Adding a gift card to your sign and sail account?

[kelhag]

Is there a way to add a gift card before you sail? Or does customer service have to do it once you board? Can you add it with the HUB app?

 

Thank you

[Joe817]

1 minute ago, kelhag said:

Is there a way to add a gift card before you sail? Or does customer service have to do it once you board? Can you add it with the HUB app?

 

Thank you

We've never tried anything BUT going to Guest Services once we boarded to add some gift cards to our S&S account. I suppose it's possible but I haven't the foggiest idea how to do it before getting on the ship. 

[Nog Vlog]

You can add a physical or electronic gift card balance at the self service kiosks.  Takes under a minute and super easy, should you not want to wait for any line at Guest Services.

[kelhag]

Thank you so much!! I didn't want to stand in line at Guest Services!!!

 

[mz-s]

FWIW the last time I tried to add a gift card to my S&S account it did not work on the kiosk. I went to guest services and they added it no problem.

 

If you are doing a credit card S&S account, you can visit guest services to apply the gift card any time you wish at any point during the cruise. They won't actually charge your credit card until after you debark the ship, so as long as you have the gift card on there by debarkation morning, you're in good shape.

[babygrljaz]

3 hours ago, kelhag said:

Is there a way to add a gift card before you sail? Or does customer service have to do it once you board? Can you add it with the HUB app?

 

Thank you

No it can't be added before you sail nor on the hub app.  You can have it added during check in or once onboard via the kiosk (easiest way if it works) or guest services

[kman99]

You can use a gift card to purchase Cruise Cash before boarding -- just know that there is a limit to how much you can purchase ($500/room I think) AND it's use it or lose it -- not refundable.  I usually buy some Cruise Cash with gift cards, because I surely don't have a problem with spending it all 😛

[2wheelin]

We have done it at checkin since we are already at a desk and it takes only a minute.

[ngrund]

quick question-can they load only a portion of the card balance? So if I want to apply, for example $150 from a $500 card can that be done?

[DPTexas]

Very recently on the Dream, I tried adding a GC to my S&S account via the kiosk, but it wasn't working.  Guest services did it very easily and quickly, so that's what I would suggest.  You can also do it during the embarkation process, but I was too excited to get on-board! 

[angela12345]

Is there currently any limit on the amount of gift cards you may add to your sign & sail, either at check-in, at guest services onboard, or anything else ?  For example, how about $5,000 in gift cards (10x500) ?  Not that we have that much, lol. 

I know before Covid hit, at check-in I got some flack about a limit on gift cards I could load on one cruise we took.

[Jasalth]

2 hours ago, angela12345 said:

Is there currently any limit on the amount of gift cards you may add to your sign & sail, either at check-in, at guest services onboard, or anything else ?  For example, how about $5,000 in gift cards (10x500) ?  Not that we have that much, lol. 

I know before Covid hit, at check-in I got some flack about a limit on gift cards I could load on one cruise we took.

 

I added 6 on a trip in September, 2 - $250, other 4-$100 each. Didn't get questioned or anything. I did it at Guest Services though because they were all e-Cards on my phone. 

 

Not leaving for a month, but I currently have 8 e-cards on my phone varying from, most in the $250 or above range. Hope to not be using them all (as we have another cruise to pay off for next year) but I should actually have over 10 cards before we sail.. so I will be seeing how that goes, even though we will mainly only be paying tips/drink purchases with it. 

[Ranyw]

If you have some "Left over" cruise cash, could you apply it at the Casino ?

[nascartim]

Last week I cashed in 6 gc totaling $1000 at the kiosk, no problem. I try using the kiosk whenever possible. 

[sgttami]

On 4/2/2022 at 5:40 AM, Ranyw said:

If you have some "Left over" cruise cash, could you apply it at the Casino ?

YES!

