Cruise Cash or Bar Cash

[Squirly]

I’d like to know why people purchase cruise cash or bar cash. They both appear to be non refundable so I’d like to know the advantage to purchasing them. If you can just bring cash and put it in the machine to pay your bill what is the advantage to buying these cards. Just want to make sure I’m not missing something.

 

 

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[firemanbobswife]

I do a strictly cash account, no credit card given. Since I fund it with discounted gift cards (plenty of threads on where to find them), I use them to buy general Cruise Cash to save me a step in having them applied to my account. I don’t have to go to a kiosk or GS. If I have left overs I can cash out in the casino (plenty of threads on how to do that too).

 

I wouldn’t restrict myself to only Bar or Photo Cash though. What if I don’t want any of those? General is best.

[tallnthensome]

Cruise cash is for everything. Why anyone would buy bar cash is beyond me. Why be limited?

[sparks1093]

Cruise cash is for everything. Why anyone would buy bar cash is beyond me. Why be limited?

 

I budget for everything including bar expenditures, so buying an amount of Bar Cash works to keep us on budget.

[JaxsMama]

I have 2 $50 prepaid visas from rebates. They are hard to spend as you can't swipe them and then pay difference at a store. So I used each to purchase cruise cash. I have 3 dinner reservations so I know I will spend more than $100. For me I'd rather take care of it now instead of spending time in line adding them to my account or trying at a kiosk.

 

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[Cruisesfun65]

I LOVE Cruise Cash. I pre-pay gratuities, internet packages and in-cabin drinks. So the cruise cash is for shopping, gambling, some drinks, Steakhouse, maybe pictures.

Less physical cash for my to travel with and more room on my credit card for my pre-cruise travels.

I wish they would allow mre than $500 per cabin.

[AmBear]

I’d like to know why people purchase cruise cash or bar cash. They both appear to be non refundable so I’d like to know the advantage to purchasing them. If you can just bring cash and put it in the machine to pay your bill what is the advantage to buying these cards. Just want to make sure I’m not missing something.

 

 

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Beats me, we just hook up a credit card, all the nonsense of how much on acct., or the long lines at the end of the cruise at guest services to straighten things out seems such a waste of vacation time!:cool:

[firemanbobswife]

Beats me, we just hook up a credit card, all the nonsense of how much on acct., or the long lines at the end of the cruise at guest services to straighten things out seems such a waste of vacation time!:cool:

 

Not when you’re saving 10% by buying discounted gift cards. Seems like a waste of money not to do it that way. To me anyway.

[BookDragon]

I LOVE Cruise Cash. I pre-pay gratuities, internet packages and in-cabin drinks. So the cruise cash is for shopping, gambling, some drinks, Steakhouse, maybe pictures.

Less physical cash for my to travel with and more room on my credit card for my pre-cruise travels.

I wish they would allow mre than $500 per cabin.

 

THIS. My husband and I just had a conversation and came up with the same plan. We are celebrating his 50th bday and some of our family members have purchased cruise cash as gifts for him. We plan to add the difference so that it is $500...then enjoy our cruise without worry. We will bring a few more hundred in small bills for tips and for just in case. And a credit card for a serious emergency.

[n6uqqq]

I’d like to know why people purchase cruise cash or bar cash. They both appear to be non refundable so I’d like to know the advantage to purchasing them. If you can just bring cash and put it in the machine to pay your bill what is the advantage to buying these cards. Just want to make sure I’m not missing something.

 

 

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Here is my take in it; you are spending x dollars to get x dollars back. That makes cruise cash nothing more than a loan to Carnival. I personally purchase the gift cards for 10% off with verizon, AARP etc and then have them applied before I even board the ship at check in. If for some chance you do not use all the gift card it will be refunded to you in another gift card FEDEX to you. If you do not have the means to get a discounted gift card then a credit card is by far the easiest way to pay. My Costco Visa gives back 3 percent for travel and on board expenses meet the criteria. Last cruise I had gift card money left over and within a few days a new gift card arrived at my house via Fedex.

