Cash, Debit, or Credit

[GDR1976]

I'm leaving on my first cruise this coming Sunday on Norwegian. I've heard that if you board with a debit card to set up your on board account they will put a hold on it. Can you set a limit to hold, is it a dollar amount per person? We were thinking about getting a prepaid credit card but was told prepaid cards aren't accepted. I don't mind using cash to set up the on board account, but my wife is leery of this. Any help is greatly appreciated!

[Langoustine]

Use a credit card. Or cash. Not a debit card. Your wife should chill.

Edited April 8, 2015 by Langoustine

[Scrapnana]

Some cruise lines accept pre-paid cards others do not.

 

The main problem with a debit card is that the hold could last long past the end of your cruise. The cruise line has a set amount for a hold - you don't determine it.

 

A credit card is the easiest. They will take your card number but an actual charge will not be placed on it till the end. If you wish, you can pay cash the last night if you don't want to have any balance added to your card.

[John Bull]

Pre-pay debit cards aren't usually accepted. Perhaps there's no facility to place a "hold" on them. Best to ask NCL about the specific pre-pay card you plan to use.

 

Because the hold isn't actually withdrawn it doesn't appear on statements, so the vast majority of us don't know the figure - it's probably best to phone NCL & get that figure from the horse's mouth.

The sum held is set by the cruise line, I don't know whether staff on the ship can change the sum at the passenger's request.

 

As Scrapnana's post, that hold isn't released until 7 to 14 days after your cruise. So for that period you can't access the sum held, even though your card has paid for your actual spend. The cruise lines blame the banks for the delay & the banks blame the cruise lines - in this age of instant transactions it's a disgrace, but that's the way it is.

 

That hold is exactly the same for both debit & credit cards, but it tends to be more of a problem with debit cards because most folk run a low current balance on their checking account but have a high credit limit on their credit cards - but the same problem can arise with someone close to maxing their credit limit.

 

A card is simplest by far, but if the hold is likely to be a problem then pay cash into your on-board account when you board. There's nothing to be leery about.

You'll get a prompt if you need to top-up.

At the end of the cruise you'll have to join the line at Guest Relations to get a refund of any over-payment or to settle any under-payment, something you won't have to do if you use a card.

 

Complicated, innit !!

 

JB :)

Edited April 8, 2015 by John Bull

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

Use a credit card.

[luddite]

Never, ever use a debit card for this.

[MCC retired]

A Credit Card will give you a level of protection , rewards and a delay in payment. Should cost you nothing if you don't carry a balance.

Cash or Debit Card gives you none of that.

[serene56]

cash. you can get whatever is left on the last night of the cruise-- but you will be standing in the line to do so.

 

That is why a credit card is your best bet-- no standing in line as the card will already be onfile.

 

Please remember to let your bank know of your vacation plans

[Philob]

When I embarked on the Norwegian Star last week the CASH Account line was about 10 deep (11:45ish). Only the crowd at Bier Garten was bigger ;)

 

When I was disembarking it was about 15 deep (8:30ish).

 

Want to begin and end your cruise in a line? Use a credit card :cool:

[WoodsDrive]

I'm leaving on my first cruise this coming Sunday on Norwegian. I've heard that if you board with a debit card to set up your on board account they will put a hold on it. Can you set a limit to hold, is it a dollar amount per person? We were thinking about getting a prepaid credit card but was told prepaid cards aren't accepted. I don't mind using cash to set up the on board account, but my wife is leery of this. Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

You can prepay your on board account via NCL.com. I would recommend doing that and then you can bring cash to add to it, if needed. Otherwise, use a credit card. I know some people do not believe in credit cards. I have done Dave Ramsey and understand, but some of his advice isn't always practical.

[maywell]

Cash or credit card. Never do debit card because there might be 2 holds on your bank account, one from Norwegian and other one from you bank making sure there's money there - do you really want them to hold $1,200 that suppose to be technically $600 ($300 per person minimum for 7 days). At least with cash, you can put as much as you want (even $300 altogether for the both of you) or with a credit card, the most they will hold is $300-600 and release it back after 15 days (with debit it might be a month or 2). And with cash (and refundable OBC) its mailed back to you in 6-8 weeks.

 

Hope this information helps you and convinces your spouse to not do debit!!!Here's the FAQ to help explain it bit better: http://www.ncl.com/faq#onboard-expenses

[jbooth2099]

We have always used a debit card and never had an issue with holds etc. Am I missing something or just lucky?

 

However, I did lose $200 on Carnival when we missed a port because a hurricane wiped it out a month before our cruise. Pre-paid an excursion thru Carnival and they ended up keeping my money. Might have had more luck fighting it if I had a credit card.

[Cuizer2]

I'm leaving on my first cruise this coming Sunday on Norwegian. I've heard that if you board with a debit card to set up your on board account they will put a hold on it. Can you set a limit to hold, is it a dollar amount per person? We were thinking about getting a prepaid credit card but was told prepaid cards aren't accepted. I don't mind using cash to set up the on board account, but my wife is leery of this. Any help is greatly appreciated!

 

The best thing to use is your credit card. The worst thing to use is your debit card, especially if it is tied to the same account that you pay your bills with.

