kids and charging

[mnlovesdisney]

We have 2 kids (daughter 14 years old and son 10). DS wll definitely not have charging privileges. DD I am not sure as she will be more independent in the teen club and coming and going more on her own. I do not feel real comfortable with her being able to charge things (that could get very expensive!! and be a nasty surprise at end of trip). Are there many things connected to teen club that she would miss out on if not able to charge? Can you put a charge limit on the cards? Thanks for any help you can offer. We sail on 03/21/2004 so need to make up our minds soon.

 

[professorandmom]

You may hear otherwise (seems to always crop up) but you cannot put a limit on the individual cards directly.

There was a thread a while ago that people would purchase a prepaid VISA gift card and use that to put on a child's card with the hope that this might limit charges. My concern with this is the process for charging does not work with this method as I see it. You see some places to charge have card readers that you scan to charge something - others just have a pad of paper. Seems to me that someone could exceed the limit of the gift card just using paper charging before the end of the day when the slips are processed.

My daughter (13) could charge but there really was nothing "needed" - just the desire for smoothies in common grounds, etc. I had no problem with her charging since I asked for a print out of the room charges at the end of almost everyday to give her a total spent and she could figure out her remaining amount.

Have a great trip
Barbara

 

[flexsmom]

As the previous poster mentioned, you can go to Guest Services for a printout each evening. If things seem to be getting out of control, you can always suspend her charges. The knowledge that you are watching and that the privilege can easily "go away" would probably deter her!

 

[clh2]

We gave our 9 year old DD charging privileges. She new exactly how much she had to spend for both the cruise and the couple of days at Disney after the cruise. She very clearly knew the rules - and once her spending money is gone - that was it for the week.

She was very responsible, every time she charged something, she immediately wanted to go to guest services to pay off whatever she had just charged. Worked great!

She also knew that if she ever lost her card to let us know or to go to guest services by herself to let them know it was not in her pocession.

No problems...no issues...but DD is very responsible about money. She knew she had an average of $XX per day to spend. When she made her braiding appointment, she knew in advance how much it was going to cost her, and she planned for that expense accordingly.

The prepaid VISA's work in theory only. If you have your child's card linked to one of those and they go and charge a smoothie for everyone in the club, and lo and behold they go over their Visa amount, the additional charges will show up on the parent's bill.

As another poster said, stsop by guest services every day and ask for a statement. It will clearly identify all room charges by person.

 

[eye R.N.]

My kids started cruising at the same age yours are now. They knew they had a limit and they knew I would be checking up it. They found out quickly how easy it was to hand over a card and how quickly the cost of smoothies added up. By day two the lesson was learned.

I now have a 18 year old with her own checking account, but no cash card "because I learned on the cruise, those things can be dangerous."

 

[tvguy]

We didn't turnoff the charge card for my 12 year old DD and 16 year old DS, hoping they would be responsible. My son charged a grand total of $6 (to get his tie dry cleaned), and my daughter zero.
I did buy them each a bottle of Martinellis Sparkling Cider for New Years Eve (at an outrageous $18 a bottle), but everything they wanted to drink was free at the beverage station next to the Mickey pool, and it seems like the Ice Cream place, burger place and pizza place, and their free goodies were always open when they were hungry.

 

[mnlovesdisney]

Thanks for the info and advice. I think giving her a specific amount she is allowed to charge per day and then chekcing up on her at end of day is a GREAT idea. Then if she goes over her limit we will simply suspend the privilage and make sure she knows that will happen if she goes over. THANK AGAIN FOR HELP.