Onboard account - minimum hold on CC or bank account?

[bailey57]

In using a credit or debit card linked to my on board account for expenses, is there a certain amount that must be available (or held) for a 7 night cruise? 

[JaxsMama]

1 hour ago, bailey57 said:

In using a credit or debit card linked to my on board account for expenses, is there a certain amount that must be available (or held) for a 7 night cruise? 

It's on their website. I wouldn't use a debit card tho bc instead of the hold falling off quickly like a cc the bank will leave the hold on much longer and then deduct the amount owed in a separate charge. Basically having double the amount tied up.

[chasinraynbowz]

I agree with Jax.  Don't use a debit card.  As you spend, they will obtain additional holds and then at the end of the cruise, they will charge your account.  Depending on your bank, the holds may last up to 7 days.  Trust me, it happened to me.  Luckily, it wasn't our main checking account, but still our funds were held for a week after our cruise.  Now I just use a credit card and don't worry!!

[Organized Chaos]

Additional holds will only be put in place if you spend the amount of the previous hold. In your case, the initial hold will be $200. If you spend that much, then an additional $200 hold will be put on the card. I'd say if you wanted to use a debit card and know you have sufficient funds in your account, to include the amount of time it might take for your bank to release the hold, then that's your prerogative. One of the bigger concerns with debit card use is that many banks who issue them don't include as much fraud protection as you'd get with a credit card. I don't have credit cards anymore, nor do I want one, so I do use my debit card for things. I'm a responsible adult who knows my limits and I'm very careful with my purchases.

[VentureMan_2000]

Another consideration beside the holds:

You have less recourse for fraud when using a debit card.  You have full recourse when using a credit card.  

[Lottacruises]

They seemingly authorize for random amounts as you spend onboard. It all works out I  the end though. I dont recommend using a debit card. I would use cash if the only card I had was debit.

[klfrodo]

I just recently got off my cruise. My BOA card with high limit had 11 "pendings" from the cruise line. Each "pending" reduced my available credit. Of course I wasn't concerned because I was nowhere near the max, but yes there were continuous holds or pendings.

 

My rule of thumb for new cruisers. If you're using a debit card or low limit credit card, plan on needing double available vs, anticipated spending. Just to cover the holds or pendings. If your budget calls for spending $500 on the ship,,, best have $1000 available.

[bailey57]

Thanks everyone. I was unable to (easily) find the info on the website, so appreciate that info and the various cautions. It's not my first time, just been a while, so wanted a refresher.  :) 

[beerman2]

7 minutes ago, bailey57 said:

Thanks everyone. I was unable to (easily) find the info on the website, so appreciate that info and the various cautions. It's not my first time, just been a while, so wanted a refresher. 🙂

Bailey57

 

I'm with the majority use 💳 , not debit the holds are ridiculous. Most CC have protection from fraud. 

[grandmarnnurse]

Never use a debit card! I only use a credit card as it is the easiest to use. No worry about settling a final bill, it just all goes to the credit card that I pay off once home. And I use my Carnival Mastercard, so I receive double points for using it on all Carnival charges. The quicker I earn points, the more I have to redeem on future cruises. I currently have 3 booked, and have been applying bar credits to all three from redeemed points. 

[christyran1228]

If the only card I had to use was a debit card, I'd definitely just use cash.  Easy to budget, and no worries about any kind of holds.  🙂

[Angiedw1]

You can also apply a carnival gift card to your account once on board. Last cruise we put a $300 gift card on our account and only had about $40 on our credit card when we left.

[Purvis1231]

1 hour ago, christyran1228 said:

If the only card I had to use was a debit card, I'd definitely just use cash.  Easy to budget, and no worries about any kind of holds.  🙂

right, if you thinks hold might be a problem then use cash.

[Organized Chaos]

I've used my debit card for years for all kinds of purchases, online and brick & mortar. All you have to do is be careful and responsible with it and it's fine. I've yet to hear anyone talk about fraudulent credit card charges that come from using a credit card linked to their S&S account, so it's not likely to happen with a debit card either. The holds would be the biggest worry, but if you have sufficient funds and are responsible with your onboard spending, there shouldn't be a problem. Be aware of the differences and possible risks, but handle your own finances any way you want.

