Credit Card Hold

[jaredicarter]

Hey Guys! I am sailing in the Norweigan Escape April 22nd and I was wondering if anyone knew what the credit card hold was for our room? We have 2 people!

 

Thanks!

[njhorseman]

Typically $300 for a one week cruise.

[jaredicarter]

Typically $300 for a one week cruise.

 

Is that $300 per person or just $300 for the stateroom?

 

Thanks!

[njhorseman]

Is that $300 per person or just $300 for the stateroom?

 

Thanks!

 

$300 total for two.

[elesay]

Always use a different card for the cruise and hotels/excursions.

 

I live in Orlando and worked at Disney for 3 long years in merchandise. EVERY SINGLE DAY we would have guest credit cards declined because of the holds of the hotel, airline, and rental car companies. I've seen this issue ruin many many vacations, especially if they are traveling on only 1 card.

 

I do have to compliment you on thinking ahead in this respect.

[BirdTravels]

They will make an initial authorization. And then additional authorizations as your bill goes up. And finally process a final payment. Most card companies won't clear the intermediate holds. So 2x of your credit line is held until your credit card company releases it.

[jrzurel]

We are going to use a credit card at the embarkation port but want to pay cash as we go. Is this possible? I remember on Carnival we were able to pay cash as we go through little kiosks. At the end of the cruise we didn't have a balance. Can you do the same on Escape? If not how does only using cash work?

[Moby0215]

We are going to use a credit card at the embarkation port but want to pay cash as we go. Is this possible? I remember on Carnival we were able to pay cash as we go through little kiosks. At the end of the cruise we didn't have a balance. Can you do the same on Escape? If not how does only using cash work?

 

 

 

If you are going to use cash then don't even give them a card at embarkation. Then you won't have any holds.

 

 

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[rbt001]

If you are going to use cash then don't even give them a card at embarkation. Then you won't have any holds.

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WARNING: this is long and technical so as to avoid replies that would point out a technicality I missed. However, if you have first hand knowledge from your personal experience on NCL -- as opposed to suppositions and "I thnk.." -- then please share them, as I am sailing later this week and plan to do what I state.

 

It's been 4 1/2 years since on NCL, but I remember it works similar on most cruise lines: the only form of payment on board in specialty restaurants, bars, spa, gift shop, etc. is your cruise card/room key.

 

Another poster stated that on NCL a cc authorization of $300.00 is taken initially, with additional ones taken as the balance on the account grows.

 

Here's a couple of tips that have always worked for me while sailing on Princess, and on NCL 4.5 years ago.

 

I present an AMEX charge card for authorization even though it's not the card I'll use to pay my account at the end. Their "no preset spending limit" does NOT mean "the sky's the limit," however they're less likely to "decline" an authorization if it's within your normal spending patterns.

 

Because I gamble and charge a great deal to my room, I periodically visit the Purser's Desk to make "partial payments" with another card, which reduces my room account balance. I always am clear to state that I do NOT want them to update the card securing my account (the AMEX) with the one I present for the partial.

 

HYPOTHETICAL NUMBERS to explain how it works: Let's say that my account balance is $1,700 and they've taken a total of $2,000 in authorizations (remember, they stay ahead with the authorizations.) I may stop by the desk and present a Visa Card (which has a credit limit) to pay $1,500. Right then they will authorize a $1,500 charge on the Visa as they print a charge slip for that amount for me to sign. Then they post the payment to my account bringing down the balance to $200 on my account, while the $2,000 AMEX authorization remains. Let's say I forgot to tell the agent NOT to replace the AMEX with this Visa card to secure the room... they're inclined to replace the AMEX --CAUSING THE $2,000 of authorizations to be LOST by them, yet NOT eliminated as holds on the AMEX-- so they would begin taking authorizations as needed on the Visa. That's why it's important to ask them NOT to update the AMEX card used to secure the room account.

 

A former Disney person posted on here about ruined vacations from declined credit cards. Here's how that can happen. When a merchant (NCL in this case, but hotels & rental cars work the same) take successive authorizatons, say $300, $500, $1,000, and $200 to have a total of $2000, and then process a charge for say $1,700 things do NOT "match up" at the issuing bank. So the total hold against the account in this example is $3,700: the actual $1,700 charge and the total of $2,000 in authorizations. Yes, eventually the $2,000 of authorizations will "fall off" or expire, freeing up that $2,000 of available credit, but that can take 5 business days, as the issuing bank allows ample time for the merchant requesting the authorization to submit a charge. For the card holder to call and say: "but the $1,700 was what the $2000 of authorizations were taken," just won't work. The issuing bank is obligated to honor any charges that do come through that were authorized; even though the cardholder and the merchant know there won't be another charge, the issuing bank doesn't and they are on the hook to honor any that do.

 

So... if your intention is to pay cash, you can just make periodic trips to the desk to pay down your balance. Since it's cash, always ask for a printout/receipt where you confirm the cash was posted to the correct account. Perhaps you could pay ahead on embarkation by having them apply half or more of what you planned to spend for the cruise, effectively starting with a credit balance on your account which you work down down to zero. Oh, and if you spend less and have a small credit balance at the end, then I'm pretty certain they'd refund that to you on the spot in cash, as they see that it was CASH applied to your account previously.

