New credit card policy

[m steve]

we both use our MC w/ picture on the card. We also have a spare card in the safe if the card is stolen or lost. It would make a merchant think twice about accepting a card with someone else' picture on it. Then they would be participating in the fraud. And of course we get air miles.

[momofmeg]

Can't speak for everyone else, as I stated this is my opinion. I work at the bank and the credit card I use is from my bank. I monitor that card faithfully, and I can tell you that in the last four cruises with RCCL the policy I mentioned above is exactly how they handled my account. Charging for what is spent not tying up your account for what might be spent. Maybe HAL has more problems with their customers, I don't know, to each their own, as I said they have every right to do as they please. By the way I never insisted that this was the best way, simply answering the charge that all cruise lines and businesses do it, that is incorrect. At least not to this level.

 

Look at my post to you on the other thread.

[az-cruiser]

I agree, and usually travel with a card that will cover emergencies. The numbers were just examples not reality. I used them to make a point. I prefer to pay cash for most things.

 

I wouldn't bring a card with such a small credit limit. You never know what will happen when you travel and those holds do eat up alot of available credit.

[Boytjie]

Just a question for those that travel with low credit limit cards or no cards at all: what would you do in case of an emergency during your cruise such as medical emergencies, missing the departure and having to fly to the next port or even home?

[ekerr19]

Just a question for those that travel with low credit limit cards or no cards at all: what would you do in case of an emergency during your cruise such as medical emergencies, missing the departure and having to fly to the next port or even home?

 

Peter -

 

I am also curious about this. In this day and age, it is almost impossible to travel without credit. Hotels, car rental agencies, etc. and heaven forbid, due to weather or a missed connection that you should have to book a last minute flight somewhere at full fare - that can run thousands of dollars.... :confused:

[az-cruiser]

Just a question for those that travel with low credit limit cards or no cards at all: what would you do in case of an emergency during your cruise such as medical emergencies, missing the departure and having to fly to the next port or even home?

EXACTLY MY POINT...lets say I have a credit card with a $5000 limit, a party of 4 on a 7 day cruise and thats $1680 held on my card. So I go to the port get off and miss the ship back..arefare to the next port is $3600......cant use my credit card now because HAL has a hold on $1680 of my funds that was was not going to be spending the their ship in the first place.....where does that leave me?

How many credit cards should I have to bring on a 7 day cruise that is already paid for?

[Boytjie]

EXACTLY MY POINT...lets say I have a credit card with a $5000 limit, a party of 4 on a 7 day cruise and thats $1680 held on my card. So I go to the port get off and miss the ship back..arefare to the next port is $3600......cant use my credit card now because HAL has a hold on $1680 of my funds that was was not going to be spending the their ship in the first place.....where does that leave me?

How many credit cards should I have to bring on a 7 day cruise that is already paid for?

 

You need to bring enough cards with enough credit limit! :D Nbody knows what that should be but everyone should make an educated guess.

 

My question was actually aimed at those with low limits or no cards, but it holds valid for your example too. If one knows that HAL holds $60 p/d then you plan accordingly for any potential emergencies (or anticipated spending).

[YXU AC*SE]

EXACTLY MY POINT...lets say I have a credit card with a $5000 limit, a party of 4 on a 7 day cruise and thats $1680 held on my card. So I go to the port get off and miss the ship back..arefare to the next port is $3600......cant use my credit card now because HAL has a hold on $1680 of my funds that was was not going to be spending the their ship in the first place.....where does that leave me?

How many credit cards should I have to bring on a 7 day cruise that is already paid for?

 

One would expect you would do like most people caught in that type of emergency situation: call your card issuer, explain the situation, and ask for a temporary credit line increase; or avoid the problem entirely by carrying a card that has no pre-set spending limit.

 

Scott.

[az-cruiser]

One would expect you would do like most people caught in that type of emergency situation: call your card issuer, explain the situation, and ask for a temporary credit line increase; or avoid the problem entirely by carrying a card that has no pre-set spending limit.

 

Scott.

I shouldnt have to do either, HAL should not be holding my credit that I have not yet spent or that I do not intend to spend.

[YXU AC*SE]

I shouldnt have to do either, HAL should not be holding my credit that I have not yet spent or that I do not intend to spend.

 

The furnishment of a credit card is solely for your convenience as a passenger. Nothing mandates you to establish your shipboard account using a credit instrument. :) They will gladly accept cash or travellers' cheques.

