What Can We Prepay In Advance?

[puttersriley]

Can we gift ourselves OBC before the cruise is paid in full?

[CSloan]

 

All I know is that I "pre-paid" my tips via the Princess website for my Star cruise in March and thought they were really pre-paid. They weren't. I had a credit on my folio for the total tip amount for the cruise and the tips were charged as they normally are, overnight every night.

 

Hey Pam-

Were you able to "pre-pay" the tips via the website, or did you have to download the form and fax it? The only way I can find to do that on My Princess is to download the form.

 

Thanks.

[we2ding]

Hey Pam-

Were you able to "pre-pay" the tips via the website, or did you have to download the form and fax it? The only way I can find to do that on My Princess is to download the form.

 

Thanks.

I downloaded the form and filled it out with all the information (except what I was ordering) and then I made a copy of it. As I got extra money- I finished filling in my order and I sent in the order thru the mail. I document on my original copy what I ordered and the amount I paid. I also made a shopping list of things I was interested in prepaying on the back of the original copy-just to make it easier when I was sending in a payment.

[CSloan]

I downloaded the form and filled it out with all the information (except what I was ordering) and then I made a copy of it. As I got extra money- I finished filling in my order and I sent in the order thru the mail. I document on my original copy what I ordered and the amount I paid. I also made a shopping list of things I was interested in prepaying on the back of the original copy-just to make it easier when I was sending in a payment.

 

Thanks. I wish we could do it online, via the Cruise Personalizer, without having to fax or snail-mail it. Oh well, it still works! I'm going to prepay the tips this time so my bill at the end of the cruise will look like a bargain :D

[LoveThisCruisingThing]

I generally send myself money toward my onboard charges, usually $500-750. This lessens my "sticker shock" at the end of the cruise. I simply email my TA & tell her to take $x from my Visa card. By the first evening I'll get a card in my mail slot letting me know that someone had sent me $xxx. As Pam mentioned, I'm not pre-paying anything specific, I just have a positive balance on my account. But that only lasts about one day - until they charge me for my excursions.

 

I never thought about doing this. It is those darn excursions that impact an account. Oh and also the duty free shopping. And the drinks. And the watch that I hope to buy this trip (my hairdresser bought a great watch on her MR this spring). And the tote bag that is so unique. And the list goes on and on and on. But it is so worth those pesky little tabs that you sign when you get things!

[VenusLady]

I think this is a great tip, and I'll now send myself some gifts :)

 

One question, what happens if for some reason you don't use them all? Unlikely I know lol but worth knowing ;)

[CRUZER2012]

I want to be able to load money into my onboard account in advance of a cruise "sailing". From what I understand from reading these posts, this can and has been done. I am glad to hear that.

 

I am wondering...

 

Is there a limit to the amount that can be loaded onto your onboard account in advance?

 

Must you use the gifting technique for adding to the onboard account in advance? Are there other ways to add funds to the onaboard account in advance? Via Travel Agent?

 

If you end up cancelling the cruise, what happens to the amount you loaded into the onboard account for the cruise you cancelled?

 

 

Thanks in Advance.

[TheBestIsYetToCome]

I have prepaid my gratuities, the code is 0597 on the gift form. There is a separate code for giving yourslf an on board credit.

 

Thanks for sharing this! I'll do that next time.

 

We usually pre-pay any hotels about 2 1/2 months out, make the final payment on the cruse 6 weeks out, and set up a $1000 OBC about 2 weeks out. Then we pay the credit card bills as soon as they post. This way, we end up paying off the hotels, the cruise balance and (a chunk of) the OBC credit in roughly monthly increments before we leave home.

[caribill]

Thanks for sharing this! I'll do that next time.

 

We usually ...make the final payment on the cruse 6 weeks out

 

Final payment is usually due 10.7 weeks before the cruise.

[CRUZER2012]

Final payment is usually due 10.7 weeks before the cruise.

