Paying Princess ship account with credit card

[Kinkacruiser]

On our last cruise (Star Princess), the 3% overseas transaction fee was added to our Amex card bill. I'm not sure if Princess also charge this fee for cruises on the Dawn Princess, seeing it sails ex Australia. Can anyone let me know as I might just use my visa debit card next time. Thanks.

[bobhsv]

What a good question. I wonder also if a debit card could apply for the Sea Princess, as it is sailing out of oz, and operating in aussie dollars. This would save the hassle of taking loads of cash to place on our onboard account. Anna I wonder also, if we can use the debit card 'number' instead of the cc number, or perhaps they do not have the 'eftpos' type facilities for a direct debit.

Great question.......

Jen

[Kinkacruiser]

Hi Jen,

Before I got my current CC, I used the visa Debit card number for the personaliser information and the ship account was settled that way. I think they swipe the card at embarkation..just as they do when arriving at a hotel.

Now I'm collecting Qantas FF points so use my Amex card whenever I can, but for large amounts (eg paying for cruises) it's a bit pricey at 3% add on.

 

Our TA has offered a reduction on final price if we do a direct bank transfer and not use the Amex.

I must see if I have bank statements that go back to our Sun Princess 2010 cruise.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

I did read somewhere about a change re credit cards and have searched the Princess site but can not find it.

I think there is also a 1.5% service charge added to cards these days.

Is this right?

 

[Kinkacruiser]

I did read somewhere about a change re credit cards and have searched the Princess site but can not find it.

I think there is also a 1.5% service charge added to cards these days.

Is this right?

 

 

Hi David,

Last March I used Amex and it was 3%, but i think the more widely accepted Visa is less, and could be 1.5%.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Now I'm collecting Qantas FF points so use my Amex card whenever I can, but for large amounts (eg paying for cruises) it's a bit pricey at 3% add on.

 

How things have changed. We did lots of cruises when th ANZ/Qantas card first came out and we dealt with one TA who gave double FF points and sometimes triple. We clocked up enough points for a Round the World return flight and several flights to North and South America, and a couple up to Asia. Doesnt happen like that these days:mad:

 

 

Our TA has offered a reduction on final price if we do a direct bank transfer and not use the Amex.

 

Our TA now presents a quote where the total is presented as a discount price for cash or cheque, but we are welcome to pay by cc at the full price.... (which is 3% higher):eek:

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Hi David,

Last March I used Amex and it was 3%, but i think the more widely accepted Visa is less, and could be 1.5%.

 

 

Hi Anna, I was meaning that Princess add the 1.5% to your card for processing it, then the banks take another hit with overseas transaction fees.

Its getting more and more expensive to use a card these days.

[Sandielle]

Hi Anna, I was meaning that Princess add the 1.5% to your card for processing it, then the banks take another hit with overseas transaction fees.

Its getting more and more expensive to use a card these days.

 

David, we are interested in finding out about this for our Sun Princess cruise. P&O have recently added 1.5% to their final OB a/c, so we were wondering if this also occurs on Aus Princess.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

David, we are interested in finding out about this for our Sun Princess cruise. P&O have recently added 1.5% to their final OB a/c, so we were wondering if this also occurs on Aus Princess.

 

 

All these add ons , soon add up.

We usually use our cc to set up the on board account and charge things up to that as we go, but also take enough in cash to clear the account so only a very small amount gets charged to the card on the last day.

 

[MargoK]

All these add ons , soon add up.

We usually use our cc to set up the on board account and charge things up to that as we go, but also take enough in cash to clear the account so only a very small amount gets charged to the card on the last day.

 

 

We did exactly this on our last cruise in USD. Decided to do the same again this year, using a couple of bonus' from work. Boy am I glad we did when the NZD/USD rate was favourable. It's dropped 10c in the last week :eek:

[Kinkacruiser]

Hi Anna, I was meaning that Princess add the 1.5% to your card for processing it, then the banks take another hit with overseas transaction fees.

