confusing final payment dates

[sailnsee]

what if your Travel Agency's final payment date is before(in some instances weeks before)RCI's final payment date. Can you still get obc if you have paid the final payment but RCI's final payment is not due yet? How does this work and why is there not one final payment for all cruisers?

[M&M Hayden]

what if your Travel Agency's final payment date is before(in some instances weeks before)RCI's final payment date. Can you still get obc if you have paid the final payment but RCI's final payment is not due yet? How does this work and why is there not one final payment for all cruisers?

 

I'd find a new TA.

 

I'm not sure I understand about the OBC. Who is it from? You mean if the price drops? Then yes, you get the lower payment as long as it is before RCCL's final payment.

 

There is one final payment for all cruisers, some agencies require / request payment prior to the actual final payment.

 

Just be sure to pay with a credit card....and that when it is charged it is a charge by RCCL, not the TA.

[chasinraynbowz]

My TA required payment one week before my final payment was actually due. Not sure why, but I complied. Now I book my own... lol.

[PattyG12]

The TA requires it early so they can make sure they have it to turn around and get it to the cruise line before the actual day. Is a few days really that big of a deal? I think the OBC is good until the final payment is DUE ... not paid.

[sailnsee]

where do you see RCI's final payment schedule...I believe RCI's cruise final date was Feb. 15 but TA(large popular site) was Jan. 21-not just a few days.

[cruisinfanatic]

where do you see RCI's final payment schedule...I believe RCI's cruise final date was Feb. 15 but TA(large popular site) was Jan. 21-not just a few days.

if you are going on a 7 night cruise, final is due 75 days out. I'd pay the Ta a few days before that. Their final payment date should not be more than a week more than RCL's.

[cruisingagentone]

I can tell you why I do. I ask for it 10 days before because sometimes people get busy and forget and if they suddenly remember that they need to cancel it could be to late. If they call and ask me to wait until the actual due date I will no big deal. 99% of the time I have to contact my clients and if I waited until the final due date and I can't contact them then they could be out of luck

[Illinoisgal]

Happened to me from the Ta I used for this first of two upcoming sailings. It is a B2b, payment for cruise#1 is due tomorrow, cruise number 2 is due March 14?? I did question them on it ans they said it has to do with the promo I was booked under. I got really good OBC from them so Im probably under a group booking so they need it earlier. Stupid and weird for one to be due 100+ days beffore it sails and the nect one 5 weeks later for a b2b. :)

[Mscruisin]

If you booked directly with RCI using a credit card do they automatically charge it for final payment on due date or do you have to remember to do it yourself online or by phone. Have always booked last minute and paid in full previous to this cruise. Thanks!

[Clarea]

If you booked directly with RCI using a credit card do they automatically charge it for final payment on due date or do you have to remember to do it yourself online or by phone. Have always booked last minute and paid in full previous to this cruise. Thanks!

Not sure about Canada, but in the US there is no automatic payment. You must call or use the website to make final payment.

[Magicat]

If you booked directly with RCI using a credit card do they automatically charge it for final payment on due date or do you have to remember to do it yourself online or by phone. Have always booked last minute and paid in full previous to this cruise. Thanks!

 

You will have to call RCI and give them your credit card again or pay online. We use the same vacation specialist and have to give him our credit card information every time as RCI does not keep credit card information.

[Desert Cruizers]

I always make our final payment 2 months before the deadline, that way I know its cleared. MY TA always calls the cruise line to authorize the payment, I do not pay the TA then she pays the cruise lines, also I get a printed statement showing my balance, following each payment.

[jaspercat]

One TA 'padded' it by 10 days. The one I have now pads it 'by 4' days, unless a weekend is involved:)

All pretty much for some of the reasons posted:

They know I might be travelling.

They want to allow time for CC to clear and not miss the 'final' payment date (your CC can be declined for a number of reasons even if you think your good to go)

They want to receive the final payment invoice (zero balance) and forward to me prior to final payment being due so I know it's done.

 

If you pay your TA by cheque (and they're paying the cruise company on their corporate or personal CC for you) then they may ask for payment farther out to ensure your cheque clears (yes, some people still do it that way). (Some may send your cheque to the cruise company to process -- which is even longer.)

[dirtgirl]

If a TA has a large group on a sailing, yes they will ask for it in advance due to the amount of paperwork that needs to be done (yes, there is paperwork), and to make sure everyone's payment is in on time. I'm not talking about paying weeks in advance, but a few days to a week I don't believe is excessive.

 

Also, some clients are VERY difficult to reach. You phone, you email, you leave messages, and they don't return them. Final payment creeps up quickly. A good TA will remind you well in advance. Case in point - final is up for a group of mine on the 21st. I sent out reminder notices last week. I've heard from two of the bookings. I'm not applying payment yet - but I needed their permission to do so, and to confirm the credit card numbers that they will use. I will have to follow up again with the others. I don't want to leave everyone's payment till the last day. I worry too much - this is my job - I don't want people's bookings cancelled because their payment is late. Princess will cancel your booking if you are one day late.

[Desert Cruizers]

Carol a dear friend of ours whom we met for the first time on our RT Hawaii in 2008, almost lost the cruise, because for some unknown reason, their TA possible due to a failing business, didn't call into the cruise lines as instructed by our friends, the final payment. This was about 1 month prior to the closing date. She charged the amount back to her company and never sent the payment in. Our friends learned of this when they tried to print out the set sail pass. Needless to say they were in her office ASAP. Fast forward, RCL held their room until the TA transferred the funds, plus deposit as that was cancelled out and our friends were reinstated back in their room. They learned to check your credit card online to verify if a payment has been made and to whom the charges went to.

[dirtgirl]

Carol a dear friend of ours whom we met for the first time on our RT Hawaii in 2008, almost lost the cruise, because for some unknown reason, their TA possible due to a failing business, didn't call into the cruise lines as instructed by our friends, the final payment. This was about 1 month prior to the closing date. She charged the amount back to her company and never sent the payment in. Our friends learned of this when they tried to print out the set sail pass. Needless to say they were in her office ASAP. Fast forward, RCL held their room until the TA transferred the funds, plus deposit as that was cancelled out and our friends were reinstated back in their room. They learned to check your credit card online to verify if a payment has been made and to whom the charges went to.

 

 

Then that TA was horrible.:eek: We do not apply credit card payments to our agency - they always go direct to the cruise line. If you pay via cheque, then yes, the cheque has to clear first.

 

It's always the dishonest TAs that are mentioned here. There are a lot of really good, honest TAs out there.

[silentbob007]

The TA I use tends to ask for final payment about a week before Royal does ... "slop time" makes sense to me.

[MCC retired]

The TA final payment date being earlier than the cruise line date is for good reason,to the clients benefit.

Many clients need final payment reminders and occasionally can't be located at final date or checks or cc bounce , etc..

This is to protect the client from cancelation as there are cruise lines( ex: Princess) now that automaticly cancel if payment is not in house at final date.

 

When it comes to penalties or rate adjustment rules , the cruise line final payment date is all that matters,

[dirtgirl]

The TA I use tends to ask for final payment about a week before Royal does ... "slop time" makes sense to me.

 

Thank you. :)

 

The TA final payment date being earlier than the cruise line date is for good reason,to the clients benefit.

Many clients need final payment reminders and occasionally can't be located at final date or checks or cc bounce , etc..

This is to protect the client from cancelation as there are cruise lines( ex: Princess) now that automaticly cancel if payment is not in house at final date.

 

When it comes to penalties or rate adjustment rules , the cruise line final payment date is all that matters,

 

I've had many a credit card be declined for any number of reasons. That is a good point you make. ;)

[Desert Cruizers]

Our TA always calls into the cruise lines and authorizes them to charge a payment to our Card. What was confusing to our friends, was that TA had always authorized the cruise lines to charge. What also made it difficult, the TA not only changed phone companies but numbers so the cruise lines couldn't evn get ahold of her to ask where the payment was. Needless to say they are with a new TA and most importantly, an honest one. It is sad that a few dishonest TA's ruin it for the many excellant ones.

[wrp96]

I remember back in 2005 when Katrina (and then Rita and then Wilma) hit the Gulf Coast. We had several people on these boards panicking because they had waited until the last day to make their final payment - and couldn't get ahold of their TA who was currently being hit by a hurricane.

 

So I think of the extra days as extra padding against a sudden snowstorm, hurricane, or tornado keeping you from making final payment.

[Mscruisin]

You will have to call RCI and give them your credit card again or pay online. We use the same vacation specialist and have to give him our credit card information every time as RCI does not keep credit card information.

Thanks for the information. I will call them ahead of final payment date to make payment. I will be on another cruise when the payment is actually due. Don't want to mess anything up!