Final Payment

[crusinpeg]

How many days out is final payment..75 or 90?

[Loonbeam]

75 for most cruises, however some TAs have a 90 day policty to allow for processing issues.

How many days out is final payment..75 or 90?

[Pia1913]

And some have 120 days. I just paid for my November cruise (31 days) before having to pay for my October cruise (28 days).

[GeeDunk]

And some have 120 days.

 

Yes they do.

 

My Oct. 30 day Ruby Cruise was due in early June.

[pms4104]

How many days out is final payment..75 or 90?

Your booking confirmation paperwork from Princess (if you booked direct) or from a T/A (if you used one) should clearly show the final payment due date.

[crusinpeg]

I have read that if you're not particular about cabin category or location to wait until "final payment" to book. This was the purpose of my question. What is considered this final payment?

[Toto2Kansas]

Check out the penalty guide for cancelling cruises here: http://www.princess.com/legal/passage_contract/index.jsp

That will give you a better idea of those cruises you are looking into.

[Mycruises62]

My November 23 cruise, final payment is due Sept 9th

[Pam in CA]

I have read that if you're not particular about cabin category or location to wait until "final payment" to book. This was the purpose of my question. What is considered this final payment?

"Final payment" can be 75 - 120 days, depending on when the cruise is and length of the cruise. For instance, a cruise over prime vacation periods, such as Christmas/New Years, Spring vacation, etc., are 90 days. A 7-day cruise at other times would have a final payment date of 75 days. The Princess final payment date is the absolutely last day you have to pay for a cruise. If you book after final payment, you pay for the cruise in full when you book. They used to give you a grace period of a few days but no longer. Some TA's give you a payment date a few days before to make sure your credit card clears and there are no glitches.

 

If you wait until after final payment to book a cruise, you might be paying more for the cruise than if you'd booked earlier. Sometimes, categories are unavailable months in advance. For instance, the cruise I'm on next March has been fully booked for months and most categories are waitlisted, and we're still 8 months away. It's always a gamble to wait to book. Sometimes, and this depends on the cruise, it's worth waiting but other times, it isn't.

 

You are probably thinking of a GTY, which you can book at any time as long as the category isn't waitlisted. This means you're guaranteed a cabin in the category you've booked, or better. You could be anywhere on the ship and sometimes, people don't like the location they're given. Sometimes, a GTY price is lower, sometimes there's no difference in cost between a GTY and booking a specific category.

 

If you don't care where you are on the ship and the price is what you're willing to pay, book a GTY. You don't have to wait until final payment to do so.

[crusinpeg]

"Final payment" can be 75 - 120 days, depending on when the cruise is and length of the cruise. For instance, a cruise over prime vacation periods, such as Christmas/New Years, Spring vacation, etc., are 90 days. A 7-day cruise at other times would have a final payment date of 75 days. The Princess final payment date is the absolutely last day you have to pay for a cruise. If you book after final payment, you pay for the cruise in full when you book. They used to give you a grace period of a few days but no longer. Some TA's give you a payment date a few days before to make sure your credit card clears and there are no glitches.

 

If you wait until after final payment to book a cruise, you might be paying more for the cruise than if you'd booked earlier. Sometimes, categories are unavailable months in advance. For instance, the cruise I'm on next March has been fully booked for months and most categories are waitlisted, and we're still 8 months away. It's always a gamble to wait to book. Sometimes, and this depends on the cruise, it's worth waiting but other times, it isn't.

 

You are probably thinking of a GTY, which you can book at any time as long as the category isn't waitlisted. This means you're guaranteed a cabin in the category you've booked, or better. You could be anywhere on the ship and sometimes, people don't like the location they're given. Sometimes, a GTY price is lower, sometimes there's no difference in cost between a GTY and booking a specific category.

 

If you don't care where you are on the ship and the price is what you're willing to pay, book a GTY. You don't have to wait until final payment to do so.

 

Thank you so much for your concise answer...I am looking at a 10 day caribbean cruise during hurricane season (October) Therefore since none of the cheaper categories are waited listed and I don't feel this a really popular cruise..my thought is I would get the best deal after final payment..No?

[Loonbeam]

No way to know. A group could suddenly book 30 rooms and drive the price up, or there could be a flash sale to fill rooms, or nothing could happen, or..... You get the idea. One category of cabin on our Canal cruise has gone between 1299 and 1799 with multiple changes, while ours dropped $100 once (and we got the price redux) and then went back to the original.

 

There's not really a good rule to follow.

 

 

 

As long as you understand you'll be paying in full, no refunds or changes after the FC date, book when you find a fare that works for you.

 

Thank you so much for your concise answer...I am looking at a 10 day caribbean cruise during hurricane season (October) Therefore since none of the cheaper categories are waited listed and I don't feel this a really popular cruise..my thought is I would get the best deal after final payment..No?

[Pam in CA]

Thank you so much for your concise answer...I am looking at a 10 day caribbean cruise during hurricane season (October) Therefore since none of the cheaper categories are waited listed and I don't feel this a really popular cruise..my thought is I would get the best deal after final payment..No?

There's no good answer. It's a gamble either way. If cabins are not selling well, the cruiseline might have a "flash" sale for new bookings that will be less. If they are mostly filled, they will raise the prices. Some itineraries that used to be considered "can't afford to stay home because no one else wants to go at that time" such as trans-Atlantics are now selling out because people realize they're getting a bargain price. You could wind up getting a great price, you could wind up paying a lot more. Sometimes, these itineraries are marketed outside the US so what American's might or might not do isn't as relevant.

[jonikal]

There's no good answer. It's a gamble either way. If cabins are not selling well, the cruiseline might have a "flash" sale for new bookings that will be less. If they are mostly filled, they will raise the prices. Some itineraries that used to be considered "can't afford to stay home because no one else wants to go at that time" such as trans-Atlantics are now selling out because people realize they're getting a bargain price. You could wind up getting a great price, you could wind up paying a lot more. Sometimes, these itineraries are marketed outside the US so what American's might or might not do isn't as relevant.

 

Alas, the trans-Atlantics are no longer the bargains they once were as evidenced by steady price increases over the past couple of years, especially on certain ships. Our fall trans-Atlantic price was already significantly higher (and we've been doing these twice a year for several years so we have some familiarity with the fares) and even increased prior to final payment. Whereas the norm had been that many of them reduced fares over a period of months prior to final payment.

[Pam in CA]

Alas, the trans-Atlantics are no longer the bargains they once were as evidenced by steady price increases over the past couple of years, especially on certain ships. Our fall trans-Atlantic price was already significantly higher (and we've been doing these twice a year for several years so we have some familiarity with the fares) and even increased prior to final payment. Whereas the norm had been that many of them reduced fares over a period of months prior to final payment.

A bargain doesn't stay a bargain forever as people discover they can have a great cruise for less. :)