How do you keep track of onboard spending?

[mrar]

How do you keep track of purchases on board? I obviously know to factor in trips, drink packages, and excursions, but what about drinks, etc... Does princess give you a daily update somehow, do you keep a mental record, do you ask the pursar's desk? Thanks!

[Katie333]

The pursers desk (and sometimes an automated machine next to it) can give you a print out of your account.

 

It's a bit wasteful of paper but so are so many things on board unfortunately. YOu can check it as often as you like. Maybe one day Princess will offer something better.

[Aussie Gal]

We usually take longer cruises from 20-35 days so I always go down to the Purser's desk each week and ask for the latest print out. That way we keep track of what we have spent and also check for any errors.

 

I keep all the slips handed out from the drink waiters, shop assistants etc. and check them off. Then I can throw those away until the next week when I get the new list.

 

I was a Bookkeeper in my former life so I am quite pedantic about keeping track of where our money goes.

 

Jennie

[paul929207]

I can just say ditto to what Jennie posted above. Since we are on longer cruises, I check the bill once a week or so.

[Pam in CA]

Like the others, I get a printout of my onboard account every few days. There is a monitor at the Passenger Services Desk where you can swipe your card and your account prints out on a nearby printer. Very quick and easy.

[ibfern]

How do you keep track of purchases on board? I obviously know to factor in trips, drink packages, and excursions, but what about drinks, etc... Does princess give you a daily update somehow, do you keep a mental record, do you ask the pursar's desk? Thanks!

 

You can always do the old fashion thing; save your receipts then add the up, you will get one for anything you charge.

[mrar]

Ok, thanks guys! I'm glad that it's not a hassle to get a Pursar's desk printout and that you always get receipts. :)

[mytime53]

We make sure never to wait until the last minute, and this time it certainly paid off. Printout Saturday am showed 2 charges at Crooners for Friday night that couldn't possibly be ours. Went back down to purser's desk, where they went through the receipts and found the 2 in question... One was unsigned, the other clearly not our name. So then the young woman dug through another pile of receipts and found one with the correct signature. She made copies of everything, made a notation in the computer and told me it would be fixed by dinner. After dinner, I go check-- not fixed "trying to match to another cabin so they can transfer it, not delete it--come back later". Return several hours later and original young woman is helping us again--she called about the matter and here is what I heard her say: "What do you mean you're investigating? I copied everything you need and gave it to you!". Further discussion continued between them. It was fixed by morning, but if we had waited until Saturday evening to get our update, I'm not sure it would have been fixed on time. And trying to get a copy of the "evidence" wasn't about to happen.

[asctony]

Ok, thanks guys! I'm glad that it's not a hassle to get a Pursar's desk printout and that you always get receipts. :)

 

Be careful as you are not always given a copy. Ask if you need to. Don't be shy!

[Mike&Lynette]

Does Princess still automatically give you a receipt that you have signed?

 

Last year we were on Holland America, and they only gave you a receipt if you asked! What a surprise and hassle! We have always been given a receipt without asking on past cruises. We like to check out charges against the printout.

[mytime53]

Does Princess still automatically give you a receipt that you have signed?

 

Last year we were on Holland America, and they only gave you a receipt if you asked! What a surprise and hassle! We have always been given a receipt without asking on past cruises. We like to check out charges against the printout.

 

 

In the past we weren't always given one, but this cruise (CB) we were given one for every transaction.

[rdsqrl]

Does Princess still automatically give you a receipt that you have signed?

 

Last year we were on Holland America, and they only gave you a receipt if you asked! What a surprise and hassle! We have always been given a receipt without asking on past cruises. We like to check out charges against the printout.

Yes, I automatically received a receipt for everything on the Crown. If for some reason the waiter/bartender/whoever forgets, just ask. But they were very punctilious about it last month. They had stopped giving receipts for awhile there but I guess people complained. I tend to get the same things over and over, so I don't need the receipts to check my printout but for your first time, you'll want them as everything is new and you don't have a sense yet of how much things cost (unlike me, who's memorized the martini menu -- and yes, my mother is very proud!).

[ibfern]

Does Princess still automatically give you a receipt that you have signed?

 

Last year we were on Holland America, and they only gave you a receipt if you asked! What a surprise and hassle! We have always been given a receipt without asking on past cruises. We like to check out charges against the printout.

 

We ask for receipts always, DH loves to add up the totals and account for the charges on the bill. He prides himself on knowing what the charges are to the penny before we ever get a printout, its his thing!

[Layla]

Yes, I automatically received a receipt for everything on the Crown. If for some reason the waiter/bartender/whoever forgets, just ask. But they were very punctilious about it last month. They had stopped giving receipts for awhile there but I guess people complained.

 

On our Emerald cruise in November, we received a receipt for almost everything, except when we ordered wine at dinner. We were kind of surprised because in our last couple of cruises before that we didn't get receipts. We love having the kiosk to swipe your card and get your statement. We check our balance every couple of days.

[Putterdude]

As much as possible I try to keep our receipts and then get a copy of our folio every 3 or 4 days and check the receipts against the folio while things are still fresh in my mind.

[chipmaster]

Easiest way don't do any extras, believe it or not we've come pretty close on our last two cruises :D

[SteveH2508]

We always keep a spreadsheet on our notebook (also useful for downloading pictures; watching videos and storing port info.)

 

The spreadsheet is useful for budgeting for next year's trip (because there will surely be one!) :D

[windsor26]

On our Emerald cruise in November, we received a receipt for almost everything, except when we ordered wine at dinner. We were kind of surprised because in our last couple of cruises before that we didn't get receipts. We love having the kiosk to swipe your card and get your statement. We check our balance every couple of days.

 

Everyone should take care to ask for receipts. When on a Celebrity cruise the lady on our table asked for her receipt for wine a very crumpled receipt was given to her. She was showing us what wine she had bought and when I looked I found the receipt was in MY name not hers as we had the name christian name

The wine waitress was being too quick and not asking to see the customers card but 'remembering' and she made this error.:mad:

[shoreham01]

I carry around a small notebook and small pen in a neck bag with my Princess card. Everytime we spend we just jot down the date, what it is and the amount. If you are given a receipt you can keep those in the little bag too. My bag came from Princess several years ago, they don't do that particular one now which is a shame but I am sure you could find something similar.

[redcruzer]

For some reason I thought princess let you see your account on your tv screen... Booo

[snrlnd]

Not sure why but the Caribbean Princess as of November still doesn't have the self serve kiosk to check your account. You still have to wait in line to get a printout.

[PescadoAmarillo]

The self serve kiosk only allows you to print both passengers' statements if you are the primary passenger in the cabin; i.e. DH can print for himself and me, but since the credit card is in his name, I can print for myself but not him. That's okay, it frees me up from that little responsibility.

[AndyTheK]

Not sure why but the Caribbean Princess as of November still doesn't have the self serve kiosk to check your account. You still have to wait in line to get a printout.[The Crown didn't either in October. But I never had to wait on line... just went at 7 AM (when the daily transmissios/backup were done) and the place was deserted.

[OSU_Beaver2011]

Ok so regarding onboard spending is it possible to make a "partial" payment of cash toward your balance? On RC in the past I would check my balance on the tv in our stateroom and then go down and make a payment if I had cash on me so what I put on my credit card at the end of the trip was not as significant.

[Denisern2]

I never know if the tears I am shedding on the last day are because vacation is over..... Or if it is the bill that slides under the door in the middle of the night.