Using AARP Gift Cards

[RumpunchGirl]

How easy is it to use/apply AARP gift cards to your balance when making final payment? When onboard, how do you use them for the S&S account? We've never used them before and are thinking about giving them a try. Thanks for your input in advance!

[n6uqqq]

If you are paying from Carnival.com it is simple to apply the cards. For sail and sign I always have them applied at the dock before I board the ship. You can do it on the ship also, but may have to wait longer depending on when you go to guest services. You can add to your S&S at the kiosks also but it has not worked for me.

Edited April 15, 2019 by n6uqqq

[naxer]

To make the final payment it's pretty easy--just type in the number of the card and the pin.  If you're paying with $100 electronic ones, it can take a while to complete the process.  If you get the $500 cards, just make sure you order them early enough to not cut it too close to the payment date.  I'll have to pay off my next cruise in November, and I'm hoping the $500 electronic ones are available again for that.

 

And for using them on the ship, I just went to Guest Services.  I don't know if you can use them at the kiosks.   

Edited April 15, 2019 by naxer
addition

[RumpunchGirl]

Thanks for the info. Just purchased them. We sail in October so should have plenty of time to receive and use them. Final payment is in August. 😊

[txlolly]

We used the gift card on our cruise last year, we waited until we boarded and used kiosks for our s&s card. No problem! 

This year we payed for cruise with aarp gift cards. The only difference in using was

we could get card emailed to us while this year they send plastic card by UPS which takes atleast a week to receive.

[RumpunchGirl]

Guess what showed up today? That's right, my Carnival Gift Cards! I purchased them 2 days ago and UPS delivered about 2 pm today. I thought it would take a lot longer. And, they sent all 3 of them together. Is that unusual?  Anyway, YAY!!

[cruzincat50]

Heads Up information on AARP gift cards.  I had paid for my cruise using gift cards.  Later on I got a notification from my TA that the price had come down, and he was having the refund put back on one of my AARP cards.  I quickly had to get in touch and tell him I no longer had that card, since I threw it away after I used all the funds.

 

I recommend you hang onto these cards until sometime after your cruise is over, just in case something like this occurs.  I caught it quickly and he put it on a previously used credit card instead. I don't know if it had gone through and he reversed it.  

[n6uqqq]

7 minutes ago, cruzincat50 said:

Heads Up information on AARP gift cards.  I had paid for my cruise using gift cards.  Later on I got a notification from my TA that the price had come down, and he was having the refund put back on one of my AARP cards.  I quickly had to get in touch and tell him I no longer had that card, since I threw it away after I used all the funds.

 

I recommend you hang onto these cards until sometime after your cruise is over, just in case something like this occurs.  I caught it quickly and he put it on a previously used credit card instead. I don't know if it had gone through and he reversed it.  

 

Carnival never recharges old gift cards, they send out new ones.

Edited May 9, 2019 by n6uqqq

[cruzincat50]

2 minutes ago, n6uqqq said:

 

Carnival never recharges old gift cards, they send out new ones.

Then it might have been the TA.  Either way, it wouldn't hurt to hang onto them until after the cruise. They will end up in a landfill eventually.

[n6uqqq]

From Carnival website .

[n6uqqq]

Just now, cruzincat50 said:

Then it might have been the TA.  Either way, it wouldn't hurt to hang onto them until after the cruise. They will end up in a landfill eventually.

 

Believe it or not many TA's don't know as much as we would hope 😉

[cruzincat50]

15 minutes ago, n6uqqq said:

 

Believe it or not many TA's don't know as much as we would hope 😉

True.  I may be training him more than he is helping me.  If he wasn't so much more responsive than all my previous TAs, I'd still be looking.

Edited May 9, 2019 by cruzincat50

[antmaril]

I am planning to purchase AARP gift cards to pay off the balance of my cruise.  I assume that any extra amount above the balance owed, is applied to your account for use on board.  Correct?  

 

Thanks!

[Schoifmom]

6 minutes ago, antmaril said:

I am planning to purchase AARP gift cards to pay off the balance of my cruise.  I assume that any extra amount above the balance owed, is applied to your account for use on board.  Correct?  

 

Thanks!

It's just like any other gift card.  The value is reduced by the amount that you spend, but any remaining value stays on the card.  You can take the card on board and apply any remaining balance to your S&S account to use on board, though.

[N7786W Flyer]

9 minutes ago, antmaril said:

I am planning to purchase AARP gift cards to pay off the balance of my cruise.  I assume that any extra amount above the balance owed, is applied to your account for use on board.  Correct?  

