Is there any benefit to paying in full early?

[dragynally]

See my post above: Europe would be a non-US port, so the PIF date is 120 days. So that would be 30 days before your 90 days silver booking date. Seems like with the dates you posted that this is excactly the case.



As I posted above: 6-9 nights out or to US port over a holiday would be 105 days. If you are a silver CC member, this would be 15 days before your booking date. So the two weeks you mention are quite exactly those 15 days.

Sorry. I was posting to the original thing. I didn't see this part. The only reason I see to pay early would be JIC. I'm the "lucky" kind of person who has a HUGE life event go down when I need it least. If the cruise is paid off sooner that's one less worry. Other than that the gold and platinum people seem to always have a reason to pay in full early.

 

[Dug720]

Sorry. I was posting to the original thing. I didn't see this part. The only reason I see to pay early would be JIC. I'm the "lucky" kind of person who has a HUGE life event go down when I need it least. If the cruise is paid off sooner that's one less worry. Other than that the gold and platinum people seem to always have a reason to pay in full early.

EXACTLY. If it's paid off I can't "accidentally" spend the money on something else. And IF something comes up emergency-wise and I NEED the money, as long as I'm before the PIF date I can cancel and get it all back - since I don't do the gift card thing I DO get it back into my account, and it's never taken more than a couple of days. So it's kind of my own insurance policy - ensuring I have the cruise paid off and don't spend the money on something else, and yet having it in the event that something major comes up before PIF requiring me to cancel and use that money for something else.

 

[wilkeliza]

Another benefit is that there isn't any error on your part or Disneys. I've read too many stories of people who do it on the day of the PIF and the payment doesn't process until the next day or whatever and they find out their cruise was canceled and the price is astronomical compared to what it was.

 

[dragynally]

Another benefit is that there isn't any error on your part or Disneys. I've read too many stories of people who do it on the day of the PIF and the payment doesn't process until the next day or whatever and they find out their cruise was canceled and the price is astronomical compared to what it was.

Well I'll add this to my worst nightmares. And yes that is a really good reason to get those payments out of the way.

 

[wilkeliza]

Well I'll add this to my worst nightmares. And yes that is a really good reason to get those payments out of the way.

I don't know how often it is actually user error (like paying at 10 pm pacific time when DCL works in Eastern so that's too late) or how much is Disney processing but a couple stories crop up here and there on consumer report website which basically is a I'm going to complain because I didn't get what I want (I mean come on it has DCL with a 2 star rating). I imagine most of them are people who don't remember their correct PIF or aren't aware of the change to PIF so are use to the 75 days but don't realize it is actually 90 or 120 for that specific cruise.

 

[AndreAggie]

Am I the only one who pays monthly? Our TA sets up our payments monthly and they're applied to our credit card. Makes it a little easier on the pocket book and we're paid in full usually with a month or 2 prior to the PIF date. We also prepay our tips. I don't want to deal with any surprises!

 

[Dug720]

Another benefit is that there isn't any error on your part or Disneys. I've read too many stories of people who do it on the day of the PIF and the payment doesn't process until the next day or whatever and they find out their cruise was canceled and the price is astronomical compared to what it was.

Excellent point!!

 

[Dug720]

Am I the only one who pays monthly? Our TA sets up our payments monthly and they're applied to our credit card. Makes it a little easier on the pocket book and we're paid in full usually with a month or 2 prior to the PIF date. We also prepay our tips. I don't want to deal with any surprises!

Nope! I pay some each month too.

 

[dragynally]

Am I the only one who pays monthly? Our TA sets up our payments monthly and they're applied to our credit card. Makes it a little easier on the pocket book and we're paid in full usually with a month or 2 prior to the PIF date. We also prepay our tips. I don't want to deal with any surprises!

I like to pay monthly as well. Also anything I can pay in advance gets paid.

 

[DynamicDisneyDuo]

It also gets your coronary out of the way when you write the check so you'll be good and healthy come cruise time.

 

[BuzzLightyearInTampa]

I like to pay off as soon as I can so it's done. My savings account doesn't pay enough interest for me to make it worth it considering I'm not booking concierge.

As to PIF and check-in. Only with first-time cruisers does the ACTUAL OFFICIAL PIF date match. After that first cruise it will say "pay in full to check-in by..." whatever your status check-in date is. But the OFFICIAL PIF date is the 75 days or whatever.

The 75 days is if it's a closed loop cruise leaving from a US port. Other cruises, like Alaska or Med cruises, have an earlier PIF date.