Sign and Sail Account and Tipping

Can someone explain the credit card deposit and tipping information? We are sailing for 8 days.

This is what I understand:

When checking it, Carnival will put a $100 credit card hold ($200 for both of us?) on our card?

If we haven't paid tips, they will place additional holds on the card?

I'm planning to prepay tips before we sail so there aren't many holds on our card, but want to ensure there's enough credit on my card if I'm just relying on that.

As an alternative, we could put down $400 case and no credit card, providing we prepaid the tips?

I'm trying to figure out how much credit I'll need on my card for all the holds.

I know they place holds on debit cards, but don't know about credit cards. I've just had them bill the balance on the last day. Don't know about any holds.

From my previous sailings when I prepaid tips.

Carnival would "deposit" the tip amount that you had prepaid into your sign and sail on the 2nd day and then they would deduct the full tip on the night before debarkation.

As for the holds, I don't recall carnival putting a hold on my CC unless I had purchased something on the ship that day but I could be wrong.

Hope that helps.

only ever heard about holds on a DEBIT card... my credit card was always just charged the last day for whatever i put on it. ( tips and purchases )

They do place a $100 hold on your credit card the morning of your sailing. That hold never shows up on your onboard account. Our tips were prepaid at time of booking and we never saw them on our sign and sail account. The only thing that appeared on that were purchases made onboard. In the past when we paid our tips onboard, they simply added the entire amount of the gratuities at one time.

I've checked out credit card account during a cruise and here is what I see:

The day of embarkation Carnival places a hold on your credit card. For us it's always been $200-my husband and I have charging privileges. If you need to pay the grats and haven't used your S&S for anything, they will come out of that initial $200.

After that, it looks like Carnival places a hold for the day's charges the next day. IE: you charge $100 dollars on Tuesday, they place a hold for $100 on Wednesday morning.

A day or two after you return, Carnival then charges the ENTIRE lump sum to your card. We always use your American Express, and the holds start to fall off 5 business days after they are placed. So we usually have to wait a few days for things to even out, and because of that I would NEVER use my debit card.

They do place a $100 hold on your credit card the morning of your sailing. That hold never shows up on your onboard account. Our tips were prepaid at time of booking and we never saw them on our sign and sail account. The only thing that appeared on that were purchases made onboard. In the past when we paid our tips onboard, they simply added the entire amount of the gratuities at one time.

So the initial hold on the first day is $100, is that per person or per cabin?

So if prepaying tips, that's the only hit on our credit card. Then whatever we spend at the end of cruise will be charged to our card.

When does the $100 (or possibly $200) get dropped from the hold?

I don't plan on using a debit card.

What if I don't want Carnival to have a credit card on file, what is the cash deposit needed upon check-in for 2 people?

I don't plan on using a debit card.

 

What if I don't want Carnival to have a credit card on file, what is the cash deposit needed upon check-in for 2 people?

I believe Carnival only suggests specific amounts, but know that your S&S card might be declined if you run out of cash, and you will have to go down to GS to either add more, or a credit card.

IF you prepary your grats, they are already taken care of...they won't charge your credit card on the cruise. Period.

Your credit card holds will fall off depending on your bank and how they handle holds.

 

 

What if I don't want Carnival to have a credit card on file,

 

what is the cash deposit needed upon check-in for 2 people?

 

 

Hi ibcnusoon :)

(Recommended) cash deposits per sailing duration:

2-4 day cruises: $100 deposit pp

5-8 day cruises: $200 deposit pp

9+ day cruises: $350 deposit pp

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

:)

So the initial hold on the first day is $100, is that per person or per cabin?

 

So if prepaying tips, that's the only hit on our credit card. Then whatever we spend at the end of cruise will be charged to our card.

 

When does the $100 (or possibly $200) get dropped from the hold?

I don't know when the hold is dropped. However, they immediately charged my credit card for every drink and/or purchase made onboard at the time of purchase. It was not all charged at the end of the cruise.

Hi ibcnusoon :)

 

(Recommended) cash deposits per sailing duration:

 

2-4 day cruises: $100 deposit pp

5-8 day cruises: $200 deposit pp

9+ day cruises: $350 deposit pp

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

:)

Tips withdrawn are $11.50 per day per person. They will be withdrawn the second or third day. So any cash put down has to cover that.

So if I use my debit card for S&S and have already prepaid gratuities prior to sailing I won't have any holds placed on

me? :)

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No you'll have at least an initial hold of $100 put on. If you spend more they will place additional holds

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We always do cash deposits, usually $100 and always get money back. We prepay our tips before we get on the ship.

Folks, credit cards and debit cards are apples and oranges. Just sayin'.