Credit Card Holds on RCCL

[Clarea]

This is my first cruise but I just want to be sure... we have already paid gratuities. So unless we are purchasing drinks or a specialty dinner,, there shouldn't be any charges at all, right?

Correct.

 

Other ways to spend money onboard: excursions, shops, spa, casino, etc.

[michele54]

I had covered 4 cabins on our last cruise. 3 were charged the last morning and 1 was credited within 3 days... (all on Discover Card)

 

 

 

I know they put holds on debit cards but never heard of them putting a hold on a CC

 

 

 

What does it mean to "put holds on a debit card?" I was going to use my debit card. How will this affect me?

 

 

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[swoopy2110]

What does it mean to "put holds on a debit card?" I was going to use my debit card. How will this affect me?

 

 

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A 'hold' reduces your available balance on the account. Your money is being 'held' outside of your Bank Account, but also outside of RCI's grasp. Only when they confirm the transaction do they get the money. If they don't confirm it in a period of time (3 - 7 days) the money falls back into your account.

 

Lets say you have $200 in your account. RCI put a 'hold' of $50 on your bank account after day 1 due to spends (Your bank account available balance will now be $150. On day 2 they then put a $75 hold on your account due to your seapass outstanding balance on spends on board (Bank account available balance will now be $75). On day 3 they try to put a hold of $100 on your account. They are now unable to do this as your account doesn't have enough available funds on. You will also be unable to pay the final day balance on this card as all the funds are currently being held and take a few days to clear.

 

One way to get around this is to use a cash account from the beginning, then on the final day go and pay the balance on your debit card at guest services

[gwsster]

TRUE, I used Citibank card on my last cruise NCL and it took 30 days for the charges to drop off This is a Citibank thing and nothing to do with any cruise line. The pending charges remained pending until they dropped off, I thought 30 days was a little too long for pending charges. I will use another card from now on when I cruise.

 

 

Be warned they do daily authorizations on your credit card. I have $972.14 still pending even though they have run the final charge. Been on hold for 40+ minutes with RCCL trying to get them released. She told me that Citi Cards usually drop 30 DAYS after the cruise ends.

[Intent2smile]

What does it mean to "put holds on a debit card?" I was going to use my debit card. How will this affect me?

 

 

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It means that RC can put a hold on certain amount of your funds. We were told last year they could put a $250 dollar hold on our account. I would make your account a cash account before I would use a debit card on account. We even have overdraft protection on our debit cards and I still wouldn't use it. If you have bills that come directly or if your account the holds that RC puts on could make those bills deny or anything you spend could deny. If you do a cash account you can pay what you owe when you get to a certain amount with the debit card.

 

We had on board credit last year and they still put a hold on our credit card before the on board credit was gone.

 

We use a credit card for our trip and put everything we spend while on vacation then pay it off as soon as we get the bIll

[linaka625]

If you set up a cash account, do they make you deposit a certain amount per person at the beginning of the cruise?

[swoopy2110]

If you set up a cash account, do they make you deposit a certain amount per person at the beginning of the cruise?

 

No. But they will only let you rack up $500 before expecting some cash to be paid

[linaka625]

No. But they will only let you rack up $500 before expecting some cash to be paid

 

Thanks!

[yoyoange]

No. But they will only let you rack up $500 before expecting some cash to be paid

 

 

 

Can you pay with a debit card to square up a cash account or must it be paid with cash?

[Biker19]

Can you pay with a debit card to square up a cash account or must it be paid with cash?

You can pay with anything, including travelers checks.

[mek]

The "pending" charges will drop off in due time. No worries! It's not up to RCI, it's all about YOUR credit card company...so call them, if you must! But otherwise...they will disappear...stop checking so often!

 

Unless a credit card is maxed out, I don't see what the problem is.

[amyhphoto]

Question I have about this topic is why would anyone not set up a cash account? Seems like the best way to go. I had no idea this was possible. Seems unbelievable that they allow you to rack up 500$ worth of bills with no credit card backing it up. Seems like a lot of people would jump ship without paying!

