Carnival gift cards

[juditha99205]

It looks to me like the Carnival gift cards are gone!

Am I looking in the wrong spot?

[a460667k]

Ecards have worked fine for me. But i find it PATHETIC that people have had to go to Allstate, and for good reason!  And telling everyone on the AARP site.  I am so disappointed that they have given us a vastly inferior program, and touted it last year so much. Ugh. Don't even come here anymore. No point in it. I'll have to try Allstate, but without a smartphone, and not a driver, it is hard to join.

If anyone is interested, it may make sense to get a Carnival Mastercard. I have one, and you know the deal, you get points for what you spend on it.  I sometimes forget about using those points. Anyway, now i can get some Carnival gift cards for free, using just my mastercard points. Free. No, it wont pay for a whole cruise, but whatever i get is not 10% off, it is free. Or, I can use it for the onboard gratuities.

So anyway, just putting it out there about the Carnival mastercard since people are so interested in the Carnival gift cards.  I have not regret having it, and double points on Carnival purchases too. And I also have found their security to be fine.

[PaulP539039]

I agree that AARP is pathetic when it comes to Carnival gift cards.  The onld program was so much better, the new program almost worthless.

However, I do not agree about the Carnival Mastercard.  If you are in the market for a rewards card, do a bit of internet research.  Points earned on the Carnival card have a variable value, even when used for cruise related purchases.  My understanding is that Carnival points are often worth less than one cent a point (i.e.,  less than 1%), even when used on cruise related purchases.  In comparison, a simple cash back card like the no annual fee Citi Double Cash card with 2% cash back on every purchase would be a better card no matter where you use the reward cash.   And there are many other rewards cards that seem to do better than the Carnival card.  Anyways, do your research!

[a460667k]

@PaulP539039      You are correct in that there are probably some better cash back cards. I got my carnival mastercard a long time ago on a cruise. I think when you use the points on a cruise related thing, you get the most value for the points.  I just mentioned the card because so many people are interested in the 10% off gift cards. If they had a Carnival credit card, a few of those gift cards would be absolutely free.

[pp17339694]

Not to beat a dead horse, but I don't understand how having the Carnival Credit Card can get you any Carnival Gift cards "absolutely free."    You still have to pay for ninety percent of the gift card.  If you use a credit card to pay for the gift card, you can get rewards back.   But paying for the gift card with a cash back card like the Citi Double cash gets you more rewards than paying for the gift card with the Carnival Credit Card.  If you are trying to say that you can use Carnival points to purchase Carnival gift cards directly from Carnival and so they are "free", well, you could use your cash back from Citi Double cash to also buy those gift cards from Carnival, and I guess that would also be free.

Anyways, I am beginning to sound like a jerk, so will not post any more on this topic.  Lol

[df27853182]

Download thier app and drive.  You can earn points fairly wuickly too and their delivery time for the cards is about 10 business days

[WilliamJ383974]

I logged onto my Allstate account from 2 years ago when I had renter's insurance and didn't see anything about rewards.  Do you have to load the phone app (which i am betting allows them to sell your driving history to other insurance companies)?  Because for me that is too high a price for a measly 10% off a cruise.

BTW, as someone mentioned, the AARP gift card now requires you join AARP.  Is there a limit on how many of the $100 Carnival cards can be bought at one time for $90 each?  I don't want to join and see that I can only buy 1, 2 or 3 a month.  I happen to prefer e-gift cards because I can get them quickly (assuming they don't have long processing delays).

[OrganizedChaos75]

@WilliamJ383974People who aren't Allstate policy holders have to use the Allstte app to create a Drivewise/Rewards account. The app does not function without giving it access to your phone's GPS for Drivewise tracking. I don't know if the process is any different for policy holders. AARP only allows us to buy 1 Carnival gift card per month. If you have a spouse with you on the AARP membership account, they can create their own AARP Rewards account and that enables you to buy two per month. To require an AARP membership just to buy the Carnival cards, then limit us to 1/month, is insulting. But there's nothing we can do. They seem to have convinced themselves this is a better program and show little regard to the fact that so many people don't like it, including paying members.

