Prepaid Visa Cards

[princeryanandevan]

We don't have a credit card and I'd prefer not to use my debit card. I was planning on just bringing cash, but I hate to carry that much - there are 4 of us and I need $800 alone for our S&S account - plus several hundred more for our ports. I'm thinking I should buy a prepaid Visa for $1000 and just bring a moderate amount of cash. Has anyone ever used a prepaid visa for their S&S account?

[cuyahoga11]

We don't have a credit card and I'd prefer not to use my debit card. I was planning on just bringing cash, but I hate to carry that much - there are 4 of us and I need $800 alone for our S&S account - plus several hundred more for our ports. I'm thinking I should buy a prepaid Visa for $1000 and just bring a moderate amount of cash. Has anyone ever used a prepaid visa for their S&S account?

 

They wont take them unless your name is on it. How about Travelers checks?

[princeryanandevan]

They wont take them unless your name is on it. How about Travelers checks?

 

I was hoping they would take a pre-paid visa because it is more convenient, but I'll get the traveler's checks instead. Thanks!

[98Charlie]

As a merchant I would advise against travelling with any pre paid card. Too often I have had customers that I know and trust use a pre-paid only to have the system deny it.

 

If you qualify for any no annual fee card I would really suggest that you consider getting one and pay it off when the bill comes in.

 

Remember that traveller's checks will have to be cashed somewhere. The cruise line will definitely take them as deposit on your S&S. But it has been reported on other threads that the excess will be refunded by check, not cash.

 

Just my 2¢

 

Charlie

[princeryanandevan]

As a merchant I would advise against travelling with any pre paid card. Too often I have had customers that I know and trust use a pre-paid only to have the system deny it.

 

If you qualify for any no annual fee card I would really suggest that you consider getting one and pay it off when the bill comes in.

 

Remember that traveller's checks will have to be cashed somewhere. The cruise line will definitely take them as deposit on your S&S. But it has been reported on other threads that the excess will be refunded by check, not cash.

 

Just my 2¢

 

Charlie

 

 

Thanks - I'll either get the traveler's checks or just deposit the cash in my account and use my debit card. I don't really have time to get a no fee credit card.

[bmacri]

You can pre pay your SS account now over the phone or online.

I prepay mine for an amount up to $1000. In fact, I'm mailing them a cashiers check instead of doing it online or over the phone because the cruise is a surprise and I don't want any paper trail that my spouse can find.

[98Charlie]

Thanks - I'll either get the traveler's checks or just deposit the cash in my account and use my debit card. I don't really have time to get a no fee credit card.

 

You can pre pay your SS account now over the phone or online.

I prepay mine for an amount up to $1000. In fact, I'm mailing them a cashiers check instead of doing it online or over the phone because the cruise is a surprise and I don't want any paper trail that my spouse can find.

You may want to follow bmacri's advise (I didn't know you could do that) and pre pay over the phone. This can avoid any circumstances where the cruise line could put a hold on your checking account and later charge the amount without removing the hold. That can put you in to overdraft.

 

Charlie

[RICKAR]

We are booked for a cruise on the Valor in June and I am planning to pre-pay for the S&S card. We used our Debit card on our Cruise last month and our account was frozen with the holds. Carnival got their money the day after we returned, I reviewed our acct online and found the holds 2 days after we returned and it took Carnival 4 business days to remove the holds that were placed after I contacted them twice.:eek:

 

CC will be paid off before this cruise and will be used as a back-up.:):cool:

[amyh1028]

Thanks for all that info. I was just going to use my debit card, however now I am SURE I will not! I don't want all those hold on my checking account. Now what about in ports? Do those merchants place hold when you use debit cards or do you think that it would just be better to use a credit card there too?

[sappygirl]

Thanks for all that info. I was just going to use my debit card, however now I am SURE I will not! I don't want all those hold on my checking account. Now what about in ports? Do those merchants place hold when you use debit cards or do you think that it would just be better to use a credit card there too?

In the ports I would use cash. In some ports they charge fees for using cards, not exactly sure about debit though. To be on the safe side I would use cash to buy.:)

[amyh1028]

Good idea. Do you ever worry about purse snatching or getting muged? As I have never been to either of my ports just wonder if there is a large police presence or other security. What about taking your passport off the ship? I read in other posts that is says leave your passport on board, but don't you need that?

[RICKAR]

We used cash on our cruise last month. I don't know if there are any charges added for using the debit cards?

[98Charlie]

Regardless of whether you use a debit or credit card there will be foreign transaction fees. Check with the bank that issued the debit/credit card and find out how much it is.

 

Charlie

[pearose]

Remember that traveller's checks will have to be cashed somewhere. The cruise line will definitely take them as deposit on your S&S. But it has been reported on other threads that the excess will be refunded by check, not cash.

 

 

I just wondered, if you put down cash for your S&S and they issue you the check for any amount not used, can you then take that check and cash it at the pursur's desk before you get off the ship? Does anyone know?

[98Charlie]

I just wondered, if you put down cash for your S&S and they issue you the check for any amount not used, can you then take that check and cash it at the pursur's desk before you get off the ship? Does anyone know?

Never done it myself but the answer on CC has been no.

 

I believe the checks would have to be printed the last night after the bars/casinos close. In that case you would receive the check with your final statement. Even if you could cash it you'd be in the mile long line the final morning.

 

Charlie

[cuyahoga11]

I just wondered, if you put down cash for your S&S and they issue you the check for any amount not used, can you then take that check and cash it at the pursur's desk before you get off the ship? Does anyone know?

 

The answer is yes you can cash it on the ship but you will probally have a long wait

[cwr322]

I just wondered, if you put down cash for your S&S and they issue you the check for any amount not used, can you then take that check and cash it at the pursur's desk before you get off the ship? Does anyone know?

I am 99% sure that you can do that. We didn't bother because our check was only like $46.00. We used cash and started out with $800. and kept the rest of our cash in the cabin safe. In ports we only took the cash that we expected to use with us. We kept an eye on the balance on our S&S card and added to it as needed, and kept it to the point where we would not have to worry about having to go down and cash our check before we headed home. Once we got home we just took our $46.00 check to the bank and deposited it.

[firefly333]

My debit card worked just fine btw.