Sign and Sail Card Question

[Boston Mom]

This is our first Carnival cruise, and our first time cruising with our teen children. I have a question regarding Sign and Sail cards, and whether or not what I want to do with the kids' cards is a possibility.

 

What I want to do is put $100 on each child's card, and that is "their money" for the cruise. If they want to buy the soda package, or an entree from the steak house in the MDR, or play games in the arcade, then it's their decision and when their money is gone it's gone. We have done this with the kids on other vacations (particularly Disney) and it's worked really well - they have the freedom but with limits. and my husband and I don't have to listen to any gimmes for the entire trip. On our other vacations we have given them cash but I know many places on the ship don't take cash, just the Sign and Sail cards.

 

 

Does anyone know if I will be able to split the cards to put a specific amount on each child's card? Or do they just link with my credit card deposit and the kids (or I) have to keep track of what they have spent?

[carnivaladdix120]

You can put funds on each of their cards.

[rspohr2]

Sorry to piggyback off your thread, but can you add cruise cash to each child's name and then not add charging privileges? (So they only have the cruise cash) Does that make sense?

[maryred]

Actually you have a few different options to control the amount that your children, or any S&S folio linked to your on board account.

1) As you set-up the account info during the online you can choose which members on your booking can have access to your funding method for the on board spending. Then once on board you can go to the Guest Services desk to request a cruise long limit on the individual folio. It will not "transfer" funds to the particular card but will allow charges up to that amount to be posted against your master account.

2) You can deny to allow charging privileges to some or all other passengers on your booking during the online check-in. Then indicate they will fund their account once on board. In this case cash or Carnival gift card can be added to the individual's on board account at the port check-in in some cases (not all ports are equipped to do this before boarding), use the on board kiosk visit the GS desk to add funds.

3) Purchase Cruise Cash prior to boarding in your cruise manage for specific members on your booking. Again denying a link to those on board accounts to yours. Just be careful about how much you purchase as Cruise Cash is not refundable and non-transferable, and as minors you would not be able to take they card to the casino to use the Player's Bank transfers method to redeem any unused funds at the end of the cruise.

4) Use a mixture of 2 or all 3 methods. Like buying a modest amount of Cruise Cash that some purchasing power is immediately available without a rushed trip to GS upon boarding. Which gives time to later visit GS when there are shorter or no lines to either deposit cash, Carnival GCs, &/or link your "master account" with a limit to other folios.

 

All of the above funding features will also allow the children to add their own cash to their account if they choose to do so.

[singlerail]

when booking in , online i set my daughters account to no spending privileges, while onboard, i had to add funds to her folio# so she could buy the chat package, you can add any amount to there card, and it won't effect yours.

[mistyinca]

Add them to the same credit card you are on. When you get on board, go to guest services and ask them to set a spending limit on each of their cards.

 

I did this with my boys when they were younger.

[SadieN]

One issue with many of these suggestions--- make sure the gratuities are taken care of.

 

 

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[coevan]

There is no steakhouse in the MDR. All the food in the MDR are free. Unless he wants to upgrade for $20, not worth it for anybody.

[Boston Mom]

Thank you so much everyone! I think I am probably best off to go to Guest Services when I get on board, and set an $80 spending limit for each of their charges linked to my card. I can then then give each of them $20 cash in case they want to buy a keepsake at one of our ports. And if they don't want to buy a port keepsake they then have the option of either adding the $20 onto their card, or just keeping the cash.

 

I probably won't go the straight cruise cash route as one of my boys probably won't spend his full $100 and I don't want to lose it if he doesn't spend it. He is a saver and would rather not buy much and have the cash to take home with him.

 

My other son loves lobster so I think he will probably upgrade for $20 in the MDR at least one night, in addition to ordering it on our formal night if it's on that menu. He will spend his whole $100 - the kids are so different from each other.

[Daphne'sMom]

How long is your cruise? Not sure if they still offer this - or if it is even something you would be interested in. We put a daily limit on our daughter's card when she was younger. That may not work in your case if one of your children wanted to spend most/all of their money on one large purchase.

[Boston Mom]

We are 6 day cruise. Good to know that a per day limit might be an option but I think my kids would be fine with one lump sum for the whole cruise, they are generally good about budgeting their money and I do want them to have the option of buying one bigger thing if that's what they want. We will be paying for all of the excursions so it's just their "extra" money

[HighCPU]

Great question!! I'll have to do this for our kiddos. Wasn't sure how I was going to handle it on board

 

 

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[Sillyjilly]

Thank you so much everyone! I think I am probably best off to go to Guest Services when I get on board, and set an $80 spending limit for each of their charges linked to my card. I can then then give each of them $20 cash in case they want to buy a keepsake at one of our ports. And if they don't want to buy a port keepsake they then have the option of either adding the $20 onto their card, or just keeping the cash.

 

I probably won't go the straight cruise cash route as one of my boys probably won't spend his full $100 and I don't want to lose it if he doesn't spend it. He is a saver and would rather not buy much and have the cash to take home with him.

 

My other son loves lobster so I think he will probably upgrade for $20 in the MDR at least one night, in addition to ordering it on our formal night if it's on that menu. He will spend his whole $100 - the kids are so different from each other.

 

LOL! My two sons are exactly the same. :eek: