final payment

[sacooper34]

my final payment is not until aug. do most wait til then or pay it ealier..is it easier to change or up grade before you pay it off? I could pay it know or wait til then...it our `1st cruise so not sure how it works...

[wallie5446]

We wait till a couple of days before just in case :eek:

[snoopy74]

Sorry if I sound a little naive, but just in case of what?

 

I too am a 1st time cruiser so wondering why you hold back?

 

Thanks

[cb at sea]

Just in case they have to cancel, I'd imagine....

 

There's no reason to pay in advance....or NOT to pay in advance! It's whatever you're comfortable with. If you prefer having it "out of the way", go ahead! There's no right or wrong answer!

[snoopy74]

Ah ok thanks. Got slightly worried for a nano second being my first cruise. Phew :-)

[zoncom]

Pay off early, big sale comes up.You probably cannot take advantage because of early payoff. Usually the best deals come near time of final payment when people cancel. Ship then knows how many berths it needs to fill. Hence the sales.

[Alliezona09]

Most cruise lines will give you a refund if the price of your category drops before final payment~ just makes it easier for them to adjust the price and lower your final payment than having to refund a credit card~ also why give a big business your money early? If you hold on to it you make interest on it, if you give it to them.....;) Enjoy planning your first cruise~ you'll most likely be hooked!

[snoopy74]

Fair point well made :-)

 

Kind of getting a little hooked already... Just a little scared of going it alone. But feel welcome by the guys and girls on here already. Thanks all x

[wallie5446]

Sorry if I sound a little naive, but just in case of what?

 

I too am a 1st time cruiser so wondering why you hold back?

 

Thanks

 

Sorry:o just in case something happens that you can not go, and the reasons others have mentioned too.

Your 1st Cruise! How Grand! Your vacation planning will be forever changed ya know!

[snoopy74]

Sorry:o just in case something happens that you can not go, and the reasons others have mentioned too.

Your 1st Cruise! How Grand! Your vacation planning will be forever changed ya know!

 

 

I can't wait, I go from overwhelmed with excitement to minor thoughts of 'oh Crikey what have I done' but straight back into hi-5'ing myself for being so adventurous :-)

[MarthaGranger]

Now with final payment deal I have a question?? We booked last month for May 11 cruise on carnival cruise final payment is April 11th I believe.. Not early saver.. If price drop before I pay off do I get some off or is that only for early saver program? I believe our promotion was called now is the time.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[wallie5446]

We have never sailed Carnival.

[goduckies05]

I would wait until final payment life changes... also if you sing at all go do Karaoke... I did my first solo cruise on the 2nd and met a bunch of people from singing, and I was good to go the rest of the cruise! Have fun!

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Forums mobile app

[donaldsc]

Unless you are worried that you will be short of cash when final payment is due, there is no advantage at all to pay early.

 

DON

[Krazy Kruizers]

We don't make final payment until it is due.

I prefer to hang onto my money as long as possible and collect the few pennies in interest rather than let the cruise line make money on my money.

[Sow There]

I believe in the golden rule:

 

He who holds the gold makes the rules.

 

In other words, once you've paid for the cruise, you are at a disadvantage on any subsequent opportunities, such as a price drop or additional perquisites.

 

We always pay about 48 hours before the deadline just in case there's a hitch in the get-a-long with the payment process.

 

(Also, not part of the question, this is another reason we like using a travel agent. She will make sure we don't forget to make timely payment and, as well, she can check to see if there are any other deals we should consider before making payment. And one more reason, we always buy trip insurance. The pre-existing conditions limitations don't kick in, of course, if something bad occurs before final payment is made. Paying early for the cruise adds an unnecessary obstacle to buying insurance.)

[Thrak]

Your 1st Cruise! How Grand! Your vacation planning will be forever changed ya know!

 

I can't wait, I go from overwhelmed with excitement to minor thoughts of 'oh Crikey what have I done' but straight back into hi-5'ing myself for being so adventurous :-)

 

Don't sweat it. It took my wife years to get me to try cruising. I just knew I'd hate everything about it and I get motion sickness on winding mountain roads. She finally convinced me to try a cruise. I went to the doctor and got "the patch" for seasickness and booked a 10-day SF / Alaska round trip.

 

We hit really rough seas the first night out and all the next day and - the patch worked! I didn't get sick at all even though people were staggering all over the ship. As for the rest of the cruise... Holy cow! I was soooooooooooo totally bummed when the cruise was over. I wanted to get right back on the ship and take off for somewhere else. We went to Hawaii on a 15 day after that and I have a 4 coming up in May and a 10 day in November.

 

Be very happy that you've taken the plunge to try your first cruise. We started with Princess and loved it so we plan to stick with Princess. I'm sure there are good and bad things about all cruise lines but we seem to have stuck gold with Princess. Hopefully whatever cruise line you are booked on will work out as well for you.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

I don't get it. Why the "in case you need to cancel" reason to wait until final payment? I thought you could cancel for any reason and get your money back until final payment. So how is waiting any help?

 

Also, how much interest are you really earning by not paying off early? Yes, I get the principal of the thing, but is it really worth it?

 

If I could, I would pay off early. Maybe not a year+ early, but I'd love to have a cruise (or any vacation) paid 6 months in advance. lol

[FireStation46]

I pay by the cut off date. I also have enjoyed getting lower rates and room upgrades from the time I book until final payment. I put a good amount down but not the entire thing. Follow the boards or Cruise Critic's new Price Drop monitor feature.