Sign and Sail account question

[Lolasmom]

Wondering if anyone knows whether or not your sign and sail account can be set up with a pre-paid credit card. I will be travelling with someone who does not have a credit card and we were wondering if this would be an option other than having to bring cash or traveller's cheques to put on the account.

Thanks in advance!

[ATL2LAS]

You have to check the terms and conditions of the pre paid card. Alot of them are not allowed for cruise or airline travel. It has something to do with laundering money:eek:. It does place alot of people in a bind. Your friend can try calling AMEX. They should, I hope, sell travellers cheques

[Lolasmom]

Thanks so much for the reply. We didn't hold too much hope for using the pre-paid credit card but thought we would ask the experts! ;)

Traveller's cheques is probably the better way to go then, to avoid bringing excess cash - I am assuming that the ship would have no trouble accepting these for payment.

Thanks again - these boards are a wealth of information! :)

[girlscruise2011]

Thanks so much for the reply. We didn't hold too much hope for using the pre-paid credit card but thought we would ask the experts! ;)

Traveller's cheques is probably the better way to go then, to avoid bringing excess cash - I am assuming that the ship would have no trouble accepting these for payment.

Thanks again - these boards are a wealth of information! :)

 

I've used travelers checks on my sail & sign card on both my cruises last year with no problem. You can also go to the pursers desk to cash them if they want cash in port. I prefer to use cash/travelers checks on my S&S then a credit card. Just my preference

[*Mach*]

Thanks so much for the reply. We didn't hold too much hope for using the pre-paid credit card but thought we would ask the experts! ;)

Traveller's cheques is probably the better way to go then, to avoid bringing excess cash - I am assuming that the ship would have no trouble accepting these for payment.

Thanks again - these boards are a wealth of information! :)

 

 

You do have the option of setting up the Sail & Sign account with cash. You can add dollars before the cruise by calling 800-906-7603 and use that pre-paid card to transfer money. All you really need is the booking number to get it done. If the account starts to run low on funds they'll notify the guest and he or she is free to add more money through Guest Services...

:)

[Sauer-kraut]

Does your friend have a debit card? That can be used as well, just put the money you were buying traveller's cheques with into the debited account. That would solve the going around buying the cheques and putting them down on the sign & sail card.

[Lolasmom]

Thanks! That is great news and I will be sure to pass it on to her. Have a great time on your girl's cruise! Our girl's cruise leaves just a week after yours! Cheers!:)

[Lolasmom]

Host Mach - that is a GREAT idea! I had no clue that you could "pad" your account leading up to the cruise and this might be the way to do it for her since she has been putting a little away each week! I think I may do the same.

 

Sauer-kraut - thanks for your suggestion, too! We did think of this but decided against it since her bank charges to use it are outrageous (it is a savings account).

 

I love this site! You are all a great help and my cruise vacations are the best mostly because of all the great info from here that helps me make them so! :)

[RMM34667]

You CAN use a pre-paid credit card for your Sign and Sail. I have one specifically for when I travel and used it on Carnival last year. It is better than a debit card since you are NOT giving the cruise line access to your bank account (I once met a couple who had their bank account emptied by the purser for a medical emergency even after they had made payment arrangements). It is better than a credit card since YOU decide what your limit is, you are not paying interest and in my opinion it is safer to travel with. Mine is from Capital One and it has my name on it and the merchant doesn't know if it's prepaid or not.

[girlscruise2011]

Thanks! That is great news and I will be sure to pass it on to her. Have a great time on your girl's cruise! Our girl's cruise leaves just a week after yours! Cheers!:)

 

Same to you...too bad your not on my ship, my roll call is DEAD..I need some fun people on my ship..:D

[janice2348]

I used to work for a bank-be careful using debit cards as the ship will put a hold on your bank account, often for more than you think you are spending. I had to once call customer service of a cruise line for a customer to get a hold removed. I would use cash or a credit card.

[BeachChik]

You CAN use a pre-paid credit card for your Sign and Sail. I have one specifically for when I travel and used it on Carnival last year. It is better than a debit card since you are NOT giving the cruise line access to your bank account (I once met a couple who had their bank account emptied by the purser for a medical emergency even after they had made payment arrangements). It is better than a credit card since YOU decide what your limit is, you are not paying interest and in my opinion it is safer to travel with. Mine is from Capital One and it has my name on it and the merchant doesn't know if it's prepaid or not.

 

Really read the fine print if you decide to go with prepaid. I had an amex one that in the terms and conditions said that it could not be used on a cruise ship.

[Lolasmom]

Thanks for the input, everyone!