 

Scott.

[Boytjie]

I shouldnt have to do either, HAL should not be holding my credit that I have not yet spent or that I do not intend to spend.

 

 

And what would you do if you have a $5,000 credit limit on a card, HAL doesn't place any hold and your emergency is going to cost you $10,000?

[az-cruiser]

I love reading these boards and seeing how different people view things, it's exciting and informative. It's also very telling. It's clear many posters on this topic are not from my generation. I was born in the 70's and I think my generation sees things different. I work very hard, have my own company and my husband has a great job, that being said, unlike most posters, we have no retirement fund or pension funds from our employers or jobs...nope, my generation is on their own...we have 401K's and our personal investments, which many are not doing so great given the economy, we dont stay at jobs for our entire careers, nope in our generation, employees are a dime a dozen and employers dont care about their employees, my house ( middle class) cost me $600K 2 years ago, your house cost you $30K 40 years ago, your sold your house and invested the money and moved to a nice condo or smaller house and made a bundle...nope, not my generation, my house is now worth $300K, half of what I paid for it 2 years ago and I still make my payments, you get your social security check that I make possible every month ( they take 41% out in taxes..the money you put in years ago has gone to welfare ..but thats another story), I will never see a social security check.

 

You had great health care your entire life and never had to pay more than a small amout out of your own pocket, my health insurance cost me $1100 a month and thats thru my husbands employer...then I have large co pays just to see the DR, my prescriptions now have a yearly deductable and 40/60 coinsurance, and a $10K yearly family deductable, you get medicaid and supplement it with additional insurance to pay for prescriptions costing you very little.

 

So if I dont want someone else controlling my credit limit or my cash that I wont spend, so be it. My generation has learned to take care of themselves, we dont have a goverment making sure we will be able to afford to retire, we dont have afordable health insurance, or employers giving us pensions, nope not us. We have to save every penny in hopes that one day, just maybe one day we might be able to retire like our parents, and go on cruises back to back like our parents and have no limit credit cards like our parents, but not now, for now, we pray we have a job everyday, we pray our family stays in good health, we pray the houseing market comes back, and we hope one day we can have a black American Express:D

 

Just my 2 cents..

[az-cruiser]

And what would you do if you have a $5,000 credit limit on a card, HAL doesn't place any hold and your emergency is going to cost you $10,000?

 

So we are playing the "what if " game?

 

Well Peter, what if you lost your credit card and you lost your phone and you lost your memory and and and???? This could go on forever, but it would make an interesting game, perhaps a new thread on how to handle emergencies is in order.

 

This thread was about the $60 per person per day hold, which is very high considering other cruise line policies, and the fact that they were including children in there too.

 

Bottom line, it is high, if you dont want to have them put it on your credit card, you dont have to, they have other options and you can set your own limit.

 

Emergencies are just that, you deal with them when they happen, and hopefully you have the funds to do it, or really good cruise insurance:D

[sapper1]

I shouldnt have to do either, HAL should not be holding my credit that I have not yet spent or that I do not intend to spend.

HAL is not running a charity and they have to protect themselves. They have no way of knowing who will spend and who will not. They didn't just pull the $60 figure out of the air to make your life miserable. That is what their statistics tell them that the average cruiser spends.

It is your responsibility to have enough credit to cover the hold plus any emergency eventualities. If you choose not to, then how you get home is your problem. I would be scared to death to venture very far from home with only a few thousand dollars available credit for an emergency.

As others have said---if one cannot afford to cover the hold, then one should not be cruising.

[sapper1]

I love reading these boards and seeing how different people view things, it's exciting and informative. It's also very telling. It's clear many posters on this topic are not from my generation. I was born in the 70's and I think my generation sees things different. I work very hard, have my own company and my husband has a great job, that being said, unlike most posters, we have no retirement fund or pension funds from our employers or jobs...nope, my generation is on their own...we have 401K's and our personal investments, which many are not doing so great given the economy, we dont stay at jobs for our entire careers, nope in our generation, employees are a dime a dozen and employers dont care about their employees, my house ( middle class) cost me $600K 2 years ago, your house cost you $30K 40 years ago, your sold your house and invested the money and moved to a nice condo or smaller house and made a bundle...nope, not my generation, my house is now worth $300K, half of what I paid for it 2 years ago and I still make my payments, you get your social security check that I make possible every month ( they take 41% out in taxes..the money you put in years ago has gone to welfare ..but thats another story), I will never see a social security check.

