HAL holds on credit cards $60pppd

[8373seth]

FYI- HAL puts a hold for $60pppd at the beginning of the cruise. So for us on a 14 day cruise that was $1300. We knew they held some but didn’t realize it was that much. Anyway, make sure you have that much available even if you do not plan on spending on the cruise. 

[richwmn]

That has been the policy of HAL for at least 10 years, probably 20, and was noted when you did your online check in.

[CruiserBruce]

24 minutes ago, richwmn said:

That has been the policy of HAL for at least 10 years, probably 20, and was noted when you did your online check in.

We started cruising HAL in 1992, and it was in effect then.

[8373seth]

22 minutes ago, richwmn said:

That has been the policy of HAL for at least 10 years, probably 20, and was noted when you did your online check in.

Yes I’m aware they charge. This is my 4th HAL. I didn’t realize it was per person per day. I guess I was surprised because it is 2 weeks and wasn’t use to getting that much charged at once at the beginning. Where exactly is it noted in check in that they hold $60pppd? 

[Cruise Suzy]

10 minutes ago, 8373seth said:

Where exactly is it noted in check in that they hold $60pppd? 

 

When you enter a credit card on the "Onboard Account" page, it lists how much your card will be preauthorized on the day of departure. This is shown for each person for whom a credit card is entered.

Edited October 10, 2022 by Cruise Suzy

[8373seth]

Thanks. Did not see that there. Interesting I’m usually pretty good about reading the fine print. I wasn’t complaining about just letting folks know. 
in case they didn’t read the fine print like me. 

[XBGuy]

Maybe I am being naive, but I have never understood why I have to be concerned about these credit card holds.

 

Let's take the OP's example where a $1300 hold is placed on my credit card.  Let's say that over course of the cruise my wife and I accumulate $1175 in shipboard expenses.  At the end of the cruise line charges $1175 to my credit card.  When I get my next statement I see the $1175 correctly charged to my account.  I don't see any of the "behind the scenes" hold activity.

 

The only possible problem that I can see is if that hold amount brings a person's account very close to the credit limit.  Then that card might possibly be declined if it is presented for payment, for example, at a port stop.  If that happened to me, I would offer a different card.  I can't be the only person who has more than one credit card in my wallet.

 

Am I missing anything?

[alyssamma]

16 minutes ago, XBGuy said:

The only possible problem that I can see is if that hold amount brings a person's account very close to the credit limit. 

That's the main problem... 

[richwmn]

You essentially have three options.

1. If your credit card has a high enough limit, the hold amount doesn't matter.

2. If you use a debit card or you are close to the limit you may run into trouble with the hold.

3. You can specify the cash option. If you specify cash you will need to have enough in On Board Credit, either purchased or as part of a promotion, to cover your projected spending. You can get by with less than $60 pppd but will need to adjust if you get close to running out. If you register a card, it will be hit with the $60 pppd even if you have OBC to cover some or all of it. You don't have to register a card.

[8373seth]

I would say yes. I mean I understand why they do it. We had a friend who went to the Casino on Princess and they let her charge $7000 without putting a hold on her card. She couldn’t pay it at the end. So now she has a debt she owes them. They will likely never see a penny. I just didn’t realize it was that much and for some people it’s an issue. We generally spend over that amount. But some folks spend very little and are on a tight budget. If it’s disclosed then that’s all they can do. 

5 hours ago, Cruise Suzy said:

 

When you enter a credit card on the "Onboard Account" page, it lists how much your card will be preauthorized on the day of departure. This is shown for each person for whom a credit card is entered.

 

3 hours ago, alyssamma said:

That's the main problem... 

 

[Mary229]

Yes, it can be unsettling.   I remember a cruise I took that was 45 days, 2 people.  We always keep low credit limits on our cards and that card was toast for the next 44 days.  Henceforth I use my Discover card for the hold as it is generally not accepted for my travel destinations.   I do actually pay my shipboard account with my travel credit card for the points.  Yes it is a lot of maneuvering but there are lots of sea days!

[alyssamma]

5 minutes ago, 8373seth said:

I would say yes. I mean I understand why they do it. We had a friend who went to the Casino on Princess and they let her charge $7000 without putting a hold on her card. She couldn’t pay it at the end. So now she has a debt she owes them. They will likely never see a penny. I just didn’t realize it was that much and for some people it’s an issue. We generally spend over that amount. But some folks spend very little and are on a tight budget. If it’s disclosed then that’s all they can do. 

