Question about Deposit and Final Payment

[CanuckinSMA]

We are leaving Aug. 26 for Alaska cruise. We have paid our deposit and final payment is due May 22. My brother and wife booked the same cruise (after us) and their final payment isn't due till June 12. Is final payment determined by cruise line or TA? Does it depend on when you paid your deposit? I'm curious why they have 3 weeks additional to make their final payment?

[mllewis48]

We are leaving Aug. 26 for Alaska cruise. We have paid our deposit and final payment is due May 22. My brother and wife booked the same cruise (after us) and their final payment isn't due till June 12. Is final payment determined by cruise line or TA? Does it depend on when you paid your deposit? I'm curious why they have 3 weeks additional to make their final payment?

 

 

 

Typically TA's require their final payment b4 Holland's advertised date, at least that has been our experience with the large box TA we use. I'm guessing your brother booked thru Holland?

 

 

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[POA1]

The actual final payment date is set by the cruise line. However, a travel agent might require final payment a few days earlier to allow for processing. Ours does not, but some do.

[CanuckinSMA]

I'll check with my brother. I would like to wait the extra 3 weeks to see if any price changes etc. Plus it gives me an additional 3 weeks to hold off buying the Cancellation Insurance.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I have read here where some other people questioned why their TA requires final payment weeks before others make their final payment. Apparently you have one that requires the payment early.

We are also fortunate to have a TA that requires final payment at the time HAL requires it.

[Alberta Quilter]

I typically book directly with HAL, via my PCC. For cruises under 30 days, final payment is 75 days prior to embarkation. I have, for the past few cruises, transferred my reservation to the big box TA based in Seattle area. Their final payment date is 90 days prior to embarkation. (Although for our last cruise, we got to delay final payment by a few days because of a compromised credit card; we had to wait for the new credit card to arrive to make the final payment.)

 

I suspect the difference you're experiencing is due to the different time frames imposed by the TA with whom you booked. 75 days prior to your cruise is June 12th.

[jhannah]

This indicates that your payments are made to your TA who, in turn, sends the funds to Holland America. I prefer using a TA who process payments directly to the cruise line. There have been cases where folks lost money (and their cruise) because the TA never sent the funds to the cruise line and the TA went belly-up.

[bobandjo]

Are you on the NA Canuckin? If so, guess we'll be on the same cruise. We booked through a TA and our final payment is due June 12. The entry for the down payment on my credit card is by Holland America.

[RuthC]

This indicates that your payments are made to your TA who, in turn, sends the funds to Holland America.

Possibly, but not necessarily, Jim.

My TA likes the final payment a few days early, but she charges it directly to HAL. The reason she likes it early is to allow some "wiggle room" in case there's a problem or delay. If there's a problem with the credit card going through (such as your new card hasn't arrived, and the old one has expired), you need to arrange an increase in your credit limit (recently happened to me before I could make final), or some other reasons.

 

Way back when, in the days when I was paying by check, I made a huge mistake in my banking transactions. Instead of writing the check after I transferred the money from savings, somehow I managed to transfer from savings and right back in! Check bounced. :o

Happily, those days are gone.

[POA1]

Possibly, but not necessarily, Jim.

My TA likes the final payment a few days early, but she charges it directly to HAL. The reason she likes it early is to allow some "wiggle room" in case there's a problem or delay. If there's a problem with the credit card going through (such as your new card hasn't arrived, and the old one has expired), you need to arrange an increase in your credit limit (recently happened to me before I could make final), or some other reasons.

 

 

Exactly! Our TA does a preauth a few days out, essentially a hold. We actually get charged on the due date.

 

I'd be suspicious of anything more than a week out, but a few days is normal.

[oceanmom]

This has been our experience with the big box store TA.

 

We book with a PCC at Holland. About three weeks before the final payment, we transfer our booking to the big box store since there is very generous on board credit due to the length and cost of the cruise. Two weeks before HAL's final payment date, our payment goes through. We are still able to cancel the whole cruise for a full refund until HAL's final payment date, and were able to buy HAL's premium cruise protection insurance until HAL's final payment date (although I usually buy it two or three days earlier. The HAL insurance was bought by calling the big box store travel office who then called HAL while I was on the line). Worked fine.

 

Depending on the cost of the cruise, I either stay with the PCC so they get the full credit and I receive the upsell e-mails, or transfer to the big box store to get the OBC but losing out on getting the upsell e-mails which are not usually passed on by the big box store. This works very well for us with some nice upsells received on shorter cruises.

[iancal]

Our on line TA's always seem to process payment about a week prior to the cruise line deadline. Our credit card payment is always processed by the cruise line.

 

We would not deal with a TA who's agency processed the payment rather than the cruise line.

 

It is a bit academic for us. Typically we book inside the final payment window and pay in full at time of booking.

[ChinaShrek]

Exactly! Our TA does a preauth a few days out, essentially a hold. We actually get charged on the due date.

 

I'd be suspicious of anything more than a week out, but a few days is normal.

