Paying Cruise Off Early

[teachin4cruisemoney]

Do you wait until the final payment date, or do you pay your cruise balance early? Just wondering... booked ES this time.. curious to hear what you have to say... Thanks

[Thompsolonian]

I paid mine off early, I don't like to wait until the last possible minute. And since you booked ES, you will get the price difference either refunded, or at your discretion, put as OBC for your on-ship enjoyment.

 

Either way, it's up to you.

[Meyer2]

We pay ours off early. Not always too early as it depends, but we've never waited until the final date.

[Scrapenthusiast]

Well since I book ES I like to go ahead and pay it all in full when I book. Then I can start setting money aside for other things like shopping, excursions, etc.

[clawson24]

If I book a cruise then I pay it in full immediately. That is just the way I like to operate I guess.

[Quilting_Cruiser]

I pay off early. It took only one bad experience with cabin location for me to make sure to pay off early so I don't miss final payment date for any reason. I pick my cabin and that's the one I want. :D I just booked this week for a cruise in June 2013 and will pay it off by the end of the month. I booked ES so any additional will be OBC. Last time I got a few hundred in OBC and loved boarding with a good balance on my S&S. :D

[BC Gal Ann]

We also book ES. We make payments on our cruise as we can afford it. We keep doing this until the cruise is paid off. We then order from the Bon Voyage Dept., after that we pay for any Carnival excursions that we are planning on taking. Then we purchase fun ship dollars and apply them to our cruise for On Board Credit. By the time we sail, we are set to go and have a wonderful time without a worry in the world. This seems to work well for us.

 

Of course we check weekly on our cruise prices in case of a price drop and hope for even more on board credit.

 

Have a great day. :)

[MIZZ_K]

I pay mine in full at time of booking,then I start booking my excursions.

[doconner]

I have always waited until a week before final payment to pay in full. I have the money set aside for the cruise in an account, but prefer to earn interest on the money.

 

It's not a lot of interest currently, but as the saying goes, "mind the pennies and the pounds/dollars will look after themselves."

 

Duane-O

 

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[thomarvin]

I pay just before final payment is due. Why let them have MY money any longer than they need it.

 

There is another thread on here somewhere where Grandma paid (in full, including tips) for 3 cabins for her family. The grandkids cabin has had so many price drops that they have over $500 each in OBC and they're kids so wont be using it in the bars.

[golfadj]

Why pay bills earlier than I have to?

[treasure4two]

Why pay bills earlier than I have to?

 

Pretty simple..because that is what you want or do not want to do. Everyone to their own.

[Room Service!]

We pay when it is due.

[AmberTeka]

We sometimes book last minute..which is like the next month or so. Once we sailed on the Dream within a week of booking it. So those cruises have to be paid for immediately.

 

I seldom put anything on my Credit Card but cruises. I don't even carry it with me. That way..they are easier to pay off.....and it controls spending on items I don't enjoy as much. right now..We are going on the Fascination in May, the NCL Pearl in November and we are booked for the NCL Epic in Feb, 2013. but .will be pd by June. The Epic..don't know. Might change that one.

 

Fascination...paid for. Pearl..almost totally paid for..I will book another one...far out. Most cruise lines do have the best prices..far out. Not Princess. They have the best prices...last minute. So.....you can't plan for every thing. The Epic...getting worried. The Reviews I read...it just seems so big. We do have a balcony at a very good price..I booked long ago...but goodness. It might take a camping guide just to get to dinner.

 

Anyone been on the Epic? Size a Problem? And the Breeze...sounds good. We are VIP on Carnvial...retired..live in Florida..ex military...past passengers...fit the profile..but sometimes..we switch Lines. Always enjoy them. Always come home to Carnival.

