Should I go and prepay service charge?

[mcatmcat]

I was wondering if I should add prepaid service charge to my upcoming escape cruise or let them charge it to my credit card after the cruise is back to port, any benefits on doing it at all?

Thank everyone !

[ColinIllinois]

Whatever is convenient for you. That's about it. Some people like to have as much as possible paid in advance.

[ncklhaus]

I like to prepay for as much as possible before the cruise. I like to not have a balance due at the end. We have a cruise booked for November and we received the UBP as our promo, but added the UDP for all 3 of us, unlimited internet for the 2 adults, a small cabana on GSC, prepaid the DSC, and bought $2500 in OBC. I don't see how we will spend it all (we will purchase a few Future Cruise Rewards:D), so we usually get a check refund in the mail a few weeks after the cruise.

[Charlie4]

I have never had a problem with service charges on my 13 NCL cruises. I pay them ahead, just because I don't like to see them on the Bill at the end. I try to pay as much as I can in advance so I get a $0 bill.

 

If you have not cruise with NCL, I would NOT pay them ahead incase you have any problems with service.

[NMLady]

I was wondering if I should add prepaid service charge to my upcoming escape cruise or let them charge it to my credit card after the cruise is back to port, any benefits on doing it at all?

Thank everyone !

 

We always prepay our service charge for two reasons. One is the charge is then on a different billing period than the onboard charges. Makes budgeting easier.

 

Another reason is it makes checking the final shipboard accounting easier to read. The service charge is a DAILY service charge so is charged each day to each person. On a 7 day cruise for two people that charge takes up fourteen lines on your shipboard billing account. We prefer to have a simplified bill.

[maywell]

Whatever works for you - I usually try to prepay mines due to having a low budget (I really don't spend alot of money on vacation, anyway) and tips/service charges is the biggest amount that takes a big chunk out of it. But I can also understand paying it at the end of the trip - sometimes, one can't pay for it beforehand for whatever reason and/or has no problem due to a high credit limit / alot of money on the sail card.

 

So do what works best for you and who's traveling with you.

[CruisinHarvey]

I never pay anything until I have to. Even if I'm just getting a couple of percent return for a few months (my checking account pays 2.5% at my credit union), it's worth it to me. It's not like they give you anything for paying early. A couple of cruises a year, just that interest may pay for a lobster roll at Ocean Blue. Although, once I get on the ship I spend whatever it costs, and don't worry about paying for it. I'm one of those folks that watch my spending closely at home, so I don't have to once I get on vacation. :p

[LrgPizza]

We generally pay just a few days or a week before we sail. It gets it out of the way, and that money isn't going to earn a darn thing for us during those few days if I waited.

[mizLORInj]

It's personal choice. Some choose to pay in advance, some don't.

 

It will show on your account view on the tv screen daily as the cruise days go by. You'll receive a final paper bill the day of debarkation.

 

Edited July 14, 2015 by mizlorinj

[tomk3212]

We normally do NOT pay the service charges in advance. However we just got one of those "Zero Interest Balance Transfer" offers on one of our credit cards IF we do the transfer before 7/31. So we're putting the cruise fare plus the service charge on one credit card & then paying it off with the aforesaid balance transfer. "Easy, squeeze y, nice & easy"...lol

 

Tom

[dcipjr]

I prepaid mine for my upcoming cruise, because we booked before the DSC increase. By prepaying the service charge, we can take advantage of the old rate.

 

Normally, I like to prepay mine a couple days before the cruise. It will all be on one credit card statement anyway, but it makes my charges easier to read on the balance sheet while onboard.

[cliffd64]

We enjoy the flexibility of pre-paying the service charges because we know that we will have a very small bill at the end that way. With the UBP and UDP being provided, the only charges we expect will be excursion related...

[Merriem]

I prepaid mine for my upcoming cruise, because we booked before the DSC increase. By prepaying the service charge, we can take advantage of the old rate.

 

Normally, I like to prepay mine a couple days before the cruise. It will all be on one credit card statement anyway, but it makes my charges easier to read on the balance sheet while onboard.

 

Yes, ours was the old rate, so I prepaid.

[Nola26]

I prepaid to beat the price increase and because it suits my budgeting style.

 

My preference is to have most of my trip prepaid. I've also paid for Illusionarium, more because we're getting the upgrade seating and I didn't want to risk a sellout. I bought my mother a weekly spa pass because there's a pre sailing discount and I can avoid the line onboard and it's a surprise.

 

Onboard I'll pay for shore excursions and a teen soda package and probably a FCC. I'm also considering some OBC for the teen card if his charges can be limited to that amount.

