sail &sign card

[georgia1980]

Just wondering what is better: putting funds on cards online or waiting to do it after getting on ship?

[JMAE]

I use a CC, but I would put money on the card prior to getting to the ship, no lines at home.

[coevan]

I don't quite understand your question either. Save all your money, use a mileage credit card, charge everything and pay the balance when you get home.

[Hoosierpop]

This may be a dumb question, but how do you put money on your account before you get on the ship? If you are using a credit card, you just use your S&S card, right? But can you put cash towards your account beforehand?

[thomarvin]

I put it on a CC for convenience sake and the last night I go down and pay off as much as I can with any left over cash. This way I have cash to use in ports so I don't have to use CC while ashore or have the cash readily available in an emergency. But by paying it off at the end, I don't have a big CC bill to come home to.

[dave_k58]

I put it on a CC for convenience sake and the last night I go down and pay off as much as I can with any left over cash. This way I have cash to use in ports so I don't have to use CC while ashore or have the cash readily available in an emergency. But by paying it off at the end, I don't have a big CC bill to come home to.

 

Huh?

[thomarvin]

why Huh?

[isaiahsnana]

This may be a dumb question, but how do you put money on your account before you get on the ship? If you are using a credit card, you just use your S&S card, right? But can you put cash towards your account beforehand?

 

When we boarded in Galveston, we did it at check in when getting our sign and sail cards. Also you can do it on board at the guest service desk or at the kiosks located in a couple of places on the ship, you can also check your balance there through out the cruise and get a print out of your bill.

[freedomcruiser891]

We always use credit cards. Lines to pay the bills and for the kiosks can get extremely long. Use a credit card and enjoy your cruise then worry when you get your final bar bill [emoji6]

[You Me & the Sea]

Since I don't use credit cards for routine purchases or vacations (only have 1 that is for emergencies only), we use cash once on board.

[coevan]

I don't use cash for routine purchases or vacations. We only have a cash for tipping. We use the sign and sail card on board, cash is not accepted. Only kidding , to each his own. We charge everything and pay the balance when we get home.

[FTLCruiseGal]

I have purchased cruise cash before going on a cruise -- a little bit here and there. I love this idea because my final bill did not cause me to have a heart attack at the end of the cruise! There are different types (bar cash, photo cash, or "general" cash), and they can be purchased in $25 increments.

[rufflesmom]

You can buy cruise cash ahead of time on Carnival website. We did $200 on our last cruise knowing we would spend more than that but at least that much was paid. Another option is to buy Carnival gift cards. You can put those toward the onboard account at any time once you are on the ship.

[Drazil65]

We only use cash so we purchase "Bar Cruise Cash" ahead of cruise to pad the bar portion of our end bill (we put $300 or $400 for the 2 of us for bar purchases and they will deduct all bar items and coffee specialty items from that portion first then if more is needed it comes from S & S account). We know we can use that much for bar purchases in a week for the 2 of us and we put $500 in cash on the regular account at check in.

 

Anything you do not use on the regular acct will be refunded at end of cruise in form of a check. Easy enough!

[kelkel2]

If you have the carnival gift cards and you want to add those to your account to use before you use your credit card, there's no way you can do that before getting on the ship is there? I wis you could pre-load them onto your online account. I have several. People gave them to me for my birthday!

[Heartkrazy]

I put it on a CC for convenience sake and the last night I go down and pay off as much as I can with any left over cash. This way I have cash to use in ports so I don't have to use CC while ashore or have the cash readily available in an emergency. But by paying it off at the end, I don't have a big CC bill to come home to.

 

We do the same thing.

[tandemcruzr]

We use a credit card that gives us double points for everything we buy -- cruise, gas, groceries, etc. We pay it off each month.

 

This month we have 2 cruise final payments due. We will use points to offset some of those charges.

[Elaine5715]

If you have the carnival gift cards and you want to add those to your account to use before you use your credit card, there's no way you can do that before getting on the ship is there? I wis you could pre-load them onto your online account. I have several. People gave them to me for my birthday!

 

Your on board account isn't open until you are on board. But as stated above,putting a credit card to your sail and sign and on board, after you have accumulated charges, go to a kiosk or Guest Services, and apply the gift cards to your account. Do not wait until the last day unless you are platinum/ Diamond/FTTF or you will spend a long time in line.

[PH29]

You can pre-load your SAS card with gift cards, that's no problem.

[annestis]

We don't own credit cards. Can you link sail and sign with debit card that has MasterCard logo?

[coevan]

yes, but credit cards are so much safer, $50 limit on fraud, usually it's zero. Why chance a debit card where someone can wipe out your entire checking account.

[PH29]

Yes you can link a debit card , but remember they put a hold on your account, I don't remember how much, maybe someone else can help with that???

[Cruise life]

Use a CC; the lines are ridiculous to settle one's account on board on the last night/morning.

[annestis]

We don't believe in credit cards. So, you have to Waite in alone to settle your account? Is it not just charged to the card you have it linked to? Or can you pay it off with cash?

Edited August 8, 2015 by annestis

[Havingfun2010]

I don't use credit cards as a "loan". I prepay as much as possible before my trips, and use the cc on the ship, and pay for it when I get home. You don't even need to wait for a bill anymore. The points I get gives me free hotel rooms, that often times I use the night before!