Cruise Cash

[bobbismith]

Hello all,

What is the purpose of Cruise cash?

Thanks, Bobbi

[sparks1093]

To allow you to have ready cash to spend onboard (if you are buying it for yourself) or to allow someone else who is not sailing with you the opportunity to give you some spending money. 

[bobbismith]

AARP has the gift cards, I thought of buying one of those and adding it to the account. has anyone done this?

Bobbi

[Top_of_the_Cube]

I like gift cards, especially when I buy them at discounts.  You can use them to pay for your cruise, for pre-cruise items, and to fund your on-board account.

 

I don't do cruise cash unless someone gifts me one.  Anyone?  Anyone?

[bobbismith]

Top these gift cards for 10% off. I got one for $500 and it cost me $450.

[Joe817]

6 minutes ago, bobbismith said:

AARP has the gift cards, I thought of buying one of those and adding it to the account. has anyone done this?

Bobbi

Every cruise I've taken involves gift cards. In fact, we've paid for our cruises in full with gift cards. If we don't have OBC in advance of boarding the ship, the very first thing I do is go to Guest Services and add gift cards to our Sail & Sign account. Without exception. I have never used Cruise Cash because it's use it all, or lose it. Using the gift cards is a great way to save some money. 👍

[sparks1093]

50 minutes ago, Joe817 said:

Every cruise I've taken involves gift cards. In fact, we've paid for our cruises in full with gift cards. If we don't have OBC in advance of boarding the ship, the very first thing I do is go to Guest Services and add gift cards to our Sail & Sign account. Without exception. I have never used Cruise Cash because it's use it all, or lose it. Using the gift cards is a great way to save some money. 👍

Of course there is no legal basis for "use it all or lose it" and I doubt that is really the case (my DW never has an issue spending any kind of money though so I doubt I'll ever find out). Also, gift cards aren't refundable either, if you don't use all of it then you get another gift card, not cash (probably also not a big concern for most users).

[Purvis1231]

1 hour ago, bobbismith said:

Hello all,

What is the purpose of Cruise cash?

Thanks, Bobbi

The ultimate purpose of cruise cash is to get passengers to spend more money. For passengers it is a way of prepaying onboard spending.

[farjar]

1 hour ago, Top_of_the_Cube said:

I like gift cards, especially when I buy them at discounts.  You can use them to pay for your cruise, for pre-cruise items, and to fund your on-board account.

 

I don't do cruise cash unless someone gifts me one.  Anyone?  Anyone?

I would love to use discounted gift cards to help pay for my cruise.  Please walk me through this.  So I purchase a gift card from AARP, does it come as an actual card in the mail or an emailed number?

Do I then sign into my account for my upcoming cruise and enter the number somewhere to reduce my unpaid balance?

Does it matter if I booked through a TA or does it only work if booked through Carnival?

Thanks

[Top_of_the_Cube]

21 hours ago, farjar said:

I would love to use discounted gift cards to help pay for my cruise.  Please walk me through this.  So I purchase a gift card from AARP, does it come as an actual card in the mail or an emailed number?

Do I then sign into my account for my upcoming cruise and enter the number somewhere to reduce my unpaid balance?

Does it matter if I booked through a TA or does it only work if booked through Carnival?

Thanks

 

Can't speak to AARP after they changed their Reward program a while back, but I still accumulate points through Allstate Insurance Rewards program.

 

Carnival Gift Cards (GC) can be sold as either e-cards (immediately e-mailed to you) or physical cards that are delivered to you.  When you are looking to buy them, it will say which kind of cards are available at that time.  There have been periods where no Gift Cards were available.  I think a year or two ago I was constantly checking for maybe a month with no luck.

 

When purchasing anything on-line at Carnival, "Gift Card" should appear as an option for how you will pay.  And you can mix it up to pay partially by GC and partially by other method.

 

Once on board, you can go to Guest Services and load up your Sail and Sign account by giving them your GC number.  I have also used the kiosk to do this, but too many times it doesn't work.

 

Can't really comment on acceptance of the GC by travel agents.  I know that I have with mine, but don't know if that is universal.

[Joe817]

If you booked a cruise through a Travel Agent, you MUST call your TA and have THEM apply the g.c. to your balance. Carnival won't talk to you if you used a TA. 

 

And you will know in advance if you are purchasing a gift card or an e-gift card. I prefer the plastic cards myself, but that's just me. 

[farjar]

Thank you for the information.  I have always found CC contributors to be very helpful answering my questions.  

1 hour ago, Joe817 said:

If you booked a cruise through a Travel Agent, you MUST call your TA and have THEM apply the g.c. to your balance. Carnival won't talk to you if you used a TA. 

 

And you will know in advance if you are purchasing a gift card or an e-gift card. I prefer the plastic cards myself, but that's just me. 

 

5 hours ago, Top_of_the_Cube said:

 

Can't speak to AARP after they changed their Reward program a while back, but I still accumulate points through Allstate Insurance Rewards program.

 

Carnival Gift Cards (GC) can be sold as either e-cards (immediately e-mailed to you) or physical cards that are delivered to you.  When you are looking to buy them, it will say which kind of cards are available at that time.  There have been periods where no Gift Cards were available.  I think a year or two ago I was constantly checking for maybe a month with no luck.

 

When purchasing anything on-line at Carnival, "Gift Card" should appear as an option for how you will pay.  And you can mix it up to pay partially by GC and partially by other method.

 

Once on board, you can go to Guest Services and load up your Sail and Sign account by giving them your GC number.  I have also used the kiosk to do this, but too many times it doesn't work.

 

Can't really comment on acceptance of the GC by travel agents.  I know that I have with mine, but don't know if that is universal.