Do you pre-pay everything?

[LMaxwell]

I can see your point, but what about where discounted Carnival Gift Cards come into play? Is there a reason why I shouldn't go ahead and just get everything out of the way now? My money is already gone out of my account. Besides, when I budget for a cruise, I will not be using those funds for any other purpose such as the things you mentioned so that doesn't come into play for me.

 

In that situation, I'd buy the cards when the discount is available; say at certain times when they are available from AARP or Verizon at 10% discount from face value.

 

But I would not necessarily redeem them immediately; I would still wait until payment is due (by that I mean generally the week of, 5 to 7 days before the hard date). Why?

You may have to cancel or change the cruise; funds not spent yet on a gift card are much easier to keep track of than getting reimbursements to cards that may have been used and discarded.

Also, I have seem those targeted credit card offers come up multiple times per year. If I paid early via another form I'd be making much more work to take advantage of those CC offers, or not be able to at all.

[BNBR]

If I book a cruise 18 months out and have to pay for it 15 months down the road; let's say I owe $2k on it. Paying that $2K out to pay down additional principle on a mortgage, or accelerate investments is more advantageous than paying early on something without benefit. The cruise costs the same amount today or in 15 months. If I do need to cancel the cruise I also am not waiting for a refund of more funds than was strictly necessary.

 

I could send the water company a check large enough to not have a water bill for two years, but there's no reason to do that when there's more advantageous ways to spend the money. That's the logic at work here.

 

I don't penny pinch enough to even think about putting $2k extra on a mortgage to reduce interest for 15 months, while I earn the money back to pay for my cruise the following year. That's kind of stepping over the dollars to pick up the dimes. The advantages of putting small sums like $2k here or there is relatively meaningless.

[BNBR]

I get the "prepay" is a psychological trick some people play on themselves. Whatever works for you. I am floored people plan cruises out 18 months in advance. People are actually planning vacations for 2019. I think that is amazing

 

Lol. Yeah I booked this upcoming cruise I think 10 or so months in advance and that was WAY out for me.

[firemanbobswife]

In that situation, I'd buy the cards when the discount is available; say at certain times when they are available from AARP or Verizon at 10% discount from face value.

 

 

 

But I would not necessarily redeem them immediately; I would still wait until payment is due (by that I mean generally the week of, 5 to 7 days before the hard date). Why?

 

You may have to cancel or change the cruise; funds not spent yet on a gift card are much easier to keep track of than getting reimbursements to cards that may have been used and discarded.

 

Also, I have seem those targeted credit card offers come up multiple times per year. If I paid early via another form I'd be making much more work to take advantage of those CC offers, or not be able to at all.

 

Makes sense and I can agree with that. Thank you for your opinion. When I say I prepay, it's usually at final payment time in which I'm in the penalty phase anyway. So for me prepay means before I get on the ship, not necessarily before final payment.

[LMaxwell]

I get the "prepay" is a psychological trick some people play on themselves. Whatever works for you. I am floored people plan cruises out 18 months in advance. People are actually planning vacations for 2019. I think that is amazing

 

I've got cruises booked through Dec 2018 at this point (3 more this year, 2 in 2018). For much bigger trips like Hawaii or Panama Canal I have started doing mock bookings now actually. I won't do those trips until my son is older and can appreciate it, but having a low/high range on price allows earlier and easier budgeting. If I know I need to have $10K discretionary "fun" money in 3-5 years I can just pay myself out in 36-60 installments separated out from any household budget.

[LMaxwell]

I don't penny pinch enough to even think about putting $2k extra on a mortgage to reduce interest for 15 months, while I earn the money back to pay for my cruise the following year. That's kind of stepping over the dollars to pick up the dimes. The advantages of putting small sums like $2k here or there is relatively meaningless.

 

$100 per month extra principle on mortgage will save me 7 years and $35K in interest payments. If that is stepping over dollars to pick up dimes more power to you, you are earning at a rate significantly outpacing me.

[Saint Greg]

I pay as I get the gift cards at 10% savings. The money isn't going to make 10% in the bank and once you have it you might as well use it.

[First and Ten]

Lol. Yeah I booked this upcoming cruise I think 10 or so months in advance and that was WAY out for me.

 

 

I am just shocked at the amount of people who apparently do this, this 1 yr plus booking....I think on one cruise the longest time between booking and sailing was maybe 6 months ahead of time....I shortest time between when I booked and sailed was 3 weeks. It seems like the room is a big deal. Not just balcony vs interior, but it has to be a balcony, on this spot on this deck on this side, down to the actual room number and if they cant get that specific room, they wont book the trip....wow, that is intense

[BNBR]

$100 per month extra principle on mortgage will save me 7 years and $35K in interest payments. If that is stepping over dollars to pick up dimes more power to you, you are earning at a rate significantly outpacing me.

