Can you get onboard with a declined card?

First time cruising so sorry if this is a silly question.

I plan on paying the initial hold of $100 by cash, but I was told I can only do that by the customer service desk onboard the ship. I’m concerned because I don’t have enough money in the account attached to the card and I’m worried the card will get declined on embarkation day.

I strongly prefer to pay by cash just of the guarantee of having the funds available. But will I be allowed to board the ship and pay the initial hold by cash, assuming the debit card gets declined?

When you check in online you can indicate that you'll set up a cash account onboard. You're not required to provide a credit or debit card number for online check-in, but your onboard purchases will be limited or restricted until you deposit cash onboard.

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When you check in online you can indicate that you'll set up a cash account onboard. You're not required to provide a credit or debit card number for online check-in, but your onboard purchases will be limited or restricted until you deposit cash onboard.

 

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I see.

Just to clarify, I’ve already prepurchased pretty much everything, including the shore excursions and the drink package. I haven’t scheduled any specialty dinning and I do not anticipate any miscellaneous expenses such as the arcades, casino or the gift shop. Literally, the only thing that I was not able to prepurchase was the gratuities which I have calculated to roughly be $60ish.

My paranoia is that despite mostly everything already being prepaid, the terminal during embarkation day will decline my access onboard until I can definitively allow them some method of holding an account OR will they allow me onboard with the understanding that onboard purchases will be quite restricted (which I will, as mentioned earlier, can and will address with on the customer service desk onboard).

I see.

 

Literally, the only thing that I was not able to prepurchase was the gratuities which I have calculated to roughly be $60ish.

You should be able to prepay your gratuities. We always prepay ours.

I don't think that you will be denied boarding at all, you just wouldn't be able to charge anything with your sail and sign card until you've somehow put funds on it. Once you've taken care of this at the customer service desk you'll be all set.

Anyone can just do a cash account on the ship. Here is the link from Carnival.

https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1138/~/sail-%26-sign-onboard-account

Sail & Sign Account Opened with Cash or Traveler's Checks

• 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.
  
• Guests must deposit cash (USD currency only) or Traveler's Checks (USD currency only) at Guest Services on the first day of the cruise. The following minimum cash deposits are recommended:
  
  • 2 - 4 day cruise: $100 USD per person
    
  • 5 - 8 day cruise: $200 USD per person
    
  • 9 days or longer: $350 USD per person
    

  [*]Guests may add additional cash to their account by visiting the Guest Services desk on board.

Anyone can just do a cash account on the ship. Here is the link from Carnival.

https://help.carnival.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1138/~/sail-%26-sign-onboard-account

Sail & Sign Account Opened with Cash or Traveler's Checks

• 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.
  
• Guests must deposit cash (USD currency only) or Traveler's Checks (USD currency only) at Guest Services on the first day of the cruise. The following minimum cash deposits are recommended:
  
  • 2 - 4 day cruise: $100 USD per person
    
  • 5 - 8 day cruise: $200 USD per person
    
  • 9 days or longer: $350 USD per person
    

  [*]Guests may add additional cash to their account by visiting the Guest Services desk on board.

Just a note to point out that it says "recommended", the amounts are not actually required.

You will not be denied boarding. You don't even have to give them a card at all. Actually, I just cruised out of Port Canaveral in June and they allowed me to use cash at embarkation rather than wait until I was on board and have to go to desk services. Also, don't forget that they have kiosks on the ship where you can check your balance and upload more money if you need to. Enjoy your cruise!

You do not have to show them any type of credit card, debit card, gift card, etc in order to board or setup an account if you want to use cash. Simply go to Guest Services and setup your account with cash, any amount you so desire, no minimum amount required. Some ports they can do this during check-in. Just remember that unless you prepay gratuities they will take them out of your account automatically on I think the second or third day.

If your first cruise is a little ways away, check out the AARP Rewards for Good thread, and save yourself some money. All you would probably need for your tips and other small charges onboard is about $300, and that would cost you roughly $270.

If you pre purchased the drink package and shore excursions why not add the gratuity to your cruise total? That would be the cheapest out of the three to get. I always use cash for my onboard account.

