Jump to content

AARP Carnival Gift Cards


helene109
 Share

Recommended Posts

I agree with Petersonfcu.  I have ordered an AARP card or two for $100 but I do not like the E cards.  I am worried about them being compromised somehow.  It may be paranoid-   In fact, even with the Allstate cards, I write on each card that I use- with the booking number and date I applied it to the cruise. Then I put them altogether in a drawer and do not discard them until after the cruise is over.  Just a precaution after the giftcard fiasco.  🙂

 

Edited by pjhootch
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

40 minutes ago, pjhootch said:

I agree with Petersonfcu.  I have ordered an AARP card or two for $100 but I do not like the E cards.  I am worried about them being compromised somehow.  It may be paranoid-   In fact, even with the Allstate cards, I write on each card that I use- with the booking number and date I applied it to the cruise. Then I put them altogether in a drawer and do not discard them until after the cruise is over.  Just a precaution after the giftcard fiasco.  🙂

 

pj, I call that doing your due diligence. Kudos to you for doing that. 👍

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Petersonfcu said:

Now that was funny.  Thanks for the laugh!

 

I must've missed the joke. Why is it so funny when someone says they have to save up money to buy more cards?

 

3 hours ago, Petersonfcu said:

1)  I buy and use a lot of these cards, and it would take me forever to accumulate what I want at $100/month (even if I got my wife, brother, and cat their own AARP  accounts . . . ).

 

I guess that's a response to my comment yesterday that people can create a spousal account for an additional gift card every month. Yes, we know you buy a lot of cards. You already told us that you'll probably buy more than $10,000 worth of gift cards this year. We get it, you buy a lot. But here's the thing...we don't need to buy $10,000 worth to know the monthly limit sucks. I'm not trying to convince anyone that AARP is great now. I've been very vocal against the new AARP Rewards and what they did to the Carnival cards. I've said many times that the monthly limit practically renders them unusable in that so many of us often need more than $100/month to pay off cruise balances and extras. But they do still serve a purpose for some people. Being able to use two separate accounts obviously doesn't make AARP cards ideal. That's not why I posted that. But it could help someone, even if it's just a little bit. In fact, we recently took advantage of it in order to buy some last minute Cruise Cash. So it has its uses and it's worth putting it out there in case anyone wants to do it. That's why I posted it.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not concerned about the gift cards we use to pay on the cruise balance itself. We know each payment transaction is accepted, otherwise Carnival would address it well before the cruise. They're going to make sure they got their money. I do, however, like to keep copies of order confirmations for all the additional things we buy, like internet, excursions, what have you, and I will hold onto those gift cards. At least until I know I'm actually getting what we paid for once we're onboard.

 

The old AARP Rewards for Good and Allstate Rewards used to sell e-cards all of the time. Back then, I think a majority of people actually preferred them. We often didn't have a choice because oftentimes that's all they'd stock. No one ever had a problem with the e-cards themselves. It wasn't until AARP switched to a new fulfillment company that people were getting them without PIN's, but I think HelloWorld was to blame for that and not the fact that they were e-cards.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Organized Chaos said:

I'm not concerned about the gift cards we use to pay on the cruise balance itself. We know each payment transaction is accepted, otherwise Carnival would address it well before the cruise. They're going to make sure they got their money. I do, however, like to keep copies of order confirmations for all the additional things we buy, like internet, excursions, what have you, and I will hold onto those gift cards. At least until I know I'm actually getting what we paid for once we're onboard.

 

The old AARP Rewards for Good and Allstate Rewards used to sell e-cards all of the time. Back then, I think a majority of people actually preferred them. We often didn't have a choice because oftentimes that's all they'd stock. No one ever had a problem with the e-cards themselves. It wasn't until AARP switched to a new fulfillment company that people were getting them without PIN's, but I think HelloWorld was to blame for that and not the fact that they were e-cards.

 

 

I know you are right.  I just am a bit obsessive probably. 😉.   Kind of like I need to check for passports five or six times before I get on the plane to travel.  ha ha

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

I must've missed the joke. Why is it so funny when someone says they have to save up money to buy more cards?

 

 

I guess that's a response to my comment yesterday that people can create a spousal account for an additional gift card every month. Yes, we know you buy a lot of cards. You already told us that you'll probably buy more than $10,000 worth of gift cards this year. We get it, you buy a lot. But here's the thing...we don't need to buy $10,000 worth to know the monthly limit sucks. I'm not trying to convince anyone that AARP is great now. I've been very vocal against the new AARP Rewards and what they did to the Carnival cards. I've said many times that the monthly limit practically renders them unusable in that so many of us often need more than $100/month to pay off cruise balances and extras. But they do still serve a purpose for some people. Being able to use two separate accounts obviously doesn't make AARP cards ideal. That's not why I posted that. But it could help someone, even if it's just a little bit. In fact, we recently took advantage of it in order to buy some last minute Cruise Cash. So it has its uses and it's worth putting it out there in case anyone wants to do it. That's why I posted it.

