Gift cards can not be used to purchase??

[seaoma]

1 hour ago, Roz said:

To clarify,  I bought OBC with my gift cards to cover crew gratuities.  I wasn't able to prepay the gratuities directly using gift cards. 

 

Yes, you said that much better than I did in my post.

[BermudaBound2014]

I want to purchase the internet package using gift cards prior to boarding  since it's more expensive if I wait.  Is it correct that I should call guest services at 800.541-1576 and ask for the gift card department? They can help me? I'd like to pre-purchase some dining also and spa treatments. Should I put everything in my HAL cart, purchase the gift cards, then call?? 

 

I can easily wait until onboard to use the gift cards to purchase OBC to apply toward gratuities, but how do I do that for items I want to purchase ahead of the cruise?

 

Thanks for your guidance. 

Edited July 28, 2023 by BermudaBound2014

[kazu]

27 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

I want to purchase the internet package using gift cards prior to boarding  since it's more expensive if I wait.  Is it correct that I should call guest services at 800.541-1576 and ask for the gift card department? They can help me? I'd like to pre-purchase some dining also and spa treatments. Should I put everything in my HAL cart, purchase the gift cards, then call?? 

 

I can easily wait until onboard to use the gift cards to purchase OBC to apply toward gratuities, but how do I do that for items I want to purchase ahead of the cruise?

 

Thanks for your guidance. 

 

If you have bought the gift cards, you can do it on line on the HAL site.

 

you just need to click the box for the gift cards and start typing them and their pin in.  there will be running total showing you what you have left to pay.

there’s a good post earlier in this thread showing the spot if you are unfamiliar with it but it’s not hard, honest.

[crystalspin]

29 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

I want to purchase the internet package using gift cards prior to boarding  since it's more expensive if I wait.  Is it correct that I should call guest services at 800.541-1576 and ask for the gift card department? They can help me? I'd like to pre-purchase some dining also and spa treatments. Should I put everything in my HAL cart, purchase the gift cards, then call?? 

That is what I would do, Cheryl, but not speaking as something I have done. Just what makes sense to me (which isn't always what actually IS).

 

ETA: I bow to Jacqui's experience, disregard the above!

Edited July 28, 2023 by crystalspin

[BermudaBound2014]

4 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

If you have bought the gift cards, you can do it on line on the HAL site.

 

you just need to click the box for the gift cards and start typing them and their pin in.  there will be running total showing you what you have left to pay.

there’s a good post earlier in this thread showing the spot if you are unfamiliar with it but it’s not hard, honest.

 

Thank you! With your encouragement I went back in and FOUND the elusive little drop down arrow (In retrospect it wasn't that elusive, I'm just a dork)..

 

Anyway...Here is it highlighted for easy access to others. It's at the top of the page when you go to pay.

 

 

 

 

 

And if you click the little down arrow it looks like this. You can even check your gift card balances:

 

[kazu]

5 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

Thank you! With your encouragement I went back in and FOUND the elusive little drop down arrow (In retrospect it wasn't that elusive, I'm just a dork)..

 

Yay 👏 👏. You’re not a dork at all - I had to struggle the first time I did it, too 😉 

 

thanks for giving a helpful explanation to others 👍 

 

 

 

[kochleffel]

You can definitely use gift cards to purchase internet services --  I did it this afternoon.

BUT, on the website, add-ons can't be purchased with a combination of a gift card and a credit cards. Either the entire amount has to be paid by gift cards, or none of it.

 

OTOH, payment for a booking can be made with a combination.

[Mary229]

16 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

I want to purchase the internet package using gift cards prior to boarding  since it's more expensive if I wait.  Is it correct that I should call guest services at 800.541-1576 and ask for the gift card department? They can help me? I'd like to pre-purchase some dining also and spa treatments. Should I put everything in my HAL cart, purchase the gift cards, then call?? 

 

I can easily wait until onboard to use the gift cards to purchase OBC to apply toward gratuities, but how do I do that for items I want to purchase ahead of the cruise?

 

Thanks for your guidance. 

 

16 hours ago, kochleffel said:

You can definitely use gift cards to purchase internet services --  I did it this afternoon.

BUT, on the website, add-ons can't be purchased with a combination of a gift card and a credit cards. Either the entire amount has to be paid by gift cards, or none of it.

 

OTOH, payment for a booking can be made with a combination.

Adding if you have one non-payable item in cart it won’t allow you to proceed.  Remove the offending item and definitely you can buy internet. 

[MikeD4134]

On 7/28/2023 at 11:47 AM, cruisemom42 said:

Well then, that renders Gift Cards relatively useless if one doesn't want to use toward cruise purchase price (at the risk of not being covered by insurance) and one can't use them for things like HIA or Gratuities...

 

I have read my Cancelation Policy twice today and see no reduction in benefits for paying the cruise fare with gift cards.  The cruise fare cancelation costs are what is covered.

[BermudaBound2014]

1 hour ago, MikeD4134 said:

I have read my Cancelation Policy twice today and see no reduction in benefits for paying the cruise fare with gift cards.  The cruise fare cancelation costs are what is covered.

