Onboard Expenses

[Boytjie]

Forking over $600 cash for onboard expenses before I even step foot on the ship for a 10-night cruise, to me, is absurd.

 

Who is demanding you fork over $600 in cash when boarding? You can either provide a credit card (and they will place a hold of $60 per day against your credit limit - not an actual charge to your credit card), or you can deposit any cash amount into your shipboard account (and when you exhaust that amount with onboard charges you will have to go down and deposit some more).

[Hlitner]

We are going to defend the cruise lines practice of using credit card holds. Actually, holds are quite common among cruise lines, rental car companies, and some other businesses. Most of the time the consumer is not even aware it has happened unless they have a low credit limit on their card. The "hold" does not appear on your bill and is simply a mechanism where the cruise line can ensure that they will be able to get paid. Otherwise, it is possible that a cruiser with very little credit limit (lets say its $1000) runs up a $2000 on board bill and at the end of the cruise the charge gets denied when the cruise line tries to put through the transaction. Thus, the cruise line has to go after the cruiser for the money (which can be problamatic). $60 a day is pretty reasonable when one considers the amount of money spent by the average cruiser. The hold is simply a guarantee to the cruise line that they will be able to process the charge transaction at the end of the cruise (at this point the hold is released).

 

We once had a purser explain to us the irony of credit card holds. Those with high credit limits on their cards really could care less. But its the folks with low limits that really care (for good cause) about the holds ....but those are the same folks whose charges (from the cruise line) might be denied because it exceeds the credit limit. So in a sense those who protest the most are the ones that causes the cruise lines to be wary.

 

Of course this can be avoided by cruisers who want to put up a cash balance with the pursers office. Having seen the long lines at the guest relations counter the last day of a cruise is enough to disuade us from this practice, but it is an option.

 

Hank

[cruz chic]

Someone over on the Celebrity Cruises Board asked how did they do that and still make sure you paid your bill prior to final disembarkation. Simple. You have to exit the ship using your sea-pass card (or what each line calls it) and if your onboard account is flagged it signals the ships security standing there and you don't get off the ship. The $60 per day HAL requires seems a bit excessive when other cruise lines want either no cash or a maximum of $300 cash even for a 10-14 day cruise. I have checked Princess, NCL, Carnival, and Celebrity, all have better policies than HAL. For those people that it is a 'non-issue' to, great. But there are folks that save up for years to take a cruise and a $60 a day 'hold' or cash advance is a bit over the top. We aren't all big spenders, have Platinum American Express Cards, or have the means to travel several times a year. And even when we get onboard we may not generate heaping gobs of revenue at the bar, casino, specialty restaurants, or shore excursions desk. But we still like to cruise. Forking over $600 cash for onboard expenses before I even step foot on the ship for a 10-night cruise, to me, is absurd.

If you feel it is absurd then I encourage to go with the other lines that you have listed. You can't get blood out of a stone so trying to keep that pax on the ship is not a good solution in my mind. I'm not a millionaire but I live within my means. Generally that means booking an inside room or an oceanview not the most expensive room on the ship.

[iancal]

Placing holds on customer cards is a normal and prudent commercial practice. It is based on the time proven addage 'trust but verify'. Most companies in the service industry do it, and certainly most hotels, resorts, and car rental agencies do it. Businesses have a right to protect themselves from potential losses.

[Kimberly.s.r]

WOW! I just got off a NCL cruise, and my husband and I are debated between another NCL or a HAL. The one we want to take is 12 days. I am not sure I want to make the commitment to HAL of $120 a day.

[agabbymama]

WOW! I just got off a NCL cruise, and my husband and I are debated between another NCL or a HAL. The one we want to take is 12 days. I am not sure I want to make the commitment to HAL of $120 a day.

 

They are worth it! While HAL is my preferred line, I do stray to NCL and others sometimes depending on itinerary and cost.

 

When you give them your credit card, just know the hold is going to be there. Possibly have one cc for ship and one for other spending.

[jtl513]

I am not sure I want to make the commitment to HAL of $120 a day.

