Pros/Cons of paying off your cruise prior to Final Payment due date

[WAVTAM]

Buy after final payment is due...Case in point... April 12 ...Syndey to Honolulu...was 3200 for balcony....presently 1650 with 330 OBC.

[luv2cruisewl]

How many months have you watched this cruise? (Is it Celebrity price or s certain TAgency?)  Did it change drastically at 6 mo out, 120 days out, 90 days out, 60 days out etc?  A few weeks ago I thought it was showing balcony Sold Out and then way up in balcony price, like Concierge only and it dropped again, right?

 

So what level of balcony for the $1650?

Interesting to watch...

[jwojo]

The major drawback for US cruisers is that if there is a price reduction after you pay in full early, you will only get OBC for the reduction amount.

[Orator]

Perhaps Celebrity should offer a discount if you pay the full amount at the time of booking. I discovered that Crystal does this and all funds are returnable until the final payment date. 

[jkgourmet]

1 hour ago, jwojo said:

The major drawback for US cruisers is that if there is a price reduction after you pay in full early, you will only get OBC for the reduction amount.

 

We've gotten moved to better cabins when this has happened to us; but it rarely happens.  We book the cheap seats when seem to sell out quicker than those overpriced suites. 

[LA_CA_GAL]

Here is a reason to pay early.

 

I got a new credit card.  If I spend $5,000 in the first three months, they will credit me $500.

 

So I charged my cruise with this card and got a free $500.

[Tourist1292]

1 hour ago, LA_CA_GAL said:

Here is a reason to pay early.

 

I got a new credit card.  If I spend $5,000 in the first three months, they will credit me $500.

 

So I charged my cruise with this card and got a free $500.

That makes sense, but I would not put More than the $5000 required if the final payment is more than that. I actually applied to a credit card a couple weeks before I need to spend that amount on travel. So one can wait till a couple months before the final payment to apply for such credit card. Mine was $4000 spent within 3 months and get $600.

Edited March 25, 2019 by Tourist1292

[mek]

On 3/24/2019 at 10:58 AM, jkgourmet said:

 

👍  But just a warning:  If you travel to Asia, AMEX is not widely accepted.  We also found the same in South Africa.  We had zero problems with VISA, except  with street vendors and sidewalk food vendors and very small restaurants and bars in most Asian countries. 

I know - I travel all over the world, so I do have a Visa as a back up.  I was in South Africa on safari in Nov 2017 and only ran into a few places that didn't accept my Amex.  But we were discussing paying our final payment on a cruise which has nothing to do with world travel.  I've never run into a TA or cruise line that doesn't accept Amex.

[Marelaine]

9 hours ago, WAVTAM said:

Buy after final payment is due...Case in point... April 12 ...Syndey to Honolulu...was 3200 for balcony....presently 1650 with 330 OBC.

 

Wow! Great deal for those who can schedule vacations with a few months notice.

 

[SFCAcruiser]

12 hours ago, jwojo said:

The major drawback for US cruisers is that if there is a price reduction after you pay in full early, you will only get OBC for the reduction amount.

 

What evidence do you have to support this statement?

I have evidence that contradicts your statement. For an April 2019 cruise I paid in full two weeks prior to the due date; the price dropped US$1000 for the cabin one day prior to final payment date. My online travel agent re-fared my cruise and applied to Celebrity for a $1000 refund. I checked my credit card account online and the credit was in my account the following day. 

[jkgourmet]

12 hours ago, LA_CA_GAL said:

Here is a reason to pay early.

 

I got a new credit card.  If I spend $5,000 in the first three months, they will credit me $500.

 

So I charged my cruise with this card and got a free $500.

Agreed.  Like I said, an incentive changes everything.

[WAVTAM]

21 hours ago, luv2cruisewl said:

How many months have you watched this cruise? (Is it Celebrity price or s certain TAgency?)  Did it change drastically at 6 mo out, 120 days out, 90 days out, 60 days out etc?  A few weeks ago I thought it was showing balcony Sold Out and then way up in balcony price, like Concierge only and it dropped again, right?

 

So what level of balcony for the $1650?

Interesting to watch...

You are on the April 12 cruise with us. Can have a drink one night and answer all your questions. If you remember on the boards months ago , I ask when final payment was due. That starts my clock with agents competing against each others for price and amenities. Always book balcony guarantee and was assigned 6156 on first leg on hump and then 8115 on the second leg. Come to my cruise lecture on the 13th for more details.

[luv2cruisewl]

On 3/26/2019 at 6:57 AM, WAVTAM said:

You are on the April 12 cruise with us. Can have a drink one night and answer all your questions. If you remember on the boards months ago , I ask when final payment was due. That starts my clock with agents competing against each others for price and amenities. Always book balcony guarantee and was assigned 6156 on first leg on hump and then 8115 on the second leg. Come to my cruise lecture on the 13th for more details.

