Why do people prepay service charges?

[Schmoopy]

Apologies if this has been asked a million times. But...

 

Is there an advantage to prepaying service charges? I see a lot of you do it.

 

We sail a week from today and if there's incentive to doing this, I may as well do it now.

 

Thx!

 

 

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[GrabMyWrist]

Simply to avoid having to pay it in their final bill.

[SchoolNurseMom]

No incentive per se, I just like prepaying so there's less to worry with later! :)

[all4gizmo]

For me its one less thing to worry about. I pre-pay as much as i can before i sail.

[Schmoopy]

Thanks guys! If I find some time in this crazy week ahead of me, I'll prepay for that one less worry. Otherwise, I'll wait.

 

 

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[jaja]

I just like to pay whatever ahead AND...it makes reading my final bill so much easier (without all the extra deduction lines) !!!! LOL..

[LrgPizza]

We wanted to unlink our son's ship card from our credit card, then put cash on his account for him to spend and budget himself. If we didn't prepay, then his DSC would've been taken out of that cash first (leaving nothing for him to spend, since we weren't giving him much.)

[Dayenu]

Some people like to pre-pay to have less charged on the final bill, helps them manage the funds better.

[luvtheships]

I just prepay the credit card i Plan to use onboard.

 

And just have them charge my dsc to sign and sail

 

The charge has already been paid in essence via my advance payment to my credit card plus I still earn points

 

So yes I guess I prepay to get it out if the way I just don't let Ncl actually get the money until the end if the cruise. Hehe

 

But I prepay myself and still earn points

 

 

 

 

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[margincall]

Just another who likes knowing it's already paid

[conandrob240]

I usually don't but here's another example of when it makes sense. My parents bought the family a cruise for Christmas that we'll all take in November. She wants to pay everything ahead of time so that each family puts their own cc on their cabin account and is responsible only for their extras.

[lhugheshome]

I prepaid because my sister who lives with me lost her job. Just in case it takes a while for her to find new work, we have completely pre-paid for,the cruise. We are going on this cruise no matter the circumstances. Pinching pennies right now...but with everything paid and included UBP. and UDP we are going to try and keep expenses as close to zero as possible. Only thing left to pay now is transport to and from Cruise Terminal. In different circumstances I have to think I would be feeling pretty good going I to a cruise with no expected expenses.

[cruiseat50]

I just like to pay whatever ahead AND...it makes reading my final bill so much easier (without all the extra deduction lines) !!!! LOL..

 

This is why we do it. Instead of 3 pages of final bill ours is on one sheet which appeals to the treehugger side of me and the other reason as it's sooo much easier to read as a person with astigmatism.

 

Also, although I've only done this after the 2nd cruise and we have always had great service I believe it doesn't hurt for the staff to know that I'm not going to stiff them.

[EyeSeaEwe]

So that they are pre-paid.

[Jacy613]

We pre-paid the service charges and it is noted on our final bill. Glad to have it out of the way and done.

 

As far as tipping goes, we tip the crew members we have direct contact with additionally anyway, but paying the charges just insures that no one gets left out.

 

J

[CrabbyPatti]

We just like to have it done so that all with have left is small stuff! We are planning our 6th cruise and the 5 previous we were with in $ 50.00 of what we budgeted for our trips! We just like having it all done! But if I find the one and only rare tanzanite jewelry piece I just have to have..........I will have a credit card:rolleyes:

[mitsugirly]

We usually cruise not only our DSC prepaid, but also a good amount (and fairly close) already on our on board account paid for. I will actually estimate how much I plan to spend while on the cruise and pay for it (by applying it to our room account) ahead of time and I have to admit that I come pretty darn close to what we spend. I will walk off the ship with maybe a $10 REFUND to me. :D I like walking off the ship knowing I don't owe a dime. :p

[sparks1093]

All of the above:).

[Single Cruiser]

It's the default option with most agents over here in the UK. It does work out cheaper for us as well as it's at a UK rate (about £7 a day) which is slightly better.

 

Plus as onboard it's in Dollars we have to pay a currency exchange commission on most foreign currency transactions so the less to pay onboard the better!!

Edited August 3, 2014 by Single Cruiser

[meltingmoments]

It's the default option with most agents over here in the UK. It does work out cheaper for us as well as it's at a UK rate (about £7 a day) which is slightly better.

 

Plus as onboard it's in Dollars we have to pay a currency exchange commission on most foreign currency transactions so the less to pay onboard the better!!

 

 

^^^ THIS!! Plus I like knowing that the bill that appears like magic in my cabin on the last night, doesn't have QUITE so much reading on it!! :eek:

[maywell]

If you're just budgeting $100-300 to spend on board, what you rather spend it on most - Gratuities which runs $84 per person or everything else like speciality dining once or twice a week / shopping / drinking? I think its a no-brainer...... :D

[genevaraye]

You sometimes have to prepay them if you want the "any time" dining option . . . Depends on the cruise line.

[Barb Nahoumi]

It is convenient to prepay service charges, getting that out of the way. The only charges left on our final bill, were for small purchases made on board, and excursions. We paid those in cash before we left, and walked off of the ship with a 0 balance.

[Sundiego]

...it makes reading my final bill so much easier (without all the extra deduction lines).

 

We've never prepaid before, but this sounds like a great reason to do so and I think I'll prepay for our Sept cruise! All those DSC line items drive me nuts.

[js]

As others have said we do it just not to have the final bill at the end. Prepaying the tips and having the UBP and the UDP, I dont see us having too much if any bill at the end.

Edited August 3, 2014 by js
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