Gift cards to on line pre cruise purchase

[msweezie]

Hi,  I realized I can buy discounted gift cards from AARP, 100$ increments.   If I purchase the drink package for my upcoming Carnival cruise, I see I can pay with a gift card in my cart.  My question is can I use multiple gift cards?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

[pcvtmom]

Absolutely! I generally buy the $500 ones, when they're available, and use them to pay for the cruise and all extras, including gratuities. I use multiple cards, for certain.

[dacsmom]

Absolutely. I saved over six hundred dollars paying off my last cruise with gift cards.

[ULCajunCruiser]

On 1/14/2024 at 11:33 AM, msweezie said:

Hi,  I realized I can buy discounted gift cards from AARP, 100$ increments.   If I purchase the drink package for my upcoming Carnival cruise, I see I can pay with a gift card in my cart.  My question is can I use multiple gift cards?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

 

Yes you can.   Best of all the site tells you how much you have remaining on your card, so you don't have to try and buy cards to fit what you're buying.   I like the $500 cards and I usually buy 5 at a time.  I pay for my deposit, my cruise fare, shore excursions, wifi, drink package, etc!!

[msweezie]

Another thought,  I just purchased a different cruise through Crucon,  I put a balance down and the remainder is due soon.  Do you think I am able to purchase gift cards and pay the balance due with that?  The agent I purchased it through is on vacation for 7 more days. Does anyone else have experience with this?

[TrqoisWtrs]

5 hours ago, msweezie said:

I just purchased a different cruise through Crucon,

Do you try making a pretend payment and see what payment options there are?  I have used Carnival gift cards before to pay off a cruise thru a travel agent.  Even if your particular agent is off, I would think you could just call and ask anyone there?

[silversneakers]

Just remember if you cancel, any refund goes back in the form of a Carnival Credit Card, not to your regular credit card or refunded in cash.

[T&Dcruisers]

Yes!  I pay for the entire cruise, drink package, internet, etc. with the AARP gift cards.  I also buy extra before the cruise to add to my onboard account once we're on board.  When you use them, they have to be entered in individually.  Just keep adding them.

[mitsugirly]

I just purchased some and paid for my entire cruise using them (and earned free gas at the place that I bought them from and got points on my Southwest card to pay for flights...double, triple dipping at its best! 😄 )

 

I'm going to have to purchase more to pay for the DSC and other things as well. 

 

My question is, can you apply the cards when on board to pay for things? Maybe at customer service? What if the full amount isn't used up? What happens if you don't use it all?

[F3rpect]

On 1/22/2024 at 12:26 PM, mitsugirly said:

I just purchased some and paid for my entire cruise using them (and earned free gas at the place that I bought them from and got points on my Southwest card to pay for flights...double, triple dipping at its best! 😄 )

 

I'm going to have to purchase more to pay for the DSC and other things as well. 

 

My question is, can you apply the cards when on board to pay for things? Maybe at customer service? What if the full amount isn't used up? What happens if you don't use it all?

 

You can enter gift cards into your account at the payment kiosks onboard. 24/7.

Any remaining balance over $10 gets refunded to you automatically as a gift card after the cruise.

Remaining balances under $10 get donated to St. Jude.

[mitsugirly]

8 hours ago, F3rpect said:

 

You can enter gift cards into your account at the payment kiosks onboard. 24/7.

Any remaining balance over $10 gets refunded to you automatically as a gift card after the cruise.

Remaining balances under $10 get donated to St. Jude.

 

 

Oh yes! I forgot about Carnival having the kiosks on board. Thanks!!

 

When you say anything over $10 gets refunded as a gift card after the cruise...does that mean they send you a gift card in the mail? 

[tonyhb12]

Somewhat of an unrelated question.

 

I wanted to get both of my kids gift cards to use in the arcade.  Can the gift cards be used without adding them to your sail and sign account and just used to swipe at vendors (arcade in this case)?

 

Also, for sail and sign, is there a limit I can put on my kids?  I've searched and have seen that there may be a daily limit, but what about a limit for the entire cruise?  I like putting them on a budget so they can try to learn planning.

[shof515]

onboard the ship, the arcade and everything else only accept your sail n sign/room key. you can not use the gift in the arcade machine

 

Yes you can put a limit on the kids account. Guest services onboard the ship can set this up and they will also add the gift card to your onboard account

[tonyhb12]

1 minute ago, shof515 said:

onboard the ship, the arcade and everything else only accept your sail n sign/room key. you can not use the gift in the arcade machine

 

Yes you can put a limit on the kids account. Guest services onboard the ship can set this up and they will also add the gift card to your onboard account

Thank you very much.  I was worries about the payment limitation of only accepting S&S, but it sounds like I can do what I am trying to do by setting up limits.

 

thanks!

[living at the beach]

I’ve been checking online and can’t find the AARP discounted gift cards - not on the AARP website or Carnivals. Has this been discontinued or am I not doing my search correctly?

