HAL gifts cards at a discount

[BermudaBound2014]

1 hour ago, Gail & Marty sailing away said:

Travel Guard

800 ,826 4919

Thanks: as i thought, in terms of a cruise claim, travel guard does not reimburse gift cards. So cruise fare purchased with a gift card is excluded from coverage. 

Edited May 30, 2023 by BermudaBound2014

[Native Floridian 26]

25 minutes ago, AKJonesy said:

Gift Card 10% Deal

 

I tried the route for AARP Rewards which doesn't seem to work unless you are a AARP Member, so I guess I have to think about that.  I don't even know if that is available because no where on the website does it say whether the 10% off HAL gift cards is available.  Again, I am not a member.

I tried using the HAL gift card site which takes you to buyatabonline and NOTHING there that says there is any discount as well before you agree to terms and give them all of YOUR information.  Plus the telephone number they have at the bottom of the page doesn't work.  

I'd like to do this but unless I KNOW there is a 10% deal, I'm not jumping through hoops for nothing.

All addressed on post 122.  No, you don't have to be a paid AARP member to access AARP Rewards.  Just follow the links to AARP rewards. You may have to create a signon to access the rewards.  It's tricky, but follow the links to SEE ALL the Rewards. The $500 cards sell for $450 and $100 for $90.  There is your 10% discount.

Edited May 30, 2023 by Native Floridian 26

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

18 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

Thanks: as i thought, in terms of a cruise claim, travel guard does not reimburse gift cards. So cruise fare purchased with a gift card is excluded from coverage. 

Thanks  are you 100% sure ?

[pmjnh]

21 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

Thanks: as i thought, in terms of a cruise claim, travel guard does not reimburse gift cards. So cruise fare purchased with a gift card is excluded from coverage. 

 

did you find this out by calling TravelGuard or is it in writing on their website. I am looking for written confirmation somewhere that specifically addresses this...making a claim when paying the cruise fare, or some of the cruise fare with gift cards.

thanks

[BermudaBound2014]

51 minutes ago, Gail & Marty sailing away said:

Thanks  are you 100% sure ?

 

46 minutes ago, pmjnh said:

 

did you find this out by calling TravelGuard or is it in writing on their website. I am looking for written confirmation somewhere that specifically addresses this...making a claim when paying the cruise fare, or some of the cruise fare with gift cards.

thanks

 

I'm as sure as I can be using a call center. I dialed the 1 800 826 5268 (which is the number on the web site). I followed the prompts to purchase a new policy. They did ask my state. I had a long conversation with a gal whose name starts with a "S" (not sure I should put her name out there).

 

She seemed very sure that they will not refund any monies to a gift card. She read through a bunch of stipulations and even though nothing she read mentioned 'gift card' specifically, it does say they will reimburse for travel expenses only. She said the Gift card is not a travel expense, it is an expense paid to AARP (even though it would be used for travel). Something about a third party.

 

YMMV, but this gal seemed very sure and I was extremely clear giving the example of buying a HAL cruise with HAL gift cards purchased from AARP specifically.

 

I have a call into Steve from tripinsurancestore. This guy is amazing. I'll ask him the same question. If he states anything different I'll be sure to update this post.

 

 

Edited May 30, 2023 by BermudaBound2014

[AKJonesy]

48 minutes ago, Native Floridian 26 said:

All addressed on post 122.  No, you don't have to be a paid AARP member to access AARP Rewards.  Just follow the links to AARP rewards. You may have to create a signon to access the rewards.  It's tricky, but follow the links to SEE ALL the Rewards. The $500 cards sell for $450 and $100 for $90.  There is your 10% discount.

Even the AARP in Cobrowse with the agent could not make it work.  When I run into these kind of issues where I cannot access instructions, it's usually a browser issue.  That seems to be the issue.  

[Native Floridian 26]

5 minutes ago, AKJonesy said:

Even the AARP in Cobrowse with the agent could not make it work.  When I run into these kind of issues where I cannot access instructions, it's usually a browser issue.  That seems to be the issue.  

Did you register for AARP rewards?  Do that and then once logged in, you'll be in the Rewards program.  You'll see Featured Rewards but click where it says See all Rewards. Holland America Gift cards show in the 2nd row.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

1 hour ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

 

I'm as sure as I can be using a call center. I dialed the 1 800 826 5268 (which is the number on the web site). I followed the prompts to purchase a new policy. They did ask my state. I had a long conversation with a gal whose name starts with a "S" (not sure I should put her name out there).

 

She seemed very sure that they will not refund any monies to a gift card. She read through a bunch of stipulations and even though nothing she read mentioned 'gift card' specifically, it does say they will reimburse for travel expenses only. She said the Gift card is not a travel expense, it is an expense paid to AARP (even though it would be used for travel). Something about a third party.

