I don't use credit cards. Period. I do have a debit card...but would prefer to utilize cash on my trip. Can you board with cash only? And fund your Sign and Sail account with cash? Or...do they require a credit card? I have read ther post that stated a credit card would have to be presented at boarding time.

Welcome to cruise chat, new_cruiser!! I am not sure if you have visited the Carnival website. I took the liberty of copying and pasting the link to the Carnival Sail & Sign Information.

<edit to add link to website>

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Dave Beers,

Hi everyone,

It is best to just post a link instead of copying and pasting information. Those copyright issues, you know.

As you can see at the link, the cruise line will require a certain amount of cash as a deposit at embarkation. You can also use a Visa or Mastercard debit card, but be aware they will put a hold on the money in the checking account.

Sorry about that...

quote:

Sorry about that...

No worries. Most likely Carnival doesn't mind it, but why take the chance?

we always put cash down for our sign and sail. it works for us. We do it so we can better monitor our spending.
any money you have left is given back to you in cash the night before when you close out your account. or they will give you a check under the door the last morning.
didnt close out mine on the last cruise, if was only like 23 cents. they slipped a check under my door. still have the check here somewhere.

thanks macmom111. Your explanation is perfect...and that is exactly what I'm going to do.

quote:

I have read ther post that stated a credit card would have to be presented at boarding time.

Hi new_cruiser, Welcome to Cruise-Chat!

The Embarkation Process section's wording on the site isn't the best. I can see why it would be confusing. You should consider taking the funds as Traveler's Checks though, just to be on the safe side.

Dwayne

I understand why some hesitate to own or use credit cards in their daily life. However, when traveling they have some built in protections you cannot get any other way, even with debit cards. A credit card can be disputed for unauthorized charges and disputes on charges. Some debit cards have the same ability but with some financial responsibility for up to a certain dollar amount on the holder. A lost or stolen CC can have stops put on with limited or no liability if reported in a timely manner. This cannot be done with lost/stolen cash. Although Travelers Checks have some similar protections, they can be a hassle to use, get change from, etc. For travel outside the country, I'd strongly advise the use of a credit card for as many things as possible. Even if you don't want debt associated with your travel, you can always pay the balance when the statement comes in with no interest charges if paid in full. There is no better way to protect yourself while traveling than using a CC.

Cheers, Neil

we always carry a credit card with us. I dont want to be in a stuck in an emergency. we just dont use it for our sign and sail. on our first cruise we used travelers checks for sign and sail worked fine, the ship would cash them before we went ashore.
but for our sign and sail they take cash. not a problem.

I also recommend using a credit card when traveling for the reasons Neil noted. I use a credit card to secure my account, and then pay cash on it sometimes. I have caught a few discrepancies on my final statement before. Luckily, I caught them before disembarking. Once, I was charged twice for a Fossil watch!

The point being, whether you are going to use cash or credit card, make sure to keep up with your account. Check the statement to make sure it is accurate, errors do happen.

Dwayne

I can't tell you how many times I've had people call with disputes over billing but it has been many over the years. Some with the cruiselines, some with cruiseline or outside excursion vendors, some with faulty or fake merchandise purchased at port. There are just too many different senarios to count. For the sake of this not becoming a book instead of a post I won't recount details of the many circumstances. It's safe to say having a CC and the ability to dispute and have written evidence in the form of a monthly statement has saved many thousands of dollars for just the people that I, one guy, has had personal experience with. Multiply those experiences by the thousands of other agents and cruiseline bookings and you have a substantial amount of money that has been saved by having a way of getting such situations resolved. Most of the time a dispute is not even needed. A simple fax of a copy of the statement showing the error is sufficient. In some cases they stick to their guns and say your statement is wrong because their system shows no overpayment, no error, they're keeping your money regardless of your statement. That's when the CC company can take it back for you against their objections once you prove they're wrong.

Cheers, Neil