Flawed On Board Credit Authorization Process

[Sun&FunTraveler]

thank-you

[dan40]

Gee if only my life was so empty that I had time to average 20 posts per day for years I might be a "grown up" someday.

 

Oh well...I guess I'll never be a "grown up"! That's a small price to pay for have a full, well rounded life that doesn't revolve around posting on cruise critic.

 

Dr. Jack

 

What you don't know would fill libraries.

 

Math challenged? Its 2.12 posts, not twenty. Conciseness!

 

Also on the ignore list so prattle away till you're pleased.

 

Dan

[Luckysll]

I love threads like these.....I've found one more person to add to my ignore list.

[halos]

I love threads like these.....I've found one more person to add to my ignore list.

 

 

LOL...only one??? ;)

[Crusin6]

First time cruiser here and I don't want any problems, so can you have one credit card tied to you onboard account but when it comes to pay the bill at the end of the cruise pay it with another card (travel points)?

Good question and not a bad idea, but what Carnival will/may do is charge your account 2 or 3 times during the cruise with whatever the balance is up to that point. I have heard it has been done that way although you never really know.

 

What we do, and this a very important point, is to use one card for the S & S and a different card in the ports. Always a credit card and never ever would I give any cruise line access to my debit card which of course is linked to my checking account. Imagine the problems if they debit the wrong amount and checks start bouncing/overdrawing.

 

Also, remember that if you have an additional credit card, that maybe you do not use often, to keep it handy as well. Should you and DH or whomever lose a card and the other one of you is just using the 2nd card on the account, like we do at home, both cards will be rendered inactive by the bank.

 

So yes, 2 different credit cards, not linked to each other, and maybe even a 3rd that you just keep in the safe for emergency. However, the 3rd is negotiable, but not the first 2;)

 

You probably already know this, but do notify the credit card company of your whereabouts and duration before you leave home. At 72 hours notice my banks require.

[Crusin6]

WOW a great 9th post!

9 th post but I have been here for awhile, I am just not recognizable.

[trock]

What i dont get.... Is this the first time the OP has used a debit card???

This happens anywhere.. My DC is with my credit union which isnt steller and every once in a while their computers shut down and no transaction for me!.. So i use the CC..

 

I dont understand the complaint other than the pursors desk which most of us know are not the most customer service oriented people..

 

8 cruises and this 20 minute occurance got him this angry?

 

I personally, would have had dinner minus the wine :rolleyes: and discussed it afterwards.. there was really no 'rush' to correct it.. it wasnt like they would not serve him dinner..

 

 

 

I just dont get it

[cruisecastle]

What i dont get.... Is this the first time the OP has used a debit card???

This happens anywhere.. My DC is with my credit union which isnt steller and every once in a while their computers shut down and no transaction for me!.. So i use the CC..

 

I dont understand the complaint other than the pursors desk which most of us know are not the most customer service oriented people..

 

8 cruises and this 20 minute occurance got him this angry?

 

I personally, would have had dinner minus the wine :rolleyes: and discussed it afterwards.. there was really no 'rush' to correct it.. it wasnt like they would not serve him dinner..

 

 

 

I just dont get it

 

It's not the process that is flawed it's the OP.

[Guienevere_Arianette]

Assuming this is a legit situation, this is why I use a credit card, NOT A DEBIT CARD !

 

Curious...I vaguely undertand the hold issues but I guess I don't understand why the credit card would be better than the debit card...does it offer some other type of protection?

[misguidedangel]

Troll or no troll, computers make errors. Errors happen. They are easily fixed.

 

The Valor sailing I was on Jan 4 had problems with the credit card authorization. Many people had to go get their credit cards reswiped and authorization done because Carnival DID NOT now their system was NOT working.

 

It happened to me while trying to pay for a shore excursion. I went to guest relations and they told me there was a problem was the credit card system for a short window of time and EVERYONE who used a CC or a debit card had to go get it reswiped!!!

 

Did it ruin my trip cuz the gal at shore excursion said there was a no credit message, No, she said something probably happened in port (a few hours earlier) and guest relations will fix it...THEY DID!....I was not embarrassed when she told me it was rejected...

