Final payment - why so far from the sail date?

[Hflors]

We are looking into taking a "close" cruise in December. Wanted to go to Hawaii/Tahiti, but with dh's health issues we really need to stay close to home. Anyway checked on a cruise in December 11th ( hal has some crazy 60, 60, 60 promo) still can't understand why that would be anything, but anyway. Final payment is September 27! Now this cruise is 10 days. Why so far out??? We live in Florida so we don't need any airfare, but come on.... When did Hal start charging final payment this far out for a short cruise?

[GUT2407]

Gee here it's always 90 days out.

 

Guess it means they've got your money so

 

1 if you pull out after cancellation date they just keep it

 

2 they invest it or need to borrow less

[Scrapnana]

I've had to pay 90 days in advance on Celebrity, Cunard, and RCCL as well as HAL. Disney was the only line I have been on which was less.

[NMLady]

We are looking into taking a "close" cruise in December. Wanted to go to Hawaii/Tahiti, but with dh's health issues we really need to stay close to home. Anyway checked on a cruise in December 11th ( hal has some crazy 60, 60, 60 promo) still can't understand why that would be anything, but anyway. Final payment is September 27! Now this cruise is 10 days. Why so far out??? We live in Florida so we don't need any airfare, but come on.... When did Hal start charging final payment this far out for a short cruise?

 

Final payment date has nothing to do with the length of the cruise. For almost all cruise lines final payment is 90 days out. That lets the cruise line know in plenty of time to rebook cabins if any of those people booked are going to change their minds.

[megr1125]

It's close to the holidays so it may be considered a holiday cruise. My final for my October cruise was in August, so about 75 days ahead

[sail7seas]

Almost all HAL cruises (some exceptions) have final payment 75-90 days out.

It's been that way for years.

[jtl513]

The final payment date depends on the itinerary:

Grand World; Grand Voyages; any Segment of a Grand World or Grand Voyage; 29-50 day Hawaii, Tahiti & Marquesas; Incan Empires; Amazon Explorer; 30+ day Europe Transatlantic or any segment of a 30+ day Europe Transatlantic sailing; Africa Explorer and Far East Explorer

 

120 days before commencing travel

 

All Holiday; Australia; New Zealand; South Pacific; Asia; Prinsendam Europe; South America and Antarctica sailings

 

90 days before commencing travel

 

Caribbean; Panama Canal; Mexico; Canada & New England; Pacific Coastal; Pacific Northwest; Alaska and Alaska Land+Sea Journeys; Europe (except Prinsendam Europe, 30+ day Transatlantic and segments of 30+ day Transatlantic) and 27-day or less Hawaii sailings

 

75 days before commencing travel

 

So a non-holiday Caribbean cruise commencing Dec 4 would have a final payment date of Sep 27.

.

Edited August 23, 2015 by jtl513

[LAFFNVEGAS]

We are looking into taking a "close" cruise in December. Wanted to go to Hawaii/Tahiti, but with dh's health issues we really need to stay close to home. Anyway checked on a cruise in December 11th ( hal has some crazy 60, 60, 60 promo) still can't understand why that would be anything, but anyway. Final payment is September 27! Now this cruise is 10 days. Why so far out??? We live in Florida so we don't need any airfare, but come on.... When did Hal start charging final payment this far out for a short cruise?

 

For a regular 7 day cruise on HAL the final has always been 75 days (Most Travel Agencies add on 10 days to assure payment is made prior to penalty) if you are wanting to cruise on December 11th September 27th is 75 days prior to the sailing. But beware, you would actually not be able to cancel without penalty on that date if you already paid deposit. On September 27th is the day that penalty starts. If you must cancel after having paid deposit you MUST cancel by the 26th of September to get you deposit refunded.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

If I calculate correctly, that is 75 days before departure which is normal for HAL cruises, and other lines as well, at least in my experience. We have a holiday cruise departing on December 18th and final payment is due on Sept 19th which is 90 days out.