 

But you still need the $2k for the cruise.... these are different funds. Your example doesn't make any sense. You are suggesting putting $2k towards your mortgage INSTEAD of the cruise, then still saving up over the next year or whatever for the cruise... since obviously you aren't taking that $2k back out of the mortgage when final payment comes around.

 

My point was simply that if you have the financial comfort to pay the cruise off and still make those extra mortgage payments on your house.... then any interest benefit by holding on to the funds for a year is fairly benign and not worth the effort. It's not one or the other, you are still paying your mortgage AND your cruise, it's a discussion about timing.

[First and Ten]

I've got cruises booked through Dec 2018 at this point (3 more this year, 2 in 2018). For much bigger trips like Hawaii or Panama Canal I have started doing mock bookings now actually. I won't do those trips until my son is older and can appreciate it, but having a low/high range on price allows earlier and easier budgeting. If I know I need to have $10K discretionary "fun" money in 3-5 years I can just pay myself out in 36-60 installments separated out from any household budget.

 

I get on the RARE occasions, my posts can have what some consider to be a "snarky" connotation :D....No snarkiness, I cant believe someone plans a cruise 18mos/2 yrs in advance....its just something I am not built to do....if I want to go on a cruise, I am not waiting 2 yrs....I get where you are coming from where you have multiple cruises booked, so you are hitting one every 6 months or so. I couldn't imagine wanting to go on a cruise and booking it almost 2 yrs out....that is some serious planning

Edited July 17, 2017 by First and Ten

[firemanbobswife]

I get on the RARE occasions, my posts can have what some consider to be a "snarky" connotation :D....No snarkiness, I cant believe someone plans a cruise 18mos/2 yrs in advance....its just something I am not built to do....if I want to go on a cruise, I am not waiting 2 yrs

 

I am usually like you with the exception of my upcoming Edge cruise. I had to book that one in April for January of 2019 because it will be a brand new ship and cabins were selling out. Not to mention the prices were increasing at a feverish rate. Luckily l found a TA that had locked in opening day prices and got me a phenomenal deal.

[LMaxwell]

I get on the RARE occasions, my posts can have what some consider to be a "snarky" connotation :D....No snarkiness, I cant believe someone plans a cruise 18mos/2 yrs in advance....its just something I am not built to do....if I want to go on a cruise, I am not waiting 2 yrs

 

That's what filler cruises are for; they take the edge off the wait.:)

[BNBR]

I get on the RARE occasions, my posts can have what some consider to be a "snarky" connotation :D....No snarkiness, I cant believe someone plans a cruise 18mos/2 yrs in advance....its just something I am not built to do....if I want to go on a cruise, I am not waiting 2 yrs

 

To be fair, those 2 year plans start coming up and they may still have cruises coming up every few months, just each one planned in advance. It's just that first 2 year wait that would be brutal... :D

[13cheermom]

Makes sense and I can agree with that. Thank you for your opinion. When I say I prepay, it's usually at final payment time in which I'm in the penalty phase anyway. So for me prepay means before I get on the ship, not necessarily before final payment.

 

 

 

This exactly! When I state we prepay with gift cards it is always at the last possible moment before final payment. Just works for us of course everyone has different strategies!

 

 

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[naxer]

Some. Cheers! is cheaper now to prepay. Otherwise, I I usually have OBC to use up.

[LMaxwell]

 

My point was simply that if you have the financial comfort to pay the cruise off and still make those extra mortgage payments on your house.... then any interest benefit by holding on to the funds for a year is fairly benign and not worth the effort. It's not one or the other, you are still paying your mortgage AND your cruise, it's a discussion about timing.

 

I guess I'm in the minority that would feel worse paying for something with no benefit today that can wait until a year from now. 95 out of 100 may say it makes their life easier not to "worry"; well, I'm in that 5 out of 100...just a different discipline. Never missed a payment in my life, never paid a cent of interest on a CC, never use more than 5% of my credit, never carry a balance unless it is 0%.

[First and Ten]

I am usually like you with the exception of my upcoming Edge cruise. I had to book that one in April for January of 2019 because it will be a brand new ship and cabins were selling out. Not to mention the prices were increasing at a feverish rate. Luckily l found a TA that had locked in opening day prices and got me a phenomenal deal.

 

 

I can understand that....you aren't cruising just to cruise, you want that specific ship, right? Question, are you taking any other cruises between the time you booked the Edge until you actually sail on her?

[dverzic]

I prepay things as I go, mostly. Right now I'm booked on a cruise to Hawaii in November and have prepaid for a couple excursions. I will also probably prepay a specialty dinner and other excursions as the date gets closer, but might leave tips for later. This way I pay for a few things each month instead of having one huge bill at the end.

