They really do take a lot of pictures. They also say they are only available for a short time, which is true to a point. We don't know how long your cruise will be...if it's a short one then they won't have to move the pictures much. But on the longer cruises, they move and/or replace pictures with newer ones they've taken of you. If you have pictures taken at each photo station...let's see...about six photos per station with four to eight stations...on at least two nights. Plus there are always stations set up on other nights as well but not as many. They take pictures when you get on the ship, every time you get off the ship, and at least twice in the dining room. We pick out the absolute best photos and put them back on the shelf where we found them until mid-week. Then we decide if we really want one of those. At $22 bucks a piece you have to be selective. Your pictures will never disappear, but they may end up in unmarked boxes that you will have to search through in order to find your pictures by the end of the cruise.
Money...in some ports you can use credit cards AS LONG AS they are stores that Carnival OKs. If you use a credit card at a non-Carnival store don't be surprised if you find your card number stolen a month or two later. (Personal experience speaking there.) Some places give change in the currency of their country, some have plenty of US dollars to work with. It will benefit you to have smaller denominations so you don't get too much non-US money back.
We've never used the fly away program and as far as I know we've never been charged extra.
They will set up an account for you onboard ship - you don't really need cash on board ship - from the credit card you give them. (They do cash accounts, too, but I'm not sure what the minimum is on that.) All the things you buy from the gift shops, the supper club, the bakery, or the spa will be charged to that card. We even use them now for the casino and bingo. (Bingo is $20 for a sheet with three boards on it. You have to buy a new one each session if you want to play that session.) Our Sail and Sign bill has ranged from $400 to $1200. (We don't drink anything but soda pop. And the higher amount had excursions on it.) Since it's on our credit card we don't have to deal with it until after the trip. I've heard of some paying it off before leaving the ship so their card doesn't get charged. The minimal amount for tips is charged when you board.
We often take extra money (cash) and give it to our waiter and room steward at the end of the cruise if they've done an exceptional job.
