Statendam - Nov 5 - Disembarkation Day

Naturally the announcements began bright and early for certain people to report to the front desk to make arrangements to pay their bills. I can never figure why they ask you for your credit card information and take an impression of your credit card before you get on the ship and yet some people still have to be called to the office to settle their accounts. Didn't the people on shore checking us all in do their job?

Then of course there was the announcement for those who spent over their $800 per person limit to report to the card room to pay their duty taxes.

At 8:40 the first announcement was made to disembark the ship. They called letters O and S as well as numbers 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 all at the same time. I have no idea why so many letters and numbers were called at the same time. It was rediculous trying to get an elevator with so many people leaving at the same time. And it was a mob scene in the terminal with everyone getting their luggage and trying to flag down a porter. We were lucky - got our luggage right away, got a porter, went right outside and got a cab. We were at the Embassy Suites at 8:55.

Spent a couple of days resting and thinking about our next cruise before we flew home.

. I can never figure why they ask you for your credit card information and take an impression of your credit card before you get on the ship and yet some people still have to be called to the office to settle their accounts. Didn't the people on shore checking us all in do their job?

 

Some people decline to use a credit card and pay with cash or credit cards. I think they must give a deposit by the second day of the cruise for their cards to be valid for charging.

 

They receive their bills on the last sea day and are told to settle by 6:00AM. As there are always announcements we must assume that some do not.

Naturally the announcements began bright and early for certain people to report to the front desk to make arrangements to pay their bills. I can never figure why they ask you for your credit card information and take an impression of your credit card before you get on the ship and yet some people still have to be called to the office to settle their accounts. Didn't the people on shore checking us all in do their job?

I was one of those called down once. We'd been in Tangiers and attempted to buy a rather expensive rug with one charge card. It was denied with a request that I call the charge card company. Since I didn't have the contact info with me on shore, I just used a different card for that purchase. Later, I simply forgot to call the company. But I'd used that card for my shipboard account, so - of course - when the ship tried to settle the bill the charge was also declined until I contacted the company.

 

Once back home, I had a long heart-to-heart talk with American Express and the situation has never occured again.

 

:) -dave

I perfer use Traveller's Checks. I cleared up my account the night before. The next morning they called me. I went and discovered that someone who was drunk wrote my room number on his charge. It took 30 minutes to clear this. My number was 306 his was 603. He had a $200.00 bill on the last night.

Once it was cleared I left.

 

I do use credit card now but I always check with the desk to see if anyone added a charge now.