Something Annoying Carnival Does With Your Credit Card

[dljones]

OK, so you have a credit card assigned to your Sign and Sale Card, right? So periodically throughout the cruise, Carnival charges your credit card for the amount you have spent thus far. However, these are just "hold" charges (not sure the correct banking term) that "fall off" in a few days.

 

In the mean time, on the last day, you are billed for the entire amount of the cruise. Unfortunately, the "hold charges" have not fallen off your account by then and if you don't have the extra money in your account to cover the entire cost of the cruise PLUS all the holds you are in deep poo!

 

Luckily, we have had the money in the bank to cover such nonsense but I wonder how many other people have been caught off guard by this practice?

[Sparky2]

OK, so you have a credit card assigned to your Sign and Sale Card, right? So periodically throughout the cruise, Carnival charges your credit card for the amount you have spent thus far. However, these are just "hold" charges (not sure the correct banking term) that "fall off" in a few days.

 

In the mean time, on the last day, you are billed for the entire amount of the cruise. Unfortunately, the "hold charges" have not fallen off your account by then and if you don't have the extra money in your account to cover the entire cost of the cruise PLUS all the holds you are in deep poo!

 

Luckily, we have had the money in the bank to cover such nonsense but I wonder how many other people have been caught off guard by this practice?

 

You mention credit card, but if you're talking about having enough money in your account to cover the cost, you must be talking about a debit card, right? If so, that could be a problem.

[winddawn]

OK, so you have a credit card assigned to your Sign and Sale Card, right? So periodically throughout the cruise, Carnival charges your credit card for the amount you have spent thus far. However, these are just "hold" charges (not sure the correct banking term) that "fall off" in a few days.

 

In the mean time, on the last day, you are billed for the entire amount of the cruise. Unfortunately, the "hold charges" have not fallen off your account by then and if you don't have the extra money in your account to cover the entire cost of the cruise PLUS all the holds you are in deep poo!

 

Luckily, we have had the money in the bank to cover such nonsense but I wonder how many other people have been caught off guard by this practice?

The issue of using a debit card for your Sail & Sign account has been discussed over and over on this board. There are lots of posts by people recommending against it.

[jchris1230]

They probably mean putting your credit card over the limit.

 

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[JLee1973]

Which is why I refuse to use a card and just use cash. If I need to add more that is no problem.

[dljones]

The issue of using a debit card for your Sail & Sign account has been discussed over and over on this board. There are lots of posts by people recommending against it.

 

Yes, a debit card. Obviously not a good idea! Perhaps the cash recommendations are the way to go.

[atate75]

I use credit cards for every purchase that I make. Then I pay off the cards at the end of the month. I gain points and nobody has access to my bank account. Hold charges are then a non issue.

 

(This isn't just for cruises, I do it all year long.)

 

 

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Edited April 3, 2014 by atate75

[tinyrose]

Ok, trying to understand, dljones.

 

In your post #1, you said credit card in your title and in the post itself. In your post #6, you said debit card. So, are you talking about credit cards or debit cards?

[Retired_to_Cruise]

I use credit cards for every purchase that I make. Then I pay off the cards at the end of the month. I gain points and nobody has access to my bank account. Hold charges are then a non issue.

 

(This isn't just for cruises, I do it all year long.)

 

 

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That is the same approach I use. One credit card for all normal monthly expenses. All cruises and airline tickets are charged there as well. The card is paid off in full every single month.

 

One would think that people that have reached adult status would be able to figure out how to make the most of their money rather than doing the wrong thing and then blaming it on someone else. They probably believed the mortgage approach several years ago that if you made $40,000 a year you could afford a $500,00.00 house with $0 down and an adjustable rate mortgage. Good luck with that approach! :mad:

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

They probably mean putting your credit card over the limit.

 

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Hold charges don't count towards your current balance, so they will never cause over the limit fees.

 

Hold charges do lower your available credit. So, the worse that can happen is you get a notice that your card is declined. If this were to happen because of a bunch of holds that Carnival plans on letting expire, you could have Carnival call the credit card company, and they would be able to work it out (either making the holds actual charges or getting the holds released faster to allow the charge to go through).

 

However, that said, usually credit card companies will not cut off a credit card until the balance is over the limit (which, again, does not include holds). If the hold amount is quite large, this may not apply.

[riffatsea]

This is not just something that happens on a Carnival cruise! Most hotels put "holds" on your credit card(or debit card) . They usually don't affect anything unless you have very little money in the account of a debit card and you try to use that money before the hold is lifted. For a credit card it usually doesn't affect it either unless your limit is very low and then all that will happen is that your card will be denied until the "hold" is lifted.

[navybankerteacher]

Which is why I refuse to use a card and just use cash. If I need to add more that is no problem.

