How do add Carnival gift cards to sign & sail account?

[mz-s]

This is the first time we've had carnival gift cards.

 

We have $200 worth that we want to use onboard our next sailing next month. If it matters, it's two $100 cards. The cruise is already paid for in full of course. During online check-in, I funded our sign & sail with our credit card as we always do. We'd like to use these gift cards first (along with our usual few bucks in refunds for port fee differences and our $25 we got when we booked during a promotion) before our credit card starts being billed.

 

Do we put them into the kiosk? Do we give them to the person at the port at check-in? Do we have to take them to the guest services desk?

 

Uncharted territory for us...thanks!

[shof515]

Do we put them into the kiosk?

YES

 

Do we give them to the person at the port at check-in?

It might be possible, but in general it is better if you leave things as is and check in normally with the credit card. by leaving everything as is, it can speed up the check in process

 

Do we have to take them to the guest services desk?

Yes if the kiosk gives you problems

[blarko]

You can do it any of the ways you’ve mentioned. I haven’t had good luck applying them at the kiosk and end up going to guest services. I have also had them applied right at checkin at the port, no problem at all.

[rabbit72]

We have used them several times and only 1 time we were able to use at the kiosk it seemed to give us issues so we just went to service desk and they always take care of it.

[1GaPeach]

On the carnival website it states that the kiosk only accepts cash and credit cards to add money. Also states to take GCs to guest services to apply to your account. 
 

sounds like applying at the kiosk is iffy. 

[mz-s]

Thanks folks, I'll try at checkin and if no luck there looks like I'll have to do the guest services desk. Learn something new every day. Maybe from now on we'll use the gift cards for paying the fare. The timing just didn't work out this time for that though.

[blarko]

If you do end up going to GS to apply them, just keep in mind that you don’t have to do it the minute you get on the ship.  If I have to go to GS, I usually wait til about midway through cruise when there’s nobody in line.  As long as you get them applied before the end of the cruise, you’re good.

[Ellaleah]

I woukd probably use the cards at guest services the night before the cruise ends.  Wouldn’t that also be an option.

[mz-s]

Just now, blarko said:

If you do end up going to GS to apply them, just keep in mind that you don’t have to do it the minute you get on the ship.  If I have to go to GS, I usually wait til about midway through cruise when there’s nobody in line.  As long as you get them applied before the end of the cruise, you’re good.

 

Oh yes we usually make Freeport our "stay on the ship" day since we've seen all we care to see there. We will do it then if we haven't done it before.

 

Good point that they don't actually charge the credit card until we debark, so as long as the gift cards are applied before then it'll all come out in the wash.

[mz-s]

1 minute ago, Ellaleah said:

I woukd probably use the cards at guest services the night before the cruise ends.  Wouldn’t that also be an option.

 

Yes and we may end up doing that depending on how much we end up charging. We might save one of the cards for a later cruise. Thanks!

[blarko]

3 minutes ago, Ellaleah said:

I woukd probably use the cards at guest services the night before the cruise ends.  Wouldn’t that also be an option.

 

I did that ONE time and won’t make that mistake again. The line on the last day of the cruise is never ending long due to all the people removing their gratuities 😡

[Joe817]

3 minutes ago, blarko said:

 

I did that ONE time and won’t make that mistake again. The line on the last day of the cruise is never ending long due to all the people removing their gratuities 😡

On the other hand, one of the first things I did when we got on board(even before my first FunShip Special!) was. to go to G. S. and put our 2 x $100 G.C,'s on our S&S account. There was only 1 person in front of me, and that lasted all of 1 or 2 minutes, literally! Sure glad I did. Peace of mind the entire cruise! It's worth it! 

[Mrgoodbar]

Couldn’t you just buy cruise cash online?

[pe4all]

Our first stop when we got on the ship is to go to Guest Services to add on  gift cards to our account.  There is usually no line there at that time.  5 minutes later and we are done.  Just make sure you get a receipt and keep the gift cards just in case there is a problem later on, which happened once to us.

[1GaPeach]

6 hours ago, Mrgoodbar said:

 

6 hours ago, Mrgoodbar said:

Couldn’t you just buy cruise cash online?

This is an option if you are sure you would spend it all.  CC is non refundable where as if there is $ left on a GC, you can get that balance given back to you in the form of a GC

[Linda the Book Lover]

Thanks for the gift card information. 

[rufflesmom]

18 hours ago, mz-s said:

This is the first time we've had carnival gift cards.

 

We have $200 worth that we want to use onboard our next sailing next month. If it matters, it's two $100 cards. The cruise is already paid for in full of course. During online check-in, I funded our sign & sail with our credit card as we always do. We'd like to use these gift cards first (along with our usual few bucks in refunds for port fee differences and our $25 we got when we booked during a promotion) before our credit card starts being billed.

 

Do we put them into the kiosk? Do we give them to the person at the port at check-in? Do we have to take them to the guest services desk?

 

Uncharted territory for us...thanks!

I would suggest either going to a kiosk or guest services once onboard the ship.  One time I added cash at check-in (I had set up S&S with a credit card).  The lady somehow changed it to a cash account, I did not know this.  When the cash was used I was cut off.  I had to go to GS to find out what happened and then give GS the credit card info again.  Nothing is going to be charged to your credit card until after you leave the ship anyway so it isn't an urgent matter to add the gift cards.

[Schoifmom]

On 1/11/2020 at 9:12 PM, mz-s said:

Thanks folks, I'll try at checkin and if no luck there looks like I'll have to do the guest services desk. Learn something new every day. Maybe from now on we'll use the gift cards for paying the fare. The timing just didn't work out this time for that though.

 

It seems as though you expect to use all $200 and then some.  I would avoid all the lines and just purchase Cruise Cash.  If you don't use all of that, it is the same method of cashing it out as gift cards, using the Casino Trick.

[mz-s]

12 hours ago, Schoifmom said:

 

It seems as though you expect to use all $200 and then some.  I would avoid all the lines and just purchase Cruise Cash.  If you don't use all of that, it is the same method of cashing it out as gift cards, using the Casino Trick.

 

Well we really don't know. Other than the steakhouse one night maybe and a few drinks here and there (we're not big drinkers), I can't see us spending much. We've been to the ports of call many times so we usually just stay on the ship, or get off and walk around for an hour or so and get back on. We will probably wait until midway through the cruise and redeem at guest services is what I'm thinking.

[bahacca]

My guess is they got the gift cards at 10% off. You cannot get deals on cruise cash.

[DQGal]

There are several stores here in Ohio that sell gift cards for discounts off of gas.  When my daughter built her house, they purchased  Lowes gift  cards from Kroger  and earned  themselves several free tanks of gas. Maybe poster bought them for gas points, that's what we do.

[stellarose]

we actually did this on the second day. we had a 100 dollar gift card.  however, when our excursion to Cozumel was canceled and they reimbursed us- they used the reimbursement first bf the gift card and would not let us "cash" out at the end.  why would you use money from day 4 over day 1? 

 

we did get it our money back. we had 110 back from what we did not spend for the week. 

 

guest services was very good. 

[Hsmama]

On 1/11/2020 at 9:25 PM, blarko said:

 

I did that ONE time and won’t make that mistake again. The line on the last day of the cruise is never ending long due to all the people removing their gratuities 😡

people do that???? that sounds wrong

[stellarose]

oh the line was long. 

 

[pacruise804]

On 1/14/2020 at 9:37 AM, stellarose said:

we actually did this on the second day. we had a 100 dollar gift card.  however, when our excursion to Cozumel was canceled and they reimbursed us- they used the reimbursement first bf the gift card and would not let us "cash" out at the end.  why would you use money from day 4 over day 1? 

 

we did get it our money back. we had 110 back from what we did not spend for the week. 

 

guest services was very good. 

 

I think the order of funds used is non-refundable OBC (which would include Cruise Cash), refundable OBC (like your excursion refund), then method of payment on file - first pulling applied gift cards, then cash, then charging any balance.  It wouldn't matter when the funds were applied as much as how they viewed the funds.

 

Gift cards are refundable as gift cards, not as cash.  The work around is to use the funds at the casino and cash out your winnings (which is whatever is left after pulling the slots a few times).  Otherwise you should receive the balance (if over $10) back as a gift card within 2 weeks - generally quicker - of your cruise.  That to me is the negative of gift cards: you need to know you will cruise Carnival again.