Spending Carnival Gift Cards

[plane2port]

This following is from a recent blog post. I hope the information is helpful to those of you who would like some information on how to use Carnival gift cards!

 

My most popular posts are about how to get discounted Carnival gift cards, but getting the cards is only half the equation. There are a few quirks to spending them, and I will outline these in this post.

 

Before You Board

 

You can use the gift cards to pay for a cruise. You may use them if you are booking online on the Carnival website, and you may also use them if you've called Carnival to book your cruise. You can also use them while booking with a third-party travel agency. They can be used for the deposit and also to make payment towards the cruise.

You may also use them to pay for shore excursions and spa treatments before you take your cruise. You may not use them to prepay for drink packages and gratuities. But don't worry, you can pay for these using the gift cards while on board.

 

While On Board

 

Bring your gift cards with you on your cruise to load onto your on board account. There are three opportunities to do this. As you're checking in at the pier, ask the agent to load the card(s) onto your account. There are self-service kiosks where you can load your on board account. And you can always get guest services to load your account at the desk. Once the money is on your account it can be used for any expenditure, including chips at the casino and gratuities. If you don't spend all the money on your account, the balance will be refunded to you.

 

My Recent Experience Using the Gift Cards

 

Before we recently went on a short cruise on the Carnival Sensation, I had purchased a discounted gift card through AARP. When we checked in, I asked the agent to load my on board account with the gift card. She said that she was having problem with her machine, and asked if I could load it later on the ship. Later on that day, I found a kiosk near the coffee bar, but the "load" feature was not working at that time. I went down to the guest services area and tried the kiosk there, but that feature was also disabled on that machine. I went to guest services, and they were able to easily load it there.

 

 

With the gift card, and the on board shareholder's credit, we had more money on our account than we wanted to spend. On the last day of the cruise, I stood in the long line at guest services to cash out. When I finally got to the front of the line, I was told I could only cash out $28, and the rest would be refunded to my gift card (caution, this last part is not true.) The reason for the split is that the funding of the account came from two sources--the gift card and the shareholder's credit. I got my $28 in cash and enjoyed the rest of my final evening on the cruise.

 

 

When I got home, I went online to see check the balance of my gift card. On the page to do this, you are asked for the PIN number, which I never had been given. I called the number on the back of my gift card, and the CSR I reached said that I would be mailed a check for the balance remaining on my account. I asked her to check again, because the agent on board the ship had told me that I would receive a credit back on the gift card. She put me on hold and said that she would check. When she came back on after a few minutes, she said that a check had not been mailed out yet, so this would indicate that I would be receiving the credit on a NEW gift card. I did receive the new card a few days after I returned from the cruise with the correct amount on it.

 

 

I have several Carnival gift cards in my files now, and I've written their values on the cards with a black Sharpie. I'm sure I'll have several more in inventory before my next Carnival cruise.

Edited December 26, 2015 by plane2port

[crooooze]

Thank you. I was wondering how that would work. Good post.

[ready2cruzagain]

This following is from a recent blog post. I hope the information is helpful to those of you who would like some information on how to use Carnival gift cards!

 

My most popular posts are about how to get discounted Carnival gift cards, but getting the cards is only half the equation. There are a few quirks to spending them, and I will outline these in this post.

 

Before You Board

 

You can use the gift cards to pay for a cruise. You may use them if you are booking online on the Carnival website, and you may also use them if you've called Carnival to book your cruise. You can also use them while booking with a third-party travel agency. They can be used for the deposit and also to make payment towards the cruise.

You may also use them to pay for shore excursions and spa treatments before you take your cruise. You may not use them to prepay for drink packages and gratuities. But don't worry, you can pay for these using the gift cards while on board.

 

While On Board

 

Bring your gift cards with you on your cruise to load onto your on board account. There are three opportunities to do this. As you're checking in at the pier, ask the agent to load the card(s) onto your account. There are self-service kiosks where you can load your on board account. And you can always get guest services to load your account at the desk. Once the money is on your account it can be used for any expenditure, including chips at the casino and gratuities. If you don't spend all the money on your account, the balance will be refunded to you.

 

My Recent Experience Using the Gift Cards

 

Before we recently went on a short cruise on the Carnival Sensation, I had purchased a discounted gift card through AARP. When we checked in, I asked the agent to load my on board account with the gift card. She said that she was having problem with her machine, and asked if I could load it later on the ship. Later on that day, I found a kiosk near the coffee bar, but the "load" feature was not working at that time. I went down to the guest services area and tried the kiosk there, but that feature was also disabled on that machine. I went to guest services, and they were able to easily load it there.

