What Do You Like To Pre-Pay and Why

[IMKTDQT810]

I'm thinking that having most things pre-paid is good, but do some of them have to be paid in full on top of the deposit? Or is everything pre-paid just paid off as you go and as long as everything is paid in full by the due date? I have read pre-paid gratuities, Shore Excursions, photo packages, soda cards....what else does RCCL off at the time of booking as pre-pay?

[crookedhalo]

The only things you can really prepay at time of booking are trip insurance and gratuities. HOWEVER as you start you planning and you start booking excursions etc. through the RCCL site, you have to pay for them as you book them. They are not just added to your cruise fare.

 

I personally try to get as much out of the way before I get on the ship so that my onboard account isn't staggering at the end;). Always prepay tips, soda card and specialty restaurants.

 

Most ports we do private excursions and some of them are prepaid and some are deposits only. Can save a lot of money booking privately.

 

I also prepay my night before cruise & parking by using a wholesaler site that offers stay & cruise packages, usually at a great rate (most cases cheaper for the package including hotel, taxes, up to 14 nights parking and shuttle to terminal) that in most cases is cheaper than parking at the terminal (some terminals are as much as $20 per day -since I like long cruises that can really add up:eek:).

 

HTH

[HesterMofet]

Once it gets closer to cruise time, I try to prepay everything that I am sure I want to do. I prepay for photos, excursions, soda, massages, etc. I like to do this so I can have my cruise paid off before I go, then all I owe is onboard charges.

[FloGaleRNTX]

I like to prepay everything possible. Then I add as much as I can to my onboard account using my Visa points. I can remember when my ex and I first cruised.....the onboard charges almost gave us a heart attack!!! That is just a terrible way to end a cruise, IMHO.

 

Barb

[luvscruising2007]

We generally pre-pay excursions and any specialty dining reservations. We also pre-paid for the wine tasting. It helps to spread the cost out and then the major cost on the cruise is tips and alcohol.

[hazeleyez3]

If we can pay for it before we go on vacation, we will. That way the only thing we owe is what we choose to buy/do on vacation

[gatour]

The only time that I prepay for anything is if it we are doing a bucket list type cruise and I want to guarantee a excursion(s).

 

The other exception was when you could prebook massages on Princess cruises. We like to get them as early in the cruise. On many cruises we get to the reservation desk for the spa only to get behind someone asking about all of the various treatments and costs for 15 or more minutes. We know exactly what we want and our preferred day and time. Very annoying

 

Other than that, I prefer to keep my money in my own accounts and pay at the end of the cruise. I know what my spending habits are on a cruise and have per-budgeted thus.

[annie39]

'We also pre-paid for the wine tasting'. ' I prepay for photos'

 

How do you pre-pay for the wine tasting and photos?

[crookedhalo]

Annie39 when you are in your reservation on Royals site you will see links for beverage packages, excursions etc. This is where you book and prepay for various items.

 

Photos to me are subject to the cruise - if it's a real long one with lots of friends I might go ahead and prepay the photos, just then you have to make sure you get your monies worth:D. Last time we did the photo package prepaid we wound up with more than 70 pictures on the CD and then 2 copies of each picture that was on the wall (was a bargain @ $200 for a 10 night trip);).

 

Thinking on it for next trip....8 nights w/three sea days....

[mets550]

I like to prepay excursions and restaurant reservations. I also add money to our onboard account before we sail. We get the balance back if we don't spend it all, but by the time of sailing it is essentially a sunk cost!

[IMKTDQT810]

Thanks for the info...this will be DH's 40th BD cruise and I promised a spa message...I didn't even know I could pre-book that!! I'm with most of you with wanting everything paid for prior to getting on the ship. We are not really drinkers so if we have 1-2 alcohol drinks the whole time it won't break us. last time the most $ can from buying the photos and the shops on board. LOL

[Kiwi_mum]

Like others, we like to pay for as much as we can before going on holiday - we have loved that you can prepay everything on RCCL, with some other ships you cannot do this.

