putting money on your sign and sale before cruising

[grandkids2]

I read that there is a way you can put money on your sign and sale card before you cruise. I haven't been able to see on their site where to do that. It would be nice to build up credit before we go.

[BSQ]

Search "funship dollars"

 

That's a gift certificate you can buy yourself in $25., $50, $100 and $500 denominations (IIRC). You can apply them directly to your account, have them mailed to you and redeem on the ship or inline closer to your sail date, or buy as gifts for someone else.

 

I had bought some as Christmas gifts and applied them to my friend's account a couple weeks priorto sailing.

[tracyanns]

I read that there is a way you can put money on your sign and sale card before you cruise. I haven't been able to see on their site where to do that. It would be nice to build up credit before we go.

 

I didn't know you could do that. We have bought Carnival Cash before and then had it applied once onboard...will be interesting to find out the answer to your question.

[soozenw]

I could have sworn there was a way to buy the FSD and apply them to your account without having them mailed...other than calling. I must have dreamed that.

[smplyblessed619]

Search "funship dollars"

 

That's a gift certificate you can buy yourself in $25., $50, $100 and $500 denominations (IIRC). You can apply them directly to your account, have them mailed to you and redeem on the ship or inline closer to your sail date, or buy as gifts for someone else.

 

I had bought some as Christmas gifts and applied them to my friend's account a couple weeks priorto sailing.

 

 

I was looking for those as well...couldn't find them online :(. I wanted to start buying some for my mother & other cruise buddies (and myself) :D. Thanks

[Ehpride]

I just call them and money on my account.

[Linsuesue]

What if you added extra money to your final payment for your account? Let's say you owed $200 to pay off your account, and you pay $400. Would that show up as a credit for your account, or would their computers not let you pay more than the final balance? I'm wondering why you can't just add money to your account when accessing your cruise information online. Do other cruise lines make it easier to pay ahead before you sail?

[CanadaJulie]

This is not a flame - no sarcasm implied or intended...

 

Call me crazy but I'm still wondering why anyone would give an interest free loan to Carnival by giving them money before you need to... a few weeks won't make a difference but I've seen people here buying FSD when they don't even have a cruise booked...

 

Or paying off the entire cruise when they booked a year out instead of waiting til final payment...

 

It would be like walking into a car dealership and handing them money to set aside for you because you will eventually need to buy a new car.

 

I don't get it.... :confused:

[annasamir]

I do this for a very specific reason...I'm horrible at saving up money. If I were to put the money I want to use on my cruise in my savings I will see it and spend it. This way I can put aside a few bucks a month and not have to worry about my S&S account being too high at the end of the cruise.

 

I call Carnival (1-800-906-7603) and ask them to put the amount for OBC. They take it out of my bank account right away and a day or 2 later I get an emailed receipt. I just did this and should see it in my OBC account soon. It's better than having to mail it in.

 

I don't think people should be criticized for how they choose to save money for what they will spend on board. Some of us do it this way so we don't have to worry about it later. I also want to pay my cruise off ASAP so that I can then start using money to pay for shore excursions ahead of sailing.

[matj2000]

Why don't you just put the money in an envelope and stick it in your dresser drawer?

[annasamir]

Because I would know it was there and spend it. I would rather have it somewhere where I can't touch it then in a drawer or the bank where I can easily access it. This is a great solution and you don't have to thin about where your onboard spending money is going to come from a month before your cruise.

[bunchesofun]

With interest rates what they are, what difference does it make anyway? A few cents?

[Aplmac]

Why don't you just put the money in an envelope and stick it in your dresser drawer?

Because she will see it and spend it! ;)

 

 

Same thing with the Seefood diet. See food = you eat it.

Got it now?

 

 

It has something to do with personal discipline

but just how that works remains unclear at time of writing.. :D

[Maine_Cruiser]

I do this for a very specific reason...I'm horrible at saving up money. If I were to put the money I want to use on my cruise in my savings I will see it and spend it. This way I can put aside a few bucks a month and not have to worry about my S&S account being too high at the end of the cruise.

 

Same here... that is why I prepaid for everything except tips, I will have to do that when I get on board.

 

I have all of my Fire/EMS checks hanging on my fridge to cash when the day before we leave. For some reason I can look at a check hanging on my fridge for weeks but if it is in the bank I will spend it.

[girlsjustwannacruise]

okay, heres a question then:

if you buy all these fun dollars, have them added to your account for obc or whatever, then you cant go for some reason? what do they do in that case? penalty fees aside, the extra money- does it come back to you or is it credited to a future cruise?

[Frank12]

I could have sworn there was a way to buy the FSD and apply them to your account without having them mailed...other than calling. I must have dreamed that.

 

Yes you can.

