How does onboard spending work on a cruise?

Onboard credit is free money you can use to buy things on your cruise ship. It's a financial credit to your shipboard account; the amount of your onboard credit will be deducted from your final bill of purchases made on board during your cruise. If you've never cruised, know that a cruise ship is a cashless society.



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On-board credit is money that can be used during your cruise for extras such as Shore Excursions, Spa Treatments, Speciality Dining or Gift Shop purchases etc. In plain English On-board credit is like 'free money'! This is basically a credit of money which is automatically deposited into your onboard spending account.

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You Might Be Allowed to Use Onboard Credit for Crew Gratuities Onboard credit is an ideal way to pay the daily tips that are usually added to your stateroom bill. Using onboard credit for tips is allowed on all lines, but check before the start of your cruise so you can plan accordingly.

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If you want to manage your budget more effectively, it's a good idea to prepay your gratuities for your Princess cruise. The only time you would be better off waiting is if you want to use any onboard credit towards the gratuity amount.

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The onboard credit is non-refundable, non-transferable and has no cash value. Any unused portion of the onboard credit will be forfeited. Lowest Price Guarantee program may be discontinued or changed at any time.

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How do I pay for purchases onboard? All onboard purchases are paid for using your cruise card, which doubles as your room key. This card is set up before boarding and serves as your ID to get on and off the ship, provides you access to your cabin and makes for easy swiping when you decide you need a pina colada.

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A few cruise lines feature a limited number of cabins designated for single occupancy sparing the solo cruiser from having to pay double. While cruise lines advertise these single cabins as having no supplement, the single rate is usually slightly higher than the per-person rate of comparable double occupancy cabins.

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If you are on a domestic flight in the US, there is no limit to the amount of cash or monetary instruments that you can carry. However, the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) security officers at the passenger screening area may ask a passenger who is carrying a large sum of cash to account for the money.

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How do I pay for purchases onboard? All onboard purchases are paid for using your cruise card, which doubles as your room key. This card is set up before boarding and serves as your ID to get on and off the ship, provides you access to your cabin and makes for easy swiping when you decide you need a pina colada.

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An Onboard Expense Account, also known as your Seapass® onboard account, is the cashless system used for all onboard purchases and services. Depending on your ship, SeaPass cards are handed out at the pier or will be in your stateroom waiting for you.

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How much should you tip cruise waiter? The cruise gratuities cover the wait staff, so you're not obligated to give them any more of a cash tip. However, if you received outstanding service from a waiter and would like to show them your appreciation with a cash tip, $5 per day per passenger is the suggested amount.

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In addition to security, it's also helpful to have cash as some places — such as smaller souvenir shops or taxi cabs — don't accept credit cards. Credit card usage simply isn't as widespread as it is in the United States.

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On the last night of your cruise, the bill will usually be pushed under your cabin door. This is just a formality and the money will automatically be taken from your credit or debit card. It is important to check this carefully though as it's much hard to sort out problems once you have left the ship.

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To buy drinks on the ship you don't need cash or a credit card. In most cases you simply hand over your room keycard, which acts as a charge card for your onboard account. (Sometimes you simply give your room number and the staff charges your account that way.)

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The drink packages are non-transferable and non-refundable and cannot be shared between guests. When you purchase, Carnival will put a sticker on your Sail & Sign card to show you purchased the package.

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There aren't any hard-and-fast guidelines for this type of tip since it's contingent on your experience, but $25 to $40 on behalf of a couple roughly works out to an extra $2 to $3 per person, per day, for a seven-night cruise.

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When sailing luxury lines. Luxury cruise lines — such as Seabourn, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Silversea Cruises — include crew gratuities in the cruise fare. You are not expected to tip on these sailings at all.

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Your auto-gratuities will cover all waitstaff in the main dining room, buffet restaurants and specialty dining venues alike. If you dine at the same table and enjoy regular service from one or two particularly excellent waiters, consider leaving an additional $10 to $20 at the cruise's end.

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