Be Wary of Royal Caribbean Virtual Gift Cards Purchased through AARP

@cm7407640 Thank you for letting us know. The Royal Caribbean gift card can only be applied to a new individual reservation; it sounds like you may be trying to apply it to an existing reservation. Check out the terms & conditions for those cards below:

Gift Certificate must be redeemed through Royal Caribbean International for the US dollar value as outlined on the face of the certificate.

1. Certificate must be used as a form of payment towards a new reservation made directly with Royal Caribbean. Once the gift certificate is applied to the reservation made, the reservation may be transferred to your preferred travel agency.

2. Certificate is valid only for Royal Caribbean International sailings in USD and is not redeemable for cash. It may be applied to all ships, departures and stateroom categories.

3. Certificate can only be applied to a NEW individual reservation in USD.

4. Certificate may not be applied to a group reservation, charter or customized group program.

5. Certificate may not be used towards onboard credit or to settle any shipboard charges.

6. A deposit is required at the time of booking.

7. Certificates may be used in multiples and may be used to supplement cash payment or credit card.

8. All reservations are subject to availability.

9. Once a reservation has been made with a Certificate, normal cancellation policy, schedules for deposit and final payments shall apply.

10. Changes to the reservation may be permitted, subject to availability.

11. Certificate is transferable only when gifted and bears no expiration date.

12. Certificate is nonrefundable and not replaceable whether lost, stolen or if booking is cancelled.

13. Certificate shall be void where prohibited or restricted by law and if sold for cash or other consideration.

My problem with the Royal Caribbean gift cards has now been resolved. Their value of $600 has been applied to my cruise reservation today, Tuesday, June 28, 2022. However, I don't intend to purchase anymore of the Royal Caribbean virtual gift cards. The process for redeeming them is too burdensome on the purchaser. Even when you follow all the steps exactly, all the work that is necessary to have them applied is hardly worth the effort it takes. This process should be streamlined if AARP really wants to benefit their retired members.

Thanks for all the discussion that this matter generated. However, the purchase was made in good faith as instructed on the site. The redeeming process is to blame and not the fault of the purchaser who happens to use a credit card to purchase the virtual gift cards. It is customary and the usual practice to use a credit card for any internet purchase.

Boy what a mess Royal Caribbean is with the gift cards through AARP they won't honor them for me.  As previous poster says "invalid" spent hours and I mean hours/days on the phone to no avail. Called back AARP and was basically told sorry nothing we can do its sold directly through cruiseline.  BEWARE of RCCL gift cards through AARP.  Carnival was easy no issues.  Right now I am out 2350.00 with no recourse.  What a mess!

The beat(down) goes on!

Last year I put down a deposit for our first RCCL cruise for later this year.  On 1/4/24 I submitted a $100 "Virtual Gift Card" purchased from AARP, knowing there had been issues in the past.  I felt it prudent to limit my risk by only trying a $100 card to see if it worked.  

I had high hopes since they had announced that the system had been improved.

Maybe not. First, I tried going through my TA and gave him the card info.  He tried, but sent me the following reply;   "I have tried to use the gift card on my end but have failed since it wants a credit card-type gift card.  I called RCCL both the regular line and groups.  They suggest that you follow the instructions to get the gift card applied.  I'm sorry this did not work as we both thought.  Carnival has no issues with how you and Michelle use the gift cards, and I can process them easily."

I used the information that came with the "Virtual Gift Card" from AARP and sent the information on the "card" to sharedservicesgiftcertificateredemption@rccl.com.

I got and immediate response that they would be ...We are "promptly" working to review your request. Whether you have feedback, questions, or need help with a certificate application, we are committed to responding to every concern." I added the italics and quotation marks to "promptly".

Today I tried to check the balance on the gift card to see if it had been applied, but only to find out that the only Royal Caribbean Gift Cards you can check the balance on are the ones purchased directly from RCCL.  I called Royal and got transferred first to Groups (we have another couple coming with us), then to "gift card desk".  They told me that I need to allow ten days for the card to be processed.  So now I have to wait 4-5 more days, to find out if they are true to their word. 

So, at this point, the question is, is it worth the trouble and possible risk to purchase RCCL gift cards from AARP? Probably not at this time, sinceRCCL treats Gift Cards purchased from even reputable third party groups such as AARP as garbage.  So, what is the point in buying Gift Cards at full price from RCCL?  You're better off paying RCCL directly using a credit card.  If you want to buy gift cards to give to someone as a gift, you have to ask your self, how much do you value them as a friend?  I will update this post after 14th.