How early do you make your final payment?

[cincicruisers]

I usually pay the balance about 10 days prior to final payment date.

[riclop]

I am curious if there are any pro's or con's to when you pay off your balance. Is it best to wait until last minute or just pay in full and be done. Also, can your change room location if one opens after final payment.

 

I make it on next to the last day.

[TravelerThom]

I am having a hard time understanding this:confused:

Princess knows that you don't get the price drop.

What Princess knows doesn't help me know. Do you mean that Princess does not allow price adjustment if price drops? Is that only after payment in full, or does that mean no price drop on any existing reservation?

 

You can cancel and rebook right away. So is it accurate to say Princess does not keep track of cancelled reservations, and then block the same person from getting new deals? (Many lines do keep cancellation records, and attempt to block rebooking by the same person on "new bookings only" deals.)

 

Especially before final payment date. Wouldn't you lose your entire payment if you cancel after final payment? I consider that a pretty effective block to getting a lower price.

 

HAL the same way.

[caribbean sailor]

I am curious if there are any pro's or con's to when you pay off your balance. Is it best to wait until last minute or just pay in full and be done. Also, can your change room location if one opens after final payment.

 

We make are payments at the last possible moment,just in case the price drops.Have a great next cruise.:)

[BillOh]

I don't know if this happened to anyone else, it could be an isolated incident and I could be partially to blame. I called Royal back in November when the price of my cabin dropped around $300. I called crown and Anchor and got a fairly nice man. He spoke clearly, but it was obvious English was his second language.

 

The communication went pretty well, and at the end he summarized fairly nicely including that I kept my same room number and OBC. I still owed around $1500 on the cruise. The next morning I checked my reservation and found it had a zero balance. I then checked my credit card and saw the remainder was charged. I don't remember him asking to do that and I didn't give my card this time, so they charged to the card on file. I wondered if that is a new policy for price drops.

[LMaxwell]

I pay when it is due, as close to the final date as possible (usually a day or two before). there is no benefit to me to paying earlier.

[TravelerThom]

I make Final Payment as late as possible. I prefer to have the money in my control rather than someone else's. While I certainly think CCL and RCL will be around for quite awhile, there are cruise lines that suddenly go out of business (eg Renaissance, Tom Harper, etc). You MIGHT get some money back if that happens, but it is a lot more secure in MY bank account.

 

With many ocean cruises, if you decide to cancel before Final Payment you can get a complete refund, but that is on a schedule determined by the cruise line. The people who managed to charge your credit card within 24 hours when you paid, may take several months to process a refund.

 

Thom

[ryano]

As soon as I possibly can. My upcoming Magic cruise final payment day is today. Ive been paid in full since about October. The peace of mind of knowing my cruise is paid in full > the pennies that money earns waiting until the last minute. I pay my cruise in full ASAP and then start saving for the extras.

[IsanTom]

About 1 week before!

[AtleeH]

At the last possible moment, usually a day or two before final payment is due. I'd rather have the money than give it to RCL early.

[mcatmcat]

A few hours before the due date [emoji4]

[*CENSORED*]

I just pay for it when I book it. I don't have to worry about it and if a lower price comes along, Royal has always credited me the difference.

[MikeandConnie]

I usually pay it in equal chunks, with the last payment a week of so before the due date..That way it's not such a big hit at the last minute if something happens..

[gypsy mom]

Does Royal send you a bill for the final payment? I've always used an agent before, so not sure how it works. I no longer have the credit card I used for the deposit, so it can't be done automatically.

 

Sharon

[Clarea]

Does Royal send you a bill for the final payment? I've always used an agent before, so not sure how it works. I no longer have the credit card I used for the deposit, so it can't be done automatically.

 

Sharon

No bill, you must call or use the website (prayers might be required) to make final payment.

[Kamloops50]

Does Royal send you a bill for the final payment? I've always used an agent before, so not sure how it works. I no longer have the credit card I used for the deposit, so it can't be done automatically.

 

Sharon

 

Cruise lines don't usually send a bill . They expect you to remember the final payment date. If you deal with a Personal Vacation Planner , they might call or email about 10 days before final payment.

[Itsbeentoolong]

Since I booked my May cruise I've got married and had our honeymoon on Azura over Christmas/New year so as that cost a packet I had to pay for this cruise half Jan payday and the other half this payday......that date being the last day I can pay [emoji51][emoji51][emoji51] lucky!

[rodenboy]

No more than two weeks before the final payment date.

[ken_nyc]

Either the day before or on the day it's due.

[Jessejo]

We have a cruise booked on another cruise line and if I pay it off early I will earn 30,000 frequent flyer miles with my new credit card. So, sometimes it does pay to pay early. Have booked cruises with several TA's and directly with cruise lines, our payment is always charged to our credit card when it's due, sometimes we're notified beforehand, sometimes not.

Edited February 16, 2016 by Jessejo

[ken_nyc]

Our final payment is due 6 days before the end of my billing cycle so I will pay it off and then go and pay off the amount on my card the same day.

[YadaYadaJodi]

Depends on -- Whether I buy trip insurance early or late, which depends on the itinerary of the cruise. Usually I wait until the last week before final.

I do this for no particular reason, but the hassle of dealing with insurance companies when canceling.

 

I usually wait until a day or two beforehand to make my final cruise payment. As others have said it, can depend on my credit card cycle.

 

However... as far as travel insurance is concerned, I like to buy the kind that includes covering pre-existing conditions. This kind of insurance needs to be purchased within a certain number of days of your deposit! Bums me out if this deadline occurs before final payment is due since I don't need travel insurance if I can get a full refund. :rolleyes:

 

I don't really have any issues but I am on some prescription medications and I've heard that insurance companies can count that as pre-existing if something develops btw so better safe than sorry.

Edited February 17, 2016 by YadaYadaJodi

[Lanzalady]

Well I've just paid for my 12 day cruise in June as the exchange rate GBP - EUR is favourable for me and has saved me about 500€ from what the rate was when I booked it. The rate may go down again but I have been advised that it's more likely to rise again. It's a risk but I'm happy to take it.

[Ashland]

Some cruise lines won't give price drops after full payment is made.

 

With RCI it's the "date" final payment is due...not the "date" you decide to make the final payment...a big difference.

[BND]

Usually about 5-7 days before it's due.