The same exact cruise on the same exact ship and the same exact cabin… but in this case for hundreds less than retail if you knew a “secret” discount.
Or at least, that was the case. Now, the popular advantage that used to be a go-to for lots of travelers has all but disappeared, forcing more cruisers to pay full price for their trip.
Still, there is one way to still take advantage… but we worry that could also go away soon.
AARP Discounts For Dozens of Spots, Including Cruises
We’re talking of course of the famous AARP discount. For members of the group, it offers a number of benefits and perks.
The group’s website includes everything from insurance plans to car buying programs to credit cards to literature about topics in aging. But the site also has what it calls “AARP Rewards.“
Here, the group offers all sorts of deals from discounted magazine subscriptions to book deals to sweepstakes entries. One of the biggest groups of deals, however, is dedicated to discounted gift cards.
From hotels to grocery stores to home improvement stores to restaurants, the catalogue of options is expansive, offering members dozens of options all at 5-10% off the face value of the cards.
And for years, that has included cruises.
Saving Up to 10% on Sailing Across Multiple Lines
While many people don’t realize, anyone can be an AARP member and take advantage of all their deals. Whether you are 55 or 25, you’re welcome to sign up for a membership, and it’s only around $15 a year.
For us, the reason for signing up (despite being well below retirement age) was the discounted cruise line gift cards.
Just a few years ago, many cruise lines had discounted cards via AARP. This included Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess, Celebrity, and Holland America.
These cards were for sale for 10% off the face value. Sold in two denominations, $100 and $500, it meant you could save hundreds and potentially more on your cruise.
For example, say you had a cruise that was $3,000. You could buy six $500 gift cards for $2,700 and save yourself $300 on your trip.
We personally used this to save hundreds on multiple cruises. That is, until the opportunities started to dwindle.
Today, Only One Line Still Offers the Discount
Recently the number of cruise lines offering discounted cards has shrunk dramatically.
For instance, in 2024 the Carnival discount on their cards was cut from 10%, down to 8%, then 5%, and then in 2025 we noticed the cards were completely gone from AARP.
Princess also no longer has gift cards offered on the site. Neither does Holland America. These lines are all part of the Carnival family of cruise lines.
For a time, only Celebrity and Royal Caribbean — both cruise lines under the Royal Caribbean Group umbrella — were the only lines still offering cards.
That was until Celebrity also disappeared from the listed offers. Now, only a single cruise line — Royal Caribbean — still offers discounted cruise gift cards on AARP.
The good news is that the offer is still a full 10% off the face value. Meanwhile, members can purchase up to 25 cards per month. With both $500 and $100 cards available, that means you could buy up to $12,500 in cards each month, which should more than cover any cruise you take.
One suggestion? If you want to take advantage, then it’s smart to do so ASAP. There’s no telling when the deal may be gone forever.
