$60/pp/pd deposit question

[WebExec]

Trying to plan on how much room I need on my credit card. Does this also apply to my children traveling with me? Also what are there applicable ages?

[cruz chic]

It will be applicable to everyone in the room. I think you can negotiate it downward with Hal.

Edited September 7, 2013 by lorekauf

[sail7seas]

All guests, no matter their age, have automatic hotel service charge applied to on board account. I think the current rate is $12 for cabins and $12.50 pp per day for suites. Children often require more work from dining and cabin stewards than most adults. ;)

 

If you are worried about low level credit card using up too much of available spending, an option is to buy yourself OBC in advance of boarding. You would then be able to pay that bill and your credit card would have full availability while you are traveling. Calculate how much you think you will spend on the ship including your hotel service charge and prepay that amount with those OBC's.

 

The $60 per day may be too high for the childre if will not be permitting them to charge very much. You may be able to work with front office regarding the children's full amount of the hold. You do not say how old they are.

Edited September 7, 2013 by sail7seas

[Shmoo here]

OK, I get confused easily. $60.00 per person per day is placed on hold on our credit card. And the Hotel Service Charge will be part of that $60.00.

 

If you don't charge anything more (drinks, photos, gifts) on any given day, how long does the hold stay on your card?

 

Day 1 - $60.00 hold, $12.00 charge each(HSC) total $24.00, leaving $36.00 on hold.

Day 2 - Is the hold only $60.00 or $60.00 plus $36.00? Minus $24.00 (HSC)

Day 3 - $60.00 hold plus whatever still hasn't been used from previous days? Minus $24.00 (HSC)

 

You see where I'm going?

Edited September 7, 2013 by Shmoo here

[RJ2002]

OK, I get confused easily. $60.00 per person per day is placed on hold on our credit card. And the Hotel Service Charge will be part of that $60.00.

 

If you don't charge anything more (drinks, photos, gifts) on any given day, how long does the hold stay on your card?

 

Day 1 - $60.00 hold, $12.00 charge each(HSC) total $24.00, leaving $36.00 on hold.

Day 2 - Is the hold only $60.00 or $60.00 plus $36.00? Minus $24.00 (HSC)

Day 3 - $60.00 hold plus whatever still hasn't been used from previous days? Minus $24.00 (HSC)

 

You see where I'm going?

 

I think they put the pre-authorization for the entire cruise on the credit card, on day one. I may be wrong. I'm sure others will comment. I don't think they adjust each day based on actual spend.

Edited September 7, 2013 by RJ2002

[Taxguy77]

OK, I get confused easily. $60.00 per person per day is placed on hold on our credit card. And the Hotel Service Charge will be part of that $60.00.

 

If you don't charge anything more (drinks, photos, gifts) on any given day, how long does the hold stay on your card?

 

Day 1 - $60.00 hold, $12.00 charge each(HSC) total $24.00, leaving $36.00 on hold.

Day 2 - Is the hold only $60.00 or $60.00 plus $36.00? Minus $24.00 (HSC)

Day 3 - $60.00 hold plus whatever still hasn't been used from previous days? Minus $24.00 (HSC)

 

You see where I'm going?

 

They're not that smart!:rolleyes:

[NoWhiners]

We just did check in for our cruise on Oct 2--we paid the whole amount for both of us, $1480 or so :eek:!!

 

I think that's why they get it pre-authorized.

 

ML

[Shmoo here]

We just did check in for our cruise on Oct 2--we paid the whole amount for both of us, $1480 or so :eek:!!

 

I think that's why they get it pre-authorized.

 

ML

 

"paid the whole amount" what amount? The $60.00 hold? Or the Hotel Service Charge?

[RuthC]

OK, I get confused easily.

Apparently.

Day 1 - $60.00 hold, $12.00 charge each(HSC) total $24.00, leaving $36.00 on hold.