 

You had great health care your entire life and never had to pay more than a small amout out of your own pocket, my health insurance cost me $1100 a month and thats thru my husbands employer...then I have large co pays just to see the DR, my prescriptions now have a yearly deductable and 40/60 coinsurance, and a $10K yearly family deductable, you get medicaid and supplement it with additional insurance to pay for prescriptions costing you very little.

 

So if I dont want someone else controlling my credit limit or my cash that I wont spend, so be it. My generation has learned to take care of themselves, we dont have a goverment making sure we will be able to afford to retire, we dont have afordable health insurance, or employers giving us pensions, nope not us. We have to save every penny in hopes that one day, just maybe one day we might be able to retire like our parents, and go on cruises back to back like our parents and have no limit credit cards like our parents, but not now, for now, we pray we have a job everyday, we pray our family stays in good health, we pray the houseing market comes back, and we hope one day we can have a black American Express:D

 

Just my 2 cents..

And your point is?????

[Boytjie]

So we are playing the "what if " game?

 

Well Peter, what if you lost your credit card and you lost your phone and you lost your memory and and and???? This could go on forever, but it would make an interesting game, perhaps a new thread on how to handle emergencies is in order.

 

No, not really trying to play games, just trying to explore the arguments. Sorry if it comes accross the wrong way.

 

This thread was about the $60 per person per day hold, which is very high considering other cruise line policies, and the fact that they were including children in there too.

 

Bottom line, it is high, if you dont want to have them put it on your credit card, you dont have to, they have other options and you can set your own limit.

 

Emergencies are just that, you deal with them when they happen, and hopefully you have the funds to do it, or really good cruise insurance:D

 

Agreed the topic was the $60 p/d hold but has evolved into discussing how it affects credit limits and led to my question about how does one prepare for emergenices while away from home without a good amount of ceridt available on a card. You can have excellent itravle nsurance but chances are you pay for it first and claim it back later when back home.

[momofmeg]

And what would you do if you have a $5,000 credit limit on a card, HAL doesn't place any hold and your emergency is going to cost you $10,000?

 

Unfortunately that is a very possible scenario. Two days in a hospital would be more than that.

 

and I don't find this OT-since the OP was concerned a $60 a day hold would keep him from being able to use his credit card.

[jimmy2x]

I love reading these boards and seeing how different people view things, it's exciting and informative. It's also very telling. It's clear many posters on this topic are not from my generation. I was born in the 70's and I think my generation sees things different. I work very hard, have my own company and my husband has a great job, that being said, unlike most posters, we have no retirement fund or pension funds from our employers or jobs...nope, my generation is on their own...we have 401K's and our personal investments, which many are not doing so great given the economy, we dont stay at jobs for our entire careers, nope in our generation, employees are a dime a dozen and employers dont care about their employees, my house ( middle class) cost me $600K 2 years ago, your house cost you $30K 40 years ago, your sold your house and invested the money and moved to a nice condo or smaller house and made a bundle...nope, not my generation, my house is now worth $300K, half of what I paid for it 2 years ago and I still make my payments, you get your social security check that I make possible every month ( they take 41% out in taxes..the money you put in years ago has gone to welfare ..but thats another story), I will never see a social security check.

 

You had great health care your entire life and never had to pay more than a small amout out of your own pocket, my health insurance cost me $1100 a month and thats thru my husbands employer...then I have large co pays just to see the DR, my prescriptions now have a yearly deductable and 40/60 coinsurance, and a $10K yearly family deductable, you get medicaid and supplement it with additional insurance to pay for prescriptions costing you very little.

 

So if I dont want someone else controlling my credit limit or my cash that I wont spend, so be it. My generation has learned to take care of themselves, we dont have a goverment making sure we will be able to afford to retire, we dont have afordable health insurance, or employers giving us pensions, nope not us. We have to save every penny in hopes that one day, just maybe one day we might be able to retire like our parents, and go on cruises back to back like our parents and have no limit credit cards like our parents, but not now, for now, we pray we have a job everyday, we pray our family stays in good health, we pray the houseing market comes back, and we hope one day we can have a black American Express:D

 

Just my 2 cents..

 

I could quibble with small points, but will not. Your post is a sad commentary on what has happened to the American middle class over the last years, and from what I read pretty damn accurate.

