"LeeNY" wrote:
>Rosalie B. wrote:
>> The $100 deposit is so that you don't
>> stiff the workers.
>
>I don't think this is the whole story of the $100 deposit. If you don't
>want to use a credit card to pay for your onboard expenses, you have to
>set up an "account" that can be drawn from during the cruise. This
>covers all extra charges - beverages that aren't included in your
>cruise fare, excursions, photos, spa services, shop purchases...and
>tips (service charges). As your cash deposit draws down, they will ask
>for additional cash so that you can continue charging. It really is
>easiest to give them a credit card at the start. Then, at the end of
>the cruise, if you wish, you can pay part or all of your onboard
>account with cash, no problem. This is very similar to checking into a
>hotel. They always take a c.c. imprint, regardless of whether you plan
>to charge any incidentals or not.
>
>Rosalie, I find it hard to believe that you were not issued a sign &
>sail card on your cruise. Perhaps you didn't realize that what you were
>holding gave you the privelege of charging things on board? On some
>ships, the card does everything - opens your cabin door, acts as your
>i.d. for ship exit/re-entry, and is used for charges.
Well maybe that was it. But I never used it to charge anything, so it
didn't come up.
>And, I find it
>remarkable that you were able to take an entire cruise with not even
>one add-on expense. Wow.
The one additional expense I have is the internet - that's my
indulgence.
On the Bermuda cruise-except for the $10/day service charge, and the
one Freestyle Dining Ashore dinner, we did not have any charges on our
account except for the internet cafe.
We did spend money IN Bermuda - shopping, admissions and
transportation, but we didn't do that through the ship.
After the 13 day repositioning cruise I wrote:
>We spent an additional $130 each for the mandatory tips, plus we
>tipped the cabin steward extra $30. I spent $203 for internet access
>on the cruise (about 600 minutes of which I had 18 left at the end),
>and we took 10 excursions (5 each) which amounted $402. Tips on tours
>were about $6.00. Some tour drivers we did not tip as we didn't feel
>that they deserved it.
>
>We did not gamble, or buy photos or have drinks or have a soda card or
>do anything else that was charged to our shipboard account.
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