[LauraB773202]

Thank you! I'm looking into it now. It appears they have $100, $500 and $1,000 card options like AARP use to have. 

[b74524s]

Laura, I found them also, but it doesn't seen to have them discounted.   Can you give instructions on how you do it?

[LauraB773202]

All State shows that they have the same discount as AARP use to, you have to create an account and then go to rewards and see the rewards that have ava. It's a 10% discount.

[df27853182]

I also switched to Allstate but do not carry their insurance. 

I ordered several $100 cards as Christmas gifts for some that I knew would be cruising. It was great!  There has been no problem!  

AARP hasn't listened in a long time and I will not be renewing my membership when it is due.  Hate it because I used to like the program now I don't see anything that's related to me at all. 

[KandyP234702]

@AARPTeri The e-cards may be there, but these are not discounted cards. There is no benefit to getting these cards via AARP at all. 

[OrganizedChaos75]

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@KandyP234702 wrote:

@AARPTeri The e-cards may be there, but these are not discounted cards. There is no benefit to getting these cards via AARP at all. 

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The 10% off Carnival cards are currently available, but only the $100 card (for $90). Go to your rewards account, click on Redeem, then the Members Only tab. Just be aware that some people aren't getting the cards when they buy them and it doesn't appear AARP has resolved the problem yet.

[KandyP234702]

I did find them now, thank you. But, I am concerned that you mention that some people are not getting them? Are these the actual gift cards, or an ecard? It appears that you would get the actual card, although limited to one a month. But, if you pay and don't get it, that is a whole new headache!

[OrganizedChaos75]

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@KandyP234702 wrote:

I did find them now, thank you. But, I am concerned that you mention that some people are not getting them? Are these the actual gift cards, or an ecard? It appears that you would get the actual card, although limited to one a month. But, if you pay and don't get it, that is a whole new headache!

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These are the e'cards. Some people who ordered them were getting the confirmation email, but not the actual email that contains the gift card number & PIN. If it makes you feel any better, I have seen a few people say they finally got the email. It took several hours, but it came.

I don't know if that was due to the efforts of AARP or if that's just how long some of them are normally taking. In the past, with the company that ran Rewards for Good, the email containing the e'cards were said to come within an hour, but usually arrived within 5-15 minutes. If this new company, HelloWorld, is to blame for e'cards taking several hours to arrive, then that's just another strike against them.

[JohnK969065]

Only 1 - $100 gift card per month???  $500 gift cards aren't available?  Our AARP membership is up in July 2020, we will NOT be renewing.  Even though we didn't need an AARP membership in the past to purchase the gift cards we felt it was only right to support AARP by keeping our membership up.  No reason now for us to keep it.  Bad move AARP, bad move.

[s665921l]

I originally sent my inquiry about this back at the end of September when this new program first came out.  Still no update, just that they are coming.  Carnival gift cards and other discounts are one of the main reasons we all join.  We also feel that we deserve more of an answer since that was 6 wks ago.  @AARPTeri @AARPConnieB

Can some one please provide an answer from AARP?

[AARPTeri]

@juditha99205 @KandyP234702 

We know many of you are anxiously awaiting the return of Carnival gift cards, and we will update AARP Rewards participants when these cards return.

There are other great ways to use your points in AARP Rewards, such as:  experiences, gift cards to a large array of services and of course our sweepstakes and instant wins!

[DeborahD330665]

Hi AARPTeri...

I noticed the Carnival E gift Cards have returned. AARP website says the discount will apply at checkout on the gift card vendor site. When I go to checkout it is asking me to create a login. I try and create a login and I receive an error. Are we not getting a discount on egift cards? Why should I have to create an account when my AARP account should link me, so I can get the discount.

Please advise. The other program was much better and less of a headache.

[j552968g]

Where did you see the link? I don't believe the cards have returned.

[a460667k]

I don't see them either. 

Every time I go on this site I just get so disappointed. It is SO inferior to Rewards for Good. I wish AARP would just listen to everyone's complaints and bring it back!

I don't even bother visiting this site anymore. 

