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An important lesson learned re:traveling without a credit card: DON'T!!


cruisestitch
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For those who haven't followed the thread about the Millennium cancellation, and in the hopes that a new thread with this info might live on,

 

We know from Cruise Critic that some passengers travel without a credit card. They choose not to have one, or are unable to get one due to poor credit ratings.

 

While its true that passengers can set up a cash account, and can prepay all cruise fare, beverage packages, gratuities etc without a credit card, when something goes wrong, as we are experiencing now, passengers who do not have a credit card are very much at a disadvantage. You might say that they are in deep weeds.

 

The problem is that many of us are having to make our own independent hotel reservation WHICH MUST BE GUARANTEED WITH A CREDIT CARD OVER THE PHONE or on line. Emphasis intentional.

 

People please, figure out some way to get yourself a credit card. You never know when something will happen to change your plans!

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For those who haven't followed the thread about the Millennium cancellation, and in the hopes that a new thread with this info might live on,

 

We know from Cruise Critic that some passengers travel without a credit card. They choose not to have one, or are unable to get one due to poor credit ratings.

 

While its true that passengers can set up a cash account, and can prepay all cruise fare, beverage packages, gratuities etc without a credit card, when something goes wrong, as we are experiencing now, passengers who do not have a credit card are very much at a disadvantage. You might say that they are in deep weeds.

 

The problem is that many of us are having to make our own independent hotel reservation WHICH MUST BE GUARANTEED WITH A CREDIT CARD OVER THE PHONE or on line. Emphasis intentional.

 

People please, figure out some way to get yourself a credit card. You never know when something will happen to change your plans!

 

We agree 100%. We would never think about traveling without at least one credit card. We use it to make our purchases but also have it just in case of emergency.

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For those who haven't followed the thread about the Millennium cancellation, and in the hopes that a new thread with this info might live on,

 

We know from Cruise Critic that some passengers travel without a credit card. They choose not to have one, or are unable to get one due to poor credit ratings.

 

While its true that passengers can set up a cash account, and can prepay all cruise fare, beverage packages, gratuities etc without a credit card, when something goes wrong, as we are experiencing now, passengers who do not have a credit card are very much at a disadvantage. You might say that they are in deep weeds.

 

The problem is that many of us are having to make our own independent hotel reservation WHICH MUST BE GUARANTEED WITH A CREDIT CARD OVER THE PHONE or on line. Emphasis intentional.

 

People please, figure out some way to get yourself a credit card. You never know when something will happen to change your plans!

 

Good advice, - as the commercial says, never leave home without it. I never go anywhere without at least one credit card. Not worth the risk.

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For those who haven't followed the thread about the Millennium cancellation, and in the hopes that a new thread with this info might live on,

 

We know from Cruise Critic that some passengers travel without a credit card. They choose not to have one, or are unable to get one due to poor credit ratings.

 

While its true that passengers can set up a cash account, and can prepay all cruise fare, beverage packages, gratuities etc without a credit card, when something goes wrong, as we are experiencing now, passengers who do not have a credit card are very much at a disadvantage. You might say that they are in deep weeds.

 

The problem is that many of us are having to make our own independent hotel reservation WHICH MUST BE GUARANTEED WITH A CREDIT CARD OVER THE PHONE or on line. Emphasis intentional.

 

People please, figure out some way to get yourself a credit card. You never know when something will happen to change your plans!

 

 

I guess I don't understand the poor credit ratings. If someone is having that hard of a time financially, how can they afford a cruise? Maybe I'm naive, but we always put our reservation on a credit card and then pay the balance when we receive the bill...just a matter of transferring money from savings to checking.

We each take a credit card, in case one is lost or stolen, or compromised. Both will have zero balance when we leave home.

You just never know when an emergency will arise.

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I would have to echo the OP's advice.

 

I had a medical emergency 3 years ago in Tasmania, and maxed out 3 credit cards with bills for treatment which I had to pay before my Insurers eventually reached agreement with the hospital and surgeons, and started to pay directly.

 

Yes I eventually got all my outgoings back, but without my cards I would have been up the proverbial creek!

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For those who haven't followed the thread about the Millennium cancellation, and in the hopes that a new thread with this info might live on,

 

We know from Cruise Critic that some passengers travel without a credit card. They choose not to have one, or are unable to get one due to poor credit ratings.

 

While its true that passengers can set up a cash account, and can prepay all cruise fare, beverage packages, gratuities etc without a credit card, when something goes wrong, as we are experiencing now, passengers who do not have a credit card are very much at a disadvantage. You might say that they are in deep weeds.

 

The problem is that many of us are having to make our own independent hotel reservation WHICH MUST BE GUARANTEED WITH A CREDIT CARD OVER THE PHONE or on line. Emphasis intentional.

 

People please, figure out some way to get yourself a credit card. You never know when something will happen to change your plans!

