Card hold amounts

[LokiPoki]

Am reading very mixed experiences regarding the use of debit cards on board - this is largely what I use (of the Visa/MasterCard variety) as I do not have a credit card and won't have one on principle. Am hoping, given the negative experiences others have had, that it won't be an issue if I do a wee bit of advance planning. I'm working on the assumption that Princess will place a hold of some sort on the card - but can anyone give me an indication of how much it typically is? And do they do it on a daily/weekly basis, or a larger sum for the duration of the cruise?

 

Really just trying to anticipate how much to have in that account...it's one I keep just for use with the MC Debit, typically do not keep much in it in case card is lost or stolen. I don't really plan on spending big on board - have already sorted soft drink card and the couple of excursions I am interested in - have some cash and separate card for anything onshore (and 4 travelling companions their own cards should anything go awry...)

 

Reading back I'm sounding borderline-obsessive and a bit of a miserable sod...I'm really not ;)

 

Cheers to anyone who can offer advice.

 

Laura

[VibeGuy]

The problem isn't really the hold amount per se. They essentially take an approval to zero the account every night. There hasn't been a big upfront hold on my card in the last several years.

 

The problem is that the final charge is usually captured as lump sum. While the total amount will match the sum of the smaller authorizations, your issuing financial institution isn't likely to let the approvals fall off based on that single capture - most only drop auths after three to seven business days *or* when a perfectly-matched single capture comes through.

 

So what ends up happening is double your final folio amount is taken away from your available balance and it takes an unpredictable amount of time to come back. It's more problematic with debit cards than underwritten credit or charge cards because it's money you might have other ideas for, rather than simply a portion of a large block of available credit.

 

My personal advice would be to try and prevent a big duplicate block by putting an upfront cash deposit with the purser's desk to keep the balance above zero.

[dtb55]

I've never used anything but my debit card and have never had a problem. Yes, they zero the account every night, but that has never resulted in multiple holds. When the final amount is sent through on the last night, the hold has always dropped off immediately. Maybe it depends on the bank.

[cruisinfanatic]

Am reading very mixed experiences regarding the use of debit cards on board - this is largely what I use (of the Visa/MasterCard variety) as I do not have a credit card and won't have one on principle. Am hoping, given the negative experiences others have had, that it won't be an issue if I do a wee bit of advance planning. I'm working on the assumption that Princess will place a hold of some sort on the card - but can anyone give me an indication of how much it typically is? And do they do it on a daily/weekly basis, or a larger sum for the duration of the cruise?

 

Really just trying to anticipate how much to have in that account...it's one I keep just for use with the MC Debit, typically do not keep much in it in case card is lost or stolen. I don't really plan on spending big on board - have already sorted soft drink card and the couple of excursions I am interested in - have some cash and separate card for anything onshore (and 4 travelling companions their own cards should anything go awry...)

 

Reading back I'm sounding borderline-obsessive and a bit of a miserable sod...I'm really not ;)

 

Cheers to anyone who can offer advice.

 

Laura

If you won't use a credit card for whatever principle you may have, I'd suggest you just use cash for your account. Then you will have no worry

[thinfool]

Cash or a credit card.

 

Theft protections on credit cards are several orders of magnitude greater than anything on a debit card.

 

Pay it off immediately and there is no impact on personal finances or interest money going to carnivorous banks.

[skynight]

It works this way. Each day you have on board spending, this includes anything you purchase on the ship from drinks, gift shops, photos, tours, and the auto-tip (if not pre-payed). At the end of the day your account will have a positive or negative balance. Overnight, when you have a positive balance, a hold is placed on your debit card for the balance amount. It isn't a fixed amount. Each overnight additional holds are placed on your debit card based on how much additional you spent during the day. At the end of the cruise the hold amount will just about equal your final bill. When you disembark, Princess actually charges your debit card to receive their payment. Here is where the use of a debit card gets tricky, and the issue has to do with your bank's practices, and not with Princess. Some banks don't immediately remove holds when the actual charge is posted to the account. So for a while you may not have access to all your funds, until the bank, not Princess, removes the holds.

Hope this explanation is clear.

 

A credit card is normally recommended for travel over a debit card.

Edited April 27, 2016 by sknight

[Hoosier-Cruiser]

I, too, only use a debit card. To avoid any issues with holds on my money, I do the following:

 

1) Pre-pay what I can (drink packages, etc)

2) Determine my estimated spend on board (gratuities, gambling, shore excursions)

3) Subtract any OBC from my booking from my estimated expenses.

4) Gift myself OBC close to the anticipated amount needed using my debit card.

5) Enjoy my cruise without worrying about sticker shock or held funds at the end. Coming back from a cruise is bad enough withouth the additional worry.

[cruisinfanatic]

I, too, only use a debit card. To avoid any issues with holds on my money, I do the following:

 

1) Pre-pay what I can (drink packages, etc)

2) Determine my estimated spend on board (gratuities, gambling, shore excursions)

3) Subtract any OBC from my booking from my estimated expenses.

4) Gift myself OBC close to the anticipated amount needed using my debit card.

5) Enjoy my cruise without worrying about sticker shock or held funds at the end. Coming back from a cruise is bad enough withouth the additional worry.

no reason to put a card on file anyway if you do all that

[Treven]

I, too, only use a debit card. To avoid any issues with holds on my money, I do the following:

 

1) Pre-pay what I can (drink packages, etc)

2) Determine my estimated spend on board (gratuities, gambling, shore excursions)

3) Subtract any OBC from my booking from my estimated expenses.

4) Gift myself OBC close to the anticipated amount needed using my debit card.

5) Enjoy my cruise without worrying about sticker shock or held funds at the end. Coming back from a cruise is bad enough withouth the additional worry.

This is pretty close to what I do. I'll gift myself $500-750 in between my payments to make sure most (all?) of my onboard expenses are covered. I rarely owe money at the end of my cruise and often get a refund of my overage.

[Hoosier-Cruiser]

no reason to put a card on file anyway if you do all that

 

 

I tend to gift myself a little less (nearest $100) than I am expecting to pay if we spend everything I budget for. Worst case, we owe less than $100 on the last day. Best case, I'm stopping by the Passenger Service desk to collect some travel money for the trip home.