Can't use AARP $500 Certificate to book a cruise

I wanted to book a cruise on Royal Caribbean so I went to AARP and bought a $500 certificate for $450 to use for the $500 deposit. I phoned Royal to book the cruise and they told me I had to pay a $500 deposit and that the certificate was not allowed to book the cruise with so I had to pay the $500 deposit with my credit card.

I had bought enough of these certificates to pay for my cruise but now I will have $500 of certificates left over since I could not use one for the deposit. The certificate says it can not be used for ship-board credit and I do not anticipate booking any more cruises with Royal in the future. Am I out of the $500 I paid for this certificate?

Carnival lets you use their AARP gift cards just like cash for anything you can use cash for but Royal has so many restrictions that they appear to be practically worthless.

It's unfortunate that you were not aware of the restrictions of the certificate.

Can you add some value to your cruise in order to use the extra $500? Upgrade your stateroom? Not sure if you can use the certificate for prepaid gratuities or cruise line insurance.

Instead of making a deposit, what about paying the full amount at booking? Surely then you'd be able to use all of the certificates. If so, just cancel your current cruise and rebook.

They said even if I paid for the whole cruise with certificates that I would still have to pay the deposit with a credit card and that I could not use a certificate for the $500 deposit.

It's unfortunate that you were not aware of the restrictions of the certificate.

 

Can you add some value to your cruise in order to use the extra $500? Upgrade your stateroom? Not sure if you can use the certificate for prepaid gratuities or cruise line insurance.

Nowhere on the certificate does it say that it can not be used for the deposit.

It says

3. "Certificate must be applied to a new individual reservation."

4. "This certificate cannot be applied to shipboard credit."

You can always sell the $500 Gift Card online via an online gift card purchase site or through Ebay, probably won't get full value back but at least something.

A $300 certificate sold for $250 on March 9 of this year.

I don't see a problem other than you have to pay the deposit. It sounds like the certificate can be used to pay down the balance - right?

I don't see a problem other than you have to pay the deposit. It sounds like the certificate can be used to pay down the balance - right?

Except the OP has already purchased certificates to cover the cost of the entire cruise.

Terms and conditions

Another thread regarding this issue.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2496153