All princess cruisers beware of credit card holds

[rdsqrl]

I think it is the credit card issuer's money that they have advanced on your behalf.:confused:

 

Mike:)

Judging by the number of people (none here -- I'm speaking strictly in vague generalities) who over-charge their limits or end up with their debts in collection or charged off, I'd say that's a distinction not everyone understands.

That's what I started doing on Carnival on my teen's account, deposit cash adequate to cover reasonable spa, internet to boyfriend, daily gratuity and some fun purchasing without risking buying my own ship:)

 

To complete the cruise personalizer, I had to enter a cc for her, which I plan to change to cash deposit at check-in.

 

The question is, w/ Princess, can I also keep her separate from my account, which I always leave covered w/ Amex. ?

Yes, you can. Every passenger has their own account, so you can use your AmEx for your account and do something completely different on hers. As you see, you did have to enter the cc # in order to print her boarding pass, but they only go by what you do at check-in, not by what's in the Personalizer. Hope this helps!

[Moorish Idol]

Thanks so much, rdsqul!

[Chuck & Phyllis]

Let's cut to the chase. If you are worried about a hold, you shouldn't be cruising (or many things). Or for that matter, better be thinking about a survival plan. Let's call a spade a spade and cut the crap. A hold on your card is nothing more than "your ability to pay". If you depend on your credit cards to pay (other than to accumulate reward points), expenses that you can't pay in cash, you are dreaming.

 

I've watched this thread evolve and can say that in my experience, AMEX has never placed a hold (even when an entity charged 10K for a 3K charge). Stop the crap, if you are a 5K, 650 score, or 10 K 700 score, accept it.

[mek]

No longer true of all American Express cards.

 

Lew

 

 

Are you refering to "Blue"?

[Ranger]

Let's cut to the chase. If you are worried about a hold, you shouldn't be cruising (or many things). Or for that matter, better be thinking about a survival plan. Let's call a spade a spade and cut the crap. A hold on your card is nothing more than "your ability to pay". If you depend on your credit cards to pay (other than to accumulate reward points), expenses that you can't pay in cash, you are dreaming.

 

I've watched this thread evolve and can say that in my experience, AMEX has never placed a hold (even when an entity charged 10K for a 3K charge). Stop the crap, if you are a 5K, 650 score, or 10 K 700 score, accept it.

 

 

Why don't you give us your opinion?:)

[angelsbaby1]

Let's cut to the chase. If you are worried about a hold, you shouldn't be cruising (or many things). Or for that matter, better be thinking about a survival plan. Let's call a spade a spade and cut the crap. A hold on your card is nothing more than "your ability to pay". If you depend on your credit cards to pay (other than to accumulate reward points), expenses that you can't pay in cash, you are dreaming.

 

Wow...just because people would be concerned about a "hold" on a credit or debit card does not mean that they should not be cruising (IMHO, of course)! That is a little harsh to say that people need a "survival plan" because they carefully monitor what is going in or out of their account or what is being "held". Not everyone uses CREDIT and prefer to use the cash that they have on hand (or on their debit card) no matter what others think. As you said "it's nothing more than your "ability to pay". If you have other ways to pay (i.e. buying OBCs or putting cash on your onboard account, etc.) then why should it matter if I have a large credit limit on my card or what my credit score is?! :eek:

 

no one has the right of holding your money without your permission,anyway you look at it that's wrong.I have cards with no limit ,and i dont want them holding money.

 

Very well said...

[jimpod]

hi jimpod..

 

I work in the maryhill area & my other half lives there!

I still just along the road - I live in Knightswood/Blairdardie just up from Westerton Station.

 

We dont go until jan 2011 and it seems so far away- can't wait! Although shouldn't complain to much as we are just back from a cruise in Jan & off to seville next week then Hong Kong in Nov - i sure we will really enjoy the trips but they're just not the same as a cruise.

I hope you have brillaint time-- have you been to the Carib. before--- is so what ship?? What ship are you on this time ?