 

SO When those three are totally paid for..off the credit card...and I just make a standard monthy payment on that..and we don't book suites..so it never gets into the bad interests rates..and it is paid off quickly. it is hard to enjoy a vacation..knowing that a pile of debt is coming home with you.....i tell myself that..every time I pass on a balcony. And this way..a cruise is pending..one in the not so far future..and another one in the far future..which might change.

You really don't spend that much time in your cabin..if you enjoy the activities..Trivia..the Casino..See the shows..eat three meals a day.............and we do all of that.

CRUISING...what a joy! How lucky we all are to be able to go at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(and when you have to get away for a while...the five day cruises..booked after final payment date.....the rates...Sublime. Totally.)

[fergusonvt]

I either pay in full or make monthly payments. For this upcoming cruise I have the money to pay in full so probably will this week. As for earning interest, the amount of interest that is paid on several thousand dollars is just peanuts at current rates so I figure I might as well just apply it to the cruise.

[hankandteri]

I pay it in chunks or all at once, it depends. But the important thing for me is to be able to pay off my Visa bill that month so I'm not also sending vacation dollars to the credit card company.

[Frank12]

Why pay bills earlier than I have to?

 

That is my philosophy also. I usually wait until the week final payment is due.

[golfadj]

Pretty simple..because that is what you want or do not want to do. Everyone to their own.

 

Of course. In our case might as well earn a few cents in interest on our money before it becomes someone else's

[fergusonvt]

I pay it in chunks or all at once, it depends. But the important thing for me is to be able to pay off my Visa bill that month so I'm not also sending vacation dollars to the credit card company.

 

 

I will pay off in full using my Visa even though I have the money in my checking account because I use the reward dollars from my Visa for my OBC. I request it as a credit to my cc right before my cruise and it acts as an offset to whatever I will put on my account on the cruise.

[pe4all]

We pay it off early. Just paid our Breeze cruise off yesterday. We then purchase our shore excursions, pay our gratuities, and buy drink/soda coupons- all months before we cruise. Walk on board with obc from fcc's, put some cash on our sail and sign cards, and have little, if any bill waiting for us at end of cruise, or when we get back home!

[SnowshoeCat]

Until recently, I didn't know anything about final payment. I always just paid as I booked. But to answer this question:

 

Why pay bills earlier than I have to?

 

I earn points on my cards, so if I pay early, I can often put those points towards transportation or hotel nights in conjunction with the cruise (or other trips I have planned).

[Clear Solution]

I book, I pay. Usually 6 to 10 months out.

 

That way there is nothing to worry about but getting on the ship.

 

Just like any ther bill, is comes in and goes out the same day. I dont like having to worry about forgetting to send it out.

[RTRMom]

Well, I don't think we have ever booked far enough in advance to not owe the full amount.

 

 

 

If we did book far in advance, I would put the money in savings each week, then make then final payment near the due date.

[nurseingu]

We also book ES. We make payments on our cruise as we can afford it. We keep doing this until the cruise is paid off. We then order from the Bon Voyage Dept., after that we pay for any Carnival excursions that we are planning on taking. Then we purchase fun ship dollars and apply them to our cruise for On Board Credit. By the time we sail, we are set to go and have a wonderful time without a worry in the world. This seems to work well for us.

 

Of course we check weekly on our cruise prices in case of a price drop and hope for even more on board credit.

 

Have a great day. :)

 

I do exactly the same. Make payments faithfully until its paid off....usually well before the due date. Then order from BonVoyage. By then my Funship Dollars are paid off that are in Elayaway (love Elayaway) and apply that to my S&S. Elayaway has Carnival Funship Dollars that you put in layaway and pay for ever time. I always purchase a $500 Funship certificate and take about 6 months to pay off. Just deduct the money from my checking account. Very convienent!

 

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[mmento]

What is the best way to pay with no credit card?

 

I am planning on going the ES way and paying with my debit card. Can I pay some sort of monthly payemts ?

Then can I buy on board credit?

 

going on a 9 day cruise to Europe on Oct 11, 2013