Msc did not accept our MasterCard

[alfie1963]

Just had our first msc cruise and when we were disembarking we was told to go to reception and was told our card had been rejected there was money in the account this was very embarrassing and we was not the only ones there lucky my husband had cash on him, has anyone else experienced this with MasterCard.:mad:

[JohnLocke2012]

No never had that problem, but I've never been on MSC. How much cash did they make you put on the account out of curiosity?

[LEtue]

Just had our first msc cruise and when we were disembarking we was told to go to reception and was told our card had been rejected there was money in the account this was very embarrassing and we was not the only ones there lucky my husband had cash on him, has anyone else experienced this with MasterCard.:mad:

 

I have never had a problem but I always notify the issueing bank of my travel dates before I leave home - so that the card isn't rejected.

 

If you notified them - then this is the first time I have read about a rejection.

[GOLDENBONNY]

Just had our first msc cruise and when we were disembarking we was told to go to reception and was told our card had been rejected there was money in the account this was very embarrassing and we was not the only ones there lucky my husband had cash on him, has anyone else experienced this with MasterCard.:mad:

 

 

You had problem with YOUR card ,not MSC rejected it . Ask your CC company what's problem .

[jkgourmet]

You had problem with YOUR card ,not MSC rejected it . Ask your CC company what's problem .

 

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

[American Bear]

On board spending accts. are charged through a bank in Paris for Divina cruisers, so you have to let your credit card co. know they might see an overseas transaction even though you will be signing your statement in Miami!

[skyking]

We did hear of a few seperate issues, two in my party had a problem. MSC uses an international bank to process your card, they get pre authorization on a daily basis. All you have to do is make sure your bank knows this in advance. All affected in my party were able to get it resovled by a quick call to the bank from the pursers desk.

[travelady65]

Just had our first msc cruise and when we were disembarking we was told to go to reception and was told our card had been rejected there was money in the account this was very embarrassing and we was not the only ones there lucky my husband had cash on him, has anyone else experienced this with MasterCard.:mad:

 

Hi, the same thing happened to me, and yes it was the most embarrassing thing that has every happened to me...I was on the October 4th sailing on the Divina.... It was not MSC that did not accept the card, it was your mastercard...reason being that MSC does not use a USA bank...there bank and all transactions go through their bank in France.... before i sailed, i read something about this on CC...I called my bank before i left on the cruise, explaining everything about this, and told them i will be on this cruise for 7 nights...I explicted ask them if i am going to have a problem using the card, to open an account up, and the bank told me no... When i check in at the terminal, the check in agent told me that MSC will put an authorization hold on my account for $150...if i should go over, that amount, then if i do charge more they will only put the other charges on to my account.... Here is what happened to me:

 

I would say it was that thursday into the cruise, i was almost reaching over my authorized amount. I went down to Guest Relations to ask again what their policy was if i reached over my authoized amount...she told me that they put another authorization hold of $150 onto my account automatically...so i went ahead and purchased the other item... upon disembarking the ship.... same thing happened to me...i was detained, and told i had to return to the Guest Relations Desk...You were lucky that your husband had extra cash on him, for i did not...I spent all the cash that i had on the islands.... the lady that i spoke with was really rude and nasty to me... I knew i had more then enough money onto my credit card...BTW..i used a Visa Credit Card.... she was really kurt to me saying "Madam" this is not our fault, it is your bank's fault...saying i did not have enough funds on my credit card to pay my bill... When i got back to the airport i called my bank and asked why they didn't approve the second aurthoriztion hold, and they told me that the merchant (which is there bank in France) was at risk, as they never heard of the bank....and they thought they were putting fraudulent charges on my card.... They finally released the rest of the money back to me on my card...after doing alot of explaining to do....Yes it was my bank's fault, and the person who put the red flag on my account, as i had called, and explained everything to them about MSC before i started my cruise explaining to them that they dont have a USA Bank, that their bank is in France...and that is where all the transactions and authorizations come from....

 

I know how you felt, as i felt the same way....and i know all people were looking and pointing fingers at me....It really put a damper to my cruise at the end....It put a bad taste in my mouth.... and i dont know whether i would sail with the Divina again, because of what happened...

 

But i did sail Carnival Paradise three days after this cruise, and i was real apprehensive about using my card....but i did....and everything was fine....

[travelady65]

No never had that problem, but I've never been on MSC. How much cash did they make you put on the account out of curiosity?

 

I was on the Divina on October 4, 2014 and they put a $150 hold on your credit card... the same thing happened to me at the end of my cruise, that happened to this other lady... the key if you want to sail with this line is notify your bank before you take this cruise, and notify them you are going out of the country for x amounts of days, and please tell them that MSC Divina does not use a USA bank....their bank that they do all their transactions and authorizations hold is in France.... and when you do reach over that $150 first authorization hold, MSC automatically puts another second authorization hold on your account for $150....

[travelady65]

You had problem with YOUR card ,not MSC rejected it . Ask your CC company what's problem .

