credit card swipe

Daughter & boyfriend coming on cruise with us this year and she is wondering how much will be swiped of her credit card at check in I thought about $200 is this about right:)

I don't think that anything is actually debited from your Credit Card at check-in. We have swiped ours and then paid in cash at the end of the cruise and nothing has been shown on our credit card account.

I don't think that anything is actually debited from your Credit Card at check-in. We have swiped ours and then paid in cash at the end of the cruise and nothing has been shown on our credit card account.

many thanks from scotland

As casofilia mentioned - there are no charge to the actual credit card until at the end of the cruise and after you review those charges to make sure everything is correct. If not correct, you would need to go to the guest services desk to have them fix it.

Do NOT use a debit card though as they will put a hold on that and increase it every time you get towards the "limit".

Is this a pre-paid debit card or an actual credit card? What they will do is put a hold on the card when she opens her account - $200-$300 would be approx. as she charges things onboard to this account they will add holds on without taking the old holds off. This is why a card connected to a checking account is not recommended. If you charge $500 onboard, you could end up with $700 in holds plus the $500 charge when you disembark and have $1,200 of your funds held up to 30 days depending on the bank. If this is going to be a prepaid card with just enough money on it, she may be better off making the account cash. If she sets it up as a credit card account and the funds available are low, she may find her account cut off mid cruise.

An alternative is to set the account up on a true credit card. And then use the pre-paid card to pay the account off before the last day. No balance will result in no charges.

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A CREDIT card will have nothing "pre-charged"...they will make sure the card is active...and when she buys something on the ship, an authorization for that amount may be done...but NOTHING is charged to the credit card account until the END of the cruise.

If this is a debit card, then it's best to just bring cash. A debit card does incur "holds" (this is through your bank...not the cruise line), and it can totally mess up your spending for days and days AFTER the cruise! Since a debit is the same as a check...just take the money out of your account and put some of it onto your ship's account .

There is a difference between a hold and a charge. All merchants put holds which can restrict the use of your card. If you check into a hotel, you present a credit card for incidentals like room service, charging to your room, etc. The hotel puts a hold on a certain amount of funds to make sure you can pay. When you check out, you are charged and the hold gets removed. Most people don't notice but if you are very close to your limit, the hold could prevent you from using the card.

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Daughter & boyfriend coming on cruise with us this year and she is wondering how much will be swiped of her credit card at check in I thought about $200 is this about right:)

My sister said she had a hold placed on hers, just don't remember how much

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Anyone know if reloadable Visa cards are accepted? (With a high enough balance)

Not sure but I would think so. But research the card as some charge ton of fees. You may be better off with cash.

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Anyone know if reloadable Visa cards are accepted? (With a high enough balance)

If I remember, they are not. They tend to either charge an amount or not, vs a real CC that does a hold.

And, keep in mind that people often use the following terms loosely.

Debit, Card Card, Reloadable CC.

They all work different and should NOT be confused.

If I remember, they are not. They tend to either charge an amount or not, vs a real CC that does a hold.

 

And, keep in mind that people often use the following terms loosely.

Debit, Card Card, Reloadable CC.

 

They all work different and should NOT be confused.

Hmm, okay, thanks.

When people talk about paying in cash for the account, at the start of the cruise, do you they mean only actual physical money, or can you use debit / bank card to pay electronically?

Hmm, okay, thanks.

 

 

When people talk about paying in cash for the account, at the start of the cruise, do you they mean only actual physical money, or can you use debit / bank card to pay electronically?

They typically mean physical money. A debit/bank card is exactly what you want to avoid using. If you give them a card they will put 'holds' on the money that ties up way more money than you will use. If you give them physical cash, no card and no holds, when you use it up your account gets frozen until you load more.

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They typically mean physical money. A debit/bank card is exactly what you want to avoid using. If you give them a card they will put 'holds' on the money that ties up way more money than you will use. If you give them physical cash, no card and no holds, when you use it up your account gets frozen until you load more.

 

 

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I meant more in terms of 'charge me $400 now for the account' rather than 'put a hold on my account and I'll settle up at the end'. I don't use cash often and don't want to walk around with more than I really need to. Just trying to find out all the options. :)

I meant more in terms of 'charge me $400 now for the account' rather than 'put a hold on my account and I'll settle up at the end'. I don't use cash often and don't want to walk around with more than I really need to. Just trying to find out all the options. :)

If you have a credit card and don't want it charged. I would set it up with that and then use cash (or a pre-paid visa) to pay the balance off the last night. If you don't have a credit card, you can try using a pre-pay visa and see how that's received. You just don't want to use a debit card associated with a bank account because they can hold up cash in your account, much more than you use on the cruise, and it can be up to 30 days before your bank releases the hold. But if you give them a card, you can't limit how much they will 'hold' on it.

I always bring a quantity of cash on cruises anyway. Most tour operators prefer USD, plus it's widely accepted for lunches and souvenirs. Otherwise you'll have to go to an ATM and end up with 3-4 currencies by the end of the cruise.

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Cash is dollar bills.

Debit cards or credit cards are not cash.

Some people that do not like to use CC (but do carry them), will give a CC upfront. Then later in the cruise, use cash to pay down the bill. Seems silly to me, but I respect their plan. (we use CC for everything and fly around the world in 1st/Biz for free)

I don't know if they have these in Scotland or if they do, what they are called but US Banks offer something called a secured credit card meaning if you deposit $500, you have a $500 limit. So similar to reloadable cards but they are a legit credit card and a great way to build your credit if you're starting out or have bad credit.

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I don't know if they have these in Scotland or if they do, what they are called but US Banks offer something called a secured credit card meaning if you deposit $500, you have a $500 limit. So similar to reloadable cards but they are a legit credit card and a great way to build your credit if you're starting out or have bad credit.

 

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Yes they do. If someone is unable to get a CC due to past history or similar reasons, that is a great way to get started. The low limit of course may cause some issues along the way, but is a great way to start.