 

 

With the gift card, and the on board shareholder's credit, we had more money on our account than we wanted to spend. On the last day of the cruise, I stood in the long line at guest services to cash out. When I finally got to the front of the line, I was told I could only cash out $28, and the rest would be refunded to my gift card (caution, this last part is not true.) The reason for the split is that the funding of the account came from two sources--the gift card and the shareholder's credit. I got my $28 in cash and enjoyed the rest of my final evening on the cruise.

 

 

When I got home, I went online to see check the balance of my gift card. On the page to do this, you are asked for the PIN number, which I never had been given. I called the number on the back of my gift card, and the CSR I reached said that I would be mailed a check for the balance remaining on my account. I asked her to check again, because the agent on board the ship had told me that I would receive a credit back on the gift card. She put me on hold and said that she would check. When she came back on after a few minutes, she said that a check had not been mailed out yet, so this would indicate that I would be receiving the credit on a NEW gift card. I did receive the new card a few days after I returned from the cruise with the correct amount on it.

 

 

I have several Carnival gift cards in my files now, and I've written their values on the cards with a black Sharpie. I'm sure I'll have several more in inventory before my next Carnival cruise.

The highlighted part is incorrect. I just used my Carnival Gift Card to pay for my gratuities. I called Carnival and told them I wanted to pay my gratuities for our cruise next month and gave them the GC number. No problem whatsoever.

[Sundiego]

Thank you so much for this post. I came here to do a search about this and didn't have to... your very helpful post was right there on page 1!

 

We are buying gift cards through Amazon using our Chase 10% cash back which expires 12/31. Didn't want to over-buy and was curious what happens if we don't use all the $$.

 

Thanks again for your timely post!

 

~Denise

[plane2port]

The highlighted part is incorrect. I just used my Carnival Gift Card to pay for my gratuities. I called Carnival and told them I wanted to pay my gratuities for our cruise next month and gave them the GC number. No problem whatsoever.

 

Thanks for your input, and I'm glad you were able to do this! However, this is contrary to the terms and conditions that are listed on the Carnival website. Here's a cut-and-paste from their FAQ:

 

How do I use the Carnival Gift Card?

A: The Carnival Gift Card is simple to use ? it may be applied online (at http://www.carnival.com) as payment toward a cruise reservation, pre-purchased shore excursion or spa experience using the 16 digit card number, or the gift card can be redeemed onboard as payment toward an Onboard Sail and Sign account.

 

I would be interested to hear from others who had success in using their gift cards to prepay gratuities. If several of you have done this, I'll change my blog post.

[naz022292]

When we booked our cruise, we had them add the prepaid gratuities. That was just added to our final payment amount due. We paid off the entire balance of our cruise with the discounted (Verizon) gift cards. This final payment included the gratuity.

[cruizinisthebest]

Thanks for your input, and I'm glad you were able to do this! However, this is contrary to the terms and conditions that are listed on the Carnival website. Here's a cut-and-paste from their FAQ:

 

How do I use the Carnival Gift Card?

A: The Carnival Gift Card is simple to use ? it may be applied online (at http://www.carnival.com) as payment toward a cruise reservation, pre-purchased shore excursion or spa experience using the 16 digit card number, or the gift card can be redeemed onboard as payment toward an Onboard Sail and Sign account.

 

I would be interested to hear from others who had success in using their gift cards to prepay gratuities. If several of you have done this, I'll change my blog post.

 

I don't know if that information is old or what, but two cruises in a row I used gift cards to prepay my gratuities and not even a blink. It's totally allowed. And they weren't rolled into my total cost. I paid them for two cabins after the balance was paid in full.

 

As for buying the drink packages, you can't buy them or anything else in advance from the fun shops online, but you can use gift cards that you load onto your onboard account to pay for anything onboard - including Cheers and bottomless bubbles.

Edited December 26, 2015 by cruizinisthebest

[firemanbobswife]

Yes I have used gift cards to both prepay my gratuities as well as use them to pay them when they are added to my onboard account.

 

My past 3 cruises have been paid for exclusively with gift cards including gratuities.

[ImaginationCruiseBride]

We have used our gift cards (always buy them 10% from Verizon) to pay off our entire balance including gratuities, excursions, airfare, hotel, and ground transfers through our PVP. It is all lumped on one invoice so we basically saved ~$1200 on our upcoming Mediterranean cruise ~$12,000 total.

[lcgvol]

On our cruise this past March I had both OBC and Carnival gift cards for my on board spending account. We were not able to use it all and I was told by guest services that we would receive the amount left back in a gift card. About a week and a half later, I received a check for $200.

 

And I didn't know they even came with pin numbers. I used them tonight to pay my balance online and she asked for the pin number. I scratched off the box to the right of the number and there it was! Who knew?

Edited December 26, 2015 by lcgvol
needed to add something else

[plane2port]

This is great information, folks! So we have plenty of evidence that you can pay gratuities ahead of time with the gift cards. Are you all calling to get the credit applied or are you doing it online?

