Credit card hold

[LindaJ+]

$60/pp/day X 2 people X 21 days.   Over $2,600 charged to my credit card NOW.  A refund, of course, if the final bill is less ... that would be 3 or 4 weeks from now. 

[CruiserBruce]

Its a hold. Not charged. Many threads about it here over the years.

[FOPMan]

Many other businesses also use the holding/set aside provided by the credit card companies. 
 

Another reason for a cruise line to use it is to help them reduce internet connectivity. By placing an up-front hold, they’re assuring get paid while not needing to immediately charge everything you do aboard the vessel. This means a reduction for them in internet fees while at sea because there’s less pressure to connect. Of course, there is some threshold for an onboard store purchase that might also result in an additional hold or perhaps a real-time charge.

[VMax1700]

Credit card hold

2 hours ago, LindaJ+ said:

 Over $2,600 charged to my credit card NOW. 

Your thread title is correct.  It is a hold.  Not a charge.  Subtle, but important difference.  The hold will reduce the available credit you have on the card until the end of your cruise when the final charge is made.  If your cruise is made up of 2 or 3 B2B's then HAL may charge your card at the end of each segment.

[mikebsxm]

It's a "Hold", not an actual charge, but it does temporarily reduce your available credit you have on that card until both HAL and your credit card bank reverses the hold, which can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.   

On one hand, it does guarantee that HAL will get paid for any on-board purchases.  On the other hand, if you have prepaid for all of your shore excursions by purchasing them online (as HAL encourages you to do), you also have the prepaid beverage package, you have prepaid your gratuities, you don't use (or have prepaid) the internet, and prepaid your extra-tariff dining,  you may have a zero cabin balance (or very small one) at the end of your 21 days.  Certainly not $2600.  Maybe HAL should take into consideration everything that you have prepaid before they automatically zap your available funds for $60 per day/per person.  

I have read that if you choose to use cash for your on-board account deposit instead of a credit card, you can negotiate with the Front Desk for the upfront cash deposit amount based on how much you have prepaid for onboard purchases.

[Torquer]

Foreign transaction fees with credit card

I would like to ask a, only peripherally related, credit card question.  We have always used a credit card for HAL on-board charges that happened to have no foreign transaction fees.  We now have a credit card that has a 2% cash-back bonus which is better than the previous credit card I mentioned, however, it has a foreign transaction fee.  Am I correct that since the HAL shipboard charges are always denominated in US $, there would never be a foreign transaction fee on a US credit card, no matter where the ship happens to be in the world?  I am guessing all on-board credit card transactions go through a bank in Seattle, or at least someplace in the US.

[deliver42]

You are correct about no transaction fee from the U.S.

[Wakepatrol]

Want to avoid this? Just click on pay cash . Then when you get aboard give them $1,000 in cash at the desk. 

[gch2037]

Do I have to put Cash or card down if I have 800 dollars OBC? I have a HIA package so drinks, wifi, dining, etc. and I dont use the spa or anything like that. My gratuities are paid. Other than shopping which again not really planning on doing much on the ship, I cant really seem to think of anything else I would need money for. Any input?

[CruiserBruce]

1 minute ago, gch2037 said:

Do I have to put Cash or card down if I have 800 dollars OBC? I have a HIA package so drinks, wifi, dining, etc. and I dont use the spa or anything like that. My gratuities are paid. Other than shopping which again not really planning on doing much on the ship, I cant really seem to think of anything else I would need money for. Any input?

Its a standard policy...it is required of everyone. I can't speak to the OBC, except to say when we sailed in Feb, we had HIA, plus $450 in OBC. And they still put the hold on. At the end we owed $1.41

 

They aren't going to a credit check on thousands boarding very cruise. The hold is the fastest way to assure payment.

[gch2037]

1 minute ago, CruiserBruce said:

Its a standard policy...it is required of everyone. I can't speak to the OBC, except to say when we sailed in Feb, we had HIA, plus $450 in OBC. And they still put the hold on. At the end we owed $1.41

 

They aren't going to a credit check on thousands boarding very cruise. The hold is the fastest way to assure payment.

Ok, I dont have or use Credit cards so I may just go the cash route. I just think I am tying up money but I get where HA is coming from somebody doesnt put any card or deposit and runs up 1000 dollar bill then they have to track them down.

[richwmn]

38 minutes ago, gch2037 said:

Do I have to put Cash or card down if I have 800 dollars OBC? I have a HIA package so drinks, wifi, dining, etc. and I dont use the spa or anything like that. My gratuities are paid. Other than shopping which again not really planning on doing much on the ship, I cant really seem to think of anything else I would need money for. Any input?

