Hold on debit card - how much?

[sgcass123]

Hi everyone, 

 

I know this has been asked many times before, but I simply do not have time to go search on all the threads.  I did look through the first 3 pages of threads without any luck.  Anyway, can anyone tell me the following......

1.  If I put a debit card as the on-board expense account online, at what point does Carnival put a hold on the account?  

2.  What is the amount of the hold?  

 

Thanks for any help!

Stephanie 

[JaxsMama]

Sail & Sign Account Opened with a Credit Card or Debit Card

• Guests may activate their Sail & Sign account on Carnival.com, My Cruise Manager, Online Check-in, or on the first day of the cruise at embarkation.
• The guest's credit card or debit card will be swiped at embarkation with an initial hold placed on file as a deposit; if the card is activated online, the initial hold will be placed on file on the day of embarkation:
  • 2 - 6 day cruise: $100 USD for each stateroom charged using the same credit card or debit card 
  • 7 days or longer: $200 USD for each stateroom charged using the same credit card or debit card
• Throughout the cruise, additional holds will be obtained as needed when the Sail & Sign account exceeds the amount of deposit Carnival has on file.
• If a credit card is presented, this will reduce the amount available on the credit card for other purchases.
• If a debit/check-cashing card is presented, the hold will restrict the available cash in the checking account.
• Any remaining hold after the end of the cruise will automatically be released by the guest's issuing bank within a time period determined by the bank.
• If the guest replaces a credit/debit card previously used, the hold will remain on the account. This will reduce the amount of funds available on the credit/debit card account. The release of this/these hold(s) is entirely up to the issuing bank and can take from 3 to 7 business days after the cruise returns for the funds to be released.
• All charges will automatically be billed to the guest's credit card at the end of the voyage. The total amount will be applied to the credit card presented during registration.

Acceptable Cards

• Visa Card and Visa Gift Card
• MasterCard and MasterCard Gift Card
• An ATM/Debit Cashing Card may be used as long as it is a registered MasterCard or Visa Card.
• The Discover Card and Discover Gift Card
• American Express Card and the Carnival Corporation Reward Card from American Express
• Diner's Club and Diner's Club Gift Card
• JCB Card only

Note: Gift Cards may also be referred to as 'secured' or 'pre-loaded' credit cards or 'Travel Funds Card'.

 

[JaxsMama]

The hold will occur once onboard. Personally I wouldn't use a debit card as many people report the hold will take awhile to come off.  Carnival will then charge your card at the end of your cruise for what you owe.  The hold will fall off maybe up to a week or so later, so make sure you have enough money to cover the hold and the actual charge.  I would recommend a credit card or put cash down when you board.

[ray98]

It is not going to be "a" hold, it will be multiple holds as the balance on the account rises.  On our cruise last month my credit card ended up with about $350 in hold along with the final $300 charge.  So, $750 would have been tied up for days if I used a debit card.

[sgcass123]

Thanks, everyone!  Very helpful information!

[coevan]

use a credit card, protection and rewards are good enough reason. A compromised debit card can wipe you out.

[Elaine5715]

The second your debit card issuer refuses a hold, they will shut down your account and require another form of payment so be sure you notify the card issuer and don't forget any place you use that card prior to  boarding will incur holds.

Heard guests arguing at GS that there was a deposit scheduled into their account before end of cruise but it was no go.  

[HeidiHo]

I know someone who once went on a cruise with no credit card or cash. She planned to only use her debit card but she had no money in her account. She thought that as long as she was going to have her paycheck automatically deposited right before the end of the cruise that that's all that mattered. She was pretty upset when she found out it didn't work that way. BTW, this was not on Carnival but it would have been the same if had been Carnival.

[Elaine5715]

31 minutes ago, HeidiHo said:

I know someone who once went on a cruise with no credit card or cash. She planned to only use her debit card but she had no money in her account. She thought that as long as she was going to have her paycheck automatically deposited right before the end of the cruise that that's all that mattered. She was pretty upset when she found out it didn't work that way. BTW, this was not on Carnival but it would have been the same if had been Carnival.

This is correct.

[Purvis1231]

I used my debt card once with no problem. I check my balance right after I got off the ship and my balance was correct- no holds. But we did not spend much.  Generally it is better to use a credit card or cash. The main problem with a debt or credit card is if you have any unexpected charges such as a major illness treated at the ship's medical clinic that cost $5000.00. If you used a debt/credit card the ship will charge the entire account before you leave the ship. This could wipe many people out. If you used cash, they could only take the amount you put down. The ship would to wait on you to process your insurance. 

Edited May 26, 2019 by Purvis1231
typo

[SRQbeachgirl]

I like to buy OBC before the cruise so I don't have to worry about multiple holds. We pretty much know about how much we will spend onboard on a cruise, so buying the OBC in advance limits my credit card from taking a big hit on the back end or having a week-long hold on it.

[coevan]

6 minutes ago, SRQbeachgirl said:

limits my credit card from taking a big hit

 

 

Pretty sure they only bill what you charge

[SRQbeachgirl]

1 minute ago, coevan said:

 

 

Pretty sure they only bill what you charge

 

Yes, but when I buy OBC upfront I don't have to pay it off the Credit card on the back end. Subliminally, it also helps to control my shopaholic instincts. 🤣

[maryred]

18 hours ago, sgcass123 said:

1.  If I put a debit card as the on-board expense account online, at what point does Carnival put a hold on the account?  

 

The debit card number will be run at the embarkation day physical check-in as a test charge to make sure the number is good. The amount as listed in post #2 by JaxsMama is currently what Carnival has listed as policy in their FAQs section, but this is always subject to change and should be looked at again closer to your sailing date. Most banks will interpret this test charge as an incomplete charge marking it as a hold for 3-10 banking days (which could mean 3-15 calendar days depending on bank holidays). How the hold is handled is entirely up to your financial institution, and any questions about how holds against your account work should really be asked of a CS rep at your bank.

What isn't mentioned is if your daily average spending on the S&S account exceeds the initial test charge, an additional test charge will be made to insure the bank account can handle the additional spending. This triggers a new incomplete charge that the bank could interpret as a different transaction. At this point things on the banking end can go 1 of 3 ways ... A) the initial embarkation day test charge gets wiped out with the newer test charge prevailing for both date and amount...B) both test charges are left on the bank account each with it's own amount and date of pending charge...C) the 2 test charges get combined for a new total hold amount but with the embarkation day date being the original transaction date. Again only you bank rep can answer this, so contact them to ask how open end resort style room charges are handled if daily inquiries are made by the resort on the card.

Bottom line if a debit card is your only "credit" card on file option, you may want to think about funding the on board account with some combination of cash, Carnival gift cards, and Cruise Cash (purchased OBC).

On the other hand there are several ways to reduce your on board spending, still use your debit card, and not run in to additional holds while on board. It is as simple as prepaying for anything and everything you can prior to the day before embarkation day.