Another question I've received lately is whether or not you can put your vacation on layaway? The simple answer to that is... yes! Do you have a cruise, resort, trip to Disney, or land tour you have your heart set on? All you have to do is pick it out, take it to the back of the store and the customer service personal will put your vacation in a box and save it for you until its paid off. Well, sort of. Each vacation supplier has their own conditions, but it kind of works this way.
Let's start with Disney Vacations. Disney Vacations include your resort room, theme park tickets, dining plan, travel insurance, and any other items that you decided to add like shows or airfare. All of this added together for your entire family makes a Disney package. If you wait until 30 days prior to your reservation date, you will have to pay the entire balance. If you make your reservations more than 30 days out you can put down just the deposit of $200 per reservation and pay for it over time. You benefit from this arrangement when you book your vacation more than four months before. You put down the deposit of $200, pay for your Travel Insurance, and pay for your airfare (if you included it in your package) on the day you make your reservations then pay the balance in equal payments every month with your last payment being 30 days before your trip. Easy peasy..vacation is paid off before you leave and no worries about paying it off after you return from the fun.
Disney Cruise Lines are pretty much the same except the amount due is 20% of the cruise fare. If you cruise is $5,000 for the family your deposit would be $1,000. Cruise final payments are usually 45 days before the cruise. So, if you make a reservation now for a cruise at Christmas 2019, you would have until November 9, 2019 to pay it in full.
Carnival Cruises has a simple way to put your cruise on layaway. Carnival EasyPay allows you to securely save your credit card in its EasyPay system and then Carnival will charge your credit card monthly automatically. Your cruise has to be more than six months from sailing and the balance will be divided equally by the number of months until FINAL payment 45 days before your cruise. Great way to take care of things before you leave on your voyage. Check it out here: www.carnival.com/carnival-easypay.aspx
Disney and most of the cruise lines do not actually require the payments just the FINAL payment. You can make the payments when and if you would like, but you have to make the FINAL payment or you will be CANCELLED and in some cases PENALIZED. There are many forms of payment accepted but credit cards are always the easiest. Each supplier has a different method of accepting payment which is why travel consultants are so important.
Last but not least is UpLift. UpLift offers a loan option with the industry's lowest rates. It is offered by many of our suppliers and it allows you to charge and pay over time. How is this different? You have to apply for it. It is only for travel. It is charged when we book your vacation. You will start paying on your vacation a month after booking. "Buy now and pay later, with monthly installment payments offered at the industry’s lowest rates." When you call to plan your vacation such as as a tour or resort, just let us know that you would like to use UpLift and we will help you find a vacation that will fit your needs.
In next week's blog, I will answer the next travel question of what to pack as I attempt to pack for a two week river cruise with just a carry-on bag. WHAT? Yes! Two weeks in a carry-on. Until then, schedule a travel consultation with me with our online booking calendar and receive a $25 credit on your next vacation. What could you do with a $25 credit on your next vacation?