using a $100 gift card

[mina]

we have a cruise coming up soon and just received a $100 visa gift card from work. Can we go to the pursers desk and have it credited to our onboard account? Has anyone done that before?

 

THANK YOU!!

[mistyinca]

we have a cruise coming up soon and just received a $100 visa gift card from work. Can we go to the pursers desk and have it credited to our onboard account? Has anyone done that before?

 

THANK YOU!!

 

I'm thinking no. Before my past Splendor cruise, I called customer service to ask if I could use a visa gift card for my kids' on board spending accounts, and they said no. Now whether or not they actually understood what it really is (a prepaid debit card) I do not know.

[firefly333]

Seems like there was a thread explaining why this was a problem. Carnival put thru a small amount to see if the card was good, then they cant put thru the full $100 and have it be good, so the entire $100 could not be applied because of how Carnival's preauthorized works.

[mistyinca]

A thought came to me though, since I know you want to be able to use that free money towards your cruise somehow. Maybe if you can get someone to post the link to the purchasing of funship dollars, you can order a $100 funship dollars with that gift card and have it credited to your OBC...

 

an idea :)

[UpstateCruizer]

A thought came to me though, since I know you want to be able to use that free money towards your cruise somehow. Maybe if you can get someone to post the link to the purchasing of funship dollars, you can order a $100 funship dollars with that gift card and have it credited to your OBC...

 

an idea :)

 

We took a $250 Visa gift card with us on the Splendor. We took it to the pursers desk and asked them to apply it to our S&S account. What happened to us is that they added it as the primary credit card. They said when the $250 was used it would automatically roll to our original credit card. What happened in reality is that only $16 something went onto the gift card and the rest went onto our original credit card. I never knew what a ^%&^ hassle those Visa gift cards were until this cruise. We couldn't use it at the hotel, couldn't use it in a resturant either. Where it does work without issue is a retail establishment or grocery store. So now I'm just using the card up and when it's gone I will never purchase another one. I've given many as gifts over the years.

 

Your best bet is to try to do what the poster above mentioned or use it for groceries or retail purchases at home then take that cash you would have spent and save it for the cruise :)

[bonnie&clydecruzers]

we have a cruise coming up soon and just received a $100 visa gift card from work. Can we go to the pursers desk and have it credited to our onboard account? Has anyone done that before?

 

THANK YOU!!

 

Take your $100 visa gift card and use it to purchase Funship dollars. You will then be able to use those and apply them as OBC. Funship dollars have been mentioned previously on other threads, so you can do a quick search and find some more info. Here is the link to buy them from the Carnival website.

 

http://http://www.carnival.com/BonVoyage/AddToCart.aspx?cat=giftcertificates&pid=FSD

[mina]

thank you all - that is what I figured -- it is a pain to use them so I will hope we receive the card in time to buy fun ship $$ -- if not -- we will use it for soemthing else and bring the cash. Thanks again!

[megr1125]

they are the worst things ever invented from a merchant's standpoint too. unless the customer knows the exact amount on it and tells the cashier how much to make the amount of the charge, the whole thing will be declined, and in some cases the funds will freeze for a day or so.

 

there are a couple retailers whose POS systems are smart enough to know!

 

And, BTW some lines will not accept the "plastic travelers cheques" either...:eek::rolleyes:

 

use your GC at home...just make sure you know how much you have!

 

ps enjoy your cruise!

[sammee]

You can apply it directly to your room instead of waiting for them to come in the mail. I don't have the original thread, but I copied the following last month from somewhere in this forum.

 

To do this: Go to the Carnival website for gifts, purchase whatever Funship dollars denomination you want. In the address field, type ON BOARD CREDIT on the 1st line, and your booking number on the 2nd address line, then your city & state. I got the e-mail below from the Special Programs Coordinator within 20 minutes.

 

Now the only thing, I did this with one last month, I got the first email, but never the second. I called about it after 3 days, they had the info, but said it won't show up until July as my sail date isn't until August. Or you can just do the standard order and have the certificates mailed to your house if you have enough time. They take about a week.

 

I do alot of contest entries, so I have a crapload of $25 cards, total pain to cash in. This seems to be the best way to get rid of them and get full value for them.

[PlanoDebbie]

A thought came to me though, since I know you want to be able to use that free money towards your cruise somehow. Maybe if you can get someone to post the link to the purchasing of funship dollars, you can order a $100 funship dollars with that gift card and have it credited to your OBC...

 

an idea :)

 

This is a great idea!

[ManyMore]

Funship dollars that are sent are a pain in the butt too. You are better off doing it online to your account rather then having them sent. Sometimes if you take them on the ship with you they won't take them saying you have to mail them in.

[dainew]

can i use the alltel gift cards to purchase funship dollars to? thanks for your help. diane

[happy cruzin]

You can take the card to your bank (assuming they deal with Visa transactions) - cash it out - and then just take the cash with you!!

