Pay cash for on board account

[deltatango]

Can you pay cash or part cash for your end of cruise account.

[springtxbill]

Yes. They take money almost any way.:)

[CruisinGerman]

Of course you can pay cash. Unless you leave a cash deposit at the beginning of the cruise, just make sure you don't spend more than $500 per cabin. Once you hit $500, unless you have left a deposit, your card will stop working and they will call you to Guest Relations to pay down your account.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[Marie51]

Yes, you can but you will need to put some cash down at the beginning of your cruise.

[msmayor]

Yes, you can but you will need to put some cash down at the beginning of your cruise.

 

Not necessarily. We had no trouble combining both cash and credit.

 

For our Freedom cruise, I put my AMEX down on our shipboard account to cover all the costs. With two nights left in the cruise, I hit a very lucky hand of Let It Ride in the casino and took the cash right to Guest Services to apply to our bill...it was $1,000. They applied that to the charges to date and any charges remaining at the end of the cruise were just put on my AMEX card.

[wq0nja]

Does anyone know if there is a minimum amount you have to pay at checkin if setting up your onboard credit account in cash?

[Clarea]

Does anyone know if there is a minimum amount you have to pay at checkin if setting up your onboard credit account in cash?

I'd like to know this also. I've seen some people say you don't need to put down anything, and others say you need to put some something like $300.

 

Also, I'd like to know if anyone has set up a cash account, and then paid it off by debit card. I've read about Royal putting holds on debit cards if you secure the account initially with a debit card, but what if you don't use a debit card to set up the account initially. Just set up the account as cash, but use the debit card at the end. Would this avoid any holds being put on the debit card, in excess of the amount charged at the end of the cruise?

 

Bob

[wq0nja]

I'd like to know this also. I've seen some people say you don't need to put down anything, and others say you need to put some something like $300.

 

Also, I'd like to know if anyone has set up a cash account, and then paid it off by debit card. I've read about Royal putting holds on debit cards if you secure the account initially with a debit card, but what if you don't use a debit card to set up the account initially. Just set up the account as cash, but use the debit card at the end. Would this avoid any holds being put on the debit card, in excess of the amount charged at the end of the cruise?

 

Bob

 

 

Oh! I'd like to know this too! And.... if you don't spend all of the cash at the end of the cruise how do they refund that to you?

 

Too many questions and so little time!

[liberiben]

We just went to guest services the last day and asked for all the money we did not spend to be refunded. She refunded in cash, no problem.

[wq0nja]

We just went to guest services the last day and asked for all the money we did not spend to be refunded. She refunded in cash, no problem.

 

Hi Liberiben

 

Was there a minimum amount they asked you to pay into the account at checkin?

 

Many thanks

[CruisinGerman]

You do not have to post either cash or a credit card at the beginning of the cruise.

 

If you post nothing, RCCL will let you spend up to $500 per cabin (not per person) during the cruise without pre-posting either cash or a credit card.

 

You can go to Guest Services anytime during the cruise, and even the last morning before departure, at which point you can pay your bill with cash, credit card or a combination of both.

 

If you hit $500 during your cruise and wish to go on spending, at that point you do have to visit Guest Relations to pay down your account before you can start spending again.

 

It is absolutely not true that RCCL won't let you spend onboard unless you post a cash deposit or a credit card guarantee.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[liberiben]

No, but I just called the RCI gifts department before we left and purchased $200 OBC with our debit card, we had $300 total and only used $120 of it total. But we don't drink and I prepaid our dinner and Giavannis.

[pltag]

Not necessarily. We had no trouble combining both cash and credit.

 

For our Freedom cruise, I put my AMEX down on our shipboard account to cover all the costs. With two nights left in the cruise, I hit a very lucky hand of Let It Ride in the casino and took the cash right to Guest Services to apply to our bill...it was $1,000. They applied that to the charges to date and any charges remaining at the end of the cruise were just put on my AMEX card.

I'm confused! So you're saying that your bill had not yet reached $1,000?? This should not have made any difference. But, you gave them the $1,000 anyway ...... but only got credited for the amount you had spent to date and the rest got charged to your credit card?? What happened to the rest of your $1,000. Really confused!!! I'm thinking you got a desk person who was just VERY confused! :D

 

To answer OP's question, applying cash to an account at ANY time and in ANY amount should not be a problem. We've done it before.

 

However, I would suggest that you do NOT wait until the last morning to do this. The lines at the desk are brutal!! On the last night, just pull up your balance on your cabin's t.v., then pay this amount (plus a little for last night's cocktails :D) and let a small balance go to your card. This way you can avoid the craziness at the desk the morning of debarkation.

[thomasale]

Not to derail this but I think it has been answered...can you have 2 accounts on 1 room? My account and my adult son's account?

[Clarea]

Not to derail this but I think it has been answered...can you have 2 accounts on 1 room? My account and my adult son's account?

Sure, each person can have their own account and their own way to pay. You can set this up during the on line check-in.

[ckn521999]

I also had a question about putting money down using cash. I spoke with RCL directly and was told that for a 4 night cruise, I needed to deposit $300 to my account in order to activate my seapass. So, I decided to use a CC to set up the account and then pay in cash (or debit) at the end of the cruise.

I definitely want to be able to get that welcome aboard drink first thing!

