Just sailed on Dawn - extra $500 charged to CC

[autrucheplume]

Hello all! My new husband and I just returned from the Dawn's 5/23 sailing to Bermuda. The ship was WONDERFUL, and I'll be sure to post a detailed review soon.

 

However, my husband just tried to use his credit card (the one we used for the cruise) and it was declined. After charging our onboard account (which we reviewed and saw no discrepancies), they then put an additional 11 charges on his credit card, totaling almost $500! We don't recognize any of the charges - they aren't duplicate charges or amounts that simply hadn't posted to our onboard account yet.

 

Has this ever happened to anyone before? Any idea what might have happened and how to fix it?

[Bulldog3777]

Please keep us informed how this works out. It could happen to any of us and I said on the Dawn on Sunday.

[erdoran]

call your credit card company and get a listing of the charges--are they all NCL? If so call NCL and get an explanation--if not yours file a dispute asap.

[autrucheplume]

call your credit card company and get a listing of the charges--are they all NCL? If so call NCL and get an explanation--if not yours file a dispute asap.

 

Yes, the charges are all NCL. They are listed online as being from the NCL Dawn, exactly the same as was listed for our "final bill".

 

I got the number for post-cruise customer service, so I'll be calling them first thing in the morning. Hopefully this will be resolved soon!

[cruizinwithkids]

They are temporary charges. Each day a few will disappear until you are left with only the final. They are pre-authorizations which are done each day.

[fightpiter]

They are temporary charges. Each day a few will disappear until you are left with only the final. They are pre-authorizations which are done each day.

 

Yes, we got back on Sunday and have about 8 of these charges as well. Same thing happened last year too. They should be gone soon.

[STARFISH*4]

temporary charges for what i NEVER had that happen before:confused:

[pmd98052]

Similar here - I had a random temp charge for $90 or so from NCL (alongside the expected final charge) - it vanished a few days later.

[erdoran]

I understand the need for authorizations but....sometimes when you are traveling you may be close to maxing out a card. Having ADDITIONAL (above and beyond the actual charge to the card) authorizations REMAIN on the card AFTER you are charged for the cruise (or even before you are) is WRONG, and I wonder how many people got hit for "over the limit" fees because they didn't know these authorizations were there, just like OP.

[fi'fi]

That's why I use cash to open my onboard account. I have never used credit card. For that. We always put more than what we will spend.

[cliffd64]

I understand the need for authorizations but....sometimes when you are traveling you may be close to maxing out a card. Having ADDITIONAL (above and beyond the actual charge to the card) authorizations REMAIN on the card AFTER you are charged for the cruise (or even before you are) is WRONG, and I wonder how many people got hit for "over the limit" fees because they didn't know these authorizations were there, just like OP.

 

Right or wrong, it's the BANK or credit card issuer that holds the temp authorizations on your account... not NCL... Some have policies that allow them to keep those temp authorizations for up to 15 days... It pays to know what your card issuer's policies are when using their card.

 

As for NCL issuing the temp charges in the first place, it is common practice to secure an authorization for smaller amounts over the entire cruise than to be rejected on the last day for the entire bill when people are disembarking.

 

Simply put, it's not wrong... it's the way business on credit cards has been conducted since their inception.

[martinchem]

Ask your CC company to increase your available credit so this way it won't happen again.