What if you just don't have the money????

[IBCRUZIN']

What will Carnival do if, at the end of the cruise, you just don't have enough money to pay off your sail and sign account? I know "you can't leave the ship" but really, what do they do with you if you just can't pay up?

I once saw a woman who couldn't pay up and they made her return her onboard purchases back to the shop (liquor). However, I wonder -- what do they do if you just say, "oops, overspent -- don't have it right now, so sorry."

try it and come back and tell us how it works!

[Phil&Liz]

Originally Posted by IBCRUZIN'

What will Carnival do if, at the end of the cruise, you just don't have enough money to pay off your sail and sign account? I know "you can't leave the ship" but really, what do they do with you if you just can't pay up?

I once saw a woman who couldn't pay up and they made her return her onboard purchases back to the shop (liquor). However, I wonder -- what do they do if you just say, "oops, overspent -- don't have it right now, so sorry."

Cash in your return plane ticket !! Forced relocation. Only do it when you ported in NOLA. Can't go wrong being stuck in party town USA.

Phil & Liz

[skymaster]

How about stayin' aboard, working the garbage detail in the bilge???? Certainly not my "cup of tea"..

Ken
"Sky"

[BarJen]

Maybe they will make you swab the deck, or worse yet walk the plank!

[nurseypoo5]

ewwwwwwwwwwww walking the plank into galveston bay could be a fate worse then death!!!!!!



I dont know, i saw a group of young people with a HUGEEEEEEEE sign and sail bill and they had to call daddy. I mean they MADE them call daddy. The girls were bawling and the guys looked like the needed to change their drawers. It was in september and im sure it was some sort of class trip, betcha big money that one was 21 and got drinks for everyone else...i'll never forget it.

I know our 5 nighter last week cost us 1,000 and we only had maybe 20 drinks for 2 all 5 nights, but the casino killed us. I cant keep away!

[cwr322]

I am a little confused about how this could happen. I thought that Carnival would freeze your card if you ran out of money. When we were on our cruise in December on the Ecstasy, one of the members of our group went to use his card about the 3rd day out and he was told that he needed to go to the Purser's Desk. He had to go down and put cash down or give them another credit card, because apparently the one he had given them was maxed-out!

Cathy

[rinker250]

I asked this question on HAL.
I was told that when your cash deposit drops below 100.00 your card is frozen until you go see the purser.
Same with our CC....we spent double the "hold" but they just got more authorization when we approached the amount held.

I was told that this was to make sure there was not a problem at disembarkation.

I do remember seeing a very upset twenty some-thing girl at the purser's desk trying to get them to take the "freeze" off her card. This was on the 3rd day of a seven day cruise.

[CA Cruiser]

It happened to us the one and only time we did cash. No one told us about freezing our account if it goes below $100 and it was very embarrassing being turned down for a drink at dinner. We were upset and let them know it and they apologized sincerely. We just gave them a credit card instead and have since then. Much easier and less hassle. Then we pay it off when we get home so it is the same as cash.

[Nancy1942]

Personally I think putting a cash credit on your S&S card instead of a credit card would drive me nuts watching every penny I spend on my vacation every day!

[brneyes]

I just give them my credit card # when I register over the internet. This way I "know" I will have enough money to cover everything.

Actually, what they do, is a GOOD question, but I don't :evil: want to find out.

brneyes

[rinker250]

From what I can tell, the chance of you having a 'balance' at the end is darn near impossible.

[brneyes]

NOT to have a balance at the end, would be BAAAAAD.

brneyes

[IBCRUZIN']

Originally Posted by rinker250

From what I can tell, the chance of you having a 'balance' at the end is darn near impossible.

No it is much more common than most people think.

Carnival does not cut you off abruptly when your cash deposit runs out. Rather, they first try to contact you. During this period you are still allowed to charge on your card. If you never show up with more cash, you will have a balance on your card.

Also, if you are close to the top of your available credit on your credit card and Carnival has put a $200 hold on your card but between shore excursions, pictures, drinks and the like, you run up $500 within a short period of time (48 hours??), you will have a balance when your credit card rejects the additional charges.