[deltatango]

Thanks, for the replies, looks like alot have the same questions, I will put $1000 in the account, we don't drink really, maybe a odd glass of wine and a beer, maybe a cocktail of the day now and again, I assume the account will be in $, so is it better to take $ rather than £, as maybe their exchange rate may not be as good as say my free exchange rate with the bank ?

[Clarea]

You do not have to post either cash or a credit card at the beginning of the cruise.

 

If you post nothing, RCCL will let you spend up to $500 per cabin (not per person) during the cruise without pre-posting either cash or a credit card.

 

You can go to Guest Services anytime during the cruise, and even the last morning before departure, at which point you can pay your bill with cash, credit card or a combination of both.

 

If you hit $500 during your cruise and wish to go on spending, at that point you do have to visit Guest Relations to pay down your account before you can start spending again.

 

It is absolutely not true that RCCL won't let you spend onboard unless you post a cash deposit or a credit card guarantee.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

 

I also had a question about putting money down using cash. I spoke with RCL directly and was told that for a 4 night cruise, I needed to deposit $300 to my account in order to activate my seapass. So, I decided to use a CC to set up the account and then pay in cash (or debit) at the end of the cruise.

I definitely want to be able to get that welcome aboard drink first thing!

I wonder why the story on putting down cash is not consistent. Could it be the usual - RCI customer service reps not knowing the real rules and when people check in, they really don't need to put down anything? Has anyone been told to put down cash at check-in?

[Marie51]

Not necessarily. We had no trouble combining both cash and credit.

 

For our Freedom cruise, I put my AMEX down on our shipboard account to cover all the costs. With two nights left in the cruise, I hit a very lucky hand of Let It Ride in the casino and took the cash right to Guest Services to apply to our bill...it was $1,000. They applied that to the charges to date and any charges remaining at the end of the cruise were just put on my AMEX card.

 

Yes, I understand what you are saying but in your case you used your AMEX card for your shipboard acct. I was actually referring to putting cash down without using a CC. A friend of mine was required (on a RC ship) to put down $500 in cash at the beginning of the cruise in place of a CC.

By the way good for you in the casino.

[CruisinGerman]

I don't care what RCI customer service may be trained to say.

 

I was on Grandeur in April 2011;

 

Liberty in May 2011;

 

Freedom in June 2011

 

It worked just the way I said on all three cruises -- three different ships, three different continents, and three different target customer groups.

 

Did not put any money or credit card down during any of the cruises until I reached $500 spending, at which point I paid the account down. On Liberty I never reached $500, so I just paid on the last night.

 

It was Eric, the Guest Relations Manager on Grandeur, who explained the system to me just as I have explained it in these posts.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[Clarea]

I don't care what RCI customer service may be trained to say.

 

I was on Grandeur in April 2011;

 

Liberty in May 2011;

 

Freedom in June 2011

 

It worked just the way I said on all three cruises -- three different ships, three different continents, and three different target customer groups.

 

Did not put any money or credit card down during any of the cruises until I reached $500 spending, at which point I paid the account down. On Liberty I never reached $500, so I just paid on the last night.

 

It was Eric, the Guest Relations Manager on Grandeur, who explained the system to me just as I have explained it in these posts.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

Thanks Gunther, I appreciate the feedback. This would not be the first time that we get questionable / inconsistent info from the CSRs. I have a cruise coming in September where a friend of my daughter wants to use a cash account, so I'm trying to get as much info as possible. I thought possibly that the policy might depend on the ship or embarkation port (US vs. Europe), but your experience dispels that theory.

 

Bob

[5521544]

When we cruised on Freedom I used cash to set up my account. At check in I was not told to put a "certain" amount down on my seapass just that once onboard I could go to guest relations and deposit money to my account. Later that evening I went to guest relations and they asked how much I wanted to deposit. I deposited 200 to my account and then on the last night onboard after dinner and I made my final purchases I went and paid the balance. Our total spent ended up being almost 500.00.

 

I would like to know the info on the debit card hold if you dont set your account up with it!!!

[liberiben]

We always pay with cash, and maybe it is due to our age(25-27)but we HAVE to put money on the account for us to purchase anything. We tried twice on two separate cruises and both times they said go to guest services and put money on the account before we could make the purchase. BTW we never have spent over $200 on board so we have not even come close the the limit.

[Clarea]

We always pay with cash, and maybe it is due to our age(25-27)but we HAVE to put money on the account for us to purchase anything. We tried twice on two separate cruises and both times they said go to guest services and put money on the account before we could make the purchase. BTW we never have spent over $200 on board so we have not even come close the the limit.

That is interesting. Our daughter's friend is only 23, so I'll be curious to see what they tell her. Thanks for the info.

 

Bob

[crusinmama06]

I am going to agree with CruisingGerman. I always use cash and we were actually told on Enchantment just a few weeks ago when I tried to put cash down that the "computers were not uploaded yet but the account is activated anyway".

 

So I reiterated with Customer Relations "So you are saying that if I go and try to buy something NOW I can even though NO money is on the account?"

 

Answer "Yes, of course."

 

I came back later in the day and loaded the account up with cash anyway because I didn't want to keep the cash in the cabin. And when I do deposit cash, they never ask for a minimum. So if there is one, I don't know it. :)