 

And to finish this long post, let me say I'd strongly caution to NEVER use a debit card to secure an account. I witnessed a truly humiliating event on the morning of disembarkation from a 4-day cruise. The desk clerk was BRUTAL with a woman whose debit card was declined for her balance of approximately $100. I gathered that she may have saved quite some time to afford the short cruise, and I did hear her state that she had spent a little more on board than she planned to. I also heard her explain that she had called her bank and seemed to be trying to work things out, The clerk was only concerned with her coming up with funds to pay the bill. He was berating in his tone; he didn't care to hear anything except how the ship would get it's money. Anyone in line paying attention could have heard this. Again, I'd say use a debit card as a LAST resort.

[wdsted]

We've opted in to the SDP and UDP options for our last 10 cruises, so we only ever now have internet and DSC charges on our bill these days. Maybe our financial institution does things differently from others, but we've never had either large or long-lasting holds.

 

 

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[CruisinNewbie11]

Would it be a good idea to use Visa pre-paid cards tsecure the deposit onboard?

[karenpstok]

you do not need to put a card on your account if you dont want to but you will have to give a deposit to them in cash..If you want to do any room charges to your card in the casino then you need to have a credit card attached to the account. I didn't have any issuses with holds on my account once the bill was finalized. I normally pay it down to zero in cash so nothing is charged to my card in the end.. Personal choice

[nancydow]

Be very careful when trying to make partial payments with another card (not the one you swiped on embarkation day). I have had several mistakes and much time spent trying to do this (then fix this) on two previous cruises. Finally, after the second time they screwed it up, I just upped my credit line on my NCL Worldpoints MasterCard so I wouldn't have to do the card juggling thing again.

 

 

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[Moby0215]

Would it be a good idea to use Visa pre-paid cards tsecure the deposit onboard?

 

 

 

Pre paid cards are just like debit cards. Just take the cash that you would be putting on the pre paid and use that onboard.

 

 

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[njhorseman]

Would it be a good idea to use Visa pre-paid cards tsecure the deposit onboard?

 

Pre paid cards are just like debit cards. Just take the cash that you would be putting on the pre paid and use that onboard.

 

 

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The terms and conditions of some prepaid cards actually state they can't be used on board a cruise ship.

[Moby0215]

The terms and conditions of some prepaid cards actually state they can't be used on board a cruise ship.

 

 

 

Can you give an example? Haven't heard that before. It would have the visa or MasterCard logo on it. Even though I would never use one for my cruise travel, It would be very crappy if it were to be refused. My friends used their pre-paid on the breakaway with no issues.

 

 

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[njhorseman]

Can you give an example? Haven't heard that before. It would have the visa or MasterCard logo on it. Even though I would never use one for my cruise travel, It would be very crappy if it were to be refused. My friends used their pre-paid on the breakaway with no issues.

 

 

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I've seen it on at least one prepaid card, stated on the reverse of the card, but I can't recall which logo card it was. I said "some cards", which also means some may very well be acceptable.

[peg013]

I've seen it on both VISA and AMEX cards. Our kids bought one of each for us to use on a cruise as our Christmas gift a few years back (not from NCL) and they both stated not for use on cruise ships. Needless to say the kids were disappointed but we just used them elsewhere and used our own cash as their "gifts.

[Moby0215]

I've seen it on both VISA and AMEX cards. Our kids bought one of each for us to use on a cruise as our Christmas gift a few years back (not from NCL) and they both stated not for use on cruise ships. Needless to say the kids were disappointed but we just used them elsewhere and used our own cash as their "gifts.

 

 

 

Maybe there is s difference between gift cards and pre/paid cards.

 

 

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[Lookingforfacts]

People at or near their credit card limit should call and ask to have their credit card limit increased. If the answer is no explain you're going on vacation and you expect hotels, car rentals and cruise lines may be putting temporary holds on your credit line. Ask if you can get the limit increased on a temporary basis. If that fails follow the suggestion of the PP and make a cash deposit for your cruise incidentals.

[peg013]

Maybe there is s difference between gift cards and pre/paid cards.

 

 

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They were pre-paid cards given as a gift. You can use them to pay for your cruise at final payment or as part of a deposit but not on an actual cruise for payment of your account.

[Moby0215]

They were pre-paid cards given as a gift. You can use them to pay for your cruise at final payment or as part of a deposit but not on an actual cruise for payment of your account.

 

 

 

What I am saying is there is a difference between a pre-paid gift cards like the ones you buy at the supermarket vs one that you "apply" for and keep. Those work more like a checking account. My brother has one and there is actually an account number and routing number and has not had a problem using it for their onboard account.

 

 

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[njhorseman]

What I am saying is there is a difference between a pre-paid gift cards like the ones you buy at the supermarket vs one that you "apply" for and keep. Those work more like a checking account. My brother has one and there is actually an account number and routing number and has not had a problem using it for their onboard account.

 

 

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Your brother's card is a debit card, not linked to the typical bank checking or savings account, but rather to an issuing bank or other financial company to which you deposit (load) money that you can then draw upon without having an underlying bank account. It is not a gift card. Further, not all gift cards are of the type you get at a retail store that are good only at the store. There are many gift cards that are affiliated with the major credit card issuers such as Visa, Mastercard and American Express, and are often issued by and purchased at a bank. It's your misidentification of your brother's card as a "gift card" that's causing the confusion.

 

A prepaid debit card such as your brother's can be used on the ship because it works in a similar way to a debit card linked to a traditional bank account. A gift card often can't be used on a cruise ship as it's a totally different animal.

Edited April 18, 2017 by njhorseman