Sea Pass/Sign & Sail Questions

[cruiseguy2]

Okay, I got a couple of questions about the Seapass/Sign & Sail Accounts:

 

1) Does each guest get their own seapass account?

2) What is the minimum deposit for the account in cash?

3) How much do you usually spend using your SeaPass account on a 7-night cruise?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

-Chris (first-time cruiser)

[Happy ks]

You will get documents before leaving on your cruise, there will be a page to fill out for credit card info, with a list of who is allowed to sign on the account. Each person in the cabin can have their own account and use their own credit card (or cash). I don't know the minimum amount you have to put down, it may be different for each cruiseline.

 

What works best for us is this, we open the account with a credit card, but pay it off at the end of the cruise with cash (usually travellers checks). It's just easier to open the account for us this way, but since we know we will be paying it off, we stick to a budget a little better.

 

What you spend onboard is entirely up to you, everyone is different. The things that are an additional cost are: drinks (alcoholic and soft drinks), photographs, spa treatments, onboard shopping, casino (some people charge cash for gambling), bingo, art auctions, specialty dining, sometimes ice cream or coffee stands, shore excursions booked through the cruiseline and even perhaps your tips at the end of the week. We generally budget about $100 a day, but we are moderate drinkers and perhaps only buy one small trinket and one photo during the week and we really don't gamble any more than $10 each. Some people go through the week spending next to nothing, some spend thousands.

 

So, plan for what you think will be "normal" for you, but also know that you will need more $$ than you think you do!

 

Have fun planning your first cruise!

[celbercrz333]

Chris,

I've only been on two cruises. We went on Celebrity Zenith from NYC to Bermuda for a 7 nighter and we went from Miami to Sea (Nassau had a hurricane, so we just floated around for 3 days). Your sign & sail card is for your cabin only. It can be based on a credit card, cash or traveller's checks. In some cases, your card is also your room key. This was the case on Zenith. As to how much you can spend. Well that depends on how many non-freebies you buy. T-shirts, mixed drinks, souvenirs, soda, etc. all go on your card. Tipping goes on your card. Prices for souvenirs can be very reasonable on board, mixed drinks can be very expensive. Putting a price on how much I think you would spend is impossible. We weren't supposed to BYOB, but we did. People here told us to sneak it on board in our packed luggage. Don't put it in your carry on luggage. Buy it in plastic bottles. If you look hard enough, you'll find some. We brought whiskey and dry whiskey sour mixes. Our room stewards on both cruises DID NOT rat us out! I would e-mail the cruise line about the minimum amount for a deposit made by cash or by traveller's checks. Each cruise line is different. Feel free to ask any more questions as you have them. People here are more than willing to give you any and all advice they have. The seasoned cruisers who have done multiple cruises will tell you the best information. Keep in touch!

-Joanne

[cruiseguy2]

Thanks guys for your fast replies! I have just one more question:

 

Can children have their own SeaPass account and what is the minimum age?

 

-Chris

(thanks!)

[serene56]

Chris; kids will need to have a card even if its not open for purchasing. You will need the card to get on and off the ship. Depending on the age of the child you will have to consider if you want your child to have purchasing power. Not much on the ship for a kid to buy but those arcade charges can really add up.

[cruiseguy2]

Thanks! My kids are really responsible so I trust them with a link to my credit card. That answers pretty much all my questions!

 

Thanks again,

Chris

[kids21]

I have 3 children and I was wonder if we could put a limit on there cards (10 years and 2- 16 year olds)? This is on the Carnival Legend.

The one child is not our child and he has his own money. How would be the best way to do his?

Thank you,

Sheila

[serene56]

the child will still need to be linked to your card if they have spending privilidges. There isnt much to buy on the ship for the kids. Heck a cadbury bar will set them back 6 bucks. Potato chips and pretzels can be had from room service. Kids under 12 get soda for free in the dining room. There is a post about kids spending on the first page or two.

[kitty9]

You'd be surprised by how much a kid can spend on a cruise ship. Just ordering beverages, going into the shops and trips to the arcade can add up very quickly. You can put a specific amount of money on each child's card for them to use for themselves. You must warn the kids that the amount you give them is a set amount and they have to make sure they don't spend over that amount---unless you want to give them more. As for the child that's not your's, you will have to set up a separate account for that child, and he/she will need a minimum of $250 to $300 to deposit into their own account. The child must monitor his/her own account to make sure they don't go over that amount, or else they will have to make another cash deposit.

 

Remember, you will need notarized letters from both child's parents giving you permission to take the child out of the country, plus giving you permission to make emergency medical decisions for that child. If you don't have those letters, the child will be denied boarding.

[kids21]

We already got that taken care of. I was just wondering how others have done this?

Thank you,

Sheila

[celbercrz333]

I was wrong about the sign & sail on Zenith. I recently pulled out my cruise memorabilia and we had separate card keys for our room and a sign & sail card for our account on Zenith. It was Carnival that had one card as a sign & sail and room key in one.