Wow! Big mistake--Learn from me

[momof3cruisers]

I went online to my cruise manager yesterday to look into excursions using the code. We are going on two cruises this winter. A four day, leaving Jan 28th and a 7 day leaving Feb 2nd. However, when I pulled up my account, only the 4day was showing up. I was confused.

 

The final payment for the first cruise was Nov 29th. Since the second one leaves almost a week later, I assumed the date for final payment would be the same. 

 

You know what they say about assuming, right? 

 

Checked my emails. Oh crap...the Feb cruise final payment had been due on Nov 19th. So, it had been cancelled. Oh boy. We have airfare, vacation time etc all arranged. And we had really been looking forward to this trip. Now what? 

 

We we discussed it and decided to just bite the bullet and rebook. Cost us a total of $500 more and luckily we had booked on a $50 deposit sale. We even got the same balcony cabin on Lido. (Only one available.) 

 

So my lesson for others is--Check and double check your final payment date, especially when you have multiple trips planned!

[PhillyFan33579]

As you likely know by now, final payment for a 4 days cruise is 60 days prior to the cruise while final payment for a 7 days cruise is 75 days prior to the cruise. 

Edited November 28, 2018 by PhillyFan33579

[Micahs Grandad]

Sorry this happened to you but years ago this happened to us.

 

Called our pvp who spoke to his supervisor and got us reinstated.

 

Since that time very careful to make sure we pay before final payment date 

[bury me at sea]

That's rough.  Glad you got your cabin back.

[kctwinmommy]

Oh wow! Tough lesson to learn, although I'm glad you were able to rebook it and still go. And thanks for sharing your story, it may help someone else. And it's something that many people could have happen too. We've all assumed things, you're not alone! 😃  Enjoy both your cruises!! I wish we had one coming up!

[StolidCruiser]

Thanks for sharing in hopes someone else doesn't make the same mistake. 

[shof515]

this is why i put the final payment due date on my phone calendar and set it to send me a reminder a few days prior

[ProgRockCruiser]

I always set the final payment as auto-pay, that way I don't have to think about it, it just gets charged to the credit card.

 

But for those that don't autopay, yeah, you kinda have to watch when stuff is due manually.

[1lizette1]

5 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

As you likely know by now, final payment for a 4 days cruise is 60 days prior to the cruise while final payment for a 7 days cruise is 75 days prior to the cruise. 

I too did not know this. I assumed it was 60 days for all cruises. Good to know.

OP, sorry this happened to you. I'm glad you were able to rebook

[momof3cruisers]

Thanks for all the support. And yes, I have now figured out the different final payment Windows. 😳 Won't be forgetting that! Hoping it makes even one person think about checking their final pmt date. 

 

I considered calling our PVP to see if there was anything she could do, but for one thing, it was rather late in the evening and for another, it was my fault and I knew it. We decided to not take the chance of losing the cabin we really wanted esp since this had nothing to do with her work in setting it up. 

 

Now back to my dreams of ocean views from my Lido balcony with a cocktail in hand. 

 

 

[hockeyguru32]

Wow good save.....That's why I choose the payment plan it's so easy and costs you nothing but a monthly payment on your credit card and best of all ZERO fees.

[cruisegus]

22 minutes ago, hockeyguru32 said:

Wow good save.....That's why I choose the payment plan it's so easy and costs you nothing but a monthly payment on your credit card and best of all ZERO fees.

 

that works.  The invoice / Cabin Confirmation / Guest Confirmation has the Final Payment Date on it.  The true lesson (one I have tried to teach my adult children (2 get it  1 does not) ) is that one has to have plan or process to manage ones finances.  There is no right or wrong way to manage just a number of options and the key is to find one that works for you consistently.  You just need to plug that "Final Payment Date" into your financial plan/process.

 

Glad to hear you you were able to still get on your cruise and same room to boot

Edited November 29, 2018 by cruisegus
quote didnt take

[K&RCurt]

4 hours ago, hockeyguru32 said:

Wow good save.....That's why I choose the payment plan it's so easy and costs you nothing but a monthly payment on your credit card and best of all ZERO fees.

 

Actually it costs you the use of your money over the time between when the payments are taken and final payment date. The "Fee" is the use of your money before it is owed.  I just put the final payment on auto so it gets charged when due and I keep my money working for me in the time between deposit and final payment.

Edited November 29, 2018 by K&RCurt

[Garth2]

I always get at least 2 email reminders from Carnival reminding me of final payment date and always put the date on my calendar.

[Silent Penguin]

20 hours ago, momof3cruisers said:

You know what they say about assuming, right? 

 

Checked my emails. Oh crap...the Feb cruise final payment had been due on Nov 19th. So, it had been cancelled. Oh boy. We have airfare, vacation time etc all arranged. And we had really been looking forward to this trip. Now what? 

 

We we discussed it and decided to just bite the bullet and rebook. Cost us a total of $500 more and luckily we had booked on a $50 deposit sale. We even got the same balcony cabin on Lido. (Only one available.) 