 

YMMV, but this gal seemed very sure and I was extremely clear giving the example of buying a HAL cruise with HAL gift cards purchased from AARP specifically.

 

I have a call into Steve from tripinsurancestore. This guy is amazing. I'll ask him the same question. If he states anything different I'll be sure to update this post.

 

 

That would be great if Steve knows.

[BermudaBound2014]

1 minute ago, Gail & Marty sailing away said:

That would be great if Steve knows.

 

I asked Steve before about Celebrity Gift Cards from AARP and the answer was a hard no.

[SUESEABE]

This is what my cruise insurance policy has to say about payments:

 

"Payments or Deposits means the cash, check, or credit card amounts actually paid for Your Trip. Payments made in the form of a certificate, voucher or discount are not Payments or Deposits as defined herein."

 

I have not had to cancel in the past but am rethinking the use of gift cards.🤔

[BermudaBound2014]

26 minutes ago, SUESEABE said:

This is what my cruise insurance policy has to say about payments:

 

"Payments or Deposits means the cash, check, or credit card amounts actually paid for Your Trip. Payments made in the form of a certificate, voucher or discount are not Payments or Deposits as defined herein."

 

I have not had to cancel in the past but am rethinking the use of gift cards.🤔

 

I'm glad you are thinking about the use of Gift cards. So many people buy gift cards, then buy insurance, thinking they are covered. I can't speak for every insurance policy available, but I have to believe that insurance coverage in terms of a refund to a gift card is rare (as evidenced by the language you quoted above).

 

This is why I don't pay for cruise fare itself with gift cards. I am comfortable using gift cards for purchases made pre-cruise and onboard that are refunded in the event of a cancellation by the cruise line itself. Things that HAL would refund anyway. Shore excursions, gratuity, port taxes etc.. are all refunded if I need to cancel a cruise. To me, those are pretty safe ways to use the gift cards. But even so, there is still risk.

 

 Any company that files Ch7/11 (not just cruise lines) runs the risk of gift cards becoming null and void. I'm not saying HAL is going to file Chapter 7/11 anytime soon, but I am suggesting that it isn't off the table entirely given the current debt ratio. With that, I only purchase gift cards very close to sailing. This reduces my risk from financial insolvency. 

 

BTW: this is true of any gift cards, not just cruise line gift cards. Like I said above, just ask anyone holding a bed, bath, and beyond gift card at the moment. Currently their value is zero (even if you can find a store still in operation). What's really quite clandestine, is that right before Bed, Bath, and Beyond filed Ch 7 they ran huge specials on their gift cards offering large bonuses. 

I hope this discussion has raised awareness for those of you who have been “hitting your monthly max” on gift card purchases. I hate to see consumers lose, especially being blind sided. I do use gift cards, I just use them with caution.

 

 

Edited May 30, 2023 by BermudaBound2014

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

35 minutes ago, SUESEABE said:

This is what my cruise insurance policy has to say about payments:

 

"Payments or Deposits means the cash, check, or credit card amounts actually paid for Your Trip. Payments made in the form of a certificate, voucher or discount are not Payments or Deposits as defined herein."

 

I have not had to cancel in the past but am rethinking the use of gift cards.🤔

Me as well 

[sandiego1]

Very interesting. I purchased over $30K of gift cards and used them do for the world cruise this year. Glad we didn’t have to cancel or use our trip insurance!

 

How does the travel insurance comp know that you paid for a cruise with a credit card or gift cards? The HAL statement doesn’t differentiate how they received the money. Do you need to submit something else for proof of payment, like your credit card statement?

[WriterOnDeck]

5 hours ago, sandiego1 said:

Very interesting. I purchased over $30K of gift cards and used them do for the world cruise this year. Glad we didn’t have to cancel or use our trip insurance!

 

How does the travel insurance comp know that you paid for a cruise with a credit card or gift cards? The HAL statement doesn’t differentiate how they received the money. Do you need to submit something else for proof of payment, like your credit card statement?

Ellen, I used my AARP gift cards on the world to pay down my onboard expenses (but not all of them). I still got reimbursed for medical expenses (knee) through Travel Insured. But I was left the quandry of scanning 21 pages of onboard expenses to show the charges (which I also had receipts for from medical) went to my shipboard account.

 

In the future, if I have medical expenses, I intend to have the front desk charge those to a credit card during the cruise. Or add up the total and make a credit card payment for that exact amount during the cruise. that would just make submitting the claim easier, I think.

[pmjnh]

10 hours ago, SUESEABE said:

This is what my cruise insurance policy has to say about payments:

 

"Payments or Deposits means the cash, check, or credit card amounts actually paid for Your Trip. Payments made in the form of a certificate, voucher or discount are not Payments or Deposits as defined herein."

