Credit card

[Tisha49]

Trying to help out my college senior plan a cruise. He has a debit card, but no credit card. Seems that is a requirement but I don't recall. Thanks.

[Grandma Dazzles]

Trying to help out my college senior plan a cruise. He has a debit card, but no credit card. Seems that is a requirement but I don't recall. Thanks.

 

 

Not sure if just is a requirement. It might possibly depend on the cruise line. You can set up a cash account for on board bills. The majority of people use a credit card. It is just so much simpler. Your credit card is on file and purchases are automatically charged to it.

 

You also have more protection against fraud when using a credit card.

 

Also traveling without a credit card might be problematic in case of an emergency.

[Bonnie J.]

Has he thought of applying for a credit card? That would solve things. As was said he can give the ship cash and use that amount for things on the ship. Just make sure he/she has extra cash with him in his cabin's safe so he'll have more cash if needed. Any cash not spent will be given back at the end of the cruise.

 

I tell 1st time cruisers to sit down before they look at their final bill. It's usually higher than they though and will fall over if they're not sitting down when they look at it!

[98Charlie]

RE: paying in cash. I've always used a credit card but it seems I have read on certain lines that the excess cash in the account is returned by check. I don't know if the check comes to the cabin or mailed.

 

On Carnival if the amount is less than (I believe) $5 the money is donated to St. Jude's or other charity.

 

Charlie

[curcurt]

Both our sons had debit cards for their checking accounts, but we also had obtained credit cards issued to them from our credit card company in their names. This was for emergency use only and never had an issue with them. Once he gets on his own, get the credit card off his name. My son was trying to buy a new house and still had the credit card from us in his name. Mortgage company wanted it off his record before issuing loan.

 

If he plans on purchasing anything out of the country, get a credit card with no foreign transaction fees.

[Tisha49]

Thanks everyone...good point about the no transaction fee. We got the capital one card this year for a trip to Europe and it was awesome. It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to have him get one also, especially for emergencies. He's not gone on vacation without us before...his first college spring break, also.

[SuiteTraveler]

If you son is a college senior, he should be receiving all kinds of credit card offers. They typically have low limits, but once he starts his career, he will be able to increase the limit. Having a good credit history can be important in the US for certain jobs, buying a car or house, so it is in his best interest to have a credit card now to begin building that credit history. Some ATM cards work as both a bank card and a credit card. If that is what he has, then he can use that card instead.

[cb at sea]

I wouldn't use a debit...they put "holds" on your money.....can last for days! Since a debit is basically cash...just use cash! No holds or other annoyances! There is a safe in the cabin to store cash.

[MCC retired]

Also you don't have the protections and benefits with a Debit Card , that a Credit Card has. Not to mention reward points and sign up credits .

Just get use to paying the balance off every cycle . Also builds something important for the future , a Credit Rating ,

[sail7seas]

If you son is a college senior, he should be receiving all kinds of credit card offers. They typically have low limits, but once he starts his career, he will be able to increase the limit. Having a good credit history can be important in the US for certain jobs, buying a car or house, so it is in his best interest to have a credit card now to begin building that credit history. Some ATM cards work as both a bank card and a credit card. If that is what he has, then he can use that card instead.

 

Exactly.

As he starts his career, he should also start building a good credit rating. The only way to do that is to handle money responsibly and create that good history on his own.

 

[luddite]

Get a credit card.

Never, ever use a debit card for this.

[sail7seas]

I have yet to figure out why people even want debit cards over credit cards???

I got my first M/C in 1969, certainly have added other credit cards through the years, always pay the balance and have no use or interest in a debit card.

 

[Theodorable]

When I first came to Canada 23 years ago I had no credit rating whatsoever. I managed to get a credit card through my employer and then kept adding them whenever I could. The only way to build a great credit rating is to use the cards and then pay the balance off immediately. My credit rating is exemplary....it is such a simple thing to do. As Seven Seas mentioned, using debit card is counter intuitive....by using a credit card and by monitoring your spending so that you don't go incur fees....you are set!

[Flatbush Flyer]

International travel without a credit card? VERY bad idea!!!

[navybankerteacher]

I have yet to figure out why people even want debit cards over credit cards???

I got my first M/C in 1969, certainly have added other credit cards through the years, always pay the balance and have no use or interest in a debit card.

 

 

Exactly --a debit card is essentially an ATM card which can be used to make purchases in addition to obtaining cash from an ATM. Of course you want the ability to get cash, but why anyone would want to authorize an immediate charge against his bank account is beyond me. If you have the funds in your account to pay for a thing now, you surely would be able to pay for that purchase a month or so later.

 

Someone who claims that he needs the discipline of not charging things probably is not mature enough to make any major purchase in the first place.

 

Bottom line: GET A CREDIT CARD - and use it responsibly.

[SuiteTraveler]

I wouldn't use a debit...they put "holds" on your money.....can last for days! Since a debit is basically cash...just use cash! No holds or other annoyances! There is a safe in the cabin to store cash.

 

If the debit card works as both a credit card OR debit card, then all he has to do is use it as a credit card and there are no holds put on the money in the bank. Easy peasy!

 

But I definitely thing a college senior should have 2 credit cards and be working on developing a good credit rating. It's just something you have to have in today's world. The other thing - how does he make online purchases without a credit card? That's so important to be able to do!

Edited December 20, 2015 by SuiteTraveler

[newport dave]

If the debit card works as both a credit card OR debit card, then all he has to do is use it as a credit card and there are no holds put on the money in the bank. Easy peasy!

 

But I definitely thing a college senior should have 2 credit cards and be working on developing a good credit rating. It's just something you have to have in today's world. The other thing - how does he make online purchases without a credit card? That's so important to be able to do!

 

You can make online purchases with debit cards. At least you can in the UK.

[slidergirl]

A reason to not use a debit card for hotels, cruise accounts, car rentals…

 

I had another guest this week who only had a debit card, no credit card. She said it was "OK" to use it for her room account. Well, later that evening, she calls down and says she just tried to pay for dinner with her card and it said she had no money left in her account. Well, that's right - she used the debit card and our automatic authorization system took $700 from her account to cover possible $100/day incidentals for a week.

 

The best thing to do is to have a credit card to use at check in. You only have the "does the person have enough credit" pre-authorization, not a hard capture of cold cash as with a debit card. When you check out, you may switch to the debit card for the settlement of your account.

 

Think of an emergency where your son has to try to use his debit card to get last minute air/hotel/etc., and he has used his debit card to start the on-board account - will he still have sufficient funds available??

[Beth8649]

Just sailed on holland america. It was a credit card or a $400 advance deposit. All cabin charges & excursions are either applied to the credit card or deducted from the advance deposit.

 

As a parent, for hotels for my kids, I've filled out forms authorizing the hotels to charge my credit card for the kids room, meals, movies... Your friend can possibly do likewise by contacting the cruise line and using a parent's charge card.

 

Edited to add: hotels email the form, then I fill it out and either fax or email a filled out PDF back to them.

Edited December 20, 2015 by Beth8649

[Underwatr]

If the debit card works as both a credit card OR debit card, then all he has to do is use it as a credit card and there are no holds put on the money in the bank. Easy peasy!

That statement is incorrect as demonstrated by several other threads here.

[sail7seas]

Just sailed on holland america. It was a credit card or a $400 advance deposit. All cabin charges & excursions are either applied to the credit card or deducted from the advance deposit.

 

As a parent, for hotels for my kids, I've filled out forms authorizing the hotels to charge my credit card for the kids room, meals, movies... Your friend can possibly do likewise by contacting the cruise line and using a parent's charge card.

 

Edited to add: hotels email the form, then I fill it out and either fax or email a filled out PDF back to them.

 

With all respect, the young man is graduating college this year. It is time he becomes independent of such reliance on his parents' credit and learns how to manage his own. He will want to buy a car, take friends/clients to dinner, get a mortgage, rent a car, check in a hotel........ He not only needs a credit card but he needs to begin to build up a good credit history. Most major companies today check credit as part of their hiring process. He is no longer a child and time to become a responsible adult.

 

 

As to the young man....... I don't know a single thing about him but what is written here. For all I know he is the most brilliant, responsible, kind, honest college graduate of the year. I mean absolutely nothing personal about this specific person. :)

 

[John Bull]

 

As he starts his career, he should also start building a good credit rating. The only way to do that is to handle money responsibly and create that good history on his own.

 

I learned that lesson the hard way.

 

I used to run a cash business.

So I never had a credit card, never ran up debts, always used cash.

"Never a lender nor a borrower be"

 

So of course I had a good credit rating?:)

Nope. :mad:

No re-paid borrowings = no credit rating.

 

And paying in cash for large purchases, such as a cruise, started to bring raised eyebrows - made me feel like a suspected tax-cheat at best, or drug dealer at worst.

Quite a ridiculous situation, but that's the way it works these days.

 

I then had to get a credit card when the internet took over from the High Street.

It makes life sooooo simple.

 

One negative using cash for the on-board account. At the end of the cruise I don't have to "check-out" unless I spot an error - my card is automatically charged. But with a cash account on the last day you normally have to join a potentially long & slow-moving line at Guest Relations to sort out who owes who.

 

JB :)