 

 

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[firemanbobswife]

I can understand that....you aren't cruising just to cruise, you want that specific ship, right? Question, are you taking any other cruises between the time you booked the Edge until you actually sail on her?

 

That's correct. Just my upcoming Glory cruise. Until then, my cruise future is as barren as the desert for now [emoji22]. I'm sure I'll squeeze one in somewhere, somehow before then but it's TBD at this point.

[cfr70]

I try and pre pay everything before the vacation starts so all i'll need is my spending money. Living on a fixed income, budgeting is very important so the more I pre pay in advance, the less i'll need on vacation.

 

I'm also very bad with spending. Used to be you can sock away money easily and stay out of the stores. But with internet, the stores are now right there in your home....a world of malls is right in front of you while sitting on your living room couch and too many times i've clicked and bought needless stuff with my credit/debit cards that was supposed to go somewhere else like vacation!

 

What I do to counter that and save is to get gift cards for the hotel i'm staying at (Best Western has a great re-loadable Travel Card I use) and I add funds to it until it covers my entire stay. And I also add funds to Carnival Cruise Cash as well....You can't buy things on Amazon with Cruise Cash or hotel travel cards lol, so my money is safe from impulsively spending.

 

As far as the cruise itself, I book at least a year in advance, pay the deposit and religiously fork over $50/month until it's paid in full. This method works best for spendaholics like me! :)

[Sparky2]

We usually have OBC which helps pay for gratuities. We have OBC from booking the cruise with a TA + $250 stockholder OBC for our 14-day Journey's Cruise.

[Saint Greg]

I am just shocked at the amount of people who apparently do this, this 1 yr plus booking....I think on one cruise the longest time between booking and sailing was maybe 6 months ahead of time....I shortest time between when I booked and sailed was 3 weeks. It seems like the room is a big deal. Not just balcony vs interior, but it has to be a balcony, on this spot on this deck on this side, down to the actual room number and if they cant get that specific room, they wont book the trip....wow, that is intense

 

I used to say that. My first cruise was booked 3 weeks out. Then 3 months, then 7 months, and now I'm looking out to 2019. The main thing is I've gotten hooked on the lido deck rooms and there are only so many. I can't go back to a lower deck. I can't. I won't.

 

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[A&Jfamily]

I get on the RARE occasions, my posts can have what some consider to be a "snarky" connotation :D....No snarkiness, I cant believe someone plans a cruise 18mos/2 yrs in advance....its just something I am not built to do....if I want to go on a cruise, I am not waiting 2 yrs....I get where you are coming from where you have multiple cruises booked, so you are hitting one every 6 months or so. I couldn't imagine wanting to go on a cruise and booking it almost 2 yrs out....that is some serious planning

 

All depends on the cruise. We have a Princess one set in December 2018 that we booked a couple of months ago with $1 deposits. We were uncertain whether we were going to go Princess or Carnival so when the non-existent deposit came along, we figured we would lock down the balcony and inside we wanted (if we wait too long it can be hard to get the ship placement we want and still have our kids within the rules of being across the hall or within a few cabins.) We ended up getting Sip and Sail at no additional, so now the price is the same as Carnival, so we plan on taking Princess. We are also uncertain of DS' college exam schedule and how it might impact the flight to the west coast.

 

We take about 3 weeks, and at least one long getaway a year. And due to my work schedule, I HAVE to plan a minimum of 4-6 months out to keep my calendar clear.

 

So we are never waiting long periods of time between trips - some may be cruises and some not. I enjoy planning them and am now rounding out my 2018 plans. :')

[BNBR]

I guess I'm in the minority that would feel worse paying for something with no benefit today that can wait until a year from now. 95 out of 100 may say it makes their life easier not to "worry"; well, I'm in that 5 out of 100...just a different discipline. Never missed a payment in my life, never paid a cent of interest on a CC, never use more than 5% of my credit, never carry a balance unless it is 0%.

 

We all do things different. :)

 

For me, I bought a cruise and may as well pay for the cruise. There is no benefit waiting as I don't have any needs for the funds for anything else. I do have a different personality, I imagine. I prefer to just get things paid off and not think about it. I also have several businesses and a million things to think about, constantly, so a cruise payment in 7 months is not something I'm interested in having to remember and add to a calendar for no other reason than "I refuse to give them my money until the last possible moment".

[luvb2bcruising]

I get the "prepay" is a psychological trick some people play on themselves. Whatever works for you. I am floored people plan cruises out 18 months in advance. People are actually planning vacations for 2019. I think that is amazing

LOL. We are booked for 4 cruises 2019. We are always booked 2 years out with the deposit for the savings. You lock in the port and others fees today where in 2 years I am sure would go up.

 

Tami (Eastern Ontario)