Cash on board

[smplybcause]

I have very few charges on board so even with my credit card there's not a lot of pending holds. Usually just daily grats as I usually get the drink package. But I also never max out my cards so a lot of pending holds isn't a problem. 

[RKHOOKER]

On 6/16/2021 at 11:24 PM, matj2000 said:

 

Why in the world would you use a Debit Card???

 

That is just asking for problems....

 

 

A debit card allows me to withdraw many different currencies from ATM’s all around the world with zero fees & charges.  Essentially, it is like carrying cash around.  Also, if it gets skimmed or hacked I don’t have to worry about someone wiping out $1,000’s from my credit card account, thus putting a hold on the account & causing grief whilst on holidays.  I generally only load up enough cash for a day or two whilst travelling. My wife & I normally travel with 4 debit cards & 2 credit cards.  When travelling overseas we only use credit cards in hotels & upmarket shops.  Debit card everywhere else.

[jakeil7]

1 hour ago, RKHOOKER said:Also, if it gets skimmed or hacked I don’t have to worry about someone wiping out $1,000’s from my credit card account, thus putting a hold on the account & causing grief whilst on holidays. 

Are you a US resident?  If you are, the debit card is ALOT more dangerous, especially overseas as your money is gone until the bank decides to give it back. You have a lot of protections with a credit card in the US - basically you are not responsible for the charge or interest while disputing the charge. 
 

just letting you know. 
 

As others have said, never provide a debit card for future possible charges (rental car, hotel, ship account, etc) due to the hold issue. 

[RKHOOKER]

7 hours ago, jakeil7 said:

Are you a US resident?  If you are, the debit card is ALOT more dangerous, especially overseas as your money is gone until the bank decides to give it back. You have a lot of protections with a credit card in the US - basically you are not responsible for the charge or interest while disputing the charge. 
 

just letting you know. 
 

As others have said, never provide a debit card for future possible charges (rental car, hotel, ship account, etc) due to the hold issue. 

Not a US citizen.  

 

In fact my experience has been the exact opposite, my debit card is much safer than my credit card. Previously when my credit card has been skimmed/hacked it has taken weeks to resolve, but, more importantly the card had to be cancelled to stop any further charges applied to it.  This is of great inconvenience, especially when the card it is linked to subscriptions & automatic payments etc. Also, when using the credit card the fees & charges mount up very quickly.  Debit card zero fees & charges! 

 

If my debit card gets skimmed/hacked or stuck in an ATM I just cancel it, contact the bank & always within 48 hours the unauthorised charges/withdrawals have been returned into my account.

 

With pay wave/tap & go being so popular nowadays, hopefully, I won’t need to ever hand over any cards for payment & skimming/hacking is now limited to ATM use.  Unfortunately, on RCI they would not accept payment via my phone they demanded to take a physical copy of my card to keep on file for the cruise, & if anybody knows the CCV number on the back it’s open slather for illegal use.

 

The way cards are now set up & loaded onto smartphones with banking apps, the ability to do on the spot bank transfers, set limits & set notifications it’s extremely difficult to get skimmed/hacked.  However, cancelling my credit card & having to set up all the subscription/automatic payments is a massive task & a pain in the backside when on holidays.  Hence,  I’ll stick to the debit card for travelling overseas it works perfectly for me & provides me with peace of mind.

[jakeil7]

1 hour ago, RKHOOKER said:

 

9 hours ago, jakeil7 said:

Are you a US resident?  If you are, the debit card is ALOT more dangerous, especially overseas as your money is gone until the bank decides to give it back. You have a lot of protections with a credit card in the US - basically you are not responsible for the charge or interest while disputing the charge. 
 

just letting you know. 
 

As others have said, never provide a debit card for future possible charges (rental car, hotel, ship account, etc) due to the hold issue. 

Expand  

Not a US citizen

 

Ah. Different rules then 🙂

[scooter6251]

On 6/15/2021 at 5:21 PM, karena1 said:

We always use a CC, never in 126 cruises have we had a hold on our credit card, and we have used a number of different ones over the years.

 

I have to agree with you.  My cards always have plenty of room for a hold or too.  I would never give anyone a debit card because it exposes your checking account.  And I like the points earned on the card.

[matj2000]

13 hours ago, RKHOOKER said:

A debit card allows me to withdraw many different currencies from ATM’s all around the world with zero fees & charges.  Essentially, it is like carrying cash around.  Also, if it gets skimmed or hacked I don’t have to worry about someone wiping out $1,000’s from my credit card account, thus putting a hold on the account & causing grief whilst on holidays.  I generally only load up enough cash for a day or two whilst travelling. My wife & I normally travel with 4 debit cards & 2 credit cards.  When travelling overseas we only use credit cards in hotels & upmarket shops.  Debit card everywhere else.

