FCC Currency Change From US to AUD

We have $300 in OBC from an FCC. Since our cruise is sailing Australia, that has now become AUD$300 NOT AUD$388 (which = US$300) which I would have expected.

Does anyone have an explanation for why this happens?

I feel like I'm being cheated. I was promised US$300, not AUD$300.

I had the same question. My TA called Princess and was told that the USD amounts would be converted to AUD equivalents when the shipboard account was established upon boarding. That seems to be true so far, since we reserved excursions and they were partially paid through AUD and partially paid through USD charges to a credit card. The AUD amounts were proper conversions from the USD amounts shown on the Personalizer. I am planning on all being OK upon boarding, but I've got lots of paperwork just in case it isn't.

I had the same question. My TA called Princess and was told that the USD amounts would be converted to AUD equivalents when the shipboard account was established upon boarding. That seems to be true so far, since we reserved excursions and they were partially paid through AUD and partially paid through USD charges to a credit card. The AUD amounts were proper conversions from the USD amounts shown on the Personalizer. I am planning on all being OK upon boarding, but I've got lots of paperwork just in case it isn't.

Thanks for the reply.

In our case, that is not what happened. Purchased excursions in AUD and our US$ OBC was credited $ for $.

Going to have to follow up.

I have a question. Is your OBC from Princess or your TA?

Only the Princess OBC was used for partial payment of excursions. The TA OBC was not used at all. The Personalizer "Credits" listing is improper labeled -- it says the amounts are AUD, but in reality they are USD -- that's my analysis. Recheck carefully and report back to all of us.

I feel like I'm being cheated. I was promised US$300, not AUD$300.

You are!!!!!!!

I hope that it changes when you board.

Mike

We have $300 in OBC from an FCC. Since our cruise is sailing Australia, that has now become AUD$300 NOT AUD$388 (which = US$300) which I would have expected.

 

Does anyone have an explanation for why this happens?

 

I feel like I'm being cheated. I was promised US$300, not AUD$300.

We've got the same problem as well. Even though our FCC are UK one's, we still get the OBC in US$.

Well according to Princess, OBC that shows in AUD, and should be US, will be properly converted to AUD once on board. As, I think, previously mentioned, something to do with the Australian government.

But my question, which couldn't be answered by the person I spoke with, is what if all that US OBC is spent as AUD pre-booking shore excursions? Right now I've got no available OBC because of that.

Does anyone know if things will be recalculated once on board?

You will find our experience disappointing. I was also told US Princess customer service AND our TA that our US dollar OBC would be converted to Australian with an appropriate exchange rate after we boarded the ship. It was not. The exchange was at a dollar for dollar basis. We made several trips to the passenger service desk to no avail. We even spoke with supervisors who said that the corporate headquarters told them that the ship operated on Australian funds only. This occurred in 2016 on the Sun Princess. The "supervisor" said if the ship was not ported in Australia (just visiting in the area is handled differently) our credits would have been calculated differently. I would have felt better about the whole thing if I had gotten accurate information to start. I would suggest calling and asking to speak with a supervisor. I did not do that before I sailed.

You will find our experience disappointing. I was also told US Princess customer service AND our TA that our US dollar OBC would be converted to Australian with an appropriate exchange rate after we boarded the ship. It was not. The exchange was at a dollar for dollar basis. We made several trips to the passenger service desk to no avail. We even spoke with supervisors who said that the corporate headquarters told them that the ship operated on Australian funds only. This occurred in 2016 on the Sun Princess. The "supervisor" said if the ship was not ported in Australia (just visiting in the area is handled differently) our credits would have been calculated differently. I would have felt better about the whole thing if I had gotten accurate information to start. I would suggest calling and asking to speak with a supervisor. I did not do that before I sailed.

Your experience is exactly what I expect to find.

I'll probably make one visit to the Customer Service desk to ask about it but then will let it lie. When I consider the total cost of the trip, the $ amount is a significantly small percentage and not worth getting stressed out for on this lovely cruise.

