HELP- $60 per person per day?

[Melianne]

:confused: 'Just received my cruise docs and noticed a form authorizing use for my credit card. That's OK but there is a line that mentions authorization

"for USD $60 per person per day for for each remaining day(s) of my cruise for all staterooms (and guests booked therein listed above".

Does this refer to tips? I thought tips were $10 per person per day.

HELP PLEASE!

[sail7seas]

All hotels and cruise lines 'set aside' a certain amount of reserve against which your incidental charges will be paid.


The $10 pp per day for automatic tipping is included in HAL's reserve but the reserve is also for anything else you would be charging to your shipboard account. Such things are cocktails/soft drinks, shore excursions, photos, spa treatments, hair salon appointments etc

No amount is actually charged to your credit card until the end of the cruise when they total up what you have spent and add in the automatic tipping and then charge your Visa, Am Ex or whatever.

If you buy nothing in the shops or spend money for anything else aboard the ship, your total bill would only be the $10 pp per day automatic tip....presuming you do not have that removed.

[kruzkeen]

No amount is actually charged to your credit card until the end of the cruise when they total up what you have spent and add in the automatic tipping and then charge your Visa, Am Ex or whatever.


This is correct. You only see one total charge on your credit card statement.

As it was explained to me the $60 per day is a hold that is placed every day on your credit card. HAL seems to think that is about the average that is spent per day. An audit is run every night against the ship board accounts and if you have done a lot of shopping, gambling, drinking or shore excursions the hold on your account is increased. This can happen.

The reason for this. HAL does not want to discover on the last day of the cruise that your credit card is maxed out and you are not good for your charges.

[jhannah]

The reason for this. HAL does not want to discover on the last day of the cruise that your credit card is maxed out and you are not good for your charges.Right-o! Were that to happen, they'd not let you off the ship until they were compensated. You'd have to stay for the next sailing and work it off. Hey, that might be a great deal. I wonder if that would solve some of the short-staffing business if they'd allow some folks to come aboard and work a week then sail a week for free? ;)

[Melianne]

That makes sense!

[lipoppop]

Right-o! Were that to happen, they'd not let you off the ship until they were compensated. You'd have to stay for the next sailing and work it off. Hey, that might be a great deal. I wonder if that would solve some of the short-staffing business if they'd allow some folks to come aboard and work a week then sail a week for free? ;)


No such luck. They used to make you work off the bill on an NCL vessel. At least that is what they were doing until somebody took then to court and the 9 wise men and women said sailing on NCL constituted "cruel and inhuman" punishment." Now you are either keelhauled or made to eat the meatloaf.

:cool:

[Lisa63]

By the way, the $60 per day hold is also put on children's accounts. I had not wanted to give signing privileges to our son, but was told at the front desk that the automatic tips couldn't be deducted for him unless we authorized charges under his name.

His total bill at the end of the cruise came to $70 (gratuities only)...as others have indicated, the additional $350 never showed up on our credit card bill.

[ekerr19]

This is correct. You only see one total charge on your credit card statement.

As it was explained to me the $60 per day is a hold that is placed every day on your credit card. HAL seems to think that is about the average that is spent per day. An audit is run every night against the ship board accounts and if you have done a lot of shopping, gambling, drinking or shore excursions the hold on your account is increased. This can happen.

The reason for this. HAL does not want to discover on the last day of the cruise that your credit card is maxed out and you are not good for your charges.Not necessarily so - there is a $60 per day hold, yes... however, we ALWAYS go over that amount. They have never increased it because we have spent more - I have been cruising HAL since 1984 and have yet to see them "increase" the amount of the hold - trust me - we had a shipboard account on a 16-day cruise with our three kids (one over 21 yrs.) that was about $4600 - $4800. They NEVER asked or tried to authorize our credit card for more. :)

[iluvcruzin]

All hotels and cruise lines 'set aside' a certain amount of reserve against which your incidental charges will be paid. Not necessarly true on all cases. It's something unique to HAL where they have a published min. daily credit hold. You will not find this on other cruiselines. Also.. If you choose not to use a credit card, HAL requires you pay this fee up front in cash/traveler's cheques ($1200 for 2 people). Other lines don't require this but suggest a $100 deposit.

I prefer not to use a credit card and prefer to pay with traveler's cheques throughout the cruise. I don't want to give HAL $1200 to hold for 10 days. I like going home without any bills which is why I don't do the credit card thing. For this sailing I will deal with HAL's rules and use a credit card for the hold and hopefully I can pay the balance off at the end of the cruise before they charge against it. Although I don't like their policy I won't let it deter from enjoying my cruise.

[mcduck]

As one of our divisions is an automobile rental franchise, I can verify that it is a standard practise in the travel industry (cars, hotels and so on) to place a hold on the credit card for the anticipated amount of the total charges.

One thing that you need to be aware of is that the amount of the hold is deducted from your credit limit by the card issuer. So if you have a lower limit and are planning to use the same credit card for shore purchases, excursions and so on, you could find yourself in a position where your credit limit has been exceeded, even though you have not spent the entire amount and lead to an embarrassing situation.

You need to make sure that you will have a large enough credit card limit, or may want to use a different credit card with the cruise line than the one you use on shore.

[localady]

Although at times an Amex card can be a pain, as they make you pay it all monthly:eek: , it is a blessing on a cruise, as you don't have to worry about exceeding your maximum. If you have had high charges on the card before and paid them on time, there will be no trouble giving HAL the card for a "hold" and using it on shore where it's accepted. I really recommend it for this type of situation! :cool:

[jazzsea]

We've started giving the cruise line cash on the first day of the cruise. It is so much easier than using a credit card and we don't have to worry about not being able to use our credit card ashore. We start out giving them $300 - $500 and give them more based on tours that we buy or other items, like wine.

They seems happy with the cash and they let us know if we need to give them more during the cruise.

[kruzkeen]

They have never increased it because we have spent more - I have been cruising HAL since 1984 and have yet to see them "increase" the amount of the hold -

I believe that when they increase the hold on your credit card account, you do not know about it. You never see the hold on your final statement from the ship or the credit card company. If the hold does not exceed your credit card limit, the front office has no reason to contact you.