Buying onboard credit as a gift

[breadandbutter]

I want to give OBC as a gift to a couple sailing with us. If I pay for this with my credit card, where would any remaining balance get refunded to, their card or mine?

I'm presuming the balance is refundable? 

Thank you

[Butterbean1000]

It will stay on the gift card.  They can cash out any remaining money on the gift card at the casino on the last night of the cruise.

[Elaine5715]

1 hour ago, breadandbutter said:

I want to give OBC as a gift to a couple sailing with us. If I pay for this with my credit card, where would any remaining balance get refunded to, their card or mine?

I'm presuming the balance is refundable? 

Thank you

You mean Cruise Cash?  That is non refundable.  

[Warm Breezes]

I would get them a gift card through AARP.  It is refundable in the form of a gift card or they can download whatever they have left unto their account in the casino and cash it out there.  You can get them at AARP at a 10% discount.

 

[breadandbutter]

Okay, now I'm even more confused. 

How does cruise can work? 

How does the AARP card work? Do I n need to be a member to purchase the card?

TIA

[mz-s]

If you buy them cruise cash on Carnival.com fun shops, it is nonrefundable. If they don't spend all the cruise cash the remaining amount is forfeited. Cruise cash is not a gift card

 

If you buy them a Carnival gift card from Lowe's or Cherry on Top onboard or AARP or any other source, whatever amount of the gift card they don't use stays on the gift card.

[sparks1093]

While it is true that Cruise Cash is not refundable it is where charges onboard are debited against first, so if you buy them $100 in cruise cash the first $100 they spend will come from that source. If someone has a large amount of cruise cash they can also cash it out in the casino (put that amount on their player bank on a slot machine, make a couple of spins and then hit the cash out button. Take the slip to the cashier's cage. I have also used this method when short of cash.)

[mz-s]

6 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

While it is true that Cruise Cash is not refundable it is where charges onboard are debited against first, so if you buy them $100 in cruise cash the first $100 they spend will come from that source. If someone has a large amount of cruise cash they can also cash it out in the casino (put that amount on their player bank on a slot machine, make a couple of spins and then hit the cash out button. Take the slip to the cashier's cage. I have also used this method when short of cash.)

 

Far better to just buy the amount of cruise cash you think you'll need and spend it. I wouldn't mess with the casino. There are reports on here of folks who had their S&S accounts frozen for doing that.

[sparks1093]

15 hours ago, mz-s said:

 

Far better to just buy the amount of cruise cash you think you'll need and spend it. I wouldn't mess with the casino. There are reports on here of folks who had their S&S accounts frozen for doing that.

First I've heard of accounts being frozen but yes, one shouldn't buy more than what they expect to use. DW is unfamiliar with the concept "unused cruise cash" or "unused OBC", so we don't have a problem. (And it could be that a potentially frozen account is why most people advise doing the casino trick on the last night, in addition to the fact that by then you know you'll need to use it.)

[mz-s]

56 minutes ago, sparks1093 said:

First I've heard of accounts being frozen but yes, one shouldn't buy more than what they expect to use. DW is unfamiliar with the concept "unused cruise cash" or "unused OBC", so we don't have a problem. (And it could be that a potentially frozen account is why most people advise doing the casino trick on the last night, in addition to the fact that by then you know you'll need to use it.)

 

I'll have to dig up the thread but in fairness it was only one person I've read who had their account deactivated for doing this.

[Elaine5715]

10 hours ago, mz-s said:

 

I'll have to dig up the thread but in fairness it was only one person I've read who had their account deactivated for doing this.

It happened to me. I wasn't trying to cash out. The machine was " busy" and transferred my new funds directly to the player's bank, not to the machine.  I needed to go to the cage and Guest Services to unlock my card. 

