On board expense account question

[4spring]

Quick question: if I didn't elect to provide credit card info when completing my paperwork, would I then get a bill at the end & have to settle up prior to disembarking? Or would I have to put some money into the acct before boarding to insure there is a balance?

 

If I give credit card info, then can I still dispute the charge if its wrong. I'm in the process of printing out my Sea passes & this question popped up. I hadn't really thought that through.

 

What do folks usually do?

[blackshirt]

If you don't give them a credit card at checkin, you will be setup with a cash account. You do not have to put any cash up front but once you reach $500 in charges, they will ask you to pay. You will also be required to settle your account the night before disembarking.

 

If you do provide a credit card, yes you will have the opportunity of questioning charges after leaving the ship.

[kampinguru]

You won't be able to withdraw any cash from the casino if you haven't provided a CC but everything else is the same. They have you flagged if you have not settled your account and try to disembark. They will send you to Guest Relations before you can off to settle the account. I usually put a couple of hundred dollars on the first day just to avoid a call. Any balance left will be given back in cash at the end of the cruise.

[4spring]

So it would make more sense to put it on credit card, that way I wouldn't have to do anything if the final statement is correct. Am I understanding that right?

 

Also can I put a limit on my teenage son's spending on said acct?

[spookwife]

No. It's either on or off, there is no limit. Be advised that even if you turn off charging privileges he can still use the sea pass in the arcade.

 

Just Check daily for charges on the TV. It's far better to dispute charges ASAP rather than having to stand in line forever the last night when you could be packing.

 

Putting CC down is safest. You can always go to GS at any point to put cash down to minimize any charge to the card at the end.

 

Any OBC you have will probably not show up until the second full day on board.

 

 

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[Desert Cruizers]

I always used my Credit Card for our charges, yet our next cruise which is only a 7 day cruise, I will put cash toward the bill, on the day before we arrive in port to minimize what ends up on the Credit Card.

[blackshirt]

You won't be able to withdraw any cash from the casino if you haven't provided a CC but everything else is the same. They have you flagged if you have not settled your account and try to disembark. They will send you to Guest Relations before you can off to settle the account. I usually put a couple of hundred dollars on the first day just to avoid a call. Any balance left will be given back in cash at the end of the cruise.

 

Are you sure about this? I'm sure I've seen other discussions on this topic saying not only can you withdraw cash from the casino, having a cash account avoids paying the 5% fee.

[cb at sea]

If you have a cash account, why not KEEP the cash you want to gamble with...you don't NEED to get cash from your account, if you have it "in hand"....there's a safe in the cabin to store it until you need it.

 

I believe "drawing cash" from your account is if you have a big OBC and won't be spending all of it. But...you WILL incur that fee...no way around that fee! Just keep your gambling cash in your pocket!!!

Edited September 29, 2016 by cb at sea

[robtulipe]

I believe "drawing cash" from your account is if you have a big OBC and won't be spending all of it. But...you WILL incur that fee...no way around that fee! Just keep your gambling cash in your pocket!!!

 

Not correct again.

 

If you set up your onboard account as a cash one and cash out your OBC in the casino they don't charge the 5% fee. Just make sure the casino cashier knows it is a cash account.

I've done this on at least a dozen of our RCI cruises that we've had left over OBC. ;)

[Hoosier Grandaddy]

Can someone help a newbie? What is the 5% fee the casino charges?

[crusinthrough]

I set up a cash account on the Enchantment. At check in I was told I had to go to GS to put money on the account before I could use my sea pass card. I questioned this and was told this is the procedure on all ships. I replied it is not. Since it wasn't worth a lengthy discussion I provided a cc and moved on.

 

I still don't know if this was because it was a 4 night cruise or the person just did not know.

 

 

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[RFerrington]

The casino will charge a 5% "convenience fee" for taking a "cash advance" on your onboard account (using your Seapass) unless you are a member of Royal Caribbean's VIP casino club (Club Royale).

 

Obviously, there is no charge for using your own money - only if you take money from them on your Seapass.

[robtulipe]

Can someone help a newbie? What is the 5% fee the casino charges?

 

If some one draws cash in the casino from their onboard account which has a credit card attached to it the casino charges 5% as a service or convenience fee to do this. IMO it covers the billing fee that the credit card company charges RCI which I imagine is past on to the casino.

This doesn't or shouldn't happen with a cash onboard account as that is settled at the end of the cruise with a cash payment so no credit card fees come into play.

Edited September 29, 2016 by robtulipe

[lv2bcruzin]

Is it just personal preference why someone would use cash instead of a credit card or is there a real purpose. I put everything on my card to get points and pay it off. I never put more on my card than I have the cash to cover.

[Little Buddy's Mom]

I always used my Credit Card for our charges, yet our next cruise which is only a 7 day cruise, I will put cash toward the bill, on the day before we arrive in port to minimize what ends up on the Credit Card.

 

Why not wait until you get your credit card bill, in the mail and pay it in full then? :confused: I don't like standing in line at Guest Services. I guess if you carry a balance on your card, it makes sense, otherwise it doesn't. At least, not to me.

[spookwife]

I set up a cash account on the Enchantment. At check in I was told I had to go to GS to put money on the account before I could use my sea pass card. I questioned this and was told this is the procedure on all ships. I replied it is not. Since it wasn't worth a lengthy discussion I provided a cc and moved on.

 

I still don't know if this was because it was a 4 night cruise or the person just did not know.

 

 

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yes I think the shorter cruises do require the funds on file up front rather than being allowed to charge up to $500 frost.

[Ourusualbeach]

On short cruises you are allowed to charge up to $300 before being asked to pay it down, longer ones is $500.

 

3 and 4 days is $300, not sure where 5 and 6 day cruises fall but 7 days and longer is $500.

[robtulipe]

Is it just personal preference why someone would use cash instead of a credit card or is there a real purpose. I put everything on my card to get points and pay it off. I never put more on my card than I have the cash to cover.

 

Being Canadian the other advantage of having a cash onboard account is that I pay my bill at the end of the cruise in USD that were obtained at a much better exchange rate. Currently for onboard and other vacation expense we are still using USD gotten when the $CAD was at par and above so we are saving at least 35% as right now the $CAD value is around $0.76USD. I could have a USD credit card from a Canadian financial institution but these don't offer great benefits like cash back or points that my $CAD credit card offers. Also my CAD card provides us with cancellation and travel insurance.

Same reason we now pay for our cruise bookings and other onboard expenses, like prepaid gratuities and excursions, in $CAD as the exchange rate RCCL has used recently has been to our advantage.

In fact for two cruises we did last winter, DW and I split up and were booked into two cabins along with very good friends from California. This provided all with $CAD and Canadian residency pricing which for our two American friends provided them with an actual cost in CAD that was less than they would had to pay in USD. Friends are C&A diamond and qualify as seniors so these didn't factor in. It saved them quite a bit as they paid me in USD at then current interbank exchange rate. They could have paid their portion of the cost with their USD credit card but then they would have been charged conversion fees and typically poorer exchange rate credit card companies have. The CAD was at about $0.76USD then also. Once onboard Freedom one spouse of each couple switched cabins to be with their actual partner. ;)

Edited September 30, 2016 by robtulipe

[Desert Cruizers]

Little Buddy's Mom, in all my cruises, I have done that, using my Cruise Acct to pay the card off vs our personal accts. I have a separate checking strictly for our cruises and keep a good balance in it all the time. I considered for our 7 day next July, I might pay off the acct the final night but that is not definite. We will have the Hotel charges on it, so I will most likely not pay any balance off and let it go to the card.