 

 

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[DebJ14]

When the hold drops off depends on the bank, not the cruise line. Hang up and call your bank! I use a Chase credit card when traveling and it takes about a week for all the holds associated with a cruise to drop off. Thankfully, it has a very high credit limit, so it does not impact any other purchases I might need to make.

 

I would never use a debit card and tie up the cash in our checking account for days after, especially when there are so many auto debits to the account that have to go through, like health insurance payments, gas and water bill, life insurance premiums etc.

[Biker19]

Question I have about this topic is why would anyone not set up a cash account?

Because of the potential hassle of settling the account on the last night and the lack of issues with most folks' credit holds.

[amyhphoto]

I guess that's why I've never done a cash acct. Makes sense.

 

 

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[Flamencacha]

When the hold drops off depends on the bank, not the cruise line. Hang up and call your bank! I use a Chase credit card when traveling and it takes about a week for all the holds associated with a cruise to drop off. Thankfully, it has a very high credit limit, so it does not impact any other purchases I might need to make.

 

I would never use a debit card and tie up the cash in our checking account for days after, especially when there are so many auto debits to the account that have to go through, like health insurance payments, gas and water bill, life insurance premiums etc.

 

 

 

I have a checking account called my vacation account. I used a debit card on 3 separate cruise lines. Celebrity being under RCI was the only one that did the excessive holds. On another line I had $125 OBC and used a debit card as a guarantee, a hold was never placed on my debit card.

 

I now use a cash account. Especially with RCI ships, No holds, and helps with impulse spending. Works for me.

 

 

 

 

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[crusinthrough]

Question I have about this topic is why would anyone not set up a cash account? Seems like the best way to go. I had no idea this was possible. Seems unbelievable that they allow you to rack up 500$ worth of bills with no credit card backing it up. Seems like a lot of people would jump ship without paying!

 

 

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I always set up a cash account. I pay my balance a day or two before the end of the cruise at very late hours when the GS line in short. I have never had a problem. I don't spend much onboard either so maybe that's why it works for me.

[Milwaukee Eight]

I always set up a cash account. I pay my balance a day or two before the end of the cruise at very late hours when the GS line in short. I have never had a problem. I don't spend much onboard either so maybe that's why it works for me.

 

 

 

Do you pre pay gratuities or remove them?

 

 

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[Esmerelda]

We use cash on day 1, then in day 5 out our debit card on the account so we don't have to settle at the desk. We always let our bank know we will be traveling. In the last 5 cruises, we have never had any extra 'holds' or odd charges. I don't think it's luck since it's been 5 different cruises.

[crusinthrough]

Do you pre pay gratuities or remove them?

 

 

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Don't remove or pre pay sometimes. Most of the time I have just enough OBC to cover gratuities. I always get a drink package so my only expense would be gratuities if not covered by my OBC.

[ZoeyVictoria]

A hold on a credit card = money that is "reserved" for that vendor (in this case RCI). The money that is reserved is not available to be used by anybody else for a number of days (that you cannot control). Kind of like the financial version of chair hogs; the money may or may not be used but it still isn't available to you.

[Biker19]

Charge card hogs.

[Ambermark]

Ok I’m a little confused. If I put a credit card down, which I’m sure I read I had to do, will they put holds on even if I don’t buy anything? I’ve prepaid my gratuities and have a drinks package, I’ll probanly spend a little more but if they put a hold of several hundred dollars on my account and I didn’t have it available, would that not put me over the limit and then I’d get charged by my cc?

Sorry if it’s an obvious answer but I don’t use credit cards very often and never had a ‘hold’ on one :/

[Milwaukee Eight]

Ok I’m a little confused. If I put a credit card down, which I’m sure I read I had to do, will they put holds on even if I don’t buy anything? I’ve prepaid my gratuities and have a drinks package, I’ll probanly spend a little more but if they put a hold of several hundred dollars on my account and I didn’t have it available, would that not put me over the limit and then I’d get charged by my cc?

Sorry if it’s an obvious answer but I don’t use credit cards very often and never had a ‘hold’ on one :/

 

 

 

Is it a true CC or a debit card? There is a difference in what happens.

 

 

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[Ambermark]

Credit card, :)