What happens if you can't pay your bill?

[Quasar1011]

I have 100.00 OBC through RCI and was going to purchase 500.00 more through Gifts and Gea...

 

So you can do that online? Someone else on these boards had said you have to call RCI to get them to add money to your OBC.

[ryano]

So you can do that online? Someone else on these boards had said you have to call RCI to get them to add money to your OBC.

 

You do have to call the Gifts and Gear department to add OBC. I dont think it can be purchased online :)

 

The phone number is (800) 722-5443 and the code # you give them is #651 for onboard credit purchase.

[Gil T. Azell]

Well, I guess this answers my question if I can or cannot use my seapass card until my OBC shows up :( I have 100.00 OBC through RCI and was going to purchase 500.00 more through Gifts and Gear and was hoping with copies of my invoices showing proof that I would be allowed to use my seapass without a cash deposit until it all showed up on my account.

 

Im going cash account this time as well so I guess I will just purchase 500.00 worth of travelers checks.........I dont like carrying a lot of cash on me.

 

Just so you know you don't actually have to put down cash for a cash account right away. When you set up a cash account you are allowed to charge up to $500 without putting a deposit down. Once you reach the $500 then you are required to put cash down to continue charging.

[ryano]

Just so you know you don't actually have to put down cash for a cash account right away. When you set up a cash account you are allowed to charge up to $500 without putting a deposit down. Once you reach the $500 then you are required to put cash down to continue charging.

 

Thanks for the info! :) That helps for sure! My OBC should show up way before I reach the 500.00 mark!

[Gil T. Azell]

We've never had that happen to us. A guest services manager once told us that they don't put any kind of pre-approval hold on the credit cards shoreside. On the short cruises they have no way to know onboard whether a card is good or not until the end of the cruise. I can't fathom why they wouldn't do what cruisindoggie suggests and do a daily check - surely it could be done by computer. And they have a fabulous IT department, as we all know...

The don't preauthorize a set amount but they do preauthorize the days charges at the end of the day. If you charge $100 the first day they preauthorize $100 at the end of the day. On the 2nd day if your account has a balance of $150 they preauthorize the $150 at the end of the day and so forth. However the $100 preauthorization from the day before will be on your card also so it looks like you are spending more than what you are. Basically you will need to have more available credit than what you plan to spend due to the daily preauthorizations that they do.That is why they have so many people at the end of each cruise with declined charges as they don't have enough to cover the multiple preauthorizations and the actual charges.

[Gil T. Azell]

Thanks for the info! :) That helps for sure! My OBC should show up way before I reach the 500.00 mark!

 

Your welcome.:)

[waterbug123]

As said previously, they put a hold on your credit card in advance for what they feel is what you 'could' spend (it's some ridiculously high number like $60/day!)

 

 

$60 a day??? I find that to be a ridiculously LOW number, lol. If our tab is ever that low, call the authorities because we are likely unconscious in our cabin. :D

[sgttami]

$60 a day??? I find that to be a ridiculously low number, lol. If our tab is ever that low, call the authorities because we are likely unconscious in our cabin. :d

 

ditto!!!

[rmiller]

Just so you know you don't actually have to put down cash for a cash account right away. When you set up a cash account you are allowed to charge up to $500 without putting a deposit down. Once you reach the $500 then you are required to put cash down to continue charging.

 

 

Great to know. I had planned on handing over $200 cash upon embarkment and seeing how far that got us. Guess we will just place a hold on $500 ourselves and pay down the charges as we go. Thanks for the info.

[LovesCruising]

Never had a problem using our Amex

[av8tr21]

Interesting thread for sure. I can't imagine "running out of money" mid-way through a cruise. If that is the case, one probably shouldn't be cruising in the first place! Not that it's any of my business, but sometimes I wonder how many people charge the entire cruise to their credit card with no real intention of paying it off, i.e. only making the minimum payment? I guess we are in the days of "spend more than you make" :rolleyes:

[GXmanDC]

A few years ago on Liberty my youngest and most immature brother ended up in the infirmary on the last night. When he was released the staff told him to go directly to Guest Services to make payment arrangements. Of course he didn't. When they scanned his SeaPass as we were leaving the ship, off went the "bong" you never hear. He was directed to go settle his account at Guest Services. I made him go alone, and we proceeded through customs. He did not have enough credit available so they made him sign a payment agreement.

 

Recently my bank has been declining charges for more often due to "fraud concern." Whenever I make two purchases at the same establishment, Bingo, card is declined. I now have a "special" 800 number I call and they then allow the charge. Big pain in the butt!.

 

Before we left for our Allure cruise last month I called to warn them that there would be a series of charges from Allure of the Seas as the ship did their daily reserve on my card. I bet my partner that something would go wrong. On Day 7 we were having coffee in the morning when the stateroom phone rang. I froze. I don't think I've ever received a call on that phone before. My partner answered as I was already steaming mad at my bank. ... Oh, it was the restaurant staff asking if we had any food allergies or diet restrictions because we going to the Chef's Table for dinner that night. Let my blood pressure for nothing.

