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Holland America Line Rewards Visa® Card Review: A Cruise Rewards Card That Needs More Cruise and More Rewards

Review Updated
Brittney Myers
By: Brittney Myers
Brittney Myers
Brittney Myers
Writer

Brittney started her writing career in the world of science, putting her physics degree to good use. Her journey into finance started with building her personal credit, but soon grew into a borderline obsession with credit cards and travel rewards. For the last 7 years, she has enjoyed the ability to share her expertise with readers, as well as the opportunity to interview companies and individuals making an impact on our financial lives. She wholly believe most problems can be solved with the right research -- and a good spreadsheet -- and she specializes in translating complex financial topics into actionable advice to help educate and empower readers.

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Nathan Alderman
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Nathan Alderman has worked with The Motley Fool since 2005, making errors his arch-enemies in a variety of roles including a six-year stint as the dedicated fact-checker for The Motley Fool's premium newsletter services. As The Ascent's Compliance Lead, he makes sure that all the site's information is accurate and up to date, which ensures we always steer readers right and keeps various financial partners happy. A graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, Nathan spends his spare time volunteering for civic causes, writing and podcasting for fun, adoring his wife, and wrangling his two very large young children.

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Great cobranded travel cards offer unique perks and lots of rewards. The Holland America Line Rewards Visa® Card unfortunately doesn't do much of either, providing no branded perks and lackluster rewards. The intro APR offer is nice, however, as is the lack of foreign transaction fees. See all the pros and cons in our complete Holland America Line Rewards Visa® Card review.

Ratings Methodology

Holland America Line Rewards Visa® Card

Holland America Line Rewards Visa® Card
Rating image, 3.50 out of 5 stars.
3.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Rating image, 3.50 out of 5 stars.
3.50/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Credit Score: Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.
Recommended Credit Score required for this offer is: Good (670-850)
Credit Score Circle with letter I in it. Falling within this credit range does not guarantee approval by the issuer. An application must be submitted to the issuer for a potential approval decision. There are different types of credit scores and creditors use a variety of credit scores to make lending decisions.

Good (670-850)

Intro APR

Balance Transfers: 0% for 15 months

Regular APR

20.24%, 26.24%, or 29.99% (Variable)

Rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn 2 Points per $1 spent on all Holland America Line purchases, including onboard purchases. Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases.

1X-2X points

Annual Fee

$0

Welcome Offer Circle with letter I in it. Earn 20,000 Points after spending $500 within the first 90 days - enough to redeem for a $200 statement credit.

20,000 points

  • You can get better cruise rewards from most travel rewards cards, even a few with no annual fee. This card doesn't even have branded benefits, making it a poor choice for both cruise perks and rewards.

    • Welcome bonus
    • Extra rewards on Holland America cruises
    • No foreign transaction fees
    • Balance transfer offer
    • No annual fee
    • Rewards aren't competitive
    • No brand benefits
    • Balance transfer fee
    • Earn 20,000 Points after qualifying purchases. That’s enough to redeem for a $200 statement credit toward your next cruise purchase.
    • Earn 2 Points per $1 spent on all Holland America Line purchases, including onboard purchases
    • Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
    • Enjoy a 0% introductory APR for 15 months on balance transfers made within 45 days of account opening. After that, a variable APR will apply, 20.24%, 26.24%, or 29.99%, based on your creditworthiness

Credit card comparison

We recommend comparing options to ensure the card you're selecting is the best fit for you. To make your search easier, here's a short list of standout credit cards.

Offer Our Rating Welcome Offer Rewards Program APR Learn More
Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for cash rewards on everyday spending 		$200 cash rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months. 2% cash rewards Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers

Purchases: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening

Balance Transfers: 0% intro APR, 12 months from account opening on qualifying balance transfers

Regular: 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% Variable APR

Apply Now for Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

On Wells Fargo's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
5.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for cash back on rotating categories 		Discover will match all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year. Circle with letter I in it. N/A 1% - 5% Cashback Circle with letter I in it. Earn 5% cash back on everyday purchases at different places you shop each quarter like grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, and more, up to the quarterly maximum when you activate. Plus, earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases—automatically.

Intro:

Purchases: 0%, 15 months

Balance Transfers: 0%, 15 months

Regular: 18.24% - 28.24% Variable APR

Apply Now for Discover it® Cash Back

On Discover's Secure Website.

Rates & Fees External Link Icon

Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
4.00/5 Circle with letter I in it. Our ratings are based on a 5 star scale. 5 stars equals Best. 4 stars equals Excellent. 3 stars equals Good. 2 stars equals Fair. 1 star equals Poor. We want your money to work harder for you. Which is why our ratings are biased toward offers that deliver versatility while cutting out-of-pocket costs.
 = Best
= Excellent
= Good
= Fair
= Poor
Best for unlimited rewards on purchases 		25,000 points Circle with letter I in it. 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases 1.5 points per dollar Circle with letter I in it. Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open.

Intro: Circle with letter I in it. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases. 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the intro APR offer ends, 19.24% - 29.24% Variable APR on purchases and balance transfers will apply. A 3% fee for 60 days from account opening, then 4% fee applies to all balance transfers.

Purchases: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases

Balance Transfers: 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days

Regular: 19.24% - 29.24% (Variable)

Apply Now for Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

On Bank of America's Secure Website.

Full Holland America Line Rewards Visa® Card review

This credit card is a good fit for: Regular Holland America cruisers who want a no annual fee card with no foreign transaction fees.