Edited August 23, 2015 by SJSULIBRARIAN

[Hflors]

I guess I just didn't realize the "final payment" time period. We have either been doing longer cruises or booking last minute. I'm thinking of waiting until after final payment to make a decision. We live very close to the port so no flying involved. maybe I'll hit on a sale. Thanks everyone for your imput. Sorry, but I hate paying for anything that far in advance.

[3rdGenCunarder]

I can remember when final payment was 60 days out. Now they're all 75 or 90 days.

 

In addition to having your money longer, they can lock you into a price and have 2 1/2 - 3 months to run flash sales to fill remaining cabins.

[cp556]

Generally, there is a certain amount of "fallout" at final payment time. People change their mind and cancel, or agencies holding group space release their unsold cabins. All of this works together to tell the cruise line exactly what they HAVE sold, and if they need to do a sale to fill the unsold cabins (and what categories those cabins are!).

 

About 20 years ago, short (3-4 night) cruises final payments were ~45 days prior to sailing, but even that has changed to a longer period. Most cruise lines now for 7-15 day cruises are asking final payment at 75-90 days prior to sail date.

[Fouremco]

When we purchase flights, we have to pay 100% at time of booking, even if the flight is a year away, so making final payment for a cruise 75 days out isn't outrageous. I'd prefer it to be less, but I can understand the business case for it.

[serendipity1499]

We are looking into taking a "close" cruise in December. Wanted to go to Hawaii/Tahiti, but with dh's health issues we really need to stay close to home. Anyway checked on a cruise in December 11th ( hal has some crazy 60, 60, 60 promo) still can't understand why that would be anything, but anyway. Final payment is September 27! Now this cruise is 10 days. Why so far out??? We live in Florida so we don't need any airfare, but come on.... When did Hal start charging final payment this far out for a short cruise?

 

Final payment date has nothing to do with the length of the cruise. For almost all cruise lines final payment is 90 days out. That lets the cruise line know in plenty of time to rebook cabins if any of those people booked are going to change their minds.

 

All our final payments on our regular HAL cruises have been 75 days & our Nov. 15 cruise is no exception.. The longer Grand Crises are usually 90 to 120 days out..

 

Sept. 27 is just 75 days..

[sppunk]

Be happy it isn't Viking where final payment is a year in advance. Seriously.

[dakrewser]

We are looking into taking a "close" cruise in December. Wanted to go to Hawaii/Tahiti, but with dh's health issues we really need to stay close to home. Anyway checked on a cruise in December 11th ( hal has some crazy 60, 60, 60 promo) still can't understand why that would be anything, but anyway. Final payment is September 27! Now this cruise is 10 days. Why so far out??? We live in Florida so we don't need any airfare, but come on.... When did Hal start charging final payment this far out for a short cruise?

 

That's 75 days out, standard throughout the industry.

[erewhon]

We had to pay by July 10th, for our cruise beginning October 25th.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Our travel agency pays our final bill 75 days out. It has been like that for a few years now.

[DeeniEncinitas]

Be happy it isn't Viking where final payment is a year in advance. Seriously.

 

So true!!!

We have a Viking Ocean cruise set prior to our HAL Med cruise starting in August 2016. We had to pay in full when we booked this back in March!!

Our Eurodam cruise in Oct 2016 our final payment is my birthday July 10th. Our cruise leaves Barcelona Oct. 9th.

Has always been 90 days for us!

Now when we were on the Oosterdam for our Mexican Riviera Cruise 2012 at Christmas time it was 75 days out!

Denise:)

[sammiedawg]

So true!!!

We have a Viking Ocean cruise set prior to our HAL Med cruise starting in August 2016. We had to pay in full when we booked this back in March!!

Our Eurodam cruise in Oct 2016 our final payment is my birthday July 10th. Our cruise leaves Barcelona Oct. 9th.

