Does credit card holder need to be present at check-in?

[SL HomeschoolMom]

My husband and I are on our first BTB on the CB out of FLL in Dec.

 

Our kids are joining us for the second leg. When I add my credit card info online to their onboard account, it says the credit card holder must be present at check-in...

 

But I don't plan to get off the ship except for immigration on turnaround day - hopefully I'll be enjoying lunch in the dining room while the kids are boarding.

 

I've phoned Princess a few times to ask - one rep said I should talk to my room steward. Another suggested that maybe guest services on my first leg could help-but what if not? Not something I want to leave to chance and the kids unable to board. The best answer Princess can come up with is that I could leave the ship, find them in the terminal somehow, and go through check-in again with them.

 

Has anyone had experience with this before?

 

Thanks.

 

 

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[caribill]

At check-in they simply ask if you want to use the same credit card that had been entered in the Personalizer. They do not ask to see it. I have not been asked to show it for years.

 

If, however, there was any problem, your DH could simply say you had the card on board.

 

And if that did not make the check-in clerk happy, just present any other credit card and then go to the Purser's desk during the cruise to have them switch to your card.

[RKSue]

My husband and I are on our first BTB on the CB out of FLL in Dec.

 

Our kids are joining us for the second leg. When I add my credit card info online to their onboard account, it says the credit card holder must be present at check-in...

 

But I don't plan to get off the ship except for immigration on turnaround day - hopefully I'll be enjoying lunch in the dining room while the kids are boarding.

 

I've phoned Princess a few times to ask - one rep said I should talk to my room steward. Another suggested that maybe guest services on my first leg could help-but what if not? Not something I want to leave to chance and the kids unable to board. The best answer Princess can come up with is that I could leave the ship, find them in the terminal somehow, and go through check-in again with them.

 

Has anyone had experience with this before?

 

Thanks.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

there is a way to link your rooms together and to have your room pay the account. The kids wont need the credit card then.

[Pam in CA]

there is a way to link your rooms together and to have your room pay the account. The kids wont need the credit card then.

Linking cabins is for dining purposes only.

 

To the OP, your kids have the option in the Personalizer to enter your credit card and put you in as the cardholder. Then, select the option to sign the card electronically.

 

Since anyone can change their method of payment once onboard, this is not a big deal. They won't be asked to show the credit card as long as their boarding pass has been signed electronically. They can also enter their own credit card into the Personalizer and then once onboard, you can change the payment on their folio.

[cherylandtk]

Pam is right, as always. If, for some weird reason, your kids are asked to produce the credit card at check in, just tell them to say instead they "Will use a cash account onboard". Then when they get on the ship you can go fix things with the PSD. There is absolutely no need for you to find them in the terminal. (Although it is slightly possible you may see them anyway when you and the rest of the b2b folks do the immigration formalities)

[pedirn]

Now this was on RCCL not Princess but my youngest daughter was taking a cruise and accidently gave them the wrong credit card at check in. She gave them my credit card that I had given her to use for college expenses. No one ever questioned it and neither of us knew it until I recieved the bill. If there is any concern over your children checking in, you can always make one of them an authorized signer on your credit card.

[SL HomeschoolMom]

Thanks for the replies.

 

I entered my credit card on their cabins, and hopefully that should work.

 

They have their own credit cards, but as university students, they don't have a high limit and I was worried that they wouldn't have room available on their credit cards for the hold if check-in had a problem with using my card for them.

 

Worst comes to worst, they should be boarding with the inlaws who could probably provide one. I will go to the passenger services desk to confirm once everyone is on board.

Edited October 19, 2014 by SL HomeschoolMom

[Crown Cruiser]

We had the same situation last year. I filled out the credit card info on cruise personalizer. When the kids flew down for the 2nd leg of the cruise, they checked in and got on without being asked for the credit card.

 

Have a great time!

[caribill]

They have their own credit cards, but as university students, they don't have a high limit and I was worried that they wouldn't have room available on their credit cards for the hold if check-in had a problem with using my card for them.

 

 

Even if they had to give their credit cards at check-in, it would not be a problem. No check is made for available credit at that time. (It is done later on the ship.)

[SL HomeschoolMom]

We had the same situation last year. I filled out the credit card info on cruise personalizer. When the kids flew down for the 2nd leg of the cruise, they checked in and got on without being asked for the credit card.

 

Have a great time!

 

Thank you! Glad to hear from someone who BTDT :)

[SL HomeschoolMom]

Even if they had to give their credit cards at check-in, it would not be a problem. No check is made for available credit at that time. (It is done later on the ship.)

 

Thanks. That's not what one of the princess reps told me. She said they would put a hold on their credit cards. She thought maybe in the amount of $300. That should have been my first clue her info might be incorrect :)

[caribill]

Thanks. That's not what one of the princess reps told me. She said they would put a hold on their credit cards. She thought maybe in the amount of $300. That should have been my first clue her info might be incorrect :)

 

That "hold" is what would be done later on the ship, not at check in.

 

Passengers whose accounts will not allow the hold will be called to come to the Purser's desk the first evening.

[SoCal Cruiser78]

...I was worried that they wouldn't have room available on their credit cards for the hold if check-in had a problem with using my card for them...

 

Good thinking. Guest Services on the Golden recently put daily holds on my VISA card totaling more than twice my actual folio charges. They didn't drop off after the cruise was over, so I finally had to call Princess to remove them. My bank said they couldn't do it without Princess initiating things :(.

[DebJ14]

They are getting the holds before you get on the ship. The morning of our last Princess cruise I realized that I forgot to set a travel alert on my credit card. I went online to fill out the form and was surprised to see that I had pending transactions since I only use that particular credit card for travel. Sure enough there was a hold from Princess and we had not yet left home for the pier. When we arrived they said they didn't need to see the card. Same thing on Carnival. We know a check in rep at Carnival in Galveston quite well and she told us they get the initial authorizations ahead of time now.