Probably a dumb credit card question

[1stimescardy]

Ok so I know you need a credit card, for on ship charges and such. Here is my question. Can I use my bank check card which is a visa instead? I dont have an actual credit card but use my check card in place of one.

 

Is this going to work?

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Ok so I know you need a credit card, for on ship charges and such. Here is my question. Can I use my bank check card which is a visa instead? I dont have an actual credit card but use my check card in place of one.

 

Is this going to work?

 

It would work but I think you'd be better off setting up a cash acct.

 

Unless you have a big balance in the bank Carnival puts a lot of holds on your monies with the debit cards.

 

Bill

[*Mach*]

I think you mean a debit card? Sure you can.

:)

[*Mach*]

I think you mean a debit card? Sure you can.

:)

[1stimescardy]

how does the cash account work instead of a credit card? i thought you had to give them one when you boarded the ship. we are not soda drinkers and drink very little alcohol, so i dont know what would be charged anyway.... man i'm confused lol

[1stimescardy]

how does the cash account work instead of a credit card? i thought you had to give them one when you boarded the ship. we are not soda drinkers and drink very little alcohol, so i dont know what would be charged anyway.... man i'm confused lol

[cathyz]

how does the cash account work instead of a credit card? i thought you had to give them one when you boarded the ship. we are not soda drinkers and drink very little alcohol, so i dont know what would be charged anyway.... man i'm confused lol

You can give cash at the Purser's desk to set up your Sail&Sign account. I think $200/person is the suggested amount to cover auto tips and purchases. They'll let you know when you run out and have to give them more cash to keep your account open.

[cathyz]

how does the cash account work instead of a credit card? i thought you had to give them one when you boarded the ship. we are not soda drinkers and drink very little alcohol, so i dont know what would be charged anyway.... man i'm confused lol

You can give cash at the Purser's desk to set up your Sail&Sign account. I think $200/person is the suggested amount to cover auto tips and purchases. They'll let you know when you run out and have to give them more cash to keep your account open.

[yst347]

how does the cash account work instead of a credit card? i thought you had to give them one when you boarded the ship. we are not soda drinkers and drink very little alcohol, so i dont know what would be charged anyway.... man i'm confused lol

 

Carnival provides a full explanation of Sail and Sign and how it works on their web site. Give it a read and you will probably find most of the answers. If you are unsure about anything someone here can probably give you more information.

 

http://www.carnival.com/CMS/FAQs/Sail_And_Sign_On_Board_Account.aspx

[yst347]

how does the cash account work instead of a credit card? i thought you had to give them one when you boarded the ship. we are not soda drinkers and drink very little alcohol, so i dont know what would be charged anyway.... man i'm confused lol

 

Carnival provides a full explanation of Sail and Sign and how it works on their web site. Give it a read and you will probably find most of the answers. If you are unsure about anything someone here can probably give you more information.

 

http://www.carnival.com/CMS/FAQs/Sail_And_Sign_On_Board_Account.aspx

[*Mach*]

how does the cash account work instead of a credit card? i thought you had to give them one when you boarded the ship. we are not soda drinkers and drink very little alcohol, so i dont know what would be charged anyway.... man i'm confused lol

 

 

When you check in they'll ask for a credit card to secure your on board purchases. Just tell them that you intend to use cash.

Once on board go the the Purser's (Guest Services) Desk and tell them you'd like to apply $XXX dollars to your account. It's that easy!

You can also call 800-906-7603 and use your debit card to add money prior to the cruise. You have to call at least 14 days prior to the sailing and request that the monies be applied to your account as OBC not Fun Ship Dollars.

Request an email confirmation of your purchase.

:)

[*Mach*]

how does the cash account work instead of a credit card? i thought you had to give them one when you boarded the ship. we are not soda drinkers and drink very little alcohol, so i dont know what would be charged anyway.... man i'm confused lol

 

 

When you check in they'll ask for a credit card to secure your on board purchases. Just tell them that you intend to use cash.

Once on board go the the Purser's (Guest Services) Desk and tell them you'd like to apply $XXX dollars to your account. It's that easy!

You can also call 800-906-7603 and use your debit card to add money prior to the cruise. You have to call at least 14 days prior to the sailing and request that the monies be applied to your account as OBC not Fun Ship Dollars.

Request an email confirmation of your purchase.

:)

[cruisetobeaches]

Tips are charged unless prepaid to your S&S account, plus anything you buy on the ship during the cruise.

 

When using a credit card or debit card, Carnival puts a "hold" for the amount charged (usually once a day) on your account. After the cruise is over, Carnival will make the actual charge to your card. It takes 5-7 days for a hold to fall off, so if you think you might be spending $1,000, then have either a $2,000 credit available or that much in your debit card account.

 

we use one card just for cruising and nothing else, so this is never an issue.

[cruisetobeaches]

Tips are charged unless prepaid to your S&S account, plus anything you buy on the ship during the cruise.