 

34 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

Its a standard policy...it is required of everyone. I can't speak to the OBC, except to say when we sailed in Feb, we had HIA, plus $450 in OBC. And they still put the hold on. At the end we owed $1.41

 

They aren't going to a credit check on thousands boarding very cruise. The hold is the fastest way to assure payment.

 

29 minutes ago, gch2037 said:

Ok, I dont have or use Credit cards so I may just go the cash route. I just think I am tying up money but I get where HA is coming from somebody doesnt put any card or deposit and runs up 1000 dollar bill then they have to track them down.

I have done this many times. If you have sufficient OBC you do not have to put down any cash at the beginning of the cruise. Check the box marked cash when you do the online check in. When you get to the ship, tell whoever is checking you on board that you have sufficient OBC. You don't have to provide a card at this point, but if you do the hold will be placed. If you spend that down too far you will be asked to visit Guest Relations to add cash or a credit/debit card.

[gch2037]

2 minutes ago, richwmn said:

 

 

I have done this many times. If you have sufficient OBC you do not have to put down any cash at the beginning of the cruise. Check the box marked cash when you do the online check in. When you get to the ship, tell whoever is checking you on board that you have sufficient OBC. You don't have to provide a card at this point, but if you do the hold will be placed. If you spend that down too far you will be asked to visit Guest Relations to add cash or a credit/debit card.

Ok Great, Thanks so much for the Info!! I am 5 days from embarkation and couldnt be more excited!!

[ontheweb]

13 hours ago, deliver42 said:

You are correct about no transaction fee from the U.S.

That makes sense and is good to know. Is it safe to assume that that is also true for all mainstream cruise lines?

[Tampa Girl]

On 5/2/2022 at 7:44 AM, LindaJ+ said:

$60/pp/day X 2 people X 21 days.   Over $2,600 charged to my credit card NOW.  A refund, of course, if the final bill is less ... that would be 3 or 4 weeks from now. 

 

Where are you getting $60/pp/day x 2 people?  What cabin charges $60/day and is the charge per cabin or per person?

[Mary229]

I have a Chase credit card.  This is a pending charge and will not be added to my credit card bill until the end of my cruise if ever.   It does limit my credit line but is not on the bill.  It is a US charge so there would be no foreign transaction fee.  

[VMax1700]

9 minutes ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

Where are you getting $60/pp/day x 2 people?  What cabin charges $60/day and is the charge per cabin or per person?

As mentioned above it is a hold only.

The details are mentioned in Know Before You Go.

The day you board, Holland America Line places an initial hold on your credit or debit card for $60 per person* per cruise day

[Tampa Girl]

20 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

As mentioned above it is a hold only.

The details are mentioned in Know Before You Go.

The day you board, Holland America Line places an initial hold on your credit or debit card for $60 per person* per cruise day

 

Sorry, I had it in my head that this was a hold for the gratuities charge.  My mistake.  

[mikebsxm]

If your cruise is 26 days and up, HAL backs that hold down to $30 per day/per person.  At least they did that on the Euro dam in 2019.  

[Cruise Junky]

How do they work it on a long cruise? Say 35 days?  Do they do periodic invoicing and a new hold?  as holds drop off after about 7 days.  

[bartexas]

I’m confused as to why this is an issue.

Maybe put it the hold on a card you don’t really use any more, and then switch at checkout to your “real” card - or whatever is earning the best reward.  

[dchip]

2 hours ago, Cruise Junky said:

How do they work it on a long cruise? Say 35 days?  Do they do periodic invoicing and a new hold?  as holds drop off after about 7 days.  

We just completed a 35 day cruise. The hold was for $30 PP and was kept on for the entire cruise. It remains in pending.  It was added on Day One of the cruise. 

[Cruise Junky]

22 minutes ago, dchip said:

We just completed a 35 day cruise. The hold was for $30 PP and was kept on for the entire cruise. It remains in pending.  It was added on Day One of the cruise. 

Thank you. 

[zgscl]

4 hours ago, bartexas said:

I’m confused as to why this is an issue.

Maybe put it the hold on a card you don’t really use any more, and then switch at checkout to your “real” card - or whatever is earning the best reward.  

I work in the hotel industry and this is mostly a problem for people who use debit and not credit cards and it is tying up their actual money. Also an issue for folks who either have lower limits or use most of their available balance every month. For those with credit cards & high limits they are not likely to even notice unless they check their account daily and look at what is being held. 

[ontheweb]

5 hours ago, zgscl said:

I work in the hotel industry and this is mostly a problem for people who use debit and not credit cards and it is tying up their actual money. Also an issue for folks who either have lower limits or use most of their available balance every month. For those with credit cards & high limits they are not likely to even notice unless they check their account daily and look at what is being held. 

Yes, I think a great majority are not aware of the hold because it does not affect them.