WOW, just WOW...going on a cruise vacation and limiting yourself to NOTHING. The saying goes, pack half as much and take twice as much money.

WOW, just WOW...going on a cruise vacation and limiting yourself to NOTHING. The saying goes, pack half as much and take twice as much money.

There are people who do not drink, gamble, need or want the photos, and do not have the slightest interest in the on board shops.

Except for the daily service charge, there is nothing that posts to their on board account.

We often cruise (two-four times a year) and there are plenty of cruises where the DSC is the only thing we pay on board.

WOW, just WOW...going on a cruise vacation and limiting yourself to NOTHING. The saying goes, pack half as much and take twice as much money.

The OP is far from limiting herself to nothing since she's already purchased everything she'll need.

There are people who do not drink, gamble, need or want the photos, and do not have the slightest interest in the on board shops.

 

Except for the daily service charge, there is nothing that posts to their on board account.

 

We often cruise (two-four times a year) and there are plenty of cruises where the DSC is the only thing we pay on board.

I got bit by something last cruise and had to buy some anti itch creme....$$$

You should be able to prepay the auto-gratuities, but the only factor preventing you, that I can think of is you would have to prepay for the entire cabin. If it's a case of you not wanting to pay for your fellow cabin mates then recoup the payment directly from them prior to cruising, then my suggestion is to purchase cruise cash in an amount the is just a bit lower than your expected auto-gratuities. Auto-gratuities for a standard stateroom is currently $12.95/passenger/day, for suites it's 13.95/person/day.

Also NEVER use a debit or a prepaid credit card for any cruise or resort charge to room accounts. Instead when you do your online check-in indicate you will be doing a cash based account. The test charge done by the ship or property is recorded by the bank or card issuer as a hold that can last as long as 10 banking days (up to 14 calendar days) and can easily put you in an overdraft situation.

A cash based account has no deposit minimum, is fully refundable if you over deposit, and easy to deposit to. Some cruise terminals even allow you to make th deposit during the physical check-in process, otherwise you can use a S&S kiosk or the guest service desk on board the ship. Since you prepaid as much as you were able to, just deposit enough to cover the auto-gratuities, if you did not do the cruise cash bit, plus a bit more for the stray sales tax or VAT charges on drinks while in port. You have until the second day on board to make the deposit in cash before your on board charging privileges are suspended.

First time cruising so sorry if this is a silly question.

 

I plan on paying the initial hold of $100 by cash, but I was told I can only do that by the customer service desk onboard the ship. I’m concerned because I don’t have enough money in the account attached to the card and I’m worried the card will get declined on embarkation day.

 

I strongly prefer to pay by cash just of the guarantee of having the funds available. But will I be allowed to board the ship and pay the initial hold by cash, assuming the debit card gets declined?

You should be able to prepay everything including gratuities before you board. Make sure you prepay the gratuity or else carnival will drain your cash account with a daily charge. Once you do this, whatever your cash account balance it should be sufficient. You will be able to monitor it from your cabin television.

Knightmare Bonnie - just ignore Silly rude posters.

You can prepay gratuities, just call Carnival or whoever you booked with. Will need to pay for everyone in cabin.

Yes you can get on the ship with $100 on account. (Or more or less if desired).

When doing your online check in select Cash for your onboard account. Do not select or give credit/debit card info unless you're okay with them posting a hold against that card. If so, it needs to be a currently valid card.

I think you're being smart to check out all the options beforehand!

Edited to add: if you already have a card posted for your onboard account, just go into your cruise manager and remove it and change to cash.

I don’t understand. Please explain. Nobody is this....what?

 

This is my first time crusing so I apologize if I’m asking ridiculous questions.

Bonnie, please ignore this extremely rude poster. Many have forgotten the spirit of this board. We should all be polite and helpful. I hope you will continue to stay on and ask ANY questions you might have. Don't apologize for any questions you have. There are no stupid questions.

It sounds like you have been smart in paying up front for everything. You will only be charged if you buy any extra stuff. Temptations are endless.

As mentioned numerous times, do not attach a card to your account that you know will be declined. Even if you don't charge anything or plan to, they will run holds against cards on account including preboarding. Just use cash.