[LMaxwell]

It is totally up to you. I do not prepay anything that does not provide me a financial benefit to doing so. So in my case there is no benefit to prepaying for services before they are rendered; I use that money to pay for things that provide me a financial benefit instead. Each person has a different philosophy on how to make their money best work for them.

[www3traveler]

I pre-pay and consider DSC as just another cost of the cruise like port fees and taxes.

[BamaVol]

We normally do NOT pay the service charges in advance. However we just got one of those "Zero Interest Balance Transfer" offers on one of our credit cards IF we do the transfer before 7/31. So we're putting the cruise fare plus the service charge on one credit card & then paying it off with the aforesaid balance transfer. "Easy, squeeze y, nice & easy"...lol

 

Tom

 

Sure, no interest, but how do you get around the 3% fee for accessing it?

 

I don't like to prepay, but I will admit I find it hard to get past the 14 lines of DSC on my bill at the end. But without UBP, my drinks take up a lot more space on the bill than that. I think next cruise, I will draw a line through them to remove the distraction. With the "free" UBP, my final bill should be pretty slim.

[NLH Arizona]

I always pre-pay, it is just one thing I don't have to think about.

[LMaxwell]

Sure, no interest, but how do you get around the 3% fee for accessing it?

 

I've gotten credit card offers within the past 3 years for anywhere from 15 to 24 months 0% on balance transfers AND no balance transfer fees. So they do exist.

[numberguy]

I just pre-paid my DSC Sunday for my November Escape cruise. Haven't done it before, but I did it this time because we booked before the rate increase, so I paid $168 instead of $181.30. Not sure if I'll do it again, although I might. I'm an accountant and having a short bill at the end instead of three sheets of paper worth also appeals to my internal recycler.

 

--Michael

[Susie51]

I like to pre pay as much as possible. It's easier to budget dong it that way.

 

Whatever works for you.

[BamaVol]

I've gotten credit card offers within the past 3 years for anywhere from 15 to 24 months 0% on balance transfers AND no balance transfer fees. So they do exist.

 

Mine all generate airline miles or hotel points. I guess the 3% pays for that. I never carry a balance so I haven't really looked for a deal. I prefer to pay as I go.

 

But good to know if I ever need to carry a balance.

[LMaxwell]

Mine all generate airline miles or hotel points. I guess the 3% pays for that. I never carry a balance so I haven't really looked for a deal. I prefer to pay as I go.

 

But good to know if I ever need to carry a balance.

 

Maybe they just offer it as a sweetener to get me to use the card for new purchases since I never have any balances to transfer over either. The companies all know roughly how much, if any, debt you carry. I put my cruises on whatever card is giving me a 0% grace period, but only when they are due. Like I said, no sense paying ahead of time for something that doesn't give me any benefit.

 

Check out reddit.com/r/churning or nerdwallet.com for various CC deals. I usually opt for ones, like you, that generate rewards and travel points since I'm not carrying any interest bearing debt anyways.

[Crusin6]

I've gotten credit card offers within the past 3 years for anywhere from 15 to 24 months 0% on balance transfers AND no balance transfer fees. So they do exist.

 

 

Me too. That's how I'm getting the kids thru college. As you know those offers come with checks attached

 

I charge the tuition on the card that gives me the best cash back deals and then use the checks to pay the balance of that card

 

 

I've earned points.....made myself an interest free loan......and avoid schools loans

 

 

Of course as a financial person I read the fine print .....so to avoid any payment issues.....I immediately set up a WEEKLY payment plan to the interest free account from my bill pay at my bank.

 

Oh and the payments are calculated so that the balance is paid off exactly 2 weeks before the 0% interest is set to expire

 

 

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Edited July 14, 2015 by Crusin6

[LMaxwell]

Me too. That's how I'm getting the kids thru college. As you know those offers come with checks attached

 

I charge the tuition on the card that gives me the best cash back deals and then use the checks to pay the balance of that card

 

 

I've earned points.....made myself an interest free loan......and avoid schools loans

 

 

Of course as a financial person I read the fine print .....so to avoid any payment issues.....I immediately set up a WEEKLY payment plan to the interest free account from my bill pay at my bank.

 

Oh and the payments are calculated so that the balance is paid off exactly 2 weeks before the 0% interest is set to expire

 

 

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in the past 5 years I have paid more in library late fees than credit card fees and interest. All 30 cents worth.

 

Call your CC company and let them know of competing offers and they will likely comp you $50 to $100 worth of points just for asking. Shouldnt take more than 10 minutes.

 

FL Prepaid college wont take credit cards unfortunately. I wonder if there is something I can do with those CC checks in that regard. I will have to look more closely. I would love to put my kids college on CC.

 

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