Credit card hold

[jlg172]

Does anyone know if Celebrity puts a hold on your card when you board or if they just swipe your card for the final payment?? Thanks for your help!

[willie2845]

All cruise lines put a hold on your credit card, so much per day per guest when you fill out your preboarding info. They then release it at the end of the cruise minus your final bill.

[Sahaj]

Does anyone know if Celebrity puts a hold on your card when you board or if they just swipe your card for the final payment?? Thanks for your help!

Last time I sailed on the Celebrity Constellation I told then not to put a hold on my credit card. They informed me that it is common to do so. So I told them it is my perogative to call my credit card company and authorize charges only, but not holds for Celebrity on board charges. It worked!

[Oceangoer2]

Last time I sailed on the Celebrity Constellation I told then not to put a hold on my credit card. They informed me that it is common to do so. So I told them it is my perogative to call my credit card company and authorize charges only, but not holds for Celebrity on board charges. It worked!

Sorry...I don't understand the 'hold' on my cc. When I cruise, I buy (sometimes) expensive items at some ports. Wouldn't a hold stop payment?

[elena7seas]

Sorry...I don't understand the 'hold' on my cc. When I cruise, I buy (sometimes) expensive items at some ports. Wouldn't a hold stop payment?

 

It's not a "hold" that prevents you from using your card completely, but an "attachment" of a portion of your line of credit. For example, if you have $5000 available on your credit card, the cruise line could put a temporary attachment to a portion of that $5000, e.g. $1000, so your available credit on your card would now be $4000.00. You would not have access to the amount of credit that the cruise line has attached.

 

At the end of the cruise, the cruise line processes your actual shipboard charges against your credit card, and releases any unused portion of the "attached" amount of credit back to your credit card.

 

This is the same procedure that is used by hotels and car rental agencies. It guarantees the cruise line, and the others, to a certain amount of payment at the end of the term of your stay/contract.

 

I do not know how much a cruise line will "attach". I imagine it is based on the length of your cruise, but I do not know if it differs by cruise line.

 

Better hotels frequently attach $500 as do car rental agencies, but this is very variable.

 

Depending on your card, it can take 2-3 days for the unused "attached" amount to be returned to your available credit line.

 

If anyone has any information on how much of your credit line Celebrity attaches per cruise day, I would be interested to hear it. Thanks!

[serene56]

Holds happen when you have a set daily limit on that card. (debit cards are good for that)

 

Since cruiselines do all their charging on the last day--- you could go voer the daily spending limit which then puts the hold on the card.

 

If you call the bank about a month before you cruise--to have the daily limit lifted you shouldnt have a problem with any hold

[jlg172]

So since I am usingmy debit card, it cold be a problem?? And what happens if you decide to settle it with cash? They give you that option. I think I will do what the other person suggested and tell them I don't want a hold placed but I will authorize charges. I wish I knew the amount they are going to put on there....the hold I mean. Yes I know car rentals do it but usually it doesn't exceed the charge for the time of the rental.

[serene56]

So since I am usingmy debit card, it cold be a problem?? And what happens if you decide to settle it with cash? They give you that option. I think I will do what the other person suggested and tell them I don't want a hold placed but I will authorize charges. I wish I knew the amount they are going to put on there....the hold I mean. Yes I know car rentals do it but usually it doesn't exceed the charge for the time of the rental.

 

 

call your bank to find out what your daily spending limit is- Mine is 200.00 each day. So for a cruise this card will not work since tips alone cost almost that much for 2 people. I can have that lifted by calling the bank and ask to lift it or that week only.

If your card has a daily limit and you dont ask the bank to lift it-- the cruise line will have to put a hold on it if you go over. Remember that the cruiselines put in your spending all at once-it doesnt go in daily as you are spending

[nps001]

Please note that most businesses will convert a hold into an actual transaction, in this case at the end of a cruise. However, by law, banks have up to 3 days to release that "hold"

 

So if you use a debit card, this can sometimes be an issue. The funds are eventually placed back for your use but not always immediately.

[jlg172]

Thanks for everyone's advice. I may call Celebrity on this one and see what they say. We are planning on using the debit card so I may hae to check with my bank also. I know they let you settle with cash so I am wondering if you can put a cash deposit down....this isn't our first cruise but we are doing things differently this time!

[Oceangoer2]

Thanks for the explanation. I try to be financially aware but I never, ever thought a company of any sort could put a 'hold' on my cc. It makes senses now, that when we cruise and I call up my statement onboard, I see daily charges, tips, everything. So they post daily and know if/when I'm going over my daily limit. In all our cruises, we've never had a problem with purchasing, so I suppose whatever that limit is it's okay. I have learned so much from the posters on this board....thanks again for that tip!