You started out your calculation for one person, then doubled a portion of it, for two people. You have to keep it one or two, but you can't go back and forth in the same example.

Day 1---$60 hold, $12 charge (HSC) total $12, leaving $48 on hold.

or

Day 1----$60 hold each, $120, $12 charge each (HSC) total $24, leaving $96 on hold.

 

The $60 hold is per person per day.

Edited September 8, 2013 by RuthC

[Shmoo here]

Apparently.

 

You started out your calculation for one person, then doubled a portion of it, for two people. You have to keep it one or two, but you can't go back and forth in the same example.

Day 1---$60 hold, $12 charge (HSC) total $12, leaving $48 on hold.

or

Day 1----$60 hold each, $120, $12 charge each (HSC) total $24, leaving $96 on hold.

 

The $60 hold is per person per day.

 

Yeah, I realized I did that later. :rolleyes:

 

However, the question is how long is the hold on the CC?

 

Do they just even up the hold every day to the $60.00 pp?

[Alberta Quilter]

I think they put the pre-authorization for the entire cruise on the credit card, on day one. I may be wrong. I'm sure others will comment. I don't think they adjust each day based on actual spend.

 

I believe this is true. They would not have the time to adjust ~1000 holds on a daily basis. HAL releases the hold at the end of the cruise. When the credit card company actually releases the hold is up to the credit card company/bank.

[BruceMuzz]

Yeah, I realized I did that later. :rolleyes:

 

However, the question is how long is the hold on the CC?

 

Do they just even up the hold every day to the $60.00 pp?

 

It may help you to know how and why this hold business happens.

 

In today's economy, hotels and cruise lines are more frequently encountering travelers who cannot pay their bills at the end of their stay.

Even with this program in place, my employer is seeing 10% of passengers unable to pay at the end of the cruise. I'm not going to tell you how this happens, as I don't want to give any more ideas to the growing number of deadbeats out there.

 

The cruise lines establish what they believe is an average spending amount per passenger per day. Most of the lines have established that number to be $60 per person per day.

That amount is held in reserve against your credit card limit, by your bank at the request of the cruise line. Remember that this is an average. Some people spend $0 one day and then $120 the next = average $60.

Some cruise lines apply this hold on a daily basis - others for the entire cruise in one go. In both cases, NOTHING is charged to your credit card. Only that amount of your existing credit is held in reserve.

Most cruise lines do not charge anything to your credit card until the final night of the cruise. At that point, your bank charges the actual amount spent against your total credit, and releases the remainder of the hold against your account.

Some banks release the held credit in one day. Other banks take as long as a month to release the credit hold. That is an issue between you and your bank. The cruise line has nothing to do with it.

Edited September 8, 2013 by BruceMuzz

[Shmoo here]

It may help you to know how and why this hold business happens.

 

In today's economy, hotels and cruise lines are more frequently encountering travelers who cannot pay their bills at the end of their stay.

Even with this program in place, my employer is seeing 10% of passengers unable to pay at the end of the cruise. I'm not going to tell you how this happens, as I don't want to give any more ideas to the growing number of deadbeats out there.

 

The cruise lines establish what they believe is an average spending amount per passenger per day. Most of the lines have established that number to be $60 per person per day.

That amount is held in reserve against your credit card limit, by your bank at the request of the cruise line. Remember that this is an average. Some people spend $0 one day and then $120 the next = average $60.

Some cruise lines apply this hold on a daily basis - others for the entire cruise in one go. In both cases, NOTHING is charged to your credit card. Only that amount of your existing credit is held in reserve.

Most cruise lines do not charge anything to your credit card until the final night of the cruise. At that point, your bank charges the actual amount spent against your total credit, and releases the remainder of the hold against your account.

Some banks release the held credit in one day. Other banks take as long as a month to release the credit hold. That is an issue between you and your bank. The cruise line has nothing to do with it.