 

When using a credit card or debit card, Carnival puts a "hold" for the amount charged (usually once a day) on your account. After the cruise is over, Carnival will make the actual charge to your card. It takes 5-7 days for a hold to fall off, so if you think you might be spending $1,000, then have either a $2,000 credit available or that much in your debit card account.

 

we use one card just for cruising and nothing else, so this is never an issue.

[CaribbeanLVR]

Before I sailed on the Spirit last week, I called Carnival & said I am NOT taking my C.C. She looked up my booking # and saw I has 250.00 onboard credit, and that my gratuties were already paid and she said that was fine. Once at embarkation I said the same thing, @ check in . I let her know I would check my folio and put up more cash if needed. Never once did i have to dial 7777 to the purcers desk:D I added cash as I went.

 

However with a debt card, they tend to deduct about 50-100 daily! My sister used a debt, and on the last night won 550 on a slot machine and paid off her account. Once home she checked on-line at it showed all kinds of debits from Carnival. About two days later it was all credited back to the account.

 

Have fun!

[CaribbeanLVR]

Before I sailed on the Spirit last week, I called Carnival & said I am NOT taking my C.C. She looked up my booking # and saw I has 250.00 onboard credit, and that my gratuties were already paid and she said that was fine. Once at embarkation I said the same thing, @ check in . I let her know I would check my folio and put up more cash if needed. Never once did i have to dial 7777 to the purcers desk:D I added cash as I went.

 

However with a debt card, they tend to deduct about 50-100 daily! My sister used a debt, and on the last night won 550 on a slot machine and paid off her account. Once home she checked on-line at it showed all kinds of debits from Carnival. About two days later it was all credited back to the account.

 

Have fun!

[serene56]

with a debit card you want to call the bank and ask them to lift any daily balance that may be on the card.

That is the problem that will arise if you use the debit card.

 

I have a $200 daily limit- On a cruise that limit can come quite easy.

I have yet to have a cruise where they take out an amount every day-- it was all done on the last day.

 

Using funship dollars is the easiest for me-

I buy one each pay and at the present time I accumlated 600.00.

Ii will use this for onboard spending. casino, shore excursions, tips etc.

[serene56]

with a debit card you want to call the bank and ask them to lift any daily balance that may be on the card.

That is the problem that will arise if you use the debit card.

 

I have a $200 daily limit- On a cruise that limit can come quite easy.

I have yet to have a cruise where they take out an amount every day-- it was all done on the last day.

 

Using funship dollars is the easiest for me-

I buy one each pay and at the present time I accumlated 600.00.

Ii will use this for onboard spending. casino, shore excursions, tips etc.

[choclitsnda]

I've always used my Bank Check Card/Debit Card & Never had any probs.

[choclitsnda]

I've always used my Bank Check Card/Debit Card & Never had any probs.

[gargoyle999]

We use our Visa Check Card that comes directly from out checking account and it works fine. I didn't see any extra holds on our account either while we were sailing in November.

[gargoyle999]

We use our Visa Check Card that comes directly from out checking account and it works fine. I didn't see any extra holds on our account either while we were sailing in November.

[vacruizer]

I'm a banker so I've seen people overdraw because of using a debit card. A good rule of thumb when traveling and using a debit card is to have double the amount you plan to spend available. What happens is that Carnival (or the hotel, or whoever) puts a hold on your account as you spend. Often that hold doesn't match exactly to your final bill so the computer doesn't know to automatically drop the hold when the charge from Carnival posts at the end of the cruise. For example your actual bill could be $500 at the end but the holds only ended up being $490. I've noticed that often the "hand-written" s&s items like Lido drinks aren't added to the hold and gift shop credits don't credit back to the hold.

 

You get home, the $500 charge deducts from your account, but the $490 hold can sit there as long as a week tying up funds which in turn can cause returned checks and rejected debits.

 

This isn't just a cruise line thing - it happens with hotels and rental cars as well.

[vacruizer]

I'm a banker so I've seen people overdraw because of using a debit card. A good rule of thumb when traveling and using a debit card is to have double the amount you plan to spend available. What happens is that Carnival (or the hotel, or whoever) puts a hold on your account as you spend. Often that hold doesn't match exactly to your final bill so the computer doesn't know to automatically drop the hold when the charge from Carnival posts at the end of the cruise. For example your actual bill could be $500 at the end but the holds only ended up being $490. I've noticed that often the "hand-written" s&s items like Lido drinks aren't added to the hold and gift shop credits don't credit back to the hold.

 

You get home, the $500 charge deducts from your account, but the $490 hold can sit there as long as a week tying up funds which in turn can cause returned checks and rejected debits.

 

This isn't just a cruise line thing - it happens with hotels and rental cars as well.

[1stimescardy]

Ok, so I think I am going to set up an account on the ship with cash. Here is what I need to know now... If i prepay the gratituities (the 140.00 option on the carnival site), and we dont drink soda, and dont plan on drinking alot of alchohol on the ship, how much do we really need to put into the account? Say if I wanted to visit the spa or something, that would come off the account?