Using Cash instead of Credit Card for Check In

[Cbears]

My 20-something son does not have credit cards. For him to board here is what HAL's website says.

Onboard Cash Terms and Conditions
If you do not want to use a credit or debit card, the ship will collect a cash deposit from you at time of boarding in the same amount as credit card payers (USD $60/person/day multiplied by the number of days of the cruise). ***Note - With the cash option, you MUST bring enough cash to cover the $60/person/day account deposit. Failure to do so may forfeit your right to board. Any excess deposit will be refunded to you at the end of the cruise. Traveler's checks may be cashed at the front office to make your deposit. Personal checks are not accepted on board.

My question is, where is the 'front office'? We will be boarding at Canada Place in Vancouver. I assume, since they wont let him board without forking over the cash, that it is somewhere in the terminal building.
I would think that bringing traveler's checks would be the safest way to carry $420 (or more).
Has anyone actually brought travellers checks, and was it a pain in the you-know-what?
Or should/could I just put his cabin under my card and he can reimburse me? I would accept his check!

[mindydaile]

When checking in at the terminal they will give you your keycard but warn you that you cannot make any charges on it. Then you proceed to the front desk once on board and put down your cash deposit and they activate your keycard.

You don't have to put $420, you can put as little or as much as you like. I've never used travelers checks for this so someone else will have to chime in on that point.

[schoolinmy3]

Are you also on the same cruise with your son? If so you can cover his charges with your credit card when you do your online check in. You are given the option to cover another passenger's charges even if he has a different booking number. I did this for our upcoming cruise to Bermuda. I covered my son and daughter although they are in a different room. They are sharing the room with friends who used their own credit card separately. You might consider looking into your son obtaining a credit card. Both my sons do have their own credit card even though they are only 18 and almost 20. It is a good way for them to establish credit. Their friends had trouble making a major purchase because they had not established credit. In any case, I do think the front desk is only on the ship.
Diane

[alpal1993]

We did use Travelers cheques on our 14 Night cruise.We put down 1000$ Yes it is a lot of signing.At the end of the cruise we got back what we did not spend.We pre ordered drink cards as well as purchasing bottle to be delivered to our room.Most of our tours were pre booked as well. Also received 100$ on board credit from HAL for a very small problem that had occured.(we were very surprised)At the end we received cash back.

[Cbears]

When checking in at the terminal they will give you your keycard but warn you that you cannot make any charges on it. Then you proceed to the front desk once on board and put down your cash deposit and they activate your keycard.

You don't have to put $420, you can put as little or as much as you like. I've never used travelers checks for this so someone else will have to chime in on that point.

Doesn't it say that you have to give them $60 per day (7 day cruise would be $420) I don't think you can give them less than that. Correct me if I'm wrong. And if they DO require $420 why wouldn't you be able to use your key card to spend that amount.
Only $77 of that is for the "Hotel Service Charge". Why would they ask for another $343 and then not let you spend it?

Yes, I will be on the same cruise with him.

He can't get a credit card right now due to previous bad roommates not paying their bills and therefore ruining his credit. Nice way to start life.

So, if I decide to put him on my card, would he:
a. be able to charge with his room key and would my bill at the end show which charges where his and which were mine?
b. be able to cash travellers checks at the front office onboard anytime during the cruise, or at the end of the cruise?

[schoolinmy3]

I believe our charges were broken down by room number on our final bill. We had our kids covered by our credit card on our last cruise and they were in a separate room. I will look and see if I kept the bill and let you know tomorrow. Our kids just charged sodas (pop), an excursion last minute, and the unlimited laundry service. They aren't old enough to drink :o and none of us are into the casino :rolleyes:. Too bad about his credit :( Really hard to get good credit established these days for young people and unfortunately it can be too easily ruined.:eek:
Diane

[sail7seas]

Your bill would be broken down by whoever made what charge.
DH puts only his credit card when we cruise and his charges are listed separately from my charges, in same cabin, and billed to same credit card.

Your son would be able to cash any travelers checks he wished at the front office at any time throughout the cruise. We've never done that but I suspect there may be a cut off time the last night of the cruise.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

If you do not want to hassle with depositing money at the front desk you can open a Savings account and get a Debit card that is attached to the savings account. But of course you will need to have a minium of the $420.00 in the savings account.
The other thing you can do is get a prepaid debit card that are Visa Debit cards but unfortunately those cost money.

[Neil in Vancouver]

It seems to me that if HAL would stop treating 100% of their customers like thieves when only 0.5% of them really are, the problem would go away.

[iriemon]

What we do with our kids is we have a separate credit card for them (in our name) and we use that to hold the account. They give what they would normally give to the cruise line to us and we hold it for their bill. At the end of the cruise we settle among ourselves. The bills are all broken out as to who charged what, so it is really easy. This also eliminates the hassle of settleing at the front desk the night before. If you have not seen that, it is a zoo.

[kazu]

What we do with our kids is we have a separate credit card for them (in our name) and we use that to hold the account. They give what they would normally give to the cruise line to us and we hold it for their bill. At the end of the cruise we settle among ourselves. The bills are all broken out as to who charged what, so it is really easy. This also eliminates the hassle of settleing at the front desk the night before. If you have not seen that, it is a zoo.

ditto when our son was younger too. no worries about credit or lack thereof as you (the primary cardholder) are responsible. Plus you see everything that was charged in case you need to provide some budget advice down the road. Best solution IMO, however there is no problem cashing travelers cheques on HAL.:)

[mindydaile]

Doesn't it say that you have to give them $60 per day (7 day cruise would be $420) I don't think you can give them less than that. Correct me if I'm wrong.

When putting down a cash deposit $420 is the suggested amount, it is not a required minimum. I have put down less than that on cruises where I knew I was not planning to spend much. The front desk will notify you when your bill is getting close to the amount of cash you have on deposit so you can go put more on before your charging privileges are suspended.

[Texas Tillie]

It seems to me that if HAL would stop treating 100% of their customers like thieves when only 0.5% of them really are, the problem would go away.

Now, if HAL could just figure out in advance who those 0.5% might be!:eek::D:p;)

[sail7seas]

It seems to me that if HAL would stop treating 100% of their customers like thieves when only 0.5% of them really are, the problem would go away.



Texas Tillie: Now, if HAL could just figure out in advance who those 0.5% might be!



Those of us who always meet our responsibilities pay for the thieves in so many areas of our lives. There is always a schemer out there taking advantage and everyone else has to pick up the tab.

Grocery stores, department stores, utility thieves, cruise ships........ the 'deadbeat's/thieves' bills become ours. :

This whole 'automatic tipping/hotel service charge' came about because of the deadbeats who never tipped anyone. They'd skip out of the dining room the last night and not leave a penny. They'd suddenly have a big desire to have a pre dinner drink in Ocean Bar the last night although they had spent the whole cruise in Crows Nest. Their method of stiffing the crew. :( Their idea of no tipping required was their license to tip no one. The worst is they knew it was wrong or why did they 'sneak around'?

(

[mamaofami]

When auto tipping first started ,someone from the medical staff told us they were refusing to pay and had the auto tip removed from their account. Since they sat at a regular table in the MDR every night, and had stewards who cleaned their cabin, etc. I thought it was the height of cheapness. Sail is right. There will always be people who take cruises, go on expensive excursions, gamble in the casinos, drink in the bars, and then not tip.

[jtl513]

When putting down a cash deposit $420 is the suggested amount, it is not a required minimum.Is there no minimum at all? Not even the $11/p/d Hotel Service Charge?

There will always be people who take cruises, go on expensive excursions, gamble in the casinos, drink in the bars, and then not tip. This is why HAL has changed from calling it an auto-tip to a Hotel Service Charge, to try to get through to the chiselers that it is not a gift but a fee that should only be removed in the event of non-delivery of service.

Unfortunately, HAL is too lax (IMO) in letting people remove it for almost any excuse at all, and too many people on this forum persist in thinking/calling it a tip ... with the result that people now ask repeatedly if can removed for a variety of invalid or phony reasons.

[Boytjie]

It seems to me that if HAL would stop treating 100% of their customers like thieves when only 0.5% of them really are, the problem would go away.

The problem is a few people that can't pay their bills, not sure how removing the holds will fix that problem. :confused:

[pizzadog]

My 20-something son does not have credit cards. For him to board here is what HAL's website says.


Onboard Cash Terms and Conditions
If you do not want to use a credit or debit card, the ship will collect a cash deposit from you at time of boarding in the same amount as credit card payers (USD $60/person/day multiplied by the number of days of the cruise). ***Note - With the cash option, you MUST bring enough cash to cover the $60/person/day account deposit. Failure to do so may forfeit your right to board. Any excess deposit will be refunded to you at the end of the cruise. Traveler's checks may be cashed at the front office to make your deposit. Personal checks are not accepted on board.

My question is, where is the 'front office'? We will be boarding at Canada Place in Vancouver. I assume, since they wont let him board without forking over the cash, that it is somewhere in the terminal building.
I would think that bringing traveler's checks would be the safest way to carry $420 (or more).
Has anyone actually brought travellers checks, and was it a pain in the you-know-what?

Or should/could I just put his cabin under my card and he can reimburse me? I would accept his check!


We use our credit card for the deposit but always carry travellers cheques for other expenses. I know that travellers cheques are becoming obsolete but we have never had a problem with them. The front desk is very good about cashing them if you need cash for extra tipping, shore excursions etc. We don't like using our credit card to obtain cash or make purchases because as Canadians we never know what's going to show up on our bill re: fees and exchange.:)

[PSTIXS]

I have notice that several merchants in the Central Florida tourist area have signs posted that they will not accept traveler checks. I believe this is due to the fact that they can easily be counterfieted and there is no easy way to verify authenticity

[Neil in Vancouver]

Now, if HAL could just figure out in advance who those 0.5% might be!:eek::D:p;)

Why is it that businesses can treat their customers as guilty until proven innocent, but law enforcement agencies can't?

[pms4104]

It seems to me that if HAL would stop treating 100% of their customers like thieves when only 0.5% of them really are, the problem would go away.
Comments in the past from Bruce Muzz and Phillip217, both of whom are long-time cruiseline staff, indicate the problem to be somewhat higher than .5 percent ... more like 10 percent, if I recall correctly.

Well, and how could HAL possibly segregate the deadbeats from the rest? Just ask everyone at checkin if they're good for their tab? Yeah, that would work really well.

[Cbears]

I have no problem at all with putting a hold on my credit card or putting down cash to cover my potential debts. Neither does my son. Lord knows he's been cheated enough, even by so called friends.

However, we have gotten off topic a bit and there has been some conflicting advice about how much cash he would need to give them upon boarding. The HAL website clearly states $60/day.

Here is the quote again:
***Note - With the cash option, you MUST bring enough cash to cover the $60/person/day account deposit. Failure to do so may forfeit your right to board.

Also some conflicting advice about being able to use this deposit. Someone said you cant use your keycard to charge anything at all, someone else said they will let you know when it is getting low.

So I'm still confused. :mad:

[HamOp]

Why is it that businesses can treat their customers as guilty until proven innocent, but law enforcement agencies can't?

Because you must do what the nice policeman tells you to do, but you don't have to go into the business. :D

[hrhdhd]

Also some conflicting advice about being able to use this deposit. Someone said you cant use your keycard to charge anything at all, someone else said they will let you know when it is getting low.

What the earlier poster meant is that you don't give your cash to the shoreside personnel; you just inform them that you intend to set up a cash account at the front office / purser's desk. So between the time you get on the ship and present yourself and your cash at the front desk, you can't charge anything. Once you provide the deposit at the front desk, you can begin charging up to the amount you've fronted. When you get close to your deposit, the front desk will call to let you know.

[rpach10115]

I have no problem at all with putting a hold on my credit card or putting down cash to cover my potential debts. Neither does my son. Lord knows he's been cheated enough, even by so called friends.

However, we have gotten off topic a bit and there has been some conflicting advice about how much cash he would need to give them upon boarding. The HAL website clearly states $60/day.

Here is the quote again:
***Note - With the cash option, you MUST bring enough cash to cover the $60/person/day account deposit. Failure to do so may forfeit your right to board.

Also some conflicting advice about being able to use this deposit. Someone said you cant use your keycard to charge anything at all, someone else said they will let you know when it is getting low.

So I'm still confused. :mad:

This is what I experienced:
I Did the on-line check-in this weekend for my upcoming cruise. When the screen came up to ask for a credit card, it clearly states that they will put a $ 420 HOLD per person on the credit card on the first day of the cruise to be released on the last day of the cruise minus any charges that were made. It is a 7 night cruise.

I am assuming that if I spend more than the first $ 420.00 per person, they will immediatly run the credit card for an extra $ 60.00 per day per person until we disembark. In this case, this credit line will post on a report in the pursurs office. If they need to, they can run the credit card by satillite right away.

I would think at no time HAL will leave itself open to any unsecured charges that a passenger will make on the ship. All charges on the ship will eventually be secured with funds either from a credit card or cash.

I remember many years ago I did the "cash thing" on an NCL cruise. They purser notified me on the 4th day that I needed to put more cash in my account. I don't think it's a big deal if you want to do cash now. The purser will just ask for more cash when the account gets low. If you have it, great, if you don't, you'll be drinking water for the rest of your cruise.

The "auto-tip" if the first thing held from the secured funds you put down. Even though it shows up on your bill daily, it is part of the overall hold on any funds provided to the account, whether it be from a CC or cash. Then you go from there. If the auto-tip for a 7 night cruise is $ 11.00 per person per day, then you have $ 77.00 per person. If you put down $ 420.00, $ 77.00 of that is your auto-tip. That means you have $ 343.00 per person in "available" credit on the ship. If you approch this amount, depending on what day of your cruise you are on, they may either ask you for an additional cash deposit if paying by cash, or put an additional hold on your credit card. That's what Princess did last year. When you approch your "credit line" on board, they ran an additional $ 125.00 per day HOLD on my CC for the last 2 days. Since I didn't use that much in the last 2 days, that money was released by the time I got home. I was monitoring my CC online while on board so I was able to see exactly when they did it.

[alpal1993]

Your son shouldn't have any problem putting cash down.Just go directly to the front desk and take care of it.Then enjoy yourself.You can stop by the desk any time to check your balance for peace of mind. once we put the cash down we were able to start using our card.As a matter of fact we booked a cooking class right then and there with no problem

[Lizzie1213]

I used cash on my last cruise to cover myself and my two teenage daughters. Since it was a two week cruise, and I was told I needed $60.00 per person per day, that is what I brought with me. Believe me, i guarded my purse with my life!!

The front office is onboard the ship. Go there immediately if you are carrying cash! The crew can direct you.

When I arrived at the front desk, the staff member asked me how much I would like to put down. I was surprised, since I thought I had to deposit the required amount. I guess I needn't have brought so much after all. (This might have been a fluke....I would have hated to be denied boarding if I didn't carry the required amount, though, so I probably would again to be on the safe side)

Before disembarking, I was reimbursed the unused amount without any problem!

[Cbears]

When I arrived at the front desk, the staff member asked me how much I would like to put down. I was surprised, since I thought I had to deposit the required amount. I guess I needn't have brought so much after all. (This might have been a fluke....I would have hated to be denied boarding if I didn't carry the required amount, though, so I probably would again to be on the safe side)

So apparently its a crapshoot as to whether to take HAL's rules seriously or not. I agree with Lizzie, I'd rather take too much than be denied boarding. I guess taking travellers checks might be the best idea, that way if they don't want the full amount, you can cash however much you want, and add more if needed.

Or, just put him on my credit card and he can pay me back at the end. At least we know our options now. Thanks everyone!

