Be careful when ordering gift certificates from AARP!!

I did not see this thread until today. I ordered & received $400 of AARP RCI gift certificates. I ordered & am waiting for an additional $1,500 worth of certificates. I booked my cruise with a TA. I used AARP Carnival certificates with my TA recently. I was very satisfied so I expected to do the same with Royal Caribbean. Now I am very nervous. I did read to scan & email the certificates so I'm hoping that will suffice for the TA. If not, you better believe I will request a refund. That is $1,900.00! I have to wait for the rest so I can do them all at once. I'll let you know how I make out.

Just a quick follow up. I called my TA tonight & she called RCI. I have to complete the certificates, scan them 7 email them to SharedServicesGiftCertificateRedemption@rccl.com. I scanned both front & back of the certificates of the 4 I have & emailed them tonight. I should know something in up to 10 business days. I'll continue to keep you posted.

Celebrity gift cards are the same. I turned in some points on a credit card that we going to expire thinking I would have some extra cash on my cruise. No go. I was able to use them to pay towards my next cruise through a TA. Lesson learned.

I received my last 15 $100 RCC gift cards from AARP today. There were no $500 cards available. I copied & emailed them to RCC immediately. They now have $1,900 worth of gift cards from AARP to be used for my final payment. They said it would take up to 10 days so we'll see. Once again, I'll keep you posted.

I received my last 15 $100 RCC gift cards from AARP today. There were no $500 cards available. I copied & emailed them to RCC immediately. They now have $1,900 worth of gift cards from AARP to be used for my final payment. They said it would take up to 10 days so we'll see. Once again, I'll keep you posted.

I scanned my 400.00 worth also..fingers crossed

First mistake joining AARP

JC

this is the response I got from them, so I will scan them and see what they can do...fingers crossed this is $400.00 I wasn't planning on coming out of my pocket

 

Good afternoon,

 

Please scan and attach your certificates and I will try to make an exception for you. Thank you.

 

Enjoy your day.

ok 12 days after I scanned the certficates and sent them via email,,I now got a response to send the original certificates to the address on the back and and a persons attention....we are getting somewhere...hopefully all will be set up by the time final payment is due :(

I received my last 15 $100 RCC gift cards from AARP today. There were no $500 cards available. I copied & emailed them to RCC immediately. They now have $1,900 worth of gift cards from AARP to be used for my final payment. They said it would take up to 10 days so we'll see. Once again, I'll keep you posted.

I have not heard anything from RCC yet. However, my TA took $500.00 out of my account that I wasn't counting on losing. I wonder who will reimburse me that money. I wonder when the additional $1500.00 will be taken. This has been a nightmare. Carnival handled this much better.

Just a quick follow up. I called my TA tonight & she called RCI. I have to complete the certificates, scan them 7 email them to SharedServicesGiftCertificateRedemption@rccl.com. I scanned both front & back of the certificates of the 4 I have & emailed them tonight. I should know something in up to 10 business days. I'll continue to keep you posted.

I received an email back from them today that they received this email & they credited my account for this amount. I contacted my TA & it has not posted yet. I hope they send me an email when they receive the rest of the certificates ($1500 worth). In the meanwhile, my TA has withdrawn $500 from my CC to post against my balance. She explained that RCCL will only take enough certificates to pay off my account & return the rest to me. So it looks like I will have some certificates to use to pay for my next cruise.

I called RCL customer care line on day 14 and they told me my Certificates were approved TODAY so

I went and check my CC and it was credited the $500.00 :)

Not sure what happened with a e-mail confirmation I never received one :(

I received an email back from them today that they received this email & they credited my account for this amount. I contacted my TA & it has not posted yet. I hope they send me an email when they receive the rest of the certificates ($1500 worth). In the meanwhile, my TA has withdrawn $500 from my CC to post against my balance. She explained that RCCL will only take enough certificates to pay off my account & return the rest to me. So it looks like I will have some certificates to use to pay for my next cruise.

Hooray! I received an email yesterday from RC saying they received & credited my account for the last 15 $100 AARP certificates. I notified my TA immediately & they have not posted yet. She will keep on them. My question is now I have overpaid. Who gives me my refund? I told her I hope they do not put it on my set sail account. I buy very little on board except for gratuities & the credit is much more than that. I did request a FCC or a check for the difference. I make diamond this cruise so I will be booking another cruise with a balcony to try that new status, hopefully on a big ship maybe in the Oasis class.

I hope you aren't too bored with my keeping you posted on the steps in this looooonnnng process. I'm just hoping someone can use this information.

