Option to select "Pre-Pay Service Charges"

[tdeyette]

We will be sailing on POA in 23 days (but who's counting)

 

In my cruise planner there is an option to Pre-Pay Service Charges.

Is this an option to pay now rather than later? If not selected will the charge be added to my on-board bill to be paid at the end of the cruise instead?

 

I'm not looking to re-hash the gratuity debate but just curious as to what this option means.

 

In my past cruise experiences I did not have to choose anything, it was automatically added (unless otherwise specified)

I would just as soon have it this way. Do I have to select this to assure it's done or will it be automatically assumed?

 

Thanks

[Dorhead1230]

We will be sailing on POA in 23 days (but who's counting)

 

In my cruise planner there is an option to Pre-Pay Service Charges.

Is this an option to pay now rather than later? If not selected will the charge be added to my on-board bill to be paid at the end of the cruise instead?

 

I'm not looking to re-hash the gratuity debate but just curious as to what this option means.

 

In my past cruise experiences I did not have to choose anything, it was automatically added (unless otherwise specified)

I would just as soon have it this way. Do I have to select this to assure it's done or will it be automatically assumed?

 

Thanks

 

I have never seen a way to do this online in MyNCL (it does show up as pre-paid once you take care of it, though). If you call customer service or your PCC, you can ask to pre-pay and they will simply add it to your total due upon final payment. They will not add it automatically in advance; if you don't ask to pre-pay, the DSC will be added to your onboard account total.

[khaide612]

In my cruise planner there is an option to Pre-Pay Service Charges.

Is this an option to pay now rather than later? If not selected will the charge be added to my on-board bill to be paid at the end of the cruise instead?

Do I have to select this to assure it's done or will it be automatically assumed?

 

The option to Pre-Pay is exactly that - you pay now. If you don't select it, it will go on your onboard account as usual.

[mitsugirly]

Yes, it's the option to pay your DSC now versus when you are on the ship. We always do it. :)

[tdeyette]

The option to Pre-Pay is exactly that - you pay now. If you don't select it, it will go on your onboard account as usual.

 

This is what I thought it meant but it seemed a little unclear to me....

 

Thanks!

[cruzsnooze]

There is a better reason to wait until you sail IMHO. If you don't cruise for any reason why have paid upfront? It's always harder to get a refund and if you get one who knows how long it could take.

[TravelJoe]

I have never seen a way to do this online in MyNCL (it does show up as pre-paid once you take care of it, though). If you call customer service or your PCC, you can ask to pre-pay and they will simply add it to your total due upon final payment. They will not add it automatically in advance; if you don't ask to pre-pay, the DSC will be added to your onboard account total.

 

It's one of the options under "Vacation Summary" once you log in -- you need to scroll down and it's just below "Payment" and above "Guests."

[triptolemus]

There is a better reason to wait until you sail IMHO. If you don't cruise for any reason why have paid upfront? It's always harder to get a refund and if you get one who knows how long it could take.

 

This simply does nothing to answer the OP's question.

 

OP: If you click on "Pre-Pay Service Charges" and continue, you will be presented with a checkout/payment process. You would provide a credit card and pay the charges. A promo code of PPSRVCHG (or similar) will most likely appear on your cruise confirmation.

 

If you do nothing, the charges will simply show up on your onboard account automatically.

Edited April 24, 2014 by triptolemus

[peg013]

There is a better reason to wait until you sail IMHO. If you don't cruise for any reason why have paid upfront? It's always harder to get a refund and if you get one who knows how long it could take.

 

The OP is cruising in 23 days. While there is a slim chance something will come up and stop him/her from cruising, it's not likely.

 

It takes 21 days at the MOST to get a refund.

 

While I don't recommend paying months ahead of time, it's much easier to keep track of your onboard bill without all the $12.00 charges each day. So on the rare occasion I don't have enough TA OBC to cover them, I pay them about 2 weeks before the cruise and they still end up on the same billing cycle as the cruise.

[cruzsnooze]

This simply does nothing to answer the OP's question.

 

Why the attitude?

[TrumpyNor]

I pre-payed the service charges for the first time 3-4 cruises ago, and ever since I do it every time. Even though the total I pay for the cruise at the end is the same if I don't pre-pay DSC, I feel that I have more "control" on my on board account when it is pre-paid. :p

Edited April 25, 2014 by TrumpyNor

[umpy10]

I pre-payed the service charges for the first time 3-4 cruises ago, and ever since I do it every time. Even though the total I pay for the cruise at the end is the same if I don't pre-pay DSC, I feel that I have more "control" on my on board account when it is pre-paid. :p

 

Have to agree with you, we did the same thing last year for a sort of B2B on 2 different ships and found it so much easier to know what our expenses were. Never mind worrying about that surprise bill at the end of your cruise that some have found.

We checked our account every other day after discovering an accounting error with our OBC, so knowing that the DSC was taken care of eased our minds.

 

cheers...the Ump...:D

[khirschman]

If you prepay you can then set your account up with cash instead of a credit card if you wish. They ask for a credit card but cannot demand it if DSC is paid in full.