“This is my first vacation I will be planning, and I was wondering… if I were to book with a travel agent, do they usually require payment in full? Also, I was wondering the same with the cruise lines – do they need to be paid in full? I would like to be able to make a down payment and then have it paid so many days before the trip, I live near Pittsburgh, if anyone could recommend a good agent. Thanks in advance!”
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Like most holidays, you will probably have to pay a deposit and then the remainder upon your arrival, usually before you go through the customs or scanning gates.
If it’s a cruise you’re talking about, then "No" you don’t have to pay in full . . . unless the cruise is leaving shortly, in which case you probably will.
Most cruise vacations are booked well in advance. Typically, there will be an amount of several hundred dollars which must be put down to hold the berth. Then there will be a date, often 90 days prior to sailing, when the total amount is due.
The best part is that if you cancel before the deadline, you get all or most of your money back.
Also, many travel agents will let you pay a little at a time, so you are not faced with a big bill on the final payment date.
References :
Home-Based Travel Agent Success Course
http://hometravelagency.com