 

 

The *great* think about cruise critic is you learn stuff. I've never sailed HAL before, so had no clue about this hold. While it won't be a problem for me personally, I would have been *pissed* when I found out about it. Now I can slowly absorb the info and when I cruise it won't bother me at all 🙂

 

It's sort of like when I found out they count non-alcoholic drinks in the 15 drink limit. My first reaction was to be upset, but then I calmed down. I even learned some ways to mitigate this (from cruise critic posts).

 

To me, it doesn't matter if it's been this way for 10+ or even 20+ years. If you are used to sailing on other lines that don't do this, it isn't even something you would think to look for. IMHO, this is *exactly* what makes CC great.

 

Thanks for the info.

[Roz]

I can't imagine a cruise line allowing someone to charge $7,000 in the casino without determining first if they're good for the money.

[Roz]

From the HAL website:

 

All onboard purchases and services are charged to your account by using your stateroom keycard. Cash is not accepted for individual transactions, e.g. bars, the shops, spa, shore excursions. Cash is accepted in our casinos.

 

Registering a credit card(s) (Visa®, Mastercard®, American Express®, and Discover®) as part of your pre-cruise check-in process activates your keycard. The day you board, Holland America Line places an initial hold on your credit card for $60 per person per cruise day ($30.00 per person per day for cruises longer than 25 days). Once you’ve spent the initial hold amount, we will authorize your card for the total of your onboard purchases to date plus an additional $60 per person per day for the remainder of your cruise. Please note that there may be multiple authorizations throughout your cruise, and that some banks may keep the hold in place for up to 30 days. Please keep in mind to change your settings for your credit card to ‘World’ prior to the start of your cruise, even if your cruise is within Europe.

 

If you do not want to use a credit card, on the day of boarding, you will need to visit Guest Services and deposit $60 cash per person per cruise day (applies to all guests 18 years of age and over). Any excess deposit will be refunded to you at the end of the cruise. Traveler's checks may be cashed at Guest Services. Personal checks are not accepted on board.

 

At the end of your cruise, you will receive a final statement, and your card will be charged only for the actual amount of your purchases. Refunds for purchases of onboard products and services will be credited to your onboard account whether purchased prior to or during your cruise. The final amount billed may take up to 24-hours following disembarkation. For questions about how long the hold remains in effect or how your available credit is affected, please contact your card issuer.

[RuthC]

48 minutes ago, alyssamma said:

To me, it doesn't matter if it's been this way for 10+ or even 20+ years. If you are used to sailing on other lines that don't do this, it isn't even something you would think to look for.

What lines don't place a hold on your credit card to cover onboard expenses? 
It was my understanding that it is a standard operating procedure in the industry. 

[alyssamma]

1 minute ago, RuthC said:

What lines don't place a hold on your credit card to cover onboard expenses? 
It was my understanding that it is a standard operating procedure in the industry. 

$60pppd isn't standard at all. I just got off a RCCL cruise and they held $200. Carnival did the same. I can't remember what Celebrity and MSC do, but it was something similar.

 

I've never heard (until now) of a line charging $60pppd.

 

Again, no one is questioning if HAL discloses this or not. But the reality is, if you are used to having things work one way, you don't always read every detail. And that is what makes CC invaluable - to me at least.

 

When I got ready to check in, maybe I would have read it and maybe I wouldn't have. But now I know and am prepared.

 

[alyssamma]

25 minutes ago, Roz said:

From the HAL website:

 

All onboard purchases and services are charged to your account by using your stateroom keycard. Cash is not accepted for individual transactions, e.g. bars, the shops, spa, shore excursions. Cash is accepted in our casinos.

 

Registering a credit card(s) (Visa®, Mastercard®, American Express®, and Discover®) as part of your pre-cruise check-in process activates your keycard. The day you board, Holland America Line places an initial hold on your credit card for $60 per person per cruise day ($30.00 per person per day for cruises longer than 25 days). Once you’ve spent the initial hold amount, we will authorize your card for the total of your onboard purchases to date plus an additional $60 per person per day for the remainder of your cruise. Please note that there may be multiple authorizations throughout your cruise, and that some banks may keep the hold in place for up to 30 days. Please keep in mind to change your settings for your credit card to ‘World’ prior to the start of your cruise, even if your cruise is within Europe.