Hooray! I received an email yesterday from RC saying they received & credited my account for the last 15 $100 AARP certificates. I notified my TA immediately & they have not posted yet. She will keep on them. My question is now I have overpaid. Who gives me my refund? I told her I hope they do not put it on my set sail account. I buy very little on board except for gratuities & the credit is much more than that. I did request a FCC or a check for the difference. I make diamond this cruise so I will be booking another cruise with a balcony to try that new status, hopefully on a big ship maybe in the Oasis class.

 

I hope you aren't too bored with my keeping you posted on the steps in this looooonnnng process. I'm just hoping someone can use this information.

still waiting :confused:

I do compliance work for a living. When money is involved, read the fine print. If you don't understand or don't want read it, then pass on the offer. But, I will admit for no cost things, like terms and Conditions for APPLE, no way I read all that stuff

Oh wow I am SO glad I saw this. I was going to order a bunch of gift cards from AARP as well for my drink package order. Guess I won't now. Carnival is so much better with these gift cards. Oh well.

I think I would still buy the RC AARP certificates again IF I allowed myself plenty of time. My mistake was waiting for the money to buy them & it was too close to final payment time. I agree the Carnival AARP ecards were very easy & quick. I don't know if AARP RC ever sells ecards but I would buy them over the snail mail certificates.

Final update! Got a call from my TA tonight. RC has credited my account for the full $1900.00 ($400 + $1500) of AARP certificates. There is an over-payment of $462.64 which RC said they will refund to my credit card used to pay for the cruise. However, it may take 45 to 60 days for it to post. I'm happy. I thought they would apply it to my set sail account or give me a FCC.

This would have been so much easier if I had not run out of time or if AARP had ecards. I'm still happy as I saved 10% that almost paid for the scooter rental. It is worth it.

I just (this week) used an AARP Royal Caribbean $500 gift certificate to pay down my previously booked cruise. I called RCCL and they told me to send my cruise and certificate info to this email address: SharedServicesGiftCertificateRedemption@rccl.com They told me to wait 10-12 days for certificate to be applied. On 12th day I received confirmation and the $500 was applied to my existing reservation. Hope this helps.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

WOW! I figured their gift certificates were a lost cause and finally decided to just pay my balance yesterday......ugh, would've loved that extra $$$ in my pocket!

These RC "gift cards" are definitely a pain to redeem, but I've done it twice for my November sailing and had 0 issues. Both times I just sent an email off to SharedServicesGiftCertificateRedemption@rccl.com with them attached and provided my reservation number. Each time exactly 14 days later I got an email reply saying they've been credited to my account (they were). I did book directly through RC and have kept my reservation with them. I didn't redeem them at the time of booking either, but ~3 and ~7 months months after the fact.

Wish you could just enter the gift card number online and get an instant redemption, but this way worked so no complaints.

Final update! Got a call from my TA tonight. RC has credited my account for the full $1900.00 ($400 + $1500) of AARP certificates. There is an over-payment of $462.64 which RC said they will refund to my credit card used to pay for the cruise. However, it may take 45 to 60 days for it to post. I'm happy. I thought they would apply it to my set sail account or give me a FCC.

 

This would have been so much easier if I had not run out of time or if AARP had ecards. I'm still happy as I saved 10% that almost paid for the scooter rental. It is worth it.

Sent my orignals in on 8/11 and still waiting.. I paid all but the amount of the GC to my reservation..so HOPEFULLY as soon as mine come through my cruise will be paid..then possibly will add the gratuties and Travel Insurance

Sent my orignals in on 8/11 and still waiting.. I paid all but the amount of the GC to my reservation..so HOPEFULLY as soon as mine come through my cruise will be paid..then possibly will add the gratuties and Travel Insurance

Any response from them yet? I submitted the information on 8/20 and haven't heard anything yet :(

Any response from them yet? I submitted the information on 8/20 and haven't heard anything yet :(

yes,,they wouldn't honor mine, and returned them with a explanation :( Said because it was from some type of promotion and they should have been used when the booking was first made and NOT with a travel agent

they wouldn't be honored,, I should have stuck with Carnival..

Not to mention I filled in the certicates with all the sailing information and signed them...now they are pretty much useless unless I use white out to eliminate all the info I put in there

yes,,they wouldn't honor mine, and returned them with a explanation :( Said because it was from some type of promotion and they should have been used when the booking was first made and NOT with a travel agent

they wouldn't be honored,, I should have stuck with Carnival..

 

Not to mention I filled in the certicates with all the sailing information and signed them...now they are pretty much useless unless I use white out to eliminate all the info I put in there

They can be added later, but can't be added to a reservation under a Travel Agent. It's a huge pain in the butt.