AARP Carnival Gift Cards

[SunsetCruizen]

7 hours ago, tw67 said:

Thank you.  I find them when using the search feature, but they aren't listed under merchandise, etc.  

 

This is great!  I need to see how much more I need for my cruise later this month!!

I found them by clicking Use My Points / Gift Cards / Travel.

 

Happy sailing!

[SunsetCruizen]

1 hour ago, Eli_6 said:

I am so annoyed.  I still have over $600 pending on my credit cards from AARP that didn't go through!  When I called, they said it would fall off in a couple of days. Only it hasn't and it has been 4 days. 

I had the same issue with a failed AARP pending transaction on my credit card.  Took about 10 days for it to disappear.

 

[Organized Chaos]

On 12/28/2022 at 10:41 AM, tw67 said:

May all your cruises be on calm waters!  

 

That's no fun. I like a little rockin' & rollin' once in a while. Keeps things interesting. 🤣

 

[Organized Chaos]

On 1/1/2023 at 1:45 PM, SunshineGal2022 said:

I downloaded the AllState app using a link from the beginning of this thread (about DriveWise). I created an account.

 

There is nothing on this app about DriveWise, rewards, or spots to put codes.

 

Did I download the wrong app?  When I Google "Drivewise Rewards," that page also sends me to download the same app I have.

----

I downloaded it on an old Apple phone, if that makes a difference.  Do I have the wrong thing?

 

The Drivewise app was discontinued some time back. They merged that service with their Allstate mobile app, which as far as I know is still their current app. If it's anything like it was, you have to allow the app to track you via GPS just to get it to work. Also, non-Allstate customers (policy holders) have to create a Rewards account through the app first. After that, you don't have to use it if you don't want to.

[Organized Chaos]

On 1/9/2023 at 2:49 PM, Eli_6 said:

Well, I won't be buying cards through AARP anymore.  If Allstate doesn't have them, I won't be using gift cards.

 

I understand your frustration and don't blame you for being leery about their service, but I've been using AARP for Carnival cards (among some of their other benefits) going on 6 years now and haven't had any problems, so they are legit. The problem with Allstate & AARP's rewards services is that both are run by third-party companies, so there's always some disconnect between them. I'm wondering if some of your problems came from discrepancies with your husband's AARP account info. not matching credit card info. I know that can be an issue on these 2 rewards services. But now that Allstate cards are back, you should be back in business. 🙂

[teddybeddy]

1/11/23 @ 12:44pm CT

As of yesterday 1/10/2023 I saw that Allstate had Carnival E-Gift Cards back on their website.

Edited January 11, 2023 by teddybeddy

[Eli_6]

The holds finally came off of my credit cards from AARP. 

 

If there were discrepancies, I have no idea what they were because the cards that didn't go through were in my husband's name and it was his AARP account. We have had the same address for nearly 15 years so it wasn't that either. He has had the same email for nearly as long and the same cell phone number for 20 years. Ironically, the only one that did go through was when I used my credit card on paypal...so when there actually WAS a discrepancy in the name on the card. I am guessing if there was a discrepancy, it was something like "Rd" vs "Rd."  Or they have those extra digits in my zip code after the first five that no one uses in real life or something like that. 

 

Regardless, I am sticking with Allstate now who I have not had these problems with.  I have my insurance through them and have a ton of points anyway from my "safe driving."  Although, I have to sometimes go on the app and put I was a passenger when I ride with my husband because he is apparently not a safe driver and has speeding and braking events, lol!

Edited January 11, 2023 by Eli_6

[Eli_6]

As an aside, if you want to use the online gift cards to get a balance on my cruise ahead of the cruise, what is the best way to do that...buy cruise cash?  Overpay?  Do they take the online gift cards on board if you just print out the information?

[Saint Greg]

27 minutes ago, Eli_6 said:

As an aside, if you want to use the online gift cards to get a balance on my cruise ahead of the cruise, what is the best way to do that...buy cruise cash?  Overpay?  Do they take the online gift cards on board if you just print out the information?

I take cards onboard and apply them to my account there. You can use a kiosk. I just go to guest services when there’s a low/No line. But with platinum now there usually isn’t one. If you apply too much they’ll send you a gift card refund. Lately it’s been an e-card. I may wait until the end to apply it and just pay off the balance.

 

Edited January 11, 2023 by Saint Greg

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

37 minutes ago, Eli_6 said:

As an aside, if you want to use the online gift cards to get a balance on my cruise ahead of the cruise, what is the best way to do that...buy cruise cash?  Overpay?  Do they take the online gift cards on board if you just print out the information?

You can use the cards to buy cruise cash, but it's not refundable if you don't use it.  Convenient if you are 100% sure they'll be used (like auto-grats, if you don't prepay those), and it's less to apply once onboard.

 

If you apply them while on board, but don't use the money, it is refundable (if over $10, I think? - if less, it goes to charity).

[CruisinChandler]

SAVINGSIN2023 for 1,000 points

[Organized Chaos]

4 hours ago, PrincessArlena'sDad said:

You can use the cards to buy cruise cash, but it's not refundable if you don't use it.  Convenient if you are 100% sure they'll be used (like auto-grats, if you don't prepay those), and it's less to apply once onboard.

 

If you apply them while on board, but don't use the money, it is refundable (if over $10, I think? - if less, it goes to charity).

 

Question for anyone who may have tried it since Carnival returned to cruising. Shortly after they started sailing again, there were reports that the casino cash-out method wasn't working for unused Cruise Cash, gift card funds, etc. Has anyone tried it in recent months?

[ski_mom]

25 minutes ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

Question for anyone who may have tried it since Carnival returned to cruising. Shortly after they started sailing again, there were reports that the casino cash-out method wasn't working for unused Cruise Cash, gift card funds, etc. Has anyone tried it in recent months?

 

I have done it, but not on a large scale or anything.  I added some gift cards to my account for on board spending.  I put $100 on my account through a slot machine and played for a little bit.  I ended up right around the original $100 I put on and I cashed it out at the casino desk.  I've done that on all of the cruises we've been on since the restart (4 I think).

 

My husband plays at the tables, I keep thinking I should get him a couple hundred out to at least get 10% off the amount he loses lol!!

 

 

[ULCajunCruiser]

2 hours ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

Question for anyone who may have tried it since Carnival returned to cruising. Shortly after they started sailing again, there were reports that the casino cash-out method wasn't working for unused Cruise Cash, gift card funds, etc. Has anyone tried it in recent months?

We cruised last August and I had no trouble cashing out $2300 worth of gift cards!!   I didn't do them all at once, but $500 or so a day.   Never had an issue.

[Calnev1]

8 hours ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

Question for anyone who may have tried it since Carnival returned to cruising. Shortly after they started sailing again, there were reports that the casino cash-out method wasn't working for unused Cruise Cash, gift card funds, etc. Has anyone tried it in recent months?

 

6 hours ago, ULCajunCruiser said:

We cruised last August and I had no trouble cashing out $2300 worth of gift cards!!   I didn't do them all at once, but $500 or so a day.   Never had an issue.

+1.  As with ULCajunCruiser, on multiple post-COVID cruises we have had no problems running our GCs through the casino cage.  Yup, thousands of dollars worth of GCs.

[tw67]

On 1/11/2023 at 3:59 PM, Organized Chaos said:

 

Question for anyone who may have tried it since Carnival returned to cruising. Shortly after they started sailing again, there were reports that the casino cash-out method wasn't working for unused Cruise Cash, gift card funds, etc. Has anyone tried it in recent months?

We cruised over Halloween and had no problem doing this.  I did it multiple times.  I will play slots and my husband plays the tables.  I use my GC and buy cruise cash.  This way it is one less thing I have to worry about once on board.  My husband will go to a slot machine to get money to play the tables.  I believe there is still a 3% fee if you charge your sign and sail card at a table, but not from a slot machine.  

 

You do have to make sure to spend all that cruise cash, it is not refundable.  

[ski_mom]

17 minutes ago, tw67 said:

We cruised over Halloween and had no problem doing this.  I did it multiple times.  I will play slots and my husband plays the tables.  I use my GC and buy cruise cash.  This way it is one less thing I have to worry about once on board.  My husband will go to a slot machine to get money to play the tables.  I believe there is still a 3% fee if you charge your sign and sail card at a table, but not from a slot machine.  

 

You do have to make sure to spend all that cruise cash, it is not refundable.  

 

So do you immediately cash out after going to the slot machine?

[tw67]

12 minutes ago, ski_mom said:

 

So do you immediately cash out after going to the slot machine?