[Langoustine]

We have always used a debit card and never had an issue with holds etc. Am I missing something or just lucky?

 

However, I did lose $200 on Carnival when we missed a port because a hurricane wiped it out a month before our cruise. Pre-paid an excursion thru Carnival and they ended up keeping my money. Might have had more luck fighting it if I had a credit card.

 

I think you just answered your own question.

[slick1111]

How could they possibly have kept that money if it was booked through the cruise line? I have been on 2 cruises where the itinerary changed and got refunded the money without issue. Did you check your final statement to see if it was in fact returned? If this happened as you say you should continue hounding Carnival until they refund your money.

Edited April 21, 2015 by slick1111

[MrPantsOz]

I just used a debit card (on Princess). No hold was made, I had pre registered the card with them, they just charged the amount owing at the end. I had read so many differing opinions on these boards that I was panicking before I left. The debit card turned out not to be an issue.

[John Bull]

I just used a debit card (on Princess). No hold was made, I had pre registered the card with them, they just charged the amount owing at the end. I had read so many differing opinions on these boards that I was panicking before I left. The debit card turned out not to be an issue.

 

Believe me, Princess DO put a hold on debit / credit cards, same as most (all?) cruise lines, though it doesn't surprise me that you're unaware of it.

You are never notified of the hold, it's not actually taken from your account & it doesn't appear on your statements etc. It's simply "ear-marked".

Must've happened to me dozens of times (hotels etc as well as cruise ships) before I'd even heard of the arrangement. And, same as for the vast majority of folk, it's not been an issue - mainly because as a matter of course IIRC I've always used a credit card with a high limit & never come close to maxing it.

But there are instances in the archives of this board & elsewhere, where folk have had regular bank payments stopped - like rent or mortgage or utilities - or have been unable to draw cash from ATMs because they had insufficient available cash due to the hold.

Rare, but it happens - try searching the boards.

 

This link provided by Maywell is from NCL's website, but the routine is much the same with Princess & others. http://www.ncl.com/faq#onboard-expenses

 

If you maintain a reasonable balance in your checking account to provide a safety margin for delays to inward payments, etc, then it's no problem. But if you run a low balance you'll avoid the potential for a problem by using a credit card. And if you're also close to maxing your credit card/s, best to use cash.

 

JB :)

[serene56]

I just used a debit card (on Princess). No hold was made, I had pre registered the card with them, they just charged the amount owing at the end. I had read so many differing opinions on these boards that I was panicking before I left. The debit card turned out not to be an issue.

 

the problem arises when most people have a daily limit set on their debit card. When that amount is reached the card will hold that amount and reissue a second amount.

 

Letting the bank know to lift any restrictions and you are going away will help with that hold.

[MrPantsOz]

Believe me, Princess DO put a hold on debit / credit cards, same as most (all?) cruise lines, though it doesn't surprise me that you're unaware of it.

You are never notified of the hold, it's not actually taken from your account & it doesn't appear on your statements etc. It's simply "ear-marked".

Must've happened to me dozens of times (hotels etc as well as cruise ships) before I'd even heard of the arrangement. And, same as for the vast majority of folk, it's not been an issue - mainly because as a matter of course IIRC I've always used a credit card with a high limit & never come close to maxing it.

But there are instances in the archives of this board & elsewhere, where folk have had regular bank payments stopped - like rent or mortgage or utilities - or have been unable to draw cash from ATMs because they had insufficient available cash due to the hold.

Rare, but it happens - try searching the boards.

 

This link provided by Maywell is from NCL's website, but the routine is much the same with Princess & others. http://www.ncl.com/faq#onboard-expenses

 

If you maintain a reasonable balance in your checking account to provide a safety margin for delays to inward payments, etc, then it's no problem. But if you run a low balance you'll avoid the potential for a problem by using a credit card. And if you're also close to maxing your credit card/s, best to use cash.

 

JB :)

Actually, I'm very aware of the fact that many businesses put holds on cards. At no stage during my cruise was there ever a difference between my current balance and my available balance on my bank account which is where you can tell how much has been "held". Maybe because I'd already pre paid my gratuities and shore excursions leaving me with plenty of OBC they didn't feel the need to. But as I said before, using a debit card was never an issue for me.

[sredish]

I've used a debit card every single time I've cruised and never had an issue. I've never had a "hold" put on it....they just run your daily charges to the card.

 

I just call my bank ahead of time and tell them I'm travelling so they don't kick back charges from different places. The ship will run and hold on your account your daily totals each day and then at the end of the cruise they simply back out those individual charges and charge you one lump sum. But it's never been anything over and above my actual charges. NEVER EVER had a hold amount and I've sailed several lines.

 

Never had an issue at all. Most banks offer fraud protection same as credit cards and my bank issues a same day credit for fraud...so there's nothing to worry about.

Edited April 21, 2015 by sredish

[Illyria]

To me a debit card is a waste of all the perks (miles, cash back, etc.) that you get with good credit cards. That's in addition to potentially opening up my entire bank account to a data breach. I don't even use them in my home town, let alone on international travel.

[trish1c]

Assuming you have a credit card your best bet is to charge everything on it, then use the cash you would have used & pay the credit card off the day you get home. Best of all worlds.