Donald

This is the winning answer. I agree completely that pax who fail to give a legitimate means of payment should not be allowed to make charge purchases. But the mass market cruise lines see it differently. Generally, a mass market ship makes zero profit selling a cruise to you. They only make money when you buy things onboard. If they prevent you charging purchases onboard, they have zero chance of making any profit from your cruise. If you are a credit risk and buy things onboard, they still have a chance to be paid by you at some point. If they do not get paid, they simply raise the price of things onboard, and everyone else ends up paying for it anyway. Have you ever wondered why Photos, Spa, Shops, and Tours are so expensive on mass market ships? This situation is one of the contributing factors.

Not legal - and definitely not good PR.

I have managed cruise ships for decades. When it was big mass market ships, I had to deal with these problems every day.

In most cases, they really do wait until day 5 or 6. There is always a chance that the pax who have not yet given an alternative form of payment actually can afford to be there, but have just been too busy or too slow. The revenue departments at the big mass market lines want to give every pax a good opportunity to charge things onboard and then find a way to pay for it.

Over the past few decades, the mass market cruise companies are seeing an increasing number of passengers who cannot pay their onboard bills at the end of the cruise. Over the past few years the number was going over 10%. But that seems impossible if the cruise line is placing a hold on credit cards. In reality, there is a growing number of cruisers who cannot afford to take a cruise - but go anyway. When they check in, they either present a credit card that has no available credit, or they promise to get the credit card “from their suitcase and bring it to Reception “sometime later”. After departure, the Purser processes the holds on the credit cards. That is when he finds out which cards are worthless. He then sends a note to the passenger’s cabin, requesting an alternate form of payment. He also sends notes to the passengers who failed to give any credit cards, asking them to go to Reception and do so. Meanwhile, those passengers with bad cards - or no cards at all - are busy in the bars and restaurants, casino, shops, spa, and shorex, charging purchases to their cabin account. But a good number of them cannot find the time to set up their payment arrangements. OnDay 2, the Purser sends a reminder note to cabins that have still not arranged payment details. On Day 4, another reminder note goes to those cabins, threatening to close charging privileges if payment is not arranged. The Pursers Department Staff also telephone the cabins, but it is rare that anyone answers the telephone. On Day 5 or 6, the Purser suspends the accounts of those who failed to provide payment. But it is too late. These passengers were just playing the game. They already charged everything they needed for the cruise. On Day 7 - debark day — those with outstanding bills are stopped by Security at the gangway and sent to Reception to settle their bills. When they get to Reception, they admit that they cannot afford to pay. The Purser has them sign a “promissory note” that requires them to pay the company “sometime in the future”. Then they leave the ship and are never heard from again. They know that the cruise line cannot afford to chase every deadbeat who sails with them. This is why cruise lines place holds on credit cards - trying to minimize financial losses. You are probably aware that every cruise ship operation has an onboard revenue budget. The mass market lines tend to average onboard revenue goals around $60 per passenger, per day. The credit card holds they place on your card reflect the average daily spend they expect.

My family has a large charcuterie company in the American Midwest. We produce hot dogs - among other processed meats - for several large retailers and wholesalers.You would not believe the things that go into the hot dogs - including my cousin’s thumb (many years ago) when it was caught in a grinder.

Komodo Island in Indonesia requires cruise passengers to be on an organized tour to be allowed ashore.

Like many things in Japan, Westerners do not entirely understand how Immigration works there. As in America, different areas have different rules and procedures - which are subject to interpretation and implementation by local / regional Supervisors. I have worked on ships sailing around Japan for many years. It is rare that the same port has the same Immigration procedures two visits in a row. Sometimes Japanese Immigration requires face-to-face inspections at random ports; sometimes they do not. Sometimes they require all inspections to be done onboard; sometimes they require the inspections ashore.Sometimes they insist on searching all hand baggage at the Immigration inspection; sometimes not. Typically Japanese Immigration is very slow and thorough; but sometimes they just wave some - or all - passengers through. Just be patient and go with the flow.

That is how the system works on most mass market ships. Think of it as a not paying attention tax.

Busan is a nice city - basically a Tokyo wannabe that will never quite make it. Jeju island is the Hawaii of Korea. A tropical resort.

SS United States Razor Blades will make a great Christmas gift. Too bad we missed the deadline for Father’s Day.

You need to understand that the most expensive place in the World to buy Alaska King Crab is in Alaska. The cruise lines will not buy it there. The King Crab season is the off season for cruising Alaska, so most of the King Crab catch is frozen and shipped to L.A. for distribution. Cruise lines buy it frozen (how long was it signing in a freezer?)and transport it back to Alaska to serve to you.

Celebrity and Holland America are just seasonal visitors to Japan. The Diamond Princess was designed and built to cruise Japan. They have far more local experience, better local connections, and more Japanese passengers onboard. If you want the best port experience possible, Diamond Princess is your best bet.

You might want to look into all the taxes you pay in America on gasoline, alcohol, and tobacco. You will be shocked if you can get straight answers.

If you cruise on a good cruise line, the lobster served will be “Maine” - although quite often it will be officially “Canadian”, as the cost is generally lower. If you are one of those rabid lobster passengers, this is another good reason to spend a bit more for a smaller ship on a better cruise line.

Your cruise only goes to Jeju due to requirements of Japanese Cabotage laws - similar to those in America. if you do not speak Japanese or have a translator, it can be difficult to immerse yourself in Japanese Culture, no matter how long you visit. August in Japan can be brutal. Typically much warmer than Mexico, and with extremely high humidity.

Seabourn Windstar Ritz-Carlton Silver Sea Crystal Scenic Sea Dream

Some of you are sailing on the wrong ships. Better cruise lines do not have this problem. If this is an important issue for you, you might want to look at other cruise lines.

Or you can take just about any train from Yokohama Station to Tokyo Station, then take the Maihama line directly to Tokyo Disney. The trains run very frequently. Takes about an hour. Cost is less than US$10. Remember that Rome2Rio website is your friend when traveling abroad.

“People who book airplane seats near the toilets either have diarrhea, or enjoy meeting people who do.” -Stephen Wright

Some people just work on cruise ships.

I go home on holiday.

I have done 72 cruises since June 2021. I have 12 more coming up in 2024.

Why not borrow your brother-in-law’s canoe and rent a tent? You can skip the cost of the cruise entirely. Better yet, buy some cat food to save money on your meals.

Different cruise lines and different websites have different definitions of “arrival” and “departure”. Some claim “arrival” means the time when the ship arrives at the pilot station. Some claim it means the time when the ship reaches the pier. Some claim it means the time when the lines are secured. Some claim it means the time when the ship is cleared and the gangway is set. Departure. Some claim it means the time when the gangway is pulled. Some claim it means the time when the lines are loose. Some claim it means the time when the ship departs the pier.