Funship dollars,Carnival has changed how they are applied

[jrmende63]

I purchased my OBC (by phone) back in July and still don't see it as OBC under manage my cruise. :( And for those asking why, I only have a debit card and do not want the hassles of holds being placed on my account and I don't like to travel to the port with a lot of cash on me.

I see you are cruising the Valor on 9/15. I am guessing since the lady told me that it would appear at one week out, you should have it by 9-5.If not I would call and give the confirmation # and ask.

I will be on the Valor 10/13:D cant wait! I understand about the debit card. I have a CC but I don't use it.

[jrmende63]

Just wondering when you did this.

I saw this in another thread saying the same thing.

I have done this since the other thread and it showed up as OBC the next day.

I did it again on this past Fri and it showed up today. It seems to be hit or miss,

Surprise surprise that carnival has different procedures weekly

 

I purchased this last Friday and they showed up online with two hours....

 

Purchased my OBC on 8/20, had my credit on 8/21. $800...

Well all of the above posts show that Carnival is doing something different almost with each caller. I only know what she told me. I would have thought if they were just backed up she would say so??

[jrmende63]

This is the first time I have purchased funship dollars. I just thought about the huge hold Carnival would put on my Debit card after reading the other thread. ( Our party alone is $1400) I was going to use my debit card for our expenses and just let the funship dollars pay for the party. But what I read online at Carnival's FAQ is they will still put a hold on your card even if you put down OBC/ funship dollars. I changed my funpass to cash and will purchase more funship dollars to cover our entire bill. ( I have a general idea of how much we will spend)

[jrmende63]

Thank you

 

 

and what do you need an OBC for? We don't drink alcohol - what else would require an OBC?

Along with the other things that were mentioned, you will have 11.50pp/ day as gratuities billed to your account. I am just going to put enough on board credit ahead of time, so my charges will just come out of the OBC that I have purchased.

[twinbee]

How far in advance can you purchase these 'fun ship" dollars? I have always used my credit card in the past, but for my cruise next year, I am thinking of buying some.

[DGP1111]

I was always under the impression that Fun Dollars were non refundable. If you don't spend all your OBC, do you get it back?

 

Every unused penny returned to you. :)

 

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[jrmende63]

How far in advance can you purchase these 'fun ship" dollars? I have always used my credit card in the past, but for my cruise next year, I am thinking of buying some.

 

You can buy them up to two weeks before the cruise

[lizziez00]

I believe as soon as u book you can start buying them!

 

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[jaxfl]

OK I give up. Why would I buy these dollars and have them as OBC when I can just as easy use my credit card whem I get on board (S&S card) and pay teh bill a month after i get back from the cruise?

 

I can see a few certificates if I was going to give them as gifts to some of the family/friends, but for just me and the DW I don't understand. Also if I want to buy you a drink I just use the S&S card, right? is there a discount or something?

[fan3car]

Where on Carnival's site is it going to show the $$ that I've already purchased? I put a few Franklins on OBC through the funship $ phone number about 3 weeks ago. Not sailing for another 4 weeks so that could be why I can't find them on any docs but I've looked at "Online Expenses" portion of my booking and at the invoice documents. I don't see it.

[Snorkel2Much]

OK I give up. Why would I buy these dollars and have them as OBC when I can just as easy use my credit card whem I get on board (S&S card) and pay teh bill a month after i get back from the cruise?

 

I can see a few certificates if I was going to give them as gifts to some of the family/friends, but for just me and the DW I don't understand. Also if I want to buy you a drink I just use the S&S card, right? is there a discount or something?

If you have a CC and don't mind using it, there is zero benefit to buying Funship Dollars. Some folks can't or won't use credit cards. To each their own.

[lizziez00]

Mine show in " manage my cruise" on the billing tab...at the very bottom as booking credit

 

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[lizziez00]

OK I give up. Why would I buy these dollars and have them as OBC when I can just as easy use my credit card whem I get on board (S&S card) and pay teh bill a month after i get back from the cruise?

 

I can see a few certificates if I was going to give them as gifts to some of the family/friends, but for just me and the DW I don't understand. Also if I want to buy you a drink I just use the S&S card, right? is there a discount or something?

 

I just have no interest in the " holds" that could cripple my available credit for the four days after the cruise that we are staying in New Orleans....with the obc already there in cash or funship dollars...It wont be an issue

 

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[Bases5]

OK I give up. Why would I buy these dollars and have them as OBC when I can just as easy use my credit card whem I get on board (S&S card) and pay teh bill a month after i get back from the cruise?

 

I can see a few certificates if I was going to give them as gifts to some of the family/friends, but for just me and the DW I don't understand. Also if I want to buy you a drink I just use the S&S card, right? is there a discount or something?

 

I don't have CC.

I don't want holds put on my debit card.

I don't want to carry that much cash.

[Chelleum]

I brought some on 8/27 and my card was charged, but I do not see the OBC. I guess I have to wait until November before I see it applied. I'm planning on buying some more so I'm going to check when I called to make sure they see it on there end.

[cruise_pirate]

I have 400 obc and it is not showing on my docs and we sail Sat. I will be going straight to the pursers desk once on the ship:rolleyes:. Seems to me like someone is not doing their job....

[Chelleum]

OK I give up. Why would I buy these dollars and have them as OBC when I can just as easy use my credit card whem I get on board (S&S card) and pay teh bill a month after i get back from the cruise?

 

I can see a few certificates if I was going to give them as gifts to some of the family/friends, but for just me and the DW I don't understand. Also if I want to buy you a drink I just use the S&S card, right? is there a discount or something?

 

I do not have a credit card and I do not want any holds on my debit card. I also do not want to carry so much cash on me. So with me putting the OBC on my acc't ahead of time will elminate me walking with some much cash.

[deborahjo]

Just a heads up: I bought 600.00 of Funship dollars on a Thursday. That amount showed up literaly the next day as OBC .( I called and bought from the rep instead of online). So a day later I bought the other 800.00 that I needed to cover our cruise critic open bar party.

The participants sent me a check and I turned around and bought the Funship dollars as was recommended by Carnival.

Because this is not a group booking but rather me putting the party together, my S&S account will be charged for the amount of the party.

I did not see the 800 applied in a timely manner so I called the promotions dept and gave the order # asking why the Funship dollars had not been applied as OBC yet. She said I do see the Funship dollars as a purchase but our policy has changed on how we apply the Funship dollars as OBC to your sailing. She said Carnival now puts the funship dollars as OBC one week before your sailing.

I asked why the previous transaction had already made it to OBC under my booking number. She replied the day I bought the second amount was the day the policy was changed.[/quote

 

Happy to hear this. We are doing the same thing on our cruise in December. We are doing the meet and greet and everyone is paying us. DH said we would do exactly as you did. That way the money will already be there when we sail. Thanks for the conformation.

[BamaCruiser20]

OK I give up. Why would I buy these dollars and have them as OBC when I can just as easy use my credit card whem I get on board (S&S card) and pay teh bill a month after i get back from the cruise?

 

I can see a few certificates if I was going to give them as gifts to some of the family/friends, but for just me and the DW I don't understand. Also if I want to buy you a drink I just use the S&S card, right? is there a discount or something?

 

I do have credit cards that I could use, but I prefer to buy a $25 Funship Dollar every Friday. My reasoning of this is two-fold. First, that little weekly purchase gives me just enough "thrill" to help with the wait until cruise time. I sort of equate this to the "thrill" of booking a cruise. My second reason is that a small amount spent each week is easier to deal with than a large amount at one time. After spending $25 every week, I really don't even notice that I'm spending it and the OBC is continuously growing.

 

Now, many folks will say "why give Carnival the money to use instead of keeping it in my own account?"...my answer to that is the small amount ($300-$400) really wouldn't earn enough interest to make a difference one way or the other. I could easily use my credit card and pay it off as soon as I get home. However, for me, it just makes the cruise more enjoyable to not see that balance owed at the end of the cruise...even if I had the money in my hand to pay it right then..it's still a large number to look at.

 

In summation, for me, it's really more of a mental reason than a financial one. I'm going to spend the money one way or the other, I just choose to spend it a little at a time.

 

For some people, it makes sense. For others, it's a waste of time.

[DGP1111]

I have 400 obc and it is not showing on my docs and we sail Sat. I will be going straight to the pursers desk once on the ship:rolleyes:. Seems to me like someone is not doing their job....

 

I personally encourage to you call that department at CCL (800-906-7603) in advance of your Saturday sailing, and stay on hold as long as necessary while they get you figured out and confirmed.

 

Even if you have your printed info from the online orders, the onboard Guest Services staff will give you the malarkey "There's nothing we can do until we get information from corporate" runaround.

 

You embark on a holiday weekend, and the Special Program/Promotions office will be closed on Monday. That would be frustrating . . . I know . . . I've had that happen as well . . . and on that very ship.

 

Have an enjoyable cruise -- Bon Voyage!! :)

 

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[DGP1111]

. . . Now, many folks will say "why give Carnival the money to use instead of keeping it in my own account?"...my answer to that is the small amount ($300-$400) really wouldn't earn enough interest to make a difference one way or the other.

 

I, too, have heard that numerous times over numerous years. A few even going so far as to say I didn't know how to properly manage my money/budget and I shouldn't book future cruises until I got that under control. Yowza!

 

But with some of the most perfect timing I'd ever experienced on these boards, someone started a competely innocent thread about saving coins & small bills in a jug/bottle at their home as future cruise moolah. A number of others gladly joined the topic. They'd count it right before their sailing. Some had really collected a lot, which was great . . . except . . . the thread included success stories by some of the very ones who scolded me about loss of interest and bad planning.

 

Let's just say the tires on that bus were ripe for the throwing. :D :p :D

 

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[nitenurs2]

I ordered more funship dollars on Thursday and they showed up on my docs Friday afternoon--less than 24 hrs.

 

I wonder if it makes a difference if you order online vs over the phone? I always order online.

[Rainbowfalls]

Sorry to jump in with some questions but I do have a few :o

 

What is the difference in using funship dollars and prepaying gratuities?

 

Do you still have to set up a cash or a cc account if you have the recommended amount of money for an account in funship dollars?

 

Are there any downsides to using funship dollars?

 

Thank you in advance :D

[lizziez00]

Sorry to jump in with some questions but I do have a few :o

 

What is the difference in using funship dollars and prepaying gratuities?

 

Do you still have to set up a cash or a cc account if you have the recommended amount of money for an account in funship dollars?

 

Are there any downsides to using funship dollars?

 

Thank you in advance :D

I can't think of a downside....I have $500 obc (price drops and Funship $$) for 2 of us on a 5 day Elation cruise in three weeks. I took my cc off of our online docs (I set it up with one originally) and made it an cash account. I have been told that upon embarkation, they will ask for a cc and I tell them it is a cash account and I will put more on at the pursers desk (or wherever you do it) I can then do just that..or if I feel like I have enough in OBC(which I do..) I just won't go to the desk and that will be fine also...If you run low, they will call you down and you can put more cash on or give them a cc at that point.... but I would guess by then the holds would be minimal cause your cruise would be almost over.......

At least this is my plan.....lol I will let you know how it went on Sept 27th!!!! :):):)

[NHNEV2003]

I ordered some more FunShip Dollars on line Tuesday and it was applied as OBC this morning.

 

The process has remained the same for me when ordering online.