My Mom Is Cruising With Oprah Next Month! Here’s How I’m Earning 30,000 Marriott Points Paying for Her Trip

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Holland America designated Oprah Winfrey as “godmother” of the cruise line’s newest ship – Nieuw Statendam.  To celebrate the addition of the 2,666-passenger vessel, Holland America and O, The Oprah Magazine are having a 3-day Girls’ Getaway Cruise to the Bahamas.

Oprah, along with her best friend and O Magazine’s Editor-at-Large Gayle King, announced the exciting voyage on social media back in June.  Be sure to sign-up for our free daily newsletter so you don’t miss out on exciting travel opportunities like this one!

The cruise sold out the same day it was announced.  And despite trying for hours, I was unable to secure a cabin for my mom.  But as luck would have it, my mom was able to get on a waitlist and she just found out this week that a spot opened up!

My mom is a huge Oprah fan, so she’s ecstatic about the opportunity to go on the trip.  Plus, the itinerary starts on my mom’s birthday!  This is definitely a one-of-a-kind cruise with special presentations by Oprah and her team.

My 30,000 Marriott Point AMEX Starwood Small Business Card Retention Offer

Thanks to a sweet retention offer, I was able to benefit by purchasing the trip for my mom.  Before canceling a credit card, I ALWAYS call the number on the back to speak with a representative.  It’s surprising what kind of deals you can get just by asking!

I’ve been considering canceling my Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express.  The card’s $95 annual fee (See Rates & Fees) recently posted to my account, so I called last week to see if there were any offers that made the card worth keeping.  From my experience, these offers are pretty random and depend on your spending activity.  In my case, AMEX offered me 30,000 Marriott points after spending $1,000 in 3 months.  And the cruise purchase was enough to meet this requirement!

The AMEX Starwood small business card also offers a free night award beginning on your first account anniversary.  You can use it at hotels that cost 35,000 points or less.  So between the retention offer bonus points and the annual free night certificate, I’ll definitely keep this card another year!

It’s also a great time to apply for the Starwood Preferred Guest Business Credit Card.  The card currently has a welcome offer of 75,000 Marriott points after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of account opening.  And the card’s $95 annual fee is waived the first year!  Here’s our full review of the AMEX Starwood small business card.