Please chill. NONE of what I posted was directed at you.  And as I said at the end of my post "to each his own."   And I am sure that others buy large amounts of these cards, not just me.  And others have bought cruises for more than $2,000 with these cards, not just me.  So leave me alone on that please, just ignore it from now on if it bothers you.  And, yes, my wife and I both have AARP accounts and have used them before to buy cards, the cat thing was not directed at you.  

 

As for this: "Also still working on accumulating enough cash to buy the gift cards I still need!"  I assumed the poster was riffing on this statement: "Also still working on accumulating enough points to buy the gift cards I still need!" which I and others are always doing, scrounging for points.  So I thought that poster was trying to be funny.  If not, I apologize to that poster.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Petersonfcu
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Petersonfcu said:

. . .

 

As for this: "Also still working on accumulating enough cash to buy the gift cards I still need!"  I assumed the poster was riffing on this statement: "Also still working on accumulating enough points to buy the gift cards I still need!" which I and others are always doing, scrounging for points.  So I thought that poster was trying to be funny.  If not, I apologize to that poster.

 

 

No apology necessary.  I didn't take it as an insult.  Happy sailing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, bury me at sea said:

 

No apology necessary.  I didn't take it as an insult.  Happy sailing.

Dang BMAS you are one of the last persons I would want to insult.  You are a valuable code poster!!  I am glad you weren't insulted.

  

Anyways, I have reviewed some of my older posts and can see why they may be grating to some people.   So have decided to only post messages of thanks from here on out.  And of course the occasional code, as on rare occasions I can contribute that way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Petersonfcu said:

Please chill. NONE of what I posted was directed at you.  And as I said at the end of my post "to each his own."   And I am sure that others buy large amounts of these cards, not just me.  And others have bought cruises for more than $2,000 with these cards, not just me.  So leave me alone on that please, just ignore it from now on if it bothers you.  And, yes, my wife and I both have AARP accounts and have used them before to buy cards, the cat thing was not directed at you.  

 

As for this: "Also still working on accumulating enough cash to buy the gift cards I still need!"  I assumed the poster was riffing on this statement: "Also still working on accumulating enough points to buy the gift cards I still need!" which I and others are always doing, scrounging for points.  So I thought that poster was trying to be funny.  If not, I apologize to that poster.

 

 

 

 

 

I think you need to "chill" with trying to show off how much money you have. It is so arrogant! Every other post you mention how much you spend or how much you have.

 

13 minutes ago, Petersonfcu said:

Anyways, I have reviewed some of my older posts and can see why they may be grating to some people.   So have decided to only post messages of thanks from here on out.  And of course the occasional code, as on rare occasions I can contribute that way.

Thank you!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Petersonfcu said:

Please chill. NONE of what I posted was directed at you.  And as I said at the end of my post "to each his own."   And I am sure that others buy large amounts of these cards, not just me.  And others have bought cruises for more than $2,000 with these cards, not just me.  So leave me alone on that please, just ignore it from now on if it bothers you.  And, yes, my wife and I both have AARP accounts and have used them before to buy cards, the cat thing was not directed at you.

 

When you specifically reference a comment that I made (i.e. secondary AARP Rewards accounts) and I was literally the only one who mentioned it, I think it's understandable to assume your response was directed at me. Reading your 3-point post, I felt like you were under the impression I was somehow trying to say that the ability to create a spousal account and buy two cards/month made it all better. That's not what I was saying at all. I just wanted to let people know that it was an option.

 

Yes, others have bought a lot of gift cards and expensive cruises with them, but the difference is, they don't feel the need to brag about it in this thread. There's a few people on the forum who love bragging about it and it's just a huge pet peeve of mine. Thankfully, it's something that hasn't been prevalent in this thread. A little over a month ago, not long after you joined this thread, you felt it was necessary to say someone here was no longer funny, they were just irritating. That's the kind of thing we've managed to avoid in this thread for a long time. So if I didn't seem "chill" to you, there's a reason for it. What's so great about this thread is that it's been a refuge from the usual garbage that gets thrown around every day in so many other threads. We've been lucky enough to have a group of people gather here who just want to talk about gift cards, help each other out, and have a good time. I, for one, don't want to see that change.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, pjhootch said:

I know you are right.  I just am a bit obsessive probably. 😉.   Kind of like I need to check for passports five or six times before I get on the plane to travel.  ha ha

 

There's nothing wrong with being careful. I guess another way to put it is that I know if Carnival doesn't call me to tell me we shorted them some money, then I know the gift cards processed just fine and I don't need to worry about them. Then there's the other cards that we use to buy extras. I'll hold onto those until I know we got our money's worth. For example, when we buy internet or Cruise Cash, I want to make sure we get what we paid for before I'm willing to pitch the cards.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, PrincessArlena'sDad said:

So on the allstate rewards main page, it now says this:

 

image.png.520b982a794b57229cedec451cc6ad0c.png

 

How do they figure 37%?  I'd like to get in on that sale! Is there something somewhere I'm not seeing?  

