Carnival cruises - early 1990's question about "Sail & Sign"/room key cards

[pghsteelerfan]

I have a question that I thought someone may know the answer to regarding sailing Carnival in the early 1990's. We were on Festivale on our honeymoon, which was our first cruise. I do remember having some kind of card that was tied into a credit card for drink purchases but I can't remember if the same card was also used as a room key as today's "Sail & Sign" cards are. I don't even know if "Sail & Sign" card was what it was called at the time. On our second Carnival cruise, which was 14 years later in 2006, we had the "Sail & Sign" cards that are used today. I have kept memorabilia from our Festival cruise (including most of the "Carnival Capers", now "Fun Times") but never came across anything like a "Sail & Sign" card for that cruise. I don't even know if we were allowed to keep them at that time or not or if we had to leave them. We have the "Sail & Sign" cards for all of our other Carnival Cruises (four total).

 

Does anyone know if these cards existed then and if we were allowed to keep them if they did? We've been going through and clearing out a lot of "junk" (to pitch or donate) and found more Fesitvale memorabilia but never anything like a room key card/"Sail & Sign". I also posted this question on the "Cruise Memorabilia" boards where others have posted pictures of Carnival "Sail & Sign" cards and those from other cruiselines. There is one pictured from Carnival Fascination from April 1996 so I was curious. Thank you.

[rjkcubs]

I went on the Ecstasy with some high school buddies in 1995. At that time our sail and sign cards were separate from the room keys. The room keys were hard plastic with a bunch of circular holes punched in them coded to the door. We had to give them back when we got off the ship. Ever since then we have had the sail and sign cards that also work as room keys, with the exception of the Holiday. My wife and I sailed it years back and they still had the old style keys if I remember right.

[notyours75]

We sailed on the Destiny for our honeymoon in Jan 1998 and I just found one of our cards. It was both the door card, entry/exit and drink card. Though I was trying to remember what our cabin number was and it is (for obvious reasons) not printed on the S&S card.

 

So I can't tell you exactly when it all started but at least on the Destiny it was that way and I would assume it was that way when she was built.

[Troy McClure]

I went on a cruise in 88 and I remember them writing down my room number or portfolio number for everything, I am not sure if the room key was electronic

[cruisequeen007]

We went on Carnival in 1991 and 1995. Both time we had a paper card that we used to get on and off the ship, but a separate room key.

[cooltj]

I have my 1996 Holiday Sail & Sign card for the Holiday if that helps. I actually keep all of my S&S cards...:D

[pghsteelerfan]

This has been a great help, thank you! I kept thinking there was a paper card that we used to get on and off the ship, that's what I vaguely remember anyway. I can't remember now if that card was also tied in with the credit card to purchase drinks on board or if we just gave them our room/portfolio number. My DH's late father told us before our cruise, since he'd been on several, that getting drinks was tied in with a credit card and it's so easy to overspend since we wouldn't be paying cash for drinks and to keep that in mind. We were sweating it out before we got our bill but we didn't do to bad, surprisingly. It was a port heavy itinerary, five days and similar to Valor's current Southern Caribbean itinerary out of San Juan, so that probably helped us out some. I guess I can stop looking for Festival "Sail & Sign" cards now to keep with our other Festivale memorabilia. I didn't think they existed then or we'd have had them but wasn't sure since it was so long ago. Our second cruise was RC in 2000 and DH found his card, forget what it was called but RC's version of "Sail & Sign" and mine is still missing so I'll continue to keep an eye out for that. Thank you all again. :)

[Aplmac]

Please post pictures of your older cards!!

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Edited January 28, 2014 by Aplmac

[pghsteelerfan]

Please post pictures of your older cards!!

 

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Will do. I probably won't get to that today but I promise to get them posted this week. I'll put them on the thread you started under "Cruise Memorabilia". I know I have Carnival Miracle (March 2006); Carnival Glory (May 2010) and Carnival Valor (May 2013). My DH has on from another cruiseline from January 2000 (I'm still looking for mine & hope I still have it somewhere).

[Phlybice]

Back then, they just needed your FOLIO number, not your room number. AND, you could also pay in cash.

 

And the room key was a plastic thingie that you inserted into your door, but it also did not have the room number on it. It fact, I think it was just pure white with holes in one end.

Edited January 29, 2014 by Phlybice

[CruisinCrow]

I just looked in my honeymoon album and found my card! It was 1991 and we were on Fantasy. The card was used for onboard purchases but not as a room key. It actually has our cabin number printed on it, and I had to sign the back.

 

Ahhh, the memories. :)

[pghsteelerfan]

I just went through our Festival memorabilia and found almost everything, including plane ticket stubs, but did not find the cards. I've also got 4 days of the Carnival Capers and the old Carnival Brochure which is still intact and in great condition. I'm guessing that maybe we left them on the ship, but who knows. At least I still have everything else. :)

[Aplmac]

I just looked in my honeymoon album and found my card! It was 1991 and we were on Fantasy.

The card was used for onboard purchases but not as a room key.

It actually has our cabin number printed on it, and I had to sign the back.

Speaking of signing the backs of your S&S cards.....

 

I was looking thru my cruise-card collection a few weeks back

and noticed that the most recent issue of Carnival cards

has no provision for signing the back of the card.

There is no longer that special strip to sign on.

 

I also discovered I'd signed very few of my cards, over time

so maybe that's why they changed it? ..few ppl ever signed?

 

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