 

Oh, and I cruise solo, so I pay 200% of the fare, so suite or not, when I go, it isn't a cheap vacation...

[ohioNCLcruiser]

Curious...I vaguely undertand the hold issues but I guess I don't understand why the credit card would be better than the debit card...does it offer some other type of protection?

 

I'm not sure how Carnival does it but on most credit cards they will just see if a certain price will clear without the card being declined. They just ask the credit card company if they can charge X amount and if they say yes then its fine. A debit card some companies will actually put a hold on funds till the end of the cruise, car rental etc.

 

Also if someone gets your credit card info you can cancel it while they get your money credit line back. WIth a debit card your funds are gone till they figure out what happened and who stole them.

[ohioNCLcruiser]

Also not telling your credit card/debit card company that you are traveling can make them lock the card as soon as they see charges from _____ cruise line-Bahamas or Miami. A lot of the time on my Hawaii ship when a card is declined a simple call to the bank to tell them they are in Hawaii clears it right up.

[ohioNCLcruiser]

Even from A PR point what would a cheap bottle of the champagne that Carnival gives away all during the week cost them as a gesture. We had a bad experience at Disney World and mentioned to the concierge desk upon returning back to the hotel expecting nothing. The next day when we returned there was a basket of fruit in the room. That's been years ago and I am still telling the story. Thats "PR" and it does not have to be a big gesture.

 

Very true! Would have cost Carnival or any cruise line a few dollars and avoided this online negative PR. Some might think this person is a troll but I know some readers are concerned about what the OP said.

[skay]

Very true! Would have cost Carnival or any cruise line a few dollars and avoided this online negative PR. Some might think this person is a troll but I know some readers are concerned about what the OP said.

At least to the point of seriously considering only using a credit card or cash instead of a debit card.

[calicruise74]

I dont think the OP is coming back....this thread took on a life of its own I see! :o

[Luckysll]

LOL...only one??? ;)

 

Well, several were already there. :D

[decatsmeow]

We had a similar experience. It was with the same Carnival credit card that they were pushing all week. They said it denied a $29 charge. Unusual, since it was a Carnival credit card, and we had called before the trip to let them know we would be using it on vacation in the Caribbean on Carnival. Hubby went to the pursers desk and paid $29 cash, no big deal. Hubby asked if he needed to do anthing else. The purser said it was all taken care of. Thats the end of that.

Until

We were debarking, a loud buzzer went off and some security guy would not let us off the ship. He said we still owed money and could not leave. He needed to see the receipt, which was packed well away with the rest of the recipts and capers and stuff we planned to reminisce over when we got home. Talk about being embarassed! Hubby on his hands and knees in front of literally hundreds of passengers lined up and trudging through the lobby, digging through luggage to try and find this receipt he was never told would be necessary to debark. We always make sure we have the forms, the passports, all the stuff to get off the ship, and would have had this if the purser told him to keep it handy. Instead, the security guy made a huge issue over $29, and lost far more good will. We've been on 9 cruises with Carnival. That may very well be the last, not because of the credit glitch, which was obviously a Carnival issue since we had plenty of room on the card and not really a big deal, but because of the total lack of customer consideration shown by the security guy and the purser's office who required him to act as he did. It's sad. I like Carnival, but my vacation dollars will probably be going elsewhere this year.

[Kurbanfan]

We had a similar experience. It was with the same Carnival credit card that they were pushing all week. They said it denied a $29 charge. Unusual, since it was a Carnival credit card, and we had called before the trip to let them know we would be using it on vacation in the Caribbean on Carnival. Hubby went to the pursers desk and paid $29 cash, no big deal. Hubby asked if he needed to do anthing else. The purser said it was all taken care of. Thats the end of that.

Until

We were debarking, a loud buzzer went off and some security guy would not let us off the ship. He said we still owed money and could not leave. He needed to see the receipt, which was packed well away with the rest of the recipts and capers and stuff we planned to reminisce over when we got home. Talk about being embarassed! Hubby on his hands and knees in front of literally hundreds of passengers lined up and trudging through the lobby, digging through luggage to try and find this receipt he was never told would be necessary to debark. We always make sure we have the forms, the passports, all the stuff to get off the ship, and would have had this if the purser told him to keep it handy. Instead, the security guy made a huge issue over $29, and lost far more good will. We've been on 9 cruises with Carnival. That may very well be the last, not because of the credit glitch, which was obviously a Carnival issue since we had plenty of room on the card and not really a big deal, but because of the total lack of customer consideration shown by the security guy and the purser's office who required him to act as he did. It's sad. I like Carnival, but my vacation dollars will probably be going elsewhere this year.