 

That's odd. I mean, retailers always get sneaky with that "up to" X% off. Hey, the sign says 50% off. No, it says "up to" 50% off. Then there's usually only one crappy item in the store that's actually 50% off when all the rest don't even come close. But with Allstate, they've only ever sold for 10% off. So yeah, where the heck does the 37% come from?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, PrincessArlena'sDad said:

So on the allstate rewards main page, it now says this:

 

image.png.520b982a794b57229cedec451cc6ad0c.png

 

How do they figure 37%?  I'd like to get in on that sale! Is there something somewhere I'm not seeing?  


I just assumed it was something for policy holders. It’s been there for awhile. It was a few weeks ago that I saw it.
 

 

 

Edited by Saint Greg
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Saint Greg said:

I just assumed it was something for policy holders. It’s been there for awhile. It was a few weeks ago that I saw it.

 

You're probably right. They'd lose all kinds of money selling cards for 37% off. They'd have to be getting it back in other ways, like through their policy holders. But that sure would be sweet...a $500 card for $315. The best I've seen was 15% off and no one's done that for a couple years.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

You're probably right. They'd lose all kinds of money selling cards for 37% off. They'd have to be getting it back in other ways, like through their policy holders. But that sure would be sweet...a $500 card for $315. The best I've seen was 15% off and no one's done that for a couple years.

 

Yeah those ones you used to be able to buy on eBay. I think I got a 15% off one there. Those were the days.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/22/2020 at 7:43 AM, Saint Greg said:


I just assumed it was something for policy holders. It’s been there for awhile. It was a few weeks ago that I saw it.
 

 

 

As a policy holder, I am getting the same 10% savings as everyone else.  I have no idea how to save 37%!?!   When I click on it, it takes me to the 3 carnival gift cards with the 10% savings.  🤔

Maybe they are referring to the "special offers" gift cards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by E@syPe@zy
Clarification
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, E@syPe@zy said:

As a policy holder, I am getting the same 10% savings as everyone else.  I have no idea how to save 37%!?!   When I click on it, it takes me to the 3 carnival gift cards with the 10% savings.  🤔

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well I remember the lady on the monstrosity who said she was able to earn free cards. I'm wondering if they average in those free ones policy holders earn with the 10% off ones they buy and come out with a 37% number.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Saint Greg said:

 

Well I remember the lady on the monstrosity who said she was able to earn free cards. I'm wondering if they average in those free ones policy holders earn with the 10% off ones they buy and come out with a 37% number.

Sorry...I just edited my previous post.  I believe they are referring to "all" gift cards offered,  including the "special offers" gift cards...the ones they are having a hard time selling.  

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, Umbrae Noctem said:

I'm still having the," Upgrade Your Account" page. Tried escalating the issue, no luck so far. I have even tried to  make a new account with no luck, I came up with a ridiculously unique username, still says it's already taken. Anyone else having this issue? 

Do you already have a username?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, n6uqqq said:

Do you already have a username?

Yes, When I try to login into my account it says, "Upgrade Your Account" After I put my birth month and year in, the Site takes me to a page that says, "Unable to Proceed: our online system is unable to complete your registration with the information provided" I can look at my points on the app, that's as far as I can get. I can't redeem, or gain anymore points. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, Umbrae Noctem said:

Yes, When I try to login into my account it says, "Upgrade Your Account" After I put my birth month and year in, the Site takes me to a page that says, "Unable to Proceed: our online system is unable to complete your registration with the information provided" I can look at my points on the app, that's as far as I can get. I can't redeem, or gain anymore points. 

Usually this means you need to delete the cookies for the allstate website, then retry. OR go into incognito mode on your browser and retry. I have this problem if I log in then log out and try to go back again without closing the browser.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

28 minutes ago, Umbrae Noctem said:

I'm still having the," Upgrade Your Account" page. Tried escalating the issue, no luck so far. I have even tried to  make a new account with no luck, I came up with a ridiculously unique username, still says it's already taken. Anyone else having this issue? 

When I had this problem I tried all kinds of things on my end. Nothing worked. I waited MONTHS.  Kept trying every few weeks. Finally called and still nothing fixed it. Escalated to next level like you. Next day I got an email saying it had been assigned. Took about 3-4 more days then I got another email saying the problem was fixed. No explanation of what was wrong but it’s worked since then. Actually waiting on my first card delivery today. Now I have the “Null” problem😂

Edited by lennythenose
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...