 

Oh, I know why it's done (spent a number of years in retail/tourist industry), I was just curious how long the hold is. Because a hold that large (cumulative number for longer cruises) could seriously hamper the ability to use said CC for other things during the trip.

[RJ2002]

It may help you to know how and why this hold business happens.

 

In today's economy, hotels and cruise lines are more frequently encountering travelers who cannot pay their bills at the end of their stay.

Even with this program in place, my employer is seeing 10% of passengers unable to pay at the end of the cruise. I'm not going to tell you how this happens, as I don't want to give any more ideas to the growing number of deadbeats out there.

 

The cruise lines establish what they believe is an average spending amount per passenger per day. Most of the lines have established that number to be $60 per person per day.

That amount is held in reserve against your credit card limit, by your bank at the request of the cruise line. Remember that this is an average. Some people spend $0 one day and then $120 the next = average $60.

Some cruise lines apply this hold on a daily basis - others for the entire cruise in one go. In both cases, NOTHING is charged to your credit card. Only that amount of your existing credit is held in reserve.

Most cruise lines do not charge anything to your credit card until the final night of the cruise. At that point, your bank charges the actual amount spent against your total credit, and releases the remainder of the hold against your account.

Some banks release the held credit in one day. Other banks take as long as a month to release the credit hold. That is an issue between you and your bank. The cruise line has nothing to do with it.

 

Thanks for this info. Interesting that some cruise lines place the hold daily and others do it all at once.

 

Very sad to read that upwards of 10% are unable to pay their onboard bill :eek:

[RuthC]

Because a hold that large (cumulative number for longer cruises) could seriously hamper the ability to use said CC for other things during the trip.

The per day hold is a smaller amount on cruises over 30 days. That's a help.

[AlohaPride]

$60 per person per day. You can adjust it down to $12 per child and have charging turned off on their room cards (we won't even be giving our 3, 5, and 6 year old children cards on our next cruise). We will probably actually pay our gratuities ahead of time in OBC and then do the $48 per adult per day as the credit hold. :)

 

edit to add: we were able to do this at check-in back in 2009 when we traveled with a 15 month old. We didn't have to go to the front desk.

Edited September 8, 2013 by AlohaPride

[jtl513]

... could seriously hamper the ability to use said CC for other things during the trip.

Maybe it's time to get another c.c. just for cruising. Got a HAL Barclay card yet? :)

[serendipity1499]

Oh, I know why it's done (spent a number of years in retail/tourist industry), I was just curious how long the hold is. Because a hold that large (cumulative number for longer cruises) could seriously hamper the ability to use said CC for other things during the trip.

 

As Ruth mentioned, any cruise over thirty days the hold is $30 per person per day..

 

Maybe it's time to get another c.c. just for cruising. Got a HAL Barclay card yet? :)

 

Completely agree with you..We have one credit card which we use only for automatic deductions each month such as, Electric, cable TV, phone etc. We have another credit card which we use on a daily basis for all other charges including our cruise deposits & final payments..We pay both of those cards off each month sans interest..These two cards are in both our names & both have high credit limits...

In addition we each have a CapitalOne credit card in our individual names which we use when we travel...Each card has a $6,000 credit limit & we have stated that the limit is not be increased..One is kept in the cabin safe, just in case the other one is lost or stolen..These two cards (mine & DH's) are used only for our on board expenses & foreign purchases..I also use my CapitalOne when I make on-line purchases.. Most credit cards charge a currency conversion (aka foreign transaction fee) of approx. 3-5% when you charge something in local currency.. CapitalOne does not..

 

Betty

Edited September 8, 2013 by serendipity1499

[Boytjie]

You can avoid the credit card hold by depositing cash at the front desk on the ship. Once the depisit has been depleted by charges made on the card(s) and the daily charged Hotel Service Charge, you will be contacted by the front desk to deposit more cash before you can charge anything else to your account.

 

The hold is released the day the cruise ends; how long it stays on is determined by the financial institution. Debit card holds usually stay on longer than credit card holds.

