double charge

[ziggyuk]

27 minutes ago, smplybcause said:

Same thing happens when you stay at a hotel. And may happen when renting a car. Or the other cruise lines. 

 

So a bank issue. 

 

That's really quite different, if I hire a car they put a hold on my credit card, this is for speeding tickets and damage to the vehicle.

 

In the case of a cruise they put a hold to ensure they get payment, when that payment is claimed, the hold should be released.

[hladygirl]

44 minutes ago, ziggyuk said:

This is really wrong of them, the whole point of a hold is to ensure the funds are there for payment when the time comes, as soon as payment is made the holds should be removed.

I have no idea if this is a bank or NCL issue but once the holds have been claimed it should be removed as there is no further claim on funds.

It's really not acceptable to take payment and leave the holds on either a credit card or debit card.

This was not my bank that put the hold on. The bank assured me of this. When I called ncl the rep said ncl put the holds on. Never happened in the past cruises with ncl. 

[NLH Arizona]

59 minutes ago, ziggyuk said:

This is really wrong of them, the whole point of a hold is to ensure the funds are there for payment when the time comes, as soon as payment is made the holds should be removed.

I have no idea if this is a bank or NCL issue but once the holds have been claimed it should be removed as there is no further claim on funds.

It's really not acceptable to take payment and leave the holds on either a credit card or debit card.

The bank determines how many days the hold stays on the account.  With my bank it is anywhere between five to seven days, I've heard of other banks being ten days or more.  NCL takes their payment, but it is up to the bank to release the hold.  It would be nice if they released it as soon as the payment is made, but that is not how it is done.  

[hladygirl]

20 minutes ago, NLH Arizona said:

The bank determines how many days the hold stays on the account.  With my bank it is anywhere between five to seven days, I've heard of other banks being ten days or more.  NCL takes their payment, but it is up to the bank to release the hold.  It would be nice if they released it as soon as the payment is made, but that is not how it is done.  

Sorry but my bank has never put holds on my debit card. Ncl rep told me ncl did it and they will release the hold in 5 business days. Never happened before in 9 years of cruising using same bank.

[adam_s_allen]

6 hours ago, markboston35 said:

 

we had the drinks package. at the begining of the cruise i was getting more expensive stuff cuz i thought we have unlimited drinks but they only give you the basic package for free. i should of figured that.

If they were charging you anything for the drinks they would make you sign receipts for them.

[OBSESSIVEWORLDTRAVELER]

I use to work as an Operations Manager for Visa (credit and debit). First, never use your debit card on a cruise unless you have thousands of extra dollars in your account because of the holds. Second, NCL places the holds, but the length of the hold is regulated by your financial institution. It's a parameter that is setup in the system based on the transaction code. Third, the hold ONLY falls off automatically in two ways: 1) the hold itself expired usually after 7-10 business days 2) the actual amount debited from your account matches to the penny of the hold. So, if the amount actually debited is $556, if none of the holds on your account equal $556 individually the holds will stay on. Again if NCL places a hold on your account for $500 on one day and $500 on another day, but your actual bill is only $556 the holds will stay on until either they expire or someone at the bank manually deletes the holds.  The holds are designed to protect the bank. If NCL places a total of $2000 in holds on your account, but for some reason they only put through $100 as your final bill when it should have been $1000, chances are if the $2000 in holds fell off of your account when the $100 posted you would spend the rest of the money that is now available. Then when NCL figures out the accounting mistake and puts through the additional $900, now your bank account is negative and the bank has to then go after you for the money. Unless they offer a line of credit. 

[NLH Arizona]

25 minutes ago, hladygirl said:

Sorry but my bank has never put holds on my debit card. Ncl rep told me ncl did it and they will release the hold in 5 business days. Never happened before in 9 years of cruising using same bank.

I've had holds on my credit card by hotels, rental car agencies, etc. and have had holds on my debit card for hotels.  Yes, the vendor puts through a charge figure, but never charges it and that is how the hold gets on your credit or debit card.  It is up to your bank to take the hold off, based on their procedure since the charge never came through.  As I stated my bank has the holds in place, waiting for a charge, which never comes, for x number of days and then releases it.  Your bank may work differently.

[emcelh]

4 hours ago, ziggyuk said:

This is really wrong of them, the whole point of a hold is to ensure the funds are there for payment when the time comes, as soon as payment is made the holds should be removed.

I have no idea if this is a bank or NCL issue but once the holds have been claimed it should be removed as there is no further claim on funds.

It's really not acceptable to take payment and leave the holds on either a credit card or debit card.

It took about 2 weeks for the holds to drop off of my Visa credit card after a Carnival Cruise a couple of years ago.  Acceptable or not, it seems to be standard procedure.

[dmdiver]

12 hours ago, ziggyuk said:

This is really wrong of them, the whole point of a hold is to ensure the funds are there for payment when the time comes, as soon as payment is made the holds should be removed.

I have no idea if this is a bank or NCL issue but once the holds have been claimed it should be removed as there is no further claim on funds.

It's really not acceptable to take payment and leave the holds on either a credit card or debit card.

I've a feeling that the length of time it takes a pending hold to drop off is more of a bank issue.  I say this based on past experience from my job.  We would frequently get calls from clients saying we double charged them for services.  The reality was that the temporary authorization took several days to drop off even though the actual charge had posted.  Anything through Bank of America tended to take longer than the others.  