 

I would have been livid.......and that would be putting it mildly.

[DaDivaMom]

Folks the difference with a debit card and a credit card is that debit cards have DAILY spending/approval levels. It is up to your bank what that level is and how it is made up (POS/ATM). It resets each 24 hour business day, thus Friday through Monday is ONE business day. A credit card does not have a daily spending limit.

 

Thus you are on a cruise and your POS limit on your debit card is 1000 bucks. You sail on Thursday. On Friday you hit the excursion desk and charge 800 bucks, buy some pics and on Saturday you enjoy the sun and some DODs then head to the spa for about 500 bucks worth of treatments. Well to the bank this is one business day. You are over your 1000 bucks until Monday, not Carnival's fault.

 

Check your limits and up them temporarly if you must use a debit card.

 

Banks do this to protect themselves for losses due to fraud. Consumer laws are favored to the client and the bank eats it on debit cards in most cases. The merchant takes it on credit cards so the credit card company can afford to be more liberal in the approval process.

 

I hope this helps clear some confusion for folks.

[tess2cruz]

I have experienced a couple of "glitches" with my cards and Carnival. Never a good time to have to deal with it, but stuff happens.

I used a debit card once. Not again. They charged to the card daily, THEN at the end of the cruise, they charged the whole amount. I got THAT letter on that one too, had to see the purser first thing morning of debarkation. My card had plenty of money on it though, told them to run it one more time, they did, everything was fine. BUT I did watch my account, not wanting that double billing. They took off the daily charges, ONE DAY AT A TIME. After a few days I called Carnival, and they immediatly took all the daily charges off, problem resolved. Just a PITA but no big deal.

Next time I had a problem was with my CC, but it was an issue with me and my CC company, security issue. But when I went to the Pursers desk, they called my CC company for me, we discussed and straightened out the issue, and the card was good again. Carnival purser desk was very nice and descreet for me.

Computer tech is great at times, sometimes it is a PITA. Life goes on.:D

[nolaAlive]

A responsible cruise line DOES suspend charges when the person is intoxicated (in the estimation of the server or a previous server or pretty much anyone in authority). It has nothing to do with whether or not you use a credit, debit, or cash account.

 

Enjoy RCL - I'm not sure if they cut off drunks or not :confused: or if they bungee cord them to the decks, now :confused:, or what :confused:

 

Not bad for a high school novel. Will there be a sequel?

[Vanessa L]

We always, always, always call the bank of any card we are going to be using on vacation and in "unusual" ways for us and inform them of same. They will flag the card for the dates you give them and to date (knock wood) we have not had one problem with our debit or credit cards. We use both equally on vacation locally and abroad. Maybe it's coincidence and the call is useless and we've just been lucky, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it!! :D

[nolaAlive]

It doesn't matter if you are in Nebraska, Timbuktu or on Mars, your Sail and Sign account is processed by Carnival via Miami. No foreign transaction is involved.

[SusieCruisie]

My friend had a similar problem on her 1st Carnival cruise. They actually added more money to her debit card, so it shut down her account. She does not use credit cards, so any cruise after that, she puts a cash deposit, and has never had a problem. She is now going on her 4th Carnival Cruise, and I , Myself, am going on my 1st! I think that this could happen with any line. Don't hold it against the Line. Expect problems when dealing with debit no matter what especially after reading so many other stories on the boards.

Happy Cruising!

[nagster]

Oh dear that was a well detailed and angry post for a minor pc glitch. FWIW I had the same thing happen to me, I just went to the PD and got it swiped again. I was annoyed as I was trying to buy a drink for the pool, had to go to the PD, go back down to the shop only to get denied again:o So back up to the PD and back down to the shop. My oh my this was maybe 15 mins out of my cruise, annoying yes, worthy of a rant no.