Question about pre-paying tips & OBC

[kittyness]

Is there any advantage to pre-paying your tips and some money on your S&S card? I'll be liking my S&S card to a credit card so I don't see any point. Whether I pay the tips now or at the end of the cruise, I'm going to end up paying on the same card. The same goes for anything I buy on-ship. If I buy 5 drinks, I buy 5 drinks regarldess of whether I use pre-loaded OBC or they charge my credit card. Am I missing something? Thanks!

[T&Dcruisers]

For some it's about spreading out the payments and not paying everything at once. If I prepaid tips or OBC, I would use my CC and then make the payment right away. Then, after the cruise, whatever is charged to my CC through SS I would pay once I was home. Yes, in the end, it's the same amount charged to the same card, but the payments are smaller and spread out slightly. For me, and for others, this makes the costs a little less daunting.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

I like to have as much as possible taken care of before the cruise, so for our upcoming cruise, I've prepaid the gratuities and added a little to my onboard account (it already had $100 from my FCC). I did this on the last cruise, too, and I loved having my S&S card already funded. I don't use a credit card to do that. If I were going to use a credit card, I wouldn't do it in advance--I agree with you...what's the point?

 

Happy cruising!

[skylock]

Is there any advantage to pre-paying your tips and some money on your S&S card? I'll be liking my S&S card to a credit card so I don't see any point. Whether I pay the tips now or at the end of the cruise, I'm going to end up paying on the same card. The same goes for anything I buy on-ship. If I buy 5 drinks, I buy 5 drinks regarldess of whether I use pre-loaded OBC or they charge my credit card. Am I missing something? Thanks!

 

You are not missing anything.

 

Some people like to play games with themselves and money. There is no advantage. It is the exact same amount. Zero savings.

[mrpayroll]

You are not missing anything.

 

Some people like to play games with themselves and money. There is no advantage. It is the exact same amount. Zero savings.

 

Fully agree, either pay early or pay after, no different to us. Plus we are stockholders and purchase FCC so we have $200.00 waiting for us when we board...:)

[bigdaddyvoges]

You are not missing anything.

 

Some people like to play games with themselves and money. There is no advantage. It is the exact same amount. Zero savings.

 

And by "playing games" you mean sticking to a budget? Do explain......

[T&Dcruisers]

You are not missing anything.

 

Some people like to play games with themselves and money. There is no advantage. It is the exact same amount. Zero savings.

 

It's not about savings. It's about reducing the large payment to smaller ones. Yes, they all add up to the same amount, but not everyone is good at putting aside all of that money along the way and would rather make payments, so to speak.

[serene56]

Ibut not everyone is good at putting aside all of that money along the way and would rather make payments, so to speak.

 

that would be me.

I do not have a credit card-= only a debit card and no way would I use that on vacation.

 

Prepaying tips and pre paying onboard credits give me an easier way to save for spending onboard. By the time we cruise-everything is paid for and no bill to have to pay AFTER the trip.

If I do not spend all the money on that one trip i get a check at the end of the last night--which I then put towards the next trip.

[kittyness]

Thanks for all the replies! The one big purchase vs. several smaller payments does make sense. I didn't think of it that way. I was thinking there was some savings somewhere that I didn't understand. I get it now. ;)