Using AARP Gift Cards

[Organized Chaos]

5 hours ago, SarahJeanneSays said:

I just purchased 5 $100 AARP gift cards yesterday to pay off my Aug. 31st cruise and today I received an email that they will be shipped "Signature Required".  I try to save anywhere I can so $50 is awesome.  I will purchase more in a few weeks to use for our Bottomless Bubbles packages and to have money as OBC.

 

Yeah, anytime you order $500 or more worth of cards, they're shipped via UPS and require a signature. Under $500 are shipped Postal and don't need a signature.

 

For ones shipped UPS, some people use the UPS app to have them re-routed to a UPS store if they know they won't be home to sign for them. I think I've even seen someone say they're able to sign for it electronically from the app (not sure).

[teknoge3k]

6 minutes ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

Yeah, anytime you order $500 or more worth of cards, they're shipped via UPS and require a signature. Under $500 are shipped Postal and don't need a signature.

 

For ones shipped UPS, some people use the UPS app to have them re-routed to a UPS store if they know they won't be home to sign for them. I think I've even seen someone say they're able to sign for it electronically from the app (not sure).

 

Anyone can create a free UPS account and digitally sign for anything. I always do this in case I'm not home. That way UPS doesn't hold my packages hostage. 

[RumpunchGirl]

I had mine shipped to my work place, which is a bank. Someone is there Monday thru Saturday. So even if I'm not there, my lovely co-workers can sign for me. 

[MrsGrohl]

This may sound like a silly question but: How/where do you purchase AARP gift cards? I visited the AARP website and didn't see anything.

Thank you in advance.

[cloudninecat]

8 minutes ago, MrsGrohl said:

This may sound like a silly question but: How/where do you purchase AARP gift cards? I visited the AARP website and didn't see anything.

Thank you in advance.

www.aarp.org/rewards-for-good You take quizes and earn points toward 10% off the gift cards. 

Edited May 15, 2019 by cloudninecat

[MrsGrohl]

Thank you so much!! I actually already have 8,500 points (who knew lol).

[alleghator]

I just used cards to pay off one of our two cabins. I've ordered enough cards to pay off the second cabin as well, but they may not arrive in time. If they don't, I'll just use them for the Cheers package and to put onto our S&S accounts. Every little bit of savings counts!

[Border Granny]

42 minutes ago, alleghator said:

I just used cards to pay off one of our two cabins. I've ordered enough cards to pay off the second cabin as well, but they may not arrive in time. If they don't, I'll just use them for the Cheers package and to put onto our S&S accounts. Every little bit of savings counts!

If it helps any, I ordered a card on the 8tth and received it yesterday, the 15th.

[cruzincat50]

On 5/14/2019 at 12:48 PM, cruise_mojo said:

we got 5 100's and one 500 just before sailing on a royal cruise in april ( yea carnival cards from aarp ) they were shipped together 

 

we just changed an existing booking over the phone for next march where we went  from a 5 day to a 7 day cruise where we had a 300 deposit and were going up to a 7 day and I just used two cards over the phone with the number called in and pin easy peasy

 

now,, on our last carnival cruise in march I did witness a PO"d passenger that had just loaded a card onto her sail and sign acct a couple days before the end of the cruise or maybe just the day before - I suspect she was trying to be cute and get the cash out of the card at the end - anyway she was pitching a fit to get a refund from the actual chief purser on the ship on debarkation day ( we were stil on board for B2B cruising ) He was telling her that a check would be mailed from corporate for her refund in a couple weeks and he couldn't refund the money since it was from a gift card 

 

SHE WAS NOT HAPPY! 

 

ANYWAY her non loss was our gain since we had waited to be called down for our b2b stuff and since she was bellyaching about me being in line there at the platinum  and the purser wanting to wait on me ( I just wandered over to the atrium bar since I knew she was blowing a gasket ) the guy went to the bartender and gave us a bottle of moet & chandon! woo woo!    the bar wasn't even open yet even though I had my boarding papers which was ticking me off already anyway 

 

 

I understood that they send you another gift card with the balance on it.  If that's true won't she be surprised when it arrives and she finds out she will have to book another cruise to get it?

Edited May 16, 2019 by cruzincat50

[Organized Chaos]

19 minutes ago, cruzincat50 said:

I understood that they send you another gift card with the balance on it.  If that's true won't she be surprised when it arrives and she finds out she will have to book another cruise to get it?

 

Normally that's how it works. But it sounds like the person cruise_mojo is talking about complained enough, so they said they'd mail her a check instead.

 

If that woman had only been a CC user, she would've known to cash out in the casino and avoid all the frustration. 🙂

[SouthernIllnoiscruisers]

Does anyone know if I will need to sign for the cards?  I have ordered 3 $100 cards. I read that you have to sign for the $500 ones so I wasn't sure.