Sounds like a complete hassle and waste of time 

 

Must be an Australian thing.

 

Because it is the complete opposite here in the US..

[Hogbay]

37 minutes ago, matj2000 said:

Sounds like a complete hassle and waste of time 

 

Must be an Australian thing.

 

Because it is the complete opposite here in the US..

Must be 🙃 we always use a cash account, have not owned a credit card for 15 years . The Credit card debt in the US $ 980.4 Billion 2021 , looks like more than a few have not payed them off , the points must be real important because the interests charged is mind boggling.🙄

[Kaitlyntk]

Could someone explain the cash account option? 

[Hogbay]

1 minute ago, Kaitlyntk said:

Could someone explain the cash account option? 

You say you want a cash account and you have a US $500 limit, if you go over that you get a letter to go and please pay . Another of casino people do it because there is no 5% charge to use your money. You can pay it with a CC if you want ,you just don't want a open tab on your CC .you never want it kept on file .😇 Some people just might own  laundromats 🤣

[karena1]

5 hours ago, Hogbay said:

Must be 🙃 we always use a cash account, have not owned a credit card for 15 years . The Credit card debt in the US $ 980.4 Billion 2021 , looks like more than a few have not payed them off , the points must be real important because the interests charged is mind boggling.🙄

Points are huge for us, but we never, ever carry a balance on our credit card.  I pay it in full every month.  But the credit card is so much safer than a debit card-debit card is linked to my checking account and I don't want anyone to get to that.  If my cc gets scammed, my credit card company will immediately put a hold on it and alert me to fraud.  I always carry a secondary "emergency" credit card with us when we travel just in case our regular would get scammed.  Plus even though we have the same card, my husband's number is different than mine, so we basically have 2 cards for our main account. 

[matj2000]

9 hours ago, Hogbay said:

Must be 🙃 we always use a cash account, have not owned a credit card for 15 years . The Credit card debt in the US $ 980.4 Billion 2021 , looks like more than a few have not payed them off , the points must be real important because the interests charged is mind boggling.🙄

 

The built up debt you speak of is from the people who pay min payments and probably should not have a card in the first place.

 

Responsible people like myself use them for their advantage.

 

I use my CC for almost everything and have about a zero balance at the end of the month.

 

The CC helps keep track of all purchases and the bank will get involved if any issues come up.   

 

Right now I have over 100,000 points.  which will  get me 4 round trip airline tix.

 

Maybe if you learn to control your spending you can get another card some day...

[twinmommy08]

We use our CC for everyday spending, bill pay, travel, groceries, gas, etc. The balance is paid off every month. Not everyone carries a balance to cause debt. AMEX in particular has been amazing if we’ve ever had a problem. I will only use my debit card at a local ATM. The points are great to have, but security is the main reason we only use a CC for purchases. When traveling internationally we will use our CC for cash at the ATM too. It’s a simple process to make an immediate payment to prevent interest. 

[PTC DAWG]

On 6/15/2021 at 5:21 PM, Ashland said:

It seems that some cards put a daily hold on them as I understand it.

Who cares? 

[mevs904]

Interesting discussion.  Our credit cards have worked well for us.  We always pay off our balances and have never incurred an interest charge.  In the meanwhile, have used our credit cards as much as possible and have enjoyed many rewards including several free international flights, cash back, many free dinners.  Our credit cards have worked very well for us on our cruises and in Europe.  For our trips to Europe we take a few hundred dollars of local currency that we purchase from AAA so we don’t need to use an ATM at the airport.  We have always come home with leftover currency.  For a few of our trips we did open a small debit account with $1000 that was not attached to our main checking account.  We never had to use this card and eventually closed it out.  We found our credit cards very easy to use in Europe.  In Copenhagen even the peanut vendor on the street took credit cards.  Knock on wood, this system has been very safe and easy for us.

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

Here is what Carnival shows.

CREDIT CARD AND DEBIT CARD HOLD An initial hold will be placed on your credit card or debit card (checking account) at the beginning of the cruise as a deposit for on board purchases. Additional holds will occur through the course of the cruise for every onboard purchase until the total charge is billed at the end of the cruise. This will reduce the amount of available credit on your credit card or restrict the availability of cash in your checking account, should you wish to use the same credit / debit card elsewhere. Any remaining hold after the end of the cruise will automatically be released by your issuing bank within 72 working hours. FINAL PAYMENT An itemized statement will be delivered to your stateroom prior to debarkation for your review; however, any charges after midnight on the last night of the cruise may not be shown on the statement. Your account will be settled automatically to your credit card at the end of the voyage.