I think that traveller's cheques are the way to go. They seem like the easiest and safest way to deal with this issue!

Thanks again so much. :)

[8upwithcruises]

We have cruised twice and both times we have used cash for our sign and sail. You can at anytime go to the service desk and take money out of your account for fun at the ports, casino, ect... I would never give them our bank cards or credit cards...sorry to much risk for me and plus this way i control what i am spending. :)

[MissDiva1]

We have cruised twice and both times we have used cash for our sign and sail. You can at anytime go to the service desk and take money out of your account for fun at the ports, casino, ect... I would never give them our bank cards or credit cards...sorry to much risk for me and plus this way i control what i am spending. :)

 

Why is a risk to give a credit card:confused:

[proudaunt]

We have a bunch of pre-paid credit cards we have been saving up. So I can just call and "pad" my account with them? How long before we sail do we have to do this?

[Colorado Kat]

Why is a risk to give a credit card:confused:

 

You have given them access to your credit card. If there is a dispute, or just a mistake in the on-board spending account, they can charge anything they want to the card.

I once had a hospital charge way more than the agreed amount to my credit card, even though the accounting department and I had decided on an amount. It was a nightmare to get the money back.

[kbmeow]

You have given them access to your credit card. If there is a dispute, or just a mistake in the on-board spending account, they can charge anything they want to the card.

I once had a hospital charge way more than the agreed amount to my credit card, even though the accounting department and I had decided on an amount. It was a nightmare to get the money back.

 

Then you call your card and dispute charges. Most times I hear of small differences in your final bill to what they charge which means a drink or two caught up after the printing. But we have never had that happen to us. We prefer using the card in case there is a problem we can dispute it and have easier and quicker recourse

[drosphot]

Then you call your card and dispute charges. Most times I hear of small differences in your final bill to what they charge which means a drink or two caught up after the printing. But we have never had that happen to us. We prefer using the card in case there is a problem we can dispute it and have easier and quicker recourse

 

This is a HUGE difference between a credit and debit card. If you use a debit card is is nearly impossible to recover any money in a dispute, with a credit card you have some level of protection based on what the card issuer provides.

Never use a debit card for an open charging account (like a S&S) or for internet transactions.

[CruiseOrLoose]

Calling the number Mach gave and using your credit/debit card to place money as an OBC (on board credit) is so easy and you don't have to worry about a hold being placed on your card. It's like putting cash on your account that you have access to and when the cruise is over if you haven't spent all of it, you get a check for the difference before you leave the boat. When you get home, just deposit or cash it. SIMPLE!

 

I called, gave my debit card number and bought 100.00 in on board credit. 50.00 of that will be applied to take care of my gratuities for the 5 day cruise and I will have 50.00 left available for me to spend. Even if I only spend 25.00 of that, before I leave I will get a check from CCL for 25.00....easie peasie!

[ncovert]

You do have the option of setting up the Sail & Sign account with cash. You can add dollars before the cruise by calling 800-906-7603 and use that pre-paid card to transfer money. All you really need is the booking number to get it done. If the account starts to run low on funds they'll notify the guest and he or she is free to add more money through Guest Services...

 

:)

 

Thank you for this. I knew we could and will be doing this for a gifted cruise coming up in January.

[proudaunt]

I am unsure of how much money to "pad" my account with since we will be getting money for our wedding. But we cruise two days after our wedding. Can I call the day before hand and "pad" my account with money? Or take the cash we get from the wedding and do this on board? I am just trying to "pad" the account so we can sail with no worries! Thanks in advance!

[craftykitty]

I don't have a credit card but do carry a Bank of Montreal pre-paid travel Mastercard and I've never had trouble using it on a Carnival ship. I just fill in my funpass using the card number like any other credit card and it's always been accepted. I make sure my allotted vacation money is on my card before I leave home and at the end of my cruise Carnival just bills my S&S account to the card. No muss, no fuss.

[ronrythm]

As has been stated there are different types of pre-paid cards. To open an on board account, Carnival needs to be able to put a hold on the card to make sure there is somethng to back it up. Some pre-paid will not let a hold be placed on them. These are mostly the gift kind that do not have an owners name printed on them. Though you can't use this kind to set up your on board account, you can use them during the cruise to pay on your balance. You have to ask at the purser's (or guest services as they call it now) desk for them to run a specific dollar amount on the card, which they are happy to do.

Enjoy

Ron

[not-enough-cruising]

FYI

 

For those interested in the travelers check route; if you are a AAA member, one of your benefits is "fee free" american express travelers checks.

 

This is usually the way I go, whether cruising or touring on land.:D