Buying On Board Credits in lieu of using Debit Card?

[puggsie]

Does this sound feasible? I don't use credit cards, just a debit card. If I buy, say, $700 in cruise credits from bon voyage in advance, will they still want my debit card at check in? Sorry if this topic has been covered. Thanks in advance.

[skyhawk22]

why not just set up a cash account when you get on board. pre-pay your service charge prior to your cruise and that all you need to do. you can buy on board credits and they will be in your room when you get there but you have to go to the guest service desk to sign them and have the applied to your account.

[mom2tcdx2]

I put OBC on my account ahead of time, I do a little with each paycheck or when I could so that I have less to worry about once onboard. Though on my Star sailing I had put over $1000 on it and it was taking them forever to post it being available. We departed on Saturday and they didn't post the credit until Tuesday. Now I don't put that much and didn't have any issues on the Pearl. I was told you didn't really have to sign the forms in the cabin, they are more for people who were given a gift from someone else.

 

My cruise on the Breakaway I put $350 on there ahead of time, though I would like to get another $250 on there before we sail.

[agabbymama]

Does this sound feasible? I don't use credit cards, just a debit card. If I buy, say, $700 in cruise credits from bon voyage in advance, will they still want my debit card at check in? Sorry if this topic has been covered. Thanks in advance.

 

Don't bother with the bon voyage cruise credits, they will still want a credit card, or send you to the Credit Desk to open a cash account. Just take your cash with you and open your cash account at embarkation.

 

I don't know who told mom2tcdx2 that you didn't have to sign the vouchers, it clearly stated on the voucher that you had to take them to the Purser's desk to have them credited to your account. I purchased them myself, and had all the confirmations with me, but at check-in they were totally ignored, and they wanted $1000 for 2 of us for a 7 day cruise. You have two choices only, credit card or cash account.

[puggsie]

Thank you. In that case I will plan to bring $1000 with me for the cash account, but would they require more because there are three of us?

[MrsNancyG]

I begin buying OBCs almost the moment my cruise is booked. In my case two years out. That can lead to some very large chump-change come cruise time. I so prefer to have money in my OBC and casino credits ready and waiting for me to splurge a little than to sweat the details of money for the actual cruise.

 

For those cruisers like myself who scrimp and save for their vacations, I highly recommend going this route. We've found in past cruises that the biggest surprise comes the night before disembarkation when the bill comes. Without the money waiting for you in your OBCs, you may be in for a nasty little surprise if you don't budget correctly.

[puggsie]

That sounds like my idea. I am not so much worried about the money as having multiple holds on my debit card which I read can be a problem. I would prefer to simply pay the bill at the end but it doesn't really work that way. I figured if I could buy enough credits they wouldn't bother with the debit card until the end but since that is not the case, I will buy some but bring the $1000 for the cash account. I don't figure we will need that much since Jim and I are neither drinkers or gamblers, I will have paid for my gratuities and excursions in advance, and are purchasing soda packages in advance, but you never can quite tell.

[hartsnvt]

When we showed up on the Pearl I just said we would be using cash and went to the guest services desk and put $200 down. I would check our account every couple of days and add some more as needed. I kept my cash in my safe so I had money to take ashore in ports.

[cruzingthebriny]

Thank you. In that case I will plan to bring $1000 with me for the cash account, but would they require more because there are three of us?

 

$1000 will be OK. They are just more concern that you have enough for the daily gratuities for each person in the cabin. I always set up an cash account when boarding the ship. Using a debit card they will hold X amount extra (usually double)after the cruise to make sure they get their money. My son-in-law learned this the hard way and lucky we were with them to take care of their post cruise hotel and meal expenses.

[Lthouselady]

When we showed up on the Pearl I just said we would be using cash and went to the guest services desk and put $200 down. I would check our account every couple of days and add some more as needed. I kept my cash in my safe so I had money to take ashore in ports.

 

I did exactly the same thing. This definitely works if you choose not to use a debit or credit card. I sailed from Boston on the Dawn in August 2012 and intend to do the same in June 2013.

[Rudyard]

They are just more concern that you have enough for the daily gratuities for each person in the cabin.

 

Is it possible to pay this ahead of time? I liked the convenience of being able to do it that way on RCCL and Carnival. Just one less thing to worry about come cruise time.

[youngestof9]

Is it possible to pay this ahead of time? I liked the convenience of being able to do it that way on RCCL and Carnival. Just one less thing to worry about come cruise time.

 

sure. Log into ncl.com and you can pre-pay the daily service charge ahead of time. Very easy. I love prepaying too.

[Rudyard]

sure. Log into ncl.com and you can pre-pay the daily service charge ahead of time. Very easy. I love prepaying too.

 

Thanks :)

[MHHS69]

Don't bother with the bon voyage cruise credits, they will still want a credit card, or send you to the Credit Desk to open a cash account. Just take your cash with you and open your cash account at embarkation.

 

I don't know who told mom2tcdx2 that you didn't have to sign the vouchers, it clearly stated on the voucher that you had to take them to the Purser's desk to have them credited to your account. I purchased them myself, and had all the confirmations with me, but at check-in they were totally ignored, and they wanted $1000 for 2 of us for a 7 day cruise. You have two choices only, credit card or cash account.

 

It may be printed on the vouchers but it is not necessary to take the OBC vouchers to the Guest Services Desk. I was silly enough to do this our first cruise before Guest Services told me it is not necessary. You should be checking your account anyhow and can take them as proof if the OBC is not applied to your account but I have never had this happen....if they have the voucher in your cabin, it will show up on your account after the 2nd night of your cruise which is when they apply the OBC's to your account. I have kept my OBC vouchers as souvenirs for every cruise except my first. Cruise #19 is coming up next Saturday.

[Talus731]

Does this sound feasible? I don't use credit cards, just a debit card. If I buy, say, $700 in cruise credits from bon voyage in advance, will they still want my debit card at check in? Sorry if this topic has been covered. Thanks in advance.

 

I did this on our recent cruise, but instead of going through BV I called them and did it directly. Had no problems with the money being available when we boarded. Will do again on our next cruise.

 

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[Demonyte]

sure. Log into ncl.com and you can pre-pay the daily service charge ahead of time. Very easy. I love prepaying too.

 

Or if one has booked through a TA, the prepayment can't be done online and must be done through the TA. Also there have been some cases when one can't prepay service charges online even when booked direct, in that case just call NCL and they will help.

[DMLyons]

why not just set up a cash account when you get on board. pre-pay your service charge prior to your cruise and that all you need to do. you can buy on board credits and they will be in your room when you get there but you have to go to the guest service desk to sign them and have the applied to your account.

 

I was wondering about this. If you're setting up a cash account, can you do so during check-in or do you have to go to the guest services desk to do it there after check-in? It seems like something that would be most expedient to do during check-in, but common sense does not always apply, it seems.

 

NEVER MIND...it seems like they aren't using common sense. It figures. Sigh...

 

DML

[Demonyte]

I was wondering about this. If you're setting up a cash account, can you do so during check-in or do you have to go to the guest services desk to do it there after check-in? It seems like something that would be most expedient to do during check-in, but common sense does not always apply, it seems.

 

NEVER MIND...it seems like they aren't using common sense. It figures. Sigh...

 

The port personnel is not NCL's staff and they do not handle any money, everything else than plain check-in and/or recording charges to onboard account (corkage fees) is handled onboard.

[DMLyons]

The port personnel is not NCL's staff and they do not handle any money, everything else than plain check-in and/or recording charges to onboard account (corkage fees) is handled onboard.

 

Although corkage is charged to your room (according to the latest I've heard...and I've heard it's not aboard...it's directly after the security scanners), there is supposedly a table to pay for spa passes in the port, which I assume must be done by cash or credit card. Or are they charging that to your room as well? Hard to charge things to your room when you haven't even set up the account for it yet. Backward system. It only makes sense to have a table or desk for passengers to set up their onboard accounts, as you come aboard. Bring the line directly to that desk. Even have one line for suite/VIP and one or more not. What is the sense of doing everything else in advance of going to your room and having to go back out to the cash desk to set up the account separately? It just fails the common sense test to me. It makes much more sense to (as you do with a hotel) have a queue aboard to do this on your way on, before you go to your room.

 

Since you have to go through security, why not have a security check-in, scanner/x-ray, then a full check-in for the ship (with NCL employees), where you get your card keys and set up onboard account...bam, bam, bam...and you're done before you set foot aboard...or before you leave the area the desk is in anyway? As it is, suite guests (at the least) are told we'll be taken from security to our rooms without a stop at the desk first. That's backward. Saying the system is backward is no crime. It comes from years of setting up working systems for my own events.

 

DML

[DMLyons]

Backward system. It only makes sense to have a table or desk for passengers to set up their onboard accounts, as you come aboard.

 

Or better yet... Let people set up their onboard accounts from home. Personally, the idea of making someone go to the desk to apply the OBC pre-purchased itself is a backward idea to me. NCL knows you've purchased it, and it's in the computers. It's just one more step to apply it beforehand instead of aboard ship. How much customer satisfaction would NCL get, if people could just purchase OBC and apply it to individual passenger accounts via the Vacation Summary page or by phone or by mailing a money order to the Bon Voyage address for physical forms...and have that directly applied to the account in the computers (which would mean man-hours in advance instead of at the rush of embarkation...less time standing in line, less frustration and more relaxation), instead of having a long line aboard.

 

Not to mention, if you pre-purchased the OBC this way, they could charge the full amount to the debit card or have it in hand with the money order/bank check, instead of fiddling with holds on a DC. If someone had to add more aboard, that could be done at the desk with cash or traveler's checks later. If someone over-purchased, they would still have refunds...which is why I didn't say credit cards for OBC that would be directly applied. Then again, the passenger could just apply a credit card directly to the account in advance, so that's a moot point.

 

DML

[Starrgazer50]

Does this sound feasible? I don't use credit cards, just a debit card. If I buy, say, $700 in cruise credits from bon voyage in advance, will they still want my debit card at check in? Sorry if this topic has been covered. Thanks in advance.

Yes, they would. Had this experience on my April 2013 cruise. I had over $800 OBC's and it was still required.

[garycarla]

If you do a search on DEBIT you will find lots of threads. Many use them with no problem. LOTS use them with problems - usually HOLDS on their account. Use at your own risk.

 

If you are unable to get a credit card for whatever reason, I am sorry.

 

If you do not have one and can, I would think again about getting one. We travel with multiple ones for cheap insurance in case we need access to money for whatever reason.

 

Meanwhile, cash will work just fine.

[CactusFlower527]

If you do a search on DEBIT you will find lots of threads. Many use them with no problem. LOTS use them with problems - usually HOLDS on their account. Use at your own risk.

 

If you are unable to get a credit card for whatever reason, I am sorry.

 

If you do not have one and can, I would think again about getting one. We travel with multiple ones for cheap insurance in case we need access to money for whatever reason.

 

Meanwhile, cash will work just fine.

 

 

Agreed . I feel bad for people who can't get them for whatever reason, but with some it is a choice they make. People think credit cards translate into "debt" ......which of course it does if you don't pay your balance by the due date. I, for one, would be scared to death to use my debit card on a trip. Someone hacks your debit card, they also hack your bank account---------------------I would rather have them hack a credit card (virtual money) than clean my checking account out. But I have lived some scary scenarios with friend/relatives and even myself with having debit card #'s hacked/stolen or spoofed.. and not even knowing how or why it happened.:confused:

[DMLyons]

I, for one, would be scared to death to use my debit card on a trip. Someone hacks your debit card, they also hack your bank account---------------------I would rather have them hack a credit card (virtual money) than clean my checking account out. But I have lived some scary scenarios with friend/relatives and even myself with having debit card #'s hacked/stolen or spoofed.. and not even knowing how or why it happened.:confused:

 

I've had a few scary moments as well. That's why I've learned to do something pretty extreme-sounding. I have a totally separate bank account that I use for travel, to avoid it touching my main bill-paying bank account. Even if someone does tap it, they can only tap into the money I have chosen to put in it. Not a dime more.

 

Cash or travelers' checks are still safer, but for those times you MUST pay for something or reserve something with a card, this keeps the household account safe and sound.

 

DML

[CactusFlower527]

 

Cash or travelers' checks are still safer, but for those times you MUST pay for something or reserve something with a card, this keeps the household account safe and sound.

 

DML

 

I know a lot of people with multiple bank accounts where they transfer money around to keep things safe:). I don't think there is anything safe about carrying (large sums of) cash.. if it gets lost or stolen it's just GONE and there is no getting it back. I didn't know they still sold Traveler's Checks:confused:. I remember being those a bit of a pain... running into merchants that weren't sure what to do with them (DUH). Credit cards are still the safest form of 'currency' ... you are never responsible for fraudulent charges made to them. I know, for a fact, you don't even get stuck with that first $50 - at least I never have. The only tip I have for people who don't travel much.. be sure to put a travel alert on the card(s) you are using .....otherwise you may be at risk of your CC company shutting down the card for suspicion of fraud:eek:. I learned that lesson the hard way last summer....:D I just charge away and pay the card off when I get home (from my savings). It works well..I track my CC usage no different than I track spending out of my checking account. I keep receipts and logs (Quicken).