Holland American pre charges.

[1cruiselvr]

You don't see pending on your credit card statement only actual charges but you will see pending amounts if you have access to view your account online where you can see daily activity. I view my VISA card daily online to ensure it's not been stolen which has happened to me in the past. I see pending charges and then they either drop or become actual charges.

[hvsteve1]

The problem with a hold is it limits your ability to charge that amount for other purchases on the card,i.e., if you have a $5,000 credit limit on the card and HAL holds $3,000 against it, a $3,000 charge for another purchase will not go through. This could be a problem if you're near your limit and this card has some automatic bill payments such as utilities that are going to hit while you're away. They may not clear,generating penalties and charges. You may also go ashore and try to make a purchase to have your card rejected. Problems such as this may also effect your credit and the interest rate you pay on your card. Stories of people having nightmare scenarios from the aforementioned hotel,gas station and other holds are legend. While such holds can't be ignored, a good tactic might be to give them a card to use for the hold other than one you are using otherwise. I sometimes do this with hotels; use one card to reserve the room and sign in and the one I really want to use when it's time to pay.

 

In defense of MTVL, while HAL is not pre-charging him, this type of hold is a real potential inconvenience.

[ironin]

A Hold still holds up my money for 12 or more days. Thousand of dollars for the 4 of us. Some of us do not have a credit card for a unlimited amount of money.

 

You are not absolutely, positively required to provide a credit card. You have the option of bringing cash, which you must deposit at the front desk at the beginning of the cruise. IIRC, the minimum amount required is the equivalent of the hotel service charges for your cruise ($11/day/person). If you wish to purchase anything aboard ship, however, you will have to deposit more.

 

As you already know, you can pre-pay all of your excursions before your cruise. You can also buy beverage cards for use aboard ship. The beverage cards provide a 10% discount. Any unused portion is automatically credited back to your shipboard account.

 

Thus, you can avoid the inconvenience of a large hold against your credit card, and spend not one dime more than the exact amount you choose to budget for your cruise while securing your reservations for shore excursions prior to sailing and getting a 10% discount on beverages (50% off soda cards are available pre-cruise, too!)

 

Have a great time on your vacation!

[catl331]

A Hold still holds up my money for 12 or more days.

No, it doesn't take any of your money. It simply lowers your credit limit available for other (non-HAL) charges temporarily.

 

It would be nice if they made the hold less for children since they don't run up large bar bills or gambling expenses.

Some parents take the kids on expensive excursions booked after boarding that can easily exceed $60 per day. Others allow their kids to run up outrageous (IMO) internet or cell phone charges. :)

 

There is an additional $727.70 charge from HAL on my statement. I was told by our cruise consultant that this would be a hold charge, but it was an actual charge according to our credit care company (who I talked to.)

I agree with taxmantoo that this can not be attributable to the hold as it not evenly divisible by $60.

[Boytjie]

OK - this is going to sound very naive and dumb --- does this credit card

precharge or "hold" mean the same thing as "registering" your credit card

during online check-in ? We have always paid off our cruises PRIOR to departure with our cc so we are starting our vacation with a "clean

slate" (which included shore excurions booked in advance of sailing).

We then feel at ease that whatever else we spend (tips, shopping, drinks) --- there will be plenty of funds available on our registered

cc when we depart. I have to admit that I have never seen this

"advanced hold ($$$)" on my cc bill PRIOR to departure.

 

If you provide a credit card to cover your onboard expenses (either during online registration or when checking in to board), HAL will place a hold against the credit limit of the card (thereby reducing the available credit) but HAL will not charge any amount on the card at the time. The hold will start the day you board the ship and will be removed at the end of the cruise - the credit card company determines how fast that hold is actually removed from the card.

 

You won't see it prior to boarding since it only takes affect when you board. I have never seen a hold on my credit cards but i don't usually check them during a cruise. I have adequate credit limits that it does not create an issue for me.

[ironin]

The problem with a hold is it limits your ability to charge that amount for other purchases on the card,i.e., if you have a $5,000 credit limit on the card and HAL holds $3,000 against it, a $3,000 charge for another purchase will not go through. This could be a problem if you're near your limit and this card has some automatic bill payments such as utilities that are going to hit while you're away. They may not clear,generating penalties and charges. You may also go ashore and try to make a purchase to have your card rejected. Problems such as this may also effect your credit and the interest rate you pay on your card. Stories of people having nightmare scenarios from the aforementioned hotel,gas station and other holds are legend. While such holds can't be ignored, a good tactic might be to give them a card to use for the hold other than one you are using otherwise. I sometimes do this with hotels; use one card to reserve the room and sign in and the one I really want to use when it's time to pay.

 

In defense of MTVL, while HAL is not pre-charging him, this type of hold is a real potential inconvenience.

 

Most of the above might be true, but let's say there is no hold. The passenger gets off the ship on day 2 of a 14 day cruise and, unbeknownst to the ship operator, spends up to the maximum of his/her credit limit at Diamonds International. How do you suggest, at the end of the cruise, the ship operator recover the money to cover the charges for all the alcohol consumed aboard ship, all the wine that accompanied dinner, and all the shore excursions booked through the ship?

Edited June 14, 2011 by ironin

[taxmantoo]

In defense of MTVL, while HAL is not pre-charging him, this type of hold is a real potential inconvenience.

 

It is then up to MTVL to avoid this totally avoidable inconvenience by requesting an increase to the credit card limit or choosing a less expensive vacation.

[HamburgAvonLady]

That's what I thoght was the procedure. Thank you. We usually take another cc with us for other expenses (shopping, sightseeing,

private shore excursions) anyway. I also keep track of our travel expenses each day (starting from home) in a small notebook -- mostly

for our own interest (funny how much $$$ is spent that you never think

about) which gives us a pretty good picture of the final "shock".

[kazu]

It is then up to MTVL to avoid this totally avoidable inconvenience by requesting an increase to the credit card limit or choosing a less expensive vacation.

 

agreed - I will have a hold on my credit card when I do my pre-cruise hotel for several days (which I chose) - guaranteed it will be as much if not more than the hold that HAL will place:eek: and it is of no issue;) and, if anyone is concerned about holds, they can buy obc's on line in advance - I believe if you hold x amount of obc, the hold amount is reduced.

Edited June 14, 2011 by kazu

[Donray]

All Cruise lines, hotels, car rental, etc. put holds on your credit or debit card.

Been this way for decades.

[GLP]

The problem with a hold is it limits your ability to charge that amount for other purchases on the card,i.e., if you have a $5,000 credit limit on the card and HAL holds $3,000 against it, a $3,000 charge for another purchase will not go through. This could be a problem if you're near your limit and this card has some automatic bill payments such as utilities that are going to hit while you're away. They may not clear,generating penalties and charges. You may also go ashore and try to make a purchase to have your card rejected.

 

In defense of MTVL, while HAL is not pre-charging him, this type of hold is a real potential inconvenience.

 

This is why a hold is palced on a card in the first place. The hold is the only way HAL has To Ensure they are paid what is OWING to them at the end of the cruise.

 

I worked for 35 + years in a finacial institution and little do you know but there is a HOLD placed on ALL credit card transactions until the transaction clears to the credit card company.

 

That is the only way the credit card company can guarantee the merchant they will be paid what is owed them.

[schoolinmy3]

The problem with a hold is it limits your ability to charge that amount for other purchases on the card,i.e., if you have a $5,000 credit limit on the card and HAL holds $3,000 against it, a $3,000 charge for another purchase will not go through. .. While such holds can't be ignored, a good tactic might be to give them a card to use for the hold other than one you are using otherwise. I sometimes do this with hotels; use one card to reserve the room and sign in and the one I really want to use when it's time to pay.

 

In defense of MTVL, while HAL is not pre-charging him, this type of hold is a real potential inconvenience.

