There’s a new Amex Offer out today that’s good for $150 back on $750 or more at Carnival Cruises. This was well-timed for me as I’m typing this post from the Lido deck of a Carnival cruise, so I’m adding it to one of my cards right now in the hopes that I’m able to take advantage of it.
The Deal
- There’s a new targeted Amex Offer out today that’s good for $150 back on $750 or more at Carnival Cruise Line [enrollment required]
Key Terms
- Offer valid only for qualifying Carnival Cruise Line reservations booked directly with Carnival at US website carnival.com, by calling 1-800-764-7419, or through your preferred travel advisor where Carnival is the merchant of record between 4/1/2024 and 8/1/2024.
- Excludes Holland America, Princess Cruises, Seabourn and Cunard brands, purchases made onboard cruise ships, Carnival Bon Voyage presales and purchases through the mobile app.
- Excludes single and group shore excursions, weddings and occasions, meetings, charters, airport transportation, Fly2Fun, in-room gifts and shopping add-ons, and The Fun Shops.
- Not valid for gift card purchases.
- Offer is non-transferable.
- Valid only on purchases made in US dollars.
Quick Thoughts
This is a nice offer if you’ve done cruise line matching for a “free” Carnival cruise since you’ll still have to pay a small deposit and port taxes, which makes this offer almost perfect for many of those “free” itineraries.
The offer terms exclude onboard purchases, but I’m hopeful that it will still work if I add the offer to one of my cards and I make a credit card payment toward my folio with that card. I am currently on a Carnival cruise ship (I’ve been aboard for the last week and I still have a few days to go). I’ll report back when I know whether or not using it as a payment method for my folio onboard triggers the offer, though I strongly suspect that it will.
My wife and I both had this offer on Amex cards, so we’ve both synced it up in the hopes that we can first rest it with one card and then make an additional payment with another card. I know that it is definitely possible to do that with an existing cruise line before your cruise, but we’ll find out how it works on board.
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Nick, did this ultimately post for you from onboard purchases? I had it work for a pre-departure purchase that included shore excursions, specialty dining and cruise cash.
Nick! You said: ‘The offer terms exclude onboard purchases, but I’m hopeful that it will still work if I add the offer to one of my cards and I make a credit card payment toward my folio with that card.’ Did it work?
I just got off the ship 4/5, so I’m not sure yet.
Update?
Seems to have worked. Made $750+ in purchases for my upcoming cruise (mix of cabin cash, prepaid gratuities, onboard ‘experiences’) and, as soon as the transaction went through (2 actually) I got the Amex email, ‘ You recently used your Amex Offer: Carnival Cruise Line’…. While it’s not 100%, that’s a very good sign. I’ll do what I’m pretty sure will work with casino cash and, in any case, the cabin cash is around $30 a day which isn’t excessive, especially on a free cruise (thanks, Nic!)…. Be the data point you want to see….
Got the $150 carnival credit the day after I made the purchase
I’ve booked my “free” Carnival casino cruise, paid my $200 deposit and eventually owe another $275. (I think I did a Chase offer or something to get cash back on my deposit). I’d love to take advantage of this new AMEX offer but, unless we also book a new cruise (which I guess my wife could do?) I don’t have any way to spend $750 with Carnival now. Is there some trick to prepay something (like a ship board credit) and then get it back in cash?
EDIT: I figured out a way: if I prepay the gratuities on my long cruise, I’ll get to $750. Sold! BTW, I noticed that the $200 I’ve already paid is a ship board credit. Is there an easy way on Carnival to turn that into cash, especially if I’m prepaying the gratuities? FWIW, I’m noticing all the other things Carnival is offering to add to my cruise seem crazy expensive, like their drink package.
Should work in casino. Load your 200 or more and play a few times and cash out. That’s how I do it.
I wish it was not a targeted offer, I have the AMEX Reserve card and I have 3 more carnival cruises planned, but this offer is not showing up. Anyone know how to get it?
There is no way to get it if you don’t have it (apart from if you get another Amex card and it has the offer, but I wouldn’t sign up for a new card just for the hope of getting targeted with a specific Amex Offer).
So I literally just got back from my “free” Wyndham cruise and a $777 charge from Carnival posted yesterday. I added this today, but I am guessing I am out of luck?
I think you are out of luck despite your 7-7-7 total.