 

 

I coudn't agree with you more. We always travel with two credit cards which stay in the safe. We bring a certain amount of cash for incidentals but that is it. As you so correctly point out if there is an emergency may need a line of credit to get yourself home.

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I guess I don't understand the poor credit ratings. If someone is having that hard of a time financially, how can they afford a cruise?

 

I'm going to play Devil's Advocate just a bit here. My father-in-law is 72 and has never used credit in his life. Inherited his family property, always pays cash his whole life. Never even used a debit card and at this point in his life why start. It isn't that he has poor credit, he has NO credit, nor does he have an interest in getting it. Of course, I virtually live off my Amex so he doesn't need it to travel with us.

 

There's also the person who had to walk away from an upside down house, or made bad decisions at 18 that are still haunting them at 25 even though they learned their lessons and are now responsible.

 

Anyway, I agree with the OP that everyone should have a credit card, but not everyone (my aunt, on the flip side to my father in law) can be trusted with the responsibility!

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I'm going to play Devil's Advocate just a bit here. My father-in-law is 72 and has never used credit in his life. Inherited his family property, always pays cash his whole life. Never even used a debit card and at this point in his life why start. It isn't that he has poor credit, he has NO credit, nor does he have an interest in getting it. Of course, I virtually live off my Amex so he doesn't need it to travel with us.

 

There's also the person who had to walk away from an upside down house, or made bad decisions at 18 that are still haunting them at 25 even though they learned their lessons and are now responsible.

 

Anyway, I agree with the OP that everyone should have a credit card, but not everyone (my aunt, on the flip side to my father in law) can be trusted with the responsibility!

You are exactly right. While I expect it is the exception rather than the norm, particularly on mid-priced, more upscale cruise lines, sometimes past credit catastrophes (however caused) can affect credit ratings for many, many years - long after the person has corrected whatever the initial issue was. The causes can be everything from the foolishness of youth, to job loss, to medical crises, to name a few, all of which can often be overcome after a few years time. But it takes upwards of 7 years I believe to clear credit ratings. In the interim, people can really be stuck even if their current financial situation is very stable.

 

All that said, I strongly agree with having at minimum one credit card with you (two are better). I know it is not always possible, but where it is, then it is highly, highly recommended particularly when not traveling with other close family or friends who could help you if needed.

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I guess I don't understand the poor credit ratings. If someone is having that hard of a time financially, how can they afford a cruise? .

 

Poor credit ratings are not necessarily linked to a lack of personal financial liquidity. If you have never borrowed before you will have a poor credit rating, that's how the system works. Also you can have had temporary problems 2,3,4 years ago that you are now well through and this may still be impacting on your history.

 

The OPs advice is spot on - in this case, the US guests were fortunate still to be stuck in a port that took their local currency but they too might also have wanted an ATM card. I would never ever leave home without both

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For those who haven't followed the thread about the Millennium cancellation, and in the hopes that a new thread with this info might live on,

 

We know from Cruise Critic that some passengers travel without a credit card. They choose not to have one, or are unable to get one due to poor credit ratings.

 

While its true that passengers can set up a cash account, and can prepay all cruise fare, beverage packages, gratuities etc without a credit card, when something goes wrong, as we are experiencing now, passengers who do not have a credit card are very much at a disadvantage. You might say that they are in deep weeds.

 

The problem is that many of us are having to make our own independent hotel reservation WHICH MUST BE GUARANTEED WITH A CREDIT CARD OVER THE PHONE or on line. Emphasis intentional.

 

People please, figure out some way to get yourself a credit card. You never know when something will happen to change your plans!

 

I agree Cruisestitch. Always a wise idea to have at least 1 credit card, if nothing else, for emergencies. Thank you for your comments. I hope your having a better day today !

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We take 2 CC's with us. The one with a high limit stays in the safe and the one with the low limit we take ashore in ports. I also have supplementary cards for both with different #'s in case one of them is compromised. Last minute airfare and medical expenses can be very high:eek: The limit on your card has to be high enough that you still have room over and above any holds placed on the card for hotels, cars and the daily chg on the cruise lines.

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For those who haven't followed the thread about the Millennium cancellation, and in the hopes that a new thread with this info might live on,

 

We know from Cruise Critic that some passengers travel without a credit card. They choose not to have one, or are unable to get one due to poor credit ratings.

 

While its true that passengers can set up a cash account, and can prepay all cruise fare, beverage packages, gratuities etc without a credit card, when something goes wrong, as we are experiencing now, passengers who do not have a credit card are very much at a disadvantage. You might say that they are in deep weeds.

 

The problem is that many of us are having to make our own independent hotel reservation WHICH MUST BE GUARANTEED WITH A CREDIT CARD OVER THE PHONE or on line. Emphasis intentional.