 

So my lesson for others is--Check and double check your final payment date, especially when you have multiple trips planned!

 

Thank you for sharing your experience.  I bet you are a very busy person (missed the email with the final payment date)  who really needs a vacation.  We all make mistakes, and hopefully because of your story, this is one others won't make.  Now don't forget your family's documentation  (allusion to previous thread about the couple who couldn't get on the ship because they left their birth certificates back home) 😉   

 

I'm glad to hear you will still be going and will be in the cabin you originally booked.  Back in January of 2016, we canceled a November cruise in order to take advantage of a HUGE price drop on the same itinerary in March of the same year.  My only hesitation in rebooking was the possibility of not getting the cabin we wanted so close to the sailing date.  As it turned out, the same cabin was one of the few left on the March sailing. :)   

[ZoeyVictoria]

36 minutes ago, K&RCurt said:

 

Actually it costs you the use of your money over the time between when the payments are taken and final payment date. The "Fee" is the use of your money before it is owed.  I just put the final payment on auto so it gets charged when due and I keep my money working for me in the time between deposit and final payment.

 

Unfortunately, the money that is working for me seems to be paid very little.  Just a few cents in interest.  I look at a paid cruise as money in the bank, just waiting to be used.

[Tyhunt]

16 hours ago, ProgRockCruiser said:

I always set the final payment as auto-pay, that way I don't have to think about it, it just gets charged to the credit card.

 

But for those that don't autopay, yeah, you kinda have to watch when stuff is due manually.

 

Yes we use auto pay also but if around pay it a couple days early.  one time it didn't post but our PVP got it all straightened out with no problems or additional cost. 

[Bikkek]

We had a cruise booked a year ago.  Our final payment was set to autopay, but my sister's credit card had expired.  She woke up during the night one night and couldn't remember seeing the final payment charge on her credit card.  She called Carnival at 3 in the morning in tears.  They managed to get her rebooked in a different room with very little extra cost.  She was very lucky.

 

Brenda

[lizardhowson]

On 11/28/2018 at 6:54 PM, shof515 said:

this is why i put the final payment due date on my phone calendar and set it to send me a reminder a few days prior

Everybody who has a cell phone has calendar (even old flip phones).

Have never missed a final payment date, NEVER !

[richstowe]

Thank you OP for posting . I greatly appreciate that you have the character to not blame Carnival

for this slip up . Too many would . Glad it worked out for you . 

23 hours ago, ProgRockCruiser said:

I always set the final payment as auto-pay, that way I don't have to think about it, it just gets charged to the credit card.

 

But for those that don't autopay, yeah, you kinda have to watch when stuff is due manually.

My TA won't do this as they don't hold on to CC info . They do however send email reminders . 

[ProgRockCruiser]

15 hours ago, richstowe said:

My TA won't do this as they don't hold on to CC info . They do however send email reminders . 

Hmm, interesting.

 

That is one factor why I wouldn't use a TA, then.

[can't hardly wait]

I made the same mistake on my B2B.  One was a 5 day, one a 7 day so their final payment dates were a bit apart.  Luckily, once I noticed, my cabin was still available.  Carnival should consider an email reminder say 5 days out from final payment.

[LuckyStar]

On 11/28/2018 at 2:33 PM, momof3cruisers said:

I went online to my cruise manager yesterday to look into excursions using the code. We are going on two cruises this winter. A four day, leaving Jan 28th and a 7 day leaving Feb 2nd. However, when I pulled up my account, only the 4day was showing up. I was confused.

 

The final payment for the first cruise was Nov 29th. Since the second one leaves almost a week later, I assumed the date for final payment would be the same. 

 

You know what they say about assuming, right? 

 

Checked my emails. Oh crap...the Feb cruise final payment had been due on Nov 19th. So, it had been cancelled. Oh boy. We have airfare, vacation time etc all arranged. And we had really been looking forward to this trip. Now what? 

 

We we discussed it and decided to just bite the bullet and rebook. Cost us a total of $500 more and luckily we had booked on a $50 deposit sale. We even got the same balcony cabin on Lido. (Only one available.) 

 

So my lesson for others is--Check and double check your final payment date, especially when you have multiple trips planned!

 

So sorry this happened to you.  Also admire you greatly for having the courage to admit this happened.  I'm a coward, I'd never tell a soul. 😉

[ricew001]

My parents always give us money for our anniversary every year. So I took the money this year and paid the remaining balance on my cruise for NEXT YEAR. Yes I could have put that money in my savings account to draw a tiny bit of interest. Or I can have the peace of mind that the cruise is paid off and I'm not tempted to use that money for something else. Or worse yet I miss a last payment deadline.

[deliver42]

I have a file on my cruises in cronological order. Each cruise has it's own envelope, with the nearest cruise first. All the envelopes have the final payment date and amount in the upper left hand corner. I'ts been working for me for 23 years.