[DandMinNC]

On 2/25/2022 at 4:39 PM, kman99 said:

You can use a gift card to purchase Cruise Cash before boarding -- just know that there is a limit to how much you can purchase ($500/room I think) AND it's use it or lose it -- not refundable.  I usually buy some Cruise Cash with gift cards, because I surely don't have a problem with spending it all 😛

I just tried that. It wants to use my existing OBC to pay for the cruise cash and there's nowhere to enter another payment method (ie. gift card). 

[wemjam]

On 2/25/2022 at 9:13 PM, ngrund said:

quick question-can they load only a portion of the card balance? So if I want to apply, for example $150 from a $500 card can that be done?

Every time I have tried to do a partial I was told no.  Don't know why, but they said they had to load the whole amount - unless you are paying off your balance in full..  So I don't preload now.  I just let my sail and sign build a bit while on board, and go make a payment in full equal amounts of of my gift card (so like if I have a balance of $234, I will give them $200 and leave the $34)... and then the last day, I just pay whatever is left and if it is $157, and I give them 2 - $100 gift cards and they only charge the $157 and leave the $43 on the one card.

[wemjam]

10 minutes ago, DandMinNC said:

I just tried that. It wants to use my existing OBC to pay for the cruise cash and there's nowhere to enter another payment method (ie. gift card). 

Yea, I have never had success with the  kiosks either trying to load gift cards.  I just go to guest services.

 

[cmukid87]

On 4/1/2022 at 3:22 PM, angela12345 said:

Is there currently any limit on the amount of gift cards you may add to your sign & sail, either at check-in, at guest services onboard, or anything else ?  For example, how about $5,000 in gift cards (10x500) ?  Not that we have that much, lol. 

I know before Covid hit, at check-in I got some flack about a limit on gift cards I could load on one cruise we took.

This was over 3 years ago but I did have $3500 in gift cards (7x500). I loaded them all onto my room.  At that time they weren't really watching the casino cashouts, either.  I pulled most of that back out as cash.

[wemjam]

1 minute ago, cmukid87 said:

This was over 3 years ago but I did have $3500 in gift cards (7x500). I loaded them all onto my room.  At that time they weren't really watching the casino cashouts, either.  I pulled most of that back out as cash.

I wanted to pay over $1000 once and guest services told me that was the limit per day.  So now I just add some every day as I go and as needed.

 

Guess it depends on the ship.

[KyloRen]

Ive Both added it to my sailing sign account when I boarded, and I have also use them to buy excursions long before I got on board you can just add them to your account online and use them from there

Edited August 30, 2022 by KyloRen

[ThaNectar]

On another page, a poster posted a picture of her onboard acct.. she used $5500 in gift cards to pay off her balance.

[Top_of_the_Cube]

Prior to my cruises, I am able to make purchases of excursions and Fun Shop items, pay my cruise fare, prepay auto-gratuities and drink packages.  But I cannot set up my on-board account with Gift Cards until I get on the ship.  I usually just put a credit card on file, and then throughout my cruise I apply the Gift Cards.  Try to do the kiosk thing, but it is hit and miss as to if it works.  Still, I go there first before hitting the Guest Services counter.

 

Buying my Gift Cards throughout the year (both physical and e-cards), I keep a spreadsheet (could be done by hand) of what was spent on each GC and when a GC number has been exhausted.  To fund my Sail and Sign account, I can apply cards that have previously been partially used, but it must be the full value of the balance on the card.  I have applied up to 5 cards at one time at Guest Services, but never tried anything over $1,000.

 

Just my experiences.

 

As I use up the value of a physical plastic Gift Card, I list them on eBay to see if I can get my money back.

[wemjam]

One note when using gift cards (especially on board), sometimes guest services will mention it and sometimes not.  Always hold on to the gift cards until the very end of the cruise and don't throw them away even when they are empty -  just in case you run into an issue and they come back and say there is a problem with the card.

[Schoifmom]

18 hours ago, Top_of_the_Cube said:

As I use up the value of a physical plastic Gift Card, I list them on eBay to see if I can get my money back.

 

You're joking, of course.  You don't actually post empty gift cards for sale??