Royal Caribbean has quietly upgraded its gift cards to be much more useful

There might be a good reason to buy a Royal Caribbean gift certificate now. 

Royal Caribbean sent an email update advertising its gift cards, which now offer easier ways to redeem the cards.

Traditionally, Royal Caribbean’s gift cards/certificates had stringent redemption rules that made that impractical.

With the old cards, you had to redeem them many weeks before your cruise began, and couldn’t be redeemed onboard the ship.

With the new change, the Royal Caribbean Gift Card is a pre-paid gift card similar to a gift certificate. It is valid for both Royal Caribbean or Celebrity Cruises.

There are four ways to redeem them:

• On the Royal Caribbean website
• By calling the cruise line at 866-562-7625
• Through your travel agent
• On sailings where the onboard currency is USD (most sailings except China), gift cards can be used onboard as payment toward your onboard expense account. 

At this time, gift cards cannot be used towards pre-cruise purchases such as shore excursions, beverage packages, internet, etc.

Gift Cards cannot be redeemed for cash or quasi-cash (for example, gaming chips, money orders, deposits, wire transfers, traveler’s checks, foreign currency, and similar items).

The funds on these gift cards don’t expire, but if the card’s full value hasn’t been used within nine years from the date of purchase, you will need to contact customer service to transfer the remaining funds to a new gift card number.

Anyone can use the card because your name does not appear on the card. You may use it yourself or give it to anyone you choose. It’s imperative you guard the number, as anyone can use it.

How to buy a Royal Caribbean gift card

The can buy purchased online at the Royal Caribbean website, as low as $50 and up to $2,000.

When purchasing the card, you have the option of buying it for yourself or for someone else.

Currently, Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Apple Pay and PayPal are accepted. Checks are not acceptable for the purchase of gift cards.

International purchases for gift cards are not available at this time. Gift card currency is restricted to USD.

Your gift card will be sent to the recipient via email on the delivery date you choose at the time of purchase. For same-day delivery, most gift cards are sent within an hour of your purchase. 

The recipient will receive a message on the delivery date you chose informing them of your gift, with a link to retrieve it online.

The link in the email leads to a page that shows the gift card you created — complete with the design you selected, the recipient’s name, the card’s value, card number and your personalized message. 

What can you buy with a gift card?

Royal Caribbean allows you to use its gift cards towards the balance of your cruise fare, or onboard the ship as a kind of onboard credit.

Read more: Royal Caribbean onboard credit

If you use it pre-cruise, then it goes towards your cruise fare.

However, if you wait to use it onboard, then it will be used as a credit against your onboard charges.

Is a gift card worth it?

With the simpler redemption rules, this makes a Royal Caribbean gift card more attractive as a way to help someone taking a cruise have some extra money to spend.

Under the old redemption rules, it made using the certificates cumbersome.

Given that the card can be used towards cruise fare or onboard purchases, it gives a great deal of flexibility with no fine print to hold you back.

Another advantage of a gift card is it makes it far easier for the recipient to use, and ensures the funds are used for a cruise vacation.  A cash gift could be used for anything.