[Ashland]

2 hours ago, PTC DAWG said:

Who cares? 

I don't...but some might have a problem with having an amount being held on the credit card (especially if they carry a balance and have a low credit available) their using which could affect using that card until the hold is released.

 

Hope this answers your "who cares" question !!!

[karena1]

1 hour ago, ALWAYS CRUZIN said:

Here is what Carnival shows.

CREDIT CARD AND DEBIT CARD HOLD An initial hold will be placed on your credit card or debit card (checking account) at the beginning of the cruise as a deposit for on board purchases. Additional holds will occur through the course of the cruise for every onboard purchase until the total charge is billed at the end of the cruise. This will reduce the amount of available credit on your credit card or restrict the availability of cash in your checking account, should you wish to use the same credit / debit card elsewhere. Any remaining hold after the end of the cruise will automatically be released by your issuing bank within 72 working hours. FINAL PAYMENT An itemized statement will be delivered to your stateroom prior to debarkation for your review; however, any charges after midnight on the last night of the cruise may not be shown on the statement. Your account will be settled automatically to your credit card at the end of the voyage.

never had a hold on our credit card.

[poocher]

14 hours ago, Hogbay said:

Must be 🙃 we always use a cash account, have not owned a credit card for 15 years . The Credit card debt in the US $ 980.4 Billion 2021 , looks like more than a few have not payed them off , the points must be real important because the interests charged is mind boggling.🙄

Only if you pay interest.  I haven’t paid interest on a CC in over 20 years.  It’s all about what the CC company will give me to keep my business.  I put everything possible on my card to maximize points.

Edited June 19, 2021 by poocher

[cruiseguy1016]

1 hour ago, ALWAYS CRUZIN said:

Here is what Carnival shows.

CREDIT CARD AND DEBIT CARD HOLD An initial hold will be placed on your credit card or debit card (checking account) at the beginning of the cruise as a deposit for on board purchases. Additional holds will occur through the course of the cruise for every onboard purchase until the total charge is billed at the end of the cruise. This will reduce the amount of available credit on your credit card or restrict the availability of cash in your checking account, should you wish to use the same credit / debit card elsewhere. Any remaining hold after the end of the cruise will automatically be released by your issuing bank within 72 working hours. FINAL PAYMENT An itemized statement will be delivered to your stateroom prior to debarkation for your review; however, any charges after midnight on the last night of the cruise may not be shown on the statement. Your account will be settled automatically to your credit card at the end of the voyage.

 

This is the RCI board.

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

1 hour ago, cruiseguy1016 said:

 

This is the RCI board.

Woops!

[karena1]

2 hours ago, poocher said:

Only if you pay interest.  I haven’t paid interest on a CC in over 20 years.  It’s all about what the CC company will give me to keep my business.  I put everything possible on my card to maximize points.

 

Same here, never carry a balance but we put everything possible on our CC to maximize the points. 

Edited June 19, 2021 by karena1

[Hogbay]

9 hours ago, matj2000 said:

 

 

Maybe if you learn to control your spending you can get another card some day...

Thanks for the personal advice 🙄 spending is a bit slow last year and earnings at FYTD 24.20% need to do some CASH cruise's . No I will never get another CC do not qualify as I retired at 55 . You have a enjoyable working week . Anyway though this thread was about "cash on board "😇

[bruzin_for_a_cruizin]

On 6/16/2021 at 8:03 AM, LilBlackDress said:

For us. We always have so much OBC that we probably would not be using on the cruise. Pre-Covid, if you had a Cash Account, they did not charge a 5% fee to take money out at the casino. I would cash out our OBC then put a CC to secure the account on the last night or a night sooner. 

This was our M.O. as well. Also, as Canadians, there were several points some years ago where the f/x rate was extremely favorable, so withdrawing USD at the cashiers cage was actually a net-positive play! They have since closed that loophole, I believe, and they aren't offering CAD at par nowadays.

 

Our last pre-COVID cruise, we set up as cash account, and the only real "benefit" was the phone call we got from guest services when the account hit $500 and was frozen (paid off and unlocked with a single visit to GS). I will probably be providing my CC on our upcoming cruises and just bypassing the need to visit GS at all, especially on the last night when *everyone* is trying to settle their accounts.

[Ourusualbeach]

5 minutes ago, bruzin_for_a_cruizin said:

Also, as Canadians, there were several points some years ago where the f/x rate was extremely favorable, so withdrawing USD at the cashiers cage was actually a net-positive play!

Those were the days.  Royal was offering the exchange at $1.10 when it was about $1.30 - $1.35 at the bank.  You could profit around $200 - $250 on every thousand in OBC you bought.