Carnival Gift card question

If I buy $300 worth of Carnival gift cards, can I use them towards my Sail & Sign account? I don't have a credit or debit card, so thinking of using the gift cards IF I can. Can I use the gift cards at check-in counter for my S&S? Can I wait until I board and use them at Guest Services?

We had to go to guest services and have them added when we boarded. It was very easy. They were not able to do this upon check-in. This was on the Sunshine, out of Port Canaveral, on March 26th.

I have used the gift cards to pay for the rest of our cruise. Just call Carnival and have them applied. There is a 16 digit number stamped on them. Just read it off to them and it's done. I always take the used cards along on the cruise just in case, but after applied to my account, you really won't need them.

BTW, I could only apply $$$ to the remainder of the balance of the cruise. Any remaining balance on the gift cards had to be applied once on board.

I got a Carnival gift card for Christmas so when I was at check in for cruise I gave the check in lady the card and the amount on the gift card was credited on to my S&S

We did the same thing last week.

Just went to Guest Services during a slow time and applied them to our S&S account!!

I was able to load them at the kiosk on my last cruise

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If I buy $300 worth of Carnival gift cards, can I use them towards my Sail & Sign account? I don't have a credit or debit card, so thinking of using the gift cards IF I can. Can I use the gift cards at check-in counter for my S&S? Can I wait until I board and use them at Guest Services?

Can I use them towards my Sail & Sign account? Yes, you just can't apply them before your cruise.

Can I use the gift cards at check-in counter for my S&S? It depends on the port, but if you can't apply them at the check-in counter, you can once you are on board.

Can I wait until I board and use them at Guest Services? You can go to Guest Services, or you can apply them at one of the self-serve kiosks on the ship. All of the ships I have been on had a kiosk near Guest Services, and one other usually near the "Fun Shops". They are easy to use.

another tip: pay as you go w/ your S&S. any leftover $ does not go back to you as cash or gift card credit, so watch your account and make sure you don't overpay w/ the gift cards. FWIW.

We always apply them at check in. Never had an issue and never had to visit guest services to do it.

I had them add them to my S&S card at the check in counter in port of Miami. 4 cards totally $800 worth. didnt even bat an eye at it. she added each one handed me the card and a receipt back for each one. never asked for a credit card or debit card. Wife and I used all $800 worth by the second to last day of the cruise. went to guest services at 11pm at night, NO LINES, even though we had F2F ask if we could add $100 to our card as we only had about $20 left. she said she would attach my debit card to the account and they would only debit the card for each transaction and only for the excat amount of the transaction since the cruise had already started or it was during the cruise. I told her I had heard of large holds being put on debit cards and she said that ONLY happens when you do it online before the cruise or when you check in for your cruise. after the cruise starts and you attach your debit card to the S&S account the ship only debits your card when you perform a transaction and only for the amount of the transaction. SO we did this and they were correct. the next day we saw each transaction from the last day of our cruise on our bank account and never a cent more then transaction except for extra gratuities. Just thought I'd share this for those that are worried about the $200-$300 holds i've heard about with debit cards. Wait until the cruise is underway like a day or 2 then add your debit card and the guest services lady assured me the ship would only debit your card for the exact amount for each transaction you do on your S&S card or the ship may debit the total of your days transactions at the end of each day.

We have opened a cash account at check in. Once on board we go to a kiosks and apply the gift cards to our account. No problem.

We never use a debit card due to the holds. It is just much easier with a cash account.

When we want money we either go to guest services or the casino. I now understand the casino may be charging a 3% fee to cash out. I don't know this for a fact but will find out in October.

another tip: pay as you go w/ your S&S. any leftover $ does not go back to you as cash or gift card credit, so watch your account and make sure you don't overpay w/ the gift cards. FWIW.

WRONG. Anything left over in your S&S account at the end of the cruise is refunded to you, per Carnival's policy, as a new gift card sent to you in the mail. Some people have reported receiving checks from Carnival for the amount. Alternativelsy, you can use the casino trick to retrieve any balance in cash before you leave the ship.

Alternativelsy, you can use the casino trick to retrieve any balance in cash before you leave the ship.

Or just check out and retrieve your remaining funds from the Kiosk, which is what we always do on the last night after everyone is trailing off to bed...

We have used the gift cards for our S&S card on our last 2 cruises. Both of them they loaded at the terminal during check in. This was on the Pride out of Baltimore and the Breeze out of Miami...no problems on those 2 ships/terminals. :)