 

What cancellation policy are you using? Not all (any?) policies will reload gift cards. Many insurance policies will only reimburse for things purchased with cash or credit card. A gift card from AARP doesn't code as travel and applying it is third person vendor.

 

Several threads ongoing on this topic. I've personally spoken with two insurance agents on the subject and have been given a hard 'no' in terms of gift card application being refunded/reloaded. YMMV. I would make the call and read the fine print on your actual contract (the agreement that comes after you have purchased the insurance). Look for language that looks like this:

 

Typically insurance policies will offer a grace period for you to review the actual terms and conditions (which are much more detailed than the what is listed when you purchase the policy). This is to allow you to cancel the insurance without penalty once you really read the fine print since the devil is in those details.

 

Personally, I'm confident that the gift cards would not be reloaded under the trip insurance coverage I use (Chase Sapphire Preferred). Again, YMMV, but please do your due diligence and not just assume that gift cards will be reloaded. I love the gift cards and use them for all refundable purchases (gratuity, shore excursion, casino, obc, etc..). Because if I need to cancel, those monies are refundable. I do not use gift cards for any part of the cruise that is non-refundable after final payment. 

 

PS: I know I must sound like a broken record, but I was surprised when I uncovered that gift cards are not covered under my trip insurance policy and don't want others to make the same assumptions I almost did. 

Edited July 29, 2023 by BermudaBound2014

[POA1]

Just a little question. Would anyone from the AARP gift card thread or from the AARP OBC thread check in with the people who think the Have It All fares are driving up the cost of specialty dining? 😉

[mwj]

On 7/28/2023 at 6:27 PM, cwd79 said:

FYI - I wasn't aware but I wanted to buy OBC for our upcoming cruise using gift cards but HAL website wouldn't allow me to buy more than $1500 in OBC. Not sure if that's the norm or not?

This must have changed in the past six months as we purchased about $1800 OBC using gift cards in January. 

[Ken the cruiser]

One question if I may. If we purchase the HAL AARP gift cards and use them to help pay down our cruise fare and then decide to cancel the cruise PRIOR to the final payment date, will the applicable funds be reloaded to the HAL AARP gift cards they came from? 

 

When we post them to our PCL cruises, the answer is yes, the gift cards will be reloaded. However, if we post them to our Celebrity bookings, the answer is no, as the Celebrity AARP gift card funds become nonrefundable as soon as we posted them to our Celebrity booking.

 

I couldn't find that information listed in the HAL Gift Card T&C.

 

Gift Card Terms and Conditions (hollandamerica.com)

 

[boulders]

@Ken the cruiser I can't answer for the whole cruise, but I've had several instances on my upcoming cruise where HAL has cancelled port stops where I had one of their shore excursions booked or just cancelled one of my shore excursions. The  shore excursion funds show up on the gift card I used for payment in about 4 or 5 days. In one instance, even though the itinerary had been changed to a different port, HAL didn't cancel out the shore excursions from the port we weren't going to, even after several weeks. So, I eventually cancelled it myself. The funds showed up on the gift card in the same time frame as the other cancellations. 

[BermudaBound2014]

11 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

One question if I may. If we purchase the HAL AARP gift cards and use them to help pay down our cruise fare and then decide to cancel the cruise PRIOR to the final payment date, will the applicable funds be reloaded to the HAL AARP gift cards they came from? 

 

When we post them to our PCL cruises, the answer is yes, the gift cards will be reloaded. However, if we post them to our Celebrity bookings, the answer is no, as the Celebrity AARP gift card funds become nonrefundable as soon as we posted them to our Celebrity booking.

 

I couldn't find that information listed in the HAL Gift Card T&C.

 

Gift Card Terms and Conditions (hollandamerica.com)

 

 

There have been reports that HAL has reloaded gift cards in the past. Personally, I would need to see that policy in writing before I purchase a significant dollar amount of gift cards thru HAL. 

 

CCL's financials are precarious at best, and if they file for protection under Ch 11 or Ch 7, the gift cards will likely become worthless (as recently happened with Bed Bath and Beyond). I thought nothing of paying for a cruise with discounted gift cards pre-covid when the industry was stable. Now, I'm much more cautious. 

 

To protect myself from this possibility (and admittedly, I'm conservative financially); I pay for my cruise with money that can be refunded AND is protected by my  trip insurance. We have already determined in many other threads that gift cards are not protected by the trip insurance offered thru Chase credit cards (which many of us use). 

 

I pay for things which are automatically  refunded in the event of a cancellation with gift cards (think spa, shore excursions, internet, gratuities). Even that is a calculated risk. All gift cards should come with a disclaimer, 'consumer beware'.

 

 

 

With all that said,  the first line of the terms and conditions on the gift card link you provides gives me pause. 

 

 

 

 

The definition of closed loop prepaid cards from market business: 

 

 

 

 

However the definition from Investopedia reads differently and adds the word 'usually" which means in some instances the CAN be reloaded. Think starbucks. It's a closed loop gift card, but it can be reloaded. We should note that reloaded and refunded may also have different interpretations. 

 

 

And then there are these two lines which come from the HAL gift card terms and conditions themselves:.