[cruz chic]

Oh, I know why it's done (spent a number of years in retail/tourist industry), I was just curious how long the hold is. Because a hold that large (cumulative number for longer cruises) could seriously hamper the ability to use said CC for other things during the trip.

 

If a person is taking a longer cruise I would think they should have the means and the credit to sustain that. that said, I'm sure someone will rip me a new one for saying that.

Edited September 8, 2013 by lorekauf

[Hflors]

Thanks for this info. Interesting that some cruise lines place the hold daily and others do it all at once.

 

Very sad to read that upwards of 10% are unable to pay their onboard bill :eek:

 

I agree it is very sad to read this, but I traveled on another cruise line and I had to be at the front desk the last morning about a OBC that didn't show up on my account and it was a mad house. The people there who could not pay their bills were being asked to sign something. (maybe a promisory note?) If I am not mistaken the people who couldn't pay their bills were being "donged" as they tried to leave the ship and then were being sent to the front desk.

 

I'm glad my problem involved a obc on my account and not the other way around!!!

[Katie333]

If a person is taking a longer cruise I would think they should have the means and the credit to sustain that. that said, I'm sure someone will rip me a new one for saying that.

 

Then they can rip me one too because I agree. Having access to a reasonable amount of credit is important when travelling for emergencies and because CC are much safer than carrying wads of cash. To me it just seems prudent to ensure you have sufficient credit for your trip.

[sail7seas]

I agree it is very sad to read this, but I traveled on another cruise line and I had to be at the front desk the last morning about a OBC that didn't show up on my account and it was a mad house. The people there who could not pay their bills were being asked to sign something. (maybe a promisory note?) If I am not mistaken the people who couldn't pay their bills were being "donged" as they tried to leave the ship and then were being sent to the front desk.

 

I'm glad my problem involved a obc on my account and not the other way around!!!

 

 

I understand why BruceMuzz did not wish to elaborate on how people can continue to charge throughout their cruise if their credit card does not have enough availability to cover the amount of the bill they are accumulating.

 

If HAL is running through 'holds' on the cards either in advance at the start of the cruise or periodically throughout, how do they not know there is no credit left and 'shut off' the guest from making any more charges?

 

The staff will be cheated out of hotel service charge as those daily amounts can't be sustained but certainly these 'deadbeat' guests should not be permitted to purchase more drinks, get advances to gamble in casino, have spa treatments, shop etc

 

How do these guests continue to charge?

 

[Sea-travelers]

It may help you to know how and why this hold business happens.

 

In today's economy, hotels and cruise lines are more frequently encountering travelers who cannot pay their bills at the end of their stay.

Even with this program in place, my employer is seeing 10% of passengers unable to pay at the end of the cruise. I'm not going to tell you how this happens, as I don't want to give any more ideas to the growing number of deadbeats out there.

 

The cruise lines establish what they believe is an average spending amount per passenger per day. Most of the lines have established that number to be $60 per person per day.

That amount is held in reserve against your credit card limit, by your bank at the request of the cruise line. Remember that this is an average. Some people spend $0 one day and then $120 the next = average $60.

Some cruise lines apply this hold on a daily basis - others for the entire cruise in one go. In both cases, NOTHING is charged to your credit card. Only that amount of your existing credit is held in reserve.

Most cruise lines do not charge anything to your credit card until the final night of the cruise. At that point, your bank charges the actual amount spent against your total credit, and releases the remainder of the hold against your account.

Some banks release the held credit in one day. Other banks take as long as a month to release the credit hold. That is an issue between you and your bank. The cruise line has nothing to do with it.

 

this is the best explanation I have seen on CC concerning the $60 per day hold per person on the credit card. This is how it works.

[Sea-travelers]

They're not that smart!:rolleyes:

 

You may have been trying to be funny but what a rude remark to make about the employees at HAL. That comment doesn't share information in a positive manner for the rest of us on CC.