When to make final payment

[woodspines]

Final payment for my cruise is due May 31. Checking sites, the price has actually increased. Should I hold off until the very end to see if they fall, or should I go ahead and submit final payment now? (The ship is pretty well booked.)

[sue d. miller]

I never make final payment before it is due.

Sue
7 days on Star Princess 10/24

[gina2edu]

We made our final payment the day it was due. I figured I was better off having the money them Princess having it. We didn't get any price drop, but we did get an upgrade the day after we made the payment. That was exciting.

http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

[BJS]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>should I go ahead and submit final payment now? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>If it is most convenient to pay now than do it but check first to see if you have had a price drop for your category. This close to final payment if prices were to drop it would most likely be a couple of weeks after when people might cancel instead of making final payments or when rooms are released by TAs.

Future cruises:
5/04 HAL-Amsterdam-Alaska
9/04 Star Princess-Med.x2 Venice to Barcelona/ Barcelona to Rome
11/04 Dawn Princess-Southern Caribbean
Jan. 05 Diamond Princess-Mexican Riviera
July 05 Star Princess-Baltics
Aug. 05 Star Princess-Baltics
Past cruises:
04 Dawn Princess- Southern Caribbean x2
03 Grand Princess-W.Caribbean
03 Sun Princess -Mexico
03-Tahitian Princess-Tahiti/ Cook Islands
03 Royal Princess-x2 British Isles & Norwegian Fjords/ Iceland
03 Island Princess-Panama Canal
01 HAL Ryndam x 2-S. America San Diego to Valpariso/ & around Cape Horn to Rio
00 Sky Princess-China/Orient
79 Sitmar's Fairwind- Caribbean/Panama Canal

[spongerob]

I'd wait until after the end-of-month closing date on your credit card (usually around the 25th), and pay then. That way it doesn't show up until next month, so you can hang onto your money just that much longer.

Completed:
Sea Princess, Royal Princess, Grand Princess (3X), Caribbean Princess, Golden Princess
Coming up:
Tahitian Princess Oct 14/04
Caribbean Princess redux 6/25/05

[BJS]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>I'd wait until after the end-of-month closing date on your credit card <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Ours close on the 4th and the other the 18th.

Future cruises:
5/04 HAL-Amsterdam-Alaska
9/04 Star Princess-Med.x2 Venice to Barcelona/ Barcelona to Rome
11/04 Dawn Princess-Southern Caribbean
Jan. 05 Diamond Princess-Mexican Riviera
July 05 Star Princess-Baltics
Aug. 05 Star Princess-Baltics
Past cruises:
04 Dawn Princess- Southern Caribbean x2
03 Grand Princess-W.Caribbean
03 Sun Princess -Mexico
03-Tahitian Princess-Tahiti/ Cook Islands
03 Royal Princess-x2 British Isles & Norwegian Fjords/ Iceland
03 Island Princess-Panama Canal
01 HAL Ryndam x 2-S. America San Diego to Valpariso/ & around Cape Horn to Rio
00 Sky Princess-China/Orient
79 Sitmar's Fairwind- Caribbean/Panama Canal

[srphnx]

BJS, you don't really make a final payment untill getting off the ship, if you have seen my shipboard charges anyway. That being said, I never pay early, Princess, God bless em can get a bit sticky about price adjustments after final, so I don't make it any easier than I have to.

I wait untill day of unless there is some big benefit to paying early i.e. a limited time window to earn miles on a CC etc.

Life is at it's best when your address floats
<FONT color=red>Alaska</FONT>
Diamond Princess 05/04 ~~ Mercury 06/02
Rhapsody o.t. Seas 05/98 ~~ Legend o.t. Seas 09/95
<FONT color=red>Mexican Riviera</FONT>
Diamond Princess 12/04
Diamond Princess 11/04 ~~ Diamond Princess 04/04
Sea Princess 01/02 ~~ Vision o.t. Seas 04/02<FONT color=red>
West Coast-Baja Mexico</FONT>
Ecstacy 09/01
<FONT color=red>Eastern Carribean</FONT>
Century 12/97
<FONT color=red>Western Carribean</FONT>
Century 9/96

[Layla]

I've heard that if you call Princess after you make your final payment and the price has dropped you'll get the lower price via credit. Is this true?

Yours in Cruising, Layla

[srphnx]

It MAY be true but only if you booked with Princess and at the risk of starting this tired debate again, most discounting TA's have better rates because they discount a part of the commission that Princess does NOT discount.