[imacruiser99]

I did not read all the threads, but NCL always recommends against using debit cards specifically because of the holds. Credit cards handle holds very differently from debit cards and using a debit card will create holds which the cards do not know if they are holds or not, so there could have been say 1500 in holds and then, as previously  stated, there would be an actual charge for the full amount spent on the cruise.  Eventually the holds should be released.  If you need to use a debit card to pay for your account, you should use a credit card and then on the last night, go to customer service and then switch the account to the debit card.

[beerman2]

Exactly why NOT to use debit cards as they put holds on money as others have stated.

 

Using a Credit Card is the best way to go as your actual on board charges are what your card is charged-NO HOLDS on your bank account.

[K_e_short]

19 hours ago, PTC DAWG said:

direct from the NCL website

 

How do I pay for onboard expenses?

For your convenience, all shipboard expenses are charged to your Onboard account. Sign up when you check in, establishing your method of payment with Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, JCB Card, Diner's Club. You may also use your debit card however please be advised that we obtain pre-authorization, as we do for all Credit Cards, and some banks hold these funds for up to 30 days. Cash can also be used as a method of payment to settle your account with an initial deposit paid in advance.

Using your debit or ATM card

• Norwegian does not recommend the use of a debit card as payment for your onboard folio.
• Please be advised that multiple holds will be placed on your debit card account based on your onboard purchases.
• After settling your onboard folio, these debit card holds may remain on your account up to 30 days after the cruise ends.
• To avoid overdraft charges from your bank, please make sure that you have enough available funds in your account during this hold period.
• Norwegian will not be responsible for overdraft charges resulting from holds placed on Debit Card accounts.

 

 

Traveler’s Check / Cash Procedures

A cash deposit may be placed on your onboard account in the following amounts:

7 day cruises - $300 USD per person
Less than 7 days - $150 USD per person
More than 7 days - $450 USD per person

Once you have exceeded the deposited amount, your account will be closed to further charges. You can deposit as much money as often as you'd like throughout the cruise, however, refunds cannot be made until the day of disembarkation for any excess.

**Personal checks will not be accepted, nor can they be cashed on board.

*TURNING SARCASM ON*

 

What! You mean if you read the NCL website it gives the answers to all your cruise questions?

 

Sorry to jump in but I find that most posts in here could be easily unposted if people actually read the NCL site. I did exactly that after booking my cruise. 

[gooch47]

2 hours ago, K_e_short said:

*TURNING SARCASM ON*

 

What! You mean if you read the NCL website it gives the answers to all your cruise questions?

 

Sorry to jump in but I find that most posts in here could be easily unposted if people actually read the NCL site. I did exactly that after booking my cruise. 

I think half the posts on this thread could be unposted if they just read all the duplicate answers.

 

[K_e_short]

7 hours ago, gooch47 said:

I think half the posts on this thread could be unposted if they just read all the duplicate answers.

 

I wasn't going to be that obvious 🙂

[Wedgie23]

On 6/28/2019 at 2:06 PM, All-ready2cruise said:

So, to figure out where all that money went, do you think it's possible that you could have spent that much? That's a pretty high amount, although some probably of it as chunk change.  You obviously didn't have the drink package, otherwise there'd be no charges for drinks, so, while it's none my business or anyone else's where you spent it, do you think it's possible that you spent it ?

You and a few others are misunderstanding OPs predicament. 

 

He used a debit card. On the cruise NCL placed various holds (with his permission) on his debit card in $500 increments, so assuming $1500. OP interpreted these 'holds' as charges of what he has spent. 

 

After the cruise, with the $1500 of holds still on his account, he was then charged the $1,4XX he spent. So currently NCL is holding $1,500 even after they received the $14XX payment. Now OP is in the situation of having twice as much as he spent missing from his account until the holds are released. 

 

Judging by other posters here it could be the bank, not NCL, taking so long to release the holds and this is the reason why people don't use debit cards for their accounts but OP isn't disputing they spent $14XX he was disputing what he viewed as double charges after spending $14XX but having $3000 gone from the account. His dispute will be denied once his bank sees the double charge is 1 charge and 1 hold but I'd think most people not used to cruising or cruising under a debit card wouldn't be expecting to see twice as much as they spent MIA from their account when they got back.

[zqvol]

On 6/28/2019 at 1:29 PM, markboston35 said:

So me and my girlfriend just got back from Bermuda we went on the gem. We bought alcohol played bingo casino etc on the boat everything was paid with my debt card on file. Now Norwegian took $1443 and some cents out of my account i called and was told it was for my bill. is this standard practice? what happened to all the money i spent on the boat? its not in my account.

 

the story gets better however i called my bank to dispute the charge and was told the bank is being told its my cruise fare! i paid the fare back in april when i first booked the cruise and 1443 wasn't even close to the full price of the cruise.

 

has anyone else experinced this?. is it normal practice for Norwegian to charge you on the boat and then charge you again after you leave the boat?

 

First you didn't spend anything on the ship in cash.

 

My guess is OP used a debit card. When that happens all of these holds get put on your account, and then at the end of the cruise the entire balance actually gets charged. This makes it looks like you are double billed. This is usually of no consequence when you use a CC, but when you use a debit card you have twice the amount you spent tied up for up to 45 days while the holds that were put on your account fall off.

 

Hopefully OP has a nice float in his checking account, the money will return when the bank decides to release the hold (the bank controls the hold , not NCL). The less on the learned is never use a debit card on a cruise always use a CC.