 

We do use a separate credit card for travel - Capital One - which has the added advantage of avoiding foreign transaction fees. That way the holds don't impact the credit card we generally use for other purchases.

diane

[leechip]

we have booked several shore on our next cruise and have pre-paid for them. What will happen if we will be unable to take one of them? If we cancel aboard prior to the shore excrusion will we be able to get our money back?

[sapper1]

we have booked several shore on our next cruise and have pre-paid for them. What will happen if we will be unable to take one of them? If we cancel aboard prior to the shore excrusion will we be able to get our money back?

If you have prebooked your shorex online and cancel onboard before the deadline you will receive a full refund. On our recent Nieuw Amsterdam cruise I cancelled two excursions before 5PM two days prior and was reimbursed. I had expected a 10% penalty but was told that was only for shorexes that had been booked once onboard. The cancellation deadlines will be noted on the shorex order forms you receive in your cabin.

 

You will receive a credit to your account.

[Jemima]

You can also usually switch to another shore excursion for that port with no penalty, but need to do this before the deadline. The deadline varies and is often around 5 one or two days before the port. There will be shore excursion sheets in your cabin on embarkation day - several pages folded like a booklet. The deadline for canceling for each port is usually listed on this.

[ironin]

If you have prebooked your shorex online and cancel onboard before the deadline you will receive a full refund. On our recent Nieuw Amsterdam cruise I cancelled two excursions before 5PM two days prior and was reimbursed. I had expected a 10% penalty but was told that was only for shorexes that had been booked once onboard. The cancellation deadlines will be noted on the shorex order forms you receive in your cabin.

 

You will receive a credit to your account.

 

LOL! Aboard the Eurodam in Septemberr, we got a full refund after cancelling a pre-booked excursion because experience on a walking tour in another port led us to conclude that my mom couldn't handle the walking tour. Aboard the Zuiderdam in April/May, we cancelled one pre-booked excursion well before the deadline and were charged 10%. They said that was "normal" for aboard-ship cancellations. Never gave it a second thought until I saw your post. In both cases, everyone was very nice and polite about it.

 

Should I be jumping up and down demanding a refund of our cruise fare because I was over-charged? :D

 

Leechip: Joking aside, I think Sapper1's answer is the theoretically correct one about refunds, provided they are cancelled before the deadline which, as Jemima points out, is usually 1 or 2 days, and is clearly spelled out in the shore excursions booklet you'll find in your cabin. If there is some verbiage on the website saying no cancellation fees apply if cancelled before the deadline, you could copy it and take it with you just in case.

Edited June 15, 2011 by ironin

[sapper1]

LOL! Aboard the Eurodam in Septemberr, we got a full refund after cancelling a pre-booked excursion because experience on a walking tour in another port led us to conclude that my mom couldn't handle the walking tour. Aboard the Zuiderdam in April/May, we cancelled one pre-booked excursion well before the deadline and were charged 10%. They said that was "normal" for aboard-ship cancellations. Never gave it a second thought until I saw your post. In both cases, everyone was very nice and polite about it.

 

Should I be jumping up and down demanding a refund of our cruise fare because I was over-charged? :D

 

At the very least you need to start a new thread on the subject and be sure to use lots of CAPS and !!!!!!!!.

[ironin]

At the very least you need to start a new thread on the subject and be sure to use lots of CAPS and !!!!!!!!.

...AND FROWNIES!!!!!!

 

Lots of them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

 

I want do it right, so I wonder if I should be demanding resignations (?????)

 

:D

[kazu]

If you have prebooked your shorex online and cancel onboard before the deadline you will receive a full refund. On our recent Nieuw Amsterdam cruise I cancelled two excursions before 5PM two days prior and was reimbursed. I had expected a 10% penalty but was told that was only for shorexes that had been booked once onboard. The cancellation deadlines will be noted on the shorex order forms you receive in your cabin.

 

You will receive a credit to your account.