 

 

Oh. I thought final payment is usually due 75 days before the cruise :) except for holiday cruises where final payment is due 90 days before the cruise and 120 days before a world cruise. Wish I had a reason to do the 120 day advance payment! :D:D

[caribill]

Oh. I thought final payment is usually due 75 days before the cruise :) except for holiday cruises where final payment is due 90 days before the cruise and 120 days before a world cruise. Wish I had a reason to do the 120 day advance payment! :D:D

 

Correct. Poster said they did final payment 6 weeks out which would be only 42 days.

[VenusLady]

I'm just on the princess website, in 'My Princess' and I can't see the document I need to download. Can someone please tell where I'm going wrong.

 

Than you! :)

[TM]

Just saw this thread. If anyone is looking for anything to pre-pay I'll certainly throw out that they can pre-pay for my next cruise. If interested I can send you my contact information.

[TheBestIsYetToCome]

Final payment is usually due 10.7 weeks before the cruise.

 

Could be! :D I put final payment on my calendar for whatever date the TA gives me, and then then split the three big costs of the cruise into roughly three monthly-ish increments.

[CRUZER2012]

I'm just on the princess website, in 'My Princess' and I can't see the document I need to download. Can someone please tell where I'm going wrong.

 

Than you! :)

 

 

Go to http://www.princess.com/learn/onboard/gifts_services/onboard_credit/Index.jsp .At the top of the page, there is a Download button. Click this Download button. It will display a PDF file containing the order form. The first 14 pages are those items you can preorder including onboard "credits". On Page 15 is the acutal order form. Save the order form when completed. Voila!

 

If you need more info, just ask.

[gliles]

As I posted above, you can "pre-pay" your gratuities but it's really just an OBC. You'll still be charged every night and the OBC will cover the cost. IMHO, it's very misleading because the gratuities are NOT really being prepaid.

 

we did it and the confirmation specifically says "Pre-Paid Gratuities" as opposed to Onboard Credit...this is from the confirmation:

01 6015 Onboard Credit $100.00 Usd

Bon Voyage!

2 100.00 X

01 0597 Prepaid Gratuities 1 120.00 *

02 0597 Prepaid Gratuities 1 120.00 *

[caribill]

we did it and the confirmation specifically says "Pre-Paid Gratuities" as opposed to Onboard Credit...this is from the confirmation:

01 6015 Onboard Credit $100.00 Usd

Bon Voyage!

2 100.00 X

01 0597 Prepaid Gratuities 1 120.00 *

02 0597 Prepaid Gratuities 1 120.00 *

 

After your cruise, please come back and let us know hown this was handled on your onboard statement.

 

a) No listing of the daily gratuities at all since they were prepaid?

 

b) A credit just like a regular OBC and daily gratuities posted?

 

c) Graturity posted daily and then immediately credited?

 

d) Other?

[AKman2495]

After your cruise, please come back and let us know hown this was handled on your onboard statement.

 

a) No listing of the daily gratuities at all since they were prepaid?

 

b) A credit just like a regular OBC and daily gratuities posted?

 

c) Graturity posted daily and then immediately credited?

 

d) Other?

 

I just got off the Coral. At the top of my statement it listed all my OBCs beginning with a line titled "prepaid gratuities".

 

It then listed every charge made on the trip-including daily assessments of gratuities.

 

Because I had a number of OBCs, my statement began with a credit balance and went down from there. There was no special reckoning of charges based on an OBC made at the time the charge was assessed.

[caribill]

I just got off the Coral. At the top of my statement it listed all my OBCs beginning with a line titled "prepaid gratuities".

 

It then listed every charge made on the trip-including daily assessments of gratuities.

 

Because I had a number of OBCs, my statement began with a credit balance and went down from there. There was no special reckoning of charges based on an OBC made at the time the charge was assessed.

 

Thanks

 

Did it list all the OBCs (besides the prepaid gratuities) seperately? I usually find them lumped together in a total with a description of "Om-board credit."