What is the point of cruise cash?

[Keys2Heaven]

I'm trying to understand why so many people choose to buy cruise cash. It is non-refundable, so you lose it if it's not spent. Why would you just not pay after with your credit card? Why not buy a gift card?

 

First, we buy an amount that we know we will spend, so we never lose it.

 

Second, every so often you can buy Carnival Gift Cards for 10-15% off the face value. So, purchasing a $500 gift card a 10% off is only $450. I can then take that card and use it to buy cruise cash and I end up giving us a $50 bonus.

 

Third, I like to apportion my spending between the general fund and the bar cash. Using the kiosks onboard, it is interesting to itemize your spending against those two buckets and save for your records for future cruise planning.

[sparks1093]

I've never been able to apply a gift card to my S&S account at a kiosk. The kiosk won't take it. I've always had to visit Guest Services onboard to get my gift cards applied.

 

Even worse.

[gottaluvcruises12]

Is there a dollar limit on how much cruise cash you can purchase per cabin or per person?

 

 

I was just looking at it and it said there was a 500 dollar limit per cabin

[gottaluvcruises12]

I know someone else started this post but I got some very valuable information from it.

[sparks1093]

I was just looking at it and it said there was a 500 dollar limit per cabin

 

$500 of each type, so $500 cruise cash, $500 cruise bar cash and $500 cruise photo cash.

[sgttami]

The day that I can't spend $500 in general onboard credit is the day I need to stop cruising. But seriously, I like to by a little cruise cash before we go in order to lessen the hit on the credit card. I never buy more than I've budgeted to spend.

 

LOL...same here!

[sparks1093]

Yup....convincing people to turn cash that can be spent anywhere for anything into a non-refundable credit is marketing genius. You make people think it is for their convenience so they can justify it in their own mind but really you have just reached into their wallet and guaranteed revenue.

 

I've never seen cruise cash marketed this way, so they aren't doing a good job of convincing anyone. Cruise cash is/was originally designed for people to give a gift to someone sailing on CCL. We figured out the rest:D.

[sc4125]

I've never seen cruise cash marketed this way, so they aren't doing a good job of convincing anyone. Cruise cash is/was originally designed for people to give a gift to someone sailing on CCL. We figured out the rest:D.

 

I'm with you Sparks! I purchase Cruise Cash because it works for me. I will never have a problem not spending it, because I can always "cash it out" in the casino on the last day if I need to; although I haven't had that problem yet. Not sure why the concept bothers some people, but like I said it works for me.

[smurfm69]

I like to buy some cruise cash to pre pay some of the expenses on the ship. This helps to reduce the amount on the final sail & sign bill.

[going to see the world]

I purchase it with discounted gift cards. Helps me budget, and I save on money I’ll end up spending anyway

 

 

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[twh2006]

It says on the site it's non refundable. So there's a way to cash it out before the end of the trip?

[going to see the world]

It says on the site it's non refundable. So there's a way to cash it out before the end of the trip?

 

 

 

Charge it to the casino

 

 

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[TEXSUN46]

I am planning on doing bar cash for our October cruise. DW does not drink, so I cheers is not an option as I would never drink enough to make it worthy paying for two. I see many keep talking about it being non-refundable, but then so is cheers.... with that you are essentially prepaying for your drinks and you don't get a refund if you end up not drinking your limit. I can put $200 on bar cash which would be about the most I would drink, and if it is last day and I still have money on it, then come find me because I will be buying drinks for whoever wants one till its gone :D:D:) What appeals to me is I can just put money in during months leading to cruise and then that reduces the amount that goes on credit card to be paid when we get home. I am thrifty by nature and if I have it prepaid and must use it I will be more free with my drink spending.

[Doggielover68]

We don't spend much on board so we used discounted gift cards to buy the cruise cash and combined that with our promotional on board credit to pay for gratuities. We book excursions at home before we leave.

 

 

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[maryred]

... I see many keep talking about it being non-refundable, but then so is cheers.... with that you are essentially prepaying for your drinks and you don't get a refund if you end up not drinking your limit. I can put $200 on bar cash which would be about the most I would drink, and if it is last day and I still have money on it, then come find me because I will be buying drinks for whoever wants one till its gone :D:D:) What appeals to me is I can just put money in during months leading to cruise and then that reduces the amount that goes on credit card to be paid when we get home. I am thrifty by nature and if I have it prepaid and must use it I will be more free with my drink spending.

 

Why not just buy general Cruise Cash? That way if you don't use it all on drinks you can use the casino trick to get your cash back or use it to buy photos or souvenirs (like duty free liquor) to bring home.

 

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[siestakeys04]

I miss the time when Carnival has the drink vouchers. I put 50 cruise cash on my card.

[jason3695]

The Carnival gift cards are bought at a 10% discount. Buy them with your credit card and still get the points.

 

 

 

How are they bought at a 10% discount? AARP? How??!!

 

 

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[jason3695]

So normal cruise cash can’t be used at the bar?

