Final balance payment.

[mklions]

We have just received a request for final payment on our forthcoming  cruise which sails in May 2024.

Stating that the payment must be paid in full by 2nd Jan 2024. 

Is this normal to ask for final payment five months in an advance?

On previous cruise lines that we have been on the norm is 3 months prior to sailing.

MKlions

[david63]

14 minutes ago, mklions said:

Is this normal to ask for final payment five months in an advance?

With Silversea it is - it should have this information on your confirmation invoice.

[jollyjones]

 

The SS norm is 120 days in advance.

The date is clearly shown on the voyage confirmation you receive after you've paid the deposit.

I have just made a final payment due by Dec 18th for a cruise beginning April 16th. This is the norm.

 

Count the days!

 

 

[dawntrdr]

But as a little plus, you also get to start making dinner reservations 120 days out too. 

[ronrick1943]

I’m not sure but doesn’t the suite you have play a part in this?

[Randyk47]

2 hours ago, ronrick1943 said:

I’m not sure but doesn’t the suite you have play a part in this?

No

[MJN1]

It also depends in which country you book/pay. In the socalled DACH countries (i.e.Germany, Austria, Switzerland) final payment for our next P2P cruise is 7 weeks and the deposit was only 20%.

Also prices do vary by currency and so do the liabilities/responsibilities (and dsciounts/OBC) of the cruiseline and the TA.

[Salbags58]

On 12/22/2023 at 12:26 PM, mklions said:

We have just received a request for final payment on our forthcoming  cruise which sails in May 2024.

Stating that the payment must be paid in full by 2nd Jan 2024. 

Is this normal to ask for final payment five months in an advance?

On previous cruise lines that we have been on the norm is 3 months prior to sailing.

MKlions

We are in the Uk and booked with TA and we had to pay 5 months in advance on final payment

[canderson]

3 hours ago, Salbags58 said:

We are in the Uk and booked with TA and we had to pay 5 months in advance on final payment

We've heard that about some UK TAs on other line boards as well.  When you get your credit card statement, is it the TA or Silversea that shows up?  With my TA in the US, it's Silversea and at 120 days.  Seems some UK TAs bank the float for 30 days?

[Randyk47]

5 hours ago, canderson said:

We've heard that about some UK TAs on other line boards as well.  When you get your credit card statement, is it the TA or Silversea that shows up?  With my TA in the US, it's Silversea and at 120 days.  Seems some UK TAs bank the float for 30 days?

Ugh.  I won’t do business with a TA who banks my deposit or final payment before sending it on to the cruise line.  Luckily I’m in the US and don’t have to deal with sometimes strange and different rules or practices.   

[Gourmet Gal]

On 12/24/2023 at 12:59 PM, Randyk47 said:

Ugh.  I won’t do business with a TA who banks my deposit or final payment before sending it on to the cruise line.  Luckily I’m in the US and don’t have to deal with sometimes strange and different rules or practices.   

Same here.  Seems a little shady.

[Randyk47]

14 hours ago, Gourmet Gal said:

Same here.  Seems a little shady.

Something like 10 +/- years ago there was quite a stink when what had been a well thought of and trusted Internet based cruise centered travel agency literally folded overnight defrauding hundreds of clients.  As I remember the agency got bought out after years of great service and the new owners came up with the idea they could float deposits and final payments to support their personal lifestyle.   Rather than just pass the deposits/payments for processing to the cruise lines they would wash the funds through their own accounts.  Worked for a while but finally caught up with them and they owed more to the cruise lines and clients than they could garner from new deposits and payments.  I know most of the clients never got any money back and while the cruise lines sympathetic they couldn’t and didn’t honor the bookings.  I don’t remember the name of the agency and as I recall the previous owner tried to resurrect the agency but I don’t know if he successes or not.  The whole mess impacted the whole travel agency business and the few agencies that honestly handled the deposits and payments changed to passing the credit card information to the cruise lines and let them process the funds.  

Edited January 1 by Randyk47

[drkitkat123]

On 12/25/2023 at 7:59 AM, Randyk47 said:

Luckily I’m in the US and don’t have to deal with sometimes strange and different rules or practices.   

Generally, as someone outside the US, I would say exactly the opposite!