Putting $$ on kids' SeaPass

[serena_17]

Hi,

 

Our DD and DS will be 12 and 11 yrs old when we cruise next year. I'm already being nagged about letting them buy drinks, etc and use the arcade.

 

Is there a way that I can put a limit on their SeaPass so I don't end up with a scary bill at the end?

 

Thanks,

[ColoradoGurl]

Yes, you can do that by going to the guest services desk once on board. I've never done it, but according to many of the posts I've read on this board, people do it all the time and it's easy to do.

[clm1982]

Yes you do this when you check in. Just put limits on there card to a certain amount.

[LilBlackDress]

Hi,

 

Our DD and DS will be 12 and 11 yrs old when we cruise next year. I'm already being nagged about letting them buy drinks, etc and use the arcade.

 

Is there a way that I can put a limit on their SeaPass so I don't end up with a scary bill at the end?

 

Thanks,

 

You can purchase either Royal Refreshment Package or the Royal Replenish Package for the kids. And then go to Guest Services and set the daily limit on their seapass.

[Ourusualbeach]

Please be aware that even if you de activate the card at guest services it will still be able to be used in the arcade. Limits will work for any stores or purchases except the arcade.

 

 

Edited May 12, 2015 by Ourusualbeach

[lexingtonave]

I purchased the kids drink package for my 3 grandchildren a few months ago. I ordered it before the cruise so they had a soda logo on their cards and could get drinks whenever they wanted. The price of the package was worth it. The cost was about the same as two drinks per day. If they had more, we were not paying extra.

 

We shut off any spending on the seapass. If they wanted something else they would have to ask us. However, the card will work in the arcade. I told each child they could do $20.00 in the arcade, and if the money ran out, they were not to keep going, but ask us first. We did not have a problem. No one asked for more arcade time. They were busy with other things.

 

I hope this helps.

[breeze123]

The arcade is not that extensive and $20 usually does the trick for us. Just enough to entertain them before they are bored and want to move on.

[Host Jacquelyn]

Please be aware that even if you de activate the card at guest services it will still be able to be used in the arcade. Limits will work for any stores or purchases except the arcade.

 

 

 

 

That's insane!! How ridiculous!

[Ourusualbeach]

That's insane!! How ridiculous!

 

There was a post a while back that someone had a bill of over $800 fom a supposedly deactivated card all from the arcade.

Edited May 12, 2015 by Ourusualbeach

[ocav]

There was a post a while back that someone had a bill of over $800 fom a supposedly deactivated card all from the arcade.

 

 

That's terrible, there's no point in deactivating cards at all then!

[Ourusualbeach]

That's terrible, there's no point in deactivating cards at all then!

 

Deactivating the cards will still stop the kids from using them in other areas like Ben and Jerry's or for specialty coffees etc.

[rstout]

We had drink packages for our kids and, when they wanted to go to the arcade (I think they went three times), we put $20 onto their cards at the arcade and told them that was all they had and that they were not to put more money onto their cards. After the first $20 (which we paid for), they were spending their own money they had saved up, so there were no overspending issues.

[serena_17]

Giving the kids the ability to charge up $$ at the arcade is ridiculous. It was the arcade particularly where I was wanting to ensure that they didn't go crazy.

 

I think I'll take the advice of the drinks package and also giving a limit and equate that with the number of games they can have (ie: 10 games/$20).

 

Thanks for the feedback, guys :D

[mickev99]

Wow, I didn't know that about the arcade. I will just have to let the kids know that so they don't charge. None of us drink sodas or juices, so the soda package is not for us, but it's nice to know that I can put a limit so they can get a milkshake or ice cream every once in a while.

[FloridaPalms]

Yes, the fact that children can charge in the arcade when they don't have charge privileges on their card, is TOTALLY INSANE!!! :mad:

 

There is no reason (other than greed) why Royal could not do what Disney World resort hotels do and institute a prepaid arcade card. Only the person with charging privileges can purchase the card or add funds to it.