 

We have prepaid:

Shore Tours

Soda Cards

Water Package

Specialty Restaurants

and Tips

[molly361]

We also add money to our Seapass account ahead of time. It does not seem to be such a hit when we put $100 on our account every month or so.

[varoo]

Well, it looks like I am in the minority here but I like to pre-pay absolutely nothing.

So I pre-pay only what is required.

 

I see no good reason to give my money to the cruise line early when it is not necessary and they provide me with no incentive to do so.

That is why I prefer to keep my money in my own bank account until payment is actually due.

 

[kyriecat]

I don't buy the photos or use the spa anymore so I don't prepay for any of those services. I occasionally will want a photo taken if there is a really nice background, but I'll wait to get onboard for that. I've prepaid for drink packages in the past, but that was only because they had a special offer for them.

 

I will buy excursions in advance if there is anything that I really want. Lately I've done almost all private excursions so I haven't bought any cruiseline excursions recently.

 

I will book a special night or two in a specialty restaurant every cruise. I generally like dining in the MDR and having fixed seating, but I like to have one night that is just hubby and I. If we're docked late, we might eat dinner onshore instead.

 

The only think I don't like prepaying is gratuities. With one exception, I feel the service has been much worse when I prepaid vs. paying onboard.

[goneclear]

What ever is pre - payable that I plan on using or doing, I pre pay. I don't add money to my on board account but I pre load my credit card by adding some extra $$ every month several months before the vacation. This works fine for me and I have been doing it for many years for all vacations not just cruises.

Many times I come back from a vacation and when I get my credit card statement, I owe nothing. You have no idea what a great feeling that is;)

If my money was actually making money in the bank i may change the way I do things but with interest rates the way they are your cash in the bank is most likely loosing value with inflation. So I use it instead of loose it :)

[Zach1213]

Everything - tips, excursions, special meals. We do it all. Spreads the costs out instead of having to pay them all at the end, and then we only have to worry about (mostly) drinks when we check out.

[Desert Cruizers]

I try and prepay things like Excursions, and will only prebook a private tour if there is a refund. I will not prepay Hotels as is the case next year in Sydney, many hotels show a prepay with no refund. A trip like that if we had to cancel we lose our money. Everything for that trip is covered except the Hotels, and some tours we will do once we get there. Our Onboard acct should be much smaller.

[shellunderwater]

We book specific things we know we want to do, just to ensure we will get them, such as 150 Central Park early on the evening of a late show. We will also book one of our excursions.

 

The Allure was our first cruise ever, and we overspent on a few things. This time around, we're going a bit more minimal.

[britty1]

Like others, we like to pay for as much as we can before going on holiday - we have loved that you can prepay everything on RCCL, with some other ships you cannot do this.

 

We have prepaid:

Shore Tours

Soda Cards

Water Package

Specialty Restaurants

and Tips

 

Sorry we are not sailing together on any of your upcoming cruises. My sister lives in Gisbourne, NZ - what a small world - enjoy your cruises, maybe we will sail together sometime.

[killtheump]

We also prepay early. Just like to have it paid for. I will pre pay my next cruise 11 months early if Royal Caribbean & Bank of America offer triple points again this year during Nov. & Dec. If I use that I will have $100 OBC from that compared to the $12 in interest I would have received from my bank account. I would rather give it to RC then my bank. RC gives me more interest. lol

[mek]

I prepay for specialty restaurants because DH thinks it crazy to pay extra for them, so when I prepay, they don't show up on our statement and I tell a white lie - he thinks they're a perk from the TA and he goes with a smile on his face and we both have a good time. :D

[bigque]

Gratuities, excursions, specialty dining.

[Kiwi_mum]

Sorry we are not sailing together on any of your upcoming cruises. My sister lives in Gisbourne, NZ - what a small world - enjoy your cruises, maybe we will sail together sometime.

 

Gisborne is a very small place and most people know each other... what is your sister's name?

 

We are looking forward to our back to back cruises on the Allure in September :)

 

--Marita

[Paul65]

I am in the "hold onto my money as long as possible" camp, so I don't go out of my way to prepay anything. I pay when something is due.