Sail and Sign Question

[moco]

I'm sailing next week on the Fantasy (thank you, Carnival). I was reading in the documentation about the Sail and Sign program, where apparently you give them a credit card and everything gets charged to the card and you don't need to carry so much cash. The part that concerned me is it mentioned a freeze would be put on your card during the length of the cruise. I was hoping to use a debit card, but don't want all my automatic checking account withdrawals, or payments in transit from the checking account back home to get messed up with NSFs or other problems. Do I have this right -- that a hold is put on your account throughout the cruise?

 

Mike

[Eliot Ness]

Here is a previous thread that has a lot of info about using a debit card:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=322426&highlight=debit

 

Have a great cruise!

 

John

[joepeka]

Here is a previous thread that has a lot of info about using a debit card:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=322426&highlight=debit

 

Have a great cruise!

 

John

Mr. Dood is gonna jump you (or maybe congratulate you!) for this. ;)

[cubdaddy]

We always use a "Vacation" debit card. We have an account set up just for vacations. You can figure $10 per day pp in tips charged right away as well as a deposit. If I remember right it is $50 pp. Then you just need enough in the account to cover any of your on ship purchases including excurssions.

 

On a 7 day cruise we average about $600. You can keep track of your S&S either on your cabin TV or the pursers desk, depending on the ship you are on. We love doing this as we don't worry about bills when we get home!:D

[southbayer]

That is a good idea... have one of those free checking accounts that you use just for vacations that way you will have no problem.

 

Also, if you obviously have the money for your sign and sail card, why not just put the cash down instead, same thing. No worries

[LHP]

Personally, I would not put up any card that directly links to my main bank account back home.

 

Having a separate bank account for just this sounds like it would work, but may be a lot of trouble.

 

We have always used our credit card without a problem. We have never had a problem with any "freeze" folks talk about. But then (unless I bought a car) we would never get near our "limit" and we pay it off in full every month. It is just the easiest way to go.

 

If you can't do the credit card for some reason, I would just give them travelers checks and be done with it. (if you don't want to carry that much cash)