Cruise Cash

[JohnMich]

If I purchased cruise cash is it good to use for drinks and pictures? Or would I need to purchase cruise cash bar and cruise cash pixels?

[emm126]

HI- it is good for anything you purchase on your sail and sign card. Personally I would not buy cruise cash bar or pixels because if you don't fully use it you do not get the money back. Have a great cruise!

[Joe817]

58 minutes ago, JohnMich said:

If I purchased cruise cash is it good to use for drinks and pictures? Or would I need to purchase cruise cash bar and cruise cash pixels?

Howdy! Yes you can purchase cruise cash for any an all purchases you can make on your cruise ship, no matter where you are. Any bar, the fun shop, the spa, in Pixel... any where. As long as it's on your S&S card, your are good to go. 

[tallnthensome]

I don’t know why Carnival sells anything other than simple cruise cash. Having other “cash” is stupid and all it does is confuse people .....

[sparks1093]

40 minutes ago, tallnthensome said:

I don’t know why Carnival sells anything other than simple cruise cash. Having other “cash” is stupid and all it does is confuse people .....

If they didn't have a limit on how much you could buy then it wouldn't matter but since it is limited in how much of each you can buy it can become necessary (at least for those who purchase it) and the limit is driven by the non-refundable nature of cruise cash (which is the dumb part to me since this inhibits sales). Cruise cash may be used for any purchase onboard. Cruise cash bar may be used for any bar purchase onboard. And Cruise cash photo may be used for any photo department purchase onboard. Gift cards are also non-refundable, but you at least get a gift card back with the unused amount (which of course can only be spent with Carnival).

Edited November 6, 2019 by sparks1093

[pacruise804]

7 hours ago, tallnthensome said:

I don’t know why Carnival sells anything other than simple cruise cash. Having other “cash” is stupid and all it does is confuse people .....

In addition to the limit Sparks1093 mentions, someone purchasing the cruise cash as a gift might want to specify the use.  If the grandparents want pictures from a family cruise they can buy Cruise Cash Pixels/Photo and know their gift won't be used for a fishbowl or bucket of beer 😉 

 

It doesn't have to be stupid for those who can read and understand the terms and conditions.

 

I don't use cruise cash, but can see where it can be beneficial.  Those on tight budgets can purchase $25 at a time and build a nice chunk for their cruise.  If only one person in the room drinks a lot, they can get $500 in bar cash and still have unlimited drinks cheaper than Cheers - plus get additional basic cruise cash for gratuities, restaurants, etc.

[xitappers2bx]

I like to live debt-free and credit card-free, but as a single mom traveling with my (with a now teenaged) daughter, I always buy cruise cash before boarding and then give them my credit card and never worry about a huge bill, and don't have to worry about carrying a large sum of cash on my person.  I figure out how much cruise cash is needed for gratuities, bingo, about how much for drinks, specialty dinners, and then some extra for whatever the teenager wants, and then at most I'm charging 100 or so on my credit card.  It's a seriously less stressful way to vacation, I never have a huge bill at the end to worry about, and I'm not basically taking out a loan to pay for my vacation by using a credit card.  

[cmichael1279]

On 11/5/2019 at 10:50 PM, emm126 said:

HI- it is good for anything you purchase on your sail and sign card. Personally I would not buy cruise cash bar or pixels because if you don't fully use it you do not get the money back. Have a great cruise!

I agree!  I bought it once, because I got some kind of bonus on my Best Buy credit card, for spending a certain amount of money outside of Best Buy.  Free $$ there, but that's the only reason I considered it.

[simplelife]

Thinking about doing some Cruise cash this time around. Like some of the other posters, I like having things prepaid.

[xitappers2bx]

On 11/5/2019 at 11:33 PM, JohnMich said:

If I purchased cruise cash is it good to use for drinks and pictures? Or would I need to purchase cruise cash bar and cruise cash pixels?

I always buy cruise cash (NOT the bar or the pixels one) and it is basically like buying a gift card for all your shipboard expenses. 

[Purvis1231]

On 11/6/2019 at 5:01 AM, tallnthensome said:

I don’t know why Carnival sells anything other than simple cruise cash. Having other “cash” is stupid and all it does is confuse people .....

It is marketing. Stay you a friend who want to buy you some drinks- they could buy the bar cash. If any case it is money in the bank for Carnival. 

