Cruise payments

[DRZ2]

I booked our next cruise for next October. I've never booked that far in advance. My final payment is due next August. I'm thinking of spreading my payments out till then and just make small monthly payments. Does anyone else do that?

[Schoifmom]

I've done that before. No issues, just log into your account online at whatever intervals you want to make payments and apply your payment. Piece of cake :)

[Jesziegler]

That's the only way I can afford it. :).

[Roscoe13]

Where does the money go if you don't pay it in increments?

[DRZ2]

Where does the money go? I'm not sure, but it always seems to go somewhere. Back before I had children, mortgage, car payments, etc I could pay cash upfront for vacations. Now, it's a little more difficult.

[DobberDog]

yep, thats how we pay for our cruises. Booked my thanksgiving cruise in Jan 3 days after getting off the Dream from our annual family cruise. Started making payments in June i think. Will have it paid off by final payment date. Booked another cruise on NCL in April 2016 a couple months ago. Other than the deposit, we havent made any payments yet. We start making payments on it this month.

 

Works well for our family budget.

[ladygal4.4]

We pay ours off in chunks too. Plus it's nice that if/when there is a price drop, the cost is taken off our total. on board credit is nice, but cash in my wallet is better!

[kelkel2]

I booked our next cruise for next October. I've never booked that far in advance. My final payment is due next August. I'm thinking of spreading my payments out till then and just make small monthly payments. Does anyone else do that?

 

Oh we have!! We did it for this breeze cruise and will do it for the Vista cruise as well. It just makes paying that much easier. When we get our tax money back that will be applied and then we will literally split our payments into small monthly increments of our choosing. We ended up paying our Breeze cruise off early, but it's so nice to do this!

[VA_Gym_Guy]

I booked our next cruise for next October. I've never booked that far in advance. My final payment is due next August. I'm thinking of spreading my payments out till then and just make small monthly payments. Does anyone else do that?

 

We do this all the time. We usually book our fall cruise right after Christmas and it is great making monthly payments.We treat it as just another monthly bill

[tea4ular]

I booked our next cruise for next October. I've never booked that far in advance. My final payment is due next August. I'm thinking of spreading my payments out till then and just make small monthly payments. Does anyone else do that?

 

It's the only way I do it! This coming trip was ten months out. $175 a month is a heck of a lot easier to swallow than a lump sum!

[Donh44]

I booked our next cruise for next October. I've never booked that far in advance. My final payment is due next August. I'm thinking of spreading my payments out till then and just make small monthly payments. Does anyone else do that?

 

 

 

I do that with every cruise. I plan ahead and then, after the deposit, I divide the balance into however many months until final payment. That's the only way that I can do it. Never a problem.

[ForSharonB]

Any disadvantages?

[Joanne G.]

If you have to cancel, you've got more of your money tied up while waiting for a refund.

 

In another era, I would say hang on to your money and collect some interest, but those days are gone! :rolleyes:

Edited August 31, 2015 by Joanne G.

[Mommabear2Five]

I wish I could do it this way every time, but it's so hard to know if my vacation will be approved more than a few months out. I was able to do this once since it was a 4 day cruise and final payment wasn't due until 30 days before. It made things so much easier.

 

I get 6 weeks vacation every year but I never know more than a month or two in advance when it will be.

[dioxide45]

We always wait until final payment to pay the final balance. Better to have the money in my hands instead of the cruise line. If I need to cancel, I don't need to wait to get all my money back.

 

I can understand how it is easier for some to budget by paying smaller payments as they go, but we always use a TA and it is a pain to work through them to apply payments. Best to wait until they just charge our card again for final payment.

 

We put small amounts in to a savings account each month so when final payment comes, we have the money on hand.

[ItsAllAboutTheSass]

We always wait until final payment to pay the final balance. Better to have the money in my hands instead of the cruise line. If I need to cancel, I don't need to wait to get all my money back.

