Using cash to set up your on board account

[AerynSun_JohnCrighton]

I always check mine halfway through to make sure there is no mistakes.

 

I do that regardless of using cash or cc..which I have used both before.

[dmwnc1959]

Agreed

Lining up to settle your account the last night is awful.

 

Again this really depends on when you go down to the Guest Relations desk. Try and get in line just after late dinner or a show and the lines might be longer. I went down just before midnight and there was not a single person in line. It took less than one minute. This was the same on both portions of my B2B.

[garycarla]

^^^^This^^^

 

And just yesterday there was a thread about everyone on board had their CC charged twice.http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1617122 No thanks I prefer to skip that hassle and just do a cash account.

 

To each their own. Even with that hickup, I will stick with Credit Card. No line to check balance or get refund. If the above thing happens again, they will fix it, without any effort on my part I am guessing. It just is not a worry in my book.

 

Again, to each their own.

[loopymcgee]

Absolutely not true for a CASH ONLY account.

 

Celebrity Cruises DOES NOT require you to use or register a credit card or debit card during your online check-in nor at pier-side check-in or at the Customer Service Desk at the beginning or during the cruise.

 

After pier side check-in head to the Customer Service desk on the ship and advise them you are using a CASH ACCOUNT only. They will pre-authorize your shipboard account and allow up to $500 on board charges without upfront cash deposits before calling you down to put cash on your account to cover more charges or giving you the option to securing it then with a credit/debit card.

 

You can also go to the Celebrity Cruises website and pre-purchase OBC in amounts of $25 or more for yourself that will be applied to your shipboard account the first full day of the cruise.

 

If you use a CASH ONLY account they ask they you close out your account no later than midnight the night prior to pulling back into the debarkation port. I went down late that night, there was no one in line, my account was closed out and I was refunded the difference in cash.

 

I have done this on my last three cruises with Celebrity. I don't have a credit card, do not choose or want to use my debit card for any reason, and they had no problems with it.

 

Good to know, thanks. I dont have a CC either. Life is good with cash only.

[fleckle]

Has anyone ever done this in lieu of a cc? I have always toyed with the idea but always used my CC. Any input would be grateful.

 

Thanks

We had some tablemates who used a cash account, but complained that it was a hassle needing to go to Guest Relations to put more money on their account each time it ran low, and then needing to go down on the last night to settle their account when they were busy packing.

 

They worried about carrying around cash that could be lost or stolen.

 

If using a cash account you have no protection in case of disputed charges and your account must be paid in full before you leave the ship.

 

They told us that they initially ran into a problem before the cruise when they tried to pay for a hotel room and rental car with cash, but fortunately a relative of theirs who was along on the trip agreed to put their hotel room and rental car on his credit card.

[SusieV]

We secure the account with a credit card but pay it off the night before in cash. Best of both worlds; we can still use our Seapass right until disembarkation but we don't have to worry about a big Seapass bill. Also, since we're Canadian, no worries about currency exchange issues.

[isdoo]

We always start with a cash account, with any on board credit. Then when that starts running low, simply add a credit card. That is usually towards the end of the cruise.

[Hawaiidan]

Has anyone ever done this in lieu of a cc? I have always toyed with the idea but always used my CC. Any input would be grateful.

 

Thanks

 

Well if you paid cash you would earn no miles/point or benifits.:(

 

If you you used cash you woul have to take it from you account and loose interest/dividends/growth for months:(

 

If you used cash it is an unisnured risk to have around.:eek:

 

If you pay in cash and there is an error, you will chances are eat the error. a credit card can dispute it..:o.

 

Even at home for groceries, gas, restauraunts, doctor bill, everything over $1.00 I use a credit card and pay it off in full at the end of the month.

 

My last cruise took almost 70 days for the charges to reach me after a 30 day cruise. Thats 100 days from charge to pay... a free loan to use elsewhere

 

What I charge on cruises and in daily life ets my wife and I tens of thousands of dollars in benifits from flights to hotels... And we are not talking about spending millions... Just normal stuff. On our next 3 cruises which we paid for with a credit card, we will be getting round trip first class flights to Buenos Aires,London and Hong Kong... for about $300 in taxes in fees.