[teknoge3k]

8 minutes ago, SouthernIllnoiscruisers said:

Does anyone know if I will need to sign for the cards?  I have ordered 3 $100 cards. I read that you have to sign for the $500 ones so I wasn't sure.

No, you will not. You only sign if it's $500+

[kdunn6]

Exactly how does cashing out at the casino work?

Grandson got several carnival gift cards for graduation, maybe more then he will spend.

[Organized Chaos]

22 hours ago, SouthernIllnoiscruisers said:

Does anyone know if I will need to sign for the cards?  I have ordered 3 $100 cards. I read that you have to sign for the $500 ones so I wasn't sure.

 

Just to clarify, you have to sign for any order amounting to $500 and above, not just the $500 cards.

 

9 hours ago, kdunn6 said:

Exactly how does cashing out at the casino work?

Grandson got several carnival gift cards for graduation, maybe more then he will spend.

 

He'll add his gift cards to his S&S account once y'all get on board, either at Guest Services or one of the self-serve kiosks. To cash out, you add your funds (from your S&S card) to your Player's Bank at a slot machine, play a round or two, then cash out at the cage. It's important to play at least once to make it look like you're actually playing instead of just using the casino to cash out gift cards. Obviously, he'll have to be old enough to gamble to do this (18 on the ship). If not, I guess you could do it for him, but I'm not sure how strictly they watch & enforce inserting someone else's S&S card into a slot machine. Someone who frequents the casino might be able to answer that.

[MrsGrohl]

Can these gift cards be used for pre purchasing things like shore excursions, bottomless bubbles, and cheers?
Thank you in advance,

Laurie :)

[n6uqqq]

22 minutes ago, MrsGrohl said:

Can these gift cards be used for pre purchasing things like shore excursions, bottomless bubbles, and cheers?
Thank you in advance,

Laurie 🙂

 

Yes indeed!

[Schoifmom]

24 minutes ago, MrsGrohl said:

Can these gift cards be used for pre purchasing things like shore excursions, bottomless bubbles, and cheers?
Thank you in advance,

Laurie 🙂

Absolutely.  I use them for EVERYTHING Carnival 🙂

 

[alleghator]

Well, my latest cards order didn't arrive in time to pay off the second cabin on our August cruise, but I used part of it to buy the Cheers package for myself and my husband. Saving an additional 10% definitely makes it worthwhile for us. Now I'm making an estimate of our additional S&S expenses (gratuities, Chef's Dinner, casino, arcade, etc) in order to order enough cards to apply to our accounts when we board.

[n6uqqq]

59 minutes ago, alleghator said:

Well, my latest cards order didn't arrive in time to pay off the second cabin on our August cruise, but I used part of it to buy the Cheers package for myself and my husband. Saving an additional 10% definitely makes it worthwhile for us. Now I'm making an estimate of our additional S&S expenses (gratuities, Chef's Dinner, casino, arcade, etc) in order to order enough cards to apply to our accounts when we board.

 

If your payment was big enough to be worth it you can call and apply the gift cards and they will return your original form of payment. I have had a 1000 dollar credit charge given back and paid with gift cards after the fact, saving 100 dollars. It wasn't a big deal to do.

[SarahJeanneSays]

I ordered 5 $100 gift cards on 05/14 and they arrived yesterday via UPS signature required. 

[n6uqqq]

18 minutes ago, SarahJeanneSays said:

I ordered 5 $100 gift cards on 05/14 and they arrived yesterday via UPS signature required. 

 

Why would you order 5 100 dollar cards when one 500 dollar card would have saved you on shipping? I know the amount is not much but why pay more? If you are doling them out to different people it would make sense. That cost a whopping $2.36 more to ship 😄

Edited May 22, 2019 by n6uqqq

[Schoifmom]

4 hours ago, n6uqqq said:

 

Why would you order 5 100 dollar cards when one 500 dollar card would have saved you on shipping? I know the amount is not much but why pay more? If you are doling them out to different people it would make sense. That cost a whopping $2.36 more to ship 😄

Maybe $500 cards weren't available.  Maybe she's giving them to multiple people.  Maybe it's just easier for her.  Does it really matter?

[n6uqqq]

24 minutes ago, Schoifmom said:

Maybe $500 cards weren't available.  Maybe she's giving them to multiple people.  Maybe it's just easier for her.  Does it really matter?

 

It doesn't matter but thanks for your concern!

[SarahJeanneSays]

Maybe I just didn't see the $500 option.

[RumpunchGirl]

We just ordered another $100 one for our S & $ account. We don't buy Cheers so it will help pay off some of the beverages we drink.😉