Purchasing options for Princess Ultimate beverage package

[Jcastle431]

Hello!

 

I went on a norwegian cruise earlier this year and purchased the unlimited beverage package and loved it. I am sailing with princess next week and would love to purchase again but I can not afford to preorder as my paycheck doesnt direct deposit until the day after i set sail. My question is can I purchase the package the second day? If i purchase it the first day will they not charge it until the endd of the cruise? Thanks for your input!

[fishywood]

If you register a credit card for your onboard purchases Princess will not post any charges to it until you disembark (though there may be a few small inquiries) so you are fine to buy it when you board.

 

But if you present a debit card for your onboard charges (which I am inferring from the issue with your paycheck being deposited) there needs to be enough money in the account for Princess to put holds on it at times during the cruise based on your onboard spending. A possible issue with your ability to charge anything at all to not be able to have a hold approved upon boarding.

 

<<Addendum: but that being said, it is not in any ships interest to decline purchases on embarkation day; most likely the worst that will happen after you buy the AIBP Day 1 is that you may be called to the purser's desk Day 2 once they see that upon embarkation you did not have that full amount available to be placed on hold. Then you would simply just ask them to re-check your account's validity as your deposit should have been made by that time.>>

 

And note that Princess neither pro-rates nor retroactively applies the AIBP if you wait to purchase it on Day 2.

Edited November 24, 2015 by fishywood

[jennybenny]

Hi Jcastle,

All charges (except for future cruise credit) will be charged at the end of the cruise. Officially it might be an inquiry and then once you are off they charge what you spent. However, as fishywood mentioned, if you use a debit card for your on board charges they will make an estimate of some charges to do an inquiry and lock those funds, in a way. What I normally do is use a credit card to get on board and then the last night pay cash or use my debit card for my charges because I don't like the idea of locking up my bank account.

 

I don't know what happens if they can't "charge" your debit card/credit card upon embarkation.

 

I highly recommend the all inclusive beverage package. We do it every time.

[OCruisers]

We always buy it the first day on the cruise and are not charged until the end of the cruise.

[TracieABD]

I have never seen Princess put a "hold" on our card, so you will probably be fine.

 

Just as an aside, HAL puts a $60 per person per day hold on your card. If you are traveling with 4 people for 7 days that is $1680. Granted, at the end of the cruise, HAL releases the hold, but for those who use debit cards, this can wreak havoc on their auto-pay bills and mortgages.

[OCruisers]

Why would people use a DEBIT card rather than a CREDIT card? :confused:

 

LuLu