Credit Card Extra Charges

I paid my account for the cruise the day before debarkation. when checking my credit card balance 14 days later to find i had been charged $6.50 i phoned celebrity and was told it was a mini bar charge the steward had emptied the bar on the first day on the cruise celebrity where very vague about this and refunded to my card i no this is a small charge but this happened on my last cruise as well for $25.50 is it a way to get more monies off passengers who would not complain about small amounts Aussie

This complaint has been mentioned more and more lately, I would hate to think it is a common practice but I'm beginning to wonder.

I'm glad it was quickly resolved. We usually ask for it to be emptied as well, but even that didn't help you.

I will be asking to have ours emptied 1st day. Thanks for the idea.

Based on the frequency it is reported it does appear to be a scam rather than an accident unfortunately. Not sure if it is the person who stocks the minibar snagging extra tips or Celebrity itself. Most probably don't notice or don't speak up - the small quantities really add up when this is being perpetrated frequently. Celebrity isn't out anything if someone speaks up, they just refund the fake charge. Very disconcerting.

Two Celebrity cruises, two problems with credit card charges after receiving the final statement but before leaving the ship (phone messages received in cabin). Both 'settled' but not dealt with pleasantly at the pursers desk causing unnecessary aggravation before leaving the ship

Stuff like that happens in hotels, too...they refund it if you call them.

Never had it happen on Celebrity. Had it happen at hotels a few times...the first time 20 years ago. Spoiler Alert: humans make mistakes.

We have had the same happen 4 or 5 times. We finally resolved by inventorying the mini bar when we first board and bring up any discrepancies to the Butler. We also take a photo on our last day. While it is a pain when called in the charges were always reversed.

Good news is we have not had it happen in the past 3-4 years.

Can't you just empty the mini yourself? I always did that on RCI past cruises. Now RCI has empty mini, thank goodness. Didn't keep them also from making a "phantom" mini fridge charge on my last cruise! Many complaints on RCI board about this as well. We will have a butler, so should I be safe and ask him to remove items?

We had drinks added to our bill that we didn't consume. Customer service first said that we must have ordered them then took them off our bill after they went to check if we'd actually signed for them which of course we hadn't. We now check our bill on the TV each morning so it's easy for the staff to check the last nights chits.

the extra charges are always on the day of disembarking i have never been charged extra while on a cruise Aussie

the extra charges are always on the day of disembarking i have never been charged extra while on a cruise Aussie

We watch our charges each and every day; if there is an error, we visit customer service or call; also, everything is taken out of our little cooler on the first day! Nowadays, there are mistakes made everywhere and not just on Celebrity. Times have changed and my DH and I have changed too.;p

You should always check your credit card statements. Our last cruise was fine but one before that onboard said we owed $22.. Got home and credit card statement said $64. We called and they said it was from a bar charge.

They credited us the difference.. but how mnay people do not check?

Just check your account when you get home..

Celebrity isn't out anything if someone speaks up, they just refund the fake charge. Very disconcerting.

Not true, Merchants are charged a fee and percentage of the charge. When credited the fee is not refunded. If you go through the dispute process after trying to get the refund without any satisfaction, the Credit Card company charges a substantial fee to investigate regardless of the outcome. I used to be a credit card merchant and one time a customer disputed without contacting me and the investigation fee was larger than my profit on the item. The wife had bought the item but the husband disputed the charge without knowing she did. I told them not to purchase from me again.

On our last cruise we checked off what was in the mini bar against the price list provided.

There were a number of items that were short and a couple of different items that were not recorded on the list.

Brought to the attention of the stateroom attendant who stated some items on list were out of stock and others no longer available.

List therefore needed updating.

We always have contents of mini bar emptied by stateroom attendant on the first day.

Not true, Merchants are charged a fee and percentage of the charge. When credited the fee is not refunded. If you go through the dispute process after trying to get the refund without any satisfaction, the Credit Card company charges a substantial fee to investigate regardless of the outcome. I used to be a credit card merchant and one time a customer disputed without contacting me and the investigation fee was larger than my profit on the item. The wife had bought the item but the husband disputed the charge without knowing she did. I told them not to purchase from me again.

Yep, charge backs cost both money and your reputation with the bank, so you always try to avoid them. Having a fee of up to about $65 for a charge back is worse than paying the fees to issue a credit. Every company I have worked for will "blackball" a customer who issues a charge back without contacting us first.

I started this thread as i said when contacting Celebrity they credited back the US6.50 over charge but the credit paid was in Aussie Dollars this meant i was $2.50 with fee charges out of pocket when i contacted Celebrity again very vague about charges and credited back the @2.50 all the cruise i have been on are in US Dollars Better in my pocket than theirs Aussie

You should always check your credit card statements. Our last cruise was fine but one before that onboard said we owed $22.. Got home and credit card statement said $64. We called and they said it was from a bar charge.

They credited us the difference.. but how mnay people do not check?

Just check your account when you get home..

There is a large forum on Royal Caribbean about this credit card charges appearing AFTER one has left the ship. Many people do not check their credit card or compare it with charges from the cruise line. Apparently one gets the money refunded but first you have to notice the "error" and then you have to complain to Celebrity. Costs time and effort. Many of us are international passengers and not from USA.

There is a large forum on Royal Caribbean about this credit card charges appearing AFTER one has left the ship. Many people do not check their credit card or compare it with charges from the cruise line. Apparently one gets the money refunded but first you have to notice the "error" and then you have to complain to Celebrity. Costs time and effort. Many of us are international passengers and not from USA.

Having followed this issue on the RCI board for several months, I opted to go with a cash account on the Allure last month. Of 5 cabins in our family cruise, the others all using credit card accounts, we were the only ones with no additional charge. While RCI now has empty mini-bars, they place two bottles of water in each cabin. It's for these bottles of water that the phantom charges are constantly being billed post cruise.

This past fall, after a cruise on Harmony, the famous mini bar fees also appeared for the two bottles of water which were certainly left where they were. A call to RCCL had them credit the charge immediately, no problem. Anyone who doesn't think this is a "common practice" is very naive! Equinox next month.....we'll certainly check the credit card afterwards!!

We have never had this happen on NCL, Princess or Disney; we're taking our first X cruise this fall and I have to be honest, if this happens to us we won't be sailing any cruise from RCCL after that.