[firemanbobswife]

Here is my take in it; you are spending x dollars to get x dollars back. That makes cruise cash nothing more than a loan to Carnival. I personally purchase the gift cards for 10% off with verizon, AARP etc and then have them applied before I even board the ship at check in. If for some chance you do not use all the gift card it will be refunded to you in another gift card FEDEX to you. If you do not have the means to get a discounted gift card then a credit card is by far the easiest way to pay. My Costco Visa gives back 3 percent for travel and on board expenses meet the criteria. Last cruise I had gift card money left over and within a few days a new gift card arrived at my house via Fedex.

 

But now with the new check in procedure if you want to apply them at check in, you have to stand in another line. So that’s why I buy Cruise Cash ahead of time with the GCs and it’s a lot faster for me. I’ll just cash out at the casino the same way I do if I have GCs. I’m not interested in saving them for later as that’s one more thing I can lose or have a chance of the numbers no longer being valid for whatever reason. Since I never know if/when I’m going to cruise again I would cash them out when I had the chance. I don’t want another GC.

[n6uqqq]

But now with the new check in procedure if you want to apply them at check in, you have to stand in another line. So that’s why I buy Cruise Cash ahead of time with the GCs and it’s a lot faster for me. I’ll just cash out at the casino the same way I do if I have GCs. I’m not interested in saving them for later as that’s one more thing I can lose or have a chance of the numbers no longer being valid for whatever reason. Since I never know if/when I’m going to cruise again I would cash them out when I had the chance. I don’t want another GC.

 

I understand your rationale completely. But you will cruise again. You are hooked :D!!!

[firemanbobswife]

I understand your rational completely. But you will cruise again. You are hooked :D!!!

 

True! I’m more concerned about losing them. I may have one more Carnival cruise in me in the fall, but once I go back to Celebrity in January next year, I’m afraid I may never want to stray from Celebrity again. We shall see :)

[n6uqqq]

True! I’m more concerned about losing them. I may have one more Carnival cruise in me in the fall, but once I go back to Celebrity in January next year, I’m afraid I may never want to stray from Celebrity again. We shall see :)

 

I don't blame you. The way things are going mattresses may become a la carte on Carnival ;p!

[ray98]

Yup....I take regular cash with me that I save for the cruise.

[AmBear]

Not when you’re saving 10% by buying discounted gift cards. Seems like a waste of money not to do it that way. To me anyway.

 

Yea I should have added 'for us'!;)

Can understand your view, but 'for us', not the way to go with the extra effort when we already got the cruise for abt. 60%-70% off thru the casino, we get free drinks in the casino, also a free steak house visit for 2, a free bottle of wine in our cabin along with other stuff, we use a Carnival Credit Card that gives us on board credit, have Carnival stock for on board credit, and get money to gamble from the casino! And that doesn't even include our Platinum and Casino Club priority benefits!

I understand others gotta save where they can, its just not worth the effort for us!:D

[firemanbobswife]

Yea I should have added 'for us'!;)

 

Can understand your view, but 'for us', not the way to go with the extra effort when we already got the cruise for abt. 60%-70% off thru the casino, we get free drinks in the casino, also a free steak house visit for 2, a free bottle of wine in our cabin along with other stuff, we use a Carnival Credit Card that gives us on board credit, have Carnival stock for on board credit, and get money to gamble from the casino! And that doesn't even include our Platinum and Casino Club priority benefits!

 

I understand others gotta save where they can, its just not worth the effort for us!:D

 

I’m cheap and even if I save $10 that’s a drink [emoji3]. I can see where someone would consider it a hassle but it really isn’t for me. I buy my cruise cash ahead of time with the GCs and don’t typically spend a lot onboard anyway so keeping track isn’t hard.

 

I use my Cap One Venture Card to buy the GCs at 10% off so I get double points on that purchase as well as other purchases anywhere at anytime. It adds up much faster for free travel. I haven’t used my Carnival CC since when I first got it for the $100 statement credit. I do think they added a good benefit of 10% off Carnival shore excursions booked using the card, but the only time I do Carnival excursions is HMC. It’s a nice back up in case the GCs become unavailable or if I’m unsure if I’ll actually be going and don’t want to tie up money in GCs.

 

Everyone has their reasons for doing things certain ways and as long as it works for them, then that’s all that matters. Happy cruising and I’ll see you in a few months!