SuperPlanner Posted February 16, 2023 Report Share Posted February 16, 2023 I was planning to get each of my children an arcade pre-paid package to save money via the sale and that is going to be all that they will be allowed to use. But I've seen a lot of people say they don't recommend the arcade package because you can get cheaper on board. Is that true? Is that only for teens though? What are the cons to purchasing this as it is at a discounted price? Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbrinkm Posted February 17, 2023 Report Share Posted February 17, 2023 The C&A flyers that are left in the room has been offering a youth deal that is $25 back on the account the last morning if $50 is spent on the same card in the arcade. If you were planning to give them $50 in credits, this might be a better deal for you if it is still being offered and if your kids have a C&A number. I opted for the on board deal last year and cancelled my pre-purchase and was really glad because my kids didn't spend any time in the arcade once we were on board (whenever they wanted to go, the arcades weren't open). PPPJJ-GCVAB and BowTieBrigade 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ticca Posted February 17, 2023 Report Share Posted February 17, 2023 I pre-paid for the arcade credits for my kids before our cruise. My kids never used any of the credits, because the arcade was closed the one time they tried to go. The kids were so busy with everything else there was to do, they didn't get too many opportunities to even want to go. On the last day, I went to guest services and was fortunate enough to get a full refund on the arcade credits. Another thing to consider is the arcade is pretty small. KristiZ and PPPJJ-GCVAB 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travellingtannis Posted February 17, 2023 Report Share Posted February 17, 2023 Just a note - I have pre-paid for my kids through the Cruise Planner, and even though they had NO purchase ability on their SeaPass cards (no onboard expense account), the arcade is the one place they don't actually control or monitor that, and it drives me crazy! So they can spend more than you load on their card, and they will never know it unless they are constantly checking their balance, or until you see that charge appear on your account! I think this will happen whether you pre-purchase, or purchase onboard, so just be aware and let them know their limits. A call to onboard customer service ended up clearing the additional amounts spent, but it was time consuming and such a hassle. The offer onboard always seems to be the same as the Cruise Planner sales (for any age), so I think you can wait until you board. The reason I pre-purchased one time was because our CDN dollar was at a decent exchange rate, and it would have cost me more by waiting. The arcade is small, and honestly even just $25 per child is plenty enough for them to play a few times, then move on to the zillion other things to do onboard! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottD Posted February 17, 2023 Report Share Posted February 17, 2023 It doesn't really matter...like mentioned above, once the allotted amount purchased for the arcade is used, they can continue to swipe the card and it will just keep adding to your room account. So you're basically giving them a credit to start with...but once its gone, you're paying again. I saw a lot of people say their kids didn't use the arcade much...mine used it every night. Ran up about 150.00 bill, but he loved it and it kept him busy between activities and meals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowTieBrigade Posted February 17, 2023 Report Share Posted February 17, 2023 I’ve also had problems with the pre purchase where either the wrong amount was added to the sea passes or the credits were not added at all. I’ve since stuck with the C&A deal and, but for miscalculating by a dollar on our last cruise, it’s been far easier and cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoomSlayer Posted February 17, 2023 Report Share Posted February 17, 2023 5 hours ago, ScottD said: It doesn't really matter...like mentioned above, once the allotted amount purchased for the arcade is used, they can continue to swipe the card and it will just keep adding to your room account. So you're basically giving them a credit to start with...but once its gone, you're paying again. I saw a lot of people say their kids didn't use the arcade much...mine used it every night. Ran up about 150.00 bill, but he loved it and it kept him busy between activities and meals. You can have your credit card removed / unassociated from the kids sea passes to help prevent unwanted charges. This is what I normally do when traveling with them. If you accidently added your card to their account during app check-in, you can go to guest services once on board to have your card removed from their sea passes. As a side note to the OP, my kids never really enjoyed the onboard arcade. My kids have access to all the latest and greatest in gaming platforms and technologies at home because of my job (I am a professional game developer and gamer), and they enjoy the pools, slides, mini-golf, ice skating, and other activities a lot more. However, if you do decide to get them the arcade pass, I challenge you to go play with them and make it a family activity. Who knows, you may have a little fun yourself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottD Posted February 17, 2023 Report Share Posted February 17, 2023 13 minutes ago, DoomSlayer said: You can have your credit card removed / unassociated from the kids sea passes to help prevent unwanted charges. This is what I normally do when traveling with them. If you accidently added your card to their account during app check-in, you can go to guest services once on board to have your card removed from their sea passes. As a side note to the OP, my kids never really enjoyed the onboard arcade. My kids have access to all the latest and greatest in gaming platforms and technologies at home because of my job (I am a professional game developer and gamer), and they enjoy the pools, slides, mini-golf, ice skating, and other activities a lot more. However, if you do decide to get them the arcade pass, I challenge you to go play with them and make it a family activity. Who knows, you may have a little fun yourself! My kid is weird....lol. He also has tons of games and a brand new computer at home...but he finds something he likes and sticks to it, at the arcade- it was the Deal or No deal game. He was obsessed and constantly wanted to go and try to get the best prize every time. I played with him quite a bit, so it was fun...and I knew what he was spending on his card, we told him he had about 200 bucks to spend on anything on board. About 150.00 of that was arcade...another 20 or so was candy and snacks from the shop in the promenade, lol. We are going back in October and I plan on trying to get him to do a little more of the other stuff, and hopefully he enjoys the Adventure ocean this time around! DoomSlayer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowen Posted February 17, 2023 Report Share Posted February 17, 2023 We’ve also had issues with extra money being spent in the arcade. I don’t buy the cards anymore and my kids are so busy that they don’t miss it. If you do get the cards I definitely recommend making sure your credit card is not associated with their Sea pass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoomSlayer Posted February 17, 2023 Report Share Posted February 17, 2023 15 minutes ago, ScottD said: My kid is weird....lol. He also has tons of games and a brand new computer at home...but he finds something he likes and sticks to it, at the arcade- it was the Deal or No deal game. He was obsessed and constantly wanted to go and try to get the best prize every time. I played with him quite a bit, so it was fun...and I knew what he was spending on his card, we told him he had about 200 bucks to spend on anything on board. About 150.00 of that was arcade...another 20 or so was candy and snacks from the shop in the promenade, lol. We are going back in October and I plan on trying to get him to do a little more of the other stuff, and hopefully he enjoys the Adventure ocean this time around! That's awesome and I am glad it was a "family" thing that you both enjoyed! Getting a little off topic, but being stuck on a cruise ship with nowhere to really hide is a good thing for family bonding for sure, ScottD 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbrinkm Posted February 17, 2023 Report Share Posted February 17, 2023 1 hour ago, DoomSlayer said: That's awesome and I am glad it was a "family" thing that you both enjoyed! Getting a little off topic, but being stuck on a cruise ship with nowhere to really hide is a good thing for family bonding for sure, This is one of the main reasons we came back to cruising with our teens - they have the freedom on the ship to be independent, but we do dinners and excursions together as a family. travellingtannis, ScottD and Bowen 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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