Spending Carnival Gift Cards

Can the gift cards be used to pay the deposit if booking a cruise while on a cruise?

Before I change my post, I just want to clarify a few points. See if y'all agree with the following statements:

 

1. If you add gratuities with your original booking, you can pay off your balance online using gift cards.

 

2. If you add gratuities later after the original booking you can pay them off with gift cards by calling.

 

And, of course, you can pay gratuities by adding them to your sign and sail while onboard.

Yes, I would say this pretty much describes it.

On our cruise this past March I had both OBC and Carnival gift cards for my on board spending account. We were not able to use it all and I was told by guest services that we would receive the amount left back in a gift card. About a week and a half later, I received a check for $200.

 

And I didn't know they even came with pin numbers. I used them tonight to pay my balance online and she asked for the pin number. I scratched off the box to the right of the number and there it was! Who knew?

This is good to know, thanks! Now we know how to check our gift card balances online.

Thanks everyone for their input on this. As you know, I can't go back and edit my original post, but I've edited my blog post.

The important takeaway from this discussion, I think, is that it is pretty easy to get the money from the gift card onto your sign and sail account, whether you do it online, by calling Carnival or your travel agent, or while on board ship.

And if you don't spend it all, you'll get a refund, either by check or on another gift card.

Regarding the cashing out for the remaining balance. I have never done it but I have read on a number of threads that there is a way to cash out through the casino for the full balance. You have to get a slot card then cash out. If you use it on table games I guess there's a 3% fee. There is some debate on whether they are doing that on the slots now too. Depending on your balance, it might be worth the 3% just to have it back in cash.

Regarding the cashing out for the remaining balance. I have never done it but I have read on a number of threads that there is a way to cash out through the casino for the full balance. You have to get a slot card then cash out. If you use it on table games I guess there's a 3% fee. There is some debate on whether they are doing that on the slots now too. Depending on your balance, it might be worth the 3% just to have it back in cash.

I cant believe your the first person to bring this up.We do this every cruise and never have any issue.I put my cards on my sign and sail when we board and the last day if say we have $340 still in credit I will go to a slot machine and download it to a machine and play a spin or two then cash out and go to the cage and get my money.I did read that one cruise critic person said they had to pay a 3% charge to do this but we never have

Easy to do and no gift card coming in the mail or waiting in line at guest services (I also have shareholder credit and do this with that as well)

You can use gift cards to purchase anything that will be listed in your purchased services (called pre-sales itemized charges on the invoice in your booking info). This includes insurance.

Bon Voyage gifts aren't listed anywhere in your booking documents and it is a good idea to request and bring along an email for verification.

Can the gift cards be used to pay the deposit if booking a cruise while on a cruise?

I would really like to know the answer to this question also.

Thanks.

Thanks for your input, and I'm glad you were able to do this! However, this is contrary to the terms and conditions that are listed on the Carnival website. Here's a cut-and-paste from their FAQ:

 

How do I use the Carnival Gift Card?

A: The Carnival Gift Card is simple to use ? it may be applied online (at http://www.carnival.com) as payment toward a cruise reservation, pre-purchased shore excursion or spa experience using the 16 digit card number, or the gift card can be redeemed onboard as payment toward an Onboard Sail and Sign account.

 

I would be interested to hear from others who had success in using their gift cards to prepay gratuities. If several of you have done this, I'll change my blog post.

When we booked our cruise, we asked to pre-pay gratuities. It then become part of the "fees" portion of the cruise fare and we used our gift cards to pay for it.

Thanks for your input, and I'm glad you were able to do this! However, this is contrary to the terms and conditions that are listed on the Carnival website. Here's a cut-and-paste from their FAQ:

 

How do I use the Carnival Gift Card?

A: The Carnival Gift Card is simple to use ? it may be applied online (at http://www.carnival.com) as payment toward a cruise reservation, pre-purchased shore excursion or spa experience using the 16 digit card number, or the gift card can be redeemed onboard as payment toward an Onboard Sail and Sign account.

 

I would be interested to hear from others who had success in using their gift cards to prepay gratuities. If several of you have done this, I'll change my blog post.

I would really like to know the answer to this question also.

 

Thanks.

Absolutely!! I just did this a couple of week ago. They will not charge it to your S&S account, but I just saved out a few gift cards that I ear-marked just for that purpose and used them without any trouble at all.

Absolutely!! I just did this a couple of week ago. They will not charge it to your S&S account, but I just saved out a few gift cards that I ear-marked just for that purpose and used them without any trouble at all.

Thank you so much. Want to use some in a couple weeks to book a cruise.

I do ours through our PVP....she is amazing!

I am looking for a good PVP. Could you please recommend yours? I would very much appreciate it.

I am looking for a good PVP. Could you please recommend yours? I would very much appreciate it.

We aren't allowed to do that here. Lmitchell93610@yahoo.com

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Would also like to know if more people have experience with a gift card refund following a cruise. I was told that if I use a GC to reserve a shore excursion and then need to change or cancel, I could only get a refund in the form of a GC.

I don't want a GC balance after the cruise so want to know how often people get a check rather than a GC when not spending the full amount.

Would also like to know if more people have experience with a gift card refund following a cruise. I was told that if I use a GC to reserve a shore excursion and then need to change or cancel, I could only get a refund in the form of a GC.

I don't want a GC balance after the cruise so want to know how often people get a check rather than a GC when not spending the full amount.

If you used a gift card to fund your gift card, you will get a gift card back from anything left over that you didn't spend or cash out at the casino.

I just cancelled a shore excursion paid for with a gift card and got a gift card back. Sometimes they will put it on the card you originally used. I think it depends on who processes the refund. That's why I caution people to hold on to any gift cards they use until the cruise is over.

This is my experience having done all of it many times. But perhaps you'll get the specific feedback you want.

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I just wanted to add my cash-out experience. I put a $500 gift card on my account at the start of my cruise. I had an $89 credit left on my account on the last night. I went to GS to get a refund and the crew member told me that he could not cash it back out to me because I had promotional credits on my account. Apparently they use the promo credits last and those have no cash value. He encouraged me to spend the credit onboard.

Fortunately I had been to Cherry on Top earlier in the week and noticed that they had gift cards there for purchase. So, taking the crew persons advice I used my credit to buy.....a gift card :)

Now I add gift cards a few at a time instead of all at once.

As a side note, I use gift cards as my vacation account. I buy $200 worth of gift cards every month, tuck them away, and use them to pay for my vacations with Carnival.

I don't know the details as I don't play in the casino, but from what I've read of others experiences , if you want to cash out any funds you have left you need to go to the casino. You put funds on your card and then play a slot , after which you can go cash out. If this has changed recently I'm sure someone can correct me [emoji4]

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