What do you pre pay?

I know people will disagree with this saying Carnival is collecting interest on our money but here goes.

We are sailing on the Conquest on October 1 with several family members.

DH and I made a decision to pre pay as much of this cruise as we could. This is the first time we have done this and it actually feels good.

This is a list that we have pre paid:

Airfare paid

Cruise paid (final payment due 7-18)

Bought soda package

Paid tips

$1500 for cruise

2 night hotel stay pre cruise

Transfers from Port back to airport after cruise

What do you pre pay on your cruise.

Obviously the cruise, hotel, probably car park.

Then it depends on that OBC I might have.

Not going to prepay for, say drinks, and then have left over OBC.

We usually prepay the tips a few weeks before the cruise and have purchased a few hundred is cruise cash but we have decided in the future to buy a few Carnival gift cards.

We also purchase excursions a month or so in advance.

I Prepay everything also buy Cruise Cash, Pay for excursions

Cruise

Gratuities

Excursions

Bottled water

We drive to the port so no airfare is required. And our hotel the day before sailing is free since DH travels for a living and acquires lots of points.

Cruise

Gratuities

Excursions(most of the time)

Flights

Hotel

This year we are sailing out of Baltimore which is 25 minutes from my home, usually we sail out of Florida and like I said I prepay everything, hotels car airfare, purchase cruise cash, I will also buy prepaid visa for meals before and after cruise. Works great when i get back I don't have to worry about paying Credit cards off. The vacation has already been paid for.

I know people will disagree with this saying Carnival is collecting interest on our money but here goes.

 

We are sailing on the Conquest on October 1 with several family members.

DH and I made a decision to pre pay as much of this cruise as we could. This is the first time we have done this and it actually feels good.

 

This is a list that we have pre paid:

Airfare paid

Cruise paid (final payment due 7-18)

Bought soda package

Paid tips

$1500 for cruise

2 night hotel stay pre cruise

Transfers from Port back to airport after cruise

 

What do you pre pay on your cruise.

Only the things that are due. Prepaying anything else is just a psychological ploy. It's like prepaying your credit card before you have a charge on it.

I have never prepaid before. I usually bank the money and then use it to pay when I return, but not having to do that when I return might make the after cruise part more relaxing. Can you use Carnival gift cards to prepay?

I have never prepaid before. I usually bank the money and then use it to pay when I return, but not having to do that when I return might make the after cruise part more relaxing. Can you use Carnival gift cards to prepay?

You can prepay a great deal of things with Carnival gift cards:

• cruise fare
  
• gratuities
  
• Carnival excursions
  

I just wish you could prepay Cheers with them!

We are cruising 10/29 this year. Everything is paid for except excursions, airfare, hotel, and on board spending.

However I have gift cards to cover airfare and on board spending and have my vacation fund full for the other two.

I know people will disagree with this saying Carnival is collecting interest on our money but here goes.

 

We are sailing on the Conquest on October 1 with several family members.

DH and I made a decision to pre pay as much of this cruise as we could. This is the first time we have done this and it actually feels good.

 

This is a list that we have pre paid:

Airfare paid

Cruise paid (final payment due 7-18)

Bought soda package

Paid tips

$1500 for cruise

2 night hotel stay pre cruise

Transfers from Port back to airport after cruise

 

What do you pre pay on your cruise.

"Prepaying" for airfare is not optional unless you know of an airline that lets you book reservations with a guarantee or downpayment/deposit - I sure don't know of any :rolleyes:

I will never prepay Carnival for the balance of a cruise. I always pay travel expenses with a credit card because of the protections they offer with common carrier defaults and other benefits - (I do put the cash aside to pay, but it stays with me and I transfer it to Carnival days before final payment is due). The same for cruise tips, cruise cash, etc.

And I feel just as good as the next person who has said goodbye to the control of their money long before it is actually due.

"Prepaying" for airfare is not optional unless you know of an airline that lets you book reservations with a guarantee or downpayment/deposit - I sure don't know of any :rolleyes:.

