Why would a cruise agency request final payment 45 days early?

[JerseyShore64]

Kymbi - if what you said is true why didn't the agent tell KS that? It sounds like her agent is blowing smoke.

 

Hello Mellowgirl:

 

As for it being true, I am sure everyone reads what each individual cruiseline publishes about final payment. However, in a group setting often payment structure is different.

 

22+ years ago I went to travel school with a few friends at night and have sold travel as an outside agent part-time. After graduating college in 1986 I have been in Law ever since. However, through the years payments have changed drastically, as well as cruising in general.

 

Here is an example I have right now... I have a group currently that will sail May 2006. Their deposit was made April 2005 and another payment isn't due until final payment. Now this is a sizable group, so we put in additional payment times with the Carnival. The next payment is due Sept 2005 and then the final will be Feb 27th. Not all groups do this, but for me, this eliminates the OH MY GOSH I have to pay 700.00 per person all at once. I can only speak for my experience, but my groups get newsletters every month personalized, group meetings for questions and answers, shirts, ect. I don't want to chase payments at the end for clients who will cancel because the final payment sneaks up on them.

 

As for her agent not being honest, when any experienced agent has a group, they set the group, and do the payment breakdowns for the group. I am not sure they say we have final due early because we will have people who will cancel and not have the money, but they SHOULD. If that agent would have been forthright with the client, this post and speculation wouldn't have existed. Now the client feels a bit of distrust and wonders if their payment is really going to the cruiseline. Which in my state, Florida we are not permitted to accept payment, the payment is made directly to the cruiseline unless it is a check, then an AGENCY check is sent, not a check from Kym's wild checking account.

[KS Sunflower]

I wonder if since you have been booked as a part of agency booking.....

I wonder if you are getting perks???

Someone is...If they dont have a leader?? Did they disount your fare??

 

No, we didn't get any perks. Maybe someone at the cruiseline is cruising free.

 

I am not unhappy with the price we paid. I checked several agencies before we booked with this agency and most were about the same. It probably should have been cheaper, if they were selling group space, which I didn't know at the time. The problem was availability. We are sailing on the Liberty and Carnival took back unsold cabins from agents last year, when the ship started selling out. There are only a few unsold cabins remaining on our sailing and those are inside.

 

Obviously, the agency has not been truthful with me, and that I don't like.

 

KS