Can cruise cash be purchased before a cruise and used to purchase a Cheers package?

[cotomom]

After sitting on hold for 45 minutes, decided to hang up and ask the experts here instead! Can't get a gift card purchase to go through so wondering if I can buy cruise cash and then combine a few to contribute towards ordering a Cheers package. Thank you in advance for your wisdom!

[Shantabulous]

Are you trying to get the GC or cruise cash to purchase cheers once onboard?  It's a better deal, if you're planning ahead to just purchase Cheers before you board at the "discounted" rate.  

[cotomom]

10 minutes ago, Shantabulous said:

Are you trying to get the GC or cruise cash to purchase cheers once onboard?  It's a better deal, if you're planning ahead to just purchase Cheers before you board at the "discounted" rate.  

Would purchase cheers before the cruise but want to with pre-loaded cruise cash. If that's possible?

[Schoifmom]

So you want to purchase Cruise Cash and use it to purchase Cheers pre-cruise?  I don't think you can do that.  You can purchase Cheers on board with Cruise Cash, but it is a significant savings to purchase it prior to the cruise.  I don't see an up side to this, unless someone is gifting you the Cruise Cash.

[Schoifmom]

I see that you are the person having issues purchasing a gift card on the website.  If you are just trying to get the bonus cash from your c.c., I don't know that the savings would be great enough to offset the additional cost of purchasing Cheers on board.  You'll have to do the math.

[DramaQueen22]

Doing it this way seems to be adding an unnecessary step.  If you are going to spend the money for Cheers, then why not just purchase it outright?  Using gift cards doesn't save you any money.  Even if you buy the discounted ones through Allstate or AARP, you can't use them until you are onboard.  Cheers is then more expensive, so your potential savings are negated.

[Colorado Cruzer]

Cruise cash is for onboard spending so you have to pay the extra $5 or $6 per day for Cheers.

Carnival gift cards are sold at grocery stores where you get points for gas savings and you can use them to purchase cheers before sailing. 

 

[Brkintx]

27 minutes ago, Colorado Cruzer said:

Cruise cash is for onboard spending so you have to pay the extra $5 or $6 per day for Cheers.

Carnival gift cards are sold at grocery stores where you get points for gas savings and you can use them to purchase cheers before sailing. 

 

 

Including at Target, where using a Target card nets a discount of 5% year round and 10% during specific sale events.

[cotomom]

Thanks all. I was told by Carnival rep that I could pre-buy the cruise cash, and it loads onto the account and you can pre-purchase excursions, drink package, etc. BEFORE you cruise. If this worked, I would get 35% discount by purchasing cruise cash with certain credit card offers (which expire before sailing), and also get the 10% discount of purchasing Cheers package pre-sail. So, yes, in my opinion, it'd be worth it IF it worked that way! 🙂

[Brkintx]

3 minutes ago, cotomom said:

Thanks all. I was told by Carnival rep that I could pre-buy the cruise cash, and it loads onto the account and you can pre-purchase excursions, drink package, etc. BEFORE you cruise. If this worked, I would get 35% discount by purchasing cruise cash with certain credit card offers (which expire before sailing), and also get the 10% discount of purchasing Cheers package pre-sail. So, yes, in my opinion, it'd be worth it IF it worked that way! 🙂

So... OnBoardCredit can now be used to pre-purchase things like excursions and premium dining... for sailings mid March and after. I'm not sure on whether you can use it for Cheers in advance this way (and retain the advance purchase discount).

[n6uqqq]

2 hours ago, DramaQueen22 said:

Doing it this way seems to be adding an unnecessary step.  If you are going to spend the money for Cheers, then why not just purchase it outright?  Using gift cards doesn't save you any money.  Even if you buy the discounted ones through Allstate or AARP, you can't use them until you are onboard.  Cheers is then more expensive, so your potential savings are negated.

You can indeed buy cheers before the cruise with gift cards. And excursions and steakhouse etc. I bought steakhouse for 40 people for my daughter's wedding using gift cards prior to cruising. So that is a 10 percent off deal if you use Allstate or AARP Carnival cards.

Edited January 13, 2022 by n6uqqq

[ngrund]

5 hours ago, Schoifmom said:

I see that you are the person having issues purchasing a gift card on the website.  If you are just trying to get the bonus cash from your c.c., I don't know that the savings would be great enough to offset the additional cost of purchasing Cheers on board.  You'll have to do the math.

 

1 hour ago, cotomom said:

Thanks all. I was told by Carnival rep that I could pre-buy the cruise cash, and it loads onto the account and you can pre-purchase excursions, drink package, etc. BEFORE you cruise. If this worked, I would get 35% discount by purchasing cruise cash with certain credit card offers (which expire before sailing), and also get the 10% discount of purchasing Cheers package pre-sail. So, yes, in my opinion, it'd be worth it IF it worked that way! 🙂

 

5 hours ago, Schoifmom said:

 

The credit card offers for "purchases on carnival.com", usually have to meet a minimum spend, which is more than Cheers, hence the plan to buy the cruise cash

Edited January 13, 2022 by ngrund

[cmp03]

If you buy cruise cash and then have to cancel because you test positive, will it be refunded?  I know its non refundable if you dont spend it on board, but what if you never get to board?