[Knights on the Beach]

7 minutes ago, living at the beach said:

I’ve been checking online and can’t find the AARP discounted gift cards - not on the AARP website or Carnivals. Has this been discontinued or am I not doing my search correctly?

 

When you log into your AARP account, click on Rewards then under Browse Rewards click on Redeem and select Members Only. The Carnival gift cards are the first thing that show up there for me - but that might be because I buy them so frequently. 😂

[ineedadisplayname1Vbbjhju]

On 1/22/2024 at 11:02 AM, T&Dcruisers said:

Yes!  I pay for the entire cruise, drink package, internet, etc. with the AARP gift cards.  I also buy extra before the cruise to add to my onboard account once we're on board.  When you use them, they have to be entered in individually.  Just keep adding them.

what if you have e-cards the digital ones can you add those as well to your account and is there a limit

[living at the beach]

1 hour ago, Knights on the Beach said:

 

When you log into your AARP account, click on Rewards then under Browse Rewards click on Redeem and select Members Only. The Carnival gift cards are the first thing that show up there for me - but that might be because I buy them so frequently. 😂

Thanks so much!Your tip saved me so much and now I am comfortable booking destination y April Carnival Venezia  cruise after more than a decade since my last one when my husband still would go with me. I am platinum on Carnival but since having to go solo have favored NCL where I am sapphire. NCLis cutting back on entertainment and I am a bit tired of their offerings, so going back to Carnival is very exciting to me, but more expensive before I found your text and reduced my costs

 

[F3rpect]

15 hours ago, mitsugirly said:

 

 

Oh yes! I forgot about Carnival having the kiosks on board. Thanks!!

 

When you say anything over $10 gets refunded as a gift card after the cruise...does that mean they send you a gift card in the mail? 

 

Carnival emails you an eGift card with the balance immediately after the cruise. It's not a physical card, just a long string of numbers and a PIN that you can use online or onboard for your next cruise.

[Haljo1935]

15 hours ago, mitsugirly said:

 

 

Oh yes! I forgot about Carnival having the kiosks on board. Thanks!!

 

When you say anything over $10 gets refunded as a gift card after the cruise...does that mean they send you a gift card in the mail? 

Yes, but you can go to GS the last night or early morning before you get off and cash out so you walk off with cash instead.

[mitsugirly]

9 hours ago, F3rpect said:

 

Carnival emails you an eGift card with the balance immediately after the cruise. It's not a physical card, just a long string of numbers and a PIN that you can use online or onboard for your next cruise.

 

Oh ok. Thanks so much!

 

13 hours ago, Knights on the Beach said:

 

When you log into your AARP account, click on Rewards then under Browse Rewards click on Redeem and select Members Only. The Carnival gift cards are the first thing that show up there for me - but that might be because I buy them so frequently. 😂

 

 

I keep getting targeted to sign up for AARP and thinking about doing it. Do you have to have points or something earned in order to take advantage of these gift cards? Or just as long as you are a member you can get them?

[F3rpect]

14 minutes ago, mitsugirly said:

I keep getting targeted to sign up for AARP and thinking about doing it. Do you have to have points or something earned in order to take advantage of these gift cards? Or just as long as you are a member you can get them?

 

You don't need points to purchase AARP gift cards, just a membership. The cost of membership pays  for itself many times over the first time you buy discounted gift cards.

[Knights on the Beach]

23 minutes ago, mitsugirly said:

I keep getting targeted to sign up for AARP and thinking about doing it. Do you have to have points or something earned in order to take advantage of these gift cards? Or just as long as you are a member you can get them?

 

It's so worth paying the annual membership just for the gift card discount alone! I first started buying the Carnival gift cards in 2022 and just looked and I've saved over $1000 in the past 19 months. I don't even want to think about how much I missed out on saving prior to that. You don't have to earn points to buy the cards, just be a member. 

Edited January 28 by Knights on the Beach

[mitsugirly]

1 hour ago, F3rpect said:

 

You don't need points to purchase AARP gift cards, just a membership. The cost of membership pays  for itself many times over the first time you buy discounted gift cards.

 

Ok, that's just awesome!!   Are they e-gift cards or do they send them to you in the mail?  

 

 

1 hour ago, Knights on the Beach said:

 

It's so worth paying the annual membership just for the gift card discount alone! I first started buying the Carnival gift cards in 2022 and just looked and I've saved over $1000 in the past 19 months. I don't even want to think about how much I missed out on saving prior to that. You don't have to earn points to buy the cards, just be a member. 

 

 

Yea, it sounds like a chance to save a lot of money buying them. I think I'm going to sign up now! 🙂 

[mitsugirly]

Ok, I signed up. When I went to the rewards section and it said to click and get 1,000 free rewards and another 500 and I submitted it, I got this notice: