PrePay Gratuities - 7 days from sailing

[bravestwj]

We are sailing next Monday on the NCL Sun to Alaska. I'm wanting to prepay gratuities today and it is not displaying that page on the NCL site. Do you know if I will be able to prepay by calling. I'm waiting on hold now with NCL, but thought someone here might know if I'm wasting my time on hold and you can't prepay this close to sailing.

[Crusin6]

We are sailing next Monday on the NCL Sun to Alaska. I'm wanting to prepay gratuities today and it is not displaying that page on the NCL site. Do you know if I will be able to prepay by calling. I'm waiting on hold now with NCL, but thought someone here might know if I'm wasting my time on hold and you can't prepay this close to sailing.

 

You really should just have them charge the credit card you provide at check in and be done with it

 

However I am going out on a limb here to say that you probably don't want a big sign and sail bill so to that I say sit down and write out a check for X amount of dollars and send it to your credit card company now. That way you have prepaid your tips AND earned points AND ( which I never do anyway) secured your right to reduce tips should you feel the need. Viola!

 

Now ( and I cringe at this) if perhaps you are the type if person who NEVER uses credit cards during a cruise for some silly reason then I guess you need to call the cruise line and tell them your issue but I assure you that this close to sailing that while some rep on the phone will gladly say you can prepay your charge I would bet the ranch that the ship will still charge your account and you will spend an hour at guest services sorting this out.

 

I also hope you are not planning to use a debit card. Bad decision. Very bad.

[bravestwj]

You really should just have them charge the credit card you provide at check in and be done with it

 

However I am going out on a limb here to say that you probably don't want a big sign and sail bill so to that I say sit down and write out a check for X amount of dollars and send it to your credit card company now. That way you have prepaid your tips AND earned points AND ( which I never do anyway) secured your right to reduce tips should you feel the need. Viola!

 

Now ( and I cringe at this) if perhaps you are the type if person who NEVER uses credit cards during a cruise for some silly reason then I guess you need to call the cruise line and tell them your issue but I assure you that this close to sailing that while some rep on the phone will gladly say you can prepay your charge I would bet the ranch that the ship will still charge your account and you will spend an hour at guest services sorting this out.

 

I also hope you are not planning to use a debit card. Bad decision. Very bad.

 

Cruisin6--Thank you for your response. You provided a lot of unsolicited advice and judgements about my desire to prepay my gratuities which was not what I asked for.

 

Just FYI--I will not be reducing my gratuities once on board, I will not be using a debit card and I do regularly use credit cards and pay them off in full each month.

 

I was just asking if you can prepay them and you did not really answer that question based on your experience other than to say that someone would probably take my money over the phone.

 

For anyone who cares for an experience based response--there is a glitch in the website and you can prepay gratuities this close to sailing over the phone.

Edited June 2, 2014 by bravestwj

[garycarla]

--Thank you for your response. You provided a lot of unsolicited advice and judgements about my desire to prepay my gratuities which was not what I asked for.

...

 

I am often amazed that people come here asking advice' date=' and when given advice, "they bite the hand that feeds them". Of course it was not EXACTLY what was asked, but it did offer some good additional information.

 

[b']Thanks to the poster that was attempting to assist another traveler.

 

 

[/b]

[njhorseman]

We are sailing next Monday on the NCL Sun to Alaska. I'm wanting to prepay gratuities today and it is not displaying that page on the NCL site. Do you know if I will be able to prepay by calling. I'm waiting on hold now with NCL, but thought someone here might know if I'm wasting my time on hold and you can't prepay this close to sailing.

 

Per NCL's FAQs, you can prepay the service charge up to 24 hours prior to sailing.

 

http://www.ncl.com/faq#service-charge

[njhorseman]

I am often amazed that people come here asking advice, and when given advice, "they bite the hand that feeds them". Of course it was not EXACTLY what was asked, but it did offer some good additional information.

 

Thanks to the poster that was attempting to assist another traveler.

 

 

 

And I'm amazed that you actually think that poster even attempted to answer the OP's question, which was very simple, and has a very simple answer...service charges can be prepaid up to 24 hours prior to sailing.

[bravestwj]

I didn't ask to be judged as someone who would try to cheat the hardworking NCL staff out of the gratuities that they earn. I didn't ask to be judged as having a "silly" reason for not wanting to pay the gratuities at the end of the cruise. I just asked if you can prepay them a week prior. That's it.

 

I did a search prior to posting and know that there are many threads dealing with gratuities and my questions wasn't answered by any that I found. I am not a frequent poster because I don't often have a lot to add to the conversation because I only post when I know first hand the answer.

 

I was looking for a post like njhorseman provided. I was not able to find that information myself searching here or on NCL's website.

[SissasMomE]

You really should just have them charge the credit card you provide at check in and be done with it

 

However I am going out on a limb here to say that you probably don't want a big sign and sail bill so to that I say sit down and write out a check for X amount of dollars and send it to your credit card company now. That way you have prepaid your tips AND earned points AND ( which I never do anyway) secured your right to reduce tips should you feel the need. Viola!

