On Board Expense Account Question

[docboy]

Hey everyone, I'm currently setting up the on board expense account. I have 2 questions:

 

1) If I choose to set it up linked to my credit card, what is that "initial $50 hold" the site referred to? If I have $0 in charges at the end of cruise, I could to see $0 at the end statement?

 

2) If I choose to do a cash account, I can only charge up to and NOT EXCEED the deposit amount; if the charge is greater than the deposit amount, I would need to deposit more money?

 

Thanks.

[Essiesmom]

If you are taking a five day cruise, the $50 hold might be the autotips of $10/day. Of course, that will be per person that you are covering with your card. And you are correct about the cash. They will require a minimum deposit, I think the info is on the Carnival website. When you have used that up, they will leave you a note to come put up more. EM

[Deckhawk]

Hi There - The initial hold is just a temporary authorization. The only way you will notice it is if you use a debit card - in which case they will lock up some of the money in your checking account to make sure that you have enough on your card. At the end of the cruise, they will only charge what you spent on your account and the rest will be released. You don't see anything if you use a normal credit card.

 

So the answer to #1 is yes - if you spend zero, you will have zero in charges. However, if you link a debt card, they will lock up money until the end of the cruise to make sure that you can pay...

[docboy]

Hi There - The initial hold is just a temporary authorization. The only way you will notice it is if you use a debit card - in which case they will lock up some of the money in your checking account to make sure that you have enough on your card. At the end of the cruise, they will only charge what you spent on your account and the rest will be released. You don't see anything if you use a normal credit card.

 

So the answer to #1 is yes - if you spend zero, you will have zero in charges. However, if you link a debt card, they will lock up money until the end of the cruise to make sure that you can pay...

 

Thanks. This info is great. I'll likely end up linking the account to my credit card then. My wife and I don't like to overspend anyway, plus God forbid there is a need to dispute charges, the credit card seems the way to go.

[Uncle Doug]

Thanks. This info is great. I'll likely end up linking the account to my credit card then. My wife and I don't like to overspend anyway, plus God forbid there is a need to dispute charges, the credit card seems the way to go.

 

A credit card is always the way we go. There have been lots of threads here on CC about holds on debit cards causing some people problems. We have never had an issue with a old using our credit card.

[MistyRo76]

Just make sure that if you put a credit card number in when setting up your on-board expense account that you use the same credit card when you check in at the Port. I set up my account so early, that I completely forgot which card I put in and I accidentally brought a different card with me. They cannot (or would not) change it at check in. She told me that I would have to go to the Purser's desk to have it changed. Luckily their computers went down and they had to process us manually, so she was able to take a different card from me after all. Avoided having to wait in another line when we got on board.

 

Misty

[pearose]

Hi There - The initial hold is just a temporary authorization. The only way you will notice it is if you use a debit card - in which case they will lock up some of the money in your checking account to make sure that you have enough on your card. At the end of the cruise, they will only charge what you spent on your account and the rest will be released. You don't see anything if you use a normal credit card.

 

So the answer to #1 is yes - if you spend zero, you will have zero in charges. However, if you link a debt card, they will lock up money until the end of the cruise to make sure that you can pay...

 

Actually, I just returned from the Ecstasy, and I used my debit card. I expected to see an initial $200 hold as the website said it would do for either debit OR credit card. Didn't happen.

 

What they did was put a hold for each individual purchase, including the auto tips, and at the end of the cruise, I had multiple pending holds for each expense. Then they charged the entire balance as shown on my S&S account bill I received on board, and the other holds dropped off. It was neat, easy, and no problem at all. However, to be safe, if someone were to use their debit card vs. a credit card, what I did was open an additional bank account for my cruise only, so that any holds that they might have put on there (that ended up not being the case at all) did not tie up any funds I might have needed in my regular checking account.

[trpschick]

I do not have a credit card so the idea for a separate account for the cruise is an excellent idea! I do have 2 bank accounts already, one that I use for bills and the other I use for household expenses! I will just use my household account for my cruise and transfer the money that I will need to that account! Great idea!!!!!! Glad I read this board so dilligently!

 

 

Carnival Ecstasy Jan/1993

Holland America Westerdam Nov/1997

Carnival Imagination Mar/2007

Carnival Destiny Apr/2009

[brooklynfc]

The second account is a good idea, but a hassle b/c my sister-in-law works for my bank and everything I do has to go through her.

 

I basically do the same thing though. I take all my "bill" money and put it into my "vacation fund" and that way I know that money is safe.