Check with the cruise line - The ones I hasve been one uses credit cards ONLY !! !~ No cash on board ship.

Wow, I didn't know that~he's going on Carnival.

Cruise ships only charge sundries, gifts, drinks, etc. to your credit card. If he gets off the ship to go shopping he can spend money. You didn't say where he was going. My question is how many sponsors are going with them? The last cruise I was on had many seniors and most of them stayed drunk, even their sponsors. It wasn't a pleasant cruise. I am not implying your son will but letting you know what could and probably will happen with the group.

Casual dress, shorts will be fine. At night if he participates at the dinners a suit will be necessary. Especially at the Captain's Dinner.

To answer your question I would send $200 if you want him to bring back nice gifts. It is always best to have more than you need than not have what you need.

Right, no cash to use on board. He gets a Sail and Sign card. Plus he's got his coke card as well. But when he leaves the ship, he'll need cash. This is with Carnival, which I have been on multi times.

He has to present a credit card, when he gets his Sail and Sign card. He has to have that with him at all time. At the end of the trip, his charges on board ship, excluding the coke card, will be applied to his charge card and slipped under his door the night before they disembark the next morning.

He CAN deposit money, rather than use a credit card, but he has to stand in a long line to get what money he didn't spend back. No recommended.

There's like little shops on board the ship, where you buy T shirts, etc and he has to use his Sail and Sign card.

How many ports will he be going to, and where?

If he's going on excursions, and has alrady booked them, he'll need money to spend when they dock, to buy souvenirs, etc.

Where is he going? Which ship?

I was just going to post what others have already said, he will need a credit card (maybe an ATM card with the VISA or MC logo, check with Carnival. Also about $200 for gifts, land tours, etc. Better to have enough cash than not enough. Plus at the end of the cruise you leave tips for the cabin boys, waiter, etc.

You did say the gratuities are included, so you don't need to worry about that.

You can go to Carnival,online, find the ship, and look up the excursions.

If he is going with a group, have their already booked their excursions?

You can prebook ahead of time, like now. And if he needs to cancel, he can when he gets on the ship. Done that before.

He can also check his account, excursions on his tv in his stateroom and book from his room.

It won't be a crowd at all. He's going with his friend and his parents that have been on many cruises. Also, with 2 other friends. Sooo, total of 4 guys. They are leaving out of Galveston, TX on Carnival Conquest. Going to Cozumel, Jamaica, and Caymen Islands. He just informed me his friends mom said it's ok they all use her credit card and pay her the cash. yes? no? Or, should I get him his own prepaid credit card???

Yeah, Glenda, all his excursions are booked AND paid for.

I suggest you go online Carnival.com and make sure he has already done an early signin. That will eliminate his having to do that when he gets to customs, and won't have to do all the paperwork.

Maybe his chaperones have already done that.

I suggest you see.

If NOT then you can do all that and print out everything.

My travel agent gets all my info and does that ahead of times and mails it to me.

Check and see.

Can he use your credit card? I'd rather he use mine than the friend's mom as there might be a hassle in trying to settle up with her, if she's letting all her friends use hers.

My favorite memory maker was at the Cayment Islands, was swimming with the sting rays. Something I will never forget. An awesome experience.

It WILL BE HOT in Cozumel. HOT HOT HOT! Lots of shops to take their money :o)

He will have a BLAST to say the least.

OK, crazy question---Glenda, I checked out the Conquest online. It says it has a steakhouse, and lists other restaurants. If he would eat at these restaurants, is this extra?? This ship holds 2974 passengers, with 13 decks! Sounds like a BIG ship~lol.

No, the steakhouse is expensive, elegant dining for couples. Not free.

He'll have lots of prime ribs, one nite for lobster, if he chooses the seated dining at nite..

Check on line, I highly recommend.

I'm betting if he's with a SR high school graduation group, they choose the buffets. No dressing up for that.

There's the buffet, on Lido deck, where the main pool and activies are. They serve breakfast, lunch, dinner. All kinds of goodies, and at the buffet, they have like internationsl days, with all kinds of foods. Plus there is a deli, and where you order deli style sandwiches, free. And there's hot dogs, burgers on Lido.

Seated dining is either early or late. I bet he does early, which is what I prefer. 6 or 6:30. Him being a youngster, there are discos for his age group to play the nite away :o)

All meals are included except for the steakhouse.

Adults like, as well, as kids, can go to open seating for breakfast and lunch as well, but the buffet on Lido has everything he will want.

Plus a 24 hour pizza, free.

I'll stop, as I am sure if he's friend's parents have been on multi cruises, he will be well cared for.

One thing, he has to have his bags packed, the night before they disembark, and put outside his stateroom by a designated time.

He will need to put out his clothes he will be wearing home, that nite, as well as something to put his toothbrush, etc in, as his suitcase will be picked up and GONE when he wakes up that morning.

Thanks for ALL the great advice and tips!!

I agree with Glenda about the credit card. That sounds like the making of a mess to have the mother putting all charges on her card. Can you get an additional credit card on your account in his name? Call the CC company and ask as we have that setup with our son. If you do this, you should let the CC company know that there will be charges from Jamaica, etc. so they won't refuse charges.

