Sign and Sail Card

[xxangelxx]

Hi all, I have asked this question before, but it seems noone really had an answer, so i figured perhaps if i post again other people will read and may have the answer. My question is, when you check in before you get on the ship and give them the credit card you are using, do they actually put a hold on it, I mean do they check if you have money on it to use it. The reason i am asking is I was told that they only take the money out that you use at the end of the cruise, I am using my credit/debit card for the trip. I am leaving on a Thursday, and my funds will only be in at 12 am on Friday morning. (about 12 hours after we sail) will that be a problem? If anyone knows for sure. or works at the port would be great. Thanks for everything , I dont know what i would do without this site, I am on it just about every day.

[Bases5]

I know they put a hold on your card of about $200 Then you purchases $50 and the next day they hold $250.

I had the same issue before. They called me down to the purser office and I had to put a regular credit card done until my debt card funded and then I went back and only used my debt card.

I could have put $200 cash and then used my debt card. they would have given me back my $200 cash

[happy cruzin]

Hope this helps....

 

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

 

What is Sail & Sign?Sail & Sign is Carnival's cashless on board credit program which allows guests to charge purchases directly to a personal account for convenience throughout the cruise.

 

Registration will take place on sailing day at embarkation or on board at the Information Desk. The completed application form (included in the cruise documents) must be submitted along with a 1) credit card, 2) U.S. currency, or 3) traveler's checks.

 

Personalized Sail & Sign cards will be provided to all guests on a booking (including minors) and are valid for use immediately upon boarding the ship.

 

The Information Desk can provide guests with a balance update at any time throughout the cruise.

 

All charges will automatically be billed to the guest's credit card at the end of the voyage. On the final morning of the cruise, a statement detailing all purchases made with the Sail & Sign card will be delivered to the guest's stateroom. The total amount will be applied to the credit card presented during registration. For those guests who put down a cash deposit, if there is an overpayment at the end of the cruise, the guest will receive the overpayment in the form of a check attached to their detailed statement on the final morning of the cruise.

 

Any inquiries regarding a Sail & Sign Account made after the cruise, need to be referred to the Guest Relations Department (71551) for researching.

 

Deposit with a Credit Card

Credit Cards are accepted as a form of deposit to open a Sail & Sign Account at the start of the cruise. The following credit cards are accepted

Visa

MasterCard

Discover® Network

American Express

Diner's Club

Optima Card

Note:

• The American Express "Persona Select" is not an acceptable credit card.

• Regular ATM debit cards are not acceptable.

• Guests may use a checking account debit card as long as it is a registered MasterCard or Visa card.

• A guest traveling without his/her parents cannot use the parents' credit card even with the parents' written permission

• The cardholding guest must be an authorized signer by the card issuing bank.

• Upon completion of the Sail & Sign Application Form, the cardholder agrees to pay for the individuals indicated on the form; it is not necessary for these individuals to be booked in the same room as the cardholder.

Important Note: A hold will be placed on the credit card or checking account debit card at the beginning of the cruise as a deposit for an onboard purchases. This will reduce the amount of available credit on the credit card or restrict the availability of cash in the checking account. The hold will be released and actual charges will be billed at the end of the cruise.

The following dollar amounts, per guest, are used as a deposit when the Sail & Sign Account is opened:

2-4 day cruises: $100 deposit pp

5-8 day cruises: $200 deposit pp

9 + day cruises: $350 deposit pp

Deposit with U.S. Currency or Traveler's Checks

U.S. Currency and traveler's checks are accepted as a form of deposit to open a Sail & Sign Account at the start of the cruise. As the guest approaches the deposit limit, the Information Desk will notify the guest that additional money must be deposited.

 

Uses for the Sail & Sign Card The Sail & Sign Card must be utilized for the following; cash will not be an accepted form of payment:

Beverage purchases: A 15% gratuity will automatically be added to the bill which the guest may adjust appropriate to the service received.

Shore excursion tours

In-room calling charges

Infirmary charges

Valet laundry charges

Photo purchases: On debarkation day, cash is only accepted.

Video service

Gift Shops

Steiner's spa and salon

Formality Shop (flowers; tuxedo; chocolates)

European Cafe (specialty coffees and pastries)

Supper Club

Camp Carnival babysitting fees

Gratuities for shipboard staff

Casino: to purchase chips for the tables and coins for the slot machines.