[pizzadog]

I have notice that several merchants in the Central Florida tourist area have signs posted that they will not accept traveler checks. I believe this is due to the fact that they can easily be counterfieted and there is no easy way to verify authenticity

That's why we always cash them on the ship - never a problem:)

[RevNeal]

I've been asked to comment on this, given that I've cruised on multiple occasions securing my onboard account with cash as well as on other cruises with credit card and, on more than one occasion, with both.

When one checks in at the pier and one has already indicated online that they are going to fund their onboard account with Cash, the shore-side check-in staff will direct you to go to the front desk at some point during first evening aboard. You're probably safe if you go before going to bed: you don't have to go immediately. At least, I've never had a problem with purchasing wine or a coke or something prior to depositing money on my account, but then I've always done that at some point during the evening (usually after port departure but before dinner). One can ensure that there's no problem with the onboard account during the first day or so by pre-depositing to yourself online. I've done this, adding $500 to my account before boarding. Then, I've stopped by the front desk the next day and added a hundred or two to the account just to make sure and there hasn't been a problem.

When you go to the front desk, give them your ship's ID card and tell them you want to fund your account with cash. Then, present the cash or the travelers checks (I've done it both ways) and make the deposit. That deposit becomes your spending limit. During the cruise, when you approach to within $100 of your deposit, the front desk will contact you -- send a note to your stateroom or leave a message on your phone -- asking you to come by the front desk and either register a credit card or deposit more cash. I've done one or the other on various occasions without any trouble. If you've funded your account with cash and you have a balance remaining at the end of the cruise, go to the front desk on the morning of disembarkation and they'll refund the overage.

What I have done, on several occasions, is fund my onboard account with cash via:

1. Pre-depost of $500 (on a 2 or 3 week cruise)
2. The evening I've boarded, or the next morning, I go to the front desk and add enough cash to bring my account up to an amount equal to the pre-authorization hold that would have been put on a credit card.
3. As the cruise progresses I stop by the front desk about once a week to check on the account. On a very long cruise I'll usually make a supplemental deposit to re-fund my account. Then, on the last week of a long cruise I'll go to the front desk and, if my account is running out, I'll give them a credit card to secure the last few days of the trip. This way I don't have to worry about settling with the front desk on the morning of disembarkation.

I haven't funded my onboard account this way in a few years ... my credit limits on my cards are fully sufficient to cover my expenses and, now that I have American Express, there's never an issue. However, when I had to fund my onboard accounts with cash I never had a problem doing so and the front desk was always accommodating to me.

Regarding how much one should deposit. While they will often let you secure your account with less than the pre-authorization per-day figure, I would never just assume that they're going to let you do this because they have in the past ... and especially not that they've now added that codicil to the FAQ page which says:

***Note - With the cash option, you MUST bring enough cash to cover the $60/person/day account deposit. Failure to do so may forfeit your right to board.

That's an addition -- it's new. So, in the very least, and even if one doesn't think they'll spend that much money in their onboard account, I would always recommend brining enough money to fund one's account to at least that level, if not beyond it. Pre-depositing funds to your account online prior to the cruise is a good way to make that possible and reduce the amount of cash you're carrying with you. When you get to the front desk they may ask you how much you want to load onto the account, and then you can try depositing less and see what they do. But be ready and able to deposit at least $60 pp/pd on cruises of less than 25 days.

Once I pre-deposited $500 dollars for a 15 day Hawaii cruise. Unbeknownst to me members of my church had taken up a secret offering and one of them had called HAL ship's services and deposited $250 into my account as a gift. When I went to the front desk they told me that I already had well above the pp/pd on deposit and suggested that I wait to deposit more. It was a nice surprise.

[Philip217]

Originally Posted by Neil in Vancouver
Why is it that businesses can treat their customers as guilty until proven innocent, but law enforcement agencies can't?


Ask any "foreigner" who tries to fly into Canada or USA about how innocently they have been treated by the authorities.

You may get a surprise in their answers.