 

Now ( and I cringe at this) if perhaps you are the type if person who NEVER uses credit cards during a cruise for some silly reason then I guess you need to call the cruise line and tell them your issue but I assure you that this close to sailing that while some rep on the phone will gladly say you can prepay your charge I would bet the ranch that the ship will still charge your account and you will spend an hour at guest services sorting this out.

 

I also hope you are not planning to use a debit card. Bad decision. Very bad.

 

Wow. :rolleyes:

 

OP - there is nothing wrong with pre-paying the service charges. We do it all the time, and never, ever had an issue. The system glitches from time to time when trying to make payments. Try again tomorrow, or you can always call them and do it over the phone.

Edited June 2, 2014 by SissasMomE

[Crusin6]

I still say you can try to prepay this close but will probably still be double charged

 

Op why do you want to prepay this close? It really makes zero difference at this point.

[garycarla]

I still say you can try to prepay this close but will probably still be double charged

 

Op why do you want to prepay this close? It really makes zero difference at this point.

 

Sorry, but apparently you should not be asking this question here. Actually, you can ask it to yourself, but be careful about offending someone by asking outloud or in writing.

 

This is really just a LOL... almost a ROFLMAO moment. Please take it all in stride folks.

[garycarla]

MEANWHILE -

 

A comment for some posters that might be reading here and is in no way directed at the OP anyone else.

 

I am not in the camp that gives someone else my money before I have to. I can see no value and only downsides. That does not mean that someone that wants to do it is wrong, or silly, or illogical or mis-understood. Folks can do what they darn well want and it does not have to agree with others.

 

Hopefully I have averted any additional slams.

[peg013]

I still say you can try to prepay this close but will probably still be double charged

 

Op why do you want to prepay this close? It really makes zero difference at this point.

 

Have you had this happen to you? Just wondering why you are so sure they will be double charged? Why do you care why they want to prepay? :confused:

 

To the OP, try again later or tomorrow or call. I also like a nice clean bill at the end that shows my charges without all the $12.00 pp service charges to confuse the issue. :)

Edited June 2, 2014 by peg013

[OCMS Fan]

So I go away for several weeks and the very first thread i read is yet another Cruise Critic Am Not - Are Too thread. Some things just never change!

[triptolemus]

This thread is proof that users here can find a way to bicker about absolutely anything!

[SissasMomE]

This thread is proof that users here can find a way to bicker about absolutely anything!

 

It's not much different on that "other" social media's site either :rolleyes:

[triptolemus]

It's not much different on that "other" social media's site either :rolleyes:

 

I wouldn't know. I don't use them...

[SissasMomE]

I wouldn't know. I don't use them...

 

Good thinkin' ;)

[bravestwj]

I still say you can try to prepay this close but will probably still be double charged

 

Op why do you want to prepay this close? It really makes zero difference at this point.

 

I will explain why there is more than "zero" differencce to me at this point...as I have previously said, I pay my credit cards in full each month. I am traveling with a group of extended family on this cruise and I am responsible for payment for 3 cabins (mine, my parents who are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary and a cabin my 19 year old daughter is sharing with a cousin (age 60+ if you must know and to clear up any thought that I am allowing an underage person to stay alone or without a responsible adult)). The charges for 3 cabins have tapped me out in terms of cash flow so I am just now able to pay the gratuities in advance.

 

In addition to my own cash flow issues, I prefer to let my daughter and my parents pay their onboard expenses that are in excess of their on board credit. Those are my two reasons for prepaying and for prepaying this close to sailing.

 

My original question was simply to find out if gratuity can be paid on the phone 7 days before sailing. We have had that answered very clearly in the link to the NCL FAQ above and my presonal experience today also proves it to be true.

Edited June 3, 2014 by bravestwj

[triptolemus]

I will explain why there is more than "zero" differencce to me at this point...as I have previously said, I pay my credit cards in full each month. I am traveling with a group of extended family on this cruise and I am responsible for payment for 3 cabins (mine, my parents who are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary and a cabin my 19 year old daughter is sharing with a cousin (age 60+ if you must know and to clear up any thought that I am allowing an underage person to stay alone or without a responsible adult)). The charges for 3 cabins have tapped me out in terms of cash flow so I am just now able to pay the gratuities in advance.

 

In addition to my own cash flow issues, I prefer to let my daughter and my parents pay their onboard expenses that are in excess of their on board credit. Those are my two reasons for prepaying and for prepaying this close to sailing.

 

My original question was simply to find out if gratuity can be paid on the phone 7 days before sailing. We have had that answered very clearly in the link to the NCL FAQ above and my presonal experience today also proves it to be true.

 

You really shouldn't have had to explain yourself, and shouldn't have.

[garycarla]

You really shouldn't have had to explain yourself, and shouldn't have.

 

Well said. As to anyone else trying to help....

 

...nough said.

 

 

So, here is my question. Where is the 'f" in the word "enough"?

Edited June 3, 2014 by garycarla