Carnival gift card discount decreased from 10 to 8 percent- WHY?

[ToddP719526]

As of today, the AARP discount on Carnival gift cards has gone from 10% to only 8%. I am just trying to find out WHO made this decision. Was it AARP or Carnival? I called and got a horrible word salad answer from the rep at AARP who talked about "market conditions, yada yada" but no real answer to this basic question. 

[BrendaA793607]

And now they are n longer available. AARP agent said Carnival discontinued them.

[ToddP719526]

This morning, Newegg had Carnival gift cards for 10% off. This proves it is AARP NOT Carnival who changed the discount. Am I wrong?

[AARPConsumerCare]

Hey @ToddP719526! I would like to confirm the offers we make available are set by the merchant, and at this time, Carnival Cruise Lines decided to discontinue offering their gift cards through the AARP Rewards Program. We remain committed to providing you with valuable rewards and appreciate your understanding.
-Justin C.

[JChristopher84]

Interesting. I am signed up for alerts on Newegg when the Carnival cards go on sale. I got no alert, and the current price is still $500.

[ToddP719526]

They went on sale at 3 am Eastern time and were sold out in under 4 hours. I didn't get an alert either but someone had posted on FB that they got an upcoming sale preview by email and that was included.

[ZedaG221040]

As of today the Carnival gift cards are not offered at all.  Did they sell out or is this a change in 2025?  

[AARPConsumerCare]

Thank you for reaching out, @ZedaG221040. Unfortunately, Carnival Cruise Lines decided to stop offering the gift cards through the AARP Rewards program entirely, effective December 31, 2024. - Diana G.

[ls23538190]

I bought one yesterday 8% off but nothing showing for today. I'm wondering if maybe it's just a temporary discontinuation and it will be back. Can't find any other info,

[AARPConsumerCare]

Is23538190   I can help with that. Carnival Cruise Lines has decided to discontinue offering their gift cards through the AARP Rewards Program. The gift cards were removed from the catalog at 11:59 p.m. ET on December 31, 2024. The gift card you already purchased through the AARP Rewards program is still valid and can be used. If you experience any issues with the gift card, please contact Carnival directly for assistance. You can reach them at 800-764-7419 for immediate help with card transactions and applying gift cards towards reservations. You can find travel savings on airlines, hotels, and more! Please visit the Rewards Catalog to see the current AARP Rewards offers. Thank you!  Jodee R. 

[k118444u]

Since now only 5%, you can get a 5% discount at Target when using their red card. This incentive/perk of membership is now gone completely.

[LacrishaK331532]

yes i cancled my renewal because it is no longer worth it.

[JChristopher84]

Thats only if you want to buy the card with a side of "virtue signaling". if its the same discount, id rather get it through AARP and keep the membership because AARP does a lot more for the more "experienced" (older) people in the community, and $12 a year isn't going to break me. I save much more than that with discounts on other cards and services.

[GaryWayne21119]

Now it is 5%

[LeslieJ927738]

Agreed! I will not be renewing my membership as soon as I get home from my Carnival cruise I’ll request a cancellation. The gift cards were the only reason I needed AARP. 

[LacrishaK331532]

yes i just cancelled mine.

[JohnP852309]

Agreed. It would have been nice to have some notice. I had priced in my 10% discount based on previous cruises. This is very disappointing.

[AARPConsumerCare]

We hope you stay with us and understand how disappointing this is, @LeslieJ927738.  We are committed to providing you with quality products that meet your needs, even if adjustments are sometimes necessary. - Diana G.

[angelad346871]

WOW!!!  Just bought a 5 year membership last month to take advantage of the Carnival discount. It was bad enough that they dropped the rate to 8%, but livable. I long on today and find it down to 5%. Is it too late to get a refund of my membership? 

[AARPConsumerCare]

We hope you stay with us, @angelad346871. We know changes on the benefits can be disappointing, and we appreciate your understanding. We're still committed to providing valuable rewards and offer the gift card at a 5% discount. I'm sorry to hear you decided to cancel your membership. Please send me a private message with your name and address to locate your membership. You may need to enable your private messages first, here's how: https://aarp.info/47hWcl7 - Diana G.

[jm46071191]

Does AARP realize you can get Carnival gift cards at target for 5% discount daily with no membership!

[AARPConsumerCare]

Hi jm40671191. We are very sorry about the Carnival gift card discount changing. The Carnival gift card with an 8% discount is no longer available, and this change reflects the new discount rate being offered. We understand this is disappointing, and we appreciate your understanding. We strive to offer a wide range of product availability, and pricing can change due to market conditions and supplier agreements. NT

[VictorM394453]

I was looking to purchase a couple cards three days ago and the discount was 8% and today I see this. Why? 😥

[AARPConsumerCare]

Hi @VictorM394453, we do our best to offer a wide range of products at great prices through our trusted brand partners. However, sometimes product availability and pricing can change due to market conditions and supplier agreements. Our main goal is to ensure you have access to high-quality products that meet your needs, even if we occasionally need to adjust the discounts we offer.  We understand this is disappointing, and we appreciate your understanding. - Diana G.

[ShanekaH350543]

I need to cancel as well because it’s the whole reason we joined and within months it’s decreased from a 10% to 5% discount. How do we cancel and request a refund because I did 3 years as well 

[AARPConsumerCare]

I can totally understand your disappointment, @ShanekaH350543. We appreciate your understanding, and we hope you stay with us. We're still committed to providing valuable rewards and offer the gift card at a 5% discount. Please send me a private message with your name and full address. You may need to enable your private messages first, here's how: https://aarp.info/47hWcl7 - Diana G.

[jm46071191]

Now down to 5% when Royal caribbean is still 15% discount, what is that all about?

[JChristopher84]

You do realize that many factors are at work when determining the amount of discount, right? It's not AARP just arbitrarily setting the number.

[GaryWayne21119]

Ok, so what are the many factors?  Since AARP has provided NO factors and YOU seem to know some, what are they?

[leonp574353]

Now down to 5 percent, yikes!