A couple charged about $1000 onto our onboard account

[SilvertoGold]

They told me it's $50. But the amount doesn't really matter.

 

The fact is that you are given a receipt, even though you don't have to sign. No more running a tab, or posting a charge to your account based on you being a regular in that lounge. Your card must be run through the machine. Mine was charged with every drink, even when I planned to spend the whole night in one lounge.

If it's your card being handed over, the charge goes on your account. If it's someone else's card---well, just be sure you get your card back.

 

Keep your receipts, check them against the preliminary bill (or more often if it makes you feel better), then check the additions on that last morning.

There really is little room for error with the procedures in place now.

 

 

We like the policy of the room card having to be run through the machine. This should result in little room for error, as RuthC notes.

 

Yet, we were charged for 2 bottles of water from the in-cabin mini-bar, which we never touch. The Front Desk was very perplexed, but deleted the charges. Obviously the bar stewards who go from cabin to cabin replenishing the mini-bars and placing charges do not run a card or get a signature. Do they just write down the cabin number and the charge? If required to "prove" that we didn't partake of item x in the mini-bar, how would we do this?

Thanks

[ore-ee-gun]

A few years ago, we were on the Oosterdam, where the bar staff only asked for our room number - the chits were handwritten and key cards were not presented. We visited the Explorer's Lounge every evening, and our server, who remembered our names and our preferred beverage, always asked for our room number. One evening, we came in and as usual, she came over to confirm our drink order and asked for the room #. This time,however, she gave us a puzzled look as she walked away. She returned a few moments later with our drinks, and explained that someone had ordered drinks shortly before we came in, using our room number - yikes! Our account was immediately credited, and we never had another problem. I assumed that the people who gave the incorrect room number had a similar number and just got the digits jumbled.

[Typhoon1]

We've had drinks we never ordered charged to our room. The front desk quickly removes the charge after letting them know.

[NSWP]

Carnival Line ships also provide TV display of your account, well at least Carnival Spirit did. I wonder why this software cannot be on all Carnival Group ships, Carnival, P&O, Princess, HAL, Cunard, Costa etc?

[RuthC]

A few years ago, we were on the Oosterdam, where the bar staff only asked for our room number - the chits were handwritten and key cards were not presented.

Things have changed. Even on my May cruise I was able to order and pay without producing my key.

But on my recent Amsterdam cruise, I needed the card each and every time. Didn't matter how well they knew me. It reached the point that I just gave them my card when I ordered, and got the receipt when the drink came.

Check the price; check that it's my card---transaction completed. Oh, yeah, and drink the drink. :D

[serendipity1499]

No you are not missing anything and you are right. My point is simply that anyone, anywhere can use your cabin number to charge something to and sign your name. The same would also be true in any hotel...you just eat and write "4141" on the bill, get up and walk out! It is up to all of us to examine the charges on our own bills and make certain they are valid.

 

I've been under the impression that can't happen on HAL..

When someone in a shop or bar scans your card into the system, doesn't your picture show up on their computers just like they do in security?

If not, guess we should be more diligent & check our on board account mid cruise..

Cheers......:)Betty

[RuthC]

When someone in a shop or bar scans your card into the system, doesn't your picture show up on their computers just like they do in security?

Yes, it does. Although that doesn't help if the salesperson doesn't look at the picture.

A couple of years ago I had a charge from the shop. Me? Shop? Didn't happen. I went to the shop to have it cleared up. They never did resolve what happened---said I bought a watch---but they did remove the charge.

[sail7seas]

Am I missing something here? We have always had to sign a receipt when making charges to our cabin onboard. So it would be easy enough to trace the receipts and verify the signatures. We never just give our cabin # verbally to buy anything onboard (at least on HAL).

 

Bar Servers swipe your card for all beverage purchases but if the tab is under $20, you don't have to sign it.

[world~citizen]

They told me it's $50. But the amount doesn't really matter.

 

The fact is that you are given a receipt, even though you don't have to sign. No more running a tab, or posting a charge to your account based on you being a regular in that lounge. Your card must be run through the machine. Mine was charged with every drink, even when I planned to spend the whole night in one lounge.

If it's your card being handed over, the charge goes on your account. If it's someone else's card---well, just be sure you get your card back.

 

Keep your receipts, check them against the preliminary bill (or more often if it makes you feel better), then check the additions on that last morning.

There really is little room for error with the procedures in place now.

 

I have seen things get pretty busy with bar staff.

 

In fact, often the best times you have are when things are pretty lively and animated in the lounges:). That I think, is when a mistake is most likely to be encountered.

 

Checking your receipt is a good idea. It doesn't help much if your card is charged for other drinks and the receipt is accompanies them to another table. By then the charge is recorded, and without a signature, you are beat when you try to recoup.

 

In fact, an unauthorized charge was expunged from our bill once after a signature comparison.

 

Interestingly, I haven't met one member of HAL staff who thought the policy was a good idea. Also, when last I cruised in March, store management told me they thought the policy was fraught with danger, and they wanted no part of it. At that time, we still paid the old fashioned way in the shops.

 

Where money is concerned, I prefer for business to be conducted in a business-like manner.

 

Glad you enjoyed your last cruise. :D

 

Smooth sailing...

[NSWP]

I reckon errors could occur in the dimly lit lounge or deck areas, when you present waiters with your cruise card, those numbers are difficult to see sometimes.

[Cinder Again]

We were recently on a Celebrity Cruise. You can check your on board account from your TV. About the only thing that I found that I liked better than HA. Oh wait, the glass of champagne they gave you when boarding the ship on embarcation day was great too!

I liked that TV account thing too!

[MrHydro]

Had a $700 medical bill attached to my account on a Celebrity cruise a couple years ago and I'd never been near the clinic. Apparently there was another person on board with the same name. The charges were taken off as soon as I brought it to the staff's attention on the evening before disembarking. They started paging the correct person with cabin # the next morning (ALL MORNING ) guess he may have skipped.

[sail7seas]

Had a $700 medical bill attached to my account on a Celebrity cruise a couple years ago and I'd never been near the clinic. Apparently there was another person on board with the same name. The charges were taken off as soon as I brought it to the staff's attention on the evening before disembarking. They started paging the correct person with cabin # the next morning (ALL MORNING ) guess he may have skipped.

 

 

:eek: Surely he didn't think 'just skipping' was going to permit him to avoid his obligations.

 

Did he forget the cruise line has his passport number, name, address and probably credit card number? They know where to find him.