Using debit card for onboard charges/credits?

[Cranberry Seas]

Is there any problem with using a debit card instead of a credit card for handling my shipboard account?

 

The part I'm kinda confused about is that I read somewhere about HAL "pre-authorizing" our credit cards for the $77 autotip...is that right? I'm not sure you can pre-authorize anything with a debit card...

[Mary Ellen]

HAL will put a 'hold' on your card for about $60/pp per day at the beginning of the cruise. So, for a 10-day cruise that would be $1200 USD for a couple. I believe that to be the same, be it a credit or debit card.

[Roz]

There's no problem with using a debit card, as long as you have the $ in your checking acct. to cover the amt. that's going to be put on hold. As Mary Ellen stated, it's $60 pp/per day.

 

Roz

[Cranberry Seas]

HAL will put a 'hold' on your card for about $60/pp per day at the beginning of the cruise. So, for a 10-day cruise that would be $1200 USD for a couple. I believe that to be the same, be it a credit or debit card.

Okay thanks. But I'm not sure you can put a "hold" on a debit card...does anyone know for sure?.

 

Also, you said "about $60". It would be helpful to know the exact amount, since I am planning to get a new debit card/account just for this cruise and need to know how much to "load" it with.

[Roz]

Most definitely you can put a hold on a debit card. It's done all the time by restaurants, hotels, and gas stations.

 

If you're unsure of the amount, why don't you check on the HAL website? I can't imagine that it would go up so dramatically by the time of your cruise that you couldn't spare a few more dollars to add to it. It's been $60 for a good long while.

 

Roz

[Cranberry Seas]

Most definitely you can put a hold on a debit card. It's done all the time by restaurants, hotels, and gas stations.

 

If you're unsure of the amount, why don't you check on the HAL website? I can't imagine that it would go up so dramatically by the time of your cruise that you couldn't spare a few more dollars to add to it. It's been $60 for a good long while.

 

Roz

Ok great thanks.

 

One more question if I may...my cruise is in 3 weeks...I'd like to do the online check-in today and enter the debit card I plan to use. However, the account associated with that card isn't "loaded" yet for the cruise, I'll be depositing about $1000 into it sometime next week. So does anyone know exactly WHEN they will put this hold on? Is it as soon as I do the online checkin (ie now), or not till I actually board the ship?

[richwmn]

Ok great thanks.

 

One more question if I may...my cruise is in 3 weeks...I'd like to do the online check-in today and enter the debit card I plan to use. However, the account associated with that card isn't "loaded" yet for the cruise, I'll be depositing about $1000 into it sometime next week. So does anyone know exactly WHEN they will put this hold on? Is it as soon as I do the online checkin (ie now), or not till I actually board the ship?

If I remember correctly, the HAL website gives you the amount of the "hold" when you fill out the online forms. The hold does not go into effect until you board the ship.

[pms4104]

Ok great thanks.

 

One more question if I may...my cruise is in 3 weeks...I'd like to do the online check-in today and enter the debit card I plan to use. However, the account associated with that card isn't "loaded" yet for the cruise, I'll be depositing about $1000 into it sometime next week. So does anyone know exactly WHEN they will put this hold on? Is it as soon as I do the online checkin (ie now), or not till I actually board the ship?

As an alternate ... you can do your online checkin and indicate you will secure your account with cash and, when you get to the pier, you can present your debit card for any monies.

[RevNeal]

Ok great thanks.

 

One more question if I may...my cruise is in 3 weeks...I'd like to do the online check-in today and enter the debit card I plan to use. However, the account associated with that card isn't "loaded" yet for the cruise, I'll be depositing about $1000 into it sometime next week. So does anyone know exactly WHEN they will put this hold on? Is it as soon as I do the online checkin (ie now), or not till I actually board the ship?

 

My suggestion to you is to not process that card now. Do the online check-in, but select that you'll settle "in cash." Then, when you check-in, tell them that you've changed your mind and give them your debit card. It's just easier that way.

 

In fact, if having the cash available to you isn't an issue, might I suggest settling in cash with the front desk? This solves the whole problem without you having to worry about it. Take the $1000 with you in the form of travelers checks (if you'd rather not travel with that much cash) and then deposit it at the front desk as the method for funding your onboard account. At the end of the cruise they'll give you back whatever you haven't spent. I have done that several times on longer cruises and have enjoyed a much greater peace of mind regarding the onboard account issue.

[Roz]

Good answer, Rev Neal; I'd forgotten about that option.

 

Roz

[Cranberry Seas]

Great info, thanks everyone!

[funlovin'cruiser]

Also, please keep in mind that many banks don't release the holds on debit cards when HAL gives the go ahead. On a recent cruise, the only time that I have used my credit debit card, I didn't have the funds released back to me - even though it was my checking account - until about 2 weeks after the cruise. I checked with the bank at that time and HAL had released the unused portion of the hold right at the end of the cruise and had only charged my bill amount, but the bank simply didn't release it because someone apparently couldn't lift a finger to check on it themselves and the bank's computer automatically holds it for 30 days!! Just be careful when using your debit card - make sure that if something similar were to happen to you, you should have enough money after the hold or be prepared to not have access to it until you sit on hold on the phone on a "work day" during East Coast working hours to sort everything out (I live on PST) :D Nothing that HAL did - just the largest bank in the world's doing. :(

[Cranberry Seas]

Also' date=' please keep in mind that many banks don't release the holds on debit cards when HAL gives the go ahead. [/quote']Good info, thanks. I plan to have the debit card/account for the cruise totally separate from my "main" bank account - that way no matter what happens I have only put at risk the amount that I was okay with spending anyway. I'll still have my "main" debit card with me anyway so I think I'm covered no matter what happens.

