How do you pay for cruises

[Toofarfromthesea]

5 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Yes, it does to some extent, but I am talking about a great majority of merchants, such as grocery stores, department  stores, etc,

 

Exactly, it is pretty rare to run into a 2-price structure for routine type purchases (outside of the gas station example in some states).  But Carmax wouldn't let me use my credit card for a car purchase.  To bad, because a car might count as travel and get 3x pts. On Chase Reserve, LOL.

[Toofarfromthesea]

4 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

I was seriously thinking about getting Sapphire Reserve in May but decided that my Costco Card (3% on travel and $3K insurance and no annual fee) was a better deal.  Also my wife was not a fan of the annual fee.  Now, Citi has removed the insurance which tips the scale to the Reserve.  I just made final payment on my September cruise which would have covered the $4K to get the miles bonus.  

 

The 450 annual fee is really, at worst, a 150 annual fee, since they credit back your first 300 in travel expenses each year.  Toss in the included insurance, lounge access, and Global Assistance reimbursement and that annual fee looks a lot less than even that.  

[Toofarfromthesea]

4 hours ago, clo said:

Doesn't have to be complicated.  Whatever decision you make at the time is right for you.

 

I dunno, in my experience people make bad bad decisions all the time.  About credit cards, cruises, and pretty much every other avenue of life.

[ontheweb]

8 minutes ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

Exactly, it is pretty rare to run into a 2-price structure for routine type purchases (outside of the gas station example in some states).  But Carmax wouldn't let me use my credit card for a car purchase.  To bad, because a car might count as travel and get 3x pts. On Chase Reserve, LOL.

I actually do have one more example of a dual price structure---we are doing an escorted land tour of Peru this summer. The travel provider takes a credit card payment for your deposit, but on the final payment there is a 5% discount if you send a check instead of submitting a credit card for the balance.

[Toofarfromthesea]

4 hours ago, DarrenM said:

Believe me, anything to do with finance is complicated to me.

 

I cancelled a meeting with our pensions expert at work, because I just couldnt understand any of what I was supposed to have taken with me. I figured I preferred not to know about it.

 

Due respect, my friend, but I don't think head in the sand is a very good financial strategy.

[Toofarfromthesea]

1 hour ago, Bookish Angel said:

We pay for everything we can on a credit card that gives us cash back and pay the bill off every month so there is never any interest or late fees.   We have been 100% debt-free for over 20 years and live a full but frugal life to keep it that way and to travel well and often.

 

I drive a 16 year-old Subaru that is very reliable and has less than 90,000 miles.  Same for my husband's 10 year old Honda.   Buying quality up front saves time and money later.

 

We are both very good with money and major savers who don't need many material things but consider travel a need.  

 

Financial security gives us freedom to do what we want, when we want.   

 

Before we retired we had a card through the same company we had our mortgage with and were able to have our 'cash back' automatically paid against our mortgage.  Saved us a fair amount of interest and helped up have the mortgage paid oFF before we retired.

[Toofarfromthesea]

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

That may be the wave of the future,  but might be difficult for a merchant to pull in the US at this time - our currency is defined as “legal tender for all debts public and private” - and certainly runs counter to the growing craze for Bitcoin, etc. - part of whose attraction is the transactional anonymity they supposedly promise.   A government interested in monitoring, or taxing, all transactions would certainly appreciate a cashless society.

 

It has been said that a cashless society is a surveillance society.  Personally I'd gladly give up the convenience and the perks that financially responsible people get, to go back to an all cash system, but that's not going to happen.  But it would actually be a great thing for people who are NOT financially responsible in a credit-based system, since their ability to get themselves in over their heads is very limited.

Edited July 4, 2019 by Toofarfromthesea

[Toofarfromthesea]

12 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

I actually do have one more example of a dual price structure---we are doing an escorted land tour of Peru this summer. The travel provider takes a credit card payment for your deposit, but on the final payment there is a 5% discount if you send a check instead of submitting a credit card for the balance.

 

I don't know that I would call that a routine purchase.  I was talking about daily activities, not one-offs.

[RocketMan275]

28 minutes ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

The 450 annual fee is really, at worst, a 150 annual fee, since they credit back your first 300 in travel expenses each year.  Toss in the included insurance, lounge access, and Global Assistance reimbursement and that annual fee looks a lot less than even that.  

To me, the big perks from the Reserve card are the 3x travel and the included travel insurance.  Had I known Citi would change the perks on the Costco Credit Card a month ago, I would have applied.  I made final payment on my September cruise this week.  I don't have any major travel expenses (3x points) until the next cruise which is late 2020.  I'm not losing anything to continue using the Costco Card until mid-summer 2020.    