Top perks

It looks like this card has a lot of perks, but they're not particularly competitive.

Welcome bonus worth 20,000 points

It's always nice to see some kind of welcome bonus on a credit card. And that's true with the Holland America Line Rewards Visa® Card, too. New cardholders can earn an extra 20,000 points bonus points by spending $500 on their new cards within the first 90 days. This is worth $200 in onboard credit (or select statement credits). Although the spending requirement is nice and low, this bonus isn't the best we've seen, even on cards with no annual fee.

Earn extra points on Holland America purchases

The only hint you get that this card has anything to do with cruises is through its rewards. Specifically, the Holland America Line Rewards Visa® Card earns 2x points per $1 on Holland America purchases, and 1x points on other purchases.

In general, you can expect to get about $0.01 per 1 point, so you're looking at an effective 1% on purchases, with 2% total on Holland America purchases. This isn't very competitive. You can get much better rates from just about any travel rewards card. You can even find some cards with no annual fee that will offer at least 2%, if not more, on all of your travel purchases, without limiting you to a single cruise line.

No foreign transaction fees

This card arguably stands out most as a no annual fee option for skipping foreign transactions fees. These are extra fees charged by some cards on transactions in a foreign currency or that route through a foreign bank. Extra fees can add up on a long trip, so having a card with zero foreign transaction fees is a nice way to save a little while traveling. That being said, you can find other no annual fee travel cards without foreign transaction fees that may offer better rewards or other perks.

Introductory APR offer on balance transfers

Although it seems like a quirky perk for a cruise rewards card, the Holland America Line Rewards Visa® Card comes with an intro 0% APR offer on balance transfers. Specifically, new cardholders enjoy 0% APR on balance transfers for the first 15 months. You need to make the transfer within the first 45 days for it to be eligible for the intro rate. There's also a balance transfer fee (more on that below).

No annual card fee

Sure, there are times and places to pay a credit card annual fee. But this card certainly isn't one of them -- so it's a good thing it doesn't charge an annual fee. Not only are the rewards not worth it, but neither are any of the other card perks. On the plus side, if you get this card specifically for your Holland America spend, it won't matter if you don't use it much since you aren't paying a high annual fee just to keep it open each year.

Access to concierge service

If you like to travel (and if you're considering this card, I'd say that's a given), there's a good chance you'll be able to make use of this helpful benefit. With the Holland America Line Rewards Visa® Card, you'll get access to a concierge service that can assist with all your travel planning needs -- from dining reservations to hotel stays and even theater and other events tickets.

What could be improved

There are several ways this card could be made better.

Redeeming rewards can be complicated

While you have plenty of options to redeem your Holland America points -- you can redeem for everything from statement credit to gift cards to cruise discounts -- none of them are very straightforward. For example, you can only redeem points for statement credits toward specific purchases.

Additionally, the value you get for your rewards depends on how you redeem them. Gift cards and discounts can have varying values, as can statement credits. If you redeem for eligible airfare or World's Leading Cruise Line cruises, you get $0.01 per 1 point. However, if you redeem for Holland America Line credits, you can get up to $0.025 per 1 point; the catch is that you need to redeem more than $4,001 in rewards to get that rate.

No Holland America branded perks or onboard extras

Usually, the benefit of a cobranded card is that you get some sort of unique brand benefits. Airline cards, for instance, often give you free checked bags or lounge access. Other than the slightly better rewards rate on Holland America purchases -- and the big boat on the front of the card -- it's hard to tell this is a cruise rewards card at all. It would be really nice if they included special onboard perks like exclusive cardholder events.

Balance transfer fee

Although this wouldn't be our first choice for a balance transfer card, the intro APR offer is fairly decent. The downside? The balance transfer fee. The Holland America Line Rewards Visa® Card has a high balance transfer fee of 5% (min. $5) that applies to each transfer. If you're really in need of a balance transfer card, consider checking out some of our other top picks that offer lower or proportional balance transfer fees. It can make a difference.

Suggested credit score

The Holland America Line Rewards Visa® Card is issued by Barclays, and the bank doesn't publish its credit requirements. It isn't known as an overly strict issuer, but you'll probably want at least good credit -- a score of 670 or higher -- for the best chances of being approved.

The Holland America Line Rewards Visa® Card is right for you if:

Overall, this card might be alright if you're really looking for a no annual fee card with no foreign transaction fees. Otherwise, you can earn more rewards -- yes, even on cruises -- and a better bonus with many other travel cards. Even the balance transfer intro offer isn't worth using if you can qualify for a card with a lower transfer fee. See all of the other options in our credit card reviews.

Our credit card methodology

At The Motley Fool Ascent, we rate credit cards on a five-star scale (1 = poor, 5 = best). Our rating criteria includes rewards rates, welcome bonuses, fees, and perks like travel credits and 0% intro APR offers to evaluate our ratings.

We combine these factors with an evaluation of brand reputation and customer satisfaction to ensure you're getting the best card recommendations. Learn more about how The Ascent rates credit cards.

FAQs

  • TheHolland America Line Rewards Visa® Card is issued by Barclays.

  • The points earned with the Holland America Line Rewards Visa® Card can be redeemed for statement credit toward eligible airfare or branded cruise purchases. It can also be used toward onboard credits and select gift cards.

  • In general, points are worth $0.01 each, however the specific value you get will depend on how you choose to redeem your rewards.