No service charge.....no hassle...it was really easy!!

[cathyoo]

Funship dollars that are sent are a pain in the butt too. You are better off doing it online to your account rather then having them sent. Sometimes if you take them on the ship with you they won't take them saying you have to mail them in.

 

I use Funship dollars on EVERY cruise. Some I buy myself and others are gifts. I take them to the purser's desk and have them applied to my account every time. No one has have even mentioned mailing them. You only need to mail them if you are applying the funship dollars to the cost of your cruise.

[Nebr.cruiser]

Yep, don't count on being able to use that Visa gift card on the ship, as others have said.

 

We just got a couple of $50 cards as rebates and they are NOT easy to use. I have one sitting here right in front of me that I had to call in to find the exact amount left on it, or many merchants cannot use it. Tried to use it at Wal-mart; they can't unless you know how much is left to the penney.

 

I'm sure they make it difficult in the hope that many people will just give up or forget about using it. Not impressed!

[dainew]

thanks for the help i brought funship dollars and apply it directly to my account as obc and got my confirmation already. diane

[happy cruzin]

Yep, don't count on being able to use that Visa gift card on the ship, as others have said.

 

We just got a couple of $50 cards as rebates and they are NOT easy to use. I have one sitting here right in front of me that I had to call in to find the exact amount left on it, or many merchants cannot use it. Tried to use it at Wal-mart; they can't unless you know how much is left to the penney.

 

I'm sure they make it difficult in the hope that many people will just give up or forget about using it. Not impressed!

 

They are becoming very common for rebates and that is exactly why I cash them in - at the bank. I know the whole amount and you get every penny of it - no service charge or usage fees ;). The only one that my bank has not been able to cash is American Express - and that is only because they as an institution do not handle any AE transactions.

 

I HATE when you have a card that ends up with less than a dollar on it - what a pain :rolleyes:.

[happy cruzin]

thanks for the help i brought funship dollars and apply it directly to my account as obc and got my confirmation already. diane

 

Great!! Good to know that is an option :D.

[Nebr.cruiser]

They are becoming very common for rebates and that is exactly why I cash them in - at the bank. I know the whole amount and you get every penny of it - no service charge or usage fees ;). The only one that my bank has not been able to cash is American Express - and that is only because they as an institution do not handle any AE transactions.

 

I HATE when you have a card that ends up with less than a dollar on it - what a pain :rolleyes:.

 

Good idea; I'd never had one as a rebate card before so I didn't know the difficulties. The first $50 card we were able to use as the bill was more than that amount, though the cashiers groaned and moaned when they saw it; apparently they cause trouble for them, often not going through, etc.

 

I have my exact amount written down now, so I should be good to go.

[js]

thanks for the help i brought funship dollars and apply it directly to my account as obc and got my confirmation already. diane

 

How did you do this? I am on hold with CCL. The guy on the other end thinks I am nuts and it sounds like he never heard of this before.

Thanks!

[dainew]

How did you do this? I am on hold with CCL. The guy on the other end thinks I am nuts and it sounds like he never heard of this before.

Thanks!

 

i did mine on line and i just check and my card has a zero balance. i didnt call to much trouble. diane

[js]

i did mine on line and i just check and my card has a zero balance. i didnt call to much trouble. diane

 

I thought it would be quick and painless if I called. Well, the guy on the other end told me this could not be done and that CCL will not use Gift cards for payment. Then I said, ok, it is not a gift card, it is a VISA card. I want to use it for $50 (I had 4 of them for a total of $200). He told me he had to speak to his manager, came back and told me I couldn't buy the Funship dollars and apply them to my OBC. I told him my sister did it (well, really my friends on CC LOL) and he said this can never be done.

SO, then I went online, and made four separate purchases with my gift card.

I typed in On Board Credit and then put my Booking ID and filled out the rest.

I got confirmation that the charges went through. Then this morning, I got an e-mail directly from someone at CCL confirming the OBC would be under my dh's name.

He sent me an e-mail saying all four would be applied for a total of $200.

Thank you all VERY much for all your help. I would NEVER had done this if it weren't for all of you!

[kgm0612]

I am another CC member who hates those Visa gift cards!

 

The first one I got from Verizon ($50) I used at Walmart.

I'm waiting on a $50 rebate from Staples and will take it to my credit union and get the cash for it now that I know I can do that!

 

Karen

[gfsmith]

We recieve these on ocassion from our freebie sites online. $100, $50, and $25, although we have never tried to use them on the ship we use them to prepay our gratuities and pay for the cruise itself. Never have had a problem doing this.

 

If you have allready paid for the cruise, tips whatever then try funship dollars or even a excursion perhaps.

 

Good luck in whatever you choose and have a great cruise.