[scamper]

There seems to be much ado over not much of anything with respect to this policy. If one is concerned about the "authorization" on your card(which is what the $60 a day charge is actually called), all you have to do is deposit the $60 per person, per day in cash at the purser's office and forget about it. At least until the end of the trip. You can check your guest account as often as you wish, several times a day even, if you are concerned about your expenditures and know exactly where you stand.

 

Put simply, every time your debit or credit card is swiped through the merchant's authorizing system, the dollar amount for that charge (assuming it is not declined for lack of credit or funds) is "held" giving the merchant anywhere from one to five days to submit (electronically) the actual charge to the bank or credit card issuer. Most businesses generally submit the actual electronic charge "document" at the end of the business day. As has been stated ad nauseum, the authorization (hold) ensures that they receive payment for your purchase.

 

I would like to point out, however, that for those members who have encouraged people to call their credit card companies and ask for a credit line increase on the basis of the fact that so and so is going on a cruise might remember that in this economy that might be easier said then done. Many thousands of even credit worthy people have seen their credit lines slashed without warning.

[ekerr19]

There seems to be much ado over not much of anything with respect to this policy.

 

scamper -

 

Thank you for your post. :) I agree with everything you posted 100% - the above, most of all.

[ekerr19]

It's clear many posters on this topic are not from my generation. I was born in the 70's and I think my generation sees things different.

 

I was born in the 60's. DH and I have worked our butts off to get where we are today.

 

Respectfully, what does that have to do with a $1600 credit card hold? Can't you simply get another card to use for the trip? If you are as fiscally responsible as you indicate, it would be easy - you could probably get a $15K credit card approved within minutes... :confused:

 

I don't get all the hoopla at all.

[momatibm]

I was born in the 60's. DH and I have worked our butts off to get where we are today.

 

Respectfully, what does that have to do with a $1600 credit card hold? Can't you simply get another card to use for the trip? If you are as fiscally responsible as you indicate, it would be easy - you could probably get a $15K credit card approved within minutes... :confused:

 

I don't get all the hoopla at all.

 

We too worked our butts off to get where we are today -- and put 2 kids through school - no student loans -- and two weddings. We never bought into the $600K house even when we could 'technically' afford it. We saved our money, our kids are relatively comfortable, neither owns the McMansion either.

 

this to quote the bard -- is much ado about nothing. IT IS WHAT IT IS.

[BruceMuzz]

Note to Self:

 

Can't comfortably afford to cruise? Don't go.

[serendipity1499]

I love reading these boards and seeing how different people view things, it's exciting and informative. It's also very telling. It's clear many posters on this topic are not from my generation. I was born in the 70's and I think my generation sees things different. I work very hard, have my own company and my husband has a great job, that being said, unlike most posters, we have no retirement fund or pension funds from our employers or jobs...

 

Please don't assume to know or understand the older generation! First of all I and my DH both also worked very hard & each of us put the maximum allowed into our 401 K plans...Our 401 K retirement funds are also going south... DH has a pension & has not seen an increase in that pension for more than 20 years..I worked in the International Airline Industry for a foreign carrier for more than 30 years & DO NOT have a pension.. However, I do have my 401 K which is going south just like yours..Our generation did not spend money we did not have..When I was first married we lived in a rental apartment & purchased unfinished furniture which we refinished our selves..We did not have computers, 52 inch T.V.'s , a new car every 3 years, cell phones, Ipods, the expensive games etc....The only vacation we could afford was the free pases my company gave us as a perk..We sometimes stood by for days, before we could get on a flight..I will always be grateful for having worked in the Travel Field, as it gave me the opportunity to see the world for practically nothing... We stayed in inexpensive hotels & walked or rented cars..If we could not afford to go on vacation & pay cash we did not go And we would never purchase anything we could not afford..Your generation spends & uses credit cards even if you can not afford it..It's called instant gratification for your generation! My present DH purchased my engagement ring for our twentieth anniversary, as we could not afford one before that..We put our kids thru school by working very hard, but always saved, saved & saved some more..

 

nope, my generation is on their own...we have 401K's and our personal investments, which many are not doing so great given the economy, we dont stay at jobs for our entire careers, nope in our generation, employees are a dime a dozen and employers dont care about their employees, my house ( middle class) cost me $600K 2 years ago, your house cost you $30K 40 years ago, your sold your house and invested the money and moved to a nice condo or smaller house and made a bundle..