Actually, I have a cruise booked for August and for the first time ever booked my airfare with Carnival as they had a great deal, and it didn't have to be paid for upfront. I only had to pay the normal deposit for the cruise itself. Can be cancelled up to the final payment for the cruise with no penalties.

This was a new one for me, but there is a way. [emoji4]

Actually, I have a cruise booked for August and for the first time ever booked my airfare with Carnival as they had a great deal, and it didn't have to be paid for upfront. I only had to pay the normal deposit for the cruise itself. Can be cancelled up to the final payment for the cruise with no penalties.

 

This was a new one for me, but there is a way. [emoji4]

I see. I am very picky with flights (always get non-stops at decent flight times).

Thanks !

I am in the "don't pay anything until it is due" camp.

We of course pay for the cruise and pay for airfare if we need to fly . We pay for FTTF and some excursions but that's it. I book hotels with my credit card because I get double points and insurance protection but I don't pay before I arrive at the hotel. We don't pre pay tips or buy any drinks packages. We get $100 OBC for being stock holders and for our last cruise the only thing on our bill at the end was under $200 soooo not a big deal at all!

I see. I am very picky with flights (always get non-stops at decent flight times).

 

Thanks !

Same! I was able to get direct flights from Toronto to Miami and back. Late flight home to spend more time at beach too :)

And with only a $300 total deposit, I was very happy :)

We see no reason to pay for anything until it is due.

I'm firmly in the prepay camp. I understand that I'm basically giving Carnival a free loan; however, since we are totally cash (I don't use credit cards), it is really a stress-reliever for me. I don't have that "I hope we have enough money for this" stress. I treat it like a bill. I know that I could put it into a savings account, but I do it this way with eyes wide open. Once we have paid it to Carnival or the airline, we can't spend it on anything else (and DH would). We prepay everything we can (except the hotel), up to and including buying Carnival gift cards for our on board expenses.

We buy cruise cash or gift cards

We also pre pay:

Bottled water

Gratuities

Sodas

Excursions

I know people will disagree with this saying Carnival is collecting interest on our money but here goes.

I'm not sure about others, but all of my savings/money market accounts have crazy small interest rates, I think the max I get on cash is about 1%. For what we prepay (and have an option to pay on-board), basically only tips and excursions to ensure we get spots, it doesn't add up to anything significant over the roughly 3 months that Carnival would hold the money. Even $1000 paid 3 months in advance would only make a buck or two in a 1% account.

I'm not sure about others, but all of my savings/money market accounts have crazy small interest rates, I think the max I get on cash is about 1%. For what we prepay (and have an option to pay on-board), basically only tips and excursions to ensure we get spots, it doesn't add up to anything significant over the roughly 3 months that Carnival would hold the money. Even $1000 paid 3 months in advance would only make a buck or two in a 1% account.

^^^^ exactly!

I prepay some things and not others. We add gratuities when booking, we choose to consider it part of the cost of cruising. Sometimes we book excursions in advance sometimes we don't. WARNING to those in the "don't prepay" camp. I am booked on a cruise in Oct with my sisters. I paid my share last Sept, in full, one year ahead because of financial reasons. Some of us have to plan ahead and budget for cruises. To those who don't I am very happy for you. But please understand that not everyone is in the same financial position. I sense an air smugness/superiority from those who don't pay ahead. Neither way is right or wrong, just different.

As much as I can including tips. I buy discounted gift cards. Carnival or whoever I get them from already has my money. The 10-20% I have saved is WAY more than I would ever get in "interest". I like having a zero balance when I walk on the ship.

Forgot 2 things

FTTF

2 cases of water

For us it is having a 0 balance when we walk off the ship.

I pre pay everything! I usually only depart with a small balance of on board expenses, like lattes from the coffee shop, candy from the candy shop, and a few things from the fun shops....and now that the cheers program includes those lattes, I'll have an even smaller balance [emoji2]