 

And how are U folks getting cards at 10-15% off? I used my target credit card and bought them at 5% off and thought I was getting a deal!

 

 

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[sparks1093]

Why not just buy general Cruise Cash? That way if you don't use it all on drinks you can use the casino trick to get your cash back or use it to buy photos or souvenirs (like duty free liquor) to bring home.

 

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This is what I would do, it gives you more options.

[sparks1093]

So normal cruise cash can’t be used at the bar?

 

And how are U folks getting cards at 10-15% off? I used my target credit card and bought them at 5% off and thought I was getting a deal!

 

 

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Regular cruise cash can be used for anything. Cruise cash bar can only be used for bar related purchases and cruise cash photo only for photo department related purchases. I've seen AARP and Allstate listed as two merchants that sell the gift cards at 10% off but I've never been in a position to take advantage of it.

[going to see the world]

I am planning on doing bar cash for our October cruise. DW does not drink, so I cheers is not an option as I would never drink enough to make it worthy paying for two. I see many keep talking about it being non-refundable, but then so is cheers.... with that you are essentially prepaying for your drinks and you don't get a refund if you end up not drinking your limit. I can put $200 on bar cash which would be about the most I would drink, and if it is last day and I still have money on it, then come find me because I will be buying drinks for whoever wants one till its gone :D:D:) What appeals to me is I can just put money in during months leading to cruise and then that reduces the amount that goes on credit card to be paid when we get home. I am thrifty by nature and if I have it prepaid and must use it I will be more free with my drink spending.

 

 

 

Why don’t you just do regular cruise cash? Then you can use it on anything

 

 

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[blarko]

How are they bought at a 10% discount? AARP? How??!!

 

 

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AARP sells the gift cards at a 10% discount. You do not have to be a member of AARP, you just have to sign up on their website and do a few “quizzes” (you don’t even have to answer the questions correctly, you will get points just for taking the quiz, even if you don’t get any of the answers correct). They have the gift cards in $100 and $500 denominations and you need 1000 points for each $100 in gift cards that you wish to purchase. The points are very easy to get. You even get 50 points per day just for logging onto the site. I’ve also gotten gift cards from eBay at 15% off, which was a real bonus ($85 for a $100 gift card), but I’ve only seen that offer twice so far. I keep checking eBay for that offer but haven’t seen it again. The best way to find out if the eBay gift cards are available is to check on this forum. Some nice poster usually lets the forum know that eBay has the cards available (but with eBay you have to be quick, as there are only a certain number of gift cards available and they go fast. Also there is a limit of 3 gift cards per person/transaction).

[tidecat]

AARP sells the gift cards at a 10% discount. You do not have to be a member of AARP, you just have to sign up on their website and do a few “quizzes” (you don’t even have to answer the questions correctly, you will get points just for taking the quiz, even if you don’t get any of the answers correct). They have the gift cards in $100 and $500 denominations and you need 1000 points for each $100 in gift cards that you wish to purchase. The points are very easy to get. You even get 50 points per day just for logging onto the site. I’ve also gotten gift cards from eBay at 15% off, which was a real bonus ($85 for a $100 gift card), but I’ve only seen that offer twice so far. I keep checking eBay for that offer but haven’t seen it again. The best way to find out if the eBay gift cards are available is to check on this forum. Some nice poster usually lets the forum know that eBay has the cards available (but with eBay you have to be quick, as there are only a certain number of gift cards available and they go fast. Also there is a limit of 3 gift cards per person/transaction).

 

Allstate Rewards also has them available, and you don’t have to be an Allstate customer. I’ve also seen them as a reward option for Streetwise, but they haven’t been in stock very often there.

[LostPuppy]

AARP sells the gift cards at a 10% discount. You do not have to be a member of AARP, you just have to sign up on their website and do a few “quizzes” (you don’t even have to answer the questions correctly, you will get points just for taking the quiz, even if you don’t get any of the answers correct). They have the gift cards in $100 and $500 denominations and you need 1000 points for each $100 in gift cards that you wish to purchase. The points are very easy to get. You even get 50 points per day just for logging onto the site. I’ve also gotten gift cards from eBay at 15% off, which was a real bonus ($85 for a $100 gift card), but I’ve only seen that offer twice so far. I keep checking eBay for that offer but haven’t seen it again. The best way to find out if the eBay gift cards are available is to check on this forum. Some nice poster usually lets the forum know that eBay has the cards available (but with eBay you have to be quick, as there are only a certain number of gift cards available and they go fast. Also there is a limit of 3 gift cards per person/transaction).

 

I've been intrigued by the idea of going thru the AARP site to obtain 15% off gift cards. Thank you for the information, but reading your review of how it works makes me realize it's not for me.

 

I'm hazarding a guess that getting the 1000 "points" for one card probably takes at least three hours(?) over the course of a week which comes out to $5 per hour. I've got better things to do with my time (and I'm retired). No thanks.

[justjan2]

When you purchase cruise cash, does it just go on your account or do you receive physical "cash"?