You can.  I usually play some, just because if I am already sitting at a slot machine I might as well.  I play for a little while, if I start winning, I cash out because I don't want to spend it all!  If I start losing, then yea, I really need to cash out before I go through it all!  If it is the last night I will sit and play usually because I never get to a casino, so then I don't cash out right away, but I make sure I have spent all on the cruise cash.  I am not a real intense gambler.  In fact when my husband is at the tables, I am not allowed to be anywhere near him, I bring bad luck!!!  He has been known to give me a chip to walk away if he is up...

[Calnev1]

17 hours ago, tw67 said:

You can.  I usually play some, just because if I am already sitting at a slot machine I might as well.  I play for a little while, if I start winning, I cash out because I don't want to spend it all!  If I start losing, then yea, I really need to cash out before I go through it all!  If it is the last night I will sit and play usually because I never get to a casino, so then I don't cash out right away, but I make sure I have spent all on the cruise cash.  I am not a real intense gambler.  In fact when my husband is at the tables, I am not allowed to be anywhere near him, I bring bad luck!!!  He has been known to give me a chip to walk away if he is up...

Like Tw67, my wife and I always play a few spins, and then leave the slot machine(s) for awhile, before cashing out.  And we have entirely separate sail and sign accounts, to minimize the appearance of the amount of GCs loaded to our account(s).  We started doing the separate account thing after Princess chastised us once for the amount of $$$ we were pulling from the casino cage. (For clarification, we have never had a problem aboard a Carnival ship . . . ).

Edited January 15, 2023 by Calnev1
clarification

[nklpikl]

We are trying out Celebrity. The gift cards on Allstate & AARP state they can only be used on new bookings and can not be used for onboard expenses. Has anyone had any experience with using gift cards on Celebrity?

[n6uqqq]

4 hours ago, Calnev1 said:

Like Tw67, my wife and I always play a few spins, and then leave the slot machine(s) for awhile, before cashing out.  And we have entirely separate sail and sign accounts, to minimize the appearance of the amount of GCs loaded to our account(s).  We started doing the separate account thing after Princess chastised us once for the amount of $$$ we were pulling from the casino cage. (For clarification, we have never had a problem aboard a Carnival ship . . . ).

Sounds like  money laundering 🤣

[tw67]

My buying cruise cash with gift cards might have backfired on me...  last night my husband hurt himself.  I brought him to urgent care this morning, and he is seeing an orthopedist tomorrow.  It looks like he has torn his calf muscle.  We fly out Wednesday night, and go on a cruise Thursday.  I do have insurance!  He is non weight bearing because they are afraid that he could rupture it.  I don't think this cruise is looking great we will find out tomorrow.  So I don't know if my cruise cash will be refundable if we don't get on the ship....  I hope if it isn't refundable, my insurance would cover it.  

[lennythenose]

50 minutes ago, tw67 said:

My buying cruise cash with gift cards might have backfired on me...  last night my husband hurt himself.  I brought him to urgent care this morning, and he is seeing an orthopedist tomorrow.  It looks like he has torn his calf muscle.  We fly out Wednesday night, and go on a cruise Thursday.  I do have insurance!  He is non weight bearing because they are afraid that he could rupture it.  I don't think this cruise is looking great we will find out tomorrow.  So I don't know if my cruise cash will be refundable if we don't get on the ship....  I hope if it isn't refundable, my insurance would cover it.  

I would cancel the cruise cash purchase online if you find out tomorrow you will not be going on the cruise. One less thing to include on the insurance claim. 

[n6uqqq]

1 hour ago, lennythenose said:

I would cancel the cruise cash purchase online if you find out tomorrow you will not be going on the cruise. One less thing to include on the insurance claim. 

If you don't cruise all the prepurchased stuff is paid back in the form of original payment. In this case new gift cards would be issued because Carnival does not reload gift cards.

[Calnev1]

11 hours ago, n6uqqq said:

Sounds like  money laundering 🤣

Ha.  Doing the casino cash out trick certainly isnt classic money laundering, which involves  investing cash obtained illegally in some sort of legal business activity and pulling clean money out the other side, like the way Walter White was running cash through his car wash in Breaking Bad.   (If you haven't see the show, no, Walter did not physically wash the cash . . . )

 

I don't think the Princess casino folks knew what my motivation was, all they knew was that I was taking their liquidity and they didnt like it.  So they told me "you can't use our casino as an ATM."

Edited January 16, 2023 by Calnev1