Basic ON BOARD payment questions from a newbie

[LGinPA]

New cruiser here. Now that I've successfully paid my cruise balance 120 days before departure I'm thinking about expenses incurred on board. From reading this board I've learned that: 

 

• I'll attach my CC to my NCL account during online check-in.
• Any charges accrued on board will be charged to my account. 
• I should check the account often for accuracy using the NCL app, online, or the TV in our cabin.

 

Question 1:

When are the charges actually charged to my CC card; as they occur or at the end of the cruise? 

 

Question 2 (OBC application):

I have $100 of OBC from a group perk. I understand from reading this board that I can only apply it when ON BOARD and not for item's ahead of time.

 

At what point can I apply the OBC; Can I save it until the end and apply as a whole to knock down my final balance due?  Or do I need to apply is as I make charges, and if so how do I do that?  

 

Thanks so much this board is awesome! 

[LloydJr]

I've seen temporary charges to my CC during the cruise, but the real charge never occurs until the end of the cruise when the invoice is finalized.

[JandC_Cruising]

14 minutes ago, LGinPA said:

New cruiser here. Now that I've successfully paid my cruise balance 120 days before departure I'm thinking about expenses incurred on board. From reading this board I've learned that: 

 

• I'll attach my CC to my NCL account during online check-in.
• Any charges accrued on board will be charged to my account. 
• I should check the account often for accuracy using the NCL app, online, or the TV in our cabin.

 

Question 1:

When are the charges actually charged to my CC card; as they occur or at the end of the cruise? 

 

Question 2 (OBC application):

I have $100 of OBC from a group perk. I understand from reading this board that I can only apply it when ON BOARD and not for item's ahead of time.

 

At what point can I apply the OBC; Can I save it until the end and apply as a whole to knock down my final balance due?  Or do I need to apply is as I make charges, and if so how do I do that?  

 

Thanks so much this board is awesome! 

The "actual" charge will not post to your credit card until disembarkation day.  Very similar to a hotel on check-out day. 

For OBC's, the value will get auto applied as you accrue charges, as long as the OBC may be used for that charge.  For example, if you have $100 OBC and you get a $150 spa service on day 1, you on-board account will show the spa service charges less the OBC.  You really don't "choose" what charge this OBC gets applied to.

 

[MeHeartCruising]

The cruise line may process a transaction that shows up as a pending charge on your credit card multiple times during your cruise.  They sometimes seem to do $300 when you check in.  If you make a significant purchase on board, they may submit a pending charge for $495 for that gold watch you just bought, for example.  They are verifying that your card actually has enough credit on it to pay for these purchases.  If there are not sufficient funds on the card for these purchases, there will be a problem at the time of purchase that you will need to address.

 

However, these charges eventually drop off and never get fully processed by the credit card company.  Instead, NCL will run a final charge on your card for the entire amount of your purchases.  For example, this would be for the $495 watch plus any other purchase you made -- t-shirts, candy, daily service charges (if not pre-paid), dinners outside of your pre-purchased package, etc.  So they may run a final charge for $612.  That is the only charge that will eventually fully post to your credit card. 

 

The other intermediate pending charges will fall off your card -- but this does not always happen right away.  Mine are usually gone by the time I get home from my cruise.  But I've seen a couple times where they lingered for several days.  This will vary based upon the rules of your own card.  NCL doesn't do anything to cancel them.  They just fall off your card because they were not submitted as final charges, they were "test the balance" transactions.

 

And yes, as posted above, you don't choose when to use your OBC or not.  It will just be used as a positive entry into your account balance.  Any purchase that is valid for that type of OBC (refundable or non-refundable) will subtract from it before increasing the amount you will have to pay in cash.

Edited March 12, 2023 by MeHeartCruising

[lostone65]

21 minutes ago, LGinPA said:

New cruiser here. Now that I've successfully paid my cruise balance 120 days before departure I'm thinking about expenses incurred on board. From reading this board I've learned that: 

 

• I'll attach my CC to my NCL account during online check-in.
• Any charges accrued on board will be charged to my account. 
• I should check the account often for accuracy using the NCL app, online, or the TV in our cabin.

 

Question 1:

When are the charges actually charged to my CC card; as they occur or at the end of the cruise? 

