The new "Cruise Cash" program was developed as a more convenient/user-friendly system. Cons of the old coupons:
the pre-set value of $5,75 per coupon. Guests lost money when they buy items less than that amount or they owed money for items exceeding the coupon's value). the old drink coupons were distributed the 1st night in Main Dining Rooms. If you don't go to the MDR that evening you wouldn't receive your coupons until the next day. if you lose your coupons, there's no way to replace them.
Once purchased, the new Cruise Cash credit is applied directly to your S&S account:
no coupons anymore, no loss in value on cheaper drinks. the credit is immediately available for use so you don't wait for the coupons to be delivered. no risk of losing your credit. the new bar account program is being introduced fleet-wide - it excludes only Carnival Spirit from the list. this credit is inclusive of taxes and gratuities. the new bar credit is not refundable when purchased through Carnival Bon Voyage/Fun Shops department (pre-ordering by phone), i. e. the account is valid for a single sailing and any unused credits will be forfeited. As a comparison to the ES/FCC OBC - the Early Saver onboard credit is refundable, the Future Cruise Credit is not. Carnival don't send email confirmations when people buy cash & gifts from Bon Voyage, these purchases also won't show up on your account when you log in or on any of your cruise documents, simply because a lot of people buy BV gifts for other people as a surprise. You can call BV and request an e-mail confirmation for the purchase or just screen print the confirmation and bring it with you. When you get to your cabin, there'll be a card left from BV confirming your purchase, and it'll be on your S&S card as "ship money" ready to be spent.