No credit cards

What do you do if you do not have a credit card when you go on a cruise? We have debit card so how much do we need in the account or do we need to bring cash to give them when we board?

From the FAQ

If you do not want to use a credit or debit card, on the day of boarding, you will need to visit Guest Services and deposit $60 cash per person per cruise day. Any excess deposit will be refunded to you at the end of the cruise.

I'd call to reconfirm because I've seen other posts from folks who got away with a lot less.

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It would be best to withdraw the funds from your account, and use CASH, instead of the debit. HOLDS are placed on your debit card, and can affect your spending ashore or after the cruise Just bring the cash and then you can use your debit if you need it...but cash has NO HOLDS...and you will have a safe to store any excess cash.

What do you do if you do not have a credit card when you go on a cruise? We have debit card so how much do we need in the account or do we need to bring cash to give them when we board?

I would put the total price of cruise and air fair in your debt card, that is what we spend on ship excursions and 1 !- 2 drinks a day, cheers

If you do not have a credit card how will you book a flight home if you have a family emergency?

Also, although you may have medical insurance, some hospitals require a credit card payment upfront before they will admit you. You collect from your insurance later. If a family member is hospitalized you will need a credit card to check into a hotel.

I would be absolutely terrified at the thought of leaving the country without the security of substantial credit at my fingertips. More to the point, I wouldn't do it.

What is everyone's thoughts about going to the bank and getting a pre-paid credit card? There's no exact formula for how much to put on that pre-paid and no telling what the amount would be if there was an emergency and hospital stay ... but for cruise purposes and gift/keepsake purchases ... maybe a good idea?

If you do not have a credit card how will you book a flight home if you have a family emergency?

 

Also, although you may have medical insurance, some hospitals require a credit card payment upfront before they will admit you. You collect from your insurance later. If a family member is hospitalized you will need a credit card to check into a hotel.

 

I would be absolutely terrified at the thought of leaving the country without the security of substantial credit at my fingertips. More to the point, I wouldn't do it.

Maybe, but some people who want to travel don't have all your benefits; also there was a time before credit cards and people were cruising.:eek:. There was a thing called travelers checks if you had to; I had to have money wired a few times in my pre credit card days. I ran out of money in Istanbul one day before my flight home and we had a great time traveling around the Bosporous for 65 cents (long time ago).

You can arrange travel insurance before you go and otherwise take your chances. A debit card should be sufficient. Have a good time.

We did cash on our first cruise but have since used credit cards.

As a banker, I'm telling you that I would never use a debit card as the hold mechanism unless you open a separate account from your main account with the excess monies needed. The cruise line debit card holds can hold funds until well after the end of your cruise.

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What do you do if you do not have a credit card when you go on a cruise? We have debit card so how much do we need in the account or do we need to bring cash to give them when we board?

I find that buying On Board Credit from Ships Services works well. If the total you have between purchased OBC, Travel Agent Gifts (if any), and HAL OBC exceeds the $60 / person / day that is required you will not have to register a card. You may be able to have a bit less than the recommended amount but in either case if you account runs close you will be asked to go to Guest Services and make arrangements for the remaining amount. Any excess will be refunded at the end of the cruise in cash starting late in the evening of the last day of the cruise.

Maybe, but some people who want to travel don't have all your benefits; also there was a time before credit cards and people were cruising.:eek:. There was a thing called travelers checks if you had to; I had to have money wired a few times in my pre credit card days. I ran out of money in Istanbul one day before my flight home and we had a great time traveling around the Bosporous for 65 cents (long time ago).

You can arrange travel insurance before you go and otherwise take your chances. A debit card should be sufficient. Have a good time.

I travelled more decades ago than I choose to disclose, but lets just say over 4. ;)

Credit cards have been available for all that time (I was a banker in my "real life") so we are going back a real long time in history.

