Credit card and OBC???

[Sveltana]

My husband and I will board a Baltic sea cruise in June. It's our first cruise. I would like to know:

 

• Each time we buy something on the ship, will it be charged to the cabin or to the credit card assigned to each of us?
  
• Can we assign the same credit card to the two of us???
  
• We both have non refundable OBC. Are they automatically used at the beginning of the cruise so there is non left at the end of the cruise?
  

 

Thanks in advance for your answers.

[CruiserBruce]

Question 1- any charge is put to your room. However, frequently Princess charges your card every other day, or similar.

 

Question 2- Most people have one credit card for a couple.

 

Question 3- Frequently discussed here. Non-refundable OBC is always consumed first. True on most all cruise lines that use OBC.

[lovetocruise17]

You should register only one credit card for both of you with the ship. Your cruise card opens your cabin door and also you use it for paying for anything on board and take it with you with usually drivers license for picture ID to re-board the ship. For OBC that will be your account on the ship where anything you buy along with gratuities get charged. Gratuities get charged for both of you each day. Your OBC can take care of these and also anything else you buy. You can keep track of it on line or on the tv in your room. Any liquor you buy at dinner or during the day Wil also get charged to your ship account and your OBC will help pay for this also. Hope this helps.

 

 

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[Thrak]

My husband and I will board a Baltic sea cruise in June. It's our first cruise. I would like to know:

 

• Each time we buy something on the ship, will it be charged to the cabin or to the credit card assigned to each of us?
  
• Can we assign the same credit card to the two of us???
  
• We both have non refundable OBC. Are they automatically used at the beginning of the cruise so there is non left at the end of the cruise?
  

 

Thanks in advance for your answers.

 

Since this is your first cruise your OBC will likely not be all that much. Daily gratuities take a big bite...

 

If you or your husband (or both) are military or ex-military be sure to submit your Veteran's Credit to Princess. Princess allows "stacking" of various types of OBC. For military it is:

 

6 days or fewer: $50 per eligible person

7 - 13 days: $100 per eligible person

14 days or longer: $250 per eligible person

[Sveltana]

Thanks all for your answers! Very helpful!!!

[JF - retired RRT]

Question 1- any charge is put to your room. However, frequently Princess charges your card every other day, or similar.

 

 

The charge to your credit card is a temporary charge. They are probably just making sure the card is real and can handle your account at the end.

The temporary charge disappears a day or two after you get back.

Just make sure you have a big enough credit limit to handle any $$ you plan to spend.

[Sveltana]

The charge to your credit card is a temporary charge. They are probably just making sure the card is real and can handle your account at the end.

The temporary charge disappears a day or two after you get back.

Just make sure you have a big enough credit limit to handle any $$ you plan to spend.

 

Thanks a lot JF - retired RR!!! Good to know!

[CruiserBruce]

The charge to your credit card is a temporary charge. They are probably just making sure the card is real and can handle your account at the end.

The temporary charge disappears a day or two after you get back.

Just make sure you have a big enough credit limit to handle any $$ you plan to spend.

 

Not in our experience. On our last Princess cruise in Australia, we got an email from our credit card every other day or so, saying they had charged the excursion we had, plus the hotel service charges for the last day or two, since the last charge, and any other expenses. We have our credit card set up to notify us on foreign charges. They don't notify us on holds.

 

Our credit limit is plenty over any onboard charges we have ever incurred.

[Knickearth]

Be sure for the Baltic trip you bring a No Foreign Transaction Fee credit card. Won't matter on the ship but definitely matters in ports for purchases

[sloopsailor]

Be sure for the Baltic trip you bring a No Foreign Transaction Fee credit card. Won't matter on the ship but definitely matters in ports for purchases

 

And make sure you notify the credit card company when and where you will be. Our traveling companions forgot to do that for our 3-week Asia cruise with one week on our own before the cruise. Their credit card was rejected, and it took several days to get it cleared up. What made the matter especially difficult is that we were constantly on the move and it was very difficult to connect with the credit people. We ended up covering all their expenses for almost four days. Very stressful for them. We usually give them a date range that begins when we leave home and three days after we are scheduled to return in case we have flight difficulties and need to stay a few days longer to get back.

[Sveltana]

Be sure for the Baltic trip you bring a No Foreign Transaction Fee credit card. Won't matter on the ship but definitely matters in ports for purchases

 

We both already have one. Very useful whenever you travel. And even on the ship it will be useful because we are Canadians and will be charged in US$.

[Sveltana]

And make sure you notify the credit card company when and where you will be. Our traveling companions forgot to do that for our 3-week Asia cruise with one week on our own before the cruise. Their credit card was rejected, and it took several days to get it cleared up. What made the matter especially difficult is that we were constantly on the move and it was very difficult to connect with the credit people. We ended up covering all their expenses for almost four days. Very stressful for them. We usually give them a date range that begins when we leave home and three days after we are scheduled to return in case we have flight difficulties and need to stay a few days longer to get back.

 

Whenever we travel we do so. But as it is our first cruise, do we have to notify them of every port day or just saying Baltic sea will be enough?

[racj846]

When you call them, advise which countries you will be visiting. Some Canadian banks now advise that their systems are sophisticated enough that they do not need to know you are travelling!

 

Regardless I would speak to a human and advise them!

[Sveltana]

When you call them, advise which countries you will be visiting. Some Canadian banks now advise that their systems are sophisticated enough that they do not need to know you are travelling!

 

Regardless I would speak to a human and advise them!

 

Thanks racj846! I'll do just that!

[Colo Cruiser]

Yes

Yes

Yes

[SadieN]

Always make sure that your cards don't expire during my the trip.

[caribill]

Question 1- any charge is put to your room. However, frequently Princess charges your card every other day, or similar.

 

 

Not in our experience. On our last Princess cruise in Australia, we got an email from our credit card every other day or so, saying they had charged the excursion we had, plus the hotel service charges for the last day or two, since the last charge, and any other expenses. We have our credit card set up to notify us on foreign charges. They don't notify us on holds.

 

 

 

Our experience has been that the daily notices to the bank are to put a hold on the money so that there will be enough credit to cover the final charge when it comes through.

 

Usually the final charge does get sent to the credit card company when your cruise ends, often before you reach home.

 

Now maybe Australia based Princess cruises do it differently, but what I say above is how it has worked on all the Princess cruises that I remember. I did take one Australia/NZ cruise a few years ago, but all that appeared on my credit card statement was a final charge. At that time the onboard currency was US $.

[JF - retired RRT]

Not in our experience. On our last Princess cruise in Australia, we got an email from our credit card every other day or so, saying they had charged the excursion we had, plus the hotel service charges for the last day or two, since the last charge, and any other expenses. We have our credit card set up to notify us on foreign charges. They don't notify us on holds.

 

Our credit limit is plenty over any onboard charges we have ever incurred.

 

Wow! Never had that happen, but never been on an OZ cruise.

[skynight]

When you enter your immigration information in the cruise personlizer there will be a section where you enter your credit card, and a check box to link both on board accounts together. When you check that box both on board accounts will be netted into a single summary charge at the end of the cruise. Use one credit card for both. The credit card information is required to print out your boarding passes.

[skynight]

Not in our experience. On our last Princess cruise in Australia, we got an email from our credit card every other day or so, saying they had charged the excursion we had, plus the hotel service charges for the last day or two, since the last charge, and any other expenses. We have our credit card set up to notify us on foreign charges. They don't notify us on holds.

 

Our credit limit is plenty over any onboard charges we have ever incurred.

Actual charges or notification of holds?

[Sveltana]

Thanks to all! Your input is very useful!!!

[CruiserBruce]

Actual charges or notification of holds?

 

As I mentioned in my post, our credit card doesn't notify us of foreign holds, just charges.

[Jersey42]

Not in our experience. On our last Princess cruise in Australia, we got an email from our credit card every other day or so, saying they had charged the excursion we had, plus the hotel service charges for the last day or two, since the last charge, and any other expenses. We have our credit card set up to notify us on foreign charges. They don't notify us on holds.

 

In our many Princess cruises, we have never experienced this. There may be temporary holds, but with the exception of purchasing a Future Cruise Credit, we only get one charge at the end. We are from the US and all but one of our cruises have departed from North America. The other one was a 2015 cruise in the Baltics leaving from Copenhagen. Perhaps CruiserBruce's experience only applies to Australia?? I would assume your experience as a Canadian cruising in the Baltics would match ours, but no guarantees.

[azdmelani]

Off the Regal a week ago- was charged daily for my expenses rather than one large charge at the end of the voyage. Since this is the cruise ship we will be on in June for the Baltics, I assume it will be run the same way.

[Jersey42]

Off the Regal a week ago- was charged daily for my expenses rather than one large charge at the end of the voyage. Since this is the cruise ship we will be on in June for the Baltics, I assume it will be run the same way.

 

So you ended up getting daily credit card charges once you used up any onboard credits? If so, it sounds like this may be a new policy. I guess Princess will get their money a little quicker. It really shouldn't make a difference to me, but it could be significant for Princess' cash flow. I will pay attention on our upcoming cruise on the Crown Princess.