 

Elaine :D

 

It just seems so far away until the next one-- but

Hi Elaine

Only cruised to 'colder' areas - Alaska, Norway and the North Cape, Antarctica and last year we were on a Transatlantic that went to Iceland,and Greenland among other places. The next one in September is the Panama Canal from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale. Definitely need to rethink what we would normally pack. Counting down the weeks now as we have had this booked since early December.

 

Pauline

[cruisemom42]

no one has the right of holding your money without your permission,anyway you look at it that's wrong.I have cards with no limit ,and i dont want them holding money.

 

Actually they do have the right. It's done by gas stations, hotels, car rental agencies, online merchants, and cruise ships, among others.

 

See here:

 

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/scams/gascharge.asp

 

and here:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authorization_hold

 

And here is some information from the FTC on how to minimize the effects of a hold (note, they nowhere say that it is illegal):

 

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/credit/cre11.shtm

[FLACRUISER99]

no one has the right of holding your money without your permission,anyway you look at it that's wrong.I have cards with no limit ,and i dont want them holding money.

Why do you think its your money??

[CALMOM]

Let's cut to the chase. If you are worried about a hold, you shouldn't be cruising (or many things). Or for that matter, better be thinking about a survival plan. Let's call a spade a spade and cut the crap. A hold on your card is nothing more than "your ability to pay". If you depend on your credit cards to pay (other than to accumulate reward points), expenses that you can't pay in cash, you are dreaming.

 

I've watched this thread evolve and can say that in my experience, AMEX has never placed a hold (even when an entity charged 10K for a 3K charge). Stop the crap, if you are a 5K, 650 score, or 10 K 700 score, accept it.

 

Somebody is a little cranky:rolleyes: Are you this judgmental on everything in your life? :eek:

[mytime53]

no one has the right of holding your money without your permission

As others have said, it isn't your money (unless you're referring to a debit card).

[-Lew-]

 

Are you refering to "Blue"?

No I wasn't.

 

I do know that a few years ago your statement would have been true; however, today there are some American Express cards that do have a credit limit.

 

Lew

[caribill]

no one has the right of holding your money without your permission,anyway you look at it that's wrong.I have cards with no limit ,and i dont want them holding money.

 

Read your credit card contract small print. You will no doubt find that you gave permission by using the card.

[billie5]

I do not think that Ckr31 can really believe it is illegal for credit card companies to hold his money. (Of course, they are only 'holding' his credit, not his money, if it is a credit card, but those were his words) Obviously, the courts would have stopped the practice long ago, if there were anything illegal about it. I would suggest that posters are taking his statement too literally.

 

Perhaps he meant to write that credit card companies or banks "should not" be able to tie up his credit. However, the question then is what would replace the current system. Presumably the cruise companies would do just what they currently do with cash customers, namely, demand a pool of money when the passengers board, and refund the difference at disembarkation -- or cut off credit if the balance is exceeded. I hardly think any of us would consider that a better system, for then they really would be holding the money, rather than just reducing the credit limit (or reducing the accessible balance in the case of a debit card), and we all would be worse off.

 

Bill

[pablo222]

Is a translation possible?

 

I think it was an April Fool's day post, a couple days early.

[maryhill1]

Hi Elaine

Only cruised to 'colder' areas - Alaska, Norway and the North Cape, Antarctica and last year we were on a Transatlantic that went to Iceland,and Greenland among other places. The next one in September is the Panama Canal from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale. Definitely need to rethink what we would normally pack. Counting down the weeks now as we have had this booked since early December.

 

Pauline

 

 

Hi Pauline.

 

My sister will be soooo jealous:mad:-- she is looking at Alaskan cruises for 2011.

She hasn't cruise before but has always wanted to go Alaska.

She/her family and my mum are thinking of doing the train through the Rockies and cruising Alaska area. Wait til I tell her you've already been!!!!

 

Its way to cold for me!!!!:eek::eek:

I's sure you will have a great time and it will fly in! One of CC group from NCL is doing the Pan Canal in jan 2011. -- and ou CC mates from SA are doing Transatlantic on the new Epic-- they're asking us to come along, it could be a plan as I quite fancy Trans/A. If we decided to go - i;ll be bombarding you with question!!

