How much is held on your credit card at beginning?

[moosebrew]

We are 1st time cruisers & trying to plan for how much they will "hold" on our credit card at the very beginning for any charges we make during the week. Can someone tell us how this works?

 

Thanks! :)

[firefly333]

I think its only debit cards they place a hold on a small amount of money, never heard of them holding unspent money on a credit card.

 

They will charge you the $10 pp per day tips right off, but other than that its what you spent as far as I know.

[Ken076]

Below is Carnival's statement on CC holds:

 

Important Note: A hold will be placed on the credit card or checking account debit card at the beginning of the cruise as a deposit for an onboard purchases. This will reduce the amount of available credit on the credit card or restrict the availability of cash in the checking account. The hold will be released and actual charges will be billed at the end of the cruise.

 

The following dollar amounts, per guest, are used as a deposit when the Sail & Sign Account is opened:

2-4 day cruises: $100 deposit pp

5-8 day cruises: $200 deposit pp

9 + day cruises: $350 deposit pp

 

Deposit with U.S. Currency or Traveler's Checks

U.S. Currency and traveler's checks are accepted as a form of deposit to open a Sail & Sign Account at the start of the cruise. As the guest approaches the deposit limit, the Information Desk will notify the guest that additional money must be deposited.

 

There's some dissent as to whether this is a requirement or a suggestion. ken

[zqvol]

The hold is the same as the cash deposit that is required.

[Ken076]

zqvol - The "dissent" I mentioned involved several threads where posters claimed (at least for cash) that Carnivals numbers were "suggestions" versus "requirements" and thay they had routinely opened-up accounts with much smaller amounts, like $50. In view of Carnivals use of the word "requirement", I'm not sure I'd head for check-in depending on a small deposit!!! I hand 'em a CC and forget about cfinances 'til debarkation. ken

[moosebrew]

Below is Carnival's statement on CC holds:

 

Important Note: A hold will be placed on the credit card or checking account debit card at the beginning of the cruise as a deposit for an onboard purchases. This will reduce the amount of available credit on the credit card or restrict the availability of cash in the checking account. The hold will be released and actual charges will be billed at the end of the cruise.

 

The following dollar amounts, per guest, are used as a deposit when the Sail & Sign Account is opened:

2-4 day cruises: $100 deposit pp

5-8 day cruises: $200 deposit pp

9 + day cruises: $350 deposit pp

 

Deposit with U.S. Currency or Traveler's Checks

U.S. Currency and traveler's checks are accepted as a form of deposit to open a Sail & Sign Account at the start of the cruise. As the guest approaches the deposit limit, the Information Desk will notify the guest that additional money must be deposited.

 

There's some dissent as to whether this is a requirement or a suggestion. ken

 

Does the sail & sign account get opened at the beginning of the cruise?

[mrsjbm]

Does the sail & sign account get opened at the beginning of the cruise?

Yes...before you board ship as you are checking in. They will give you your card then.

[nanuak]

Yes, the sign and sail card is funded immediately. The S&S card is your room key, your charge card, etc.

[blackrose602]

I'm just off the Victory, and I used a debit card for my sail and sign. I checked my statement as soon as I got home, and here's how it worked:

 

A temporary authorization for $200 at the beginning of the cruise, I guess just to make sure the card was valid, as it expired that same day.

 

Each time I made a purchase, a new temporary authorization was made. It looks like those were the traditional three-day holds. The gratuities hold was put on immediately, so my guess is that until midnight, when the $200 authorization expired, there were technically $270 worth of holds. I couldn't tell from my statement if that was correct, but I'd plan for it just in case.

 

We debarked on 9/20, and at midnight on 9/22-9/23, the full sail and sign amount was charged. It went through immediately, rather than going through "pending" or "check card hold" status first.

 

I have no idea if credit card transactions work the same way or not. This was actually our first time in years that we did anything other than cash.

