Payment options

[gkamer]

Is there any benefit to paying for your cruise in full at the time of booking, rather then making a down payment and then additional paymets later on towards your sailing date? 

[beshears]

I don't believe so.  I go through a TA, and put a payment down, and then about 3 months before sailing, I have to pay it off.

[Luckiestmanonearth]

I don’t think there is any benefit but my DW asks me this every cruise we book as she’d rather just pay it and be done with it.

 

and my answer to her is same as always, pay it when it’s due as the money is better in my pocket than Carnivals .  Don’t give them a dime until they need it

[Purvis1231]

I wish they would give a discount for payment in full but they do not so we pay ours off a little at time. 

[BoDidly]

Only thing for me would be not having to worry about final payment  Which I do more often than not .I think if you're wantimg to jump ships its easier before final payment.

Edited January 27, 2019 by BoDidly

[Drazil65]

We typically book well ahead of our cruises (8 - 12 months out) and because of that I am able to make the final payment using several payments methods when final is due.  Example, using discounted gc's and offers like Amex (pay $500 CCL payment and get $100 off (Amex statement credit)) throughout that period of time.  Also, price drops before final payment mean more money off our cruise bottom line.  

 

I just made the final payment for our upcoming April cruise this weekend (final pymt due 1/28/19), since booking just under a year ago.  Between the 3 price drops I got,  the discounted gc's I used and the Amex offers, my final payment amount was just under $1,000 less than my original booking amount.  Up until this point the only payment made was the deposit.  Depending on what offer you book under, you can still get OBC if there is a price drop after final payment is made.  

[deliver42]

Other than your own convenience, no advantage or disadvantage in my opinion. The interest  that might be lost on your bank account is minimal.

[LibbyJanesMommy]

The only difference is where the money goes if you have a price drop. If you have already prepaid and there is a price drop it the excess turns to OBC. If you haven't prepaid it is taken from the total due.