Visa gift card...

[thymcruisers]

I received a visa gift card from employer and would like to put it towards our sign and sail account. Any ideas if this can be done online ahead of time or will I need to do this once on board? They are a pain to redeem for gas, etc. and I would like to use this towards cruise. Also, are the 'fun ship dollars' a paper certificate or do they go directly to sign and sail acct.?

[V8cruiser]

Having trouble using them also....Carnival said it was declined because it had the name of my company on it instead of mine....my company pays its safety bonuses by way of visa cards....Carnival said I could make shopping purchases with it.

[BusyFLmom]

I received a visa gift card from employer and would like to put it towards our sign and sail account. Any ideas if this can be done online ahead of time or will I need to do this once on board? They are a pain to redeem for gas, etc. and I would like to use this towards cruise. Also, are the 'fun ship dollars' a paper certificate or do they go directly to sign and sail acct.?

 

Put in your booking number where it asks for your street address .... the money will be applied to your on board account instead of sending you certificates.

[firefly333]

I think the FAQs say you cannot use a gift card, has to be a regular debit or credit card with your name on it.

 

A gift card will not have your name embossed on it .. I dont know where it is, but Host Mach has posted this info a couple of times. Not going to be able to use toward sign and sail onboard.

[ready2cruzagain]

Third-party credit cards, Travel Funds Cards, Credit Card Gift Cards and Mini Credit Cards are not accepted on board. Here is a link to Carnival and their information concerning this:

 

http://www.carnival.com/cms/static_templates/emb_sail_and_sign_boardingcard.aspx

[steff613]

I had one that i used to put towards the balance of our Sept sailing, I discovered that even though i was specifically putting in $200 because Carnival is a "hospitality" catagory their system automaticly tries to authorize 20% more so i was only able to use if for $150.

[dizkid]

I have a Mastercard gift card with my name on it that has $20. I sail this coming Sunday, Feb 19th. Is it too late to add it to my S&S account using the above method (Booking Number in Address)??

[ready2cruzagain]

I have a Mastercard gift card with my name on it that has $20. I sail this coming Sunday, Feb 19th. Is it too late to add it to my S&S account using the above method (Booking Number in Address)??

 

I think the method above is for getting fun ship dollars credited to your s and s account.

[robin13]

I do know that you can't use an American Express gift card as I tried to use it (for part of my payment) and it was declined. I looked at the fine print on the gift card and sure enough it said that it can't be used on cruise lines along with some other places.

 

I now have $150 worth of Visa gift cards that I am going to use (for payment) so hopefully there will not be a problem. I did look at the fine print on those and it did not say they could not be used on cruise lines so hopefully I am good.

[dizkid]

I think the method above is for getting fun ship dollars credited to your s and s account.

 

After I posted this, I went to Carnival's site. The min is $25 anyway. My card would probably be denied due to lack of funds.

[MagnoliaFly]

We had a Visa gift card that we used to pay our deposit - we went through a travel agency though to do this and not through Carnival directly. With some gift cards you have to go online and register them to make online purchases or use them at a point-of-purchase location (where they swipe your card) like a regular debit card. It went through luckily. I'd never try to use it on board though.

 

Does Carnival have a gift card you can purchase with your gift card so you can use it on board? That is how I get past the gift card conundrum. I just buy another gift card at the store or business I want to use it at.

[bigdaddyvoges]

I have $550 in visa gift cards through rewards companies and christmas gifts. Can I used these cards to make payments to my cruise balance? I was really hoping I could accomplish this......

[MagnoliaFly]

I have $550 in visa gift cards through rewards companies and christmas gifts. Can I used these cards to make payments to my cruise balance? I was really hoping I could accomplish this......

 

Depends on how the cards are set up. Some will allow charges like that and some won't.

[bigdaddyvoges]

Magnolia, thanks for the heads up, I will try to use a $100 one when I get home.

[Pineapple Princess]

There is usually a zip code field required for card payments. Gift cards do not have a zip code.

[bigdaddyvoges]

Ouch, I was really looking forward to using these ($550). I wonder if I called Carnival if they would be able to use these cards...... :confused:

[fliprcruzr]

There is usually a zip code field required for card payments. Gift cards do not have a zip code.

 

use your home zip code, works on allthe ones I've used. Sometimes you have to register your gift card on THEIR home site, so you can use online

[fliprcruzr]

I've bought online Bon Voyage gifts, drink tickets and fun ship dollars. Just today I used an Am Ex gift card on the phone calling Bon Voyage to order my bottle of Captain Morgan.

 

Easy to use up, cell phone companies, cable, direct tv and dish all take payments in any amounts. I use about a thousand a year in purchased gift cards and rebate gift cards. Never lost a penny.

 

Oh wait, the clerk at Taco Bell ran up the last balance wrong, I think I lost 9 cents. Wasn't worth arguing in drive thru.

[fliprcruzr]

Ouch, I was really looking forward to using these ($550). I wonder if I called Carnival if they would be able to use these cards...... :confused:

 

Try online fun ship dollar purchases for same amount as the card. If they reserve $$ for a tip, buy the drink tickets instead.

 

Otherwise use them to pay other bills you normally pay online, and use that saved cash towards cruise.

 

In other words, use $100 gift card towards cell phone bill, and take the $100 saved by not paying for it in normal way and back towards cash.

 

My car insurance was up around Christmas time, I was able to make six $100 payments with gift cards on my insurance account online, that freed up $600 of cash I had sitting in the bank.

 

Prepaid cards are a pain at gas stations and restaurants, for sure, most other places are great.

[KrystalWaters]

i'm glad i read this about the prepaid VISA cards and Carnival not accepting them on board. We do not have any credit cards and i didn't want to bring a wad of cash with me on board and was thinking about getting 3 $500 prepaid gift cards to use onboard for ss account. DUH!:eek:

 

That would have been embarrassing. DECLINED!HA!:eek::p

[fliprcruzr]

i'm glad i read this about the prepaid VISA cards and Carnival not accepting them on board. We do not have any credit cards and i didn't want to bring a wad of cash with me on board and was thinking about getting 3 $500 prepaid gift cards to use onboard for ss account. DUH!:eek:

 

That would have been embarrassing. DECLINED!HA!:eek::p

 

Banks by me are offering Visa travel cards instead of travelers checks. I'm in the same boat, would have been stuck, so I'm bring cash, and locking it in safe.

[debster11]

Ouch, I was really looking forward to using these ($550). I wonder if I called Carnival if they would be able to use these cards...... :confused:

 

These gift cards are such a pain. You have to know the exact dollar amount available on the card for it not to be declined. I have used them to pay off a balance but had to call Carnival directly. I gave her the amount to pay and the card info. I had no trouble. But as another poster said, they will not take them on board, or at least when I tried to use it the wouldn't take it.

[KrystalWaters]

Banks by me are offering Visa travel cards instead of travelers checks. I'm in the same boat, would have been stuck, so I'm bring cash, and locking it in safe.

 

that's what i was referring too. But at least they still offer travellers checks too. I definitely will not be using my debit/bank card. I've seen horror stories here on CC about that. For some it works wonderfully; for others not so much. Just my luck i'll be in the later.

[sunny227]

I received two Visa gift cards at Christmas time as a gift. I called 800-906-7603 and told them that I wanted to put OBC on my account. Gave them my booking number and cabin number and the dollar amount I wanted. First card was for only $50 so I tried it first . I never told them it was a visa gift card. I gave them my name as being on it with the card number and the expiration date. I was concerned about the expiration date because I believe it was 2020? The person commented it was so far away but they processed it and that was that!

 

I researched it and everything I read said they will not accept it on board and that if you tell them your name isn't on the card that it won't work over the phone. I had no issue. Called back two days later and added my second Visa gift card.

 

When I got on the ship I had onboard credit. What I didn't spend, they refunded me in the form of a check.

 

So maybe if you don't tell them up front that it is a gift card, it will work. Worked for me! Twice. I sailed 1/22/12 and called 10 days prior to sailing.

[BOOSTED98MITSU]

Banks by me are offering Visa travel cards instead of travelers checks. I'm in the same boat, would have been stuck, so I'm bring cash, and locking it in safe.

This goes for us as well! We don't use credit cards and were thinking of going the gift card route, even my travel agent said it shouldn't be a problem! I will have to let her know so she doesn't tell someone the same thing! Cash it is!!