Princess Gift Cards for Shore Excursions?

[PrincessPatti]

Does anyone know if we can use Princess gift cards to purchase shore excursions prior to sailing?  The only options on-line that I see are credit card or PayPal, but I have a gift card I would prefer to use.

 

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Rick&Jeannie]

I do not believe so.  Others have asked this before and the general consensus was that, no-you cannot.  Now...once on-board is *probably* a different story.

[cometjr]

39 minutes ago, PrincessPatti said:

Does anyone know if we can use Princess gift cards to purchase shore excursions prior to sailing?  The only options on-line that I see are credit card or PayPal, but I have a gift card I would prefer to use.

 

Thanks in advance for your help.

I would try asking your TA or if you didn’t use one, call Princess. You can’t do it yourself but an agent might be able to help.

[milolii]

Our CVP applied a GC to a shore excursion for us.  This was about a month ago. 

[Torfamm]

Before sailing it can be done by phone but not on the website. Shore excursions booked onboard are charged to your onboard account. You can have gift cards applied to the onboard account at Guest Services 

[PrincessPatti]

Thanks everyone for your quick responses.  Very much appreciated!

Edited May 6, 2023 by PrincessPatti

[Redwing55]

4 hours ago, Torfamm said:

Before sailing it can be done by phone but not on the website. Shore excursions booked onboard are charged to your onboard account. You can have gift cards applied to the onboard account at Guest Services 

Totally agree with your points.  I guess the software just can't handle all those numbers and a PIN for those gift cards.  So, it's on to the phone I go.  

It was easy to apply gifts cards to on board account.at guest services. One can also buy on board credits with the gift cards, pre cruise.

Edited May 7, 2023 by Redwing55

[Torfamm]

16 minutes ago, Redwing55 said:

Totally agree with your points.  I guess the software just can't handle all those numbers and a PIN for those gift cards.  So, it's on to the phone I go.  

It was easy to apply gifts cards to on board account.at guest services. One can also buy on board credits with the gift cards, pre cruise.

Yes, OBC can also be purchased by phone pre-cruise with gift cards. They are only accepted on the website for cruise fare. 

[CarolCoupon]

Just make sure the gift cards are allocated to each passenger's OBC that you are booking the excursion for. I had gift cards added to cover an excursion, but they ended up only being listed under my name. So I had to call Princess back to divide them between me and my husband. Had no problem using the funds to book the excursion on the website at that point.

I had a TA, but they said Princess had to handle gift cards for this purpose (because it wasn't toward fare).  

I always keep a list of gift card numbers and PINs used on a cruise until it's over, in the unlikely case of a refund/cancellation scenario.

[StarAFire]

On 5/6/2023 at 10:05 PM, Redwing55 said:

Totally agree with your points.  I guess the software just can't handle all those numbers and a PIN for those gift cards.  So, it's on to the phone I go.  

It was easy to apply gifts cards to on board account.at guest services. One can also buy on board credits with the gift cards, pre cruise.

Hi, 

 

This will be my first time cruising w/ Princess and w/ gift cards.  Do I have to wait til like the last day to go to guest services to apply or can I go anytime during the sailing to have it applied to my on board account?  

 

Thanks!

[fpsphil]

11 minutes ago, StarAFire said:

Hi, 

 

This will be my first time cruising w/ Princess and w/ gift cards.  Do I have to wait til like the last day to go to guest services to apply or can I go anytime during the sailing to have it applied to my on board account?  

 

Thanks!

Anytime during the sailing

[chubbypiggy]

On 5/6/2023 at 2:57 PM, Torfamm said:

Before sailing it can be done by phone but not on the website. Shore excursions booked onboard are charged to your onboard account. You can have gift cards applied to the onboard account at Guest Services 

If I have a $500 gift card, but I only need to use $200 of it, when I go to Guest Services to apply the gift card, must the entire amount of the gift card be applied or GS can just apply the exact amount that I want?  Thank you.

[Torfamm]

7 hours ago, chubbypiggy said:

If I have a $500 gift card, but I only need to use $200 of it, when I go to Guest Services to apply the gift card, must the entire amount of the gift card be applied or GS can just apply the exact amount that I want?  Thank you.

I can’t think of any reason why they couldn’t. They can do it by phone.

[chubbypiggy]

10 hours ago, Torfamm said:

I can’t think of any reason why they couldn’t. They can do it by phone.

Thank you.

[beg3yrs]

On 5/11/2023 at 7:25 PM, StarAFire said:

Hi, 

 

This will be my first time cruising w/ Princess and w/ gift cards.  Do I have to wait til like the last day to go to guest services to apply or can I go anytime during the sailing to have it applied to my on board account?  

 

Thanks!

 

On 5/11/2023 at 7:37 PM, fpsphil said:

Anytime during the sailing

fpsphil is correct but Guest Services gets slammed during the last days on the cruise. Best to apply them earlier IMHO.

[fpsphil]

7 hours ago, beg3yrs said:

 

fpsphil is correct but Guest Services gets slammed during the last days on the cruise. Best to apply them earlier IMHO.

My favorite time to go down is late in the evening (after 10 PM)

[StarAFire]

What happens if I add from gift cards, but end up not spending it all?  Do they refund my gift card?  Or do I need to go back to guest service on last day?

 

Thanks

[fpsphil]

6 hours ago, StarAFire said:

What happens if I add from gift cards, but end up not spending it all?  Do they refund my gift card?  Or do I need to go back to guest service on last day?

 

Thanks

Believe it’s standard check in the mail refund. I’d only add as much gift card as you plan to spend or already have spent