Finally, You have $250 in available credit on your credit card. Carnival puts a $200 hold on your credit card at the start of the cruise, you go ashore in Cozumel/Jamaica/Cayman Islands and charge up $150 on your card. More often than not, your credit card company will accept the $150 in immedate charges. On the last day of the cruise, Carnival tries to put through your $400 (or $300 or $220) in charges to your credit card. Because Carnival's charges are over the $200 hold and your previous purchases on the island, your credit card now rejects Carnival's charges. Therefore, you have a balance at the end of the cruise if you do not have another credit card.

I just wonder what is it that Carnival says or does that motivates EVERYONE to pay up!!! :evil:

[ScurvyDog]

They have a very large gentleman named "Uncle Vinny" that stands beside the gangway.

"Unnamed credit card"......Don't leave home without it".

[Joe323]

I read somewhere that they have a brig on the ships.

[IBCRUZIN']

Originally Posted by Joe323

I read somewhere that they have a brig on the ships.

They do have "brigs" on these ships.

[Merg55]

The last NCL cruise I was on, I went to deal with a wrong charge on our bill and there was a girl so upset because she had given a cash deposit and they allowed her to continue to charge on the card and she ended up with a big bill. She thought that when the money ran out, we wouldn't be able to use the card. Not keeping track of how much we was spending, she now was left oweing money. Don't know what happen after that.
I know we always carry 2 different credit cards in the event one gets close to its limit.

[carolincanada]

Hi All: I just got back off the Freedom on Sunday. They had taken a $200.00 deposit on booking. My sail and sign was $900.00 at the end, no one called me or asked me to go to the pursers desk.
I did see on this site somewhere that you can check your sail and sign account daily on the TV, that is what we did, so I always knew exactly what I owed. Had no problems whatsoever.
Hope this helps...Check your sail and sign account often
Carol

[Thoth]

able bodied seaman 4th class

[Aidan]

Originally Posted by IBCRUZIN'

What will Carnival do if, at the end of the cruise, you just don't have enough money to pay off your sail and sign account? I know "you can't leave the ship" but really, what do they do with you if you just can't pay up?

Seriously, you work in a law office, what do you expect they do?

They bill you, and if you don't pay, they turn it over to a collection agency.

What other possibility were you expecting?

Cheers, Aidan

[IBCRUZIN']

Originally Posted by Aidan

Seriously, you work in a law office, what do you expect they do?

They bill you, and if you don't pay, they turn it over to a collection agency.

What other possibility were you expecting?

Cheers, Aidan

I don't know. It is just that people seem so pressed to pay up. I don't think the threat of a collection agency can incite that type of reaction. If they just are going to bill you, why do people have family "wire" the money to them. This is America. People do not care that much about paying their bills to break down in tears and get hysterial because they don't have enough money. Therefore, I wondered what was said to illicit such reactions.

However, I have posted this here and at another board and no one has an answer.

P.S. How do you know I work in a law firm.

[Aidan]

Originally Posted by IBCRUZIN'

I don't know. It is just that people seem so pressed to pay up. I don't think the threat of a collection agency can incite that type of reaction. If they just are going to bill you, why do people have family "wire" the money to them. This is America. People do not care that much about paying their bills to break down in tears and get hysterial because they don't have enough money. Therefore, I wondered what was said to illicit such reactions.

However, I have posted this here and at another board and no one has an answer.

P.S. How do you know I work in a law firm.

First, I don't mean to have the wrong tone -- I have been and am taking this goofily

I wouldn't put too much stock in what people say on IRC. Just because somebody says they had money wired (why?) doesn't mean it is a fact. Believe me, the cruise lines won't put a gun to your head if you can't pay, and you can leave the ship. They know your name and address.

I know you work at a law firm because you have mentioned it in this forum.

Cheers, Aidan

[IBCRUZIN']

Originally Posted by Aidan

First, I don't mean to have the wrong tone -- I have been and am taking this goofily

I wouldn't put too much stock in what people say on IRC. Just because somebody says they had money wired (why?) doesn't mean it is a fact. Believe me, the cruise lines won't put a gun to your head if you can't pay, and you can leave the ship. They know your name and address.

I know you work at a law firm because you have mentioned it in this forum.

Cheers, Aidan

Oh o.k. I took it the way you said it. Hahahaha

I guess you are right b/c no one has come forward with any horror stories. I can't imagine they can do much beside threaten you financially. I am sure their collection department is rather heavy handed and impatient.

[mteague]

Well, let's see if my experience helps....I gave my credit card for my S &S account......only to later discover it was my STATE credit card (it looks just like my personal credit card....but you can't use the State one for personal stuff and apparently was declined for this reason)....so they called me down to the purser's desk so I could give them another card. I pulled out my debit card and told them how much money to take.....when that was running low, they called me BACK to the purser's desk and I finally gave them the plastic with no limit...never heard from them again.

Melody

[brneyes]

This is sort of "off" the subject, but "reminded" me of something that happened to my friend and I with our credit cards on one of the islands.

We had stopped at a very small jewelry store. I was making a large purchase, and my friend, a small one. When we got ready to pay, we gave the manager our credit cards, and he took the information and gave them back. Somthing happened and he had to see my again. I gave him the credit card and signed the paper.

To make the long story short, after we got back to the ship, my friend "discovered" that she had "my" credit card, and I had "hers." What had transpired, was that I gave the manager her card, and "signed" with my name, but he never mentioined it, so I guess he didn't noticed it. In otherwords, it was in her name, but with my signature. Fortunately, everthing worked out, but why he did not catch it, amazed me.

brneyes

[jetskier]

It really is simple. If you dont have enough funds, have no other means of payment, they have you fill out an IOU form saying you will pay it. You will then be sent a bill for the balance.
Dave

[Kuki]

Originally Posted by jetskier

It really is simple. If you dont have enough funds, have no other means of payment, they have you fill out an IOU form saying you will pay it. You will then be sent a bill for the balance.
Dave

That scenario actually makes sense. Though I can't imagine this happening too often.

It makes me shutter to think people are even going cruising when a couple of hundred dollars overspent puts them in a state of financial ruin.

Talk about irresponsible.

But I was one of the lucky ones who just married for money

[kryos]

Originally Posted by brneyes

Actually, what they do, is a GOOD question, but I don't :evil: want to find out.

The cruise lines aren't stupid. They aren't about to let this happen. When you board, your credit or debit card (assuming you used one) is charged a "hold" amount ... on HAL it happens to be $60 per day from what I understand. Then, they have some sort of computer program that "alerts" them when the "hold" is near being used up, and they just contact your bank or credit card company to hold more. If there is a problem with holding more money, or if you use cash and it is getting depleted, they simply request your presence at the purser's desk. If you're going to run out of money, it is going to be long before the end of the cruise ... and you both will know it. Then the cruise line will simply freeze your onboard spending privileges for the remainder of the cruise.

How those folks mentioned in a post above ran out of money and the cruise line didn't discover it until disembarkation day is a mystery to me. Supposedly that's not supposed to happen. I would imagine those isolated situations are merely the result of someone fouling up at the front office and not making a request of their credit card for more cash long before the cruise was over.

I would guess in that situation, the cruise line would just be screwed. If you really ran out of money, and simply couldn't get your hands on anymore, I would imagine the only thing they could do would be to require you to sign a promissory note for the balance, and not allow you to cruise on the line until it was paid. After all, think about it. What else could they do?

Blue skies ...

--rita

[kryos]

Originally Posted by Aidan

Believe me, the cruise lines won't put a gun to your head if you can't pay, and you can leave the ship. They know your name and address.

Exactly. They can't forcibly hold you on the ship, and they can't put a gun to your head to get the money. Basically, if the cruise line is stupid enough to let you spend more than you are good for, they are stuck for the balance and can only get your signature on a promissory note to cover it. If your signature is no good ... you are simply unable to raise the money ... the cruise line loses. It's as simple as that.

But, believe me, the cruise lines aren't gonna let this happen too often, and in the case when it does, I would imagine that person at the purser's desk who didn't stay on top of the passenger's balance is gonna be in a whole world of trouble.

If the purser's desk is on the ball, this simply shouldn't happen. If the passenger is running low on funds deposited with the line either through debit or credit card holds, or cash, the purser's desk should know about it long before the end of the cruise, and have already taken steps to ensure the passenger doesn't go into "overdraw." Such steps would include simply freezing the passenger's sign & sail card for the duration of the cruise to ensure he CAN'T spend anything additional.

Blue skies ...

--rita