AARP Rewards eGift Cards

[Daniel A]

I recall this topic coming up on CC from time to time over the years.  I would expect that sometime next month more will come available.  We just need to have patience.  I also am only half way through getting the cards for my next Princess cruise.

[Rick&Jeannie]

On 9/26/2022 at 3:03 PM, Thrak said:

I have hesitated to sign up for AARP as I don't want to be inundated with (even more than I get now) a bunch of email or texts. I've seen any number of postings online about avalanches of "offers" when people have signed up for AARP. Is this a valid concern?

Just FYI...

I don't know if I've got a particular email preference in place but I get *maybe* 1 email a month from AARP. I've heard others say that same thing...about getting covered up with unwanted email; I just scratch my head and wonder why I don't see it.

[Wishing on a star]

Ohhh no!!!

Since AMEX has not really been having any 'offers', and now AARP!

 

Princess, please get it together, and make some of these offers available again, like all the other major cruise lines do.

 

With all of these things, all the way up to corporate..  Are they actually trying to drive guests away?

Edited Monday at 08:23 PM by Wishing on a star

[MacMadame]

Wow, I bought the last cards to pay off my cruise just a few days ago. I guess I lucked out!

[BlerkOne]

Of course they will be back. Not the first or last time. I try not to wait until final payment is due to purchase.

[CruiseLifeIsTheBest]

Agree @BlerkOne  There are times the cards disappear, I assume because they have sold out for the month. This topic was discussed a few days ago in another gift card post. 
 

No need to panic yet. If your cruise is Alaska next year, sounds like you have some time. Keep checking the site and good luck!

 

[JGmf]

I understand the disappointment regarding not being able to buy discounted gift cards, but what's in it for Princess if the ships would otherwise be booked?

[BlerkOne]

4 minutes ago, JGmf said:

I understand the disappointment regarding not being able to buy discounted gift cards, but what's in it for Princess if the ships would otherwise be booked?

Discounted gift cards can help increase spending. Both for a cabin and also on the ships.

[Torfamm]

Where did you see that they no longer have access to Princess gift cards? I don't see that information anywhere. They've certainly sold out in the past but always appear again.

[Arizona Wildcat]

8 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

Discounted gift cards can help increase spending. Both for a cabin and also on the ships.

?????  If Princess can sell all its cabins for X dollars; how would it benefit from accepting 5-8% less?

I agree that AARP has often not had gift cards at the end of a month.   Tomorrow is the first day of October. 

[pompeii]

There are two other current threads that discuss this topic, and both have posts quoting chats with AARP agents who say the cards have been discontinued, sounds like for good.  I'm also hoping that it's just an end of month thing, since I have 4 cruises to pay off, but the agents don't make it sound promising. 

[Bgwest]

With this, there are now 3 threads on the same subject. 

 

 

 

Edited Monday at 09:29 PM by Bgwest

[CruiseLifeIsTheBest]

28 minutes ago, pompeii said:

There are two other current threads that discuss this topic, and both have posts quoting chats with AARP agents who say the cards have been discontinued, sounds like for good.  I'm also hoping that it's just an end of month thing, since I have 4 cruises to pay off, but the agents don't make it sound promising. 

Well  this is disappointing but we shall see.  I just chatted AARP and was told they are discontinued with no plans to have them return. 
 

Again,

We shall see. 

[BlerkOne]

1 hour ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

?????  If Princess can sell all its cabins for X dollars; how would it benefit from accepting 5-8% less?

I agree that AARP has often not had gift cards at the end of a month.   Tomorrow is the first day of October. 

A cabin upgrade might be tempting. someone might get sucked into the casino for a few thousand more. or upgrade to a premier package. or a more expensive shore excursion.

 

A number of gamblers get free or seriously discounted cabins. What if Princess could sell those at retail? Yes, the casino may pay something for the cabins, but surely less than what the general public could purchase them for.

[DANCING GRANDMOMMY]

1 hour ago, Torfamm said:

Where did you see that they no longer have access to Princess gift cards? I don't see that information anywhere. They've certainly sold out in the past but always appear again.

This doesn't copy well but it is a copy of my chat

• 

[Ellipooh]

2 hours ago, MacMadame said:

Wow, I bought the last cards to pay off my cruise just a few days ago. I guess I lucked out!

Same here. 
Sad development. The discount really made a difference on my upcoming 28-day cruise. 

Edited Monday at 10:49 PM by Ellipooh

[dreaminofcruisin]

So...they still have Carnival and Holland America, but not Princess.

John Padgett strikes again?

[BlerkOne]

Princess and AARP are not the only places to purchase Princess gift cards 

[DANCING GRANDMOMMY]

41 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

Princess and AARP are not the only places to purchase Princess gift cards 

Would you share the other places to purchase discounted gift cards, please.

[Torfamm]

On 9/26/2022 at 3:03 PM, Thrak said:

I have hesitated to sign up for AARP as I don't want to be inundated with (even more than I get now) a bunch of email or texts. I've seen any number of postings online about avalanches of "offers" when people have signed up for AARP. Is this a valid concern?

We’ve been members for years and get very few emails from them

[BlerkOne]

24 minutes ago, DANCING GRANDMOMMY said:

Would you share the other places to purchase discounted gift cards, please.

I didn’t say discounted, but Newegg sometimes discounts Carnival cards, perhaps they will occasionally discount Princess.

The retailers that sell gift cards must get some sort of discount or there wouldn’t be an incentive for them to sell the cards.

 

 

[Bgwest]

29 minutes ago, DANCING GRANDMOMMY said:

Would you share the other places to purchase discounted gift cards, please.

Following

[Thrak]

10 hours ago, beg3yrs said:

I just posted on a more recent thread pretty much the same thing. Only it was a "Chat" on the AARP website and the agent was not as definite about the cards being permanently gone.

 

I will be pretty bummed if they are permanently gone. I have saved many thousands of dollars using the discounted cards. I have three cruises currently booked and have paid for maybe half of the first one with discounted cards but have paid nothing at all on the other two. I was definitely planning on paying the entire cost  of all three - including the airfare to Ireland and airfare home from Florida - using the discounted cards from AARP. Other cruise lines still show cards available - and at the old 10% discount - but Princess cards no longer show on the site. GAH!!!

[bhawks9]

Big time bummer if the gift cards go away permanently!   

[Host Kat]

FYI to all reading this thread:

 

Over the years there have been numerous threads on the same topic that have been merged into this one thread. I just merged in two more. That way, all the replies will be in one place. Due to the Cruise Critic software, all posts in this newly merged thread are in post date/time order.

 

Happy sails,

 

Host Kat