 

 

 

 

 

We know that HAL is not consistent in how they apply rules (AARP as the latest inconsistency I can think of). I believe HAL has refunded gift cards in the past. I'm just not convinced they are required to do so in the future. No matter how you cut it, all gift cards have some risk and like any business decision it comes down to risk tolerance. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BermudaBound2014]

17 minutes ago, boulders said:

@Ken the cruiser I can't answer for the whole cruise, but I've had several instances on my upcoming cruise where HAL has cancelled port stops where I had one of their shore excursions booked or just cancelled one of my shore excursions. The  shore excursion funds show up on the gift card I used for payment in about 4 or 5 days. In one instance, even though the itinerary had been changed to a different port, HAL didn't cancel out the shore excursions from the port we weren't going to, even after several weeks. So, I eventually cancelled it myself. The funds showed up on the gift card in the same time frame as the other cancellations. 

 

Thanks for sharing. Out of curiosity, were your gift cards purchased through AARP or directly thru Holland America?

 

The two code differently. AARP purchased gift cards do not code as travel which adds yet another layer of uncertainty. 

 

 

Edited September 17, 2023 by BermudaBound2014

[boulders]

17 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

Thanks for sharing. Out of curiosity, were your gift cards purchased through AARP or directly thru Holland America?

 

The two code differently. AARP purchased gift cards do not code as travel which adds yet another layer of uncertainty. 

 

 

 

AARP

[CM1984]

On 7/28/2023 at 11:52 AM, seaoma said:

 

I was successful on my last cruise in March using gift cards to buy OBC, which we purchased in the amount to cover our Gratuities. 

That is what I read here as well, buy the OBC with gift cards, then once on board buy the Grats & HIA with OBC. problem solved!  

[PalmSprings]

I always save up my rewards on one of my credit cards, and use them to buy HAL gift cards prior to sailing.  At some point during the voyage, I find a time when guest services isn’t packed and give them the printouts and ask that the balance be placed on onboard account.   Works incredibly easily.

[highland cruiser]

As a novice as to possibly purchasing gift cards, what is the advantage of using them?  Either the AARP or HAL cards.

Thanks so much for answering a question I probably should already understand.

[wdw1972]

2 hours ago, highland cruiser said:

As a novice as to possibly purchasing gift cards, what is the advantage of using them?  Either the AARP or HAL cards.

Thanks so much for answering a question I probably should already understand.

To me, if you're buying them to prepay your onboard expenses it can make sense.  However, you can also just buy onboard credit in advance and cut out the gift card "middle man".  Likewise if you're buying them over time so when final payment is due you've got the funds ready.  However, you can simply be disciplined and set the money aside (ideally letting it continue to earn a little interest), not spend it on other things & have it handy to make the final payment.  As you can see, the "advantage" of using a gift card in both these cases is minimal at best.

 

To me the only advantage of significance is the 10% savings if you're buying them through AARP Rewards.  That comes with an element of risk in the event you cancel your cruise after final payment, as people are saying travel insurance likely won't reimburse you.  However, if the cruise happens as planned you've saved a sizable chunk of cash buying the gift cards.  It really comes down to an individual decision - not a "one size fits all".

 

Sue/WDW1972

[highland cruiser]

8 minutes ago, wdw1972 said:

To me, if you're buying them to prepay your onboard expenses it can make sense.  However, you can also just buy onboard credit in advance and cut out the gift card "middle man".  Likewise if you're buying them over time so when final payment is due you've got the funds ready.  However, you can simply be disciplined and set the money aside (ideally letting it continue to earn a little interest), not spend it on other things & have it handy to make the final payment.  As you can see, the "advantage" of using a gift card in both these cases is minimal at best.

 

To me the only advantage of significance is the 10% savings if you're buying them through AARP Rewards.  That comes with an element of risk in the event you cancel your cruise after final payment, as people are saying travel insurance likely won't reimburse you.  However, if the cruise happens as planned you've saved a sizable chunk of cash buying the gift cards.  It really comes down to an individual decision - not a "one size fits all".

 

Sue/WDW1972

Thank you so much.  I knew that AARP had a 10% savings.  Wondered if HAL did the same thing. 

Appreciate you taking the time to answer.

Mary

[Mary229]

52 minutes ago, highland cruiser said:

Thank you so much.  I knew that AARP had a 10% savings.  Wondered if HAL did the same thing. 

Appreciate you taking the time to answer.

Mary

HAL occasionally has a gift card special with a 10% bonus.  Note that the 10% bonus card they issue is good only for one year where AARP have no expiration date 

[klsd]

On 7/28/2023 at 9:24 AM, cruisemom42 said:

 

But as has been discussed on this board recently, should you have to cancel a cruise, insurance will not refund any amount paid via gift cards, so I would not use them for payment of the booking -- unless perhaps I was booking a very last minute cruise. 

can you point me to the discussion of refunds (or non refunds) regarding gift cards?  TIA

[cruisemom42]

7 minutes ago, klsd said:

can you point me to the discussion of refunds (or non refunds) regarding gift cards?  TIA

 

I can't locate it easily but perhaps @BermudaBound2014 who contributed much to the discussion can find the link for you.