Secondly, they sometimes run "new bookings only" sales that you aren't supposed to be able to get, my TA did get it for me however.

Life is at it's best when your address floats
<FONT color=red>Alaska</FONT>
Diamond Princess 05/04 ~~ Mercury 06/02
Rhapsody o.t. Seas 05/98 ~~ Legend o.t. Seas 09/95
<FONT color=red>Mexican Riviera</FONT>
Diamond Princess 12/04
Diamond Princess 11/04 ~~ Diamond Princess 04/04
Sea Princess 01/02 ~~ Vision o.t. Seas 04/02<FONT color=red>
West Coast-Baja Mexico</FONT>
Ecstacy 09/01
<FONT color=red>Eastern Carribean</FONT>
Century 12/97
<FONT color=red>Western Carribean</FONT>
Century 9/96

[spongerob]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR> Ours close on the 4th and the other the 18th. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Then anytime after the 18th would be fine, wouldn't it?

Completed:
Sea Princess, Royal Princess, Grand Princess (3X), Caribbean Princess, Golden Princess
Coming up:
Tahitian Princess Oct 14/04
Caribbean Princess redux 6/25/05

[BJS]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Then anytime after the 18th would be fine, wouldn't it? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Only woodspines
who posted the topic could answer that. Our closing date doesn't have a thing to do with theirs.

Future cruises:
5/04 HAL-Amsterdam-Alaska
9/04 Star Princess-Med.x2 Venice to Barcelona/ Barcelona to Rome
11/04 Dawn Princess-Southern Caribbean
Jan. 05 Diamond Princess-Mexican Riviera
July 05 Star Princess-Baltics
Aug. 05 Star Princess-Baltics
Past cruises:
04 Dawn Princess- Southern Caribbean x2
03 Grand Princess-W.Caribbean
03 Sun Princess -Mexico
03-Tahitian Princess-Tahiti/ Cook Islands
03 Royal Princess-x2 British Isles & Norwegian Fjords/ Iceland
03 Island Princess-Panama Canal
01 HAL Ryndam x 2-S. America San Diego to Valpariso/ & around Cape Horn to Rio
00 Sky Princess-China/Orient
79 Sitmar's Fairwind- Caribbean/Panama Canal

[Jacqueline]

I put thru the charge on my credit card the day it is due, no sooner. Talk to your TA on this to make due that they will do this for you (ie they are in the office that day).

Jacqueline
Constellation 3/20/04
HAL Westerdam 7/30/04
Tahitian Princess August 2003
Grand Princess Western Caribbean 2003
Brilliance of the Seas Baltic 2002
Ocean Princess- Alaska 2001
Celebrity Zenith- Bermuda 2001
Grand Princess Med 2000

[Coral]

I always tell the TA to pay it on the day due.

[spongerob]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Our closing date doesn't have a thing to do with theirs. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

So, your point in bringing it up was...?

My apologies if I didn't post every possible permutation and combination of credit card closing dates, final payment dates, and phases of the moon if that in any way influences the equation. I just thought it was a good idea to charge a cruise to a CC, if that is the way you intend to pay, in such a way that allows you to delay shelling out the actual cash (assuming that the entire charge is being paid off at once). I credit those who might find some merit in the idea the intelligence to adjust it to their own personal situations without having to take up board space detailing innumerable scenarios.

Completed:
Sea Princess, Royal Princess, Grand Princess (3X), Caribbean Princess, Golden Princess
Coming up:
Tahitian Princess Oct 14/04
Caribbean Princess redux 6/25/05

[westerdam42]

Oh brother..........

3/9/05 Eastern Caribbean
Sun Princess

[srphnx]

No "oh Sister" come on.. lets fight about that expression too. http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

Life is at it's best when your address floats
<FONT color=red>Alaska</FONT>
Diamond Princess 05/04 ~~ Mercury 06/02
Rhapsody o.t. Seas 05/98 ~~ Legend o.t. Seas 09/95
<FONT color=red>Mexican Riviera</FONT>
Diamond Princess 12/04
Diamond Princess 11/04 ~~ Diamond Princess 04/04
Sea Princess 01/02 ~~ Vision o.t. Seas 04/02<FONT color=red>
West Coast-Baja Mexico</FONT>
Ecstacy 09/01
<FONT color=red>Eastern Carribean</FONT>
Century 12/97
<FONT color=red>Western Carribean</FONT>
Century 9/96