 

In general, I find cash to be the simplest. You post an amount that you think is more than you will use, then at the end of the cruise you get a certified check for the difference. You can take it home to deposit or cash it at the Purser's desk on debarkation morning. If you run low, you'll be called to the Purser to add funds. I like being more aware of what I'm spending, and knowing that I won't accidentally go over my budget.

 

Some people prefer putting the sail and sign on a high limit credit card and not thinking about it until they get home, others pay scrupulous attention to checking their balances each night on the TV. However you handle it, have a great cruise!

[Carolyn1950]

I think its only debit cards they place a hold on a small amount of money, never heard of them holding unspent money on a credit card.

 

They are STILL holding unspent money on my credit card:rolleyes: .

My final bill was 495.90. The pending charges are the ones they are holding now. I know it will drop off in a few days but showing folks it is the same as a debit card.. And my credit is reduced by the amount pending.. This is from my last week cruise..

 

 

 

ACTIVITY SINCE LAST STATEMENT

 

Click the TRANSACTION DESCRIPTION to view a detail of the transaction. Sort By:

 

TRAN DATE Sort By:

 

DATE POSTED Sort By:

 

TRANSACTION DESCRIPTION Sort By:

 

Amount 09/25/200809/26/2008ECSTASY SAIL & SIGN MIAMI FL $495.90

To dispute a transaction click on the TRANSACTION DESCRIPTION.

PENDING CHARGES

 

 

 

 

 

09/22/2008pendingECSTASY SAIL & SIGN $31.9409/22/2008pendingECSTASY SAIL & SIGN $23.7609/23/2008pendingECSTASY SAIL & SIGN $25.0009/23/2008pendingECSTASY SAIL & SIGN $50.0009/23/2008pendingECSTASY SAIL & SIGN $52.8709/24/2008pendingECSTASY SAIL & SIGN $118.9809/24/2008pendingECSTASY SAIL & SIGN $95.00

[bakechef]

I'm just off the Victory, and I used a debit card for my sail and sign. I checked my statement as soon as I got home, and here's how it worked:

 

A temporary authorization for $200 at the beginning of the cruise, I guess just to make sure the card was valid, as it expired that same day.

 

Each time I made a purchase, a new temporary authorization was made. It looks like those were the traditional three-day holds. The gratuities hold was put on immediately, so my guess is that until midnight, when the $200 authorization expired, there were technically $270 worth of holds. I couldn't tell from my statement if that was correct, but I'd plan for it just in case.

 

We debarked on 9/20, and at midnight on 9/22-9/23, the full sail and sign amount was charged. It went through immediately, rather than going through "pending" or "check card hold" status first.

 

I have no idea if credit card transactions work the same way or not. This was actually our first time in years that we did anything other than cash.

 

In general, I find cash to be the simplest. You post an amount that you think is more than you will use, then at the end of the cruise you get a certified check for the difference. You can take it home to deposit or cash it at the Purser's desk on debarkation morning. If you run low, you'll be called to the Purser to add funds. I like being more aware of what I'm spending, and knowing that I won't accidentally go over my budget.

 

Some people prefer putting the sail and sign on a high limit credit card and not thinking about it until they get home, others pay scrupulous attention to checking their balances each night on the TV. However you handle it, have a great cruise!

 

I find a credit card to be the simplest. I just hand the check in person the card and I have to do nothing until I get home, I just do a quick online payment.

 

MAC

[Kudos2Fly]

We have always done credit cards on cruises. We always have more then enough room on our credit cards.. So I have never concerned my self with the amount they hold. We are not big spenders, so we kind of know how much we are spending. Then half way though the cruise we get the paper under the door at night letting us know up until that point what we have spent.. Pretty easy then we get one on the last night.. Personally we have never had any problems with the amounts.. Then we just pay in the next billing cycle of the credit card.

 

To much thinking of doing it the other way.. I'm on vacation.. who wants to think that much :rolleyes: