sail &sign card

[Elaine5715]

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?

Accounts will just be charged to debit/credit cards on file. You need to settle your cash accounts. You would have to spend to the penny to not have something to settle on a gift card balance. Unused accounts balance of less than $5.00are donated to St Jude if you don't cash it out in one of those long lines.

[Cruise life]

We always pay our cards in full every month. We do have our next two cruise deposits on one of those cash advance offers, but we are paying every month since we paid full 1/2 amount deposits on both cruises. We love our Amex card; paid for airfare for 4 cross-country two years in a row so we could budget Hawaii and Alaska better. We would never use a debit card due to the risk of identity fraud or theft, which did happen to us once in Key West- learned our lesson the hard way even though the bank worked with us after we filed a police report.

[dmdiver]

We use points credit cards for just about everything, paid in full when bill comes. The way to avoid getting a bill you can't pay is to enter your charges in your check register. If the money's not already in the bank, you don't charge anything. As far as the shipboard account goes, we don't spend excessively. Our Carnival credit card will be used for onboard - we will get double points for any expenditures & when we get back, will use the points to offset any Carnival charges. We pre-paid tips & some excursions this time so the onboard account will just be anything we purchase in the way of drinks or gifts. You just gotta have a budget. It works well for us, but we're not shopaholics that spend tons of money anyway.

[mapsmith]

First, Don't use a Debit Card. Many have reported $3000+ holds on their account. And Carnival is not known for releasing the hold until at least 5 business days after you leave the ship.

 

Second, A benefit to buying Carnival Gift Cards. If you use American Express to buy the Carnival Gift Cards on line and use the American Express Checkout, you can get a $10 statement Credit until September 7 2016.

 

The Points Guy has the details here. http://thepointsguy.com/2015/07/amex-express-checkout/

 

Newegg sells the Carnival Gift Cards and possibly one or two of the other merchants participating.

[lizardhowson]

I am always amazed when I browse these type of threads to see people "afraid" to own/use a credit card but jump right on board using their debit card for these type expenses.

 

In most cases their rationale for using a debit card over a credit card is exactly backwards.

 

Credit cards give multiple layers of protection when used for travel expenses, debit cards give none. People fear coming home to a large credit card bill at the conclusion of their travel but try coming home to a massive hold placed on "your" cash which might not get released for 7-10 days. I can pay off my credit card charges at my convenience, but any holds placed on your checking account are out of your control and out of your bank's control. About the first time another commercial carrier goes belly up, my credit card purchase with them gets instantly refunded to my credit card while your debit card purchase languishes in bankruptcy court for years. I can rebook my travel with another carrier, those who paid with a debit card must pay all over again. And the benefits of credit card over debit card go on and on.

[BigRed93]

If you use gift cards, how do you apply the before the cruise? Don't you still have to get on board to apply them? So that is still your first stop before you can do anything. Or has it changed? I had purchased gift OBC for people when you could still do that, that wasn't credited until the 2nd or 3rd day. Just wondered if the process is better now?

I use a credit card. Then pay the S&S balance down with any excess cash on hand towards the end of the week. You could also use a credit card to avoid holds on a debit card, but then use the debit card to settle up at the end of the week and. It have any cc charges, or any individual holds. It's your bank that puts the holds, not carnival. If the bill clears your bank account and the hold is still there, that's your banks issue.

 

 

 

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[georgia1980]

Well I am saving my cash toward the cruise for the cruise itself. So I want to apply the cash, so I guess I wait til I get there, or can I put the money in my bank and apply it to my s&s card before hand, using debit card, or do I have to wait and do it there? Of course, since I don't make final pmt. til March, anytime after that right? All these comments have me more confused.......

[Elaine5715]

If you use gift cards, how do you apply the before the cruise? Don't you still have to get on board to apply them? So that is still your first stop before you can do anything. Or has it changed? I had purchased gift OBC for people when you could still do that, that wasn't credited until the 2nd or 3rd day. Just wondered if the process is better now?

I use a credit card. Then pay the S&S balance down with any excess cash on hand towards the end of the week. You could also use a credit card to avoid holds on a debit card, but then use the debit card to settle up at the end of the week and. It have any cc charges, or any individual holds. It's your bank that puts the holds, not carnival. If the bill clears your bank account and the hold is still there, that's your banks issue.

 

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

You can't apply the gift cards before you board, you can only purchase them and it is best to only apply them after you accrue chargers.

