Credit/Debit Holds

To help you gauge how much money the cruise line will pre-authorize from your debit or credit card, we made a list of each cruise line.

These are answers the cruise line gave me either by calling them directly, or through their website. As always, check with your cruise line before you sail.

Carnival

  • Pre-authorization hold: This goes for both credit cards and debit cards – Initial hold of $100 (for cruises 5 days or less) or $200 (for cruises 6 days or more).

Celebrity Cruises

  • Pre-authorization hold: No hold initially, but it’s based on your spending habits.  If you spend a couple hundred dollars, they won’t put a hold on your card.  If you spend $700 (as an example), then they’ll start to put your card on hold for more than that because they see you spend more than maybe the average guest.

Cunard

  • Pre-authorization hold: $300

Disney

  • Pre-authorization hold: none

Holland America

  • Pre-authorization hold: $60 per person, per day

MSC Cruises

  • Pre-authorization hold: US $250

Norwegian

  • Pre-authorization hold: 7 day cruise: $300 per person; less than 7 days: $150 per person; more than 7 days: $450 per person

Princess Cruises

  • Pre-authorization hold: $300

Royal Caribbean

  • Pre-authorization hold: none

Things to Remember

  • The cruise lines don’t recommend using a debit card for your onboard account.
  • Multiple holds may be placed on your debit card account based on your onboard purchases (depending on the cruise line).
  • After settling your onboard account, the holds may remain on your account up to 30 days after the cruise ends.
  • To avoid overdraft charges from your bank, make sure that you have enough available funds in your account during the holding period (or that you didn’t reach your limit on a credit card).
  • The cruise line isn’t responsible for overdraft charges resulting from holds placed on debit card accounts.

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