"Urgent Final Payment Due: Emails....

We've only been on about 20 Carnival cruises since 2008, last cruise wast last September, have one booked for this May. We usually book/make initial deposit...then pay the balance within about 2 weeks of final payment date. We're about 2 weeks from final payment for cruise booked for May. However about 2-3 weeks ago I received emails with the title "Urgent Final Payment Due"...which surprised me...thought for a second I forgot something..but no...final payment was till about a month or so out. I just received this email again. Not an issue at all, but I don't recall seeing these sort of emails on past cruises. Now, it's completely possible I have a severe case of CRS, but wanted to ask is this something "new" or, has the CRS kicked in big time?

This just happened to me today too. I called Carnival and they said that the cruise I am going on (the Fascination) in May was just turned into a 75 days out final payment due instead of 30 or 60. Good thing I called because my cruise would have been cancelled if I did not pay it today :(

When I book our cruise I schedule final payment to be charged to the card I used for the deposit. Final payment for our May 5 Vista was today (Feb 19). I received an email shortly after midnight that I was paid in full.

We've only been on about 20 Carnival cruises since 2008, last cruise wast last September, have one booked for this May. We usually book/make initial deposit...then pay the balance within about 2 weeks of final payment date. We're about 2 weeks from final payment for cruise booked for May. However about 2-3 weeks ago I received emails with the title "Urgent Final Payment Due"...which surprised me...thought for a second I forgot something..but no...final payment was till about a month or so out. I just received this email again. Not an issue at all, but I don't recall seeing these sort of emails on past cruises. Now, it's completely possible I have a severe case of CRS, but wanted to ask is this something "new" or, has the CRS kicked in big time?

I started getting the same emails about a month before our final payment was due also. I got on carnival.com just to make sure of the final payment due date and it was when I thought so I just ignored the emails. I think its just their way of reminding you that is due soon.

I got the same email before our Victory cruise last October - even after I had made the final payment.

This just happened to me today too. I called Carnival and they said that the cruise I am going on (the Fascination) in May was just turned into a 75 days out final payment due instead of 30 or 60. Good thing I called because my cruise would have been cancelled if I did not pay it today :(

They couldnt change that on you after you already booked. Your contracted rate includes a final payment date, that cannot be changed on someone who already had a booking.

"We've only been on about 20 Carnival cruises since 2008"

I wouldn't use the word "only"....LOL. I think this puts you in the top 10% for cruises in a 10 year period!!

Maybe too many people are waiting to the last minute, forgetting about it, and getting a surprise, so they are now sending out more warnings. I always wonder why it's so important to wait, if you have the money, pay it.

I just booked a cruise for late 2019 a few weeks ago. Usually we do the same, pay the deposit and then pay it off when the final payment is due. However, this time I was offered three choices: pay it off all at once, pay it when I wanted to pay, but the final payment was due in a year (which would be nine months before cruising date), or pay a regular monthly payment until September, which is normally when my November cruises have been final payment due. Is anyone else seeing this change?

When I book our cruise I schedule final payment to be charged to the card I used for the deposit. Final payment for our May 5 Vista was today (Feb 19). I received an email shortly after midnight that I was paid in full.

Didn't receive any email but I most definitely checked again a couple of weeks ago to make sure we were paid in full.

May 5th can't get here soon enough.

I received the very same emails. And yes, it's the first time for me too. Although this booking is a little strange for me. I have 3 cruises booked and this is the only cruise, May cruise, that doesn't say "final payment is already scheduled" in my cruise manager and I don't know why? My next two cruises do. The May cruise I have the gratuities added and thought maybe that was why.

But yes, it freaked me out to the point I paid mine off early.

But yes, it freaked me out to the point I paid mine off early.

Could be why they're sending the emails???

I just booked a cruise for late 2019 a few weeks ago. Usually we do the same, pay the deposit and then pay it off when the final payment is due. However, this time I was offered three choices: pay it off all at once, pay it when I wanted to pay, but the final payment was due in a year (which would be nine months before cruising date), or pay a regular monthly payment until September, which is normally when my November cruises have been final payment due. Is anyone else seeing this change?

We had the same choices when we booked our next two sailings last week. Never a bad idea as a company to give your customers different choices in paying it off, even if they could have done it themselves up to this point anyways without fancy buttons.

That’s said, I kinda like it.

Copied CCL FAQ

I got the same email not too long ago. Made my heart skip a beat for a second because I don’t read my emails everyday and thus didn’t see the email right away. Quickly logged into my booking to see that I wasn’t close to the final payment date, of which I had a reminder set on my calendar to pay two weeks before. Oh well, no harm done. Perhaps Carnival is just trying to make extra sure that people don’t miss their final payment date. I know I have seen many complaints before about cruises canceled for nonpayment and the argument is always the same: people claim that Carnival never sent them an email to remind them. Not that it’s Carnival’s responsibility.

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Have always recd these types of emails within a month of final pymt date (auto robo emails)...

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I'm thinking they want people to pay early. It's money in the bank for carnival anytime a customer does pay before they have too.

We received the emails also. Never have in the past.

Our 2019 Alaskan Cruise has another year to pay off that 1350.00 balance. I should have it paid off before Christmas because then I've got to start looking at my excursions. But that one did give me the option to auto pay a certain amount or pay the whole thing off ...since I have other cruises booked I choose not to pay Alaskan one off but have never gotten emails for any cruise as I pay them off fairly quickly.

I called Carnival and they said that the cruise I am going on (the Fascination) in May was just turned into a 75 days out final payment due instead of 30 or 60.

Whoever told you that was mistaken. The number of days before the cruise when final payment does not change. It is based on the number of days the cruise is. That won't change either.

I haven't had anything set in stone with CCL. The last cruise I booked, I made my down payment, and I will pay what I want when I have it, until the due date. I did not know they were making things so "programmed".

I have two cruises booked, and both I have been able to pay on whenever i wanted.

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We always use a TA so any emails about payment would go to her. She always sends me an email note the week before final payment is due and I send the reply to pay the balance. :)

They also send you emails telling you to check in. I was already checked in and had everything printed and got an email. Made me worry and have to go back and check and sure enough of course I had checked in.

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The reminder email is just an extra electronic development they've made in maybe the last year or so. Not a bad idea on their part to send out reminders rather than just having a final cut off date for payment in full or cancellation of the cruise.

Periodically someone posts that they didn't remember their final payment date and got a notice of cancellation and they freak out. Carnival is just joining the digital world, going paperless, having a phone app, etc. Expect more electronic enhancements in the future. Maybe boarding passes or getting a GPS on the phone app to guide guests around the ship instead of cruisers wondering where they are and how can they get to whatever?

didn't receive any email but i most definitely checked again a couple of weeks ago to make sure we were paid in full.

 

May 5th can't get here soon enough.