 

We were on our own also! You are correct, we did stay at our jobs & sometimes worked 10-12 hours a day with no overtime pay..We did not eat out very often & when we did it was in the less expensive restaurants & Diners..When we purchased our home for $42,000 in 1976 we still could not afford new furniture, carpeting etc..We did with what we had & saved for new things..

 

 

.nope, not my generation, my house is now worth $300K, half of what I paid for it 2 years ago and I still make my payments, you get your social security check that I make possible every month ( they take 41% out in taxes..the money you put in years ago has gone to welfare ..but thats another story), I will never see a social security check.

 

It's too bad you paid $600K for your house which is now worth $300 K but thats not our fault..Yes we made a nice profit on our old house & could afford a new one by paying cash..(no condo for us) We would love to sell our house now, but no one will purchase it...We also pay steep taxes, Home, Wind & Flood Insurance on our home..Have you any idea what we paid in taxes & Social Security while we worked?

 

You had great health care your entire life and never had to pay more than a small amout out of your own pocket, my health insurance cost me $1100 a month and thats thru my husbands employer.then I have large co pays just to see the DR, my prescriptions now have a yearly deductable and 40/60 coinsurance, and a $10K yearly family deductable, you get medicaid and supplement it with additional insurance to pay for prescriptions costing you very little.

 

Yes we did have good health care & we get it from my Husbands former employer, but we also have a family deductible & pay a large premium for our prescriptions..If you believe that $108 for a 90 day prescription is very little you are mistaken..I also doubt very much that any one who is cruising is on Medicaid,,,Medicaid is only for the indigent.. However we do get Medicare & pay a monthly payment of $192.80 for(2 people) for Health coverage on Medicare..Our Social Security payments are based on our last three or five years salary as wage earners..Those who are newly retired receive a much larger Social Security check each month..

 

So if I dont want someone else controlling my credit limit or my cash that I wont spend, so be it. My generation has learned to take care of themselves, we dont have a goverment making sure we will be able to afford to retire, we dont have afordable health insurance, or employers giving us pensions, nope not us. We have to save every penny in hopes that one day, just maybe one day we might be able to retire like our parents, and go on cruises back to back like our parents and have no limit credit cards like our parents, but not now, for now, we pray we have a job everyday, we pray our family stays in good health, we pray the houseing market comes back, and we hope one day we can have a black American Express:D

 

During our entire lifetime we also saved every penny & paid all of our bills up front with no interest, therefore we earned of high limit credit cards...I appreciate the fact that you don't want someone else controling you $$$..You should be thrilled that you can go on a cruise while you are still working..We were only on one cruise because we would not spend the money until all bills were paid & our kids were out on their own..Many of us have also helped our kids & many of us did not have our Parents that could afford to help us out when needed....

 

Just my 2 cents..

 

Please don't assume you know how we all live! this If we did not have a high limit credit card, then we would either pay cash for our on-board account, which you can do too, or else we would not go on a cruise..As Randy so elequently stated everyone's finances are different, its how each one of us handles it that counts..But you can;'t expect HAL to change their policy because you don't have a high limit card..AS Phillip & Bruce Muzz state (cruise line management employees) Hal was forced to do it this way, due to 10% of those who cruise, can't really afford it!

 

And thats my 2 cents..

 

Cheers.....:) Betty

[az-cruiser]

Note to Self:

 

Can't comfortably afford to cruise? Don't go.

 

Bruce, some people save for years to afford a cruise, others go on a whim. So your saying that you dont think that someone who has saved for years to go on a cruise should go becuase they may not have a high limit credit card, or they dont feel they should put the $60 pp pd down since they will not be spending that amount, or maybe they did not budget for it.

 

Clearly the $60 hold was an issue for some, otherwise this thread would never have been started.

 

I may have credit cards and cash available, but just because I have it does not mean I have to agree with HAL's hold policy. I also may have the means to cruise "comfortably" as you put it, but there are those that do not and it does not mean they should not cruise. They should be able to set the limit they have budgeted for and be comfortable with. It irks me that HAL has such a large hold policy, highest anyone has mentioned on the boards so far. Perhaps I am a rebel, I dont like someone telling me that they are holding x amount just in case i spend it..it bothers me. Never bothered me on any other princess cruises, but i never asked what they held and didnt notice it. I have no problem with them holding the grats, and whatever limit I ask for.

 

There are people from all income brackets on cruises, not everyone will be cruise snobs