[sra12574]

I  had  a  question   for  the  cruise  bar  cash . I  bought  some  cruise   bar  cash  for  wife  using a  cc  reward  . there  may  be  times  that  I  might  be   the  one   grabbing  the  drinks  with  my  room  card .Im  the  one  paying  the  bill  at  the  end  either  way . If  at  the  end  of  the  cruise  she  hasnt  used  the  cruise  bar   cash  herself  but   the  room  has  purchased   more  then  the  cruise  cash  bar  credits  are  the  credits  just  applied  to the  room  charge?

 

[pacruise804]

14 hours ago, sra12574 said:

I  had  a  question   for  the  cruise  bar  cash . I  bought  some  cruise   bar  cash  for  wife  using a  cc  reward  . there  may  be  times  that  I  might  be   the  one   grabbing  the  drinks  with  my  room  card .Im  the  one  paying  the  bill  at  the  end  either  way . If  at  the  end  of  the  cruise  she  hasnt  used  the  cruise  bar   cash  herself  but   the  room  has  purchased   more  then  the  cruise  cash  bar  credits  are  the  credits  just  applied  to the  room  charge?

 

 

I pulled the itemized charges lists from my recent cruise to check.  It's not exactly the same (we didn't have cruise cash), but a similar situation of having a refund.  There is an account #, with two folio #'s under the account.  The account is in my name since I am listed as "responsible party," so I would guess that you would have an account in your name with your folio and your wife's.

 

The charges/credits are broken down by date and folio number so it is easy to see who made the charge/received the credit, but the entire balance was owed to me, not portioned to each of us.

 

I would double check the fine print from your purchase in case it specifies, and also verify with guest services once on board.  We usually check our balance once per day just to make sure there aren't any erroneous charges (has happened before, quickly and easily removed), so you should be able to see if it is applying correctly.  By my understanding, all bar charges to the account (regardless of folio) should go against cruise cash (by type) on that account (again, regardless of folio).  Charges would next apply against: any other non-refundable OBC; refundable OBC; gift card or cash on account; and finally credit card on file.

 

My cruises have always been my husband and I (combined account) or once with our children (again, combined).  I'm sure there are those who don't combine their folios and so it could be one account per person.  In this case, I would think the cruise cash could only be used for the holder's charges.

 

Clear as mud? 😉 

[cb at sea]

Just SAVE your money, take it and put it on your account AFTER you've boarded.  If you don't spend it, you get it back.  "Cruise cash" is forfeited, if you don't spend it all.

[cmichael1279]

7 minutes ago, cb at sea said:

Just SAVE your money, take it and put it on your account AFTER you've boarded.  If you don't spend it, you get it back.  "Cruise cash" is forfeited, if you don't spend it all.

I don't understand why so many people have such a problem with this concept! 🙂

[sparks1093]

23 minutes ago, cb at sea said:

Just SAVE your money, take it and put it on your account AFTER you've boarded.  If you don't spend it, you get it back.  "Cruise cash" is forfeited, if you don't spend it all.

I've never had any problem using up any cruise cash purchased.

[sparks1093]

16 minutes ago, cmichael1279 said:

I don't understand why so many people have such a problem with this concept! 🙂

Yes, I could save the money and apply it onboard but that requires extras steps to be taken while onboard, steps that I don't want to take. To each his or her own.

[pacruise804]

2 hours ago, cb at sea said:

Just SAVE your money, take it and put it on your account AFTER you've boarded.  If you don't spend it, you get it back.  "Cruise cash" is forfeited, if you don't spend it all.

 

1 hour ago, cmichael1279 said:

I don't understand why so many people have such a problem with this concept! 🙂

 

I don't understand why so many people don't understand that people who don't think like they do don't act like they do 🙂 It's simple to say "save your money" but not everyone handles their finances like that. 

 

Some people also receive CC as a gift (which I think is actually the intent).  I suspect many people could give a $25 gift when they wouldn't be as likely to give $100 (gift card minimum), while still wanting the gift to go toward the recipient's cruise.

 

Many buy Cheers so they can try different drinks without worrying about the cost or guilt for not finishing a drink, but come nowhere close to breaking even - that cost is still forfeit.  Somehow it makes more sense to spend $800 for "peace of mind" than to pay $500 and possibly only spend $450.  Somehow "losing" $50 is worse than paying $300 more than necessary.

[JohnMich]

Thank you all for your responses. I have gone ahead and ordered my cruise cash and not because I can't save or anything like that. I don't want to be thinking about my credit card balance every time I order a drink. I now have a credit and only the remaining will be charged to my credit card so no big surprises in the end. Everyone has their own ways of doing things and this is what makes me worry less. Thanks again for everyones help