payment plan?

[nseagirl]

I set up the cruise I'm currently booked for, through a TA. We paid the deposit then paid the balance when it was due. I asked her at the time of booking if we could make payments instead of a lump sum payment at the end. She said no.

 

My question is, if I were to book a cruise for 2009 through RCCL, would they allow a payment plan? I am really thinking of taking a solo cruise and know it would be much more expensive. I'd love to be able to send in payments a little at the time.:confused:

[CaribbeanCrush]

That is how we've always done it. Well, that is how we've always planned to do it. We do make payments, but usually end up making a much larger payment when the final is due. Not quite as disciplined as we'd like to be some times.:)

[bigasufan]

We paid the $500 deposit, and then made several small payments whenever we had a few hundred bucks. Our TA was very happy with it.

[Cam6959]

It must be something your TA just doesn't want to do. I have cruised with friends and family members who make payments all the time and they get a new invoice telling them how much they now owe. :)

[nseagirl]

Ok, here's my plan. I'm going to book "next cruise" while I'm on my April cruise. Then I'll see what cruise I want to go on and start making those payments!!!

 

As if I weren't excited enough by this upcoming cruise...now I can be doubly excited. Nobody will be able to stand to be around me!:D:D:D

[lvtotrvl1]

As a TA I have many clients that pay a little at a time....The only reason I can think of why they wouldn't take payments on a plan is if they are actually charging the card in house, because they are charged for each transaction...other than that, the only reason is as another poster mentioned, they are too lazy or just don't care if they have your business or not....sorry, but I would recommend moving on to another agent or the cruiseline.

[nseagirl]

As a TA I have many clients that pay a little at a time....The only reason I can think of why they wouldn't take payments on a plan is if they are actually charging the card in house, because they are charged for each transaction...other than that, the only reason is as another poster mentioned, they are too lazy or just don't care if they have your business or not....sorry, but I would recommend moving on to another agent or the cruiseline.

 

 

Believe me, I have been very unimpressed with my TA. I will not be using her again. Before I book the next one, I'll be on here looking for recommendations!

[wrp96]

nseagirl, when you make your NextCruise booking on the ship make sure to tell them you do NOT want it assigned to your current TA. When you make new bookings on the ship, the default is to automatically assign it to the TA that you booked that cruise through UNLESS you specifically tell them not to.

[glo1196]

Our TA is wonderful, she lets us make any payments in any size all along. I wouldn't do it any other way!

[nseagirl]

nseagirl, when you make your NextCruise booking on the ship make sure to tell them you do NOT want it assigned to your current TA. When you make new bookings on the ship, the default is to automatically assign it to the TA that you booked that cruise through UNLESS you specifically tell them not to.

 

 

Oh! Thank you! I never would have known that! Can I just ask that it not be given to ANY TA right then?

[TPKeller]

Why not just set up an on-line savings account with one of the major internet banks? ING, HSBC, etc, there are probably a dozen of them, and the major ones (if not all of them) are FDIC insured.

 

All will allow you to move money directly from your checking account to their savings account, some allow you to set up an automatic periodic transfer.

 

Then when that final payment is actually due, just move the money back over to your checking account and pay the bill. (Or use your credit card, then pay the card!)

 

You may as well be making the interest yourself, as opposed to Royal Caribbean.

 

Here is a blog that is often updated with the current rates for several of the major on-line banks:

 

http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2007/03/21/which-online-high-yield-savings-account-is-best/

 

Theron

[isujim]

We make payments to our TA all the time...........all it takes is one phone call and your credit card number.........RC will love to take any and all money in full or partial as you want to doal it out.

[Grandiva]

Yes, you can make payments through your TA. I bet the "layaway a cruise" (as my mother calls it) is the way so many of us get to cruise. Making regulr payments is important or you will end up owing a large amount at final payment time. I find a TA who has an office you can pay at works better than the phone/payment option. You tend not to make that call as often as you would run in the TA's office.

[mamaza]

Believe me, I have been very unimpressed with my TA. I will not be using her again. Before I book the next one, I'll be on here looking for recommendations!

Just shop around. Have a list of questions like "Will you let me make periodic payments?" and don't book anything until you've talked to quite a few - give yourself a quota. You can even interview multiple TAs from the same company, eg: working with one of the cruise exclusive travel agencies.

[Disney Campers]

Why not just set up an on-line savings account with one of the major internet banks? ING, HSBC, etc, there are probably a dozen of them, and the major ones (if not all of them) are FDIC insured.

 

All will allow you to move money directly from your checking account to their savings account, some allow you to set up an automatic periodic transfer.

 

Then when that final payment is actually due, just move the money back over to your checking account and pay the bill. (Or use your credit card, then pay the card!)

 

You may as well be making the interest yourself, as opposed to Royal Caribbean.

 

This is exactly what i did, opened another savings account, I give the cruise line only the deposit amount and keep the rest in the "Cruise Fund" account until final payment.

[Dr_DNA]

Why not make "payments" to yourself through a savings account or money market account? There are several good ones out there that offer competitive rates.

[islanderbob654]

I agree. There's absolutely no reason to pay ahead of time! As they say in finance, you always want to receive money NOW and pay money LATER!

[Satchel85]

I booked through RCI a year ahead of time and have just been making monthly payments.