Gift card information

[Teeter2U]

I've been on many cruises but have never purchased or redeemed a gift card.  My 82 year old mother is cruising at the end of the month with several other family members and I was thinking about gifting her a Royal Caribbean gift card to use for her virgin drinks. I'm assuming it's a virtual card if I purchase from the website? Can that be printed off for her to redeem at guest services?  Can you purchase a hard card from someplace that sells gift cards? As you can tell, I'm clueless about this.  She does not have an iPhone, only the old person type cell phone and only knows how to call or text people so she will need something in hand to take to guest services so they can apply to her account.  At least that's how I'm guessing it will go.  Any help is appreciated!    

[Mum2Mercury]

Several options ... they aren't gift cards, but neither do they require smart phones.  

 

- Ask her booking number, call the Royal info number and book a Refreshment Package for her.  This'll give her unlimited non-alcoholic beverages for the whole cruise.  

- Consider how many drinks she's likely to drink -- it's safe to assume $7-8 for non-alcoholic mocktails.  Call the Royal info number and purchase her X amount in On Board Credit.  

- Give her X amount in cash and tell her to hand it over to the people at Guest Services.  It'll be credited towards her final expenses.  (Didn't mean that to sound like it's for her funeral.) 

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, Teeter2U said:

I was thinking about gifting her a Royal Caribbean gift card to use for her virgin drinks.

If you have her booking number, call and add OBC to her account - much better/easier than messing with gift cards.

[LeeW]

You don't even need the booking number.  Call with sailing and name of person in cabin and they can look it up.  Buying her a Refreshment Package only works if she hasn't already bought one, but the phone folks can see this if it happened.

[Cruiselovey]

I received an actual e- gift card. Online it says I can just take to guest services and they will apply to my account.  Has anyone done this?

[CookieDiva]

1 minute ago, Cruiselovey said:

I received an actual e- gift card. Online it says I can just take to guest services and they will apply to my account.  Has anyone done this?

Just did this last evening here on the Symphony. Our kids got us a e gift card which was emailed to us. Took that email to Guest Services last evening and within 10 minutes the amount of the gift card was added to our on board account. 
It was easier than trying to do it before the cruise. 

[Cruiselovey]

Perfect, was hoping it was that simple.

[cruzsnooze]

It depends on the gift card. If you buy a discounted gift card such as from AARP it has to be redeemed through a web address.