 

I can understand how it is easier for some to budget by paying smaller payments as they go, but we always use a TA and it is a pain to work through them to apply payments. Best to wait until they just charge our card again for final payment.

 

We put small amounts in to a savings account each month so when final payment comes, we have the money on hand.

If it's a pain to work thru your ta to have payments applied maybe you need a new ta. Every time I've used a ta my payment had been applied immediately

 

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[happy traveler69]

I, too, pay in bi-weekly installments. I'm not a saver like that.. I tend to dip and dab into savings. I find it easier for me to do it this way.. if I have to cancel, at least I know there's "money in the bank" but so far, this hasn't been an issue! I'm blessed to have a job where I'm not constrained to strict vacation time. if I need to take a few weeks off staring tomorrow, then, as long as I have the time, I can do it.

I can pay for multiple vacations this way. if my portion is $1500 a year out, then that's $125/month (or $62.50) per check..

[happy traveler69]

btw- I don't use a travel agent, my choice!! I like full control of my vacation!!

[mabones]

Always do it this way. I like to make payments on my terms. My next cruise isn't until 11/16 but I booked it last February.

[riclop]

I booked our next cruise for next October. I've never booked that far in advance. My final payment is due next August. I'm thinking of spreading my payments out till then and just make small monthly payments. Does anyone else do that?

 

We don't do it but yes it can be done.

[dioxide45]

If it's a pain to work thru your ta to have payments applied maybe you need a new ta. Every time I've used a ta my payment had been applied immediately

 

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The only reason it is a pain is because I can't apply them online. I have to call the TA, they then have to call Carnival to make the payment. I wait on hold or have to wait until they confirm back that it has been paid. I have only done it a couple times. Not a problem with it not getting done, just have to take the time to do it. If you book directly through Carnival, it is easier to just go online to apply the payment. Another travel company I used accepts online payments, so it would be much easier with them.

[fuddrules]

Any disadvantages?

 

Simply the opportunity cost that is lost with tying up money before it needs to be. That opportunity cost may amount to something, it may amount to nothing.

[dioxide45]

btw- I don't use a travel agent, my choice!! I like full control of my vacation!!

 

I use a TA because they save me $$s, even with Carnival. I don't need full control of my vacation. They make price drop adjustments for us, which is really the only control I would need. I book all tours independently, and even if I didn't I booked them through Carnival, I could still do that. Not sure what more control you are gaining by booking directly through the cruise line?

[springs741]

My only suggestions are to pay attention to what you are doing. You have an option to pay in full or pay a different amount. I have read here that several people have accidently hit the pay in full. Carnival was nice about reversing the charges.

 

Also be sure you make that final payment deadline. Several posts also on here about canceled cruises. People think the final payment will be made automatically. I am not saying it doesn't happen with some really good PVP. But there have been a fair amount of people complaining that their cruise was cancelled for non payment.

 

Bottom line be responsible for your own financial obligations.

[T. Advisor King]

Simply the opportunity cost that is lost with tying up money before it needs to be. That opportunity cost may amount to something, it may amount to nothing.

 

Plus I'd add the psychological cost of knowing that they have your money for free (in addition to the fact that your money isn't working for you).

 

I can set up an unlimited number of sub-accounts at my bank. If "paying it down" was an issue for me, I would rather create a sub-account, set up a scheduled account transfer, and then let the money automatically move from my operating account to my "Cruise savings" account. That way I'd have the money making a dollar or two for me, it would be mine to use if a once-in-a-decade type emergency came up, and I would be happy knowing that Mother Corp C wasn't using my money for free.

 

As it is, the cruise fare is only a little over a half of the cruise cost. I pay the deposit right away, make flight arrangements next, book a transit hotel and maybe some of the activities a little closer to the sailing, pay the full amount on the final payment date, then the cash costs of the trip at the time of the cruise, and then the credit costs of the trip (cabin charges, etc.) a month or so after. Ultimately, I don't need to do much and the cost of the trip is naturally spread out.

Edited September 1, 2015 by T. Advisor King