Onboard charges - Physical credit card required?

[rjp50]

When I list a credit card for my onboard charges to be charged to, do I need to present the card at any point on the cruise.  I would prefer to leave the card home since on any other foreign purchases it incurs foreign transaction fees.

[millybess]

1 minute ago, rjp50 said:

When I list a credit card for my onboard charges to be charged to, do I need to present the card at any point on the cruise.  I would prefer to leave the card home since on any other foreign purchases it incurs foreign transaction fees.

You will need to present a card upon embarkation for their files.  It doesn't have to be the same card, but you will have to give Viking a card for them to use to settle up a couple of days before the end of the cruise.

 

We don't give them the particulars of a card on the MyVikingJourney website.  That's not necessary.  But you will have to give them a card when you board.  

[formernuke]

I may be wrong (someone please correct me), but I believe if you do provide the on board credit card info on line (the "comfort check in" within 30 days of sailing) then you do no need to provide a hard card when embarking. I want to say that's what we did on my last cruise but I'm not 100% sure.

[millybess]

19 minutes ago, formernuke said:

I may be wrong (someone please correct me), but I believe if you do provide the on board credit card info on line (the "comfort check in" within 30 days of sailing) then you do no need to provide a hard card when embarking. I want to say that's what we did on my last cruise but I'm not 100% sure.

That could be the case now.  However in January 2023, we put our credit card information on MVJ at comfort check-in.  We boarded Viking Sea and they asked for a card.  For our several cruises since then we haven't bothered putting our credit card information on the MVJ website.  For us, it's not a problem.  We use the same card while we're overseas.

[CDNPolar]

13 hours ago, rjp50 said:

When I list a credit card for my onboard charges to be charged to, do I need to present the card at any point on the cruise.  I would prefer to leave the card home since on any other foreign purchases it incurs foreign transaction fees.

 

I believe that they ask for the physical card as they must 'run it' through their machine to authorize it.  

 

Not that it is impossible to key a number into the machine, but there are different rules in different parts of the world about a number keyed in vs. a physical card run or tapped.

 

I would email tellus@vikingcruises.com and ask them.  Don't call reservations, email tellus.

 

Ask if you can take care of this virtually before the cruise.

 

I know that you are saying that you prefer to leave your card at home, but even though we may go the entire trip without using our card, you never know when you may need it for an emergency purchase - foreign transaction or not.

 

Think about a medical emergency where you may have to pay for hospital or clinic service in advance.  

 

We actually travel with three different cards all kept in different places.

 

 

Edited June 19 by CDNPolar

[KBs mum]

We rarely incur extra charges onboard, having pre paid for the SSP. 

We don't give Viking any card details via MVJ, if we do buy anything from the onboard shop we take the card to customer services to settle up

[rjp50]

4 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

 

We actually travel with three different cards all kept in different places.

 

 

That's why I would prefer not to take yet another card.  We always travel with multiple credit cards as well as debit cards linked to separate accounts so that we have lots of redundancy.  However, all of our regular travel cards do not have foreign transaction fees.  The one that we want to use for onboard charges (which will be primarily the gratuity fee) does incur foreign transaction fees so we would not use it for any other land-based purchases.  We are using this card for the gratuities since we need to meet a minimum spend requirement to get the bonus points for "free" airline travel.

[tarhoosier]

I use Apple Pay which is linked to my card at the issuer, my Credit Union. People still rely on physical cards?

 

edit: people meaning retailers/providers as well as card holders.

Edited June 19 by tarhoosier

[Breckski]

About 3 weeks ago we cruised and never presented a card.  We had entered the info into MVJ before the cruise. And used that card on another cruise last November if that matters.

 

I don't understand why some folks these days are still so fearful of credit card usage (MVJ, giving a card to a vendor/waiter, etc.).  An actual loss from improper credit card use is pretty low on my financial concerns.  It's so easy these days to report a fraudulent charge and the cc companies do a pretty good job of identifying potential fraudulent charges anyway.

 

 

[TayanaLorna]

Whether or not we enter our card on MVJ, Viking has asked for the card upon check in.

[OneSixtyToOne]

41 minutes ago, tarhoosier said:

I use Apple Pay which is linked to my card at the issuer, my Credit Union. People still rely on physical cards?

 

edit: people meaning retailers/providers as well as card holders.

Depends on location. In Chile, I couldn’t get my phone payment to work and needed a card with a chip. 

[Mike07]

28 minutes ago, Breckski said:

I don't understand why some folks these days are still so fearful of credit card usage (MVJ, giving a card to a vendor/waiter, etc.).  An actual loss from improper credit card use is pretty low on my financial concerns.  It's so easy these days to report a fraudulent charge and the cc companies do a pretty good job of identifying potential fraudulent charges anyway.

 

 

 

 

I don't know either. The Federal limit for a physically stolen card is $50, though I'm unaware of any issuer that has passed that on to a consumer. The limit is $0 if the card is still in the owner's hands.

 

I guess it's the inconvenience of having to update automatic charges to said card.

 

I'm biting my tongue here as to not dictate what I'm my opinion are silly concerns.

Edited June 19 by Mike07

[OneSixtyToOne]

27 minutes ago, TayanaLorna said:

Whether or not we enter our card on MVJ, Viking has asked for the card upon check in.

Same with us. Probably has to do with the chip in the card being needed to authenticate the charge.

