Daily pre-authorization on Credit / Debit Card

We plan to pretty much pre-book / pre-pay everything we need on the ship, so I don't expect a huge bill at the end of the cruise.

But I know that the ship runs a daily pre-authorization of a certain amount on the credit card to cover for incidentals.

As I'm using a debit card, I was wondering how high that daily amount is that is being reserved on the card.

Also, if it is not used one day, do they just roll it over to the next day or do they add a new "reservation"? For example, if they would reserve $100 and I don't use any of if, would I only see $100 blocked on my card for the duration if the week or would it raise by $100 each day, so have $500 blocked on day 5, if the reservation for the first few days haven't been removed by the bank until then?

Not sure how Royal does it but on CCL and NCL they run one hold in the $300 range at boarding and then other holds to match your onboard spending, so if you weren't spending anything onboard they wouldn't add any further holds.

I would not recommend using a debit card as it sometimes takes the cruise lines a while to remove the hold and your money will not be available until the hold is removed. Also with a debit card if your information would get compromised (very rare), your money would be gone. At least with a credit card you have some protection.

Create a cash account. Debit cards are not a good option for cruises or car rentals. It takes too long to release the hold.

I would not recommend using a debit card as it sometimes takes the cruise lines a while to remove the hold and your money will not be available until the hold is removed. Also with a debit card if your information would get compromised (very rare), your money would be gone. At least with a credit card you have some protection.

Agree. If one has a credit card there's just no good reason to use a debit.

We use cash on our account. No need to use a card at all if it is a concern.

Why would you give the cruiseline access to your checking account? Why would anyone give any company access to their checking account? That's what happens when you use a debit card

Use a credit card or cash

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I know that the ship runs a daily pre-authorization of a certain amount on the credit card to cover for incidentals.

This was not the case on my last sailing (June 2018 on Allure)

Yeah, I definitely would NOT use a debit card. On my last cruise my card only saw a pending charge on the last day before embarkation....I think it was for like $450 or so. The charge never hit but was pended for 3-4 days.

do not use a debit card. it can tie up the money for weeks after the cruise ends. ( including pending/holds) with a cash account Royal allows up to $500 to be accumulated in charges before making you come down and pay it off. if all you have is a debit card, then go this route, but you will then need to stand in the very long line as Guest Services the last night to pay it off( however you want to)

I use an AMEX for my account. The last several cruises I have been on, they have only done a pre-auth/charge for what I have purchased on board...it has not been a lump amount each day. Each morning it would process, and the amounts were in line with what we had spent the previous day.

I also agree with other posters...use a credit card instead of a debit card, or do a cash account. If there is an issue, getting your money back is much easier with credit vs a debit.

Credit card or cash. NEVER use a debit card!

Debit cards are one of the WORST consumer credit tools ever invented. They in no way benefit the consumer, but rather the financial institution. There is no scenario where using a debit card is a good idea. Even if someone has bad credit, they're better of taking the money they would use on the debit card and getting a secured credit card (usually free anyway). Then you have all the protections of a credit card while also starting to repair bad credit.

Debit cards are one of the WORST consumer credit tools ever invented. They in no way benefit the consumer, but rather the financial institution. There is no scenario where using a debit card is a good idea. Even if someone has bad credit, they're better of taking the money they would use on the debit card and getting a secured credit card (usually free anyway). Then you have all the protections of a credit card while also starting to repair bad credit.

I have to disagree with this.

While I would never use one to travel with, but I use it for daily purchases and have done so every day since it was offered. My credit union, where I have been a member since I was 16 (26 years) offers the same protection, and in most cases, better protection than a credit card, for fraudulent charges. I also, get better cash back than most credit cards, not to mention they deposit $10 every November into my checking, just for having a debit card.

Why would I want to use any of my credit cards for daily transactions, and then have to go make a payment each day/week for the charges, which take too long to actually post anyway. I am certainly not carrying around more than $10-$15 in cash, and have not written a check in more than a decade. I cannot see how changing to one of my credit cards, is more of a benefit to me. I'm actually asking you.. how would this benefit me?

It would benefit you by not having your cash not being available to you until the charges hit your account and the cruise line removes the hold. Granted your debit card give you added bonuses but unless you have an extra hundred dollars or so in your checking account, transactions could be refused.

We plan to pretty much pre-book / pre-pay everything we need on the ship, so I don't expect a huge bill at the end of the cruise.

 

But I know that the ship runs a daily pre-authorization of a certain amount on the credit card to cover for incidentals.

 

As I'm using a debit card, I was wondering how high that daily amount is that is being reserved on the card.

 

Also, if it is not used one day, do they just roll it over to the next day or do they add a new "reservation"? For example, if they would reserve $100 and I don't use any of if, would I only see $100 blocked on my card for the duration if the week or would it raise by $100 each day, so have $500 blocked on day 5, if the reservation for the first few days haven't been removed by the bank until then?

I have a lot of experience with this. My recommendation is to put some cash on the account and settle up the last day with the debit or the cash. If you have paid all of your tips and everything like drink packages beforehand I would put like two hundred and then the last day go settle it.

The multiple duplicitous "authorizations" have really messed me up a few times. One time I left a cruise on another line and paid the bill, but because of the outstanding "authorizations" almost all of my money was tied up for seven days.

There is only one way I would use a debit card for travel.

1. Create another account at your financial institution that is independent from your main accounts making sure it is not linked to the other accounts.

2. Place exactly the amount you want to spend on this new account.

This system protects your main accounts and limits your liability to the amount you place in the new separate account.

Use a credit card.

Then pay it off the last day with your debit card.

Or better yet.

When you get home, pay CC off with the money in your bank.

People create huge issues on something so simple...

Following

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There is only one way I would use a debit card for travel.

 

1. Create another account at your financial institution that is independent from your main accounts making sure it is not linked to the other accounts.

2. Place exactly the amount you want to spend on this new account.

 

This system protects your main accounts and limits your liability to the amount you place in the new separate account.

We do the same, except the debit card account is in a completely different financial institution than our other accounts.

We plan to pretty much pre-book / pre-pay everything we need on the ship, so I don't expect a huge bill at the end of the cruise.

 

But I know that the ship runs a daily pre-authorization of a certain amount on the credit card to cover for incidentals.

 

As I'm using a debit card, I was wondering how high that daily amount is that is being reserved on the card.

 

Also, if it is not used one day, do they just roll it over to the next day or do they add a new "reservation"? For example, if they would reserve $100 and I don't use any of if, would I only see $100 blocked on my card for the duration if the week or would it raise by $100 each day, so have $500 blocked on day 5, if the reservation for the first few days haven't been removed by the bank until then?

We just returned from Adventure on the 13th. Any day that we made purchases with our SeaPass, there was a corresponding pending transaction on our credit card. Most of the pending transactions expired and fell off by the end of the cruise. There were four that lingered for several days, but all were gone by the end of this week (7/21). A single transaction for the total, is what actually posted to the credit card.

When using a debit card, the pending transactions reduce your available balance until they expire. As long as you're aware of this, you'll be fine with a debit card. Alternatively, you can do a cash account, and pay down your balance if you reach the cutoff, and then settle at the end of the week. The drawback is having to stand in line at Guest Services, which is my least favorite thing to do on a cruise.

We do the same, except the debit card account is in a completely different financial institution than our other accounts.

Even better.

No checking account tied to the debit card.

I‘m using Revolut, since they offer great exchange rates, we can transfer money quickly between travel companions and It has great security features (transactions only work when my phones location matches store location etc.)

There is only as much money in my account as I put in it.

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