You should be able to prepay the auto-gratuities, but the only factor preventing you, that I can think of is you would have to prepay for the entire cabin. If it's a case of you not wanting to pay for your fellow cabin mates then recoup the payment directly from them prior to cruising, then my suggestion is to purchase cruise cash in an amount the is just a bit lower than your expected auto-gratuities. Auto-gratuities for a standard stateroom is currently $12.95/passenger/day, for suites it's 13.95/person/day.

Also NEVER use a debit or a prepaid credit card for any cruise or resort charge to room accounts. Instead when you do your online check-in indicate you will be doing a cash based account. The test charge done by the ship or property is recorded by the bank or card issuer as a hold that can last as long as 10 banking days (up to 14 calendar days) and can easily put you in an overdraft situation.

A cash based account has no deposit minimum, is fully refundable if you over deposit, and easy to deposit to. Some cruise terminals even allow you to make th deposit during the physical check-in process, otherwise you can use a S&S kiosk or the guest service desk on board the ship. Since you prepaid as much as you were able to, just deposit enough to cover the auto-gratuities, if you did not do the cruise cash bit, plus a bit more for the stray sales tax or VAT charges on drinks while in port. You have until the second day on board to make the deposit in cash before your on board charging privileges are suspended.

If op is sailing Princess, the daily gratuity is $13.50 per guest for all cabins except mini suites and club class, which are $14.50 and suites, which are $15.50. The prices you quoted are from a couple years ago. I strongly recommend that OP PAY THIS AHEAD.

My sailing buddy gives them a charge card but then pays off any charges in cash almost every day. This may be the answer to Ops quandary.

I don’t think they actually submit the bill to your credit company until after the cruise so paying off your charges every evening is a great solution. Using a debit card is strongly discouraged. I can use my debit card as a credit card. Perhaps you can too?

Maureen

If op is sailing Princess, the daily gratuity is $13.50 per guest for all cabins except mini suites and club class, which are $14.50 and suites, which are $15.50. The prices you quoted are from a couple years ago. I strongly recommend that OP PAY THIS AHEAD.

 

My sailing buddy gives them a charge card but then pays off any charges in cash almost every day. This may be the answer to Ops quandary.

 

I don’t think they actually submit the bill to your credit company until after the cruise so paying off your charges every evening is a great solution. Using a debit card is strongly discouraged. I can use my debit card as a credit card. Perhaps you can too?

 

Maureen

Since the OP posted in the Carnival forum it must be presumed she's sailing with Carnival. Most debit cards may be used as a credit card but that doesn't change the nature of the holds or what happens if your account is overdrawn because of holds.

When you check in online you can indicate that you'll set up a cash account onboard. You're not required to provide a credit or debit card number for online check-in, but your onboard purchases will be limited or restricted until you deposit cash onboard.

 

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I don't know about that my grand kids had no problem charging on accounts with no money.customer service called me down to the desk to pay their bills even though I told them on check in only I have charging privileges and I told them again the first time they called me to pay the bill.so they waited until before debarkation to hit me with another bill.

In my practical experience, I had listed a card during preparations on Triumph (New Orleans) this past winter. When I switched to packing gift cards to put on account I had removed the card*, or so I thought, and reallocated those funds for one of our hotels.

On check-in, I was told that my card had been declined and just pointed out that I was placing the gift cards on deposit and it was taken care of. Cash would have been the same.

*I HAD noted the date of the change in a log I keep for trips, but once Carnival gets you on record, they don't make a habit of losing info like that. ;p

My sailing buddy gives them a charge card but then pays off any charges in cash almost every day. This may be the answer to Ops quandary.

 

I don’t think they actually submit the bill to your credit company until after the cruise so paying off your charges every evening is a great solution. Using a debit card is strongly discouraged. I can use my debit card as a credit card. Perhaps you can too?

This is bad advice. Carnival will process additional authorizations against the card on file throughout the cruise as your S&S balance exceeds the cumulative amount of previous authorizations. These authorizations could happen before paying off charges every evening, thereby overdrawing OP's account and causing more overdraft fees.

If OP knows or thinks the card will be declined or doesn't have the balance to cover these authorizations, she needs to set up a cash account and not use her card info to back her S&S (or delete the card from her check-in info if she's already entered it).