 

People please, figure out some way to get yourself a credit card. You never know when something will happen to change your plans!

 

Are you the CEO of Amex? Visa International? C'mon, you can tell us.:D

 

There are always exceptions but for 99.9% of travelers a credit card is a must, even for people who regularly pay all cash - just in case.

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I guess I don't understand the poor credit ratings. If someone is having that hard of a time financially, how can they afford a cruise? Maybe I'm naive, but we always put our reservation on a credit card and then pay the balance when we receive the bill...just a matter of transferring money from savings to checking.

We each take a credit card, in case one is lost or stolen, or compromised. Both will have zero balance when we leave home.

You just never know when an emergency will arise.

 

We do the same, can't imagine traveling without a couple of cards, just in case. We don't use them for anything other than hotels, on board accounts, if necessary an emergency situation. Pay bills off when we get home.

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No, nothing to do with any credit card company but I had just come across a woman in tears before I wrote that. She had no credit card (a fair amount of cash with her, so she said, for settling her SeaPass account). No hotel she called would give her a reservation because she had no card to guarantee to. She couldn't rent a car (not sure why that was an option, but she was crying about it). She was among those whose post trip begins Friday in Anchorage but she's been assigned a flight to Vancouver and is being told to just buy a plane ticket and Celebrity will reimburse her, but she can't buy a plane ticket. It's a cautionary tale.

Edited by cruisestitch
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A visa debit card will work just like a visa credit card for securing a hotel room but the same does not apply to car rental.

 

"Some" car rental places will take a debit card but very very few :(

 

Poor lady, wonder if she has a visa debit card with her? That would hold the room and if they wanted to pre authorise the card at check in and she didn't have enough cash on it she could pay with cash.

 

 

I hope she gets some help.

Edited by DebbieMacG
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There seems to be some sort of movement where credit cards are seen as the work of the devil.

 

If you believe this or can't get a card (which is hard to believe as my cat has a Visa).

there are prepaid credit cards where you deposit the amount that becomes your credit limit. (My dog has this type).

 

Off topic but I feel the same way about the need for passports. You don't absolutely need one until you absolutely need one.

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I would have to echo the OP's advice.

 

I had a medical emergency 3 years ago in Tasmania, and maxed out 3 credit cards with bills for treatment which I had to pay before my Insurers eventually reached agreement with the hospital and surgeons, and started to pay directly.

 

Yes I eventually got all my outgoings back, but without my cards I would have been up the proverbial creek!

 

Some vacation insurance claims to advance payment to medical facilities. Of course if you maxed out 3 cards, that might have exceeded whatever their advance limit was.

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If you believe this or can't get a card (which is hard to believe as my cat has a Visa).

 

So do my kids in University. I venture to say that your cat probably manages his credit card purrr-chases better than my guys do.:p

Edited by DirtyDawg
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One issue which it seems is being ignored is the fact that there are a significant number of what might be called credit addicts. If they have the credit, they are going to spend it. To suggest to them that they need a little bit of self control is much the same as recommending to the victim of a kidney stone attack some morphine for temporary pain relief when he is a "former" opiate addict. Unfortunately, the outcome is predictable.

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One issue which it seems is being ignored is the fact that there are a significant number of what might be called credit addicts. If they have the credit, they are going to spend it. To suggest to them that they need a little bit of self control is much the same as recommending to the victim of a kidney stone attack some morphine for temporary pain relief when he is a "former" opiate addict. Unfortunately, the outcome is predictable.
All true but as I said there are "pseudo" credit cards that appear to be regular cards but act as debit cards where you can only charge what you have deposited. They do work as regular cards for the purpose of putting a credit hold for hotels, rental cars etc.

 

I didn't mean to appear glib. Credit problems caused by medical expenses, drugs, job loss or uncontrolled spending are all serious issues.

Edited by richstowe
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One thing to be aware of debit and prepay cards do not always work with rental cars, I was in Seattle earlier this year and a woman was in tears as all she had was a debit card and they could not rent her a car, she had to have someone drive down from where she was visiting to give them a credit card for the car rental. For me I always carry 3 cards and make sure I call the company up, Chase has been quick to disable a credit card when used to buy gas on a road trip.

 

For me it is the only way to pay for a cruise since you have protection in case something goes wrong plus I get points/miles for the purchase.

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Stupid cat blew his credit limit buying catnip and cat food he won't eat. :p

 

Funny :confused:. On my eldest's last statement he had a purchase of 'catnip' from a store called "Bongs R Us". And he eat all the munchies he charged at Costco the very same night.:confused:

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To the poster who said his father in law has no credit because he pays for everything in cash - now most utilities report to credit agencies, especially big, national or regional companies. So if he has an electric, gas, cable or phone bill in his name, he likely has a credit score, and it might be fairly high even though these amounts are small if he pays in full on time. He can get a credit report for free.

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