On board account / card payments

[Trevor Fountain]

9 hours ago, newbie cruissy said:

Thanks Trev, totally missing the point, a bit rude, quite snobby and presumptuous, but thanks 👍 

So therefore you think that if someone going on a cruise who only has a debit card, and a hold on the card will see their monthly direct debits not paid. and not able to pay for normal everyday necessities until the hold is cleared off, should just say to hell with it and cruise anyway?

Maybe I have missed the point in that case, but I am neither being rude snobby or presumptuous. 

I have not presumed you don't have a credit card, or will be overburdened by the hold put on your debit card. I merely pointed out that if this scenario applies to "anyone" then they should think carefully before going on any holiday where this may be the case.

[david63]

1 hour ago, jeanlyon said:

I have checked it in the past and there hasn't been.

Have you actually checked mid cruise or are you checking when you return from your cruise?

 

If you are only checking when you return then you are right - you will not, depending on your CC company, see any pre-authorisations.

[zap99]

9 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

If you use a credit card they only make one holding charge of £1 which never actually gets charged.

I don't expect to pay a pound on every cruise, only Royal Caribbean. A pound.....I'd want some change.🤣

[jeanlyon]

Yes I have checked my credit card mid cruise and not seen anything being held.  But that was 3 years ago.

[2BACRUISER]

This cold chestnut comes up time and again on all cruise line pages. 

Using a debit card the vendor ring fences any money you spend immediately from your bank account just same as spending in shops at home, using a credit card you don't get instant charges just one bill and payment taken at end. 

If you want to use cash I would suggest you give your debit card at boarding and then go immediately to reception and put down your cash requesting that the cash is used first, keep an eye on your account and if it looks like cash will run out go deposit more. Cruise lines in general don't like cash as they have the faff of having to bank it however they cannot refuse it. 

In your situation personally I would get a credit card use it on cruise pay it off with cash when you get home and then cut it up if you don't like having one. 

Hth 

[davecttr]

1 hour ago, 2BACRUISER said:

This cold chestnut comes up time and again on all cruise line pages. 

Using a debit card the vendor ring fences any money you spend immediately from your bank account just same as spending in shops at home, using a credit card you don't get instant charges just one bill and payment taken at end. 

If you want to use cash I would suggest you give your debit card at boarding and then go immediately to reception and put down your cash requesting that the cash is used first, keep an eye on your account and if it looks like cash will run out go deposit more. Cruise lines in general don't like cash as they have the faff of having to bank it however they cannot refuse it. 

In your situation personally I would get a credit card use it on cruise pay it off with cash when you get home and then cut it up if you don't like having one. 

Hth 

I believe after you have deposited your cash it will appear as credit on your onboard account in addition to any OBC you may have, in which case there will be no ring fencing as long as your account remains in credit

[wowzz]

4 minutes ago, davecttr said:

I believe after you have deposited your cash it will appear as credit on your onboard account in addition to any OBC you may have, in which case there will be no ring fencing as long as your account remains in credit

Correct, in the sense that the obc will be used first, and when that is exhausted,  the cash deposited will be used. 

[david63]

And if using cash you have to remember to go to reception before 22:00 on the night before disembarkation and retrieve any unspent cash - or loose it!

[grapau27]

On 6/23/2022 at 5:05 PM, jeanlyon said:

I have checked it in the past and there hasn't been.

It doesn't show on your credit card statement Jean.

No money is taken off your card until the end of your cruise but the daily authorisation is showing from your available balance until 30 days after your cruise ends so in effect you are paying twice until P&O retract the daily authorisations.

I always use a credit card which is the best way imo but anyone using a Debit card might encounter problems with Direct Debits etc if their available balance is reduced by the daily authorisations and they don't realise this.

I only realised after putting the credit card app on my phone and saw all the daily notifications and my available balance was reduced by the daily authorisations.

Graham.

[True Devonian]

There is useful information on the P&O website. 

https://my.pocruises.com/mycruise/articles/money-service

[david63]

2 hours ago, grapau27 said:

until P&O retract the daily authorisations

That is not strictly correct. P&O cancel the pre-authorisations at the time that they submit the final account but not all CC companies action it immediately and leave the pre-authorisations to "roll off" after a number of days (up to 30 in some cases)

[grapau27]

2 minutes ago, david63 said:

That is not strictly correct. P&O cancel the pre-authorisations at the time that they submit the final account but not all CC companies action it immediately and leave the pre-authorisations to "roll off" after a number of days (up to 30 in some cases)

MasterCard told me to contact P&O when I queried the notifications of daily authorisations affecting my available balance after our bill was paid immediately on leaving the ships.

It happened on Iona in March

It happened on Britannia in April.

It did not happen on Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas in May.

I use a credit card so it doesn't bother me personally unless I am actually charged twice.

[grapau27]

1 hour ago, True Devonian said:

There is useful information on the P&O website. 

https://my.pocruises.com/mycruise/articles/money-service

I have read this before and why I never contacted P&O.

Strange then if it is the card company why this did not happen with Royal Caribbean in May but happened on P&O on our March and April cruises.

[terrierjohn]

On 6/23/2022 at 4:55 PM, terrierjohn said:

Ah ok, I need to spend more then.

On checking my final cruise invoice and my on line credit card statement, the cc statement shows P&Os charge to be £1  less than P&Os invoice. However the CC is only a pending charge  so things may change.