HAL gifts cards at a discount

[Euby]

NEWS FLASH!!!

AARP now has Holland America gift cards available in $100 and $500 increments available at a 10% discount for AARP members.
 

https://www.aarp.org/rewards/redeem/#sort-by=default&type=filter_travel

 

If you aren't an AARP member, another way to save is by having a Target Red Card.  This allows you to buy gift cards online and instore from Target at a 5% discount.

Every little bit of savings helps...

[BobbiSox]

Thanks for that info! It's always nice to be able to save few dollars. Appreciate the tip. 🥰

[Mary229]

If you have discover card you can buy at Target April through June and receive a 5% discount (cash back award)

[Rascal Brown]

How do you use the gift cards to pay final balance in your cruise?  

[smokesmom]

40 minutes ago, Rascal Brown said:

How do you use the gift cards to pay final balance in your cruise?  

I went online at the HAL website to my booking and then to the section - "manage payment" When the page came up and showed me the remaining balance and the payment options - I chose pay with gift cards. You are allowed to enter 10 gift cards at one time. The process is a little tedious but the website accepted all my gift cards and I paid off the cruise.

[SKCruiser007]

46 minutes ago, Rascal Brown said:

How do you use the gift cards to pay final balance in your cruise?  

Your travel agent has to call in the card ID numbers and pins. If you're using a PCC, contact them. And if you booked direct, you would call HAL.

[zgscl]

7 hours ago, Rascal Brown said:

How do you use the gift cards to pay final balance in your cruise?  

It depends on how you booked. If you did it directly you can make the payment online. If you did PCC to TA you have to go through them. 

[IPB4IGO]

On 4/2/2022 at 1:06 AM, Euby said:

NEWS FLASH!!!

AARP now has Holland America gift cards available in $100 and $500 increments available at a 10% discount for AARP members.
 

https://www.aarp.org/rewards/redeem/#sort-by=default&type=filter_travel

 

If you aren't an AARP member, another way to save is by having a Target Red Card.  This allows you to buy gift cards online and instore from Target at a 5% discount.

Every little bit of savings helps...

Thanks for posting this. I have now purchased the max of five cards and will buy some more next month to be ready for the July final payment date on our October cruise. Since AARP simply discounts the cards 10% rather than issuing a bunch of $25 bonus cards, there are a lot few cards and numbers to use when redeeming them.

 

I checked with our TA regarding how to use the cards and she said that "You call the gift cards in just like a credit card". 

[vicd1969]

One huge advantage to getting the discount up front instead of bonus cards is that the bonus cards usually have expiration dates. I basically gave HAL an interest free loan for about a year when my bonus gift cards purchased in 2020 expired at the end of 2021.

[Overhead Fred]

On 4/21/2022 at 3:45 PM, Rascal Brown said:

How do you use the gift cards to pay final balance in your cruise?  

 

On 4/21/2022 at 10:51 PM, zgscl said:

It depends on how you booked. If you did it directly you can make the payment online. If you did PCC to TA you have to go through them. 

I have not had a problem making final payment online using gift card for cruises booked through our PCC. 

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

When does it end ????

[sandiego1]

1 hour ago, Gail & Marty sailing away said:

When does it end ????

May 8 oops that’s for the gift cards on the HAL site through BuyaTab. I don’t know about AARP

Edited April 26, 2022 by sandiego1

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

34 minutes ago, sandiego1 said:

May 8 oops that’s for the gift cards on the HAL site through BuyaTab. I don’t know about AARP

Thanks

[zgscl]

I tried to buy one and got the notification from Amex that the transaction went through. About an hour later I got an email from HAL saying they could not complete the transaction and to please call them. 

[grest]

all three of my major credit cards initially refused the transaction.....until I got in touch with them.   subsequently I ordered and received a $500 card by email, and 2 for $25.   Yesterday I ordered the same, and got my $500 card and only one for $25, despite my receipt indicating that I would get two.   So my job today is to try to have that fixed...(sorry about the underline, messed up!)

 

[TheEmerson]

On 4/26/2022 at 11:37 AM, Overhead Fred said:

 

I have not had a problem making final payment online using gift card for cruises booked through our PCC. 

Same here, I also booked via a PCC but paid online to redeem all the gift cards.  

[IPB4IGO]

2 hours ago, TheEmerson said:

Same here, I also booked via a PCC but paid online to redeem all the gift cards.  

How were you able to redeem your gift cards online if you booked through a TA? HAL's web site won't let me do that. 

[craftygrandma]

You can redeem the bonus cards online, but the gift card must be done by the TA.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

55 minutes ago, craftygrandma said:

You can redeem the bonus cards online, but the gift card must be done by the TA.

If you are booked with a TA then all cards must be called in by TA even bonus cards if you are applying toward a balance of your cruise. If you want to purchase Ship Board credit with the Gift cards or Gift Card bonus cards you can do that on line. I beleive you can also use them to pay for Shore Excursions or Dining reservations as well. 

[kazu]

2 hours ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

If you are booked with a TA then all cards must be called in by TA even bonus cards if you are applying toward a balance of your cruise. If you want to purchase Ship Board credit with the Gift cards or Gift Card bonus cards you can do that on line. I beleive you can also use them to pay for Shore Excursions or Dining reservations as well. 

 

You are absolutely correct on everything.  You can use them for anything you order pre-cruise.  

[IPB4IGO]

1 hour ago, kazu said:

 

You are absolutely correct on everything.  You can use them for anything you order pre-cruise.  

Now that opens up some possibilities--saving 10% on the daily gratuities (whatever they are calling them now), beverages pre-ordered to the cabin, Internet plans, specialty restaurant bookings, and more.

 

Thanks! I'll need to order more cards. We have three cruises coming up yet this year.

[sandiego1]

I tried to use the gift cards to prepay crew incentive. It wasn’t allowed on the HAL site - only credit cards. I use the gift cards to buy OBC I steady 

[TwinMommyByGrace]

On 4/2/2022 at 1:06 AM, Euby said:

NEWS FLASH!!!

AARP now has Holland America gift cards available in $100 and $500 increments available at a 10% discount for AARP members.
 

https://www.aarp.org/rewards/redeem/#sort-by=default&type=filter_travel

 

If you aren't an AARP member, another way to save is by having a Target Red Card.  This allows you to buy gift cards online and instore from Target at a 5% discount.

Every little bit of savings helps...

Thank you so much for this information.  Final payment is coming up on one of my summer cruises so it will save me $360 in total! If you were going to be on my ship I would buy you a drink! Thanks again for passing along the information!

[brovol]

Does anyone have the direct link to the AARP cards?  The original post has a link to the AARP rewards page, but I cant find the HAL gift cards through that link.

[travelbug615]

44 minutes ago, brovol said:

Does anyone have the direct link to the AARP cards?  The original post has a link to the AARP rewards page, but I cant find the HAL gift cards through that link.

 

 

 

I got the above link to work today and was able to buy 5 cards.  You do have to log into an AARP account first

 

Edited May 2, 2022 by travelbug615