Can you get onboard with a declined card?

[sparks1093]

In most cases that is not true. I am US Merchant taking credit cards. If I authorize a charge I can hold in my account for 30 days. Or 14 days depending on which processing service I use. Or I cancel in my account and it will hit the same day. My guess is cruise companies do not cancel these authorization and just let it expire.

 

And I have also read this. Since I'm not an industry insider I have no direct knowledge and as long as the holds don't interfere with what I'm doing I'm ok with it. FWIW the holds Carnival put on my account fell off of my account a couple of days before the final charges were applied to my account (and the final charges were much more than any of the holds, even when combined).

[Towel Critter]

This is a theoretical question for those who might know and no way is aimed at the Op or anyone else. What would happen if someone were cruising with just a few hundred bucks in cash and no credit cards and no travel insurance and they fell seriously ill in a foreign port or were seriously injured? Would they be able to get adequate care, or would they be turned away by the local hospital or ER? I am asking purely out of curiosity. Thanks.

[sanger727]

This is a theoretical question for those who might know and no way is aimed at the Op or anyone else. What would happen if someone were cruising with just a few hundred bucks in cash and no credit cards and no travel insurance and they fell seriously ill in a foreign port or were seriously injured? Would they be able to get adequate care, or would they be turned away by the local hospital or ER? I am asking purely out of curiosity. Thanks.

 

 

 

I’ve never been in that situation but have read reports from people who were required to present a credit card prior to being treated for emergency conditions. I don’t know what would have happened if they didn’t have one.

 

 

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[Flip2cruise]

This is a theoretical question for those who might know and no way is aimed at the Op or anyone else. What would happen if someone were cruising with just a few hundred bucks in cash and no credit cards and no travel insurance and they fell seriously ill in a foreign port or were seriously injured? Would they be able to get adequate care, or would they be turned away by the local hospital or ER? I am asking purely out of curiosity. Thanks.

 

 

 

This is what happened with a family that didn’t have insurance or passports a few years ago in Mexico.

 

 

https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/local/local-boy-home-from-mexico-after-surgery/rIkN7rhmib8fGNC4ftjoYJ/

[myfuzzy]

This is what happened with a family that didn’t have insurance or passports a few years ago in Mexico.

 

 

https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/local/local-boy-home-from-mexico-after-surgery/rIkN7rhmib8fGNC4ftjoYJ/

 

 

So, the alternative is a "Go Fund Me" page.....hmmmmm

[BranDivah]

OP! If you are traveling on Carnival this is my experience because I worried about the same thing when I was a first time cruiser:

I am Cash Cruiser. I have a credit card that I have for emergencies, but I do not use it when setting up onboard account. I buy Cruise Cash prior to the trip on Carnival's website bc I like to pad the onboard account in advance. I also bring cash to embarkation. You are not required to put a specific amount down when you check in. They merely give you an amount as a suggestion. I would highly recommend utilizing the Cruise Cash option on the website to save yourself from carrying cash day of embark. I think the smallest amount they let you purchase is $25, but it is still a great way to save money for your onboard account without the worry of putting in a card and overdrafting your account

(Personally I never use a card because I read on the website that depending on the length of time you cruise, they put a hold on your account that can possibly stay on there until a week or so after your cruise has ended. I don't have a ton of money typically and live on a budget so I travel on a budget as well. I'd rather not take a chance of not having my money available when I need it...hence the cash option).

Hope that helps ease your mind a bit. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do

[Towel Critter]

This is what happened with a family that didn’t have insurance or passports a few years ago in Mexico.

 

 

https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/local/local-boy-home-from-mexico-after-surgery/rIkN7rhmib8fGNC4ftjoYJ/

Thanks. So they DID receive care in Mexico. That was my main question. Moral of the story. Have a passport, have insurance, and have at least one credit card. Stuff happens.

[Elaine5715]

This is a theoretical question for those who might know and no way is aimed at the Op or anyone else. What would happen if someone were cruising with just a few hundred bucks in cash and no credit cards and no travel insurance and they fell seriously ill in a foreign port or were seriously injured? Would they be able to get adequate care, or would they be turned away by the local hospital or ER? I am asking purely out of curiosity. Thanks.

Yes, they could be denied care until they had cash wired to the hospital, Few countries treat first and then arrange payment. Their local media would not pick up such a story to shame the hospital into changing their pay first policies (unlike the US media who love a sob story) since locals don't have a "right" to treatment.

[joyful34]

We ALWAYS use cash and not a card. You can prepay the tips on line or pay in cash when you arrive. We usually open our sign and sail account with a couple hundred dollars when we arrive at the terminal and add to it if needed throughout the week. No card needed for anything.n

[pacruise804]

First time cruising so sorry if this is a silly question.

 

I plan on paying the initial hold of $100 by cash, but I was told I can only do that by the customer service desk onboard the ship. I’m concerned because I don’t have enough money in the account attached to the card and I’m worried the card will get declined on embarkation day.

 

I strongly prefer to pay by cash just of the guarantee of having the funds available. But will I be allowed to board the ship and pay the initial hold by cash, assuming the debit card gets declined?

 

From my experience, you should be allowed boarding. On my last cruise we had booked with a card that between booking and sailing was compromised and a new card issued. I thought I had updated Carnival, but when we checked in the card was declined. The last 4 numbers didn't match my current card so I figured that they still had the old, destroyed card. Check-in was unable to apply a new card, but said we could sort it out at guest services (we did have a small amount of OBC, I think $50). Since we also had a gift card, we never actually applied the Visa to the account and just used OBC and gift card.

 

Thank you so much for the helpful advice, everyone! You’ve alleviated my concerns and I’m very greatful for your insights.

 

To those concerned about me going on board with “nothing”, that’s not technically true. It’s a long and irrelevant story but bottom line is Money doesn’t deposit until the following day after embarkation day. I’ve quite literally paid everything off already including hotel and parking. I’ll more than likely just pay off the gratuities by cash on embarkation day then as most of you have suggested. The only reason why they weren’t prepaid to begin with I because I assumed (wrongly) that the travel agent I booked with included the prepaid gratuities and it wasn’t until quite recently when I was printing the boarding documents that I noticed the gratuities were not added.

 

Solo traveling is scary but exciting and I feel like a bride before the wedding so I get consumed by irrational anxieties sometimes, haha. Thanks again, everyone!

 

It doesn't happen often, but deposits can be delayed. It would be concerning to me to travel with that little cushion. As painful as it might be, I would at a minimum consider canceling Cheers (I thought you had this) and possibly one excursion. You could still purchase drinks a la carte (and might spend less) and many ports are easy to have a fun day inexpensively on your own - or at least cheaper than a cruise line excursion.

 

 

I do hope you have a great, uneventful cruise and the finances aren't an issue:cool: