Any risk to prepaying for cruise in full ?

[riekl]

I would like to pay for my cruise which isn't until 2018 now as I have the money now. Is there any drawback to doing this? IF price drops will they still price match ?

[figment7]

I have done this in the past and still got price drops. I cant remember if they offered to refund the credit card used or OBC since I wanted the OBC anyways so that would be the only issue per say.

[Clarea]

I would like to pay for my cruise which isn't until 2018 now as I have the money now. Is there any drawback to doing this? IF price drops will they still price match ?

You can still get price drops as a credit to your credit card. The only downside that comes to mind (besides not having your money) is the inability to transfer the booking to a travel agent.

[luckyinpa]

You can still get price drops as a credit to your credit card. The only downside that comes to mind (besides not having your money) is the inability to transfer the booking to a travel agent.

 

thats good info i have never seen before. are there any other circumstances other than paying in full, that you cannot xfer to a TA?

 

its' very tempting sometimes to do so with them offering free grats plus OBC but i'm scared to give up control lol

[Clarea]

thats good info i have never seen before. are there any other circumstances other than paying in full, that you cannot xfer to a TA? ...

Here are the restrictions:

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/customersupport/faq/details.do?pagename=frequently_asked_questions&pnav=5&pnav=2&faqType=faq&faqSubjectId=323&faqSubjectName=After+You+Purchase&faqId=2004

[Sunny AZ Girl]

thats good info i have never seen before. are there any other circumstances other than paying in full, that you cannot xfer to a TA?

 

its' very tempting sometimes to do so with them offering free grats plus OBC but i'm scared to give up control lol

I believe that you must transfer to a TA within 6 weeks of booking now. I could be wrong on the time frame, but there is a limit.

 

We love our TA. It took us awhile to find the right one. Unfortunately, no one is allowed to recommend a TA on these boards, but you can chat with others on your ship and find one that way.

 

I also pre-pay in advance now that my money doesn't do anything but sit in my account. If it was earning a bunch of interest I would wait. But, pre-paying helps me with my budgeting and I don't have to pay a huge amount all at once. Others prefer to do at final payment time. What ever works best for you. We have cancelled cruises that were paid in full (outside of the official final payment time) and have received a full refund within a few days, so no risk there IMHO.

[vacationlover_mn]

I had no idea you could get the price drop after paying in full (early)! The only time we paid in full early, was our second cruise... we booked through a local bargain TA, paid in full right away, then 9/11 happened, and prices dropped significantly. We contacted the TA, and they said we couldn't get the lower price. So, since then, we haven't paid in full until the last minute... However, I do book/pay for everything I can way in advance, like excursions and drink packages, since I know I can cancel/change them without penalty...

[Clarea]

I had no idea you could get the price drop after paying in full (early)! The only time we paid in full early, was our second cruise... we booked through a local bargain TA, paid in full right away, then 9/11 happened, and prices dropped significantly. We contacted the TA, and they said we couldn't get the lower price. So, since then, we haven't paid in full until the last minute... However, I do book/pay for everything I can way in advance, like excursions and drink packages, since I know I can cancel/change them without penalty...

Just remember that price drop/refund policies can be modified by a travel agent, so even though the cruise line might honor price drops after final payment, the travel agent can have a different policy

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Just remember that price drop/refund policies can be modified by a travel agent, so even though the cruise line might honor price drops after final payment, the travel agent can have a different policy

Very true....and a good question to ask a perspective TA is how they handle price drops. Also, I make sure the TA charges any payments directly to the cruise line immediately and does not hold the payment in reserve. If they do not charge it directly to the cruise line I won't use them. I use the RCI CC for cruise payments (and I use the points for OBC), so I want the card charged directly to RCI, not to the TA....and I can see when the cruise payment has been made to the cruise line on my CC report.

[LMaxwell]

Also keep in mind things like Amex offers that come up, such as $100 credit for $500 payments. May as well put that cruise payment money somewhere safe and easy to access like a simple savings account and wait to see if there are any offers along the way to save money when making a payment. The upside is you have the money at hand for other uses as well. I'm not a fan of paying anything too early unless there is a benefit to doing so.

[marci22]

Also if you want to get insurance coverage for preexisting conditions, do it before you make final payment.

[Desert Cruizers]

I keep a separate acct just for our cruises although due to several recently booked cruises I have only been able to maintain deposits in it to build up for our upcoming sailings and the on board charges we will have. As far as paying in advance, I pay ours off a month before final.and depending on how many cruises are lined up, keep a spreadsheet with payments dates. It works out best for me to set up say 2/3 deposits times to keep the final cost down.We all pay for our cruises which work the best for us, so if paying for your cruises very early while you have the funds to do so, then do it. Our daughter will be paying off her cruises next year probably early from the jobs she will be doing.

[cb at sea]

It's the "final payment date" that is the cut-off. You can pay in full immediately, but until the FINAL PAYMENT DATE, you can do what you want!

[js]

I would like to pay for my cruise which isn't until 2018 now as I have the money now. Is there any drawback to doing this? IF price drops will they still price match ?

 

I have an Oasis cruise booked for August 2018 so wanted to see the answers to your questions but also wanted to say that we are cruising the Escape in the Haven the week after you. Please come onto NCL and let us know how you enjoyed the Escape Haven. Can't wait!