Credit limit on card high enough for Onboard Expense Account?

[isujim]

Ask for the increase.........better safe than sorry. Personally we have always had holds placed on our CC during a cruise.......but I can see some have and some haven't. Go ahead and ask for an increase........you don't need the hassle during a cruise vacation.

[ryano]

Well then, clearly you would know better than someone in the industry.;)

.

 

Whatever :rolleyes: I dont see the need for your snarky reply because I was not being rude to you. Are you arguing that each and every financial institution or credit card company does NOT handle pre authorizations differently? Thats all i was saying.

 

I will just take your word for it because afterall, you are "in the industry"

 

Gotta love it when people start throwing their professions out around here as if what they say is Gospel all because they work "in the industry" LOL

 

Good day

[goodml]

Like you said, whatever.

 

:D

[blacksheep2]

I didn't even bother reading much more than the first few posts-I work in the financial where my card is issued from and ----

Yes they do block your card each time they authorize payments (which looked like every day)-I had pre authorized transactions on my card that did not fall off for over a week after we got home--make sure that your limit can handle the pre authorized and final authorized transactions

You can purchase on board credit with your card before you leave-I believe this needs to be done so that they can be credited at least two weeks before you leave-this is on the RCCL site in the gift section

Then your card is not blocked and you actually can get them paid for to free up more room on your card before you go

[CruisinGerman]

Dear friends:

 

On a 7-day or longer cruise, RCCL will let you spend $500 per cabin (not per person), after which they will leave a message for you to pay down your account in order to charge more. (On a 5-night or less cruise, I believe it is $300).

 

So don't post either a credit card or advance cash when you board and just worry about it when you've spent $700 ($200 OBC plus $500).

 

RCCL is well prepared for this because they operate in many markets where credit cards aren't prevalent such as Latin America and Asia.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[cruiseguy1016]

No, it isn't a scare tactic. It is true, and it is a standard procedure for Hotels, car rental companies etc. The "hold" doesn't show on your on-line balance, as it is not considered a charge, simply a potential pending charge. The "hold" provides a surity to the merchant that the account is good for that sum. The account holder is likely to be unaware that a "hold" is in effect. If the account balance is approaching an agreed limit, the "hold" can effectively tip it over that limit, until such time as it has dissolved.

 

RCCL is providing a hotel service, and they most certainly do put a "hold" on any credit cards presented as security for onboard charges. If you don't believe it, ask them. Indeed if they didn't, they wouldn't know if the presented card provided any surity at all.

 

I can tell you first hand what happens. When you check in they pre authorize 250 per person on your card. This could of gone up in the past 3 years, but that's the number.

If you have a credit card, it shows nothing and will show nothing until a final charge. They do a 2nd authorization 2 days before the end of your cruise for the current balance if it is over the initial 250 per person.

 

If you use a debit card, that 250per person hold is actually held, like all the signs say when u check in.

 

I know this because I got a letter two days before my last cruise ended saying I was over my credit balance (1000) bucks on a small card I checked in with and had to goto customer service and give a new card.

 

They don't check while at sea, just at the last port so they have 2 days to solve any issues.

 

 

I talked in detail to the hotel staff on it when I was giving my new card to them!

 

This may be what is happening to YOU but that does not mean it happens with everyone. When a temporary authorization or hold goes on my card, it shows up on my account. I will say it again. RCI has NEVER put a hold on my credit card. Maybe it's because I have a high credit limit on the card.

[kevinsgirl88]

for me it was just easier to do cash because as you my CC did not have a high limit and i had brought about 1400 in cash and every day before bed i would pay my seapass so that way i did not have to worry at the end of the trip :o

[Jetdriver787]

More information on the general subject here. Unless you have either a low credit limit, or are sailing fairly close to your established one, most people are completely unaware of an "hold" on their account.

 

If you check online for an "available credit balance," the hold should be reflected there as the difference betwen the credit you thought you had and the credit you actually do have. It is often not obvious, because usually the online (or telephone) balance only shows completed transactions, and a "hold" by definition isn't a completed transaction.