[breadandbutter]

On 2/22/2024 at 3:12 PM, mz-s said:

If you buy them cruise cash on Carnival.com fun shops, it is nonrefundable. If they don't spend all the cruise cash the remaining amount is forfeited. Cruise cash is not a gift card

 

If you buy them a Carnival gift card from Lowe's or Cherry on Top onboard or AARP or any other source, whatever amount of the gift card they don't use stays on the gift card.

Thanks for replying.

So if I get them a gift card how does that work?

How does the money get to their sign and sail account.

Tia.

[mz-s]

Just now, breadandbutter said:

Thanks for replying.

So if I get them a gift card how does that work?

How does the money get to their sign and sail account.

Tia.

 

They just hand the gift card over to the clerk at the guest services desk onboard, or feed it into the sign and sail kiosk.

[breadandbutter]

11 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

They just hand the gift card over to the clerk at the guest services desk onboard, or feed it into the sign and sail kiosk.

Oh okay, thank you. 

[ineedadisplayname1Vbbjhju]

On 2/22/2024 at 3:19 PM, sparks1093 said:

While it is true that Cruise Cash is not refundable it is where charges onboard are debited against first, so if you buy them $100 in cruise cash the first $100 they spend will come from that source. If someone has a large amount of cruise cash they can also cash it out in the casino (put that amount on their player bank on a slot machine, make a couple of spins and then hit the cash out button. Take the slip to the cashier's cage. I have also used this method when short of cash.)

so I have about 1000$ in Carnival gift cards -I can goto casino and put that money on my carnival player card to gamble ?  This is why iI wanted to save them -was to gamble, so this won't be a problem? Plus they are digital E-cards. Not like the physical cards.

[mz-s]

15 minutes ago, ineedadisplayname1Vbbjhju said:

so I have about 1000$ in Carnival gift cards -I can goto casino and put that money on my carnival player card to gamble ?  This is why iI wanted to save them -was to gamble, so this won't be a problem? Plus they are digital E-cards. Not like the physical cards.

 

What I do is I fund my S&S account with my credit card and use my S&S account for all onboard purchases and gambling. And then at some point before the end of the cruise (and once I won't be spending any more, or at least not much more) I go to the kiosk or guest services and pay off my balance with my gift cards. 

[ineedadisplayname1Vbbjhju]

50 minutes ago, mz-s said:

 

What I do is I fund my S&S account with my credit card and use my S&S account for all onboard purchases and gambling. And then at some point before the end of the cruise (and once I won't be spending any more, or at least not much more) I go to the kiosk or guest services and pay off my balance with my gift cards. 

when you do that does the money come out of your credit card right away or does it get charged (the cc) once you get off ship

[sparks1093]

8 minutes ago, ineedadisplayname1Vbbjhju said:

when you do that does the money come out of your credit card right away or does it get charged (the cc) once you get off ship

They will put a hold on the card but final charge doesn't happen until after the cruise. If I knew for sure that I'd be using the total amount I would put it on my sail and sign immediately. Any charges would first come off the gift card balance. I don't know if there is a limit of what you can put in your player bank but I'd also put the whole amount on the player bank, cashing it out the last day (assuming there's any left, of course).

Edited February 24 by sparks1093

[mz-s]

37 minutes ago, ineedadisplayname1Vbbjhju said:

when you do that does the money come out of your credit card right away or does it get charged (the cc) once you get off ship

 

They hold $100 at embarkation, and apply larger holds during the cruise as you spend more. The holds are converted into a charge after your cruise. So nothing is actually charged until you disembark from the cruise.

[sgttami]

I called Carnival to put $750 OBC on my sons honeymoon cruise.  I gave them the booking # and paid by credit card..  They used it for drinks and excursions and had about $100 left that was refunded in cash at the end of the cruise. 

[breadandbutter]

On 2/24/2024 at 3:57 PM, sgttami said:

I called Carnival to put $750 OBC on my sons honeymoon cruise.  I gave them the booking # and paid by credit card..  They used it for drinks and excursions and had about $100 left that was refunded in cash at the end of the cruise. 

Finally, some one with a straight forward solution,  thank you.