 

This is interesting Sapper1. The shore excursion brochure says you are charged the 10% and on our last cruise I did cancel one and I was charged the 10%.

 

Hope your experience is now consistent. That would be really nice:D

No, I won't start a thread demanding my 10% back:);):)

[sapper1]

This is interesting Sapper1. The shore excursion brochure says you are charged the 10% and on our last cruise I did cancel one and I was charged the 10%.

 

Hope your experience is now consistent. That would be really nice:D

No, I won't start a thread demanding my 10% back:);):)

 

It may vary from ship to ship, or on to whom you speak. Inconsistency is one of the oddities you become used to on HAL. I did double check when the final statement arrived and the full price was refunded.

 

On the other hand, the NA did not not honour the internet coupon from the discount booklet because I received the first day sign up bonus, while on the Veendam, Oosterdam and Eurodam, I had no problem getting both.

There's no point in putting up a fuss as they will argue black is white.

 

We've learned to chuckle at the differences in policy from ship to ship on various issues. What else can you do? :confused::)

[kazu]

It may vary from ship to ship, or on to whom you speak. Inconsistency is one of the oddities you become used to on HAL. I did double check when the final statement arrived and the full price was refunded.

 

On the other hand, the NA did not not honour the internet coupon from the discount booklet because I received the first day sign up bonus, while on the Veendam, Oosterdam and Eurodam, I had no problem getting both.

There's no point in putting up a fuss as they will argue black is white.

 

We've learned to chuckle at the differences in policy from ship to ship on various issues. What else can you do? :confused::)

 

Just seems to be one of the joys of cruising, doesn't it:) I'm glad you got it just the same:D

[pms4104]

Aboard the Zuiderdam in April/May, we cancelled one pre-booked excursion well before the deadline and were charged 10%. They said that was "normal" for aboard-ship cancellations. Never gave it a second thought until I saw your post. In both cases, everyone was very nice and polite about it.

 

Should I be jumping up and down demanding a refund of our cruise fare because I was over-charged? :D

Following is from the Cancellation and Refund portion of Terms and Conditions on the shore excursion area of HAL's website ... I think it is fairly new, but not sure when instituted:

 

"All onboard cancellations are subject to at least a 10% cancellation fee. If you cancel a Signature of Excellence shore excursion within 3 days of sailing, a 100% cancellation fee will apply since transportation and services will have already been arranged."

 

So, it would seem, you may have no reason to jump up and down:D

Edited June 15, 2011 by camp637

[ironin]

Following is from the Cancellation and Refund portion of Terms and Conditions on the shore excursion area of HAL's website ... I think it is fairly new, but not sure when instituted:

 

"All onboard cancellations are subject to at least a 10% cancellation fee. If you cancel a Signature of Excellence shore excursion within 3 days of sailing, a 100% cancellation fee will apply since transportation and services will have already been arranged."

 

So, it would seem, you may have no reason to jump up and down:D

 

But that's not fair!!!!!!:mad: Because I read somewhere on CC that there's no penalty!!!!! :mad: (My next version of this story will be that someone somewhere (I'm looking at you, Kazu!) once said they weren't charged so I shouldn't be charged!!!!!:mad: Because, every single little thing on all 15 ships should be EXACTLY the same, including the number and size of the olives in a martini!!!!!:mad: (Excluding any slight or significant variation from the norm which, in my personal view, benefits me, of course! ;))

 

I exceeded the limit for smilies, so I have to stop now. ;( :-) ;-) except to second Sapper1's observation:

 

We've learned to chuckle at the differences in policy from ship to ship on various issues. What else can you do?

 

Rage against The Man? (In this case, Mickey Arison, I guess.)

 

Seriously, thanks for taking the time to check the website and post the correct information, camp637!

Edited June 15, 2011 by ironin

[m steve]

and it only benefits the company. It doesn't matter if it is a ship, airline or retail store.

[leechip]

Thank you all for the information. I hope we don't have to cancel anything, but can live with 10 percent if we have to. Lee