 

I have not had to cancel in the past but am rethinking the use of gift cards.🤔

 

Mine as well.

 

Well, then , this has been an eye-opening discussion. Currently,  I have a booking with only partial gift card payments. Can I assume that if I no longer apply anymore that it is only the balance payed for with the gc that is not covered?

 

It would be interesting to know if  AARP's travel insurance recognizes the GC.

 

Also will watch for HAL's annual 10% sale of gift cards. Haven't seen one since December. At least with HAL you are paying direct...oh wait, that goes to a 3rd party vendor as well....hmmmm. 

 

I like the idea of paying for the other items while on the cruise or pre cruise.

 

 

[Mary229]

5 minutes ago, pmjnh said:

I like the idea of paying for the other items while on the cruise or pre cruise.

This is what I have always done.  I buy the cards onboard also to pay any additional expenses.  The way I look at it is you are buying the fare with your credit card insurance that insurance is worth 10% for people in the 55+ category.   So in essence you are getting a 10% discount.  I also watch for Viator’s 20% off sales where you lock in the sales price and pay near time of excursion.    (Since we are now playing - be sure to sign up with your favorite airline for shopping points.  You shop through an affiliated link and get points. Viator and many hotels are included. )

[AKJonesy]

15 hours ago, Native Floridian 26 said:

Did you register for AARP rewards?  Do that and then once logged in, you'll be in the Rewards program.  You'll see Featured Rewards but click where it says See all Rewards. Holland America Gift cards show in the 2nd row.

After I was registering yesterday, after I put in my name and zip code, etc., verified my email address,  then it said my information didn't meet their eligibility requirements.  I'm eligible both in age and for my state which is Alaska.  So, I'll probably call them today, but yesterday I was just getting more and more frustrated with it. I've tried both my browsers now so there's a glitch somewhere.  Thanks for keep helping me try.

[pmjnh]

2 hours ago, Mary229 said:

This is what I have always done.  I buy the cards onboard also to pay any additional expenses.  The way I look at it is you are buying the fare with your credit card insurance that insurance is worth 10% for people in the 55+ category.   So in essence you are getting a 10% discount.  I also watch for Viator’s 20% off sales where you lock in the sales price and pay near time of excursion.    (Since we are now playing - be sure to sign up with your favorite airline for shopping points.  You shop through an affiliated link and get points. Viator and many hotels are included. )

Mary,

we have Costco credit card( we dont book our cruises through Costco)  and so we get 3% cash back, but I am curious now, which credit card are you referring to that has insurance worth 10% for people in 55+ category??.

 

Edited May 31, 2023 by pmjnh

[Mary229]

24 minutes ago, pmjnh said:

Mary,

we have Costco credit card( we dont book our cruises through Costco)  and so we get 3% cash back, but I am curious now, which credit card are you referring to that has insurance worth 10% for people in 55+ category??.

 

The Chase Sapphire and the Chase Sapphire reserved .  I also get 2% back from Chase for travel expenses 

Edited May 31, 2023 by Mary229

[Mary229]

42 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

The Chase Sapphire and the Chase Sapphire reserved .  I also get 2% back from Chase for travel expenses 

Let me correct my statement.  I get 2 points back for travel expenses.

[BermudaBound2014]

7 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

Let me correct my statement.  I get 2 points back for travel expenses.

 

You maybe interested in churning points. I haven't paid for a flight in over a decade.  Are you familiar with 10X travel? There is a free course you can take online. It's literally saved me thousands. A bit of work for sure, and it takes some time, but I've found churning quite profitable.

[Silver Sweethearts]

12 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

A bit of work for sure, and it takes some time, but I've found churning quite profitable.

Sounds like almost a full-time job though...

[BermudaBound2014]

17 minutes ago, Silver Sweethearts said:

Sounds like almost a full-time job though...

 

I enjoy it.  I trade for enjoyment also.

 

It's a game.

 

 

 

Edited June 1, 2023 by BermudaBound2014

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

21 hours ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

You maybe interested in churning points. I haven't paid for a flight in over a decade.  Are you familiar with 10X travel? There is a free course you can take online. It's literally saved me thousands. A bit of work for sure, and it takes some time, but I've found churning quite profitable.

We use to do it when we had our company ..

[abbiep]

On 5/30/2023 at 11:09 PM, sandiego1 said:

Very interesting. I purchased over $30K of gift cards and used them do for the world cruise this year. Glad we didn’t have to cancel or use our trip insurance!

 

How does the travel insurance comp know that you paid for a cruise with a credit card or gift cards? The HAL statement doesn’t differentiate how they received the money. Do you need to submit something else for proof of payment, like your credit card statement?

I had to file an ins claim and had to show my actual payment. In our case I had to provide copies of my credit card statement. So I guess that’s how they would know.