Travellers cheques are a great vehicle on the ship IF you can find them and buy them and don't mind paying the fee. A lot of places (like banks) that carried them without fee for certain types of accounts no longer carry them. I was a fan and will miss them.

They are a great option IF they can be found to be purchased. They are going the way of the dodo.

JMO and experience though.

I don't know how long a cruise the OP is considering, but longer cruises only require a $30/day/person deposit. I'd have to check what the length has to be for the lower hold/deposit but I think a 30 night cruise qualifies.

The front desk accepts and also will cash travelers checks. Our credit union still issues them, free of charge. m--

What is everyone's thoughts about going to the bank and getting a pre-paid credit card? There's no exact formula for how much to put on that pre-paid and no telling what the amount would be if there was an emergency and hospital stay ... but for cruise purposes and gift/keepsake purchases ... maybe a good idea?

Did have some problems using a pre-paid VISA card in Europe a few years back but hopefully the chip will now alleviate that. Strongly recommend against using your debit card unless you set it up to access a separate account, as suggested above, so no one could/would have access to your main accounts.

May be a good idea to get a credit card from your bank for the cruise. You can always cancel this when you get home.

 

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May be a good idea to get a credit card from your bank for the cruise. You can always cancel this when you get home.

If someone is able to get a credit card, why would they not want to keep it? Given the well-known downsides of using debit cards, the risks and inconvenience of carrying cash, and the fact that the way the world now works makes using some sort of card almost essential: booking air travel, paying for medical care, renting a car, buying anything on line -- voluntarily living without a credit card seems simply foolish.

I had prepaid VISA cards that were NOT accepted as payment by the cruise line. I am in the same camp with the above poster who said they would never leave the country without a credit card in hand.

I know some people don't want to use credit, and that is fine., But there is a time and place for safety and protections and booking travel seems to fall ion the credit side. You can have a card even if you have all the cash in hand. Booked the trip, pay the balance, all in the same day. Buy onboard credit if you want using the same charge and pay philosophy.

If someone is able to get a credit card, why would they not want to keep it? Given the well-known downsides of using debit cards, the risks and inconvenience of carrying cash, and the fact that the way the world now works makes using some sort of card almost essential: booking air travel, paying for medical care, renting a car, buying anything on line -- voluntarily living without a credit card seems simply foolish.

I agree and couldn't imagine trying to live today without a credit card - especially as a traveler. That said, I do know some people that cannot get a credit card due to defaulting in the past and I don't know the laws concerning bankruptcy and credit cards. I also know people who choose not to use credit cards because they know they are not good money managers and they know they will quickly create debt they cannot pay. And, I have some friends that are trying to live life without a credit card because they have seen others get into too much debt and they want to avoid that. This last set of friends (they are in their 20s) finally got a credit card for travel purposes and track finances to make sure they have enough money in the bank to be able to pay off their balance when they return from a trip. There are several reasons someone would not have a credit card. I just can't imagine how difficult it is for them to do some things. Guess Paypal is used for online payments, but how do they Uber....wait, I think they take Paypal too, so maybe it isn't that difficult after all. I will keep using my credit card!

I don't have a credit card just a debit card which I have never found to be a problem. I don't know if it's different elsewhere but I can shop online with a debit card, pay for anything and everything really. I used to have a few credit cards but due to having an illness that can lead me to impulsively spend money I ended up in a lot of trouble (£26,000 spent in 3 months at one point!) ... I've travelled in a massive variety of countries all over the world without this ever being a problem too

What do you do if you do not have a credit card when you go on a cruise? We have debit card so how much do we need in the account or do we need to bring cash to give them when we board?

We agree with the others that you are better off working with cash (certainly use your debit card at ATMs to get cash). The protections for using Debit cards are not the same as Credit cards which have both Federal and State protections. Using cash on most cruise lines means you must deposit significant amounts of cash with Guest Relations...and maintain a constant balance throughout the cruise.

