Visa Travel Card

[jdlowndes]

Does anyone use a Visa Travel Money card when cruising?

 

http://usa.visa.com/personal/cards/prepaid/visa_travel_money.html

 

I have swarn off credit cards and don't desire to use my debit... Any other ideas (besides take cash) would be appreciated!!

[jdlowndes]

This card would be assocaited with my Sail and Sign Account

[cruisekwazee]

I would be interested in knowing this as well.

[yogi2929]

Haven't used it to cruise but our DDs used the VisaBuxx cards in Israel this summer. No major problems. The problems they had were some machines didn't read the cards.

 

It did take a bit of time to get the $ available while we were funding the cards during their trip.

[Sailor2Cruiser]

Does anyone use a Visa Travel Money card when cruising?

 

http://usa.visa.com/personal/cards/prepaid/visa_travel_money.html

 

I have swarn off credit cards and don't desire to use my debit... Any other ideas (besides take cash) would be appreciated!!

 

 

Great question. I also have killed my credit cards and live pay as I go. I originally planned to back my S&S account with cash, but the more I thought about it the more I got interested in the Travel Money card through AAA. It only cost $4.95 for the first card and $1.50 for a companion card and refills are free. Maybe the only drawback for me is that reloads are a minimum of $100.00. I don't travel that much right now but I guess I could put my gas budget on it to keep it active.

[denisey]

Great question. I also have killed my credit cards and live pay as I go. I originally planned to back my S&S account with cash, but the more I thought about it the more I got interested in the Travel Money card through AAA. It only cost $4.95 for the first card and $1.50 for a companion card and refills are free. Maybe the only drawback for me is that reloads are a minimum of $100.00. I don't travel that much right now but I guess I could put my gas budget on it to keep it active.

 

I also have a AAA Travel Money card. I don't use it for traveling.

 

The clerk at AAA told me that it would NOT work for the cruise ship. I didn't go into details, since I use it for a different purpose. The person I talked to has been with AAA forever, and is really well versed. Her advice on other topics has always been spot on.

 

I don't know if the Visa personal cards would have the same limitation or not.

 

I think one of the biggest problems might be that Carnival puts a "hold" on the card, and as you spend that money, puts another "hold" on the card. If you don't have enough funds to cover the holds, the card would be rejected. The last time I paid attention, the hold amount was $300 for an 7 or 8 day cruise. There is a lot of good info in the FAQ's from the OP's link. I think the ship would operate like a hotel or restaurant charge. (Sailor2Cruiser - there is also a section in there on using it to buy gas!)

[serene56]

I get funship dollars-- those visa cards cost money and have an expiration date which the card start charging.

 

Funship dollars are free. and if there is any money left over you get it back on the last morning in a check which you can cash at the pursers desk

[jdlowndes]

I have started also thinking about the GREEN DOT card.... Anybody?

[Sailor2Cruiser]

I also have a AAA Travel Money card. I don't use it for traveling.

 

The clerk at AAA told me that it would NOT work for the cruise ship. I didn't go into details, since I use it for a different purpose. The person I talked to has been with AAA forever, and is really well versed. Her advice on other topics has always been spot on.

 

I don't know if the Visa personal cards would have the same limitation or not.

 

I think one of the biggest problems might be that Carnival puts a "hold" on the card, and as you spend that money, puts another "hold" on the card. If you don't have enough funds to cover the holds, the card would be rejected. The last time I paid attention, the hold amount was $300 for an 7 or 8 day cruise. There is a lot of good info in the FAQ's from the OP's link. I think the ship would operate like a hotel or restaurant charge. (Sailor2Cruiser - there is also a section in there on using it to buy gas!)

 

denisey - Gas was a problem when it was above $3.00 a gallon. My truck has a 26 gallon tank :eek: . And I would have enough loaded on it to take care of all vacation business. It's interesting that AAA said it can't be used on the ship. The FAQ says it's accepted everywhere. I wonder what the difference is. I guess I'm back to using greenbacks, as "cash is king."

[okgirl]

I haven't found the details on Carnival's site yet but you can't secure your S&S account with anything other than a debit or credit card or cash.

I'll post their exact language as soon as I find it.

 

woops looks like I'm wrong this is from Carnivals frequently asked questions.

 

What is Sail & Sign?

 

Sail & Sign is Carnival's onboard cashless credit program which allows you to charge, at your convenience, all your services and purchases paid throughout the cruise. All locations onboard will accept your Sail & Sign card for payment, casino will also accept cash.

 

How can I register for Sail & Sign?

Registration for Sail & Sign will take place during embarkation or at anytime onboard at Guest Services.

 

What forms of payment are accepted for Sail & Sign account?

 

Credit Cards:

Visa

MasterCard

Discover®

American Express

Diner's

JCB (Japanese Credit Bureau)

SeaMiles MasterCard

Visa and MasterCard Prepaid Gift 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.

[serene56]

Janey-- that rule has just changed recently- It was not in effect last February.

[jakoblovesships]

We were just on the Valor, and used a visa prepaid card with $200 on it for our S&S. We had NO problems and NO holds. We did prepay our tips, so that may be the reason we didn't have a hold. We will be using a prepaid card for our future cruises!

 

Misty :)

[jdlowndes]

We were just on the Valor, and used a visa prepaid card with $200 on it for our S&S. We had NO problems and NO holds. We did prepay our tips, so that may be the reason we didn't have a hold. We will be using a prepaid card for our future cruises!

 

Misty :)

 

The regular Visa Prepaid Card like you can get at the grocery store?

[serene56]

We were just on the Valor, and used a visa prepaid card with $200 on it for our S&S. We had NO problems and NO holds. We did prepay our tips, so that may be the reason we didn't have a hold. We will be using a prepaid card for our future cruises!

 

Misty :)

 

 

Misty- dont you have to pay for that type of card?

[jakoblovesships]

Misty- dont you have to pay for that type of card?

 

Yes, the card was $9.95. We bought it because my identity was stolen (purse with credit cards, license, Social-security card, checks, and all my Mary Popin' stuff-you know:) We wanted to make sure we weren't going to have any issues while out to sea. The lovely criminals have cleared out our bank acct, 3 times. We've closed out numerous accts, but with all my info they find new ways????? The banks and CC companies just keep crediting us back the money, but it just takes time and phone calls. We didn't want to have to deal with any of that crap while vacationing.

 

We really felt comfortable with the prepaid, and will use it again for future sailings. We also used it for shore excursions (not through Carnival).

[tulsacubfan]

We used one on our last cruise (not on the ship but in port). The holds put on them make it a real pain. We rented bicycles in San Francisco (yes, this was a swine flu reroute north) and they put a hold of the bike deposit on the card. That money was not released until after we got home.

[jakoblovesships]

We used one on our last cruise (not on the ship but in port). The holds put on them make it a real pain. We rented bicycles in San Francisco (yes, this was a swine flu reroute north) and they put a hold of the bike deposit on the card. That money was not released until after we got home.

 

That would be annoying! We didn't have any holds. We just purchased snorkeling and zip-lining.

 

Thanks for the info! I'll make sure we don't use it for anything other than a straight purchase, or the cost of an excursion with/out additional deposits.:) We just use it like we would cash.

[tulsacubfan]

That would be annoying! We didn't have any holds. We just purchased snorkeling and zip-lining.

 

Thanks for the info! I'll make sure we don't use it for anything other than a straight purchase, or the cost of an excursion with/out additional deposits.:) We just use it like we would cash.

 

That should work fine! Also, don't use in a restaurant. When getting approval on them, the restaurant "assumes" a certain percentage for tip and get that amount approved. If you leave that amount, that's fine. But if you leave less, or leave the tip in cash, you still have the amount they got approved tied up until the credit slip goes through. Same with gasoline. The pump "assumes" a certain amount and that is what gets held until the charge goes through. They are great for shopping or cost of excursions, but not for everything! Enjoy your cruise!

[yogi2929]

The regular Visa Prepaid Card like you can get at the grocery store?

 

NOT the cards you get in the grocery store. These are really hard to use because they are not imprinted with your name. Cards need to have your name on them.