Sign and Sail Card Strategies

[Crystalbast]

I have always had a credit card set up on my sign and sail account but I think that I am going on a cash basis on my next cruise. I really don't want to spend a lot of money on the cruise and going on a cash basis will be guaranteed to keep the spending down. I know myself well enough to know that I am not going to want to make trips to the guest service desk to "top off the card." As long as I get my soda sticker and perhaps an order or two of chocolate covered strawberries I will be a very happy camper. :D

 

What are your strategies in managing your sign and sail account ?

[lady_cruiser]

We just check ours every day and when we see it gets close to a certain dollar amount we stop charging those small litte incidentals.

[dvan68]

You can start purchasing some fun dollars in advance, this way you can apply them as an OBC, and have a credit balance before you start your cruise.

[jerseygirl79]

I always use cash and check the balance daily. Typically, the auto-tips come off at the end, so make sure you budget for that. I create a budget and add enough cash to cover my planned expenses.

 

On occassion, I go over my cash budget and add my credit card or more cash just before the end, but I spend my cash first.

[cruisingnewb]

I have always had a credit card set up on my sign and sail account but I think that I am going on a cash basis on my next cruise. I really don't want to spend a lot of money on the cruise and going on a cash basis will be guaranteed to keep the spending down. I know myself well enough to know that I am not going to want to make trips to the guest service desk to "top off the card." As long as I get my soda sticker and perhaps an order or two of chocolate covered strawberries I will be a very happy camper. :D

 

What are your strategies in managing your sign and sail account ?

 

Someone had mentioned you can get chocolate covered strawberries from the coffee/pastry cafe and they are cheaper than the bon voyage gift from carnivals website. Does anyone know if this is true for Ecstasy and how much cheaper?

[vacation_junkie]

I have always had a credit card set up on my sign and sail account but I think that I am going on a cash basis on my next cruise. I really don't want to spend a lot of money on the cruise and going on a cash basis will be guaranteed to keep the spending down. I know myself well enough to know that I am not going to want to make trips to the guest service desk to "top off the card." As long as I get my soda sticker and perhaps an order or two of chocolate covered strawberries I will be a very happy camper. :D

 

What are your strategies in managing your sign and sail account ?

 

We pre-pay our Grat's..and purchase funship dollars and have them posted as OBC on your account. Our last bill was 10 cents in the end! This way you know your limit and watch your pennies a bit closer!

[luvtacruise27]

We pre-pay our Grat's..and purchase funship dollars and have them posted as OBC on your account. Our last bill was 10 cents in the end! This way you know your limit and watch your pennies a bit closer!

 

Do you purchase the dollars on line or do you call Carnival direct? Either way, how do you receive them, snail mail, e-mail, etc??? and in what denominations do they come?

 

luvtacruise27

[shof515]

Do you purchase the dollars on line or do you call Carnival direct? Either way, how do you receive them, snail mail, e-mail, etc??? and in what denominations do they come?

 

luvtacruise27

 

http://www.carnival.com/BonVoyage/AddToCart.aspx?cat=giftcertificates&pid=FSD

 

type in on board credit as address 1 and your booking number as address 2 if you want it applied to your onboard account. Otherwise they can mail it to you

[SailingGrace]

I don't put any money on my account. If I want something I find out how much it costs then if I want it bad enough....I go to my room, get cash, go to the purser's desk, put the cash on my account, then go back to the location and buy the thing.

 

Yes, it's a ton of work. But I don't spend as much either...no impulse shopping.

[chasinraynbowz]

I always use cash and check the balance daily. Typically, the auto-tips come off at the end, so make sure you budget for that. I create a budget and add enough cash to cover my planned expenses.

 

On occassion, I go over my cash budget and add my credit card or more cash just before the end, but I spend my cash first.

 

 

When did the tips start coming off at the end?? I just looked at our Preliminary Statement from our last cruise and our tips were deducted on the first day.

[nonna5]

On the Ecstasy you can get chocolate covered strawberries in the pastry cafe. I don't remember how much they where but I felt that they were not expensive. You can also buy one or as many as you want. I have never ordered them from the Bon Voyage Dept. By the way they were very good.

[lillian marie]

Buy your choc. strawberries from the bakery cafe, they are cheaper and watch your spending.

[GlendaleCruiser]

I use a credit card to secure mine, but I also take cash with me for what I think I will need ("walking around money"). I always try to overestimate a bit, too and whatever I think I won't need at the end for meals and tips and car parking--I just take that to Guest Services and pay it toward my account. I don't worry if I have a balance on the cc to pay off when I get home as I pay as I go for the cruise. When I get on the ship everything is paid for but the S&S.

