Credit Card Holds on RCCL

[grapau27]

I had a few pending charges on my credit card after my last cruise, they dropped off in about a week.

I have been told this before but my UK MasterCard has never had these pending charges on it so i presume RC check beforehand and get told our credit is fine.

[Clarea]

I know this a somewhat old thread, but this just happened to me! I was wondering how common this is.I was onboard the Allure 6/18-6/25. I still have pending charges. I called Citi last night and they told me I had to call RCL. I called RCL last night and the girl told me they were closed, call back today between 8-8. I called after 8 tonight since that's when I got home and I got the same it could take 30 days to come off!!! That's crazy!! They already charged my card for the bill. The girl told me they had to get some merchant # or something from whatever dept, which of course it closed and also closed tomorrow since it's a holiday!! So, basicallyI have to call back yet again and hope that someone will be able to get whatever # and call Citi to get it dropped!! The girl did act like she was trying to figure out a way to fix it, but she couldn't and kept telling me the same stuff over and over and put me on hold a few times!!! This is really annoying!!

Inconsistent too. We cruised in June also, and no pending charges at all.

[marci22]

I have had 5 pending charges since I got off the cruise, one of which fell off today and one of which just posted and it included the bogus water bottle charge. I still have 3 pending charges, one of which is another $12.36 bogus water bottle charge.

 

I've never seen so many pending charges. It started on day one, with a $50xx charge, and a weird amount was charged every day thereafter. $108, $44.01, etc. All I spent was gratuties and a couple of gift shop purchases. Dinners were prepaid. By the end of the cruise, I actually owed ~$350 and pending charges to my account were ~$575. Just annoying.

[Ned11]

Just reading somebody else's comments, could I use a travel money MasterCard for the cruise instead of a real credit card? It would really help me budget.

 

 

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[uncw89]

I have had 5 pending charges since I got off the cruise, one of which fell off today and one of which just posted and it included the bogus water bottle charge. I still have 3 pending charges, one of which is another $12.36 bogus water bottle charge.

 

I've never seen so many pending charges. It started on day one, with a $50xx charge, and a weird amount was charged every day thereafter. $108, $44.01, etc. All I spent was gratuties and a couple of gift shop purchases. Dinners were prepaid. By the end of the cruise, I actually owed ~$350 and pending charges to my account were ~$575. Just annoying.

 

Same here! They were weird amounts, $94.64, $2, $1.93, $50 and $100.50. Strange!! I, also prepaid my excursions and stuff, so I basically just had gratuities and a few other charges. No water bottle charges though!!

[Hey Tina]

Just reading somebody else's comments, could I use a travel money MasterCard for the cruise instead of a real credit card? It would really help me budget.

 

 

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I don't know what that is but I think what you should do is set up a "cash" account except don't fund it with any cash and go pay off the balance with your card periodically or at the end of the cruise.

[PrincessPete]

This may be a stupid question but here goes anyway....

If you register a credit card.......but then deposit cash as soon as onboard and always keep the account in credit do they still authorise the daily spend each night to your card - or wait if and until you are no longer in credit and then start authorising? Hope this makes sense!

Cheers Peter

[grapau27]

This may be a stupid question but here goes anyway....

If you register a credit card.......but then deposit cash as soon as onboard and always keep the account in credit do they still authorise the daily spend each night to your card - or wait if and until you are no longer in credit and then start authorising? Hope this makes sense!

Cheers Peter

I wonder is this just for US guests because although i have heard this happens,for me from England fortunately after 45 cruises nothing like this has ever happened with my MasterCard.

 

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[Clarea]

This may be a stupid question but here goes anyway....

If you register a credit card.......but then deposit cash as soon as onboard and always keep the account in credit do they still authorise the daily spend each night to your card - or wait if and until you are no longer in credit and then start authorising? Hope this makes sense!

Cheers Peter

Not sure, I've never had that situation and have not seen that situation reported. However, one variant on that process would eliminate possible daily authorizations. Make your account a "cash" type account, and don't give them the credit card until the last day.

[judeniece]

I wonder is this just for US guests because although i have heard this happens,for me from England fortunately after 45 cruises nothing like this has ever happened with my MasterCard.

 

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From Ireland we used a MasterCard and just got off Sunday. We have 3 amounts taken from card.

2 were taken on sat whilst on ship small amounts like 7.56 and 12.68

Then the last one taken Sunday as it should have been this one was correct.

So now we wondering what we're d charges on Sat and why was my card used whilst I was still on board why was this just not added to our final bill.. I guess I'll have to make that dreaded phone call [emoji849][emoji849][emoji849]

 

 

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[Biker19]

2 were taken on sat whilst on ship small amounts like 7.56 and 12.68

Unusual for them to show up separately but those amounts seem like the bogus in cabin water bottle charges.

[grapau27]

Unusual for them to show up separately but those amounts seem like the bogus in cabin water bottle charges.

It does sound like it.

I would scrutinize your bill and if these don't match up i would ring RC.

 

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[dreadpirate3]

This may be a stupid question but here goes anyway....