[firemanbobswife]

I call my PVP and have him do it over the phone.

[cruizinisthebest]

This is great information, folks! So we have plenty of evidence that you can pay gratuities ahead of time with the gift cards. Are you all calling to get the credit applied or are you doing it online?

 

Unless gratuities are added in at the initial booking, then you can't do it online. You must call. I use a TA and call him to get it done.

[ready2cruzagain]

Unless gratuities are added in at the initial booking, then you can't do it online. You must call. I use a TA and call him to get it done.

^^^^This! And if added to initial booking you can still use a GC to pay the gratuities.

[ImaginationCruiseBride]

I do ours through our PVP....she is amazing!

[dchoney]

This was very helpful information. We received gift cards for Christmas and now I don't have to do a search to find out how to use them. We leave on January 2nd!!!

[NHNEV2003]

When we booked our cruise, we had them add the prepaid gratuities. That was just added to our final payment amount due. We paid off the entire balance of our cruise with the discounted (Verizon) gift cards. This final payment included the gratuity.

 

This is what we did as well for our recent cruise--the prepaid gratuities were part of the total owed and I used gift cards to pay off the entire post-deposit balance owed.

[N7786W Flyer]

Thanks for your input, and I'm glad you were able to do this! However, this is contrary to the terms and conditions that are listed on the Carnival website. Here's a cut-and-paste from their FAQ:

 

How do I use the Carnival Gift Card?

A: The Carnival Gift Card is simple to use ? it may be applied online (at www.carnival.com) as payment toward a cruise reservation, pre-purchased shore excursion or spa experience using the 16 digit card number, or the gift card can be redeemed onboard as payment toward an Onboard Sail and Sign account.

 

I would be interested to hear from others who had success in using their gift cards to prepay gratuities. If several of you have done this, I'll change my blog post.

 

 

I've used my gift cards multiple times to pay for gratuities, but I've always done it at the time of booking the cruise (and when booking, I usually pay in full...along with gratuities). I've never called CCL and used the gift cards after booking, but suppose this would be possible.

 

Garnett

[mitsugirly]

 

I would be interested to hear from others who had success in using their gift cards to prepay gratuities. If several of you have done this, I'll change my blog post.

 

We have used them to add to our onboard account, which was used for gratuities and no problems. It's the same as using cash.

[RaiderFaninNM]

I have read several posts that one can "cash out" at the kiosks instead of waiting for either a gift card with the remaining balance to be mailed or a check, very inconsistent here in how they handle the remaining balance.

[EBONI325]

I have read several posts that one can "cash out" at the kiosks instead of waiting for either a gift card with the remaining balance to be mailed or a check, very inconsistent here in how they handle the remaining balance.

 

Yes, you are right about them being very inconsistent, on my last cruise on the Liberty in Aug, I was told on the last day when i tried to cash out that whatever I didn't use by the end of the day would be lost, since it was only $33 I didn't worry to much about it. About 2 weeks after I returned home I received a check for the $33.

[ready2cruzagain]

Yes, you are right about them being very inconsistent, on my last cruise on the Liberty in Aug, I was told on the last day when i tried to cash out that whatever I didn't use by the end of the day would be lost, since it was only $33 I didn't worry to much about it. About 2 weeks after I returned home I received a check for the $33.

I think Carnival needs to read the GC FAQ's:rolleyes:

 

Q: Can I receive a refund on any unused portion of the Carnival Gift Card amount that was applied towards my Sail and Sign account while onboard?

A: Any unused portion or overage of the Gift Card that was applied toward your Sail and Sign account will be issued in the form of another Carnival Gift Card.

 

https://www.carnivalgiftcards.com/FAQ.aspx

 

 

 

.

[plane2port]

Before I change my post, I just want to clarify a few points. See if y'all agree with the following statements:

 

1. If you add gratuities with your original booking, you can pay off your balance online using gift cards.

 

2. If you add gratuities later after the original booking you can pay them off with gift cards by calling.

 

And, of course, you can pay gratuities by adding them to your sign and sail while onboard.

[FlaMommy75]

When I was on the Pride last year I just went to the kiosk and cashed out the rest of the money on the account the last day.

 

Also, I paid my entire balance online with gift cards, including the gratuity which was added in the total (we always choose anytime dining).

Edited December 27, 2015 by FlaMommy75

[tandemcruzr]

We have used them to add to our onboard account, which was used for gratuities and no problems. It's the same as using cash.

 

This is exactly what we've done on our last 4 cruises. We went to Guest Services and they applied them to our account -- gratuities, on board purchases, etc..

 

Never had any left over. (Boo-Hoo.)

Edited December 28, 2015 by tandemcruzr