Paying off cruise with gift cards (booked ES)

[Carnival_Brides]

We booked ES for our next cruise during a $50 deposit special--so we still have quite a bit to pay. We're thinking of paying off all but $200 in the event of price drops. If the balances were to drop more than that before final payment, how would they adjust the price since the cards can't be reloaded. We're just researching the pros and cons.

[Sparky2]

We booked ES for our next cruise during a $50 deposit special--so we still have quite a bit to pay. We're thinking of paying off all but $200 in the event of price drops. If the balances were to drop more than that before final payment, how would they adjust the price since the cards can't be reloaded. We're just researching the pros and cons.

 

You would receive the price drops as OBC after the cruise is paid off.

[Carnival_Brides]

Yes, but what happens in the event of price drops before final payment if a bulk of the cruise is paid for and the price drop results in a rate that is lower than the already paid balance? I don't think this will happen for my cruise since it's a holiday cruise, but it's worth looking into for an extra $200 with the current promotion.

[jks336]

price drops before final payment come off the balance due. In the even you get a wikid price drop you may be out of luck, I'm not sure how that will pan out. Best is to call Carnival and ask them. Another thought, owe more for final payment.

 

If you are purchasing gift cards to pay for it. instead, just pay with card other than gift card.

 

as the other poster stated, if your cruise is paid off it will go onto obc. which isn't bad as you'll have that to spend on the cruise.

[Carnival_Brides]

price drops before final payment come off the balance due. In the even you get a wikid price drop you may be out of luck, I'm not sure how that will pan out. Best is to call Carnival and ask them. Another thought, owe more for final payment.

 

I think this is one of the only downsides I can come up with and what I'm a little hesitant about. I don't mind having a chunk of OBC. Maybe I'll break it up into two gift cards and won't apply the second one until final payment. I'll also give CCL a call.

[cruzinlisa]

You *should* still get the amount of the price drop as OBC. But I don't say this with certainty, because you never can. I know that the last cruise that I booked ES, we paid it off before final payment and then there were price drops (before and after final payment). We got OBC for it, they did not refund it back to our credit card.

Edited June 9, 2014 by cruzinlisa

[vamartha]

The day I paid off my upcoming cruise there was a price drop. I was aware of the drop beforehand and paid the cruise off FIRST, ON PURPOSE. Then I immediately submitted the price drop as I wanted the OBC instead of the price reduction. Its alternative you might consider. For me it was a "savings plan".