Who has used a Carnival gift card as OBC?

[bjd2]

I just purchased an eGift card to use as OBC for our cruise next week. I want a cash account and don't want to carry a lot of cash as we travel from WI to FL.

 

How does it work when we get to check in? I have the printed form with the card number and pin. Do you enter it at the kiosk and it is applied to our account right away? This is what I'm hoping and I'm interested in experiences that others have had. Hopefully they are good since I bought a large one.

[sunny227]

I used a gift card that I bought. Sailed 1/27/13. Took the printed email confirmation straight to guest services when I got onboard and it was applied.

 

You may be able do this at the kiosk, I didn't check. There was no line when I boarded the ship so I went to guest services.

[rhcpchika1]

So all of the kinks seem to be worked out? I was wanting to start buying the giftcards to use as OBC (as I pre-bought through BV last time and had carnival apply it and it worked out well for us!).

[bjd2]

I used a gift card that I bought. Sailed 1/27/13. Took the printed email confirmation straight to guest services when I got onboard and it was applied.

 

You may be able do this at the kiosk, I didn't check. There was no line when I boarded the ship so I went to guest services.

 

That's great to hear. Thanks for sharing your experience. I hope I can add it at the kiosk but good to know it's easy at guest services. I'd rather go right to the bar to buy our Cheers program :D

[tandemcruzr]

What happens if you don't spend all of the money you put on the gift card?

[bjd2]

What happens if you don't spend all of the money you put on the gift card?

 

It says you can't get cash back but I believe if applied as OBC you could probably get cash from it at the casino. I'm not worried as I'm sure I'll have to add a bit more based on our past spending on board.

[krogers2063]

Are you talking about Cruise Cash Gift Card? I was looking at them today and I was thinking about buying before my March Sailing so I am not carrying a large amount of cash as I also plan to have a cash account. :confused:

[mommytotwins]

I had thought about doing this as well, but I really would like to know if you can get the cash back if not used. I would think they would refund the difference on another carnival gc, but I'm not certain.

[ready2cruzagain]

If you buy a Gift Card then you have to go to Guest Services after you board to get it assigned to your S & S.

If you do not use all of the cash then it will be applied to another Carnival Gift Card at the end of the cruise.

 

If you purchase a Cruise Cash Card then if you do not use all of the money on the cruise cash card then what is left will be forfeited.

 

There is another thread where this is discussed greatly and Mischelle from Carnival did confirm any unused portion of a gift card will be put on another card and a Cruise Cash Card is a "use it or lose it" deal and the money you do not use is forfeited.

 

[ready2cruzagain]

Are you talking about Cruise Cash Gift Card? I was looking at them today and I was thinking about buying before my March Sailing so I am not carrying a large amount of cash as I also plan to have a cash account. :confused:

A cruise cash card is different than a Carnival Gift Card.

 

The cruise cash card is a use it or lose it deal...if all of the money is not used...you lose the money.

 

Cruise Cash provides an immediate credit to a guest's Sail & Sign account. This credit is good for any charge made to their account including taxes and gratuity charges. Cruise Cash is valid for a single voyage and cannot be transferred to future bookings. Cruise Cash is non-refundable and any unused credits will be forfeited.

[bjd2]

Are you talking about Cruise Cash Gift Card? I was looking at them today and I was thinking about buying before my March Sailing so I am not carrying a large amount of cash as I also plan to have a cash account. :confused:

 

I saw the cruise cash cards in the gift section of bon voyage and started to purchase that but it wanted to add $70 tax on 1000 and I thought that was stupid so I started looking here and found info on the gift cards. carnivalgiftcards dot com is where you purchase them.

[ready2cruzagain]

I saw the cruise cash cards in the gift section of bon voyage and started to purchase that but it wanted to add $70 tax on 1000 and I thought that was stupid so I started looking here and found info on the gift cards. carnivalgiftcards dot com is where you purchase them.

Tax being charged and the fact that if you don't use it you lose it is definitely stupid and why I would never buy a Cruise Cash Card.

[MinnesotaCruizer81]

Can someone explain to me what the difference between the two would be and if we would lose the remaining balance, why would people even buy it when they could just go the gift card route? Also, what is the advantage of buying a gift card? Why wouldnt you just use your credit/debit card to add money to your account once you got on the ship?

[ready2cruzagain]

Can someone explain to me what the difference between the two would be and if we would lose the remaining balance, why would people even buy it when they could just go the gift card route? Also, what is the advantage of buying a gift card? Why wouldnt you just use your credit/debit card to add money to your account once you got on the ship?

From my understsanding a Carnival Gift Card when you do not use the full balance on the card, the remaining balance will be put on another gift card for you to use in the future. Also, you have to go to Guest Services once you board the ship to have it put on your Sign and Sail card.

A Cruise Cash Card is quite different. If you have any money remaining on your Cruise Cash Card then you lose it. The monies are forfeited and Carnival gets to keep any unused money.:eek::eek:

 

This information came from another thread where Mischelle a Carnival representative explained the difference.

Why on earth someone would purchase a Cruise Cash Card is beyond me.

I agree that if you have a credit card just put it on there.

[Cruisin' Cool CAT]

A cruise cash card is different than a Carnival Gift Card.

 

The cruise cash card is a use it or lose it deal...if all of the money is not used...you lose the money.

 

Cruise Cash provides an immediate credit to a guest's Sail & Sign account. This credit is good for any charge made to their account including taxes and gratuity charges. Cruise Cash is valid for a single voyage and cannot be transferred to future bookings. Cruise Cash is non-refundable and any unused credits will be forfeited.

 

I was just talking with my PVP about the Cruise Cash yesterday and what he informed me was that any funds left unused will be applied to a gift card. He also said that the gift card expires 1 year from the day the funds were added to the card. I really hope he's right About that because we also set up a cash account onboard but I wanted to get some prepaid cruise cash. Now, I did ask about which funds will be used first, cash I load vs. cruise cash purchased, and he said they will also pull funds from the cruise cash, then my cash...so my hopes are to use all cruise cash, with any unused funds being issued to me in a check....what a confusing mess...:eek:

 

I'm starting to think he's mixed up in regards to the gift card and cruise cash the more I read....totally rethinking any purchase for prepay ANYTHING at this point....well, other than tips...ugh

[ready2cruzagain]

I was just talking with my PVP about the Cruise Cash yesterday and what he informed me was that any funds left unused will be applied to a gift card. He also said that the gift card expires 1 year from the day the funds were added to the card. I really hope he's right About that because we also set up a cash account onboard but I wanted to get some prepaid cruise cash. Now' date=' I did ask about which funds will be used first, cash I load vs. cruise cash purchased, and he said they will also pull funds from the cruise cash, then my cash...so my hopes are to use all cruise cash, with any unused funds being issued to me in a check....what a confusing mess...:eek:

 

I'm starting to think he's mixed up in regards to the gift card and cruise cash the more I read....totally rethinking any purchase for prepay ANYTHING at this point....well, other than tips...ugh[/quote']

 

According to CCLMischelle, a Carnival representative that answers questions on Funville, Gift Cards will be placed on another gift card but Cruise Cash Cards will not be and you will forfeit the money. Below is a link to another discussion on this. Read posts #78 and post #113 for the answers from Carnival on this

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=37013895#post37013895

According to Carnival your PVP is wrong.

[sparks1093]

Tax being charged and the fact that if you don't use it you lose it is definitely stupid and why I would never buy a Cruise Cash Card.

 

Agreed.

[Cruisin' Cool CAT]

According to CCLMischelle, a Carnival representative that answers questions on Funville, Gift Cards will be placed on another gift card but Cruise Cash Cards will not be and you will forfeit the money. Below is a link to another discussion on this. Read posts #78 and post #113 for the answers from Carnival on this

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=37013895#post37013895

According to Carnival your PVP is wrong.

 

Thanks for the info...so much conflicting information...hard to keep it all straight these days...LOL....only laughing to keep from crying!!!! :o

[bjd2]

I would still like to know if there is any way that the gift card can be added to our account in advance of going to guest services on board. Have any others used these and how did you apply them?

[amc80]

Are you still able to call and put OBC on your (or someone else's) account?

[ready2cruzagain]

I would still like to know if there is any way that the gift card can be added to our account in advance of going to guest services on board. Have any others used these and how did you apply them?

According to Mischelle from Carnival you must go to guest services when you board to have the gift card applied to your S & S card.

 

I do not believe there is any way around this for the Carnival Gift Card.

[dbrucern]

Are you still able to call and put OBC on your (or someone else's) account?

 

No, I already tried and was told that I had to buy the gift card or the cruise cash

[bjd2]

According to Mischelle from Carnival you must go to guest services when you board to have the gift card applied to your S & S card.

 

I do not believe there is any way around this for the Carnival Gift Card.

 

Ok, thank you. We will head to guest services first thing then and hope there isn't a long line.

[drumleggagh]

I just received a $100 eGift Card from my sister for our upcoming 10/10/13 cruise. What I received ias a copy of an email that has the ID and PIN number hidden and replaced by a bunch of x's.

 

Is this what I present on the ship to get the $100 OBC? It doesn't look like there is anything on it that Carnival can use to identify the authenticity of the eGift Card.

 

Has anyone used one of these before? :confused: