United allows loyalty program members to use points for cruises
United Airlines recently announced that members of its MileagePlus loyalty program can redeem points for a cruise.
Points can be redeemed for cruises on more than 24 lines, including Disney, Carnival, Princess, Holland America and Norwegian.
It also includes luxury lines such as AmaWaterways, Cunard, Crystal Cruises, Seabourn and Viking River Cruises, according to the United Cruises website.
So what do cruises cost in points? It varies widely depending on which line you choose and where you go.
For example, a three-day cruise to the Bahamas aboard the Disney Dream starts at 52,588 miles for an interior cabin, 54,706 miles for an ocean-view room, 59,647 miles for a balcony room and 108,706 miles for a suite. Those are points for each person, based on double occupancy.
It costs a lot more miles for luxury sailings. A seven-night cruise to Amsterdam on the AmaSonata, for example, starts at 313,765 miles per person for an ocean-view room, the website says.
How good a value this is depends on which cruise you pick and whether you have points to burn. The PointsGuy website didn’t feel the return (points per mile valued in dollars) was good on the cruises it tested.
In addition, MileagePlus members also can earn points by booking cruises through United Cruises.
Info: cruises.mileageplusmileageplus.com, (800) 474-2052.
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