Thus spake Lee Lindquist :
>On Tue, 31 Oct 2006 22:38:51 -0500, d0tcraft@webtv.net wrote:
>
>>I am going on a Carnival cruise soon. Am I correct in understanding all
>>on board charges(including tips)
>>are billed only to a credit/debit card? I've been told by my card
>>company that cruises swipe your card under Cash Advance which is a very
>>high rate. Will I have the option to pay cash at the end of my trip for
>
>Most cruise lines want either a few hundred dollar cash deposit, or
>want to authorize a few hundred dollars against a credit card --- to
>cover onboard spending.
>
>...much like a hotel that wants an imprint of your credit card when
>you check in.
>
>At the end of the cruise, you have the choice of paying for anything
>you may have purchased on board with cash, travelers checks
>or credit card.
>
>Should you use a credit card, it will be charged as a purchase, not
>a cash advance.
>
>As an aside, from time to time, there are people who don't expect
>the cruise line to authorize a few hundred dollars against their
>credit card, and then can't spend ashore in some port because
>they've hit their credit limit.
Everybody puts credit holds on your card. And they take days to
release. When you check into a hotel, they'll add anywhere between
$15 and $50 to your daily rate and hold that amount. That way, if you
hit your limit, they still get paid. The problem is, these holds
usually go for 3 to 4 days after the check out date. When you rent a
car, they put a hold on your card for the amount of the rental plus
$500. When you check back in, they release the excess hold. Which
clears in about 3 to 4 days. When you eat at a restaurant and pay
with a card, they put a hold on for the amount of the bill plus 22%.
Which, once they reconcile at the end of the day, clears and the hold
releases. In 3 to 4 days.
So, when you check in on a cruise, they put a credit hold on your card
for anywhere between $300 and $500. When your charges approach that
number, they put a second hold on it. When you leave the ship and
settle your balance on the card, they release the excess hold. Which
takes 3 to 4 days to clear.
This is all SOP in the PCI. In many ways, it's their dirty little
secret.
--
dillon
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