 

If you do not want to use a credit card, on the day of boarding, you will need to visit Guest Services and deposit $60 cash per person per cruise day (applies to all guests 18 years of age and over). Any excess deposit will be refunded to you at the end of the cruise. Traveler's checks may be cashed at Guest Services. Personal checks are not accepted on board.

 

At the end of your cruise, you will receive a final statement, and your card will be charged only for the actual amount of your purchases. Refunds for purchases of onboard products and services will be credited to your onboard account whether purchased prior to or during your cruise. The final amount billed may take up to 24-hours following disembarkation. For questions about how long the hold remains in effect or how your available credit is affected, please contact your card issuer.

I'm not sure why you posted this. I think everyone on this thread agrees that HAL does this and it's disclosed. Was there some specific point you were trying to make?

[Roz]

I posted it so that those unfamiliar with HAL's policy can see it for themselves in writing.  If you think it's offensive you can ask a host to remove it.  I wasn't trying to make any particular point, just provide information.  

[Mary229]

I think this awareness and the accompanying shock started when technology advanced and we get text messages announcing the “charge”.  Prior we were happily oblivious and by time we got home to see our accounts the charge had dropped off 

[alyssamma]

1 minute ago, Roz said:

I posted it so that those unfamiliar with HAL's policy can see it for themselves in writing.  If you think it's offensive you can ask a host to remove it.  I wasn't trying to make any particular point, just provide information.  

I don't think it's offense at all...just redundant. The first couple of replies stated it has been this way for some time and then @Cruise Suzy pointed out where it was.

 

No offense meant, was just wondering is there was some meaning I was missing.

[jennaja]

If you are so easily upset, you may wish to make use of the "ignore" button.

[alyssamma]

37 minutes ago, jennaja said:

If you are so easily upset, you may wish to make use of the "ignore" button.

Who got upset?

[sndral]

4 hours ago, Roz said:

From the HAL website:

 

All onboard purchases and services are charged to your account by using your stateroom keycard. Cash is not accepted for individual transactions, e.g. bars, the shops, spa, shore excursions. Cash is accepted in our casinos.

 

Registering a credit card(s) (Visa®, Mastercard®, American Express®, and Discover®) as part of your pre-cruise check-in process activates your keycard. The day you board, Holland America Line places an initial hold on your credit card for $60 per person per cruise day ($30.00 per person per day for cruises longer than 25 days). Once you’ve spent the initial hold amount, we will authorize your card for the total of your onboard purchases to date plus an additional $60 per person per day for the remainder of your cruise. Please note that there may be multiple authorizations throughout your cruise, and that some banks may keep the hold in place for up to 30 days. Please keep in mind to change your settings for your credit card to ‘World’ prior to the start of your cruise, even if your cruise is within Europe.

 

If you do not want to use a credit card, on the day of boarding, you will need to visit Guest Services and deposit $60 cash per person per cruise day (applies to all guests 18 years of age and over). Any excess deposit will be refunded to you at the end of the cruise. Traveler's checks may be cashed at Guest Services. Personal checks are not accepted on board.

 

At the end of your cruise, you will receive a final statement, and your card will be charged only for the actual amount of your purchases. Refunds for purchases of onboard products and services will be credited to your onboard account whether purchased prior to or during your cruise. The final amount billed may take up to 24-hours following disembarkation. For questions about how long the hold remains in effect or how your available credit is affected, please contact your card issuer.

Thank you for posting this, it’s helpful to someone such as myself researching various lines longer cruises. It’s interesting that the cc hold for a 24 day cruise is $1440 pp compared to the cc hold of $900 pp for a 30 day cruise. I am curious if any have had the hold on unspent funds take as long as 30 days to be removed.

[fatcat04]

And when you go past the hold amount, they will add more to the hold as you spend. It eventually gets settled as an actual charge a few days post cruise. 

[fatcat04]

3 hours ago, Mary229 said:

I think this awareness and the accompanying shock started when technology advanced and we get text messages announcing the “charge”.  Prior we were happily oblivious and by time we got home to see our accounts the charge had dropped off 

Bingo. I always overspend on cruises (I am a spa rat, or so dh says) and being the bookkeeper and chief bottle washer of the household I kept getting texts about additional holds being placed. No biggie as we had budgeted extra (dh knows me well) but heck, I don't want reminders like that when I am on vaca but it is what it is.