Add't $60/day/person now required before boarding

[lillulu]

When I filled out our preboarding papers on line. It said it was going to charge us, $70.00 each for tips...Plus $60.00 each for expenses. I called Holland just to confirm, and was told this would not be held until the actual day I was getting on the cruise ship.

 

I am on my friends credit card, and I put my daughter as a cash payer, (advised by a customer service rep at holland) even though she will not be paying cash. If I had listed her under the credit card she would of had charging privileges. The problem with that, my daughter has no need to have credit card privileges. I don't let her go off alone, she will be with me at all times. I was afraid she would lose her card and someone would use it to charge things to our room.

 

Now I am worried that when we board they are going to tell me she has to put a cash payment up for a hold. :confused:

 

Has anyone had this experience? And what did you do?

[WeLoveCruising]

When I filled out our preboarding papers on line. It said it was going to charge us, $70.00 each for tips...Plus $60.00 each for expenses. I called Holland just to confirm, and was told this would not be held until the actual day I was getting on the cruise ship.

 

I am on a credit card, and I put my daughter as a cash payer, (advised by a customer service rep at holland) even though she will not be paying cash. If I had listed her under my credit card she would of had charging privileges. The problem with that, my daughter has no need to have credit card privileges. I don't let her go off alone, she will be with me at all times. I was afraid she would lose her card and someone would use it to charge things to our room.

 

Now I am worried that when we board they are going to tell me she has to put a cash payment up for a hold. :confused:

 

Has anyone had this experience? And what did you do?

 

Is your daughter in the same cabin as you? They could put the 'hold' for her on your card, and just have her ship's card registered as not able to charge. They only require one credit card (or cash sum) to hold for the whole cabin. That is what we used to do with my son when he was younger.

 

However, keep in mind that for most charges they only ask for a name and cabin number, not to see the actual card - so her keeping or losing her card will not be as big of a factor as you might be worried about.

[lillulu]

Even if you are using another person's credit card? Can I still do that?

 

When I did preboarding papers. My friend had me use their credit card. I checked my friend and myself as using the card. But when it came to my daughter my friend was afraid of what I mentioned above, about losing card, etc. So I called Holland and was advised to list her as a cash option as it would only let me choose to put her on the credit card or cash.

 

So there is my dilema now. If I can in fact do that, with her having no charges that would be great. With it not being my credit card is where it all got confusing.

 

Thanks for the information welove.

[cusyl]

For the first time in cruising, when I filled in the preregistration form online and put in the cc info, a message popped up saying that a $60. hold per day per person would be held, but that at the end of the cruise only the actual amount would be deducted from the card.:cool:

[Jade13]

 

I had a very nasty and drawn-out run-in w/ RCCL/X about charges that did not belong to me last year - so I certainly know about these types of things...

 

Hi, I'm a little concerned about this. I see a unusually high number of posts regarding this on the Celebrity board. The issue is that the charges appear after one thinks they have settled their onboard account, on their credit card statement after they return home. Some people quessed that the cabin stewards had missing inventory and so marked those as belonging to the last guest. How do you go about disputing/proving this, and did this also happen to you after you left the ship?

[Krazy Kruizers]

Wow - I would like to know more about what happened last year on bepsf's cruise.

[jhannah]

Yonnie, it's probably still floating around on the CC servers somewhere. Brian gave quite a complete report of what went on during his Mercury semi-sailing! I believe it was another traveler in his party who should have been billed for the charges.

[Stevesan]

should not their TA have warned [prepared] them for this ... seems appalling if they did not.

harry

 

I've used a number of TAs over my lifetime. Not once has a TA mentioned this, and I don't expect them to. They assume I'm a reasonably well informed adult.

 

TA's have their faults, but don't hang this one on them.

[HeatherInFlorida]

I have to see if I can check it, but when I recently registered our Amex card for onboard expenses, I'm sure it did not mention any "hold" being put on the account. I'm wondering now if that's because it's Amex and has no spending limit ... therefore, no need for a hold??? Or possibly I missed it because it's not an issue on Amex.

 

When I see the huge amounts people spend onboard (one person posted around $5000 awhile back:eek: ), I can see the problem facing HAL making it necessary for them to do this. Evidently they've clarified this hold by stating it clearly when you register the card. So that's good.

 

Maybe because we don't drink and we book our excursions ahead of time, but our onboard expenses rarely go over $500 which includes the auto gratuity. HAL must hate us!!!!!:D

[bookworm0911]

I've used a number of TAs over my lifetime. Not once has a TA mentioned this, and I don't expect them to. They assume I'm a reasonably well informed adult.

 

TA's have their faults, but don't hang this one on them.

Thye probably don't even think about it since no one is being charged except for what they actually spend and since hotels, car rentals, etc do this all the time. Any time you are using a product or service before paying for it the vendor wants to be assured of payment at the end, and how can you blame them.

[jtl513]

When I filled out our preboarding papers on line. It said it was going to charge us, $70.00 each for tips...Plus $60.00 each for expenses.

Not exactly. The $60/p/d hold covers the $10/p/d auto service charge, so it's not "plus".

I was afraid she would lose her card and someone would use it to charge things to our room.

How would a finder know your room number? It's not on the card! (assuming you mean the door/ID card).

Now I am worried that when we board they are going to tell me she has to put a cash payment up for a hold.

I believe you will be required to deposit cash for her, as you will still have to pay at least the $10/p/d for her. However, it does NOT have to be $60/day, as many people have pointed out. Put down $100 and say "Call me when/if you need more."

[Krazy Kruizers]

Yonnie, it's probably still floating around on the CC servers somewhere. Brian gave quite a complete report of what went on during his Mercury semi-sailing! I believe it was another traveler in his party who should have been billed for the charges.

 

Thanks Jim -- I remember reading about some of the things that happened on that "free" cruise.

[Krazy Kruizers]

When we got our documents - about 3 weeks ago -- for our up-coming cruise, I filled out the immigration forms.

 

I registered my AMEX Plat card and after I recorded the number and got DH's name on my card, it did indicate that there would be a $2760 HOLD placed on the card the day we check in at the pier.

 

And of course there is no limit on that card.

 

I think they do that no matter what card you register.

[Jade13]

I'm not a couple, I'm just a me, so my gratuities were only $70.

 

Sorry bout that. I always think of two in a cabin whether or not it is a couple or two friends. But you are right that there are single cabins and I guess two single persons would have there own cards/gratuites anyway.

[ekerr19]

When I filled out our preboarding papers on line. It said it was going to charge us, $70.00 each for tips...Plus $60.00 each for expenses. I called Holland just to confirm, and was told this would not be held until the actual day I was getting on the cruise ship.

 

I don't understand this... you are saying HAL is going to charge you $60.00 + $70.00 per day each? I don't think that is correct. HAL pre-authorizes $60, per person, per day. On a 7-day cruise the total should be $420 per person.

 

HAL does not run the authorization until the day you board. It will be no problem if you choose to pay cash. If your daughter puts $100 down and spends very little, they are usually okay with that. If they require more, they will notify your daughter via letter from the front desk that she needs to do so.

[ekerr19]

I have to see if I can check it, but when I recently registered our Amex card for onboard expenses, I'm sure it did not mention any "hold" being put on the account. I'm wondering now if that's because it's Amex and has no spending limit ... therefore, no need for a hold??? Or possibly I missed it because it's not an issue on Amex.

 

Heather -

 

Amex does not do "holds" in the sense other cards do. You are correct that since there is no preset spending limit, it's not an issue.

 

My understanding is that HAL will "check" that the amount of the pre-authorization will go go through (when using Amex) and to verify the card is not a lost or stolen card.

 

We found Amex to be a great card to use when travelling, but at some point could no longer justify the annual fee for the platinum card when they started removing the perks that came with that card...

 

Our experience has been that Chase will release the hold after 24-hrs. if the charge has not been presented - though it's not a big deal to me, I just noticed it one time when I checked my credit card account while onboard. I asked a Chase representative about it and she confirmed, but did say it depended on the credit card account.

[ekerr19]

I've used a number of TAs over my lifetime. Not once has a TA mentioned this, and I don't expect them to. They assume I'm a reasonably well informed adult.

 

TA's have their faults, but don't hang this one on them.

 

Steve - I agree.

 

I am amazed by the number of people cruising for the first time who do not bother to read the "Know Before You Go" booklet which also details all you need to know in the section "Money Matters"...

 

I still read it before every cruise just in case something has changed and I need to be aware of it. :)

[sail7seas]

That surprises me as well, ekerr. HAL makes this information known and easy to learn. One only needs to read the materials HAL provides.