If you register a credit card.......but then deposit cash as soon as onboard and always keep the account in credit do they still authorise the daily spend each night to your card - or wait if and until you are no longer in credit and then start authorising? Hope this makes sense!

Cheers Peter

 

I bought a $100 gift certificate online and then posted it to my account as my onboard credit. They ran my credit card for my account and authorized $50 on the first day. We spent $89 on board, and they refunded $11 to my credit card a week after our cruise.

 

I am getting a separate travel credit card for the next trip, but will probably prepay my onboard account again. It was nice to know it was already funded.

[reallyitsmema]

I bought a $100 gift certificate online and then posted it to my account as my onboard credit. They ran my credit card for my account and authorized $50 on the first day. We spent $89 on board, and they refunded $11 to my credit card a week after our cruise.

 

I am getting a separate travel credit card for the next trip, but will probably prepay my onboard account again. It was nice to know it was already funded.

 

Just buy OBC, don't go through the extra step of buying a gift card and then getting it applied later.

[cb at sea]

The "pending" charges will drop off in due time. No worries! It's not up to RCI, it's all about YOUR credit card company...so call them, if you must! But otherwise...they will disappear...stop checking so often!

[Havingfun2010]

When I go on a cruise, I get a hotel "hold" on my credit card. I get maybe one or two gas bills for the car. I get the cruise "hold". Than maybe another "hotel" hold. I don't know, but I never look to see how long it stays and clears. It's just a fact of life now, when using credit cards.

 

Tip #1 - Travel with a credit card that you have a big enough limit to cover holds by several hundred dollars.

Tip #2 - Enjoy the cruise

[dreadpirate3]

Just buy OBC, don't go through the extra step of buying a gift card and then getting it applied later.

 

It's not a gift card. It is a certificate. I appreciate having that option.

[reallyitsmema]

It's not a gift card. It is a certificate. I appreciate having that option.

 

Card/certificate, same thing, it still has to be applied to the cruise. Buying OBC directly, takes away an unnecessary step. Whatever works for you, I prefer to do what is the quickest and easiest.

[judeniece]

Unusual for them to show up separately but those amounts seem like the bogus in cabin water bottle charges.

 

 

 

Well checked my account there again as I thought I will give a few days before I phone them, and those funny little costs are now gone - so happy days.

 

 

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[Biker19]

Well checked my account there again as I thought I will give a few days before I phone them, and those funny little costs are now gone - so happy days.

That means they were not real charges - this is not an RCI only issue. You have to be able to distinguish between actual charges and pending charges (which drop off like these).

[NatsFanOnBoard]

Folks - some "pending" charges grow up to become actual charges and some don't. As long as the ones that do are the appropriate amounts, don't worry about it! You all are on vacation; why do you keep logging in to your credit card accounts while you are on vacation???

 

As for debit cards, it is entirely possible to create problems for yourself. Let's say you have $150 in your bank account and you rent a car for a day with your debit card. When you pick up the car, the merchant may put a $100 hold on the debit card for the charges. Now when you return the car - let's just say your final charges were $75 - if the "pending" charge does not drop off (and it often doesn't for a few days), then your subsequent $75 charge will not go through. Further complicating this would be if you went to other merchants along the way and "charged" other items with your debit card.

 

The advice above about not using debit cards is really sound. They really offer little protection and present a lot of opportunity for confusion like this to occur.

[Biker19]

They really offer little protection and present a lot of opportunity for confusion like this to occur.

It's great protection for those who have no self control when it comes to purchases.

[keishashadow]

Folks - some "pending" charges grow up to become actual charges and some don't. As long as the ones that do are the appropriate amounts, don't worry about it! You all are on vacation; why do you keep logging in to your credit card accounts while you are on vacation???

 

As for debit cards, it is entirely possible to create problems for yourself. Let's say you have $150 in your bank account and you rent a car for a day with your debit card. When you pick up the car, the merchant may put a $100 hold on the debit card for the charges. Now when you return the car - let's just say your final charges were $75 - if the "pending" charge does not drop off (and it often doesn't for a few days), then your subsequent $75 charge will not go through. Further complicating this would be if you went to other merchants along the way and "charged" other items with your debit card.

 

The advice above about not using debit cards is really sound. They really offer little protection and present a lot of opportunity for confusion like this to occur.

 

Just rented a car from Hertz @ MCO. New policy, even for their existing rewards members is @ the time of rental, a $200 authorization is applied against CC (no idea how they handle a debit) on file for the rental in addition to the balance that is normally due @ the end.

 

I inquired 'why' and was told it was recent change. Had just rented a car there in May from another company without any such charge using a CC.

 

Bottom line, if you are cutting it close on your line of credit or checking account tied to debit card (I'd never use for any travel-related expenses btw), you really need to read the contract you are signing. If you don't understand it, ask!

[Milwaukee Eight]

Took 8 days for CC Hold to clear after weekend on MJ.

 

 

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[cmrvancouver]

This is my first cruise but I just want to be sure... we have already paid gratuities. So unless we are purchasing drinks or a specialty dinner,, there shouldn't be any charges at all, right?