Credit Card

[edwardteach]

On all previous cruises I have settled my on board account with a credit card. However, I notice that in the small print Thomsons want to make a surcharge of 2.5% for using it. I didn't pay this on the last two trips with them. Are they actually charging this? If so I will be topping up my current account before I leave.

 

 

ET

[3globetrotter3]

On all previous cruises I have settled my on board account with a credit card. However, I notice that in the small print Thomsons want to make a surcharge of 2.5% for using it. I didn't pay this on the last two trips with them. Are they actually charging this? If so I will be topping up my current account before I leave.

 

 

ET

 

Yes they are charging 2.5% now for using your credit card on board. I was caught out in December as I didn't have my debit card with me. Another one of Thomson's little " extras " that they don't shout about.

[campolady]

We were informed of this before outr cruise last May so it isn´t a new thing.

 

We used our Debit Card with no charge.

[goonersue]

Yes, I noticed on the last cruise we were on that they are now charging 2.5% to use a credit card. We used to use our credit card, but have started using our debit card. The same goes for any trips that you book on-line.

[edwardteach]

:( Thanks all. Obviously adopting some of our govt.'s policies.

 

 

ET

[sodafountain]

Yes they are charging 2.5% now for using your credit card on board. I was caught out in December as I didn't have my debit card with me. Another one of Thomson's little " extras " that they don't shout about.

 

To be fair though, Thomson themselves are charged by the company they use for taking payments, and they have a choice, either put everyone's prices up to cover what must be a large bank fee, or only charge those that use a credit card.

 

At least this way, only those using credit cards are paying, you have a choice.

[mtsjason]

I have a shop and I am charged 1.6% so they must be charged less than that

[sodafountain]

I have a shop and I am charged 1.6% so they must be charged less than that

 

I never said Thomson were charged 2.5%, i just said they were charged, they have obviously taken the decision that 2.5% covers their costs for this.

[WeeCountyMan]

We won't pay Thomsons by credit card on principle - there's no way a big outfit like TUI are charged 2.5% by the banks.

 

You can honour your account by cash, or debit card, or a combination of each.

 

We deposit £200 on boarding (the minimum required for cash paying customers) and settle the final balance with our debit card.

 

That's perfectly acceptable - and you can deposit more than the two hundred if you so wish.

[Dreamgirl1957]

We won't pay Thomsons by credit card on principle - there's no way a big outfit like TUI are charged 2.5% by the banks.

 

You can honour your account by cash, or debit card, or a combination of each.

 

We deposit £200 on boarding (the minimum required for cash paying customers) and settle the final balance with our debit card.

 

That's perfectly acceptable - and you can deposit more than the two hundred if you so wish.

 

Hi weecountryman, on the off chance you didn't use £200 do you balance back?

 

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

[WeeCountyMan]

Hi weecountryman, on the off chance you didn't use £200 do you balance back?

 

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

 

Yes.

 

In fact I needed £40 Sterling to settle an IOU between myself and friends with us on the cruise - so I withdrew that from my account before the interim statement was issued (middle weekend of a two week cruise) and signed the debit card authorisation to settle the final balance - no problem.

 

If you are in credit at the end of the cruise customer services will refund in cash.

 

Not sure how that works if your final statement is not in complete pounds - do they have UK coinage on board to settle in one pound coins etc. ?

[Julessmiles]

We won't pay Thomsons by credit card on principle - there's no way a big outfit like TUI are charged 2.5% by the banks.

 

You can honour your account by cash, or debit card, or a combination of each.

 

We deposit £200 on boarding (the minimum required for cash paying customers) and settle the final balance with our debit card.

 

That's perfectly acceptable - and you can deposit more than the two hundred if you so wish.

 

Just wondering out of interest, why do you deposit cash? Why don't you just settle the whole bill at the end? Surely that's better than carrying £200 in cash with you?

[skioncruises]

Just wondering out of interest, why do you deposit cash? Why don't you just settle the whole bill at the end? Surely that's better than carrying £200 in cash with you?

 

 

Hi julessmiles

 

If you're not paying by card they want £200 up front before you take even a sip of water. Imagine what would happen if you didn't have enough to pay your bill at the end of the cruise. If you spend your £200 before the end of the cruise you are informed. No more drinks, trips, goods from shops etc. etc.:eek::)

[sodafountain]

We won't pay Thomsons by credit card on principle - there's no way a big outfit like TUI are charged 2.5% by the banks.

 

You can honour your account by cash, or debit card, or a combination of each.

 

We deposit £200 on boarding (the minimum required for cash paying customers) and settle the final balance with our debit card.

 

That's perfectly acceptable - and you can deposit more than the two hundred if you so wish.

 

You have the choice though, pay cash or debit card, no charge, pay credit card, pay 2.5%. If they scrapped the 2.5% charge, do you really think they would swallow the chare? No, nor do I, they would just increase everyone's bill by 1 or 2%, as it is now, you have the choice.

 

Yes, other companies might not charge, but don't for 1 minute think they do it put of being nice, their base prices will already incorporate a charge to cover it, they just don't tell you, at least Thomson give you a choice.

[Julessmiles]

Hi julessmiles

 

If you're not paying by card they want £200 up front before you take even a sip of water. Imagine what would happen if you didn't have enough to pay your bill at the end of the cruise. If you spend your £200 before the end of the cruise you are informed. No more drinks, trips, goods from shops etc. etc.:eek::)

 

I know that, just can't understand why anyone would carry £200 in cash when you can just register the debit card that you going to be paying with anyway????

[skioncruises]

I know that, just can't understand why anyone would carry £200 in cash when you can just register the debit card that you going to be paying with anyway????

 

Hi Julessmiles

 

I know what you are saying. We have friends who register their debit card but always pay in cash. They feel more comfortable handing over cash for what they may have bought during the cruise. We happened to be on the same cruise as them in October and when the interim bill came in they went off to reception straight away and cleared it. Pschologically to them it was a debt which had to be paid even though was being taken from a card which had funds and not a credit card. Everyone has their own way of handling their finances.:)

[kalos]

I know that, just can't understand why anyone would carry £200 in cash when you can just register the debit card that you going to be paying with anyway????

 

Hi Jules :)

 

When we took up cruising to avoid using my bank debit card onboard the ship and not wanting to use a credit card

I just went into a new bank and opened another account which was also a debit card account .

Now just before going on our cruise I top that one up and register that card at ships check in .

So at the end of our cruise we just get off the ship no queuing to give or claim back cash at the ships reception :).

Any money left over on that card I try to leave alone until the next cruise ;)

[Julessmiles]

Hi Julessmiles

 

I know what you are saying. We have friends who register their debit card but always pay in cash. They feel more comfortable handing over cash for what they may have bought during the cruise. We happened to be on the same cruise as them in October and when the interim bill came in they went off to reception straight away and cleared it. Pschologically to them it was a debt which had to be paid even though was being taken from a card which had funds and not a credit card. Everyone has their own way of handling their finances.:)

 

We always pay by debit card, just wouldn't want to worry about the security of carrying around extra cash. - we took Turkish Lira & Euro with us last year as I got a good exchange rate (normally just use hole in the wall abroad!) and I really didn't like the thought of all the extra cash between my husband & I at the airport etc - straight into the safe when we arrived onboard!

[Dreamgirl1957]

We always use a credit card as in the past we have heard horror stories of cruise lines Thomson inc taking forward payments from a debit card.

 

Eg, you register a debit card but to ensure you have enough to cover your OBA the cruise line claim £100 per pay per cabin, so 1400 over a 2 week cruise. If your bill is less which is usually is it takes two weeks to get the balance back.

This has happened to lots of people, there was a long thread on here on one of the other boards last year about it, i will try and find it then try to work out how to add a link ( can anyone tell me ??)

Sounds far fetched but its happened to lots of cruisers with debit cards in the past.

[kalos]

there was a long thread on here on one of the other boards last year about it, i will try and find it then try to work out how to add a link ( can anyone tell me ??)

.

 

Thats quite simple :) If you look up in your browser bar it is reading

 

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=36945181# (for this message)

 

Once you have found the page go to the browser

 

highlight it then copy it and the paste it into your message :);):D

[campolady]

Can only speak for how we found things ourselves but we had no problems whatsoever.

 

We registered our Debit Card when checking in then used our ´Thomson´ card several times over the week to pay for some clothing items from the shop; only this money (far under €200!) was debited from our account.

[Julessmiles]

Can only speak for how we found things ourselves but we had no problems whatsoever.

 

We registered our Debit Card when checking in then used our ´Thomson´ card several times over the week to pay for some clothing items from the shop; only this money (far under €200!) was debited from our account.

 

We've never had problems either, always registered our card and then halfway through they slip a bill under the door, charge that to your card then do the same at the end of the holiday, simple really :)

[Dreamgirl1957]

Thats quite simple :) If you look up in your browser bar it is reading

 

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=36945181# (for this message)

 

Once you have found the page go to the browser

 

highlight it then copy it and the paste it into your message :);):D

 

 

 

Thanks Kalos, will have a good search later, may have been on the P&O forum but cant rem ! :confused::confused:

[stevedeccaman]

Always use shekels always seems to confuse them ;)

 

Stevie :)

[Dreamgirl1957]

Thanks Kalos, will have a good search later, may have been on the P&O forum but cant rem ! :confused::confused:

 

 

Well how embarrasing ! It was actually me who started the thred after reading about it on the net ! Hilarious must be getting older than i thought!

Also , not a uk site but the RCI one, must have been last year before our RCI fjords cruise .

 

Anyway , the gist of it is if you register a debit card as opposed to a credit card the ship puts a "hold" on a certain amount of your funds, this is often not released until some days after the cruise finishes causing some lots of hassle.

 

Of course if you have lots of dosh in your current account no worries and possibly this is why many think they have never had a problem. Its something that's mostly done on Us ships but sometimes on UK lines.

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1659810

heres the link, hope it works !