[misguidedangel]

BUDGET BUDGET BUDGET!!!!!!!!

 

First of all, figure out how much you want to spend and then break it down into the categories: excursions, gratuities, alcohol, shops, Coffee Shop, Activities (bingo, free cruise), spa, and then have some set aside for a "Misc." category for things like pictures or DVD of voyage.

 

I did good with the budget for the last cruise. I did go over by a very small sum, but if I didn't play Bingo twice I would have been OK.....

[serene56]

Someone had mentioned you can get chocolate covered strawberries from the coffee/pastry cafe and they are cheaper than the bon voyage gift from carnivals website. Does anyone know if this is true for Ecstasy and how much cheaper?

 

we get them from the pastry cafe- 3 for 5 bucks last time we sailed.

[Shake-n-Bake]

Also prepay gratuities and purchase OBC but also buy bar credit coupons. :D

[Almost Packed]

I stay budget friendly leading up to vacation but...once i'm on vacation, i don't worry about it. I just make sure my credit card is zero balance before the cruise. I check my account while onboard a couple of times to see what my balance is.

 

i have cash dollars to use for total vacation (gambling, port days etc)

 

my main purchases onboard are my cokes that i buy from my wet bar in cabin for my smuggled on booze and photos-i love to buy the photos. i think i spend more on photos than anything else (next to gambling of course) lol. i would not be buying cokes out of my bar if i did not smuggle. i'd just drink tea, or bring my own cokes onboard. maybe a cocktail or two on embarkation day.

 

i do not do a lot of shopping onboard as i live in Texas and we have more shopping malls per capita than any other state lol...i usually buy a cap or t-shirt for that ship and an item each for the 3 kids.

 

when my cash is gone, it's gone! I leave cash in my car back at home/port/airport to pay for parking to get home.

 

if i spend every penny i took with me, great! I stayed in my budget!

If i bring any extra home, I must have been lucky in the casino lol.

 

the key is never take, spend or gamble more than you can afford to lose.

 

good luck

[chasinraynbowz]

On our last cruise, I deposited $300 and had $88 in OBC.

 

After 2 tips, 3 drinks for hubby, 2 trips to the giftshop, one trip to the Bristro and 2 photos, I got $188 back... lol. We did spend money in the casino each night, but that was cash that we had budgeted.

[tak81288]

I pre pay as much as I can and bring cash for my S&S and for everything else once the vacation starts...I take a credit card that is to be used only in the event of an emergency...

[marshhawk]

I pre pay as much as I can and bring cash for my S&S and for everything else once the vacation starts...I take a credit card that is to be used only in the event of an emergency...

When can I give cash for the sail and sign? I have always had to give a credit card before I got on the ship to set up the sail and sign.

I really don't need things on a cruise...I like to buy my smokes on board, I don't drink soda, but I like a bottle of NA wine. I ordered two bottles to be delivered along with some flowers(to cheer up an interior) from the bon voyage department.

That makes it less then then I have to spend on board. I don't drink booze anymore, and I am a coffee hound, and that's free. I get enough food on board, so I don't have to go spend more money.....I prepay my shore excursions, so I keep enough cash for tips, parking, and for food on shore(I do try to eat on board if possible.)

[lollylew]

No Drinking!! I do usually get one or two frou frou drinks and since there is no alcohol in them, I get them for half price. :)

[Grayce]

I don't buy too many drinks, maybe 3-4 on a 7 day cruise. I usually drink lemonade or water. I do not buy a ton of souvenirs. I usually just buy a Christmas tree decoration from the ship. I do not use any spa services on board.

 

I keep all my receipts for whatever I do buy, that way I can keep an eye on what I am spending.

[FireMonkey]

I pre-pay everything! Gratuities, transportation, excursions. That way I know the important stuff is taken care of. After that, game on!

[AQW]

Just off the Freedom yesterday and I like being able to check the folio each day via the interactive TV. My S&S was $160 for a 6-night voyage. I spent $65 on photos, $30 on souvenirs (purple beaded lanyard for me, baseball cap for son, two stuffed animal outfits for daughter), $15 for one round of drinks for me and my sister, and $50 in babysitting charges to Camp Carnival.

 

I add my gratuities to my cruise fare so they are paid off well in advance of sailing. I think about what kind of cruise it is - getaway vacation with hubby? excursion-filled trip with kidlets? - and plan my S&S expenses accordingly months in advance. I know I'm going to spend a lot more on a double-date cruise with my husband and our friends (drinks, casino, bingo) than on a trip with just me and the kids.

[Chris41]

Tell the truth I don't worry about it. We work hard to be able to go on vacation and we are there to enjoy ourselves. If I had to worry about watching everything I spent I would just stay home.