Old Subject, New Question

[dawnjam1]

This will be the first time I have used Carnival Gift Cards on any of my cruises. So far the savings have been worth it as we have paid for our cruise fare and gratuities, our CHEERS! package and our in room pre-purchases with them. These are the Allstate cards.

 

Here lies the question, and I need to KNOW that what I am proposing will work as I don't want to get stuck without a backup plan.

 

I was planning on using my budget numbers and buying cards to cover all of my onboard purchases. I would then only take the cash I need for excursions, etc. HOWEVER, I got to thinking today that I could take at least a portion of that cash number and put it on cards as well (saving myself 10%), place them on my account and then just pull out the amount I need daily for excursions (not purchased through Carnival) through the kiosk or casino. It would be on my sign and sail. It is my understanding that you can take money out of your sign and sail as needed but with daily limits. Would that work?

 

It would save me overall another $150.

 

Advise and no flaming, please.

[JaniceB]

I would think that would work. Go to a slot machine, add money to your account, play a spin and cash out. You might win more money, LOL! I have never done it with playing a machine, not sure if you can add and then cash out.

[Schoifmom]

Janice is right -- you can't "withdraw" money from the kiosk or GS, but you can go to the casino (remember to go while you are sea the night before), transfer money to your player's bank, take a spin or two, and cash out at the cashier. Also, if you take out too high of an amount frequently, it will trigger a harder look, so be careful with this.

[cmukid87]

Yes, you can do this. Contrary to believe, you never need to actually play the slot machine. Load your account and cash out. Go to the cage and get your cash.

[bar1068]

So...some of ya'lls are saying this is wrong?

 

https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1137/~/sail-%26-sign-kiosk

[Schoifmom]

So...some of ya'lls are saying this is wrong?

 

https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1137/~/sail-%26-sign-kiosk

 

No, that is right, as far as it goes. However, Carnival also specifically states that all everything paid via gift card is to be refunded via gift card. If you can get cash out of the kiosk (and I have), it will come from some other form of payment (OBC, credit card, etc). You cannot withdraw from gift cards at the kiosk.

 

Q: Can I receive a refund on funds I have placed on my Carnival Gift Card?

A: No, gift cards are not refundable or redeemable for cash, except where required by law. Gift cards are redeemable for cruise reservation or onboard spending only and there is no cash back.

 

Q: Can I receive a refund on any unused portion of the Carnival Gift Card amount that was applied towards my Sail & Sign account while onboard?

A: Any unused portion or overage of the gift card that was applied toward your Sail & Sign account will be issued in the form of another Carnival Gift Card.

https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2004/~/carnival-gift-cards---frequently-asked-questions

[spiritkat090909]

I have done it.

 

The guest services guy questioned my loading such a large amount ($5k) on our sail & sign card midway through the Premier casino cruise...but, what can I say? $500 day budget per player for 7 days...and we were losing. I had planned on spending HALF that amount and using the rest for our next cruise payment. I thought it wasn't going to work out...but, hubs ended up winning $14k with a Royal Flush and.. FAMILY is cruising with us in December, our expense.

 

After settling our ship account, we had to go through customs and declare a good deal.

 

*not a fan of Vegas.*

[grest]

Can we use gift cards in the casino? How do we do this? Thanks.