 

[Joe817]

38 minutes ago, cmp03 said:

If you buy cruise cash and then have to cancel because you test positive, will it be refunded?  I know its non refundable if you dont spend it on board, but what if you never get to board?

 

It will be refunded back to your original form of payment. 

[babygrljaz]

13 hours ago, ngrund said:

 

 

The credit card offers for "purchases on carnival.com", usually have to meet a minimum spend, which is more than Cheers, hence the plan to buy the cruise cash

But why buy cruise cash? Just buy Cheers straight out. It's thru carnival.com as well, skip the extra step

[kdr69]

15 hours ago, cotomom said:

Thanks all. I was told by Carnival rep that I could pre-buy the cruise cash, and it loads onto the account and you can pre-purchase excursions, drink package, etc. BEFORE you cruise. If this worked, I would get 35% discount by purchasing cruise cash with certain credit card offers (which expire before sailing), and also get the 10% discount of purchasing Cheers package pre-sail. So, yes, in my opinion, it'd be worth it IF it worked that way! 🙂

You can use OBC for prepurchase now but they do not load Cruise Cash onto your account until after you board from my previous experiences with it.

[ngrund]

8 hours ago, babygrljaz said:

But why buy cruise cash? Just buy Cheers straight out. It's thru carnival.com as well, skip the extra step

sure, if Cheers was enough spend-if I remember correctly the last offer I had (it was a while ago) I had to spend $750.

 

I'd like to use the current $100 to get back $35 with Chase, but I currently have more than enough gift cards to pay off my cruise

[cotomom]

6 minutes ago, ngrund said:

sure, if Cheers was enough spend-if I remember correctly the last offer I had (it was a while ago) I had to spend $750.

 

I'd like to use the current $100 to get back $35 with Chase, but I currently have more than enough gift cards to pay off my cruise

I have multiple $35 off $100 with Chase. But the website is not allowing gift card purchases to go through. Thus the reason to buy Cruise Cash and not just Cheers package (which you can't buy with multiple cc's like you can split a deposit or cruise fare. Amex promos were for cruise fare only and would not have worked with Cheers or excursions. They are expired and gone anyway.

[rtrtx2]

On 1/13/2022 at 2:26 PM, DramaQueen22 said:

Doing it this way seems to be adding an unnecessary step.  If you are going to spend the money for Cheers, then why not just purchase it outright?  Using gift cards doesn't save you any money.  Even if you buy the discounted ones through Allstate or AARP, you can't use them until you are onboard.  Cheers is then more expensive, so your potential savings are negated.

I have purchased the discounted AARP carnival gift cards and used them to pay for the discounted cheers package before the cruise. When you check out, you just select carnival gift card as the payment option. I do this is it saves even more money

 

[DramaQueen22]

On 1/13/2022 at 5:42 PM, n6uqqq said:

You can indeed buy cheers before the cruise with gift cards. And excursions and steakhouse etc. I bought steakhouse for 40 people for my daughter's wedding using gift cards prior to cruising. So that is a 10 percent off deal if you use Allstate or AARP Carnival cards.

Yep...but that is still an "if" on those discounted cards.  I didn't think you could use gift cards before boarding, so thanks for the helpful info!

[n6uqqq]

52 minutes ago, DramaQueen22 said:

Yep...but that is still an "if" on those discounted cards.  I didn't think you could use gift cards before boarding, so thanks for the helpful info!

The gift cards that Allstate and AARP sell at 10% off are regular Carnival gift cards. There is no difference between them and ones you buy directly from Carnival- no expiration, used in exactly the same way. I have been using them for years paying for entire cruises, cheers, steakhouse etc. The one drawback I can tell you for sure is if you cancel your cruise or anything you use the gift cards for, you will be refunded in gift cards only. I had booked a cruise to Alaska using gift cards and had to cancel so my $5200 dollar refund came back as gift cards. I already knew this, but just know once purchased you are committed to using it on Carnival. 

[pinklucky61]

I received a CCL online gift card. Do I need to wait until check-in is available to load it to my account?  Can't remember or find answer on CCL website. 

[Elaine5715]

4 hours ago, pinklucky61 said:

I received a CCL online gift card. Do I need to wait until check-in is available to load it to my account?  Can't remember or find answer on CCL website. 

You can use it to buy stuff at the Fun Ships and excursions ahead but if you want to use the gift card onboard, yes you need to wait until you are onboard.  Onboard accounts are not opened until you are onboard

[pinklucky61]

On 1/15/2022 at 10:16 PM, Elaine5715 said:

You can use it to buy stuff at the Fun Ships and excursions ahead but if you want to use the gift card onboard, yes you need to wait until you are onboard.  Onboard accounts are not opened until you are onboard

Thanks for reply

 

[ngrund]

On 1/15/2022 at 3:10 PM, n6uqqq said:

The gift cards that Allstate and AARP sell at 10% off are regular Carnival gift cards. There is no difference between them and ones you buy directly from Carnival- no expiration, used in exactly the same way. I have been using them for years paying for entire cruises, cheers, steakhouse etc. The one drawback I can tell you for sure is if you cancel your cruise or anything you use the gift cards for, you will be refunded in gift cards only. I had booked a cruise to Alaska using gift cards and had to cancel so my $5200 dollar refund came back as gift cards. I already knew this, but just know once purchased you are committed to using it on Carnival. 

Just curious, were you able to request that refund as one gift card?