[mistycruiser]

Don't forget to allocate enough on your S&S account to cover the gratuities unless you've prepaid them in advance. Those charges will be in addition to whatever you spend on board. 

[Joe817]

13 minutes ago, Organized Chaos said:

I've used my debit card for years for all kinds of purchases, online and brick & mortar. All you have to do is be careful and responsible with it and it's fine. I've yet to hear anyone talk about fraudulent credit card charges that come from using a credit card linked to their S&S account, so it's not likely to happen with a debit card either. The holds would be the biggest worry, but if you have sufficient funds and are responsible with your onboard spending, there shouldn't be a problem. Be aware of the differences and possible risks, but handle your own finances any way you want.

I totally agree. I/We do not have any credit cards. We follow Dave Ramsey. We have only had debit cards for the past 10 years or so, and we do not miss the outrageous interest rates the cc companies use. We've never had not one fraudulent charge against our debit cards. Like O.C. says, if you are responsible with your spending habits there won't be any problems. 

[VentureMan_2000]

2 hours ago, Joe817 said:

I totally agree. I/We do not have any credit cards.  Like O.C. says, if you are responsible with your spending habits there won't be any problems. 

Yup...   if you are responsible with your spending habits, there is no reason to not have a credit card... in fact there are reasons to have them, Just say'n…  If you are disciplined to only spend what you can pay off each month, you can reap benefits of cash rewards to spend where and how you want.

I receive upwards of $2,000 cash back each year.  You can't get that with a debit card.

 

 

Edited November 27, 2019 by VentureMan_2000

[beerman2]

5 hours ago, Joe817 said:

I totally agree. I/We do not have any credit cards. We follow Dave Ramsey. We have only had debit cards for the past 10 years or so, and we do not miss the outrageous interest rates the cc companies use. We've never had not one fraudulent charge against our debit cards. Like O.C. says, if you are responsible with your spending habits there won't be any problems. 

And if you pay off your CC each month you don't pay those high interest rates. Using many CC now actually have some value to them.

 

Points earned / money back. I've actually flown from Ohio to Fort Myers (RT for 2) using points/miles for less than $50.00 .

 

If you have enough money to cover your debit card spending, you should also be able to pay off a Credit Card.

[pacruise804]

5 hours ago, VentureMan_2000 said:

Yup...   if you are responsible with your spending habits, there is no reason to not have a credit card... in fact there are reasons to have them, Just say'n…  If you are disciplined to only spend what you can pay off each month, you can reap benefits of cash rewards to spend where and how you want.

I receive upwards of $2,000 cash back each year.  You can't get that with a debit card.

 

 

 

I get cash rewards on my debit card.  I also receive discounts/avoid fees by not using credit, and I'm not talking about finance charges but actual upfront discounts for cash/check/ACH/debit or extra cost to use credit.

[grandmarnnurse]

3 hours ago, beerman2 said:

And if you pay off your CC each month you don't pay those high interest rates. Using many CC now actually have some value to them.

 

Points earned / money back. I've actually flown from Ohio to Fort Myers (RT for 2) using points/miles for less than $50.00 .

 

If you have enough money to cover your debit card spending, you should also be able to pay off a Credit Card.

Totally agree. I use my CC for EVERYTHING—groceries, bills, purchases, Dr visits, travel, etc——because I earn reward points that translates into a Carnival Cruise. For my last cruise, I redeemed reward points towards a balance credit on my account after booking a cruise and paying for it in full. $1200 credit. That’s no small change. Since returning from that cruise, I have 3 more booked, so I’m just redeeming rewards every 5,000 points towards $50 bar credits. I earn more rewards when I use the “reward boost” feature, and order through my cc bank website to just about any online store I want. Just this past week, I earned 6/$1 on an order from Harry and David, and then from Cheryl’s Cookies to be sent to family members in other states as gifts. Last year I bought a new luggage set from ebags at 10/$1!! It adds up fast! And I NEVER maintain a balance on my account, so the interest rate is no relevant matter to me. A credit card is far safer to use than a debit card. I recently bought a very expensive item online, and never received it. My cc disputed the charges, and I was credited the amount. Not so easy with a debit card. Not to mention that if someone got hold of your debit card or account number, they could clean you out. I asked my local bank what is safer, and they admitted that a cc is. I never understand why anyone would question the ease or the value of using a credit card, unless they can’t budget and control their spending. I use my card for everything that I know I have money for. Because we come from a generation that if you don’t have the money to purchase something you want or need, you don’t buy it. In today’s online society, a cc is a necessity. But I can see this thread going on and on and on, with some people flamed and giving their opinion. That’s how Cruise Critic has become. So, in closing I just have to say as a recap that a cc is far safer and more profitable to use than a debit card, UNLESS you cannot manage your money well, and accrue debt. Then, no, it’s not good for those individuals.

