I just want to make sure I understand this correctly!! Whenever we make a purchase on board we use our sail and sign card and really there is no need for us to carry cash around on the ship?? Are we able to put a deposit on our card with cash or do we have to use a credit card?? How much is required?? We are sailing on the Fantasy 10/31/04!!
When you are on a ship, it is a no cash system. Everything is purchased with your sail and sign card. You can put as little as you want cash on the card. (On our last 5 day cruise, I put $70.00 on my sons card, $50 was gratuity, and he had $20. to spend) Keep in mind, the very first thing they deduct is your gratuity. It is $10. per person, per day. If you are on a 4 day cruise, that is $40. per person. If you run out of money on the card, you will no longer be able to purchase anything on the ship until you go down to the pursers desk and add more. If you have a balance left on your card, on the last morning before 6AM, you will get a copy of the sail & sign papers, along with a check for your balance. If you use a debit card, they will put a hold on your funds for about $200., so you would need to have that amount in your account. Hope this helps out.
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Debbie
NCL Dawn (Repo 14 nite) 11-1-09
RCCL Mariner of the Sea (Mexican Riviera) 4-18-10
1 FFC--Princess
Or to avoid having to deal with cash, you can submit a credit card prior to embarkation. All of your sail & sign purchases will be charged to the credit card at the end of the cruise. It's much simpler, but also dangerous for those without enough spending discipline! (::ahemmyhusbandahem: ;>
Let me see if I am understanding this correctly... I can set different spending limits for each of my children if I pay with cash? I was also curious if there was an arcade on the fantasy? If so I know I need to double their budget.
Okay, just so I am prepared for my credit card bill...Will there just be one charge from Carnival on there that will be the balance of my sign and sail card? Or will it be seperated by days or something?
Thanks
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Victory, here I come!! - October 2, 2004
As for using cash for your sign and sail....I find using a credit card is much better because if you should run into any discrepancies with the cruise or the bill or purchases you made with the S&S card, you will have a stronger leg to stand on with the credit card company investigating the problem.
I was once on a "Cruise from Hell" on the Royal Olympic line and we paid for our cruise as usual before sailing and charged it to our credit card. A day after we departed the dock we all got notices from the Cruise Line that they were going to add on an additional $3 per day per person for fuel and security.
We almost mutinied the ship and there were some real problems. They tried to add their costs to our accounts AFTER we sailed. American Express fought for us and made them take the charges off the card. Some people paid with cash and were never able to get the money back unless they got into a legal hassle. The cruise line has since filed for bankruptcy and now only has a couple ships relagated to the Med.
We have always used our cc when sailing but are doing a complete revamp here at home and plan to get rid of our cc. I was thinking of prepaying for onboard credit and then using my debit card onboard for them to put the hold on. After reading this I'm thinking that maybe I should just deposit the money into my bank acct and let them put a hold on the debit. We already have our $100 shareholder credit sitting there for us but I'm trying to forget I have that for overruns. We do not activate our daughter's card as she is 4 so she won't be using it.
GEORGIE - THIS IS NOT 12 YR OLD CHILD. GO BACK TO THREAD "GAMES - SHIP ON A STICK LOOK FOR BRANFLAKES. TALKS ABOUT WINNING SURVIVOR AND HER "DAUGHTER" PULLING BINGO BALLS. OBVIOUSLY HER DAUGHTER IS USING HER MOMS NAME ON THE BOARDS. HMMMMMM
We used travelers checks for our S&S and had no problem, actually at the end we had a credit, they issued us a check and then cashed it for us. The deposit on your
S&S card depends on how many days your cruise is, remember they automatically put your tips on their right away.
Not sure if this has been said as I am just responding but here goes - they'll put a reserve on your card for some minimum amount and as you get to that amount and/or surpass it they may increase the reserve. When you are settling up, at the end of the cruise, you can apply cash to the account and have the rest remain on your credit card, if you'd like - but chances are you'll need that cash for tips and other assorted expenses.
We just finished paying the balance for our cruise PLUS prepaid our tips. I hope that is ok. My question, since we prepaid our tips we won't see that on our Sail and Sign Card right? It will just be for expenses now right?
Why is there gratuity on your sail & sign card? I thought envelopes were provided at dinner and in your cabin on the last day for tips? Im confused. Am sailing for first time in August.
The envelope system isn't used any longer. Carnival automatically adds the suggested gratuity to your sail & sign account at the beginning of your cruise. At any time during the cruise, you can adjust the gratuities up or down as you see fit. You can get rid of them completely if you'd rather hand your tips to the staff members yourself. However with the prepaid gratuities on your sail & sign account, you know you've done the minimum and you don't have to worry about finding each staff member at the end. If you'd like to add a little more in the way of cash in hand, that's cool. Hope that helps.
Okay, can someone explain to me - if you use your debit card for Sail & Sign and don't put a reserve on it, then it is just up to you to keep track of the amount? Am I understanding this correctly?
