Bonuses: May 2025 https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/credit-card-transfer-bonuses Hyatt’s Under Canvas Offer: https://world.hyatt.com/content/gp/en/offers/under-canvas-american-airlines.html?icamp=woh_undercanvasamericanairlinesoffer_Q22025_offerspage_en A First Look at MSC World America: A Family-Friendly Cruise https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/msc-world-america-review Norwegian Aqua Review: ‘Slidecoaster’ Steals the Show https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/ncl-aqua-review Icon of the Seas: Floating Bliss or a Horror at Sea? https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/icon-of-the-seas-floating-bliss-or-a-horror-at-sea Which Is Cheaper: Disney World or a Disney Cruise? https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/travel/disney-cruise-cheaper-than-disney-world Cash Back Credit Cards https://www.nerdwallet.com/h/category/cash-back-credit-cards In their conversation, the Nerds discuss: how to save money on cruises, best cruise credit cards, travel credit cards for cruises, Norwegian Aqua review, MSC World America review, Virgin Voyages Brilliant Lady, Disney cruise vs Disney World, cruise vacation budget tips, best solo cruise lines, and credit cards with travel insurance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Full Episode
Sally, you've spent enough days at sea. I think it's finally time we get the full report on the cruises you just went on.
Megan, I am so excited for this episode. I've been waiting for this. I recently went on two cruises back to back. I was working through the cruises, so I sat with my laptop, ocean views, and then after I was done with work, I got to go to the pool deck, the piano bar. Absolutely fantastic. And a lot of water slides, I think. I saw a ton of photos from those.
Multiple water slides, including a roller coaster water slide called the Aqua Slide Coaster. We will get to that. Whoa.
Okay. But for many travelers, a cruise is the ideal vacation, and they might be surprised to find that it's cheaper than a traditional land vacation. That's exactly right.
We are going to be talking about cruises, but first, the news. Welcome to Smart Travel, a deep dive into the tips, tools, and tactics to maximize your travel dollars. I'm Megan Coyle.
And I'm Sally French. And we're the travel nerds ready to help you plan your next big trip. As always, we'll talk about a few credit card companies that are nerd wallet partners in this episode, but that doesn't influence how we discuss them. The benefits, terms, and fees mentioned were accurate at the time of posting, but things can change.
Some offers may have expired by the time you're listening. For the latest details, follow the links in the episode description.
One of these days, I'm really hoping to start the news section off with something other than bad news about Southwest, Megan. That day is not today, unfortunately. Southwest fares used to have fun names like Wanna Get Away, but now all the fare classes have boring names. Choice, Choice Preferred, and Choice Extra. And don't forget, the basic fare they introduced previously is still there.
The cheaper the fare you buy, the fewer seats you have to choose from when the assigned seating goes into effect.
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