[ZRC1MLC2]

Well I am saving my cash toward the cruise for the cruise itself. So I want to apply the cash, so I guess I wait til I get there, or can I put the money in my bank and apply it to my s&s card before hand, using debit card, or do I have to wait and do it there? Of course, since I don't make final pmt. til March, anytime after that right? All these comments have me more confused.......

 

We use a paypal card. We load it before we leave with the amount that we want to use onboard. You can always load more if needed and can also transfer money from it back into a bank account. The hold that the cruise line places won't be linked to your checking account that way. You only spend what you have to spend.

[annestis]

Never heard of a paypal card? Where do I get one?

[Sparky2]

First, Don't use a Debit Card. Many have reported $3000+ holds on their account. And Carnival is not known for releasing the hold until at least 5 business days after you leave the ship.

 

According to a previous thread on Debit Card Holds - it is the bank that is slow on releasing the hold - not Carnival.

[RaiderFaninNM]

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

 

How do you do this as the website states you can load your S&S account once on board?

 

Credit cards give multiple layers of protection when used for travel expenses, debit cards give none.

 

WRONG!

 

Not sure about your bank but ours offer EVERY single "layer of protection" that any CC does, having experience in this myself, our bank shut our account off after $300 charge in Texas at a gas station, we do not live in Texas, and they called us immediately to make us aware of the shut off and fraudulent charge, now that is service! And was corrected over the phone. So that is wrong in every word...:rolleyes:

 

As far as the dollar amount that IS set by Carnival and not ones bank, easy solution is to let your bank know you are going on a trip so they are aware and ask they to limit the amount of precharging that ANY company can hold, your bank works for you...........;)

Edited August 10, 2015 by RaiderFaninNM

[coevan]

Never heard of a paypal card? Where do I get one?

 

 

 

http://www.paypal.com

[RaiderFaninNM]

www.paypal.com

 

Is it a in hand card?

[mom2b]

Is it a in hand card?

 

yes it is, it has the Mastercard brand.

That is the same card I plan on putting towards my S&S hold and any other expense.

I also get cash back so I use this card to pay for everything.

[mom2b]

I was reading the rules and says they will put $100 hold on 4 days cruises, would that also be true for 2 people using the same account or would that double to $200?

also will they increase the hold depending on how much we are spending? I plan on purchasing chef's table for 2 but don't want to book it in advance because I'm not sure which night of the cruise it will be held on and we have concert tickets for Heart, it would be a shame if they are both the same night...

[jen&samcantwait]

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?

 

We always use cash (travelers checks). If you put up your debit card they place a hold at the beginning of the cruise, and continue to place holds as you begin to reach that limit, then at the end of the cruise, they send one final charge to your debit card but those earlier holds aren't release till sometimes a week after the cruise is over!!!

 

Using cash is simple, when you check-in, you tell them you are setting up a cash account, when you board you go to guest-services and deposit the cash, or a kiosk if your ship has one. You can wait a few hours after you board if the lines are too long, they still let you get a few drinks before you deposit. During the cruise, keep checking your balance, and as you get low, simply add more. Last night, any money you have left-over, go to guest services & cash out.

 

For me, using cash helps me keep track of it better, we have gotten burned before using a credit card, it was almost invisible we never paid attention & spent too much in the casino, photos & excursions. Putting up cash forces me to monitor our spending because I need to know if I have to deposit more. To each his own, this way works for me.

[wendynat]

We always use cash and gift cards for the S&S account. Depending on the port, you may be able to apply the cash during check-in before you board the ship. If not, you can apply the cash at guest services or via one of the kiosks. Gift cards - the same thing. You can add more as needed during the cruise.

 

On our last cruise we had only 12.00 left on our account the final night, so I didn't bother going to guest services or trying to withdraw from the casino or kiosk. We received a check in the mail about a week after we got home (which I deposited via my bank's phone app :) ). No problem.

 

I like to keep my credit cards open for emergencies and hotel and rental car holds, etc. Never had a problem using cash. If you're nervous carrying a lot of bills, you can use traveler's checks as well. I would avoid using a debit card for the reasons previously stated - the way holds work seem to vary greatly between banks.

[bakersdozen12]

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.

 

 

I do the same. Every purchase I make is with my Southwest Visa. Then I just pay off the card every other week when I get paid to avoid interest. This way, I earn points that I can use for free flights. Before I got my Southwest card, I used my Chase rewards card and got about $35/month in cash back. And I never pay interest. Instead, they are paying me! [emoji4]