 

Question 2 (OBC application):

I have $100 of OBC from a group perk. I understand from reading this board that I can only apply it when ON BOARD and not for item's ahead of time.

 

At what point can I apply the OBC; Can I save it until the end and apply as a whole to knock down my final balance due?  Or do I need to apply is as I make charges, and if so how do I do that?  

 

Thanks so much this board is awesome! 

The charges will show up as they occur, but the final charge does not happen until the end of the cruise.  They place basically a hold on the card and if you exceed the hold or your credit card company flags for fraud you will need to call them or approve in your app for the credit card (I had to do that last cruise because I forgot to notify my credit card company and we waited until onboard to book our excursions so there were higher charges than normal on a daily basis. You onboard credit will automatically deduct from charges you incur that qualify for onboard credit to be used (daily service charges do not qualify) so your onboard credit will reduce your final total at the end.  Hope that helps!

[MeHeartCruising]

Also, not all credit card companies show the interim charges to you.  I've used various cards with NCL and some show me the early charges and some do not.

 

And, one more thing.  This is why you often hear it is bad to use a Debit Card for cruises (and rental cars).  For a debit card, you will actually be tying up CASH in your checking account until YOUR BANK drops these interim charges.  Some banks can take days or a week, so I've heard.  So if you charge $1200 of stuff during the cruise, the cruise line puts $1200 of "holds" on your bank account.   Then on the last day, they process another $1200 for the full actual final bill.  That means your bank account gets deducted $2400 until the original $1200 in interim charges drop back off.

[LGinPA]

1 hour ago, JandC_Cruising said:

The "actual" charge will not post to your credit card until disembarkation day.  Very similar to a hotel on check-out day. 

For OBC's, the value will get auto applied as you accrue charges, as long as the OBC may be used for that charge.  For example, if you have $100 OBC and you get a $150 spa service on day 1, you on-board account will show the spa service charges less the OBC.  You really don't "choose" what charge this OBC gets applied to.

 

 

OK, I get it. So they'll just use the OBC until it's all used up. Thanks, this really helps! 

[MeHeartCruising]

17 minutes ago, LGinPA said:

 

OK, I get it. So they'll just use the OBC until it's all used up. Thanks, this really helps! 

 

Be sure to understand that some OBC is granted as refundable.  Some OBC is granted as non-refundable.  You should ask which type you have if it's not clearly stated in your paperwork.  If it came from the cruise line, it's probably non-refundable.  If it came from a travel agency, it may be either.

 

Refundable OBC can be used to pay for anything on the ship, including the cruise line's Daily Service Charge.  If you don't spend all the OBC, it will be refunded to you at the end of the cruise.  I don't recall how they pay you, but they either cut you a check at the end of the cruise or send you one in the mail, I think.

 

Non-refundable OBC is probably more common since a lot of people get it from the cruise line itself.  NCL does not permit non-refundable OBC to pay for the Daily Service Charge.  You can use it to pay for excursions, buy drinks, buy meals, buy t-shirts, buy candy, etc.   If you don't use it all up by the end of the cruise, you lose it.  It goes away.

 

You can view your account balance on your cabin's TV on most ships.  However, the listing on the TV does NOT do a good job of showing how non-refundable OBC affects the overall balance, especially if they are adding the Daily Service Charge (which it won't offset) to your account every day.  If you have both types of OBC (which is possible), it is nearly impossible to figure out your true balance via the TV.  Go to the service desk and ask for a print out of your account balance during your cruise.  They will gladly give it to you multiple times.  This is the best way to truly understand if the OBC is being properly credited to your account purchases.

Edited March 12, 2023 by MeHeartCruising

[ggTexasGal]

If "Refundable OBC" remains on the account at the end of your cruise, they ask that you "cash out" at the Service Desk before you disembark.

[LGinPA]

1 hour ago, MeHeartCruising said:

The cruise line may process a transaction that shows up as a pending charge on your credit card multiple times during your cruise.  They sometimes seem to do $300 when you check in.  If you make a significant purchase on board, they may submit a pending charge for $495 for that gold watch you just bought, for example.  They are verifying that your card actually has enough credit on it to pay for these purchases.

 

OK, I understand now and am familiar with pending charges.  Thanks!  