 

Interesting. My TA wants payment 30 days before HAL. The charge will be made to the TA and not the cruise line. I was told that this is because I am getting a special rate that they are not supposed to be offering. This rate undercuts the cruise line and saves us a significant amount of money. Now, you have me worrying.

[ithaca gal]

Interesting. My TA wants payment 30 days before HAL. The charge will be made to the TA and not the cruise line. I was told that this is because I am getting a special rate that they are not supposed to be offering. This rate undercuts the cruise line and saves us a significant amount of money. Now, you have me worrying.

 

I wouldn't necessarily be worried but I wouldn't be happy and wouldn't use them again. Sounds like malarkey to me.

[Hlitner]

3 weeks is a bit much (most of the agencies we use want finals 1 week to 10 days in advance). The reason is that if something gets fouled up with the final payment there is still adequate time to get it resolved before the cruise line's final due date. There have been cases where the cruise line (or cruise agency) makes a mistake and somebody gets canceled at the due date. With a few days extra margin, a good cruise agency (and a smart passenger) has time to make sure the payment has been processed. For example, our cruise agency processed our final payment (for an Aug 2 cruise) late last week. I checked my credit card on Friday...and it showed the payment was processed by HAL. This gives me a level of comfort.

 

Hank

[madera1]

We have been going through the Big Box travel group as well. In fact, payment made just today for Aug 6th sailing. Last year, there was a price drop about 5 days after I made our final payment. I phoned the Big Box TA and was able to get the price drop as it was before Hal's deadline. My credit card was credited with the difference.

 

 

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[Scrapnana]

Interesting. My TA wants payment 30 days before HAL. The charge will be made to the TA and not the cruise line. I was told that this is because I am getting a special rate that they are not supposed to be offering. This rate undercuts the cruise line and saves us a significant amount of money. Now, you have me worrying.

 

Wonder what they are doing with your money during those 30 days??? I'm guessing they don't send it directly to HAL that early.

[Tampa Girl]

Interesting. My TA wants payment 30 days before HAL. The charge will be made to the TA and not the cruise line. I was told that this is because I am getting a special rate that they are not supposed to be offering. This rate undercuts the cruise line and saves us a significant amount of money. Now, you have me worrying.

 

Are you saying that the credit chard charge will show the TA instead of HAL, or that you have to pay the TA instead of HAL?

[Tampa Girl]

What are the final payment dates for Grand Voyages, both World and Pacific? And are there interim payments pending the final? Am glad to know that HAL recognizes its final payment date, rather than the TA's, for the purpose of the CPP.

[Hlitner]

Interesting. My TA wants payment 30 days before HAL. The charge will be made to the TA and not the cruise line. I was told that this is because I am getting a special rate that they are not supposed to be offering. This rate undercuts the cruise line and saves us a significant amount of money. Now, you have me worrying.

 

We would not deal with any cruise or travel agent that charges the payment to the agency! We deal with several different major cruise agencies (we shop around for the best deals) and all have the cruise payments processed directly by the cruise line. And I would add that not having the charge processed by the travel provider (airline, cruise line, etc) could possibly jeopardize certain credit card insurance benefits....or at least make filing a claim very difficult. There are credit cards that include trip cancellation, medical, and some cards give you additional benefits such as On Board Credits. This is all generally triggered when the card sees a charge from an airline or cruise line.

 

Another huge problem with agency charges is that the cruiser cannot be sure if the payment is actually made to the cruise line. Over the years there have been quite a few travelers victimized by agencies that took their money, did not pay the travel provider, and either went bankrupt or simply committed fraud and took off with lots of travelers money.

 

 

Hank

[DeeDee Groff]

Interesting. My TA wants payment 30 days before HAL. The charge will be made to the TA and not the cruise line. I was told that this is because I am getting a special rate that they are not supposed to be offering. This rate undercuts the cruise line and saves us a significant amount of money. Now, you have me worrying.

 

I get the same heavily discounted rate from my TA (not big box) when I book the cruise, I pay the TA on the same date I would pay HAL, and the charge shows up on my credit card statement from HAL, not the TA.

[ChinaShrek]

I get the same heavily discounted rate from my TA (not big box) when I book the cruise, I pay the TA on the same date I would pay HAL, and the charge shows up on my credit card statement from HAL, not the TA.

 

Thanks for the information. I am saving approximately $1000 from HAL's price found on their website (and I have checked that daily for months) by booking through a travel agent. I think having to pay the TA one month before the cruise line payment date is worth saving that amount of money. What I don't like is the misinformation from my TA. I have been told the following by my TA:

 

1) All Travel Agents require payment sooner than if you book through the cruise line. This appears to be incorrect.

 

2) Most Travel Agents require the charges to be from the TA and not the cruise line because I am getting such a good deal. This appears to be wrong.

 

3) Only a few TA have special prices on HAL cruises and I will lose money booking elsewhere. This also appear to be incorrect.

 

After this cruise, I will be looking for a new TA, but I may still contact my current TA and see if they really have the best price.