Note: Cash is also accepted in the casino

[xxangelxx]

Thank you very muchfor your quick response, So if i bring enuff cash until my monies are available that would be fine? I am so stressed about this. Its making me not want to even go. I had an emergency and had to use my monies i had put back. Will they even let me board if it doesnt go thru?

[xxangelxx]

oh im sorry but i forgot to ask this question as well. will i still be able to use this same visa card for purchases made in the ports for excursions , gifts etc?

[happy cruzin]

oh im sorry but i forgot to ask this question as well. will i still be able to use this same visa card for purchases made in the ports for excursions , gifts etc?

 

As long as you do not exceed your limit ;) . All purchases on the ship - or in ports - will have to be under your limit. Remember the "hold" counts toward your limit too!

 

Your probably also want to notify the credit card company that you will be travelling out of the country. I have heard many horror stories about cards being denied - on the ship and in ports :(.

[xxangelxx]

ok am getting worried and a little dense at the same time, but what do you mean by "hold" counting towards my limit. Please explain thanks

[happy cruzin]

ok am getting worried and a little dense at the same time, but what do you mean by "hold" counting towards my limit. Please explain thanks

 

When you board - if you are using the credit card they will put a hold on the card for $200.00 per person.

 

So let's say you have a $2000.00 dollar limit and all of it was available when you boarded - you now have only $1600.00 available. $2000.00 - $400.00 ($200.00 per person hold) = $1600.00 available.

 

You also need to remember that your tips - $10.00 per person/per day will be charged to your S&S account too. So for a 7 day cruise that is another $140.00. When you get close - within $100.00 - of the hold amount they will call to get another $200.00 approved - which will also count toward your limit.

[Bases5]

Most debt cards have a dally limit Mine for example is $300 per day. Now if Carnival put a $200 per day hold you will only have $100 at a port for example.

You can get on the ship, just tell them you are paying with cash.

If it concerns you just put cash down and on the last night go put your debit card for your payments and get your cash back.

[carnivalcruise5]

I have only had a hold put on one time of 200$. That was my first cruise in 03. I asked when we checked in in 06, and she said that they just take the card info and charge you at the end of the cruise. Usually on the first business day after your cruise. I think alot of it is to pay the daily tip of 10 pp. they put the hold to cover that. I pre pay my tips. Maybe why they do not take the hold out on me.

 

HOWEVER, if you check your account on line, it will show a pending transaction daily. IT DOES NOT COME OUT TILL YOU ARE HOME.

 

I check my account about every day while on board. That way I know how much I need to try and win in the Casino to pay it off so it does not come out of my account.

 

3/4 of my cruises, I won enough in the casino to pay my S&S off, and my final bill once was only 4.50 from something my DD bought. On another, I think my beginning bill was 1500$ and we paid 1300 of it off, the 200 was charged after paying it off. DD first cruise, and boy could she spend, photos, jewlery, etc...

 

However, since she is the main cause of the high S&S card, she is getting cash put on hers of 50$ only She said that is fine. If we get her a soda card, she will be happy.

 

Hope this helps. YOU can check you S&S card daily on the TV, or you can go to the pursers desk and ask them for a copy of you portfolio.

[carnivalcruise5]

oh im sorry but i forgot to ask this question as well. will i still be able to use this same visa card for purchases made in the ports for excursions , gifts etc?

 

 

Yes, but there is an international charge placed which can be from 80 cents to 5 dollars or more.

 

check with your card company about the international charge.

 

Also, if going over budget is a concern, and IF you have your tips now, call carnival and get the tips out of the way. That way you wont have a lump sum of 140 for 2 ppl placed on your s&s card as soon as you get to the port.

[jetskier]

The hold is what gets people in trouble as it is in addition to the actual charges at the end of the cruise. The hold will eventually go away (5-10 days) but it will cause you to have a reduction in available funds/credit. So if you are using a debit card with a small balance in the bank, it could lead you to have insufficient funds.

 

On my last cruise, my CC was close to the limit. Because of the hold it put me over the limit and had the card declined when they tried to run the final payment. I had to put $4.98 on another card.