 

Just to clarify then...HAL will debit a passenger's account via their debit card for $60 x 7 days = $420 right away upon boarding correct? And then, each day will they deduct the $11 autotip from that, or will that be done at the end of the cruise? Not that it really matters to me since I'm either going to just load the debit card right before leaving with the $1,000, or take Rev Neal's suggestion and do the Trav check thing. But I'm curious about how they handle the debit card day-to-day.What if I charge up more than $60 on one day? Will they put another/more holds on the card right then or is it an average, or what? I'd hate to try to use the debit card in port and have it declined b/c the previous day I exceeded my $60. Again I'll have my other, main debit card with me anyway but I'd prefer to keep all cruise expenses on the "cruise card" if possible...

[djhsolara]

Also' date=' please keep in mind that many banks don't release the holds on debit cards when HAL gives the go ahead. On a recent cruise, the only time that I have used my credit debit card, I didn't have the funds released back to me - even though it was my checking account - until about 2 weeks after the cruise. I checked with the bank at that time and HAL had released the unused portion of the hold right at the end of the cruise and had only charged my bill amount, but the bank simply didn't release it because someone apparently couldn't lift a finger to check on it themselves and the bank's computer automatically holds it for 30 days!! Just be careful when using your debit card - make sure that if something similar were to happen to you, you should have enough money after the hold or be prepared to not have access to it until you sit on hold on the phone on a "work day" during East Coast working hours to sort everything out (I live on PST) :D Nothing that HAL did - just the largest bank in the world's doing. :([/quote']

 

 

Very good point.

 

As a banker, I can tell you that it all depends on the policies of your bank. Some banks will release the hold when the actual transaction comes in, however this is usually done via what is called a "matched" transaction...so they are looking for a charge that is an exact match to the hold that was placed. This is where the "trouble" for the customer usually starts, because often the amount that actually gets charged is different from the amount that was originally held, so there is no matched transaction and the hold remains until the original expiration date even though the actual transaction has posted as well.

 

I have always used cash to set up my onboard account, however sometimes pay in the end with my debit card. Keep in mind that if you are in any way "cash strapped" when you are sailing this hold can play a bad game with you because it could tie up your available funds...so if you are planning to do it this way please be sure to have enough funds in your account to cover the hold as well as any other spending money that you plan to use. It would be awful to get stuck someone and not have access to the cash that you were planning to use because of the holds that may have been placed.

 

I know I've rambled on here...but I hope this helps. Happy sailing!!

[Modern_Viking]

I plan to have the debit card/account for the cruise totally separate from my "main" bank account - that way no matter what happens I have only put at risk the amount that I was okay with spending anyway. I'll still have my "main" debit card with me anyway so I think I'm covered no matter what happens.

 

Sounds like a good idea to me!

 

But keep in mind that you get more legal protection using either a Credit Card or a Charge Card than with a Check Card / Debit Card. The banks often make more profits when you use a Check Card (hence all the advertising for them). The retailer usually saves money if you use a debit card AND enter your pin (the cost savings to them goes away if you sign like a credit card).

 

Just to clarify then...HAL will debit a passenger's account via their debit card for $60 x 7 days = $420 right away upon boarding correct? And then, each day will they deduct the $11 autotip from that, or will that be done at the end of the cruise?

 

Here is my understanding of what happens, although I may not be 100% correct:

When you check-in, HAL places a hold on your bank account for # of persons x number of days x $60. So, for one person sailing 7 days, it would be $420. For a couple for 7 days, it would be $840. The money still is in your bank account, but the bank has been warned not to let you spend any of that via cash (ATM) withdrawal or debit card purchase. If you were using a credit card, the procedure would be the same: HAL would tell your bank to reserve a $420 chunk of your credit limit and not let you use it for other items.

At the end of the cruise, HAL charges your account for the actual amount spent, and at some point, your bank releases to use of the rest of the held money back to you to use. It may be 2 weeks, more or less, after your cruise ends before the hold is released.

During your trip, I think, it is not until your shipboard account (i.e. bill) reaches the $420 level that HAL places another larger hold on your account (credit card or debit card) for more money. Spending more than $60 in one day should not trigger this action, but spending $420 will. Also, from what I have seen, HAL adds the $11 gratuity to your account one day at a time and not all at once. For example, on day six you should get a summary of your shipboard account, and there should be 6 different $11 gratuities on it (each charged a different day). The final day, however, there will be one more $11 charge on your account.

 

I hope this helps!

[yiddishkopf]

I've used my debit card as my main credit card on several cruises. Mine has the Mastercard logo but I have to have enough money in my account to cover what I charge. I haven't had a problem at all with the debit card.

[Roz]

Cranberry,

 

If you're opening an account with a debit card specifically for this cruise, I would recommend a card with the MasterCard or Visa logo. It gives you more protection.

 

Roz