Credit Card Surcharge

[virginiab]

While looking for some other info on the Carnival site, I found this on the FAQ pages. So now it could save money to book with a travel agent, assuming you are using a credit card. This is new, right?

 

Accepted payment methods for bookings made directly with Carnival Cruise Line include:

• A credit card surcharge of 1.1% for Visa and Mastercard and 2.3% for AMEX will apply to direct bookings made through our website and call centre. Surcharges do not apply to debit cards. Please contact our Customer Service department to make payment over the phone.
• PayPal: We accept the following digital payment methods if your cruise reservation is made directly with Carnival. This form of payment can only be made online by accessing  'Manage My Booking' on Carnival.com.au and choosing 'Pay Now'. Secure shopping made faster. Choose whichever payment method you prefer to make your purchase (credit card, debit card, bank account or PayPay balance).
• EasyPay: Choose Carnival EasyPay during checkout and the rest of your cruise payments will happen automatically, giving you even more time to spend counting down the days till you cruise. Credit Card surcharges apply as outlined above. Find out full details here.

If your booking has been made through a Travel Agent, your payment and any queries relating to the payment of your cruise, must be made via your Agent.

For more information, please refer to the Payments section in our Terms & Conditions.

[ScubaKat]

I looked on the Carnival site and didn't see anything like this.   Then I noticed the subtle references to Australia cruising.   Carnival.com.au doesn't have the same rules as regular Carnival.com.   

[virginiab]

Wow! Maybe I wandered onto the wrong site!

[1025cruise]

Yes, apparently in Australia it is permissible to charge a fee for credit cards.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Yes, sorry folks, but that's par for the course down here in Australia unfortunately. 

[rkmw]

I’ve noticed with Carnival Australia if you pay by credit card they take out $200 before you get onboard so any charges come off the $200


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[mr walker]

1 hour ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Yes, sorry folks, but that's par for the course down here in Australia unfortunately. 

It's a small price to pay for living here 🙂 

 

We normally pay our cruisefare by direct transfer - no fees. And as been discussed on here a number of times there are credit cards that don't charge fees. And some use cc to pay for cruises to access the travel insurance offered.

 

And many TA's charge cc fees.

 

Do what works for you, and especially in 2020, don't sweat the small stuff

[Aus Traveller]

My interpretation of the original post is that they would save the 1.1% if they booked through a TA instead of directly through the cruiseline. However the T&C don't say that. They just say that bookings through a TA have to be paid to the TA. We know in Australia that the TA would most likely charge a fee when someone uses a credit card but it could be more than 1.1% - it could be 1.5%.

 

In my opinion 1.1% of the cruise fare as a credit charge fee, isn't worth worrying about. 

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, mr walker said:

It's a small price to pay for living here 🙂 

 

We normally pay our cruisefare by direct transfer - no fees. And as been discussed on here a number of times there are credit cards that don't charge fees. And some use cc to pay for cruises to access the travel insurance offered.

 

And many TA's charge cc fees.

 

Do what works for you, and especially in 2020, don't sweat the small stuff

The credit card surcharge is not a credit card fee, it is a merchant fee. Even if you use a card that doesn't charge fees you'll still get hit with the surcharge.

[Bowm54]

27 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

The credit card surcharge is not a credit card fee, it is a merchant fee. Even if you use a card that doesn't charge fees you'll still get hit with the surcharge.

Don’t forget the protection provided when paying by credit card. Just today I have been successful in obtaining a conditional chargeback after the oz agent failed to pass on the  refund from Cunard.

[getting older slowly]

1 hour ago, Bowm54 said:

Don’t forget the protection provided when paying by credit card. Just today I have been successful in obtaining a conditional chargeback after the oz agent failed to pass on the  refund from Cunard.

Very good point    up until a last completed cruise nov-dec 2019   

we always use direct debt ( payed into TA's account )..... now not any more  will use the card instead

 

Cheers Don

[MicCanberra]

We have been hit with these fees (knowingly) when paying deposits, for the main or final payments we tend to do a bank transfer, to avoid them. Apart from being able to claim back deposits on the credit card if needed, it also means we are covering our trip with the CC travel insurance.

[Fletch1]

We got a refund a few months ago from Princess and we got everything back except the credit card fees we were originally charged......fact of life I am afraid. I was happy to pay the credit card fees in view of getting everything (cash wise) back. 

 

 

[Fletch1]

Further to my last post......paying the credit card fees is a small comfort knowing you can claim the initial cost back from the credit card company, should anything untoward happen (eg. the airline/cruise line goes belly up or flight/cruise cancellation). 

 

I have made quite a few claims to my credit card in these circumstances with success.