 

 

1 hour ago, MeHeartCruising said:

And yes, as posted above, you don't choose when to use your OBC or not.  It will just be used as a positive entry into your account balance.  Any purchase that is valid for that type of OBC (refundable or non-refundable) will subtract from it before increasing the amount you will have to pay in cash.

 

I'm glad I don't get to decide how it's spent. Thanks! 

 

[casofilia]

Here is an example of part of an account

 

 

There is no OBC on there but the two lines at the bottom will indicate your debit or credit and whether any of that is Non-Refundable having come from NR OBC

[DMP609]

My husband and I each have $75 OBC from being prior NCL cruisers. Does that combine to $150 for our cabin or will it be applied as $75 for each person's separate charges? I am usually the one to charge things during our cruises but do I need my husband to charge at le ast $75 in order for his OBC to be applied? Thanks!

[ggTexasGal]

2 minutes ago, DMP609 said:

My husband and I each have $75 OBC from being prior NCL cruisers. Does that combine to $150 for our cabin or will it be applied as $75 for each person's separate charges? I am usually the one to charge things during our cruises but do I need my husband to charge at least $75 in order for his OBC to be applied? Thanks!

Yes you have $150 combined if you set-up your account onboard accordingly. We just make sure our accounts have the same credit card listed for both of us.  We've never had a problem with one of us owing and the other losing OBC.

[RocketMan275]

4 hours ago, LGinPA said:

New cruiser here. Now that I've successfully paid my cruise balance 120 days before departure I'm thinking about expenses incurred on board. From reading this board I've learned that: 

 

• I'll attach my CC to my NCL account during online check-in.
• Any charges accrued on board will be charged to my account. 
• I should check the account often for accuracy using the NCL app, online, or the TV in our cabin.

 

Question 1:

When are the charges actually charged to my CC card; as they occur or at the end of the cruise? 

 

Question 2 (OBC application):

I have $100 of OBC from a group perk. I understand from reading this board that I can only apply it when ON BOARD and not for item's ahead of time.

 

At what point can I apply the OBC; Can I save it until the end and apply as a whole to knock down my final balance due?  Or do I need to apply is as I make charges, and if so how do I do that?  

 

Thanks so much this board is awesome! 

FWIW, just arrived home after departing Breakaway this morning.  The final charges to my Credit Card are already showing on my card.

[SpacemanSpiff]

4 hours ago, MeHeartCruising said:

The cruise line may process a transaction that shows up as a pending charge on your credit card multiple times during your cruise.  They sometimes seem to do $300 when you check in.  If you make a significant purchase on board, they may submit a pending charge for $495 for that gold watch you just bought, for example.  They are verifying that your card actually has enough credit on it to pay for these purchases.  If there are not sufficient funds on the card for these purchases, there will be a problem at the time of purchase that you will need to address.

 

However, these charges eventually drop off and never get fully processed by the credit card company.  Instead, NCL will run a final charge on your card for the entire amount of your purchases.  For example, this would be for the $495 watch plus any other purchase you made -- t-shirts, candy, daily service charges (if not pre-paid), dinners outside of your pre-purchased package, etc.  So they may run a final charge for $612.  That is the only charge that will eventually fully post to your credit card. 

 

The other intermediate pending charges will fall off your card -- but this does not always happen right away.  Mine are usually gone by the time I get home from my cruise.  But I've seen a couple times where they lingered for several days.  This will vary based upon the rules of your own card.  NCL doesn't do anything to cancel them.  They just fall off your card because they were not submitted as final charges, they were "test the balance" transactions.

 

And yes, as posted above, you don't choose when to use your OBC or not.  It will just be used as a positive entry into your account balance.  Any purchase that is valid for that type of OBC (refundable or non-refundable) will subtract from it before increasing the amount you will have to pay in cash.

BTW, this why you NEVER want to use a debit card for this purpose.  With the potential for multiple holds on the card, and delays in some of these holds dropping off, you risk being overdrawn on your bank account with all of the chaos it causes.

[Smitheroo]

They must disregard anything on your account under a certain amount.  I checked my account on the tv and saw that I had 92 cents charged to my account. While we were still docked in LA my travel partner and I had a glass of wine.  There was a sign at the bar clearly explaining that while in port there was a tax.  I never charged  another thing on the cruise. Got home, nothing on my credit card  then or now .  (I had linked my credit card with my account)