I will add, and this is not intended as a lecture, that anyone who wants to travel really needs to put themselves in a position where they can get a major credit card. There are many travel related functions that cannot be done without a valid credit card. In many cases, it is impossible to rent a car without a credit card. In some hotels, it is difficult to check-in without a credit card. And purchasing an airline ticket without a credit card....will simply get you flagged in the system and could subject you to further scrutiny by TSA. For those who have destroyed their credit and cannot get a credit card.....they should consider working with a professional to gradually restore their credit.

Hank

Maybe, but some people who want to travel don't have all your benefits; also there was a time before credit cards and people were cruising.:eek:. There was a thing called travelers checks if you had to; I had to have money wired a few times in my pre credit card days. I ran out of money in Istanbul one day before my flight home and we had a great time traveling around the Bosporous for 65 cents (long time ago).

You can arrange travel insurance before you go and otherwise take your chances. A debit card should be sufficient. Have a good time.

Many places no longer accept traavelers checks. they are barely used these days and few banks still sell them.

How does one rent a car or register at a hotel without a credit card? Even a pre-paid room in a hotel wants a credit card on file for 'iincidentals.'.

One of the banks I use is a large, international institution. I had a stack of 'left o ver travelers che ks from years past. That bank does not sell checks any more but were fine about cashing mine for m e.

One of my cousins travels out of the country quite often. She has one credit card which resides in her safe except when she is traveling. As soon as she is sure the last charge has shown up she simply pays the balance in full and puts the card away until the next trip. She never pays a penny of interest, has credit available for emergencies and a detailed accounting of all her spending without having to shuffle thru receipts. It's also a cash rewards card so every so often she is able to make a little deposit to her savings account. Win/win situation.

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Just a word about using credit cards in Eastern Europe if you don't know your PIN number the ATM will not let you use your card

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W e have used a debit card once long ago on a ship. The hold they put on the card lasted about 6 days and then dropped off. I have heard that these holds can last a month. On HAL, the hold on a credit or debit card is $60 per day/per person, unless your cruise is 26 days or longer. Then, it is $30 per day/per person. The worst part of using a debit card is the hold, which ties up your cash in your bank account, and you cannot touch it until the hold drops. With credit cards, the hold is just an authorization, not a hold, and it doesn't tie up your funds.

I do agree with others. Travelling with just cash is a real problem if you miss the ship and have to fly to the next port, or you need to fly home early from a port. You absolutely MUST have a credit or debit card to purchase any airline ticket. Most US airlines will not accept cash for anything, even a drink or bag of peanuts onboard.

Their are so many reasons to have credit cards, first with my Chase Sapphire card we get free travel insurance of $10,000.00 per person a huge savings, plus by using our cards and bonus miles we have been able to fly Business class when we fly international another huge savings. Free rental car insurance, lost baggage insurance, travel delay insurance and many other perks. No interest because we pay off monthly.

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Their are so many reasons to have credit cards, first with my Chase Sapphire card we get free travel insurance of $10,000.00 per person a huge savings, plus by using our cards and bonus miles we have been able to fly Business class when we fly international another huge savings. Free rental car insurance, lost baggage insurance, travel delay insurance and many other perks. No interest because we pay off monthly.

 

 

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Thanks for this reminder -- we rental three cars at Canadian ports so was great to be reminded about the chase sapphire perk that I completely forgot that we had!

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Many years ago we had booked and deposited on a Regency Cruise - the cruise line went bankrupt before we could cruise. Our credit card made us whole. A debit card would not have done that.

I am not saying that I am expecting HAL to go bankrupt ... by all means no on that score - what I am saying is credit cards do have protections that debit cards do not have.

Wasn't there a thread some years ago ... was it by CC member bepsf? (bepsf please excuse me if I am remembering this incorrectly). He had cruised ( another cruise line I believe) and they charged his debit card for his on board account AND the on board account of the previous occupants of his cabin. I think he said it took like 30 days for his cash to be returned - his account had been cleaned out.

Found the thread - here is the link

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=352917