[Organized Chaos]

3 hours ago, grandmarnnurse said:

I asked my local bank what is safer, and they admitted that a cc is. I never understand why anyone would question the ease or the value of using a credit card, unless they can’t budget and control their spending. I use my card for everything that I know I have money for. Because we come from a generation that if you don’t have the money to purchase something you want or need, you don’t buy it. In today’s online society, a cc is a necessity. But I can see this thread going on and on and on, with some people flamed and giving their opinion. That’s how Cruise Critic has become. So, in closing I just have to say as a recap that a cc is far safer and more profitable to use than a debit card, UNLESS you cannot manage your money well, and accrue debt. Then, no, it’s not good for those individuals.

 

Yes, a credit card is more protected against fraud than a debit card. I even acknowledged that in one of my comments. No one is questioning the value of a credit card. A couple of us have simply pointed out that we don't use them and get by perfectly fine without them, even in today's online society. Cautiousness and responsibility go a long way. My bank does offer fraud protections on their debit cards (not as good as many credit cards), but with safe & secure spending practices and responsible actions, I've used my debit card for years without incident, knock on wood.

 

What I didn't appreciate was when this thread reached a point where users were telling the OP, and anyone else reading, DON'T use a debit card. I think it's a better idea to inform people of the differences between credit vs debit, make people aware of the risks to using both, but in the end, let grown adults make their own decisions on how to handle their personal finances. So while you may see my responses as a negative contribution, I see people trying to tell others how to handle their personal matters, which happens way too often on here and is totally uncalled for.

 

As I said before, I have yet to see anyone who links a credit card to their S&S account say that it resulted in fraudulent charges, so it's highly unlikely to happen with a debit card either. After all, linking a credit/debit card to an S&S account is what the OP was originally asking about. With that said, I'd never use my debit card in a foreign country unless it was an emergency. But that's just part of being safe, secure, & responsible like I've mentioned already.

[Lew Port]

I make it easy by using cash.  Deposit XXX  amount with the desk  and use this for "the bank".

On the next to last day, cash out and no worries about credit or debit card issues.

Each person has their own preferences and spending style.  Moderation and control

should always be exercised.

[sparks1093]

14 hours ago, Organized Chaos said:

I've used my debit card for years for all kinds of purchases, online and brick & mortar. All you have to do is be careful and responsible with it and it's fine. I've yet to hear anyone talk about fraudulent credit card charges that come from using a credit card linked to their S&S account, so it's not likely to happen with a debit card either. The holds would be the biggest worry, but if you have sufficient funds and are responsible with your onboard spending, there shouldn't be a problem. Be aware of the differences and possible risks, but handle your own finances any way you want.

I booked a hotel in France using my debit card through an online TA and within a couple of days the card was used at a couple of boutiques in France. Since our trip was still in the future it was easy to show that it wasn't me making the purchases. 

[Organized Chaos]

Personally, I use the 10% off Carnival gift cards for my S&S because, hey, free money. Or I'll use those cards to buy Cruise Cash just to avoid having to put the cards on my account to begin with. But if it came down to it, I'd feel perfectly comfortable using my debit card.

 

Sparks, that's why I said I wouldn't use my debit in a foreign country, unless absolutely necessary. That's too far outside my security comfort zone.

[sparks1093]

48 minutes ago, Organized Chaos said:

Personally, I use the 10% off Carnival gift cards for my S&S because, hey, free money. Or I'll use those cards to buy Cruise Cash just to avoid having to put the cards on my account to begin with. But if it came down to it, I'd feel perfectly comfortable using my debit card.

 

Sparks, that's why I said I wouldn't use my debit in a foreign country, unless absolutely necessary. That's too far outside my security comfort zone.

I guess I didn't stop to think that I was out of the country since I was sitting in my home office making the reservation.