 

Dave

 

Dave

[mom2tcdx2]

The last cruise I went on with Carnival they never put a hold on my credit card (my debit card shows all holds). They didn't even actually charge my card until about 3 days after the cruise was over with. Guess everyone's experience is different. Went on Princess and they didn't attempt a preauth until I had made several purchases about 3rd day of the cruise. I have sailed on three cruises and used my debit card on all three with no problems on any of them.

[poobears]

Just set your card up for cash online. We did and they told us our card would be able to be used until 7am the next morning. But if we didn't put cash down before that time it would be frozen until we did. So we had until the next morning to do a deposit or set it up with a card.

 

We put $$ on as soon as we got on but later in the week (day before we got back) we went ahead and linked our debit card to it. Even though tips were prepaid they held $100, in the end we went $3 over our cash deposit so they held another $10 and debited the $3. All holds dropped off about 5 days after we got back.

[Hurricane Girl]

This past May they put a hold on my debit card each day...for the amount that we used it. The final payment came out about 3 days after we got home. We took cash to use in ports because our card/cards charge a fee to use them out of the country and I didn't have to worry about going over my limit by using cash that way.

[mjohns2]

Ok, I'm a little confused in regards to Carnival's FAQ regarding the Sail and Sign card.

 

Take a party of 2 (1 adult and 1 Child 12 years old) on a 10 Day Cruise.

 

Am I correct to think the deposit will be "9 + day cruises: $350 deposit pp" $700?

 

My 12 year old doesn't need a Sail and Sign card.

 

Is it possible to have one Sail and Sign card with money and another without any funds?

[mjohns2]

Ok, I'm a little confused in regards to Carnival's FAQ regarding the Sail and Sign card.

 

Take a party of 2 (1 adult and 1 Child 12 years old) on a 10 Day Cruise.

 

Am I correct to think the deposit will be "9 + day cruises: $350 deposit pp" $700?

 

My 12 year old doesn't need a Sail and Sign card.

 

Is it possible to have one Sail and Sign card with money and another without any funds?

 

Can someone help me with this?

[LidoBuffetLine]

Can someone help me with this?

 

I am pretty sure all S&S cards have to be linked to some sort of account. You can link multiple cards to 1 credit card.

 

For a twelve year old, I doubt that they place a large hold but don't know for sure.

 

Your 12 year old does need a S&S card but they don't need to carry it all the time if you're worried they will be hitting the bars and casinos.:)

 

One thing to remember for those ships with the ability to view your account on TV is; The card holders charges are the aggregate of all those linked to their card and each linked persons is their charges only. I kept wondering all last trip how I spent so much money only to find out at the end of the trip my fiances charges showed up under my name as well.

[missaud]

When we went to Alaska, the gave my son the sail and sign card, which was his room key and his ID to get back on board ship. They set it up for no charging and did not hold funds against it on my Visa. Hope this helps a little

[pba20493]

This confusion is why I say put down a cash deposit. You can put whatever you want. Do not go by what the faq's say. They would like you to put down 200 per person, but I put 100 total down on our last cruise and it was fine ( may of 2008 on the Glory ).

 

Credit and debit cards are handled in different and sometime the same way. If it is a debit card, your funds are taken at the time of authorization. If its a credit card sometimes it is, and sometimes it isnt, depends on the company that does the CC processing. Ours at the hotel takes your funds directly from your DEBIT card and then places a hold on your credit card. Either way the amount is taken right then and there.

 

Bottom line, use cash until the end then give them a card.

 

Tim

[Bases5]

Wow $100 That would not get me to sail away.

 

Any how I can't recall if it was Carnival or RCCL but I believe it was Carnival, I put a spending limit on each kids card. I did us my CC but said only $100 on each kids card. I also told the kids that any thing left over they could have back home.

[dkb363]

You can set up your child's S & S card with no spending privileges. However, this will mean if he wants to buy some candy or something he will have to get you. Every child is different. My son has never gone overboard with his S & S card and he gets charge privileges. When I was a teen-ager, and given a card like that, I would have come home with lots of jewelry, handbags, a few piece of clothes, etc. Thank God my son's not like that.

[Cactuscruise]

Thank you very muchfor your quick response, So if i bring enuff cash until my monies are available that would be fine? I am so stressed about this. Its making me not want to even go. I had an emergency and had to use my monies i had put back. Will they even let me board if it doesnt go thru?

 

If it doesn't go through at check-in they will ask for a cash deposit or credit card. You will have no charging privileges until the matter is cleared up.