It's not a commitment of any money, it's a temporary lowering of your credit line for non-HAL purchases.

[lawyerrose]

As previously noted the $60.00 per person per day is only a hold. This shouldn't be a problem at all if you are managing your credit efficiently. By that I mean carrying a 0 balance on the credit card. It really needs to get paid in full every month. If one leaves a balance on the credit card, the interest wll bleed your vacation budget to death. It doesn't take very long for credit card interest and fees to become a significant cruising expense item.

If you are concerned that a $60.00 hold will eat into your available credit, you may have a problem that has nothing to do with cruising.

We like to crusie six or seven weeks a year. By making sure we don't have any credit card interest and service charges, it probably makes at least one more cruise fit into the budget.:o

 

I'm certainly glad you straightened all of us inefficient credit card users out!! A little opinionated/judgmental, are we??:rolleyes:

[Linda&Vern]

For what it's worth ... I just booked a mini family reunion this summer at what I would call a little mid-price resort (not Disney by any means). I booked three rooms and paid a one night deposit on each room. At the bottom of my confirmations is a notice saying that for charging privileges the resort will authorize an additional amount equal to $50 per guest, per day against my Credit Card. At check-out this autorization is released. (It also warns that Debit Cards can be tied up for a longer period of time and suggests using a Credit Card versus a Debit card.) Without reading the "fine print" of this confirmation no one would even realize it was happening.

[Hawaiidan]

While you "think "they didnt put a hold on your prior cruises....guess again, they just didnt tell you they did .

Once they got you credit card# they contacted the card and got an available credit and put in for a hold.

 

Common practice to insure guests being solvent and loss of revenue in the travel industry...

 

It is a good point to ponder in a $60 dollar a day hold is going t put you in dire straits... then maybe the cruise vacation is illadvised till you can afford it.

[dmwnc1959]

Which Celebrity ship did you cruise? *For my Constellation New England/Canada cruise we certainly had to provide a credit card. *And Celebrity website quotes....

"All Celebrity ships operate on a cashless system. For onboard purchases, you will be provided with a Seapass Account. This account can be validated with a Visa, MasterCard, Novus, or American Express card, or you may arrange to pay this account by cash or traveler's check. All onboard services and purchases may then be signed for and charged to your Seapass Account. At the end of your cruise, you will receive a completely itemized statement reflecting your charges."

 

You are correct in quoting from Celebrity Cruises website but incorrect in your interpretation of how the 'cash account' works. If you arrange to pay with cash they allow you a $500 tab limit before actually putting down any 'hard cash'. I was on the Celebrity MERCURY as well as the Celebrity GALAXY and did it that way both times. I am also booked on the Celebrity MILENNIUM for later this year and have verbal and email confirmation that is the way my shipboard account will be handled then as well.

 

Not absurd at all. *It would be really easy to rack up $600 on-board in 10 days. *I may not spend $60 each day, one day it may be $100 and the next day $20, but over a 10 day period, I could see where you could reach that limit very easily...lots of folks at the pursers desk crying that they were so shocked at how quickly things added up....it's really easy for the charges to add up quickly, and be forgotten. *$2.50 here, $6.50 there, $30 here and $100 there. *Wouldn't take long at all.

*

Even hotels that are paid for months in advance, want a credit card at check-in just to cover any additional expenses incurred.

 

I spent a whopping $425 on my onboard account during my last cruise (9-night) and that was really, really stretching it for me: a 'fire and ice' manicure ($55) done on a dare, a $25 Day Pass to the T-pool spa, $105 in gratuities, $100 on an Internet package, some Celebrity t-shirts, a pair of swimtrunks (weren't available in West Virginia in December), a 'MERCURY' coffee mug and post cards, and the rest at the Photo Store buying formal night pictures.