 

If you can pay in cash, there seems to be no reason for your not arranging for your credit card's having sufficient credit to cover your cruise expenses. It does not make sense to elect the cumbersome and risky alternative of carrying sufficient cash, and putting up with the periodic necessity of showing up at pursers desk to replenish.

 

It never makes sense to use a debit card.

[092306]

I use credit cards for every purchase that I make. Then I pay off the cards at the end of the month. I gain points and nobody has access to my bank account. Hold charges are then a non issue.

 

(This isn't just for cruises, I do it all year long.)

 

 

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This is what we do too. Holds are non-issues for us and I'd never use a debit card. Using cash is fine, but I'd rather be rewarded by using a credit card that earns points or cash back.

[billie5]

Not only does dljones say credit card several times when he means debit card, but the real puzzle is how he/she could possible have over 380 posts and not have read about this over and over again on CC. Or in fact how any adult could not know the difference.

 

Which is why I refuse to use a card and just use cash. If I need to add more that is no problem.

 

I fully understand why using a debit card has a lot of negatives. But why not a credit card? Perhaps you object to getting up to 2% of your total charges back in cash, but I can not imagine why.

[awhcruiser]

This. I don't want to constantly have to monitor my account and make trips to Guest Services or a kiosk to replenish my S&S with cash.

If you can pay in cash, there seems to be no reason for your not arranging for your credit card's having sufficient credit to cover your cruise expenses. It does not make sense to elect the cumbersome and risky alternative of carrying sufficient cash, and putting up with the periodic necessity of showing up at pursers desk to replenish.

 

It never makes sense to use a debit card.

[EastTex]

Yes, a debit card. Obviously not a good idea! Perhaps the cash recommendations are the way to go.

 

It seems you're not as debit card savvy as you should be if you're using one. Holds can affect you in the course of the normal use of a debit card. I'm adding a link to a bank web site that does a good job of explaining holds as they apply to debit cards. I hope this helps your understnding.

 

 

http://www.intermountainbank.com/personal/debit-card-holds

[Tutontow]

I use credit cards for every purchase that I make. Then I pay off the cards at the end of the month. I gain points and nobody has access to my bank account. Hold charges are then a non issue.

 

(This isn't just for cruises, I do it all year long.)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Exactly, I do the same. Last year I paid Amex zero interest, yet I received a $700.00 rebate check from them.

 

If you have the willpower to pay it off there are so many plusses to using a credit card IMHO it is the only way to fly, of course different strokes.

[Frank12]

I use credit cards for every purchase that I make. Then I pay off the cards at the end of the month. I gain points and nobody has access to my bank account. Hold charges are then a non issue.

 

(This isn't just for cruises, I do it all year long.)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Yep.

[JLee1973]

If you can pay in cash, there seems to be no reason for your not arranging for your credit card's having sufficient credit to cover your cruise expenses. It does not make sense to elect the cumbersome and risky alternative of carrying sufficient cash, and putting up with the periodic necessity of showing up at pursers desk to replenish.

 

It never makes sense to use a debit card.

 

Possibly because I dint like using a credit card. I keep one for inferences and one to pay for trips such as cruise fare and airline tickets or rental cars. Anything else is cash and if I run out of money I run out of money.

 

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[cruisinfanatic]

I use credit cards for every purchase that I make. Then I pay off the cards at the end of the month. I gain points and nobody has access to my bank account. Hold charges are then a non issue.

 

(This isn't just for cruises, I do it all year long.)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Some don't know how to control themselves with plastic in their pocket. Their loss

[Tutontow]

Okay one quick story on the subject. We take a short, two night trip with some relatives. Late in the trip we go out to breakfast and they don't have money to cover their check. Anyway he goes looking for an ATM. He has no luck. My wife who is very financially savvy (accountant, CFO) starts in about why you should never travel without a credit card.

 

They get defensive and say if we can't pay cash we don't buy it. My wife pressed on and it get uncomfortable. Finally the truth comes out. They got into trouble using credit cards and then never paid and ruined their credit so now they can't get credit cards.

 

I often wondered when said relative came to visit she always had a wad of cash and never used a card for anything...now I know.

 

So yes for some people cash is definitely the way to go.

[1313steve]

Some don't know how to control themselves with plastic in their pocket. Their loss

 

Some don't know how to control themselves with CASH in their pocket!!

[Giffer]

I prefer the security of a credit card.

 

By using a credit card we have not paid for flights to our last four cruises nor have we paid for the hotels we stay in the night before each of those cruises.

 

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[tandemcruzr]

Yep, we're credit card all the way for all the reasons cited above. We pay the balance each month and cash in on points/cash as required. Some cards charge a fee for charges in foreign ports, some don't. We use both, but only use the one that doesn't charge extra in those ports.

[dd2355]

Possibly because I dint like using a credit card.

 

Why not? There aren't any downsides provided you have the discipline to not spend money you don't have. Plus you get lots of up-sides such as extended warranties, price protections, % cash back, etc.