Cash deposit...

Has anyone ever sailed using a cash deposit instead of credit card? If so, was it a pain? Does MSC require a minimum amount?

Thanks in advance.

Has anyone ever sailed using a cash deposit instead of credit card? If so, was it a pain? Does MSC require a minimum amount?

 

Thanks in advance.

I haven't because I don't want to have to

1. to carry that much cash on me

2. stand in a very long queue on disembarkation day to finalise my final account - much prefer just dropping a signed copy of the invoice at reception as I breeze past all those folk waiting and head for a leisurely breakfast.

There is a minimum deposit, think it used to be €150 per person, then they'd send for you to attend the accounting desk of you were getting close to using that up.

My mother put cash deposits down. IIRC, she had to go to the accounting desk to deposit it. We were new to cruising at the time - we linked our accounts onto my credit card over the last few cruises as she used to constantly fret about how much the account was in debt as the days went by :rolleyes: I think she only put €200 down on the first day for herself and my dad and then would go to the reception desk during the cruise to either check the account and/or top it up. Her fear was that her cruise card would be refused for purchases throughout the cruise, so I, personally, don't think it's worth the hassle.

Has anyone ever sailed using a cash deposit instead of credit card? If so, was it a pain? Does MSC require a minimum amount?

 

Thanks in advance.

I sailed the Divina last October....using a cash deposit they told me would be a $300 cash deposit...if you use credit card....they swipe the card and take a $150 hold on the card..... use the cash deposit, and you wont have problems...i unfortunately used my credit card.... told my card that i was traveling...and said the bank makeing the charges was from france...upon boarding they took $150 hold on the card....at the end of the week the $150 was almost gone...and i wanted to purchase something...went down to GS and they told me that they had to swipe another $150 hold on my card....all this came from france...at the end of the cruise i was detained on the ship....reason was my credit card thought that fraudelent charges were being put on the card....therefore they declined the second authorization hold.... was very embarassing moment for me....everything was finally cleared up....and if i do sail again on MSC i definitely will put down the $300 cash deposit....because if i did that, then the problem i did have would have never occurred.

It was easy as I knew I wasn't going to spend much onboard. Credit card is done in the terminal before getting on the ship, cash is done onboard in reception area. I simply put down $350 and just checked my balance on the TV in the cabin each day. Really no need to go to the desk again unless the funds were low. I got up 6am the day of leaving the ship and went to the desk to collect the unused portion of the deposit $95 the lady handed me the cash and I went to breakfast. Earlier you go the less of a line when I went there were 5-6 people, when passing the area after breakfast an hour later the line was 30-40.