 

My cruises before that on Queen Mary 2, Celebrity GALAXY, Rotterdam VI, Volendam, Sun Princess, Dawn Princess, Royal Princess, Voyager of the Seas and at least two dozen more on RCI, Carnival Cruise Lines, Cruise West, Celebrity, HAL, NCL, and Princess in SkySuites to inside cabins, to Alaska, the Caribbean, Canada/New England, Pacific Coastal, and even on several 9- and*12-night cruises, have never exceeded my self imposed limit of $500. I called Carnival and Princess when I was shopping for a cruise and both only wanted $300 cash deposit upfront even a longer 8-14 day cruise, which beats HAL's $60 per day requirement. Let's see, that's $300 cash deposit on a 14-night Princess cruise or $600 cash deposit on a HAL 10-night cruise. Mmmm.*

 

And even the hotels I book online (and pay for in full, in advance) agree with me at check-in that I only have to leave $20 cash for 'incidentals' (which also never occur) and I get that money back.

 

I enjoy myself on vacation the way I do, but don't need to go hog wild spending money every which way and rack up a $600 bill, which has also never happened. I book my drink packages in advance and pay for them in advance, same goes for shore excursions (which I rarely do), don't gamble, or get all starry eyed in the ships store or ashore and buy a bunch of crap. But that's just me. I have seen others rack up $1000+ just on their bar tabs. To me that's ridiculous, but to them that's 'enjoying themselves'. To me that's nearly a months salary, to them a drop in the bucket.*

 

And not everyone has a credit card. I don't and have lived within my means for a good number of years using my VISA Debit Card issued by my bank on my checking account. I pay cash for everything or use my ATM/Visa debit card. If I don't have the money, it doesn't get bought.

 

Since I don't have a credit card, just before I go leave for the ship I get cash to cover my onboard expenses. That's the way I have been doing it and will continue to do it. It works for me.

 

Like I said before, HAL eventually agreed that I could leave a cash deposit to cover the tips and 'then some' whatever I wanted to cover other expenses, but when I reached that limit they would freeze my onboard account until I put down more cash.

[Spender Nui]

While you "think "they didnt put a hold on your prior cruises....guess again, they just didnt tell you they did .

Once they got you credit card# they contacted the card and got an available credit and put in for a hold.

 

Common practice to insure guests being solvent and loss of revenue in the travel industry...

 

It is a good point to ponder in a $60 dollar a day hold is going t put you in dire straits... then maybe the cruise vacation is illadvised till you can afford it.

 

I would once more like to point out that the $60 per day hold will in no way affect my ability to take the cruise. What I said was I haven't seen this before and asked if it was now a common HAL practice.

 

They, other lines, and hotels too may have been placing a hold on my credit card, and that's OK with me but they've never asked me to authorize it before.

 

In case anyone else is wondering the small amount of a $60 hold won't put me in dire straits and I authorized the hold.

[Hawaiidan]

I did not mean infer your credit status. just a genereral observation that in some cases people over extend and go nuts with credit cards buying things they cant afford.... that all.

 

Here is a little known fact... you dont have to sign a darn thing for the credit card to get a hold on it. If they have your security # and name. zip code, and CVV. They dont need your signature.... They call in to the merchant line and say "phone order" or" phone credit hold" and you would have to go to court to get it reversed and file a claim at a later date. You will not see that on your statement till the end of the cruise .

 

 

By virtue of you being ON the ship.. you are in effect using a product and using services that the credit card people think is sufficient to honor the ships claim.:eek: and tthey have the right to claim anything in reality. The Credit card company considers the transaction date to start with the beginning of the cruise and end at the end of your cruise... and 48 hours after it ends...

 

Debt cards....Of interest yesaterday I noticed a little notice at a gas station that said if you charge with a debt or check card they will place a $250 hold on your ballance for up to 10 days !!! Car rentals do the same

[dobiemom]

I have a question: When does the "hold" start? When you completed the online check-in or at embarkation? DD wants to know (really!).

[kazu]

I have a question: When does the "hold" start? When you completed the online check-in or at embarkation? DD wants to know (really!).

 

 

I believe it starts when you actually check in and board on the ship

[dobiemom]

[quote name='kazu']I believe it starts when you actually check in and board on the ship[/QUOTE]
[FONT="Comic Sans MS"][SIZE="3"][COLOR="Purple"]Thanks kazu! :) [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]