land/sea and charging

[Jiffymom]

Did I hear correct. When you check into hotel prior to cruise you set up your charge acct as well as get your cabin and hotel keys? This sounds pretty nice. Do you use your charge at the hotel as well as the park or just on the cruise? DCL sure makes it easy for us. Do you just walk on ship?

 

[NCRedding]

It really is that easy. You give them the credit card info at the beginning of your trip, which for us was check-in at the Poly. You also give them your booklet of forms-all filled out. Then your keys are printed. They work at the hotel and on ship. They are good for charging at the hotels, the shops, the parks, and then on ship. When you get to board, just join the line for boarding, and go onto the ship. (at least that is how it worked for us). The only drawback (and it is a small one in my mind) is that your dining rotation and table are not printed on your key, so you need to go to your stateroom to get the info. Again, that's how it was with our land/sea in 10/01; some things may have changed.

 

[jlp651]

I thought that you had to put $$ down on your account at WDW then when you get on the ship you have to put $$ down on the ship too...We're paying cash-not using credit cards....so maybe that is why I got the answer I did..

 

[PiperG]

Our expereience mirrored that of NCRedding's.

We just received our docs for our Feb land and Sea. What a great way to start the day! Poly and Wonder, here we come

 

[jlp651]

I'M JEALOUS...I'M STILL WAITING FOR MINE!!! AND I LEAVE 10 DAYS BEFORE YOU...TIME TO CHECK IN WITH THE TA WHO IS PROBABLY TIRED OF ME!!!
Congrats!
jlp651

 

[PiperG]

JLP651,

Have a great time. We have been waiting sooooo long. I think we started out at over 550 days. Its hard to believe we are down to 39.

 

[jlp651]

we started at 365+...i dont even remember now!!! but boy does time fly...

ok back to your regularly scheduled topic...

 

[hydster]

Our experience last year was that easy as well. We checked into the Polynesian and gave them a credit card. We had them print us out a copy of the charges at the hotel and WDW that we incurred before we went on the ship and payed that off in cash. Then we went to the ship and they used the same exact credit card as the Poly did (had it on file) and we did the same thing. We got a print out of what we spent each day and then paid cash on our account every night at guest services. When we walked off the ship we didnt owe a penny and it was SO nice! But yes it is that simple you just need to either give them a cash deposit (I think it was at least $500.00) and then they would "debit"it out or a credit card. For us we found the credit card to be the easiest way (have done the cash route on other lines and it is a hassle to worry about) and we would pay every day. We budgeted a certain amount for each day so if we went over we had to deduct from the next day and if we went under we could add. It worked out well for us.

Once you check in at your hotel you are done with checking in for the ship as well. For us we didnt arrive at the Poly until almost midnight so we just had to go to a room in the hotel lobby before the last WDW day and give them the paperwork. They signed us in (I did it for my family of 5) and show them the birth certificates and passports and then we walked on the ship. The cards worked for everything everywhere.

HTH
Heidi

 

[jlp651]

so I put down a credit card...get a bill from guest services and then I can go pay that off in full...in cash-right???

 

[LAMPSKIES]

jlp651.......once our charges were in excess of 400.00 they billed our card. On our first land/sea (Feb 2000) I went every morning to pay my bill. I too brought a lot of cash. Last year we were "upgraded" to The Swan. That is NOT a WDW resourt, thus no KTTW card. We had to recheck in on the ship. This year I gave a visa debit card at POR (3 days at POR and 7 day Eastern 11/29). My bank has a "daily limit" of 1000.00.

 

[hydster]

Yep you can put down a credit card and then pay it off as many times as you want or not at all. It is really nice to get a payoff statement and pay on it every day or every other day so when you walk off the ship you are debt free. Some people dont like to bother with that much accounting but for us we just took travelers checks and cash and it was really simple. We had family who didnt pay off and are STILL paying off their cruise charges 2 years later. For us it was really nice to get off and come home without a balance.

Heidi

 

[jlp651]

so if I put 1000.00 on my KTTW card when I get on the ship...I can just use my KTTW as a debit card -right? that was my initial plan...now I am all confused...can I still do that and will it work?

I'm figuring that for the land part of the trip I probably am not going to use my KTTW option-I figured 100.00 a day and I would be all set-but will not using my KTTW card on land be a PIA on the ship?...I'm all confused...

This is the only part of the trip that I dont have squared away...and probably the most nerve racking...but I havent started to pack yet!!!

thank you for all your help and explaining this to me...sometimes simple things baffle my mind!!!

 

[hydster]

I think it would be easier for you to just give them your credit card and take 1000.00 cash with you or travelers checks. Then every day or every 2 days go pay guest services what you charged. I think at $500.00 on your KTTW card they auto charge your credit card (at least if I remember correctly) so if it were me I would plan on the 100 a day but bring a credit card to use as your "collateral" so to speak. You can pay cash for stuff on land like at WDW or the resorts it's only on the ship that they dont take cash. For us it was just easier to pay cash on land and then pay guest services on the ship every night. So say you get to WDW and you are for instance staying at The Poly (cause I know that place and it popped into my head). Since you are doing land/sea your hotel and entrace into the parks "should" be included (at least it was for us) so all you would need cash for or your credit card for is the stuff you buy extra like food or a souvenier. You can pay cash at the resorts and at the parks if it is easier for you to budget or you can charge to your KTTW card and then go to the front desk at the hotel at night and find out your balance and give them the money then. They will require you to give them a credit card at check in at the hotel the first day when you get there. If you dont want to charge in the parks or resorts you can pay cash there. Then when you get on the ship since you have already checked in they will automatically use the same credit card for your credit on the ship for drinks, souveniers, pictures, excursions whatever. So if say you get on the ship on Sunday and you give the shops or the servers your KTTW card for $25.00 in drinks, $50.00 at the gift shop then your total is $75.00 for the day. Before you go to bed you can go to guest services and pay what you owe therefore it wont get charged on your credit card but you still have credit. I hope that makes sense. You can also just get a printout and then pay the total the night before disembarkation (though the lines are long then) and they do put a printout of your charges in your room the last night (or sometimes early the next morning on some lines but I dont remember if Disney did it the night or the morning) then you can choose to go pay it off or just let the bill come and pay it off whatever is easiest for you but you can get a payoff statement at any time from guest services and pay towards your KTTW charges at any time as well.

I hope that makes sense.
Heidi

 

[jlp651]

one last *hopefully* question...
once my total gets to 400.00 $ you said it goes onto your credit card-however, when you go to guest services and pay off the charges...does your credit card get credited? Is that the part I'm missing???

How much $$$ does the credit card co. hold on your card?

Does Castaway Cay take KTTW cards (everything but post office stuff) -or do I have to use cash there too?

Thank you for all your help!