Yes will come on the 13th..I have been watching too to see how this all works out.  We were sent an email to bid up but have not heard back. I imagine we did not bid high enough.

 

[Magik Bee]

On 3/25/2019 at 10:41 AM, LA_CA_GAL said:

Here is a reason to pay early.

 

I got a new credit card.  If I spend $5,000 in the first three months, they will credit me $500.

 

So I charged my cruise with this card and got a free $500.

 

Happy wife, happy life!! Smart men, our husbands. BUT sometimes we're smarter!! 🤣😍😍😍

[gold1953]

one other reason . I just paid a large chink on mine as I foolishly booked in US $ Now are Canadian $ is falling and expected to drop a few more cents by the time my payment is due. I left a bit owing just to cover possible price drops even though I know I will be quickly refunded is such happens

[Tourist1292]

26 minutes ago, gold1953 said:

one other reason . I just paid a large chink on mine as I foolishly booked in US $ Now are Canadian $ is falling and expected to drop a few more cents by the time my payment is due. I left a bit owing just to cover possible price drops even though I know I will be quickly refunded is such happens

If you can forecast that, it would be a reason. Are you protecting your saving the same way too? 

[gold1953]

37 minutes ago, Tourist1292 said:

If you can forecast that, it would be a reason. Are you protecting your saving the same way too? 

a bit critical..   but I am very careful, thank you. It is not my forecast ..it is what is happening due to world issues. We all take risks .. just look at stocks. And then look at the risk you take when you book your cruise at a set price . Easy to miss a one or two day drop in price. What about the risk of the price dropping after final payment. A lot more money that the very small chance I am taking.;

Edited March 29, 2019 by gold1953
adding

[Mark_K]

On 3/25/2019 at 12:28 PM, Orator said:

Perhaps Celebrity should offer a discount if you pay the full amount at the time of booking. I discovered that Crystal does this and all funds are returnable until the final payment date. 

Silversea sometimes does that also, up to 10% in some cases.

[WAVTAM]

13 hours ago, luv2cruisewl said:

Yes will come on the 13th..I have been watching too to see how this all works out.  We were sent an email to bid up but have not heard back. I imagine we did not bid high enough.

 

Never found bidding to be successful as the set their own price pints.

 

But when you see bidding , you know there are available cabins.

[clskinsfan]

We make monthly payments on our upcoming cruises until we reach around a $1000 balance due. It just helps us budget better in our lives. And leaving a lump sum at the end gives you room to rebook at a lower rate if prices drop.

[smtcan]

6 hours ago, gold1953 said:

one other reason . I just paid a large chink on mine as I foolishly booked in US $ Now are Canadian $ is falling and expected to drop a few more cents by the time my payment is due. I left a bit owing just to cover possible price drops even though I know I will be quickly refunded is such happens

If we book in $US we put money into our $US account to cover the cost, then we know what the cruise is costing us in $CAD.  We don't make final payment ahead of time, but we have the money set aside.  We only book in $US if a TA has a particularly good rate and some incentives.

[Gonzo70]

Personally I can't think of a single advantage under typical circumstances of paying early; I always keep my money in the bank earning interest until a bill is due. Amounts to thousands of extra dollars over a long period of time when done with all one's bills.

[Tourist1292]

5 minutes ago, smtcan said:

If we book in $US we put money into our $US account to cover the cost, then we know what the cruise is costing us in $CAD.  We don't make final payment ahead of time, but we have the money set aside.  We only book in $US if a TA has a particularly good rate and some incentives.

It is a good way to budget the cruise, but It can be good or bad in terms of cost depending which way the exchange rate goes. If one can predict it a few months down the road, one would make arrangemenrs on all the cash asset accordingly.

[cl.klink]

On 3/26/2019 at 8:57 AM, WAVTAM said:

You are on the April 12 cruise with us. Can have a drink one night and answer all your questions. If you remember on the boards months ago , I ask when final payment was due. That starts my clock with agents competing against each others for price and amenities. Always book balcony guarantee and was assigned 6156 on first leg on hump and then 8115 on the second leg. Come to my cruise lecture on the 13th for more details.

 

BTW, in stateroom 8115, was the outside washing equipment always parked in front of your balcony? I am in the room on Connie and I found a website that said this.

- Joel

[grandgeezer]

Paying off early is of no benefit to me. I pay the minimum downpayment, and not another penny until final payment. My travel agent handles that. She has my c.c. number and I think she does pay it a couple of days early. 0 problems in fifteen years of doing it this way.