 

Cash is a liability... and a waste to your future.

[sredish]

On RCI we always used a debit and our charges were always charged to our card at the end of every single day, then at the end of the cruise the daily charges were refunded back and one chunk totaling the daily charges was deducted. We have NEVER had a "hold" of any sort and we've never had an issue.

[teajak]

Well if you paid cash you would earn no miles/point or benifits.:(

 

If you you used cash you woul have to take it from you account and loose interest/dividends/growth for months:(

 

If you used cash it is an unisnured risk to have around.:eek:

 

If you pay in cash and there is an error, you will chances are eat the error. a credit card can dispute it..:o.

 

Even at home for groceries, gas, restauraunts, doctor bill, everything over $1.00 I use a credit card and pay it off in full at the end of the month.

 

My last cruise took almost 70 days for the charges to reach me after a 30 day cruise. Thats 100 days from charge to pay... a free loan to use elsewhere

 

What I charge on cruises and in daily life ets my wife and I tens of thousands of dollars in benifits from flights to hotels... And we are not talking about spending millions... Just normal stuff. On our next 3 cruises which we paid for with a credit card, we will be getting round trip first class flights to Buenos Aires,London and Hong Kong... for about $300 in taxes in fees.

 

Cash is a liability... and a waste to your future.

A post I totally agree with.We use our card for everything and pay it each month.The cc gives us insurance,fixes any problems,saves us from being robbed of cash,takes care of any disputes,gives us points that we use for travel. Everything you said is true and a way of life for us.:cool::D

[MoYerclan]

Normally they put a hold on your account (amount depending on # of days in your cruise) that last for up to 3 weeks *along* with what ever amount you actually charge at the end of the cruise. We personally only use one credit card and I dont like the idea of my $ possibly being tied up for weeks.

 

Perhaps you're thinking of a debit card hold? I would imagine people living close to the edge, or needing help not over extending themselves might want to use cash but I can't imagine the nuisance myself.

I like to use my American Express for all my cruise charges. And since you pay it off at the end of the month you basically need to have the cash in the bank. Then I am giving my points (which add up to free flights to cruises, y'know?) as well as a lot of buyer protection for anything I buy using it.

I *love* my AMEX. I have much better things to do on a cruise than make payments at the Guest Relations desk.

[Christine Frances]

We take 2 CC's - one to take ashore with a low limit and the other for the On Board account which has a high limit which we keep in the safe. The limit more than covers any holds the cruise line puts on plus leaves room for emergencies like buying last minute one way air fares home in case of a problem. Would never travel without that card as a backup!! The travel/airline points aren't bad either:D

[garycarla]

We take 2 CC's - one to take ashore with a low limit and the other for the On Board account which has a high limit which we keep in the safe. The limit more than covers any holds the cruise line puts on plus leaves room for emergencies like buying last minute one way air fares home in case of a problem. Would never travel without that card as a backup!! The travel/airline points aren't bad either:D

 

We travel with at least 4 charge cards. Why people do not use charge cards, and then take out travel insurance... poor thinking. If you have a problem, you need access to credit. All the insurance in the world, or the few hundred dollars in cash will not solve your problems.

 

Silly.

 

We use credit. We do not have to run down to the front desk to add cash to our account. We do not have to clear our account on the last night, or the last morning.

 

Life is easy. We are on vacation.

 

And, by the way, we pay ZERO for our credit cards.

[Chicago Boy]

Has anyone ever done this in lieu of a cc? I have always toyed with the idea but always used my CC. Any input would be grateful.

 

Thanks

 

We always use a credit card and pay it off when the bill comes in. Our card gives us miles for every dollar spent. We think it is the simplest and best way to pay. :o

[Hartlepool]

Has anyone ever done this in lieu of a cc? I have always toyed with the idea but always used my CC. Any input would be grateful.

 

Thanks

 

Just returned from cruise on Silhouette. No problem with cash. Have previously used cash and have never been asked for a credit/debit card. You are normally given an initial $500 credit, but we simply go down to reception after embarkation and deposit some cash. This can be topped up as required.