What a wonderful trip, and it's so nice that there will be other parents along to oversee things. Hope he has a great time, and I can tell you are excited about him going too.

Thing learned, from previous travels.

Credit card company needs to be alerted, that cards will be used internationally. Thou this might not be considered in their scope. Worth looking into.

NOT meaning to scare you :o)

I'm glad he has this opportunity. You have all been thru so much. I don't know how it is now, but years ago when we used to cruise, room service was free. That was nice in the morning if we had been out late.

Not sure if this was mentioned, but ask the parents of the other boy how much to send...

Sounds like they will be well supervised.

Worry free for you!

Jamie:
I cruised in January and will try to answer some of your questions.

He can pay with cash. When he first gets on board, he'll need to go to the information desk and fund his Sail and Sign (S&S) card. This is basically a deposit against photos, drinks, gifts, or anything he charges on board to his S&S card. We plunked down cash our first day for what we thought we'd spend. On the last night of the cruise, any balance left on the S&S card is refunded to you by leaving a refund check in your room with a copy of your statement. He can take that check to the desk and cash it or bring it home. Either is fine.

During his cruise, if the cash deposit he put up begins to dwindle close to zero, they will let him know. On some ships, he can check his available balance on the TV in his room. On all ships, he can simply ask at the information desk.

I would caution you against pre-paid credit cards. Have heard/read of those not being accepted on board. Also, do not send a debit card to "fund" his S&S card. Just like with credit cards, they will have the bank authorize a pre-set amount of money. It may me for more than he actually spends, and Carnival will make it right at the end of the cruise by cancelling the pre-authorized charge to the debit card and issuing another charge for the actual amount. It's just that those things take a few days sometimes...

It sounds like all of his food, soda, gratuities, and excursions are included in the $1k you've already paid. So yes, all he'll need is money for gifts, food, drink that he buys off the ship.

The steakhouse is an additional charge of $30 pp. I've heard it is nice, but there will be TONS of food on board 24/7 that he has already "paid for" in the $1k, so I doubt it's anything he'll want to do. He can have free room service (free food!) 24/7, but it's always nice to tip the steward who brings it a couple of bucks. There may be something like a coffee house on board with fancy cakes, etc. Those are extra, but again---he'll have PLENTY to eat that's included in the price.

Pack less clothes than you think he'll need. Unless there are extenuating circumstances (a CPAP machine or something), he should be able to fit all his clothes in a carry-on. He doesn't have to carry it on...just sayin' that is plenty of clothes if you're a good packer.

One final thing. Carnival can give you an emergency number where he can be reached. However, you need to check with your cell phone company if he'll be using a cell phone to call or text. Most people don't purchase an international plan, and some fail to realize that your phone is often charged when it *dings* those foreign towers. If he takes it, he should probably turn it OFF as soon as he steps foot on board and not turn it back on again until he returns to the port to get off the ship.

He CAN deposit money, rather than use a credit card, but he has to stand in a long line to get what money he didn't spend back. No recommended.

--------------------------

And being a teenager, first time cruise, he'd rather be doing other things than standing in line.

Plus if he is with a group, and they are disembarking the last morning at the same time, he just might hold them up, whatever.

Glenda,
I just brought home the Carnival check and put it in the bank since I had some "cash" left for spending money on the way home. Although, you can get your money the last night instead of waiting until morning to avoid the lines.

Disembarking was the only thing that tried my patience. Then again, if we'd gone to the meeting or watched the presentation on TV instead of sitting in the casino... LOL! Also, I didn't realize VIP had priority disembark. DUH on me...

Rita, I'll be VIP after my upcoming Feb. cruise :o)

Lucky YOU, Miss Glenda! You're the one who got me started on this "cruise addiction" in the first place...

:-)

Whenever I went on a cruise or just to Nassau/Freeport I always took about $200.00 in travelers checks. If I needed money I went to the local bank and cashed them, or I could spend them at the stores. I almost always came home with $150.00 left as Im not into spending. Too much stuff to haul home!

This is so nice that his friend's parents will take along THREE other boys! We have an 'only' and often took along ONE other boy, but three is 'beyond nice'. Are the four boys sharing a cabin?

I've never sailed Carnival but I know it's popular, especially with kids. I've never had all gratuities pre-paid; maybe that's something Carnival advertises. (We always tipped the room steward and dining room waiters at the end of the trip. Tips are the bulk of their income because they don't get much salary.)

I'm sure he's a savvy young man, but I'd caution him not to get suckered in by any overly-friendly crew or islanders. I haven't visited Jamaica in years, but there are many places you don't want to go and people you 'don't want to know'. No Fear, however this IS the big, mean world and it's POOR out there. Four teenage boys all together? A word to the wise. LOL

I hope you'll give us his 'trip report' when he returns!

I was on an Alaskan cruise where the tip was included.
Never had it included on a Carnival cruise that I can think of.

CORRECTION: Carnival does at the end of the trip, add to your Sign and Sail card the tip. You, though, can opt out of the charge, by going to the purses desk and ask them to take it off and PAY YOURSELF. I have done that.