[Jetdriver787]

This may be what is happening to YOU but that does not mean it happens with everyone. When a temporary authorization or hold goes on my card, it shows up on my account. I will say it again. RCI has NEVER put a hold on my credit card. Maybe it's because I have a high credit limit on the card.

 

As a pilot travelling all over the world (including the US) it most certainly does. Hotels, car rental companies and when vacationing, RCCL, all do it. It happens on my personal Amex (very high limit) Mastercard and Visa cards. It also happens on my corporate Visa cards. I was never aware they were picking on me as an individual for this type of treatment.

 

RCCL as the merchant would have no idea what your credit limit was. They would simply action in accordance with their established protocols.

[Lou_70]

Dear friends:

 

On a 7-day or longer cruise, RCCL will let you spend $500 per cabin (not per person), after which they will leave a message for you to pay down your account in order to charge more. (On a 5-night or less cruise, I believe it is $300).

 

So don't post either a credit card or advance cash when you board and just worry about it when you've spent $700 ($200 OBC plus $500).

 

RCCL is well prepared for this because they operate in many markets where credit cards aren't prevalent such as Latin America and Asia.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

 

 

I tried to tell you all like 10 posts ago that is what they do.

[Sunkisthappy]

Thank you for the advice and well-wishes :)

It seems as if it is different for everyone, so I am going to do a few things to make sure we have enough and don't go over the credit limit: give RCI one of our debit debit cards which have more than enough, ask for a credit limit increase just in case, buy $200 or so in OBC, and bring plenty of cash. I hope that will be enough! haha ;)

 

Does anyone know when/how I would get a refund on the OBC that I'm going to purchase if we don't use it all?

[CruisinGerman]

Don't give them a debit card to use -- if you do that any unused authorizations are actually zapped out of your account and sometimes it takes weeks to get the money back.

 

Don't give them anything -- that way you don't get the money automatically taken from your checking account even if you don't use it, and you don't use up your credit limit.

 

Just spend as you go and when you reach $700 (your $200 OBC plus the $500 RCCL will let you spend), at that point go down to guest services and pay your balance down either by an actual charge to your debit or credit card, or by paying cash.

 

That way, you totally avoid the potential problem of double authorizations and money taken out of your checking account when you don't owe it.

 

Kind regards,

 

Gunther and Uta

[uksimonusa]

Thank you for the advice and well-wishes :)

It seems as if it is different for everyone, so I am going to do a few things to make sure we have enough and don't go over the credit limit: give RCI one of our debit debit cards which have more than enough, ask for a credit limit increase just in case, buy $200 or so in OBC, and bring plenty of cash. I hope that will be enough! haha ;)

 

Does anyone know when/how I would get a refund on the OBC that I'm going to purchase if we don't use it all?

 

If you have secured your account with a credit card, any unused refundable OBC will be credited to that card at cruise end, if you have a cash account, then you can withdraw cash on the last day and close your account, or secure the account with a credit card on the last day and let the credit go back to that card

[blfbrat]

I would increase, because if someone gets ill, falls down or any other medical problem, they charge your credit/debit card. A small cut that became infected, and had to be attended to, cost over $300, a bladder infection $180. They do not accept your insurance, so it is a good idea to not cut it so close.

[Vitality08]

I just returned from a cruise in early February on the Majesty. I was specifically told there is no HOLD placed on credit cards.

 

I had a $50 OBC but also gave my CC so I can take advances in the casino. On the last full day of the cruise, I won a bingo game. I went to Guest Services to get my money and they asked did I want cash or did i want to apply it to my Sea Pass account. I then asked, "can you reverse the charges on my credit card?" she said we don't charge until the end of the cruise and I said "oh, you just put a hold". Her answer was "we don't do that either, we run the full amount the morning of the last day".

 

Seems there are a lot of conflicting accounts but I don't believe they place holds on the cc's.

[Sunkisthappy]

(your $200 OBC plus the $500 RCCL will let you spend)

 

I might just do that and pay with our debit cards.

 

I would increase, because if someone gets ill, falls down or any other medical problem, they charge your credit/debit card. A small cut that became infected, and had to be attended to, cost over $300, a bladder infection $180. They do not accept your insurance, so it is a good idea to not cut it so close.

 

We'll have travel insurance that covers up to 10,000 in medical expenses. We also have more than one credit card and debit card with plenty saved, so we really aren't cutting it close. I'm sure we'll be fine :)

[33tekfan]

 

 

 

 

 

I am confused by this statement. Is cash no longer good? Don't forget you pay the cash up front and when you run out you cannot charge any more to the card.

 

 

Not true. We set up a cash account upon booking with the intention of purchasing OBC, which we did. We got on board (2/19/12 sailing), started charging, and didn't realize until about day 6 that our OBC were never credited to our account. Point being: we were allowed to charge several hundred dollars on a cash account without laying out any cash ahead of time. That's not necessarily the route I would suggest taking as it can be easy to rack up charges and then maybe not have enough to cover it, but it can be done. It all worked out and our OBC was credited just fine but that's a story for another time ;)

[33tekfan]

Thank you for the advice and well-wishes :)

It seems as if it is different for everyone, so I am going to do a few things to make sure we have enough and don't go over the credit limit: give RCI one of our debit debit cards which have more than enough, ask for a credit limit increase just in case, buy $200 or so in OBC, and bring plenty of cash. I hope that will be enough! haha ;)

 

Does anyone know when/how I would get a refund on the OBC that I'm going to purchase if we don't use it all?

 

We got ours back, in cash. We bought well over $1500 in OBC (for a family of four), plus we were given gift certificates which we applied also. We didn't spend nearly that amount and we got the whole chunk we didn't use back in cash on our last day when we went to guest relations to "settle up". Even though we purchased the OBC with a credit card, enough time had passed that the charge had "cleared" so they just gave us cash as opposed to applying it back to our credit card.

[LaShelle2]

I have heard of people receiving OBC and excursions as weddign gifts. Have you considered adding the cruise as part of your registry? Maybe someone can chime in as to how you would go about doing this.

 

I agree you will likely not spend over $200 on your cruis unless you are heavy drinkers or gamblers. I have never spent that much on a cruise and I have never felt deprived.

 

I would not increase my credit limit for a honeymoon cruise. Don't start your marriage in debt. Big mistake.

[Sunkisthappy]

I have heard of people receiving OBC and excursions as weddign gifts. Have you considered adding the cruise as part of your registry? Maybe someone can chime in as to how you would go about doing this.

 

I agree you will likely not spend over $200 on your cruis unless you are heavy drinkers or gamblers. I have never spent that much on a cruise and I have never felt deprived.

 

I would not increase my credit limit for a honeymoon cruise. Don't start your marriage in debt. Big mistake.

 

We actually have a honeyfund.com account for that although we are saving enough to cover everything anyways. That way we can thank our guests for specific excursions/specialty restaurants instead of just thanking them for cash.

 

My question was about the method of payment, not whether we should charge money on a credit card that we can't pay back. As mentioned earlier, a credit limit raise would be for emergencies.

[terpfan101]

I highly recommend increasing your credit limit...is there a reason why your's is so low? I don't make that much by any means but have a much higher credit limit. I'd imagine it'd be pretty easy to get yours increased. Just don't charge what you don't have :)

[cyclenut]

And every bank or credit union handles things differently when it comes to pre authorizations. See my reply on NO holds on my debit card. Ive used it three times on cruises so far.

 

I wouldn't say that everyone does it differently, but I would say there are a couple of different ways it is handled.

 

When a vendor of any type makes in an inquiry as to available funds, the card issuer can choose to handle it one of two ways. They can log the transaction and not affect the overall credit limit, or they can log the transaction and reduce the total remaining credit available to the consumer. The most common method is to reduce the available credit, but it is not the ONLY method. It depends on whether or not the card issuer is willing to take on the risk. Most assume that if an inquiry is made, a charge is forthcoming. Others will respond to the vendor that funds are available, which they must honor later, and by not reducing the available credit, assume a risk that actual charges could end up exceeding the card limit.

 

How the issuer behaves will differ based on the consumer relationship with the institution and the policies of that institution.