[wreckem2013]

On a recent cruise someone in our group had a problem with the card they used for their Sea Pass account a couple of days into the trip. She woke up in the morning with a note under her door to visit guest services. She went down and switched cards and all was good. So yes, they don't wait until the end of the cruise to charge your card.

 

They at the very least run charges every time they are in port. Our credit card company put a freeze on the card after RC tried to run charges while in port at Falmouth.

[GXmanDC]

They at the very least run charges every time they are in port. Our credit card company put a freeze on the card after RC tried to run charges while in port at Falmouth.

 

I agree, they run them numerous times during the week. Or, at least they reserve amounts on the card. When I got back on Feb 5 my credit card showed numerous charges from Allure throughout the cruise. Yesterday all of those charges were gone and replaced with one big unhappy number. That was a lot of Labadoozies. :)

[critterchick]

The don't preauthorize a set amount but they do preauthorize the days charges at the end of the day. If you charge $100 the first day they preauthorize $100 at the end of the day. On the 2nd day if your account has a balance of $150 they preauthorize the $150 at the end of the day and so forth. However the $100 preauthorization from the day before will be on your card also so it looks like you are spending more than what you are. Basically you will need to have more available credit than what you plan to spend due to the daily preauthorizations that they do.That is why they have so many people at the end of each cruise with declined charges as they don't have enough to cover the multiple preauthorizations and the actual charges.

 

The GSM I spoke with was on Monarch, so perhaps they don't do that for the short cruises. It seems kind of silly to me that they can preauthorize and amount and then not be able to charge it...

[retiredonthesea]

We always take two CC's with us--one used for set sail pass acct. and the other one for at port purchases with smaller pre paid credit line. We know our ship acct. will always be okay ----no worries if our other card gets too many purchases on it!:eek: We also like the FF miles we get, that's how we can afford the cost of flying to all the ports. Of course it also helps to have some of the good ole cash along!

[Cruise_Kitten]

To minimise the chance of a card being declined or frozen due to purchases made away from the UK (my bank does not take note of travel plans in order to reduce the chance of fraud by people claiming to be you awya from home) I use cash. I will open the account with a card but will make cash payments (using travellers cheques) during the cruise.

 

So no chance of an outstanding balance at the end and no credit card bill to face I get home.

 

We are the same. We both have a credit card but it is used in emergency situations only....not holiday. We take travelers cheques with us when we cruise and pay it all off with them on the last night. Then top up our cards for the night ahead to use any remaining dollars we have.

 

CK x

[barbie5401]

Because I was a victim of identity theft, I now carry an American Express Prepaid Card every paycheck I load it with $$ and use that for all my expenses. I realize I don't get points or rewards but it is much safer when you pay for minor items and you hand your card to someone you don't know.

 

The $60 per day is not that out of line when you think of it - some of that goes to the tips.

 

p.s. AMEX prepaid there is no fee or charges to open or maintain one.

[Quasar1011]

The $60 per day is not that out of line when you think of it - some of that goes to the tips.

 

Is the fuel surcharge of $10 part of that $60?

 

"Royal Caribbean International reserves the right to impose a fuel supplement of up to $10 per guest per day on all guests if the price of West Texas Intermediate fuel exceeds $65.00 per barrel."

[ryano]

Is the fuel surcharge of $10 part of that $60?

 

"Royal Caribbean International reserves the right to impose a fuel supplement of up to $10 per guest per day on all guests if the price of West Texas Intermediate fuel exceeds $65.00 per barrel."

 

Although they "reserve the right" to do so, RCI hasnt charged a fuel surcharge in quiet some time :)

[TKD Cruiser]

After you do all the dishes, they make you walk the plank.

[Texmike]

We usually take all of our credit cards out of my pocket book an wife's purse with the exception of either a Master Card or Visa Card just in case

 

We don't take are bank debit care because it has a $300 per day limit unless we change it.

 

We've gone without spending less than $60 per day before as we only had maybe two drinks a piece at the most.

[LovesCruising]

Is the fuel surcharge of $10 part of that $60?

 

"Royal Caribbean International reserves the right to impose a fuel supplement of up to $10 per guest per day on all guests if the price of West Texas Intermediate fuel exceeds $65.00 per barrel."

 

There is no fuel surcharge at this time

[Desert Cruizers]

We use American Exp and never had a problem, but the paying as you go suggestion from Peter is a good plan to avoid a huge credit card bill at the end. I would hate to try and budget our Aust Cruise , planned for 2014. My DH beer tab will be bad enough.:D, while I survive on maybe a soda now and then and Ice Tea.

[Darkwolfe]

I got amused by that $60 a day bit lol. Last cruise, my sea pass bill for 2 from the entire cruise was $260. We had a blast too. :D