You can check your balance on your TV in your cabin to help you keep track, or I am sure you can stop by the Purser's desk and get a statement of what you have spent so far.
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Victory, here I come!! - October 2, 2004
You have to be really careful about using a bank debit card, because many of them have a daily charge limit. Your card will automatically be billed for the gratuities ($10.00 pp per day), and there is a minimum pp deposit...about $200.00. Make sure you call your bank before you go, and clarify yiour daily amount, and also let them know the dates you will be cruising and where you will be going. Just because it has a VISA or MC logo doesn't mean that it is an actual credit card. You also cannot get a cash advance from your debit card on the ship, like you can a credit card. The only places on the ship that take cash are the casino and Bingo. And personal tips.
you can either link yours and your husband's sign and sail cards to the same acct, or establish separate accts.
What we often do is present our credit card up front as 'security', and then towards the end of the trip, go to the purser's desk and pay it all off with cash, so that nothing actually gets charged to our credit card. This way we don't have to lay the cash out up front.
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Home Lines Atlantic 7/88; Cunard Countess 6/89; Costa Riviera 5/90; Explorer of the Seas 8/02; Adventure of the Seas 8/03; Carnival Miracle 6/04
we used our credit card to back up our s&s card. the kids didn't have s&s, only soda cards. the credit card bill was a lump sum charge for the whole cruise, not day by day.
Just got off the Elation. Kids have S&S cards because that is there room key. You can deactivate the card from being charged on. The problem with that is if they are older and they want to buy something they have to find you. In the arcade they can use their card to get tokens. The max for a child per day is $20. My kids are 12 and up and they did not abuse the cards. We told them that they had a $10 per day limit for the arcade. When we were at the purser's desk we heard them tell someone that they could not use their debit card. Could have misunderstood. We used our Amex. Also, if you use a CC call them and let them know that you will be on a cruise and using your card in port. Sometimes when they see out of country charges they will freeze the card until they can talk to you.
Went to Belize Cave Tour and had a great time, photos etc came to $1,100
Went to crap tables and won $300, took my winnings to the Information desk and paid.
Did this every day and end up paying the whole thing off by the time we left!!!!
Let me tell everyone about our recent experience with the debit card. We took a two night to nowhere cruise and just planned to use the debit card since we already paid the tips and I had drink coupons. Once onboard we found out that there is no limit on alcohol and cigs but you pay a 3% tax. Ok I ended up paying $16.50 for cigs that I pay $42 for here in PA. Also, we can not touch the alcohol prices. So off we go to the purser's desk to switch to a credit card. After about 15 minutes of paperwork and a guarantee that all charges from the start of the cruise would be charged on our charge card.
We got home and guess what! Between the hold they put on our debit card and the charges from the first day, we overdrew our account. The remainder of the charges along with another hold were placed on my credit card. Good thing it has an outragous limit.
Be careful and if at all possible use a credit card with a high limit.
I use a "blank" cruising card that we leave and pay off pre cruising . Cash is a hasle, you will always need more and that means another trip to the pursers desk to re-plenish then any money owed to you means another long line at the end of the cruise.
Just give a credit card. Debit cards can have a $400 per day limit.. you book an excursion, or your excursions for the cruise and you're done for the day... it's a mess.
Then you find some jewlery you wish to buy at a great price and your debit card is now blocked in port and your stuck.
Just use a credit card, you can check your balance every hour if you want on your cabin's TV. The last night an itemized bill is slipped under your door and you get the bill in the mail.
We secured a card for 3% interest for 3 years and use this for cruising, just incase it takes a few months post cruise to pay back... which is likely with duty free booze, smokes, shopping and the alcohol on board...
But mind you it took us three months after the last Easter vacation one to pay off and it's sweating, waiting for the September cruise.
We have done both; cash deposit, they will refunding the $ not used. Not sure of a minimum. Credit card, they keep a running total as seen on your TV, then one final bill on our credit card at the end of cruise. We have never had any problems. Just remember to keep plenty of $1 for tipping; room service, excursions, etc.
MARINER 8/29/2004, SPIRIT 11/17/2004
Star Princess 2003, Glory 2003
NCL Star 2002, Star Princess 2002
Westerdam 2001, Inspiration 2001
Jubilee 1989, Jubilee 1991, Elation 1999
Azure Seas 1982, Tropicale 1988
You took a Belize Cave Tour and it came to $1,100 (for the tour itself and photos?) How many people are you talking about? I'm a bit concerned now about how much more this trip is going to cost us over and above the basic cruise price. I know about the drinks and tips and the basic costs for excursions, but $1,100 sounds like a lot to me. Am I misunderstanding something?
I was thinking the SAME thing Pamgar55! I hope I AM misunderstanding something in his post. If not I will be taking one of those "Port? What port?" cruises where all I do is enjoy the ship! I am paranoid about this sign and sail thing being that I do not have any credit cards, Just a debit and i don't want to tie up too much so that off board shopping is impossible.
Alan J please elaborate for us first timers . . .
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