Has always been 90 days for us!

Now when we were on the Oosterdam for our Mexican Riviera Cruise 2012 at Christmas time it was 75 days out!

Denise:)

 

I personally would not pay Viking River or Ocean cruises anything so far out. There is a big discussion on this on the CC River cruise forum and the Viking ocean forum. Our lone Viking trip was booked last minute for a huge discount and they do dump inventory late.

 

We've paid six months ahead for Oceania, most of their sailings are 20 plus days. Payment schedules are based on length of sailing which is reasonable. I have a 2016 14 day trip planned, payment due 90 days out.

 

Disney requires full payment six to seven weeks out to stay in any of their resorts with a partial to no refund policy after that. We just snuck in under the deadline to cancel two family members who cannot go this October. Otherwise we would lose a two hundred dollar room deposit. Their marketplace clout is amazing.

Their seven day cruise final payment seems standard for the industry but I don't remember the timeframes.

Edited August 23, 2015 by sammiedawg

[DeeniEncinitas]

I personally would not pay Viking River or Ocean cruises anything so far out. There is a big discussion on this on the CC River cruise forum and the Viking ocean forum. Our lone Viking trip was booked last minute for a huge discount and they do dump inventory late.

 

We've paid six months ahead for Oceania, most of their sailings are 20 plus days. Payment schedules are based on length of sailing which is reasonable. I have a 2016 14 day trip planned, payment due 90 days out.

 

Disney requires full payment six to seven weeks out to stay in any of their resorts with a partial to no refund policy after that. We just snuck in under the deadline to cancel two family members who cannot go this October. Otherwise we would lose a two hundred dollar room deposit. Their marketplace clout is amazing.

Their seven day cruise final payment seems standard for the industry but I don't remember the timeframes.

 

Understand your cruises!!

Unfortunately you do not know our reason. Doing a 2 months renting apt. In Nice, and Paris, taking our Viking Ocean prior to our HAL cruise! We are very aware of Viking, but we had done a lot with them. Booked Oceania holiday fiesta Panama Canal/Mexico cruise dec 21, 2016 and payment is 90 days out also.

So it is different with most of the cruise lines. I do agree with you on Viking, but this works for us.

Happy sailings on your cruises too Sammiedawg!

Denise:)

[knittinggirl]

We used to have a credit card that gave us 90 days to file a complaint to reverse the charges.

 

Also, once final payment is done, you lose your price drop power. We're more familiar w/ Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, but they don't honor price drops after final payment. Sometimes they'll let you upgrade, but no price drops on the room booked.

 

Please post if HAL is different from Royal Caribbean.

[Fouremco]

We used to have a credit card that gave us 90 days to file a complaint to reverse the charges.

Could you expand on this? I'm not sure if you mean that the card provided you a means of getting around the final payment issue.

[Gerd]

.

 

Hello all

 

I know the 90 days is for HAL the standard procedure – but here in Germany it’s really different – indeed much shorter.

 

For my upcoming Grand World Voyage on December 22. the final payment is only due on December first.

 

And this is just 22 days prior to the departure….

 

 

Happy cruising

 

G E R D

[CaveDiving]

When we purchase flights, we have to pay 100% at time of booking, even if the flight is a year away, so making final payment for a cruise 75 days out isn't outrageous. I'd prefer it to be less, but I can understand the business case for it.

 

Hi,

 

Could you please explain how to make a plane reservation a year in advance. I have only been able to do it about 10 months in advance.

 

.

Hello all

 

I know the 90 days is for HAL the standard procedure – but here in Germany it’s really different – indeed much shorter.

 

For my upcoming Grand World Voyage on December 22. the final payment is only due on December first.

 

And this is just 22 days prior to the departure….

 

Happy cruising

 

G E R D

 

Could you please explain exactly which HAL World Cruise it is that is leaving on Dec. 22.

 

Thanks, Scott & Karen