Princess is not consistent with how they convert USD$ to AUD$ for Australian ported ships. I have just returned from a cruise on Sea Princess and my USD$50 loyalty OBC was converted to AUD$64.15. So I do not understand why other USD$ OBC's are not treated the same.

We have $300 in OBC from an FCC. Since our cruise is sailing Australia, that has now become AUD$300 NOT AUD$388 (which = US$300) which I would have expected.

 

Does anyone have an explanation for why this happens?

 

I feel like I'm being cheated. I was promised US$300, not AUD$300.

You feel like you’re being cheated because you are being cheated. However, I can shed no light on the reason; it’s just the was it is. Ironically, our Captains Circle OBC of $100 was converted to AUD. For all the other OBCs, USD=AUD.

To add another piece to this puzzle: Does anyone have experience with how gratuities are handled, since they are initially presented as USD amounts for various cabin categories. Are they converted to AUD when debited daily to your onboard account, or are they debited in the original USD amounts?

No; but if the ship currency is AUD based then the charge to the DSC will also be in AUD.

I am recently returned from both the Sun and the Diamond. My loyalty credits of $100.00 were converted up to an equivalent amount in Australian dollars. The FCC, Shareholder, and Military credits were converted down, so we lost money on those credits.

We pre-paid the gratuities so that we wouldn't have to pay any conversion fees. If you utilize the spa or salon services, the tips were 5%, compared to 15% on the US based ships.

This seems to get more confusing every time a new comment is posted. I guess we should just be happy to get the OBC in whatever currency Princess ultimately decides to provide.

Still interested in hearing from anyone who had daily gratuities debited to their onboard account, and how those amounts compared to the USD amounts originally stated in the booking information.

Remember that those who pay for Australian cruises who live in Australia or New Zealand do NOT have to pay a DSC as it is built into our cruise fare.

Peculiar but we were on the Dover to New York sector of the Round the World Cruise and that applied even there!!!

I am recently returned from both the Sun and the Diamond. My loyalty credits of $100.00 were converted up to an equivalent amount in Australian dollars. The FCC, Shareholder, and Military credits were converted down, so we lost money on those credit

That's pretty lousy :(

We pre-paid the gratuities so that we wouldn't have to pay any conversion fees.

Do you know what the hotel charges were from perhaps another pax who didn't prepay?

Do you know what the hotel charges were from perhaps another pax who didn't prepay?

There was a recent post from someone on the Sun.

They posted the auto gratuities were AUD 17.30 pp pd charged to their onboard account.

There was a recent post from someone on the Sun.

They posted the auto gratuities were AUD 17.30 pp pd charged to their onboard account.

Thanks!

I just did the math and, for now, based on the current exchange rate and what fees I will incur, looks like I'm a bit ahead not prepaying. :D

Remember that those who pay for Australian cruises who live in Australia or New Zealand do NOT have to pay a DSC as it is built into our cruise fare.

Peculiar but we were on the Dover to New York sector of the Round the World Cruise and that applied even there!!!

Is the DSC the same as Gratuities?

My husband & I have been charged AU$193.05 each for gratuities for an 11day Med cruise.

Have never had to pay gratuities before as always cruised in Australia/NZ so is a bit of a shock lol.

LM

Is the DSC the same as Gratuities?

Different terms used by different cruise lines.

Only in cruises that start and/or finish in Australia have the Gratuities built into the cruise costs, possibly only for those who book and pay through Australia or New Zealand.

Remember that those who pay for Australian cruises who live in Australia or New Zealand do NOT have to pay a DSC as it is built into our cruise fare.

Peculiar but we were on the Dover to New York sector of the Round the World Cruise and that applied even there!!!

Sent from my VFD 900 using Tapatalk

Only in cruises that start and/or finish in Australia have the Gratuities built into the cruise costs, possibly only for those who book and pay through Australia or New Zealand.

Americans ( and Canadians?) who book through an American agency have gratuities added. I'm planning on cancelling the automatic tips and paying our service staff directly

Was that on Sea Princess? If so, it's because it's classed as being based in Aus, hence no gratuities.

Yes it was. But we booked and paid from New Zealand with Princess Australia.