 

Thanks!

 

No, that's not how it works.  The unused balance remains on the card.

 

For example, if you have a $500 gift card, but only owe $300, Carnival will only debit the gift card the $300 owed.  The balance of $200 will remain on the card.

 

Garnett

 

 

[antmaril]

1 hour ago, N7786W Flyer said:

 

No, that's not how it works.  The unused balance remains on the card.

 

For example, if you have a $500 gift card, but only owe $300, Carnival will only debit the gift card the $300 owed.  The balance of $200 will remain on the card.

 

Garnett

 

 

So, we would apply the balance when we either check in at the terminal or on board at Guest Services.  Got it!  Thanks!  

[AmberTeka]

 

Thanks for  the Information.  So I will call Carnival. Read the number and pin on my cards and that is it?  I have used Gift cards from AARP  for my account. I just went to the Guest Services Desk and they Put it on. 

[Tracey.kinney425]

How do we get back any unused balance on our s&s that was applied from a carnival gift card?

[Schoifmom]

9 hours ago, Tracey.kinney425 said:

How do we get back any unused balance on our s&s that was applied from a carnival gift card?

 

They will mail you a new gift card with the balance.  Otherwise you can go to the casino on the last night and load your balance onto your Player's Bank at a slot machine, pull once, and then cash out at the cashier's cage.

[Ellie42699]

On 5/10/2019 at 9:05 AM, Schoifmom said:

 

They will mail you a new gift card with the balance.  Otherwise you can go to the casino on the last night and load your balance onto your Player's Bank at a slot machine, pull once, and then cash out at the cashier's cage.

 

Does anyone know how the casino cash out works sailing in Europe? If I have a balance on my s&s will it be paid in Euros or dollars? I always cash out my gift card balances that have been loaded on my s&s, but this is our first time to Europe. 

[BrezQ]

We use them all the time, I miss the e-cards, but I'll deal! We also save up the amount to get Cheers too! We take $200 with us and apply then to our S&S account when we check in! Never a problem!! Have a blast!!

 

[gjm1]

Hey guys do you guys know if the $500 AARP cards are shipped together with the $100 cards? I submitted and order for 1 $500 card and 1 $100 one but did not receive a UPS tracking number. I did log into MyUPS Choice and it seems that there is 1 package coming, but I was wondering if the package has both cards or should I expect a separate package for the $100 card. Thanks

[n6uqqq]

23 minutes ago, gjm1 said:

Hey guys do you guys know if the $500 AARP cards are shipped together with the $100 cards? I submitted and order for 1 $500 card and 1 $100 one but did not receive a UPS tracking number. I did log into MyUPS Choice and it seems that there is 1 package coming, but I was wondering if the package has both cards or should I expect a separate package for the $100 card. Thanks

Mine came together .

[cruise_mojo]

we got 5 100's and one 500 just before sailing on a royal cruise in april ( yea carnival cards from aarp ) they were shipped together 

 

we just changed an existing booking over the phone for next march where we went  from a 5 day to a 7 day cruise where we had a 300 deposit and were going up to a 7 day and I just used two cards over the phone with the number called in and pin easy peasy

 

now,, on our last carnival cruise in march I did witness a PO"d passenger that had just loaded a card onto her sail and sign acct a couple days before the end of the cruise or maybe just the day before - I suspect she was trying to be cute and get the cash out of the card at the end - anyway she was pitching a fit to get a refund from the actual chief purser on the ship on debarkation day ( we were stil on board for B2B cruising ) He was telling her that a check would be mailed from corporate for her refund in a couple weeks and he couldn't refund the money since it was from a gift card 

 

SHE WAS NOT HAPPY! 

 

ANYWAY her non loss was our gain since we had waited to be called down for our b2b stuff and since she was bellyaching about me being in line there at the platinum  and the purser wanting to wait on me ( I just wandered over to the atrium bar since I knew she was blowing a gasket ) the guy went to the bartender and gave us a bottle of moet & chandon! woo woo!    the bar wasn't even open yet even though I had my boarding papers which was ticking me off already anyway 

 

 

[SarahJeanneSays]

I just purchased 5 $100 AARP gift cards yesterday to pay off my Aug. 31st cruise and today I received an email that they will be shipped "Signature Required".  I try to save anywhere I can so $50 is awesome.  I will purchase more in a few weeks to use for our Bottomless Bubbles packages and to have money as OBC.