Celebrity Gift Card Redemptions No Longer Work Due to AARP Update

[Angela323296]

I have been trying to purchase a Celebrity Gift card that has been in my shopping cart for weeks.  I have used the ChatBot - which is worthless. When I call, representatives advise that they are aware of the issue and to wait until the next update. I HAVE BEEN WAITING...for weeks!  I don't have until the next update for this to be fixed as the final payment for my upcoming cruise vacation is due in three (3) days. 

I am extremely disappointed with AARP! Not only were members not notified of the extended update outage which shut the entire Member Rewards section down from Friday - Monday (1/17/25-1/20/25), but the update was still in progress 8 hours after the estimated completion time. Following the update, the website has only been downgraded. The only reason I signed up for AARP was to purchase cruise line gift cards at a reduced rate. First Princess Cruises, then Carnival disappeared from the Member Rewards section. Now, it appears Celebrity is on its way out as well. The error message says I am unable to checkout due to technical difficulties, while another message states the cards are out of stock.  If they are out of stock permanently, the public should be notified.

This comes after fighting to receive and redeem the cards after EVERY, SINGLE purchase, and ALWAYS requires escalation to another department for eventual fulfillment. As a result, I almost had a cruise canceled last year while waiting for the cards to arrive.  It is disheartening that an agency as large as AARP cannot maintain a user-friendly website for its paying members. I do not plan to renew my membership.

[BradC627965]

I'm glad my membership expires at the end of the month. I won't be back unless they fix their systems and bring back all the cruise gift cards.

[AARPConsumerCare]

@Angela323296  I'm sorry you're having trouble purchasing that gift card. I recommend that you remove it from your cart, clear your cache & cookies and log back in to AARP Rewards to purchase it. If you're still having trouble, please reach out in a private message with the error message you're receiving, and I'll be happy to help!  Thank you.  Jodee R. 

[GeraldT778730]

And the beat goes on.  January 26th. 2025, still 'experiencing technical difficulties'. 

[GeraldT778730]

Amen.  Our long standing issue is not getting past the Customer Service Rep.  One one else is hearing our SCREAMS ! 

[DavidB402754]

Unable to purchase Celebrity or Royal Caribbean Gift Cards on April 3, 2025.

[AARPConsumerCare]

I understand it's frustrating when you're ready to buy cruise gift cards but can't. Hopefully, the issue gets resolved soon! Hang in there, and keep checking back. Tarsha. J