The Know Before You go is quite handy to read through.......especially for first time cruisers. And, as mentioned above, folks who have not read it for a while might do well to do so in order to discover changes about which they may not be aware.

 

[jtl513]

I don't understand this... you are saying HAL is going to charge you $60.00 + $70.00 per day each? I don't think that is correct. HAL pre-authorizes $60, per person, per day. On a 7-day cruise the total should be $420 per person.

Lillulu thought (obviously incorrectly) that the $10/p/d service charge would be charged in addition to the $60/p/d hold.

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Please click here to read, from HAL's website, the information on money matters. It does specifically state that there will be a $60 per person, per day pre-authorization on a credit card used for shipboard purchases. This information is located on HAL's website, which is where I go to glean as much info as I can, pre-booking. I don't like surprises, so I do lots of research before any money exchanges hands. All this information is available to potential customers before they even book their HAL cruise.

 

Karin

[RevNeal]

Sorry bout that. I always think of two in a cabin whether or not it is a couple or two friends. But you are right that there are single cabins and I guess two single persons would have there own cards/gratuites anyway.

 

Correct. Two single people sharing a cabin usually arrange to pay their own bills independently. However, being solo in a cabin one must be careful to make sure that each time one orders something they charge it to the right person ... (i.e., 1063-1 or 1063-2). It's not hard to do that, just tell 'em your name. Bar staff usually figure it out quickly. Once the preliminary bills come out one can go through, identify any charges that should be transferred one way or the other, and take 'em down to the front desk. They'll do it without batting an eye. No problems.

 

Christopher and I usually don't bother and just figure it out between ourselves. Last time, since I paid for the cruise for both of us, he paid for the airfare, the shore excursions (including the copper canyon tour!), and all onboard expenses. It works out. This coming cruise he paid the cruise fare and I bought the airfare and am paying the onboard expenses (via a cash deposit to get us started, and I'll register a credit card if I have to toward the end of the cruise). The Eurodam cruises, next year, are going to be "Dutch" (haha). We're splitting the cruise fare between us and each is handling his own airfare arrangements (though we're coordinating so we're on the same flights to Amsterdam), so I imagine that our onboard expenses will be done the same way (that's how we arranged things for our first few cruises together).

[RevNeal]

Steve - I agree.

 

I am amazed by the number of people cruising for the first time who do not bother to read the "Know Before You Go" booklet which also details all you need to know in the section "Money Matters"...

 

I still read it before every cruise just in case something has changed and I need to be aware of it. :)

 

I do the same thing, Laura, but I'm not amazed at the number of people who don't even bother to read the Know Before You Go booklet. I've become convinced that most of those who don't bother to familiarize themselves with such details do so in order to be able to whine about not knowing about "thus and such" later. :) At least, that's been my observation over the past 6 years of reading this board.

[RevNeal]

Please click here to read, from HAL's website, the information on money matters. It does specifically state that there will be a $60 per person, per day pre-authorization on a credit card used for shipboard purchases. This information is located on HAL's website, which is where I go to glean as much info as I can, pre-booking. I don't like surprises, so I do lots of research before any money exchanges hands. All this information is available to potential customers before they even book their HAL cruise.

 

Correct, Karin, and thanks for posting that link! Sadly, those who are all upset about this subject haven't done their research. :( I, like you, don't appreciate surprises, so I do as much research as I can.

[Roz]

90% of the complaints that people post here when they return digruntled from a cruise could have been alleviated if they had just read the material enclosed with their cruise docs.

 

It concerns me when newbies (to cruising in general or just to HAL) post here that they haven't received their docs, and the advice given is that they don't need them. True, you technically don't need docs to get on the ship, but there's so much more involved than just having the proper ID.

 

IMO, the $60 per day per passenger hold is very explicitly explained in the Know Before You Go paperwork.

 

Roz

[RevNeal]

90% of the complaints that people post here when they return digruntled from a cruise could have been alleviated if they had just read the material enclosed with their cruise docs.

 

It concerns me when newbies (to cruising in general or just to HAL) post here that they haven't received their docs, and the advice given is that they don't need them. True, you technically don't need docs to get on the ship, but there's so much more involved than just having the proper ID.

 

IMO, the $60 per day per passenger hold is very explicitly explained in the Know Before You Go paperwork.

 

I agree, Roz ... except that everything in the Know Before You Go booklet is also found on HAL's website.