Cash for onboard charges

I always use a credit card to check in. I have found you need to be sure you have in hand the same card you checked in with, although it is possible to change it causes a delay.

One year I won several hundred dollars in the casino (shock) and I paid off the charges the day before the end of the cruise. I left the card in place for last minute charges. Guest services told me people do that all the time. It prevents that dreaded buzzed instead of 'ding' at disembarking.

Can we use a debit card with visa logo on it in place of a credit card? Does anyone know what amount of dollars the cruise line puts on hold? Or can I use a cash balance with the debit card back up? Closed all credit cards after being hacked. Love doing business the debit card way!

Our last cruise I was trying to budget our spending as much as possible since it was 11 nights. So before the cruise I called and bought on board credit and then still had the credit card on the on board account. It was so nice to have a bill at the end for $1.53 (last Internet charges)

Can we use a debit card with visa logo on it in place of a credit card? Does anyone know what amount of dollars the cruise line puts on hold? Or can I use a cash balance with the debit card back up? Closed all credit cards after being hacked. Love doing business the debit card way!

Debit card can be hacked just as each as a credit card. They may not have your PIN, but they can still swipe it and give the ViSA account number to run it as a charge not a debit taking the cash right out of your account and leaving your checks bouncing all over the place.

Debit card when used, will put a hold on your cash in the bank even if you wont use the hold, that can tie cash up for 30 days after the cruise (generally though less than 10 days), pending your banks' particulars, it's not a Celebrity issue, it's the banks that do this with debit cards.

I can't find X's policy, but have found HAL holds $60 per day per person and may get additional authorizations as you build your account.

Debit card, you're bank will only put something like $50 back into your account for a fraudulent charge until you can prove the fraud after many weeks of paperwork, a credit card you call them and they immediately refund the fraud charges in full. This means you run the real risk of over drafting your account with nothing to do about it, where a credit card, at least you still have access to the cash in your bank if scammed.

I'm a credit card mile whore, I really have a problem LOL, so I use my credit card for everything to get points to make my next flight to port! And my United airlines MasterCard also has no foreign currency change fees, another benefit.

But those without credit cards using a debit card, I'd suggest establishing a cash account with no credit card, and get the cash from ATM before arriving a the port. Then the last day of cruise go to desk and change to your debit card, that way you'll only have that last day's authorization holding up your money, and you can leave ship without settling in the morning, as they now have a card to charge/refund to.

 

But those without credit cards using a debit card, I'd suggest establishing a cash account with no credit card, and get the cash from ATM before arriving a the port. Then the last day of cruise go to desk and change to your debit card, that way you'll only have that last day's authorization holding up your money, and you can leave ship without settling in the morning, as they now have a card to charge/refund to.

Good advice. I have learned so much about debit cards on cc. I was a bit iffy about them before, but I had no idea how different they were. I just didn't like the idea of the open access to my account. We are using prepaid credit cards a fair bit when traveling these days and we like that total separation from our bank accounts.