Cruises come with all sorts of charges, and it can be confusing for passengers.
Not everyone pays for their cruise fully at the time they book it, and many manually pay the remaining balance in pieces up until final payment is due. The final payment day is an important one to keep track of because if you owe a balance, your entire cruise can get canceled.
If that happens, you may not be eligible for a refund. You could fully lose some of your money or end up with future cruise credit.
Related: Royal Caribbean explains its new strict multi-plug device ban
There are two ways to keep track of what you owe Royal Caribbean (RCL) for your cruise. You can visit the cruise line's website, log into your account, and see the specific cruise in question.
On the right-hand side of the page, across from the reservation number, there is an area right below the check-in button that will say "Pay remaining balance." If you have a balance, that button will be clickable. If you don't have a balance, it won't.
The only other way to check whether you have an unpaid balance is to call Royal Caribbean (being careful to make sure you call the cruise line's official phone number.
Royal Caribbean won't ever call you asking for money. If you ever get a call purporting to be from the cruise line asking for a payment, tell the person on the phone you will go through the website or call on your own.
Image source: Nora Tam/South China Morning Post via Getty
A new scam targets Royal Caribbean passengers
Members of a Royal Caribbean Facebook group shared details of a scam that some people have apparently fallen for.
People with a booked Royal Caribbean cruise are getting phone calls telling them they need to pay $200 to make reservations in the main dining room (MDR).
While an experienced cruiser would clearly recognize that as a scam, newer cruisers or those unfamiliar with Royal Caribbean may not know which restaurants cost extra and which ones are included. The MDR never costs extra, and passengers will be assigned (based on their preference) to early, late, or "My Time" seating.
People with "My Time" can make reservations once onboard for a specific time, but that's not required, and there is no fee associated with it.
In all cases, if you receive a call from someone saying that he is from Royal Caribbean, get off the phone and check the website. If you owe money (or have the opportunity to buy something extra at a discount), it will show up on the website.
You can also call the cruise line and ask all the questions you want.
Of course, it also makes a lot of sense to work with a travel agent. A good travel agent will check to see if the price of your cruise has gone down, and will alert you to onboard specials and deals.
But, even if you book on your own, realize that Royal Caribbean will not call you asking for money. In the unlikely event that a new charge is added and your balance is unpaid, you will receive an email and can verify the amount on the phone or via the cruise line's website.
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Practice cruise safety for all cruise lines
Cruise lines, in general, don't call asking for money, but some will call to offer upgrades. At various times, Carnival (CCL) , for example, has used phone agents to call passengers, offering them deals on room upgrades.
If that happens, be VERY skeptical and make sure that the person calling is actually from the cruise line.
In most cases, you should never turn over credit card info over the phone. Even if the call is legitimate, ask to complete the transaction on the cruise line's website or via your calling the cruise line (at the published number, not at one given to you).
Before your cruise, it's also important to protect your personal information. Be wary of sharing your trip details on social media, and never share your reservation number.
If you post about your future cruise, keep the details vague and remember that an actual cruise line representative would have all of your personal information. They would know your reservation number, the people in your group, and any other attached parties.
ALSO READ: Top travel agents share how to get the best price on your cruise
Be wary and be skeptical. Protect your information, and don't hand over your credit card information anywhere except the cruise line's website or on a call you initiate after verifying the phone number.
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