 

I had the same problem happen to me on MS Divina on October 4th sailing i was on... and their was nothing wrong with my Credit Card....I notified my bank before i took this cruise....and told them how long i was going to be away, and that i was going to be using this card to open up a shiipboard account... upon check in they put an authorization hold on my card $150. when i reached over that amount they automatically put another authorization hold on my account for another $150..... I had a large credit amount with my bank.... but they felt the merchant ( which is their bank in France) was at risk, and they felt they were putting fraudulent charges on my card...they would not release any more money to the Divina.... They told me that they never heard of the bank that they deal with overseas, and that was the problem.... I have to thank my bank for looking out for my credit card, but at the same time they put me at an embarrasing moment, as i was detained of getting off the ship upon disembarkation..... a word to the wise, please notify your bank before travelling on MSC Divina, as they do not have a USA bank that they deal with here in the United States....there bank is overseas they deal with all transactions and authorizations....

[GOLDENBONNY]

I had the same problem happen to me on MS Divina on October 4th sailing i was on... and their was nothing wrong with my Credit Card....I notified my bank before i took this cruise....and told them how long i was going to be away, and that i was going to be using this card to open up a shiipboard account... upon check in they put an authorization hold on my card $150. when i reached over that amount they automatically put another authorization hold on my account for another $150..... I had a large credit amount with my bank.... but they felt the merchant ( which is their bank in France) was at risk, and they felt they were putting fraudulent charges on my card...they would not release any more money to the Divina.... They told me that they never heard of the bank that they deal with overseas, and that was the problem.... I have to thank my bank for looking out for my credit card, but at the same time they put me at an embarrasing moment, as i was detained of getting off the ship upon disembarkation..... a word to the wise, please notify your bank before travelling on MSC Divina, as they do not have a USA bank that they deal with here in the United States....there bank is overseas they deal with all transactions and authorizations....

 

I am sure many people would have same problem but once again nothing to do with MSC . MSC swipe your card -gets NSF or decline what they supposed to do ? They call you and ask for different card . No big deal and not a reason "not to cruise with them again ". could happened on any cruise line or any store ashore .

[skyking]

I am sure many people would have same problem but once again nothing to do with MSC . MSC swipe your card -gets NSF or decline what they supposed to do ? They call you and ask for different card . No big deal and not a reason "not to cruise with them again ". could happened on any cruise line or any store ashore .

 

It has happened to us on Royal Caribbean, almost the same example as the OP, was not allowed to leave the ship on the last day. Went to the pursers desk who didnt care what I had to say, just wanted it fixed and NOW because of the 100 people in line behind me. I made a phone call to the bank, and it was fixed. I have been on Royal since then and would never say I wont cruise them again, as a matter of fact I dumped that bank the next day because I called them and told them in advance that I would be traveling. This can happen anywhere!

Edited November 14, 2014 by skyking

[alfie1963]

We had notified our bank I am wondering if it is because it is a American bank new in the uk metro bank also it was here in southampton dock that it was refused not abroad by the way it was not a credit card but MasterCard debit.we are sailing next March with royal caribbean and now worried if this will happen with them

[AmoMondo]

We had notified our bank I am wondering if it is because it is a American bank new in the uk metro bank also it was here in southampton dock that it was refused not abroad by the way it was not a credit card but MasterCard debit.we are sailing next March with royal caribbean and now worried if this will happen with them

 

Well that may well have been your problem. US passengers with US cards have no problem using debit cards. However some UK debit cards don't work. I've tried twice. I always use a MasterCard credit Card now without any issue (and tell the issuer before I leave).

 

Your transaction would be still classed as overseas even although you were disembarking in the UK. MDC bills through an overseas bank not a UK one for onboard accounts.

[gumbeaux58]

I'm sure it was the fraud alert because of the foreign bank or different city. I always alert the card issuer that I will be cruising. Some offer the alert service online, some you have to call.

 

People forget they can call the number on the back of the card. They will tell you what the problem is. Of course if it was after you sailed, intl rates will apply. Also call you cell phone provider. MSC has repeaters on board for some cell companies so you can call or text while on board.

[resstation]

Happened to us in Yacht Club and although it is definitely a bank problem the concierge was, in plain language, a royal bitch. I can only find one other word to describe her and I never use it. We had contacted the bank before our trip but as others have said, it didn't work. We settled our account with a different card.

 

 

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[Skipper Tim]

Not all cards work everywhere.

 

There is nothing to be embarrassed about. It is not as if, there at the desk with your card, you are trying to steal money from the line and the staff are well-experienced in these issues. I know because I have a hierarchy of cards starting with the one that will earn me the most 'points'. For me this is Avios. I will try with the highest earning card and gradually work down the lower-earning cards, if I must, in order to get the best one that is accepted.

 

There are all sorts of reasons for cards not being accepted. Don't be embarrassed about the failures of the payment systems.

 

It is wise to have a few backup cards and access to the internet to make instant transfers between accounts if absolutely necessary.