 

Also please be aware that if you allow regular charging privileges but set a daily limit, it is not like a prepaid credit card and the card is NOT shut down until AFTER they have reached OR EXCEEDED the limit! I found this out the first time my DGS exceeded his daily limit (luckily it was just a few dollars) but when I was told this by Guest Services, I decided NOT to continue to allow a daily charge limit at all.

 

Just imagine, for example, if you set it up with a $50 daily limit and they have already charged $49.99. Theoretically they could charge one more transaction in ANY AMOUNT from 1¢ to $1000 or more! :eek: Very dangerous, especially if their card is accidentally lost or stolen.

 

Until Royal gets enough complaints and decides to stop pi$$ing off parents, grandparents and guardians with these insane practices, make sure your child understands the arcade and charge limits you set and that they report any lost or stolen sea pass card to Guest Services immediately. And also check your bill portfolio on the TV each day.

 

My grandson, who we are raising, knows his daily arcade $ limit is based on pro-rated cruise length so he is allowed to "bank" it or get an "advance" on it if he asks.

 

Finally, most, if not all, of our cruises had an hour or two the first night I believe when most of the arcade is free. It's easy to figure Royal's motive for this. :rolleyes:

 

~ Judy

[ocav]

If you can put any charge on it as long as your balance is less than the daily charge limit in the first place then there's no point in having a daily charge limit.

[RSLeesburg]

I am curious about this topic too. When we went on our first cruise, the lady at checkin warned us that if we deactivated our son's card for charging purposes, it would automatically be reactivated by the system if we used it in the arcade. The very act of using it tells the system that it is active, and overrides any previous deactivation code (pretty dangerous, and obvious flaw in the system I agree).

 

But, when we tried to use our sea passes in the arcade, they would not work until we put money on them. We could not charge games directly to our onboard account. But from what I am hearing, it sounds like this is not true - that you can charge these games directly to our account. Is this something that varies from ship to ship? Also, I thought the arcade games used different swipe strip on the card than you used for onboard account.

[FloridaPalms]

If you can put any charge on it as long as your balance is less than the daily charge limit in the first place then there's no point in having a daily charge limit.

 

I guess it's better than no limit since it will cut off once the limit is exceeded by any amount but it would be better if it worked like a prepaid credit card.

 

I am curious about this topic too. When we went on our first cruise, the lady at checkin warned us that if we deactivated our son's card for charging purposes, it would automatically be reactivated by the system if we used it in the arcade. The very act of using it tells the system that it is active, and overrides any previous deactivation code (pretty dangerous, and obvious flaw in the system I agree).

 

But, when we tried to use our sea passes in the arcade, they would not work until we put money on them. We could not charge games directly to our onboard account. But from what I am hearing, it sounds like this is not true - that you can charge these games directly to our account. Is this something that varies from ship to ship? Also, I thought the arcade games used different swipe strip on the card than you used for onboard account.

 

I haven't sailed on GOTS, but on all our cruises there was a machine in the arcade where you swiped your sea pass card to load arcade credits onto it first (and then you could use your sea pass on the individual game machines). I initially thought you had to have charge privileges on your sea pass card to do this. As my DGS later discovered, you don't. :mad:

 

That's what really annoys me - it would be so easy for Royal to swap out these arcade credit loading machines for the kind that Disney resorts use which spit out a prepaid reloadable arcade card when only the person with resort charge permission buys it.

 

~ Judy

[RSLeesburg]

Yes. It is same setup... Oh, I see, you can swipe your sea pass to then load credits onto the card. Is that what you are saying? I get it now. I think we loaded a $20 bill into machine to load money onto the card.

[FloridaPalms]

Yes. It is same setup... Oh, I see, you can swipe your sea pass to then load credits onto the card. Is that what you are saying? I get it now. I think we loaded a $20 bill into machine to load money onto the card.

 

Yes. It accepts ANY sea pass, irregardless of charging abilities, or cash.

 

~ Judy