 

You can tell me all abut it when you get back!:D

 

Elaine

[cde48]

Appreciate the info -- the only problem I seem to have is that i dont have any cc's etc so can I still just pay cash when i board??

I have booked through a british TA and from what I have read princess wont deal with me directly because of this so I have been unable to get an answer from them regarding this!

 

I just what to give them a a pile of dollars when I board to cover all costs/autotip/excursions etc.

 

Do you know if they will still let me book ship tours through our personal planner site and add them to my OBC- while paying in this way.

 

Thanks Elaine

 

We do this on all of our cruises...We never leave a CC or DC, we just bring cash with us to leave as a deposit, and they can issue a check at the end of the cruise, if there is any money left on the account, at the pursers desk!

[Cruisemaid]

We've cruised with Princess for the last five years and never had a hold on our card. However, we never give them our card details until we check in to embark. We've also used cash and had no problems. So I shouldn't worry too much about this!

Claire

[jimpod]

Hi Pauline.

 

My sister will be soooo jealous:mad:-- she is looking at Alaskan cruises for 2011.

She hasn't cruise before but has always wanted to go Alaska.

She/her family and my mum are thinking of doing the train through the Rockies and cruising Alaska area. Wait til I tell her you've already been!!!!

 

Its way to cold for me!!!!:eek::eek:

I's sure you will have a great time and it will fly in! One of CC group from NCL is doing the Pan Canal in jan 2011. -- and ou CC mates from SA are doing Transatlantic on the new Epic-- they're asking us to come along, it could be a plan as I quite fancy Trans/A. If we decided to go - i;ll be bombarding you with question!!

 

You can tell me all abut it when you get back!:D

 

Elaine

Hi Elaine

 

If you or your sister ahve any questions you can contact me at p.sutherland@hotmail.com

 

Pauline

[maryhill1]

Hi Elaine

 

If you or your sister ahve any questions you can contact me at p.sutherland@hotmail.com

 

Pauline

 

 

Thanks Pauline.

 

Really appreciated.:)

I'm sure as time goes on I will have a pile of questions for you. :D

 

Thanks Elaine

[mek]

No I wasn't.

 

I do know that a few years ago your statement would have been true; however, today there are some American Express cards that do have a credit limit.

 

Lew

 

That's interesting, I wasn't aware of that. I do know that mine doesn't - it's based on spending habits and history, but if I suddenly wanted to buy a $50k diamond, they would probably contact my bank - LOL!

[Emptynesternow]

On Carnival we paid a "deposit" on our account with cash. We didn't want any surprises at the end of the cruise. I was planning on doing that on our first Princess cruise...I would imagine it shouldn't be a problem.

[cde48]

On Carnival we paid a "deposit" on our account with cash. We didn't want any surprises at the end of the cruise. I was planning on doing that on our first Princess cruise...I would imagine it shouldn't be a problem.

 

You guys are coming, when we are getting off!:D We always put cash down as a deposit. Never use our CC or DC on cruises.

[Bowie MeMe]

I think that this has been happening for a long time and perhaps people were just not aware of this practice. I know for a fact that a large hold is placed on Visa card for rental cars and I know that cruise ships do so and recently found out that crematoriums :eek: also put a hold on CC before "meeting your loved ones needs in a caring and respectful way". At least I am enjoying the cruise. I have never had a problem with the hold being released within a very few days of cruise. I have seen that credit score will go down if you have a particularly large balance on credit card (we pay off monthly and credit score goes back up). Lots of things go on with your credit that you are not particularly aware of until something brings it to your attention. Right now I have 3 credit reports a month due to breakin (breakdowns) to bank, insurance and investment computer systems so a little more aware of what is happening on the credit scene.

[-Lew-]

In a response to my inquiry, American Express states the following in regard to credit card holds:

 

Please understand that a merchant cannot place a hold on a portion of your line of credit for a future charge.

 

Your line of credit is available to you until the actual charge is submitted for approval.

 

Lew