Royal Caribbean adds new offer for discounted cruise gift cards
For many budget-conscious cruisers, purchasing cruise line gift cards is a smart strategy to save up for a cruise - and even help stretch a vacation fund farther.
Occasionally, certain cruise lines offer discounted cruise gift cards through special promotions with retailers like Target and Sam's Club, credit card rewards programs, and third-party online marketplaces.
While cruise vacationers have long been able to score discounted gift cards to use toward Carnival and Disney cruise vacations, finding gift cards deals for Royal Caribbean cruises is a more recent phenomenon.
After Carnival dropped its long-time AARP discounted gift card program in 2025, Royal Caribbean began to dip its toes farther into digital gift card promotions.
Now in June 2026, you can find discounted Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises gift card offers on at least two online marketplaces. Here's what to know about where to find discounted Royal Caribbean gift cards and how you can apply them toward your next vacation.
Want the latest cruise news and deals? Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter.
Royal Caribbean adds limited-time gift card offer on Groupon
As of June 17, Royal Caribbean is currently running a limited-time cruise gift card deal on Groupon offering 8% off face value. The offer includes three gift card options:
- A $100 Royal Caribbean gift card for $92
- A $250 Royal Caribbean gift card for $230
- A $500 Royal Caribbean gift card for $460
Before purchasing one of these offers for a cruise you've already booked, you may want to contact Royal Caribbean to confirm that it can be applied toward your booking. Conflicting information is listed on Groupon about how these gift cards can be used.
Related: Royal Caribbean's Star of the Seas review
"Certificate may be used only as a form of payment toward a new reservation made directly with Royal Caribbean International," the fine print states. "Certificate value may only be applied toward the cruise fare for Royal Caribbean International sailings quoted in USD and cannot be used toward payment of the required initial deposit."
Groupon reports that this deal is selling fast and it's unclear how long the promotion will run, so grab it before it's gone.
Discounted Royal Caribbean gift cards available via AARP
Royal Caribbean also offers a gift card promotion through AARP Rewards that offers 10% off gift cards for AARP members. A loyalty program offered by the nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering Americans 50 and older, AARP Rewards is open to adults of all ages. You don't have to be an AARP member to join AARP Rewards, but AARP members can access exclusive members-only rewards like the opportunity to purchase discounted cruise line gift cards.
While Carnival no longer offers discounted gift cards via AARP, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises do. Current offers include a $500 Royal Caribbean gift card for $450 and a $100 gift card for $90.
Related: Royal Caribbean launches ‘Quack Quest' for cruise discounts
Keep in mind that AARP Rewards offers for Royal Caribbean cruise gift cards come with a couple of catches:
- To access this and other members-only deals, you'll need to sign up for an AARP membership, which costs $15 for your first year on automatic renewal.
- Royal Caribbean gift cards offered through AARP Rewards are actually gift certificates that can only be used toward new reservations made directly with Royal Caribbean. They're only valid on cruise fares and can't be instantly applied at booking. To use one, you must first make your reservation, and then email a copy of the gift certificate and your cruise reservation booking number to a specific email address, allowing up to 10 days for processing.
Cruisers say using Royal Caribbean's AARP gift cards can be a hassle
Passengers often complain on social media about frustrating experiences they encountered by trying to use Royal Caribbean gift certificates purchased via AARP without a clear picture of how they are applied and their restrictions.
"I bought the $500 for $450 one for our recent cruise only to find you can only use it to book a new cruise so I couldn't even use it for our cruise. I had bought several before for Carnival and you could use them for anything. Not Royal Caribbean. Even to book a new cruise it's a hassle I don't recommend," Cinny Eubanks wrote in a Facebook discussion about Royal Caribbean's AARP gift cards.
When purchasing any cruise gift card through a third party, always read the fine print to avoid any potential issues that could actually cost you money rather than save money on your vacation.
(The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.)
Make a free appointment with Come Cruise With Me's Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel, or email Amy Post at amypost@postcardtravelplanning.com or call or text her at 386-383-2472.
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published June 17, 2026 at 10:23 AM.