"No Deposit Required"

What is the fine print with booking with "Book Now, Pay Later/No Deposit Required"?

Does that mean I literally book my cruise now and don't pay can pay it off as I go? Are there hidden service charges, fees, or is it generally more expensive to book this way in the long run?

Or is it literally book the cruise now and just have the deposit and final payment in by the due date?

Excuse my suspicions Cruise Critic, but that's the salesman pitch world we live in, heh.

Appreciate the help as always CC!

Where this type of booking has been marketed in the UK, generally it has been a travel agent promotion, something like "Book now on a deposit of £10 etc.", the travel agent gets you to pay the full amount of the deposit if you default, cancel and do not travel. If you do travel you end up paying the same as if you paid a big deposit when the two amounts are added together.

Regards John

Thank you for the quick reply.

I see. So it's a bit of a gamble for them for those who do not travel in the end.

I assume travel insurance would be applicable here though?

Read the Ts&Cs carefully, they can vary dramatically.

Read the Ts&Cs carefully, they can vary dramatically.

I am reading them right now. I already don't like the non-refundable $24.99 "processing fee". I also hear they charge you $100.00 off the bat, if you cancel.

Anybody successfully haggle this "processing fee" off?

UPDATE:

I called this particular TA about the $24.99 processing fee and how I could get it waived. They were also offering a special "no deposit" deal (like every other TA on the internet right now). >_>

In any case, they told me that because they were offering a no deposit deal, they would not waive the $24.99 processing fee.

I politely declined to book with them. If I get a call or email stating otherwise in the next few days, I will still refuse to book with them. I hate games.

UPDATE:

 

I called this particular TA about the $24.99 processing fee and how I could get it waived. They were also offering a special "no deposit" deal (like every other TA on the internet right now). >_>

 

In any case, they told me that because they were offering a no deposit deal, they would not waive the $24.99 processing fee.

 

I politely declined to book with them. If I get a call or email stating otherwise in the next few days, I will still refuse to book with them. I hate games.

Your instincts are correct. If a deal sounds too good to be true it probably is. You're doing the right thing by reading the fine print before commiting to an expensive vacation.

But just to play Devil's Advocate, when customers have no money in this game they have a tendency to book without serious consideration. The TA would have no compensation for their time if somebody decides to book on a whim but then cancelled because they didn't think it out. Thus, the cancellation fee.

Your instincts are correct. If a deal sounds too good to be true it probably is. You're doing the right thing by reading the fine print before commiting to an expensive vacation.

 

But just to play Devil's Advocate, when customers have no money in this game they have a tendency to book without serious consideration. The TA would have no compensation for their time if somebody decides to book on a whim but then cancelled because they didn't think it out. Thus, the cancellation fee.

I agree with the cancellation fee. I just think "processing fees" are just another nickle and dime.

The detective in me did a little digging. Apparentaly all the TA's that are offering the "no deposit" special are owned by the same mega travel corporation. Browsing through, I was really amazed how most of the major TA's are really just 1 big corporation.

I guess I could just try again with another TA, but I'd rather just pay the deposit upfront then have $25.00 tacked on.

I'm learning a lot though. I almost never deal with TA's. Would rather pay more and plan every detail of my vacation myself than have someone do it for me. Planning the vacation is almost as fun as actually going on vacation in my books.

...maybe I should be a TA...

Why in the world would you think someone would give you anything of value for nothing? Of course the offer is nothing but a lure -to get you in the door.

Certainly no cruise line would let someone take one of their cabins off the market without putting some money up - and no travel agent will put up money for you just to be nice.

The absurdity of such a sales pitch simply indicates the lack of respect the TA making it has for the intelligence of their customer base.

Why in the world would you think someone would give you anything of value for nothing? Of course the offer is nothing but a lure -to get you in the door.

 

Certainly no cruise line would let someone take one of their cabins off the market without putting some money up - and no travel agent will put up money for you just to be nice.

 

The absurdity of such a sales pitch simply indicates the lack of respect the TA making it has for the intelligence of their customer base.

Well, it is a legit deal. You really can defer your deposit for a January 14th sail date (until October). Which is great if you are traveler on a budget like me who has several land based itineraries planned this year). You still have to hand over your credit card info and you still are locked into the cancellation fees.

I ended up booking with another TA offering the same deal, but got some airline miles and other benefits out of it to make up for it!

So, I am now officially booked on my first Caribbean Trip onboard Norwegian Epic!!!

Well, it is a legit deal. You really can defer your deposit for a January 14th sail date (until October). Which is great if you are traveler on a budget like me who has several land based itineraries planned this year). You still have to hand over your credit card info and you still are locked into the cancellation fees.

 

I ended up booking with another TA offering the same deal, but got some airline miles and other benefits out of it to make up for it!

 

So, I am now officially booked on my first Caribbean Trip onboard Norwegian Epic!!!

Congratulations - there is much to see/do in the Caribbean. Of course, your making a commitment for a future payment: locking into the cancellation fees, is "putting something down", just deferring the hit.

I know this posting is a little old but I was wondering how your experience with this went.

I don't think the OP is sailing until Jan 2017. EM

Where this type of booking has been marketed in the UK, generally it has been a travel agent promotion, something like "Book now on a deposit of £10 etc.", the travel agent gets you to pay the full amount of the deposit if you default, cancel and do not travel. If you do travel you end up paying the same as if you paid a big deposit when the two amounts are added together.

 

Regards John

Thank you for the quick reply.

 

I see. So it's a bit of a gamble for them for those who do not travel in the end.

 

I assume travel insurance would be applicable here though?

No, John's come up with a bit of a red herring.;)

It's all very different in the UK.

In the UK, a deposit is forfeit from the moment it's handed over. And as per his post if you book on a low/nil deposit promo and then cancel, you have to pay the rest of the standard deposit. The only difference is that if you've paid the standard deposit the cruise line simply keeps the money, whereas with the promotion they have to chase you for it. A second, and sometimes a third tranche is due at intervals between booking and final payment - again if you cancel you lose money paid to date, or you owe that money.

That's a major reason why those booking in the UK should take out their insurance before / at the same time as they book the cruise - or any other kind of vacation.

Must admit I don't entirely understand why deposits are taken (in the US for example) when those deposits are fully refundable. A bit of a pointless exercise?

JB :)

Whilst the company you have paid a deposit to has the cash in their accounts they earn interest on in not you. For a large company with many deposits this can add up to a reasonable amount of money even if they have to pay the money back to you later.