Its getting more and more expensive to use a card these days.

 

Oh gosh, slugged twice. Cash may be king this time. Thanks David.

[rugbypopsie]

Hi Anna,

 

We dont have AMEX anymore because of the high fees and the difficulties in using it in a lot of places. We do what Dave does and pay cash with only (hopefully) a small amount going to the CC at the end of the cruise. The BIG trap with using a CC is to makes sure you know what the conversion rate the ship is using. DO NOT ever let the ship do the conversion..let it go through to your bank and you will get whatever the prevailing rate is at the bank on the day the bank receives it.

 

p.s. We recently decided to try the 28 degree ccard everyone was saying was good..have no idea why but the piffling limit they wanted to give us despite a gold plated credit history and more than sufficient assets made DH furious! Has anyone else had a similar experience (not meaning to hijack thread..please move if you think appropriate).

 

Sue

[Kinkacruiser]

Thanks Sue. I'll also do what David does nest time. I'll probably ditch the CC's when the current term is up. It's obvious you pay a lot for those FF points and they take forever to accrue.

I'll have a look at the 28 degrees you mentioned.

[Sandielle]

Thanks Sue. I'll also do what David does nest time. I'll probably ditch the CC's when the current term is up. It's obvious you pay a lot for those FF points and they take forever to accrue.

I'll have a look at the 28 degrees you mentioned.

 

We find the 28 degrees card great. We mainly use it for travel, and we haven't felt the need for a large limit on the cruises we have done so far, so I don't know how much credit you can get. :)

[floatie]

Hi Anna,

p.s. We recently decided to try the 28 degree ccard everyone was saying was good..have no idea why but the piffling limit they wanted to give us despite a gold plated credit history and more than sufficient assets made DH furious! Has anyone else had a similar experience (not meaning to hijack thread..please move if you think appropriate).Sue

 

Yes, this has happened to me too once when I was considering changing cards. The amound offered was a joke. I think sometimes they prefer customers that maintain a high debt which is not us.

[rugbypopsie]

Yes, this has happened to me too once when I was considering changing cards. The amound offered was a joke. I think sometimes they prefer customers that maintain a high debt which is not us.

 

It would not have been so bad if they had not wanted to know everything but our blood group!:eek:

[scarlethorse]

Can we just use cash on a Princess cruise? I'll have to contact them because they're asking for a credit card to even access/print out our tickets/boarding passes/luggage labels, etc. What if you don't have a credit card? I know, shock, horror ... no credit card...

[Aus Traveller]

Can we just use cash on a Princess cruise? I'll have to contact them because they're asking for a credit card to even access/print out our tickets/boarding passes/luggage labels, etc. What if you don't have a credit card? I know, shock, horror ... no credit card...

They want a credit card number before you can print out tickets etc. We really objected to that, but had to go with it. On some cruises we take cash and when we check in we register the credit card then early in the cruise go to the Purser's Desk (or Reception as it is now called) and pay in cash. Just before the end of the cruise we pay what we have incurred in cash. Anything we buy on the last night can come off the credit card but we usually work it out that there is nothing less.

 

On our recent Princess cruise we didn't bother with cash, just used Visa credit card. There was no extra charge by Princess. Of course, this could change in the future.

 

I am aware that recently P & O brought in a charge for using a credit card to pay off the onboard account. By the way, they have always had it for paying the cruise fare. However, when you think about it, 1.5% is not really much money unless you spend an enormous amount on your account.

[SPY1956]

I have just returned from cruising in Europe, U.S. and Canada. I used the 28 degree mastercard only even though I have AMEX and Visa cards.

The credit limit given to me was sufficient for the trip and I had the other credit cards as a backup. I found the exchange rate favourable and there were no conversion and overseas transaction fees. I saved over a hundred dollars using 28 degree mastercard. I did use this card to register when first embarking on the cruise but paid the balance with cash. I do not know whether the cruise line impose surcharge on this card.