Edited July 4, 2019 by RocketMan275

[sverigecruiser]

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

That may be the wave of the future,  but might be difficult for a merchant to pull in the US at this time - our currency is defined as “legal tender for all debts public and private” - and certainly runs counter to the growing craze for Bitcoin, etc. - part of whose attraction is the transactional anonymity they supposedly promise.   A government interested in monitoring, or taxing, all transactions would certainly appreciate a cashless society.

 

I don't like that future and refuse to spend any money in places where they don't accept cash! I want to decide how I shall pay!

 

I may be wrong but think that I have seen "no cash" places in the US  many years ago. I'm not sure where but maybe UPS or Fed Ex? Is that possible?  

[clo]

39 minutes ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

I dunno, in my experience people make bad bad decisions all the time.  About credit cards, cruises, and pretty much every other avenue of life.

Oh I know.  I was just trying to offer words of reassurance.

[RocketMan275]

2 hours ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

I don't like that future and refuse to spend any money in places where they don't accept cash! I want to decide how I shall pay!

 

I may be wrong but think that I have seen "no cash" places in the US  many years ago. I'm not sure where but maybe UPS or Fed Ex? Is that possible?  

There are legitimate reasons for some businesses to avoid cash.  For example, bars and restaurants lose can lose a fortune to employees pocketing cash.  

[clo]

3 hours ago, sverigecruiser said:

I don't like that future and refuse to spend any money in places where they don't accept cash! I want to decide how I shall pay!

Er, this is a cruise site where IIRC  none of them accept cash.

[MicCanberra]

4 hours ago, davekathy said:

Living within your needs, not your wants. Works for us. 

Us to, just lucky to be able to do some things that look like wants to others.

[clo]

4 hours ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

The 450 annual fee

Will we get points for that?!?!?  Seems reasonable 🙂

[iancal]

We pay when we book, if inside the final payment window, or two or three days prior to the final payment date.

 

What is cash?   I would advise anyone booking a cruise never to book or pay with cash or with a debit card.

Edited July 4, 2019 by iancal

[clo]

5 minutes ago, iancal said:

 I would advise anyone booking a cruise never to book or pay with cash or with a debit card.

For instance, if an airline goes out of business (WOW recently) you didn't receive the product that your purchased and your credit card company will refund you.  Good enough example?

[iancal]

or.....we booked a trip to China last year and had to cancel for medical reasons.  First time ever that we have had to cancel a trip.  

 

Our credit card had cancellation insurance.  The credit card insurance paid our claim inside of 10 business days, no questions asked.

Edited July 5, 2019 by iancal

[BirdTravels]

23 hours ago, SailorMan20 said:

It don't matter how or wheather it be a Credit or Debit card as long as the cruise get's paid for,

This is authoritative for someone who has never been on a cruise. A debit card immediately takes your cash and gives it to the cruise line. A credit card allows you to float that payment for up to 2 months. More importantly, a credit card often offers layers of protection in case there are errors and a credit card often offers travel protection in the event of a trip delay or cancellation. 

[sverigecruiser]

4 hours ago, clo said:

Er, this is a cruise site where IIRC  none of them accept cash.

 

Really? I know for sure that both NCL and MSC accept cash payment.

 

Which lines doesn't accept cash?

[clo]

2 minutes ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

Really? I know for sure that both NCL and MSC accept cash payment.

 

Which lines doesn't accept cash?

You mean that if you buy a drink then you can pay cash for that?  Or you have a spa treatment, then you can give them cash?  Wow I didn't know that.

[sverigecruiser]

Just now, clo said:

You mean that if you buy a drink then you can pay cash for that?  Or you have a spa treatment, then you can give them cash?  Wow I didn't know that.

 

No, I don't mean that. But you can pay for your onboard expensies with cash.

[clo]

1 minute ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

No, I don't mean that. But you can pay for your onboard expensies with cash.

Okay, that's not what I meant.  Thanks.

[sverigecruiser]

9 minutes ago, clo said:

Okay, that's not what I meant.  Thanks.

 

I think I understood that...

 

I should not pay with cash on a cruise but I want to be able to choose how to pay. I can buy things online even if they refuse cash because it make sense that cash payment isn't an option. If I want to buy a cup of coffee it doesn't make sense not to be able to use cash, I think.

 

Sweden will probably be the first completely "cashfree" country and I don't like that. Lots of people really need to be able to use cash for different reasons.  

 

In Sweden even most banks don't handle cash anymore.

Edited July 5, 2019 by sverigecruiser

[clo]

8 minutes ago, sverigecruiser said:

In Sweden even most banks don't handle cash anymore.

Here's an article:

https://www.npr.org/2019/02/11/691334123/swedens-cashless-experiment-is-it-too-much-too-fast