Why are final payment dates different?

[Lovely_Star]

We are currently booked on the Miracle for this September. Our TA told us that our final payment would be due on June 21st. When I was considering booking directly through Carnival, they told me that our final payment would be due on July 1st. We booked a cruise last year during the exact same dates/time and our final payment with that TA was also July 1st. I am just wondering why this TA has a different payment due date compared to Carnival and our old TA?

[bubbles30]

We are currently booked on the Miracle for this September. Our TA told us that our final payment would be due on June 21st. When I was considering booking directly through Carnival, they told me that our final payment would be due on July 1st. We booked a cruise last year during the exact same dates/time and our final payment with that TA was also July 1st. I am just wondering why this TA has a different payment due date compared to Carnival and our old TA?

 

 

the TA has obviously just left themselves enough time to ensure that payment is made before the deadline. i.e. they may have to pay Carnival by the 5th July .......... but if you paid a little late they would miss their payment date therefore holding up ticketing etc.

[Terpnut]

Yes, your TA is basically making up a final payment date that gets her the money sooner and/or gives her some leeway with late paying customers. My TA did the same thing once, but as I knew that final payment is EXACTLY 70 days prior to sailing (at least with RCI), I informed her that her final payment date was too early. She confirmed that she made up the earlier date because she was just "hedging". :rolleyes:

 

I called her on the very last possible day to run the final payment through my credit card as I wanted the payment to post after the credit card posting date just two days prior--effectively buying me 30 more days to pay! If you time things just right, you don't have to pay for most of your cruise until just before you sail! :)

[Lovely_Star]

Thank you for your responses. I will contact the TA to see if she is leaving some "hedging" room.

[cb at sea]

Whatever your TA says the deadline is--IS the deadline! Your contract is with them--not the cruiseline!