Kids seapass restrictions and the arcade

[Tree_skier]

We have purchased the refreshment pkg for our grandkids so they should have no need to charge anything on their seapass card. Is it possible to limit a child's seapass card to not allow them to charge anything and still prepay some arcade credits for each of them and have them be able to use the arcade, at their own discretion, until those credits are exhausted?Thought I had read at one time there was some sort of problem trying to do that.

[Clarea]

From what I've read, the ability to limit arcade spending varies by ship.  Guest Services will be able to tell you about possible arcade limits on your cruise.

[matj2000]

This is 2019.

 

Between : tablets, phones, Xbox, PS4, etc.

 

Kids really don't care about the arcade.

 

 

[brillohead]

My understanding is that arcade credits need to be loaded onto the SeaPass in a separate transaction.  Meaning that you don't just stick your card into the game and rack up a huge bill -- once the credits are gone, you have to physically go to another machine to "buy more credits".  It's that machine that then charges the account for the cost of the credits.

I don't see any problem with pre-purchasing arcade credits that are loaded onto each child's SeaPass.  You can explain that when those credits are gone, they can't play any more games in the arcade without permission.  

However, if you don't trust the child to stop using the arcade when they run out of those pre-loaded credits (meaning you don't trust the child to not take their SeaPass over to the credit-loading machine and running up a bill on your folio), then that child probably shouldn't have unsupervised run of the ship.  If the kids are young enough that they'd never be alone in the arcade without supervision, then your plan would be fine.

I've seen people complain on these boards before about their kid running up a huge bill in the arcade, and it always amazed me that people let untrustworthy kids have free reign on the ship.  Would you give a kid a credit card and leave them unsupervised at the mall or a toy store?  A ship is the same thing -- if you can't trust the kid to obey the rules, then you can't trust the kid to be unsupervised.  

[Tree_skier]

14 minutes ago, matj2000 said:

This is 2019.

 

Between : tablets, phones, Xbox, PS4, etc.

 

Kids really don't care about the arcade.

 

 

The Kids love skeeball and all the RC ships that we have been on have skeeball.  They'll want to play everyday and accumulate tickets for some sort of junky little prize.

[Tree_skier]

13 minutes ago, brillohead said:

However, if you don't trust the child to stop using the arcade when they run out of those pre-loaded credits (meaning you don't trust the child to not take their SeaPass over to the credit-loading machine and running up a bill on your folio), then that child probably shouldn't have unsupervised run of the ship

No that's not the problem.  My concern was that they inadvertently exceed the amount that we pre-purchase and they just keep playing and the amounts are just tacked onto the account.  I was not aware that you had to take your card to a machine to purchase more credits.  They are responsible enough not to abuse that.  That will work for us then.

[matj2000]

7 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

The Kids love skeeball and all the RC ships that we have been on have skeeball.  They'll want to play everyday and accumulate tickets for some sort of junky little prize.

I forgot about the carnival games.

 

I was referring to the video games.

 

Never understood the skeetball.

 

Put in $100 and get a pencil eraser or plastic spider......

[norway olin]

We have prebought credits on the cruise planner for the grand kids. I am assuming this will be loaded on their cards.  We also are not allowing any charging privileges on their cards. Is there any issue with this? 

[Mr. Candyman]

20 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

No that's not the problem.  My concern was that they inadvertently exceed the amount that we pre-purchase and they just keep playing and the amounts are just tacked onto the account.  I was not aware that you had to take your card to a machine to purchase more credits.  They are responsible enough not to abuse that.  That will work for us then.

Here is the fine print when pre-purchasing arcade credits:

 

To redeem the Arcade Credits, Guest must visit Arcade on first day of cruise and present confirmation letter found in stateroom. Guest will not be notified once Arcade Credits are depleted; additional arcade play will be charged to guest’s Seapass at current onboard prices. Cancellations will be refunded as onboard credit for the pro-rated balance of Purchase Price, and any arcade credits used prior to cancellation will be offset as a charge on guest’s folio. Offer is not transferable, not redeemable for cash, and for arcade-use only; credit expires end of sailing.

[brillohead]

32 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

No that's not the problem.  My concern was that they inadvertently exceed the amount that we pre-purchase and they just keep playing and the amounts are just tacked onto the account.  I was not aware that you had to take your card to a machine to purchase more credits.  They are responsible enough not to abuse that.  That will work for us then.

I would just double-check at the arcade on the ship you're going on (or ask someone who's been in the arcade on that ship) to make sure that arcade is set up that way. 

Just as some ships are set up to give you your SeaPass on land before you board and others are at your room upon boarding, different ships might have different systems for the arcade.

Consistently inconsistent!  LOL