[Crzyfrk62]

so glad I read this - cruising in April. I had the same problem on NCL Epic in Spain/Italy. I had called my bank prior to the cruise and thankfully another cc company to let them know. My bank card was put on hold for fraudulent charges! The purser gave me a look but I was allowed to call my bank on the ship and they released the suspected fraud hold.... I had to get ugly before they did. It was a little messy but once the funds were released the purser was apologetic. Has not happened on any other cruise. I will make sure to call my bank and at least one other card, also keep a little extra cash in case. I wonder if I can tell them to take/hold $300 when we check in? Just in case?

[Skier52]

Just had our first msc cruise and when we were disembarking we was told to go to reception and was told our card had been rejected there was money in the account this was very embarrassing and we was not the only ones there lucky my husband had cash on him, has anyone else experienced this with MasterCard.:mad:

 

I have a Halifax Clarity Mastercard exclusively for use on holidays as it is one of the few cards that has no transaction charge for transactions in foreign currencies. This is even true for cash withdrawals ( though these do incur interest payments from the day you make the withdrawal).

I always use this card for MSC (and other cruise lines) and have never had a problem.

 

 

I also take a backup Visa Credit card and a debit card, along with a prepayed Caxton card for use ashore (this is always my first choice for ashore and I carry the visa card for use as an alternative if the caxton is not accepted)

 

I never use the halifax card anywhere except for use on the ship.

 

 

Pete

Edited January 2, 2015 by Skier52

[sidari]

Never had any problem using Mastercard with MSC even on our most recent cruise.

[Satincruz]

so glad I read this - cruising in April. I had the same problem on NCL Epic in Spain/Italy. I had called my bank prior to the cruise and thankfully another cc company to let them know. My bank card was put on hold for fraudulent charges! The purser gave me a look but I was allowed to call my bank on the ship and they released the suspected fraud hold.... I had to get ugly before they did. It was a little messy but once the funds were released the purser was apologetic. Has not happened on any other cruise. I will make sure to call my bank and at least one other card, also keep a little extra cash in case. I wonder if I can tell them to take/hold $300 when we check in? Just in case?

 

I think I remember reading that you can "prepay"/fund your on board account w/ cash, but that you may have to give $500 at check-in to do that (?)

[riclop]

We always use MC and never had a problem.

[Katgoesonholiday]

We've recently finished a cruise on Disney and about halfway through I got a very polite letter asking me to come to Guest Services as there was a problem with my credit card. My bank was super over zealous and I had already had to ring up and have a go at them four times in the preceding weeks. They had all the information about our travel long before the trip but some of their blocks are automatic. For instance, purchasing stuff at Walmart in Orlando meant our card got blocked after the first transaction because it's a indicator of possible fraud to shop there! Thankfully I always travel with at least three different cards from different banks so I was able to give Disney another card and have that go through with no problems. Thankfully they were polite and understanding about it. Whilst it's not the cruise lines fault that cards occasionally (or fairly frequently) get declined, how the guest services staff deal with it is well within the control of the cruise line.

 

Oddly, we didn't have any trouble at all with our cards with our two week holiday in Europe in July even with cruising MSC. But I had nonstop issues for the first few weeks in America.

Edited January 5, 2015 by Katgoesonholiday

[AmoMondo]

Credit Card issuers set their own criteria for blocking cards depending on a variety of factors. Some include software programmes that identify different patterns in behaviour by the card holder (bigger amount than usual, or different countries). Some have different criteria depending on the country where the transaction is happening (this again is based on their past experience of fraud in that country. With others it is certain retailers where there has been a high instance of fraud with a particular website. For example I used the same card to book a flight costing several hundreds of pounds, then various hotels but when I tried to book a couple of train tickets costing around €30 it was declined. I called them as I had plenty credit and was wondering if that last transaction was the final straw, but no it was Trenitalia's. Evidently they block everyone transaction to that site because they've had too much fraud.

 

The morale of the saga is always have more than one form of payment with you. You never know when your card or just a transaction will get blocked. Telling your card issuer that you are going overseas and where you are going helps reduce the risk of a card being blocked but doesn't stop automatic blocks on certain high risk transactions/retailers as determined by the issuer. There is no point arguing with the retailer or asking for explanations, they cannot tell you because they do not get informed of the reason. They only know it is declined.

 

I do agree with Kat though, staff need to be polite and discreet when handling declined transactions. I recall being mortified in a shop when the cashier told me in a loud voice that I had no money in that account and did I have cash or another card I wanted her to try. I had about hundred times the amount of cash in my account than what the transaction was for. It was a central problem with my bank's mainframe being down so they could not get an authorisation. She wrongly made the assumption that it was lack of funds.

Edited January 5, 2015 by AmoMondo

[alfie1963]

No never had that problem, but I've never been on MSC. How much cash did they make you put on the account out of curiosity?

They accepted the card when we checked in it was when we was disembarking so did not have to leave cash just pay our balance in cash