When you pull up the online form instead of entering your address in the appropriate lines, put "ON BOARD CREDIT" on the first line then list your booking number on the second line.

I've done it many times. It works fine. Just know that it will not show on your account sometimes until a few weeks prior to sailing. You will receive a confirmation e-mail.

[killian25]

I do the same thing before I cruise.

I will start to buy Carnival gift certificates, last cruise we went on we got $500 then as soon as I walked on the ship I had them applied to my account.

Also if you don't spend all of that $$$ you will get a check at the end of your cruise.

I won big in the casino and instead of having all the cash I put it on my room account.

I don't like having cash on me.

WIN WIN I walked off my cruise with more $$$ then I went with..

[cdamion]

This is not a flame - no sarcasm implied or intended...

 

Call me crazy but I'm still wondering why anyone would give an interest free loan to Carnival by giving them money before you need to... a few weeks won't make a difference but I've seen people here buying FSD when they don't even have a cruise booked...

 

Or paying off the entire cruise when they booked a year out instead of waiting til final payment...

 

It would be like walking into a car dealership and handing them money to set aside for you because you will eventually need to buy a new car.

 

I don't get it.... :confused:

 

I do apply cash towards my on board account before I cruise to soften the blow when I get off, but my sign and sail account usually tends to be pretty high. I certainly don't see the point of doing it too far in advance, I usually pay a few hundred dollars about 2-3 weeks before the cruise, but not earlier. Also, I do not make final payment until about 1 week of it being due.

[gjsmth]

Yes you can.

When you pull up the online form instead of entering your address in the appropriate lines, put "ON BOARD CREDIT" on the first line then list your booking number on the second line.

I've done it many times. It works fine. Just know that it will not show on your account sometimes until a few weeks prior to sailing. You will receive a confirmation e-mail.

 

What about doing this before final payment, would Carnival apply this to final payment instead? I think I remember on our past Victory cruise I did this and they applied it to final payment instead of OBC.

[waynbo]

Call bon voyage dept and they'll take care of it. You can use a debit or credit card. I've done it a couple times in the past, it's a nice little suprise for the DW.

[JKJG3]

This is a valid question. The reason I do it, is to spread out my vacation spending. The last 5 or 6 paychecks prior to the cruise, I will buy a $50 gift certificate; and apply them to my account. I have no dillusions that I am saving money; simply spreading out my spending. If I don't spend it all, I get it back on the last day.

 

As for those wondering how to apply it; when you order the funship dollars; just put your booking number instead of your address and you should get a confirmation shortly after that it has been applied.

[near the beach]

You can purchase Fun Ship dollars on line and have them applied directly to you account. Or you can all and have it done over the phone.

 

It is a good way to have money on your account when you board the ship.

 

You could save cash around the house or in a savings account at .4 per cent interest wow. :eek: Not losing anything there.

 

That money could get spent to easily and may not be available.

 

Any on board credit from fun ship dollars not spend on the cruise will be refunded by a check the last night of your cruise.

 

Fun Ship Dollars link

 

http://www.carnival.com/BonVoyage/AddToCart.aspx?cat=giftcertificates&pid=FSD

[BSQ]

okay, heres a question then:

if you buy all these fun dollars, have them added to your account for obc or whatever, then you cant go for some reason? what do they do in that case? penalty fees aside, the extra money- does it come back to you or is it credited to a future cruise?

 

Just went through this with the friend I bought them for as gifts. Few weeks before sailing he submitted them online to our account, about a week after they were credited he had to cancel. You work with the bon voyage department to have them credited back to the original credit card used or reissued.

 

In our case we left them on the account for me, and I'll most likey return the favor when we travel again.

[CanadaJulie]

You could save cash around the house or in a savings account at .4 per cent interest wow. :eek: Not loosing anything there

 

You need a better bank, LOL ! ING's savings account 1.5% and they offer a 90day GIC for 2.5%. (ING Direct Canada)

 

Pennies ? Yes... But it all adds up... My daughter gets 5$ in interest a month. (Kids accounts give 2%). She isnt saying no to an extra 60$ a year ! I love free money !!

 

Again, I am not knocking anyones choices, in fact I specifically said that in my post.

 

I just wonder how many people are *paying* interest on their credit card balance, personal/student/car loan or mortgage while giving money interest free to Carnival several months out. (rhetorical question, don't answer this :D)

 

(Just to be clear, I'm not talking about the FSD purchased as gifts or those bought a few weeks out like many here have mentionned. More so those who hold larger amounts for several months or even those who pay off the cruise total a year before cruising like I read on another thread).

[Frank12]

What about doing this before final payment, would Carnival apply this to final payment instead? I think I remember on our past Victory cruise I did this and they applied it to final payment instead of OBC.

 

No. I do it all the time before final payment. It goes on your account as OBC. You will not see it post until right before the cruise.