Sadly, I am finished with Carnival

[fergusonvt]

OP-

I just read your original thread and am trying to trace what happened. It does sound like a Carnival screw-up. (Haven't finished the entire thread yet.......)

 

In any case, it really is a good idea to have 2 unrelated cards...and keep one with a $0 balance for emergencies.

 

For the future and in general...you shouldn't have closed the credit account. I had something happen once where I was expecting a refund but wanted to close an account (someone charged $1300 of phone calls to Viet Nam on my card), and I made it so nothing could be charged but the refund was accepted.

 

I have also heard that closed cc accounts reflect badly on your credit history.

[Simplertimes]

I've used a debit card in the past with no problems whatsoever. My bank will only "hold" $1 from my actual balance, and take the amount of the actual hold out of my available balance, which includes overdraft protection - all of this until the actual charge goes through. If the charge doesn't go through within 7 days, all holds get dropped automatically. So, on a 7-day cruise, the hold on the first day got dropped the day I returned and so on. But, even if I planned it perfectly to what I spent, it wouldn't affect my account, because at the most, I would only have 7 days of $1 holds. This is using a small bank with only 5 branches. Now, my kids had Bank of America and they had a nightmare with holds and charges. We were on the same cruise, but different banks. So, can't "blame" Carnival for that.

 

The last cruise, we bought funship dollars ahead of time and had a nice onboard credit built up. I put a credit card as backup, but didn't go over what I had as OBC - got a refund check the last morning.

 

Anytime I've rented a car (which you need an actual credit card for - None of the places we've used accept cash or debit), the hold has been the full charge PLUS an additional $250-400 (depending on the rental place). Also, in looking at Miami hotels, I've been seeing a lot of "extra $250 hold" for room rentals on websites.

[maggieworkman]

It seems like the OP has forgiven Carnival and has decided to cruise with them again.

 

Maggie

[MissKIA]

The car rental company you were trying to rent a car from would have also put a hold on your card, so that could be part of the problems too. They will charge you for the car and then put a hold on your card as well.

 

When we travel, we use two separate credit cards. One we use for car rentals, hotels, cruises, etc - the types of places that place holds on your card. The other we use for our meals, gas and shopping. That way we don't have to worry about how much has been put "on hold" on our cards.

[LSEA]

I have always been of the mindset that putting cash on my account is silly and a hassle. The same with going into the gas station to pay with cash, using cash at the grocery store... I have read so much though lately about credit / debit card fraud and what a hassle it is (sometimes) to get it straightened out I am seriously thinking of going back to cash.

 

What happens when you put cash down and don't spend it all? Do you go to Guest Services to get it back? When? Debarkation morning?

[MissKIA]

 

What happens when you put cash down and don't spend it all? Do you go to Guest Services to get it back? When? Debarkation morning?

 

They give you a cheque with your final bill on the last night. You can cash it at Guest Services if you wish.

[LitchfieldParkCruisers]

All the cruise lines put holds on cc. You will end up having the same problem, only spending alot more on other cruise lines for same cruise...With Carnival you get the most for your money. The last couple of cruises we put some cash on our account over the phone a few weeks prior to leaving & then they do not even put a hold on your cc at all. You can give the cc to them incase you go over, they will then charge the difference at end of cruise or you can choose to do only cash & put more on once on board or they will cut you off when you go through what you have on the books....This sounds like the better option for you. You will just end up paying more going else where & the same thing could happen...

[S.S.Oceanlover]

It seems like the OP has forgiven Carnival and has decided to cruise with them again.

 

Maggie

 

How did you come to that conclusion:confused:

[S.S.Oceanlover]

All the cruise lines put holds on cc. You will end up having the same problem, only spending alot more on other cruise lines for same cruise...With Carnival you get the most for your money. The last couple of cruises we put some cash on our account over the phone a few weeks prior to leaving & then they do not even put a hold on your cc at all. You can give the cc to them incase you go over, they will then charge the difference at end of cruise or you can choose to do only cash & put more on once on board or they will cut you off when you go through what you have on the books....This sounds like the better option for you. You will just end up paying more going else where & the same thing could happen...

 

All the people that say that on this board must not be looking at the same price as I'm looking at.

 

I can Cruise on Norwegian Cruise lines for basically the same amount of money.

 

I am also booked on princess in December for 699 and a balcony.

 

Other Cruise lines put over $3000 in holds on a credit card for $357 bill?

[cathyz]

How did you come to that conclusion:confused:

It's in her signature.

[S.S.Oceanlover]

It's in her signature.

 

Thanks for pointing that out I did not even look there.

 

It only took six hours to sway her mind.

 

Bill

[jetskier]

Not reading through all the posts, but the refund to your cc is not Carnival's policy. It is the policy of the CC processor. A refund must be made to the card that it was taken from. If it is rejected, then Carnival is allowed to make a refund through a different means.

 

I have a business and have to follow the same rule that is issued by the CC processor.

 

The problem with a hold is that it only cancels out if the actual charge matches the exact amount of the hold. If not, it will stay active until it expires usually 5-10 days later.

 

Dave

[MsTabbyKats]

It's in her signature.

 

Re-read the post. She said she had to cancel the upcoming cruise and is having problems getting the money she paid back. Carnival refunds to the card that was charged (as do all businesses) but that account was canceled, and now she has to wait for a long period to get the refund by check from the credit card company.

 

Because of this issue she no longer would sail on Carnival.

[jetskier]

As far as I know they never place holds on Credit cards , only on debit cards...Thats why I NEVER use a debit card and people should know that they always place holds on debit cards...Everyone keeps saying credit card but I'll bet the farm that what she used was a debit card and that WILL have holds placed on it.......Dennis

 

 

Hi Dennis,

Yes it is for credit cards also. When I look online at my purchases, there is an additional section for temporary authorizations. Not all credit card online accounts show these transactions, but they are there.

 

Dave

[annf]

how do the holds work? How much do they put on hold? and when do they release the funds?

 

If you are near your original hold of $100, Carnival and every other cruise line will send another authorization request during the night. Now you have two holds - next night, same thing if you have come near your authorization level.

 

Now, the way banks release holds immediately is when the actual charge comes in. So if you spend $100 at a store, there is a $100 authorization followed by a $100 charge. The hold is gone. However, on a cruise - the final charge will not match the holds. If you had multiple holds put on during your cruise and then the cruise line puts through the charge for the total you spent - the holds *can* stay up to another 7 days.

 

Each bank handles holds differently. My current bank releases them after 2 days of no matching charge. But I was on a cruise several years ago where my bank held the funds for 7 days after I got home. Between the hold and the actual charge, it overdrafted my account to the tune of several hundred dollars in fees.

 

I now use a credit card or cash only - I won't use a debit card to secure onboard spending again.

[dclark]

[quote=gone_cruisin;35010958

Here is my story:

We made weekly payments on various cc and debit cards.

 

You know, if you have to make weekly payments on CC and debit cards to get to cruise, maybe, rather than cruising, you should improve your financial situation?

[Chirpbird]

I agree and seems you caught me before my edit (which is strange since I edited it at 11:51am and your post is later...must be time zones :confused:) : "I always make sure I budget at least 1.5 times (sometimes more depending on the trip) the amount I anticipate needing and have a secondary card for emergency use."

 

I'm sneaky that way. :-D

 

Sent from my SGH-T859 using Tapatalk 2...Now, I just need a cool tag for my tablet like gailerina. I shall be Sambelina henceforth.

[drosphot]

Hi Dennis,

Yes it is for credit cards also. When I look online at my purchases, there is an additional section for temporary authorizations. Not all credit card online accounts show these transactions, but they are there.

 

Dave

 

After the last cruise I had several temporary holds for Carnival Sail&Sign that were removed after about 5 days after the date. This is on the Carnival Mastercard.

[Julesy]

You know, if you have to make weekly payments on CC and debit cards to get to cruise, maybe, rather than cruising, you should improve your financial situation?

 

Wow, what a crappy thing to say to a total stranger.

[LSEA]

They give you a cheque with your final bill on the last night. You can cash it at Guest Services if you wish.

 

Good to know. I guess you deposit the cash when, at check in or once onboard? IIRC, it depends on the port of embarkation, right? Some ports have self service check in where you can deposit cash? In any case, I think I will give it a try on my next cruise.

[Gailerina]

When we first heard of the holds we decided case was better. We added cash the first day since there was no line. Now we add funship dollars.

 

Holds are done by a lot of companies. The gas station and even my gym have holds. Normally a dollar before the correct amount appears.

 

 

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[Gailerina]

I'm sneaky that way. :-D

 

Sent from my SGH-T859 using Tapatalk 2...Now, I just need a cool tag for my tablet like gailerina. I shall be Sambelina henceforth.

 

Haha just saw this :)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ~ sign the awesome Gailerina!

[Jenna1983]

On my last cruise, they held $50 the first day. I purchased nothing and on day three checked my bank account on wifi at a hotel and it said I had 0 in holds. I bought something on day 4 and checked the next day on day 5 and it was the actual amount for the item.

[Chirpbird]

Haha just saw this :)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ~ sign the awesome Gailerina!

 

And, here is draft one. I think I shall be changing it soonly.

 

Henceforth, I shall be Sambelina.

[Gailerina]

And, here is draft one. I think I shall be changing it soonly.

 

Henceforth, I shall be Sambelina.

 

:)

 

I actually created mine because I did not know what others had. I was also trying to be funny :)

 

 

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