I understand what you are saying but the charge is a small amount in relation to what you are paying for your holiday. If that Airline or that Travel Agent or Travel Company go into receivership then your Credit Card company will reimburse you for that amount.
You don't need to pay the full amount by CC you could pay your deposit and as long as this is for that one booking £100 will give you that protection.
Also if you are dealing with a Cruise Company who have a direct payment your TA will take that and it goes straight to the company no CC charge is made. My TA told me this.
Not sure about others but RCI and Celebrity do this. It is always worth asking. If you need to use a credit card then there are 2 which don't make a charge to do this. Nationwide and Post Office. The other have a charge which is really hidden in their conversion rate of 2.7% or 2.9% . This may not be totally correct but near enough.
The other point to look for when using a card abroad is not to allow them to convert the cost but to ask them to charge you in $ Euro or whatever currency and have your own bank do the conversion. That way you avoid the really bad rate that you would receive.
Off topic sorry but it just seemed worth mentioning.
Sue
There is also the new Abbey zero card which now does not have the conversion loadings.
It is worth having one of these cards it you travel.
Most TA's when pushed will drop or reduced the CC fees.
If the TA acts as an agent for the cruse line(most do) then it will be the cruise lines fee policy since they are the ones that should be taking the money NOT the TA.
On-topic,
don't worry too much about the prices going up, many cruiselines do this partly because they have sold quota and partly because they have deadlines for early booking and incentives and need to change the prices(UP) to make the early bookers feel better. OV always drop the prices again leading up to Xmas, there is a dead period for bookings over Xmas so they need to get those Jan cruise sold out.
It is worth having one of these cards it you travel.
Most TA's when pushed will drop or reduced the CC fees.
If the TA acts as an agent for the cruse line(most do) then it will be the cruise lines fee policy since they are the ones that should be taking the money NOT the TA.
On-topic,
don't worry too much about the prices going up, many cruiselines do this partly because they have sold quota and partly because they have deadlines for early booking and incentives and need to change the prices(UP) to make the early bookers feel better. OV always drop the prices again leading up to Xmas, there is a dead period for bookings over Xmas so they need to get those Jan cruise sold out.
On the conversion applied to your card X now has a part on their Xpress pass that you fill in prior to the cruise. You need to check the appropriate space Do it on line so if ever they did charge you then from what I have read on CC they have refunded the charge. This is happening to Canadians and probably many others.
They shouldn't do it but sorry to say it is happening all the time. For me I have enough cards and continue to use my Nationwide card without a problem.
Sue
They shouldn't do it but sorry to say it is happening all the time. For me I have enough cards and continue to use my Nationwide card without a problem.
Sue
i will be paying by cash or debit card, probably november/december.
will prices have dropped in november for a jan 15 cruise do you think?
will prices have dropped in november for a jan 15 cruise do you think?
Who knows for sure. I think you need to keep an eye on things and if you see prices fall then consider booking. I don't think you need to worry too much right now.
I booked for the QM2 last November. Prices for the Caribbean and New York were favourable and had been for a couple of weeks before I booked.
Probably October will see prices hopefully falling.
Again think about using your CC for the protection it gives or Visa some Debit cards will cover you. Last thing to use is cash in my opinion. If booking on line you will need to use a card of some sort. if you use a CC and pay it off in total when payment is due you will not incur any interest. I have a direct debit for all my cards and I collect air miles American Express cashback Nationwide and points for vouchers with M&S.
Sue
I booked for the QM2 last November. Prices for the Caribbean and New York were favourable and had been for a couple of weeks before I booked.
Probably October will see prices hopefully falling.
Again think about using your CC for the protection it gives or Visa some Debit cards will cover you. Last thing to use is cash in my opinion. If booking on line you will need to use a card of some sort. if you use a CC and pay it off in total when payment is due you will not incur any interest. I have a direct debit for all my cards and I collect air miles American Express cashback Nationwide and points for vouchers with M&S.
Sue
it is likely to be booked at thomas cook so cash/debit card will be used. i don't have a credit card.
i wont have the money until later in the year anyway so am not too worried about current prices.
although wouldnt want them to keep rising.
i wont have the money until later in the year anyway so am not too worried about current prices.
although wouldnt want them to keep rising.
I am wondering if you will be able to get the best possible deal using TC shops in the high street. Sometimes it will be OK but other times it may be that the best deal is to use an Internet TA.
Sue
Sue
Yay!!
we have taken the plunge and actually booked a suite for the ov2 cruise 14/01/09.
we managed to get it on just a £20pp deposit and also saved over £1000 based on thomas cook prices for the same cruises just 2 weeks ago.
maybe would have been even cheaper waiting a few more weeks but did not want the availability to go as had set my heart on a suite for the first time in my life (and probably the last) and at time of booking only 3 suites left (now only 2
)
plus all manchester flights had gone so had to pick birmingham but that knocked £200 extra off so that will be used to get to brum.
all in all well happy.
big thanks to everyone who offered advice on this.
we have taken the plunge and actually booked a suite for the ov2 cruise 14/01/09.
we managed to get it on just a £20pp deposit and also saved over £1000 based on thomas cook prices for the same cruises just 2 weeks ago.
maybe would have been even cheaper waiting a few more weeks but did not want the availability to go as had set my heart on a suite for the first time in my life (and probably the last) and at time of booking only 3 suites left (now only 2
)plus all manchester flights had gone so had to pick birmingham but that knocked £200 extra off so that will be used to get to brum.
all in all well happy.
big thanks to everyone who offered advice on this.
all suites now gone. 
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