What to consider before you start spending your new cruise voucher

It’s exciting when you get a cruise voucher as a birthday present or retirement gift. The options of where to go and which cruise provider to pick are endless, but before you get carried away with your travel plans, make sure you understand the full details of the cruise voucher policy. Each cruise line has a different policy which means if you don’t know the expiration date or terms and conditions, you might end up without a holiday or with extra charges you didn’t anticipate. Other than expiry dates, you want to look out for how to activate your gift card, whether it is limited to certain trips or ships, and if there is anything you can’t pay for with your voucher.

So what are the terms of use for a cruise voucher?

Cruise gift vouchers can sometimes be used as onboard credit, which means your cocktail nights are prepaid and you don’t have to worry about having cash on you or which currency to use. 99.9% of the time, they can’t be exchanged for cash, meaning you might find yourself in a situation where you have paid for more onboard credit than you use and without a refund. Please check with the cruise’s customer service team to find out what their policy is.

Princess Cruises Voucher Policy

Princess Cruises offer a gift card option, rather than a travel voucher, but you can use these cruise gift cards towards a booking or towards your onboard spending account. To use it in the spas, shops and restaurants, you must add it to your folio before making any purchases. Only US and Canadian citizens can buy these gift cards at the moment, and remember that the digital gift cards are only available online, so if you’re buying one for someone else, make sure they are able to receive it. There is no activation process to sue the gift cards for Princess Cruises, so once received you can get spending straight away.

Unless they're part of a promotion or loyalty program, Princess Cruises gift cards don’t expire. Should it get lost or damaged, Princess Cruises won’t replace it unless you have the 16 digit number and 4 digit pin, which can be entered online or through your travel agency. Princess Cruises gift cards are not refundable or redeemable for cash

Make sure you meet all these conditions and that you can use your Princess Cruises gift card as they are not refundable or redeemable for cash. However, because your name isn’t printed on the card itself it could be resold to another person using a dedicated online travel platform.

Royal Caribbean Cruise Voucher Policy

If you have a Royal Caribbean voucher that you want to use to pay for your cruise vacation, then you need to make your booking at least 14 days before the sail date. Alternatively, if you are using your gift voucher to pay for dinner, activities and all your other onboard experiences, you’ll need to redeem it 10 days before departure. If you get on board without having done this, you’ll sadly miss out and won’t be able to use it. Considering buying a Royal Caribbean cruise voucher for someone? Make sure they are over 21 years of age and a US resident (excluding Puerto Rico). Full T&Cs for Royal Caribbean Gift Certificates can be found on their website.

Carnival Cruise Voucher Policies

If you have a Carnival Cruise Voucher, they have no expiry date, which means that you can plan your cruise for a date that suits you. You can also use these onboard and for a spa experience as well as towards your booking. If you want to use it as a credit, then you have to do this when you have boarded as part of a Sail & Sign® account. This has to be set up with cash or a credit card, which you can then apply your gift card to. They aren’t accepted on ships that use any other currency than US dollars and aren’t available outside of the US except for Canada, where you can buy a digital card. Names aren’t given to individual cards so they are transferable to other people however they are not allowed to be resold.

P&O Cruise Voucher Policy

Looking for a P&O Cruise gift card? Although they don’t offer gift certificates on their site, they have a partnership with Tesco club card for holiday tokens. The guidelines are fairly strict though: book at least 90 days in advance, for a cruise that is no less than 6 nights long. It also has to be a P&O Cruises Select Price which has great benefits for you like first priority for cabin upgrades, dining time and table size (read the full list of extras and cruise benefits). You must pay the deposit with your credit card, which can then be refunded using your tokens. There is an expiry date which is decided by Tesco, not P&O so be aware of it when you receive your vouchers. Check out their FAQ about holiday tokens for full details.

Disney Cruises Voucher Policy

Maybe you want to bring the magic of Disney to the sea for a cruise with your family. Although it doesn’t have a voucher just for cruises, the Disney gift card is all-encompassing. You can pay for your reservation before you travel or use it onboard. What’s unusual is that in most locations you can return it if you have the original receipt and none of the card’s value has been spent. It also doesn’t expire until all funds have been used.

Perhaps there’s another cruise line you’re looking to buy a voucher from. Other companies like Celebrity Cruises don’t have a traditional gift card option where you can pay or contribute to a booking, but they do have credits which can be used for food, drinks and shopping on the ship. Find out what your individual cruise line can offer you to make your gift perfect.

Selling or transferring your gift certificate is possible as long as you get in touch with your travel provider and ensure that you are able to. If you want more advice on what to do with an unwanted gift card, check out our guide to selling your travel voucher online.