Charge for using credit card?????

[oceansandseas]

I was just on Cunard web site to see if the cruise that I want is still sold out of the cabins that I might want. Nothing available. I will keep looking.

 

But, when I was there I noticed that it said "Book on line and save the credit card fee". Does that mean that if I book by calling Cunard they will charge me an extra fee for using my credit card. I want to talk to someone when I book. I will book directly with Cunard as last time the TA I used messed up on something and does not give me any OBC or any other perks, so I might as well book it myself.

 

If Cunard charges a credit card fee, can we send them a cheque? Has this happened to anyone. By the way, I live in Canada. We have a different price to reflect the difference in exchange rate of our dollars. I am not talking about this, I know that we must pay this.

 

Has this happened to anyone?

 

o

[roscoe39]

I was just on Cunard web site to see if the cruise that I want is still sold out of the cabins that I might want. Nothing available. I will keep looking.

 

But, when I was there I noticed that it said "Book on line and save the credit card fee". Does that mean that if I book by calling Cunard they will charge me an extra fee for using my credit card. I want to talk to someone when I book. I will book directly with Cunard as last time the TA I used messed up on something and does not give me any OBC or any other perks, so I might as well book it myself.

 

If Cunard charges a credit card fee, can we send them a cheque? Has this happened to anyone. By the way, I live in Canada. We have a different price to reflect the difference in exchange rate of our dollars. I am not talking about this, I know that we must pay this.

 

Has this happened to anyone?

 

o

 

hi ocean and seas, yes, for quite some time now , certainly down here, down under, we have been asked to pay a cc fee, its 1 or 2%. The only way to avoid it is by paying direct into the carnival bank account using a code that they give you. For the small fee, and the convenience I have always just paid the fee and marked it up to part of the cost of the cruise. I'd be surprised to find that its not standard world wide with Cunard and not just Canada or Australasia....

regards Roscoe

Edited June 2, 2014 by roscoe39

[pepperrn]

In the UK it is quite common for travel agents and many other businesses to charge a 1%-2% surcharge for processing a credit card. This is what they are charged by the credit card companies for processing the transaction, they then pass this fee onto the customer (interestingly shops rarely, if ever, do this).

 

The simple way 'round this (in the UK) is to use a debit card which attracts no such surcharge.

 

Have you tried this approach? It may make a difference. I hope you get it sorted :) .

Edited June 2, 2014 by pepperrn

[maina]

I'm in the U.S., and a couple of days ago booked a transatlantic for October directly with Cunard, using a credit card, and there was no mention of a credit card fee in our conversation or in the conformation I received. I tried booking online, but the system didn't seem to be able to take into account the discount code I put in, and kept coming back with the full listed price. Since Cunard (or any other merchant) is charged a fee by the cc company, I don't see why it would make any difference if you book online or with a Cunard agent. Very strange.

 

As a postscript, the Cunard agent's database showed additional available cabins in the grade we wanted that did not show as available in the online booking process. He was also able to put in notes that we'd be willing to be upgraded, but if so, preferred the port side.

[Salacia]

I've never paid a credit card surcharge on any of my twelve QM2 bookings, but that may be because I pay with American Express, and I live in NY where these surcharges are illegal. Actually, in the US, there are several states where this surcharge is not permitted, and some states have special exceptions. For more information, see http://www.smithlaw.com/newsletter-17.html

[maina]

Thanks Salacia for the very useful explanation (at least for Americans). I, too, used American Express for the Cunard booking and also live in one of the states where cc surcharges are forbidden.

[DreamflightPat]

I was just on Cunard web site to see if the cruise that I want is still sold out of the cabins that I might want. Nothing available. I will keep looking.

 

But, when I was there I noticed that it said "Book on line and save the credit card fee". Does that mean that if I book by calling Cunard they will charge me an extra fee for using my credit card. I want to talk to someone when I book. I will book directly with Cunard as last time the TA I used messed up on something and does not give me any OBC or any other perks, so I might as well book it myself.

 

If Cunard charges a credit card fee, can we send them a cheque? Has this happened to anyone. By the way, I live in Canada. We have a different price to reflect the difference in exchange rate of our dollars. I am not talking about this, I know that we must pay this.

 

Has this happened to anyone?

 

o

Quite often in the UK when booking on line there is a standard charge of£4.50 per booking. It can be normal practice but I am only speaking about the UK.

[Dancer Bob]

Last year I booked two cruises. One was on QE, it got booked with Cunard USA (actually, Princess in California). Just like booking with any other US company. My other was on P&O Oriana, which ended up Carnival UK. What a pain that was- finally sent a money order to Soton by snail mail. The story was that UK has huge charges for foreign cards.

Definitely two different companies- when I went to book my shareholder OBC for each with Carnival UK, the Carnival UK person sent me an email next day. She took care of my P&O credit on the spot, but I gather she wasn't even allowed to forward the request, I had to send it separately.

I have no idea what site you'd be dealing with booking online, but I'd watch carefully what transpires. I haven't the faintest idea of who's actually in charge at Cunard.

Edited June 3, 2014 by Dancer Bob

[fantasy51]

I always pay using a debit card, because of the credit card fees. I suppose if I used a credit card there could be some insurance perks, but as I have travel insurance I've never bothered worrying about them.

 

I have booked online with no problems and I have booked by phone to Cunard. Both systems charge the fee as a normal procedure. There may be times when they waive it as a special offer, but I have not seen it happen.

 

Dancer Bob, you make the shareholder OBC sound easy. Here in the UK we have to contact Carnival by fax with a copy of the shares. Seeing mine were purchased through a bank, I have to phone their share department and arrange for a letter to be sent out to me, and then I have to fax that to Carnival. It's a real pain. However, they have been very good for my last 4 cruises, booked at short notice. There would not have been time for this. They agreed that my share company could send them an email confirming that I have the shares. On the last cruise I phoned my share company on the Thursday, was awarded the OBC on Friday and sailed Monday. (All the small print says that the credit should be arranged at least 2 weeks before! It's fantastic that they will rush things through when needed.)

[Dancer Bob]

I do a letter with the requested details, plus a copy of my quarterly brokerage statement. As it happened, I was passing through Southampton, I hand-delivered the letters for P&O and Cunard to Carnival UK front desk Sunday evening, I had the reply Monday afternoon. Had to mail the Cunard request to California after I got home.

[balf]

I think inUK the initial deposit on booking seems to be accepted without a cc charge, but not any final payments.

 

Debit card is certainly the way to go.

 

David.