[rjp50]

So, it sounds like each ship may have a different policy.  I guess we will be taking the card with us.

[KBs mum]

2 hours ago, TayanaLorna said:

Whether or not we enter our card on MVJ, Viking has asked for the card upon check in

1 hour ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

Same with us. Probably has to do with the chip in the card being needed to authenticate the charge.

They ask us, we say they don't need it, everything is prepaid. We've had too many wierd charges from hotels to give card details for no reason

 

[Hanoj]

7 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

 

I believe that they ask for the physical card as they must 'run it' through their machine to authorize it.  

 

Not that it is impossible to key a number into the machine, but there are different rules in different parts of the world about a number keyed in vs. a physical card run or tapped.

 

I would email tellus@vikingcruises.com and ask them.  Don't call reservations, email tellus.

 

Ask if you can take care of this virtually before the cruise.

 

I know that you are saying that you prefer to leave your card at home, but even though we may go the entire trip without using our card, you never know when you may need it for an emergency purchase - foreign transaction or not.

 

Think about a medical emergency where you may have to pay for hospital or clinic service in advance.  

 

We actually travel with three different cards all kept in different places.

 

 

 

Another thing to consider about having credit cards with you is redundancy. Just last weekend Chase alerted us to a fraudulent transaction they denied on a card we only use for travel. Once we confirmed it was not an authorized transaction, Chase terminated these cards and issued new ones that haven't yet arrived. If this happened while abroad and it was the only card we had, it would have been very inconvenient.

[KBs mum]

1 hour ago, Mike07 said:

 

 

I don't know either. The Federal limit for a physically stolen card is $50, though I'm unaware of any issuer that has passed that on to a consumer. The limit is $0 if the card is still in the owner's hands.

 

I guess it's the inconvenience of having to update automatic charges to said card.

 

I'm biting my tongue here as to not dictate what I'm my opinion are silly concerns.

Who needs the hassle of sorting it out, with possibility of cancelled cards and new being issued etc. Best to not give access to the numbers if it can be avoided. 

[Mike07]

20 minutes ago, KBs mum said:

Who needs the hassle of sorting it out, with possibility of cancelled cards and new being issued etc. Best to not give access to the numbers if it can be avoided. 

 

 

What's your plan to pay for goods in the event of lost or delayed luggage? A stolen it or misplaced passport? Having to unexpectedly fly home or pay for medical treatment?

 

 

[Mike07]

29 minutes ago, Hanoj said:

 

Another thing to consider about having credit cards with you is redundancy. Just last weekend Chase alerted us to a fraudulent transaction they denied on a card we only use for travel. Once we confirmed it was not an authorized transaction, Chase terminated these cards and issued new ones that haven't yet arrived. If this happened while abroad and it was the only card we had, it would have been very inconvenient.

 

 

I think most people would be surprised at how many times your card passes thru different middlemen in a single credit transaction.

 

It's more than between Viking and Visa (or whomever).

[Mike07]

37 minutes ago, KBs mum said:

 

 

 

To be honest, having had my credit card stolen, as well as my identity, and mail that had my full checking account....  Credit card is by far and I truly mean by far the easiest to sort out. As another poster mentioned Chase has a good fraud department.

 

The biggest inconvenience with Chase is calling to verify it was lifted and then having to wait a few days for a replacement.

Edited June 19 by Mike07

[Hanoj]

5 minutes ago, Mike07 said:

 

 

I think most people would be surprised at how many times your card passes thru different middlemen in a single credit transaction.

 

It's more than between Viking and Visa (or whomever).

 

The whole system is based on trust, and has many vulnerabilities, which the unscrupulous use to commit their crimes.

[Mike07]

21 hours ago, rjp50 said:

When I list a credit card for my onboard charges to be charged to, do I need to present the card at any point on the cruise.  I would prefer to leave the card home since on any other foreign purchases it incurs foreign transaction fees.

 

 

I was going to keep my mouth shut by here we go...

 

I probably have eight or ten credit cards. I don't carry most of them except Costco, my Amex and my Delta Amex. My credit score is solidly above 800.

 

In terms of transaction fees, most of my cards carry no foreign transaction fees and have no annual fees. Generally the conversation rate very closely matches the current forex spot rate and is superior to what my local bank does when I get physical cash. Despite my youth and inexperience, I still carry at least a hundred to two hundred in cash of the destination I'm in in the event I need to pay somebody for something.

 

Keep in mind, ocean ships charge in USD and river ships in Euro. No idea what the charges are for the Egyptian or Vietnam ships. You can prepay gratuities though I think on all Viking cruises. Though, you still need a credit card on file, because that's how all of these ships do things.

Edited June 19 by Mike07

[OneSixtyToOne]

2 hours ago, rjp50 said:

So, it sounds like each ship may have a different policy.  I guess we will be taking the card with us.

Could also be location dependent. 

[TayanaLorna]

5 hours ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

Same with us. Probably has to do with the chip in the card being needed to authenticate the charge.

Could be.  All our cards have been updated to have the chip and the ability to just tap it.

[TayanaLorna]

6 hours ago, rjp50 said:

So, it sounds like each ship may have a different policy.  I guess we will be taking the card with us.

Probably a wise choice.  Just lock it in the room safe if you don't wish to mistakenly use it due to transaction fees.  The only reason we bring a card with fees is just in case there is an emergency which requires charges exceeding the limit of the no fee card.