[KandyP234702]

I found them on there. They are the e-certificates. But, they are not discounted, they are full price. No different than getting them from Carnival directly. So, what is the benefit as an AARP member? 

[a460667k]

Dear AARPteri:

Not interested in most sweepstakes and instant wins. And the card rewards are completely lame. Definitely inferior to R4G.  "Large array of services"? Like what? Many of the gift card providers are not in my area. The only one that may interest me is a Cracker Barrel one. (And Cracker Barrel is not in my area either, but i love it!)

But I guess being employed by aarp, you can't admit how inferior the new program is.  Two, and three dollars off cards is insulting and not worth the effort. Some are not even 10% off.

[JohnK969065]

I cannot believe an organization as large as AARP cannot get their act together regarding these cards.  But it doesn't even matter to me any longer.  My membership is up next summer and I won't be renewing.  The Carnival cards are the only reason I kept my membership.  For those wondering about Allstate's program:  1)  It's free.  2)  Even though it's their Drivewise program, you don't need to drive to collect points, just sign up through your computer, and  accept getting emails from them.  3) Read their emails (they come about weekly) - every email at the bottom has a code that you enter in their awards page and you receive anywhere between 1,000 - 2,000 points every time.  I collected 15,000 points in no time just by reading their emails.  4)  Points exchange is the same as Carnival was, 5,000 = $500 Carnival card.

[PaulP539039]

I read this post by AARPTerri a couple of times.   And it seems that our questions about when the Carnival gift cards will return and what form of discount (if any) we can expect are just not going to be answered.  Too bad for us, too bad for AARP.

[df27853182]

@AARPTeri for the past few months it has been posted that the Carnival cards are coming back and you will let us know when or will keep us posted.  I am so disappointed because it's always the same answer.  

Can you not give a time line?  This new AARP Rewards is just not working and I believe you all are seeing that.  I'm ready to throw in the towel but had just renewed for 3 years in June.  

It's disappointing for all that use the Carnival cards and I paid for AARP for the disounts that are supposedly provided.  There are no discounts on your new vendor's e-card gift cards.  I can go on the Carnival website and purchase them for the same price.  

Please just an update on about when or what the hold up is in acquiring the cards? 

[KandyP234702]

@AARPTeri  Can anyone at AARP answer the question about when the Discounted Carnival Cruise gift cards will return? It seems that there are a LOT of disappointed members due to this change. Honestly, this new rewards program is sad. Getting $2 off a food gift card is almost an insult to folks. I just joined AARP this year and was very happy with the previous Rewards for Good program. Now there does not seem to be any incentive to be a member. If nothing changes soon, this will likely be my one and only year of membership. 

[PaulP539039]

Let me add my voice of concern.   The discounted Carnival gift cards are the primary reason I am an AARP member.  The lack of such gift cards on the new AARP Rewards program is a huge downer.   I would like to see an update:  are these cards coming back?  If so, when?

[KandyP234702]

@PaulP539039 I would like an update also. The Carnival cards is the main reason that I joined. When calling AARP, all they say is that the Carnival cards will be returning. Not only would I like to know when that might be, but if these will be the same discounted cards that we were able to purchase before?

[OrganizedChaos75]

@PaulP539039I would like an update also. The Carnival cards is the main reason that I joined. When calling AARP, all they say is that the Carnival cards will be returning. Not only would I like to know when that might be, but if these will be the same discounted cards that we were able to purchase before?

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On day 1 of the new AARP Rewards, the Carnival gift cards were the E-gift cards sent by email. That's why they were pulled from the website, because people were getting them without PIN numbers. The biggest difference is that people now have to be AARP members to buy them, but they don't require points (or they didn't before they were removed). Also, either AARP or this new company, HelloWorld (who now runs AARP Rewards), is limiting the Carnvial gift cards to one per month, or up to 3 per month if they come from different retailers. I still don't really know what that means. This limit severely hinders how most people buy Carnival gift cards and it's absolutely ridiculous. They can keep promising that they'll return soon all they want, but as long as this new system is worse than the old one, it doesn't matter.