Booking With US Sites & US TA's

[Kinkacruiser]

This is obvious to all , so I'm posting mainly to the newcomers. The downside to booking an overseas cruise though a US agent is of course the exchange rate, as you pay in USD. We've been blessed with a good ER for a while now but now we're down to the low 80's.

If you can pay off your cruise while the rates are good, do so. Also if you can buy USD when the rates are good, do so (for your shipboard account).

Cheers,

Anna

[newfarmers]

This is obvious to all , so I'm posting mainly to the newcomers. The downside to booking an overseas cruise though a US agent is of course the exchange rate, as you pay in USD. We've been blessed with a good ER for a while now but now we're down to the low 80's.

If you can pay off your cruise while the rates are good, do so. Also if you can buy USD when the rates are good, do so (for your shipboard account).

Cheers,

Anna

 

we booked with NCL directly and then cancelled and rebooked with a big online agent for our Baltic cruise later this year. Have held off making final payment thinking better aginst the mortgage than in NCL's bank account.

 

Mmmm... should have paid it two or three weeks ago but that's the risk we take. We'll now be making a final payment of at least 10% more than we'd expected to.

 

Years ago we booked a cruise with Oz's biggest TA and until final payment was made the price was not fixed. The dollar went down and we paid more, so it can happen here as well.

[molliemoo]

I'm confused!!:confused::confused:Just checked the Princess website again, and my cruise has now gone back up to the original price of just over $6,000. Think Princess is messing with my head!!

 

Lorraine

[rugbypopsie]

Dont worry Mollie you are booked.

 

As for the little aussie battler (our AUD) I booked just in time for it to duck dive too...but have faith I am sure it will struggle back up again as there is no reason for our strong economy to be undervalued.

[Australian family]

Dont worry Mollie you are booked.

 

As for the little aussie battler (our AUD) I booked just in time for it to duck dive too...but have faith I am sure it will struggle back up again as there is no reason for our strong economy to be undervalued.

 

The reason our dollar has dived is because of the govt announcing this tax on the mining industry. You wait and see, there is an election to happen this year, and the govt will announce a backflip and the dollar will go back up. I am sure it will be strong again by the end of the year.

Also if our interest rates go up, the dollar will go up in value.

I might be wrong, but I do take a big interest in the economy and the share market.

[The_Big_M]

The reason our dollar has dived is because of the govt announcing this tax on the mining industry.

 

It has nothing to do with the tax.

 

Our dollar went down far, far lower just a couple of years back for the same reason as now - fears about the global economy. Back then we were still productive, but a lot of our dollar trade is due to resources. Commodities globally as well as miners offshore have gone down massively these past weeks for the same reason as the dollar has - if world growth is down then there's not forecast to be as much need for either.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

The Australian dollar has not gone down....

the US dollar has gone up.:D

[Brossy]

The reason our dollar has dived is because of the govt announcing this tax on the mining industry. You wait and see, there is an election to happen this year, and the govt will announce a backflip and the dollar will go back up. I am sure it will be strong again by the end of the year.

 

Also if our interest rates go up, the dollar will go up in value.

 

I might be wrong, but I do take a big interest in the economy and the share market.

 

I hope you are right :). My t/a just rang me and said if I didn't pay the final balance of my US holiday now (we don't go until October) the price will increase from between 5-10% :mad:. Lucky I only owed $1200 so paid it (and my cruise I booked through RCL Australia so they can't change the price). I just think it's so unfair to hit consumers as soon as the dollar dives. I bet if it went over $1.00 we wouldn't see too many price reductions :rolleyes:

[Sandielle]

Too true, Rose. Part of it is panic! They are all too quick to hit the computer buttons! They react before they think! :cool:

[Sandielle]

Sorry, double post - site slow! Above I referred to the finance people, not cruisers!

[The_Big_M]

The Australian dollar has not gone down....

the US dollar has gone up.:D

 

Both, to be true. That was just addressing the reason for the AUD's fall which has been a lot more than the USD's increase, and in fact the biggest currency fall of the OECD this past few weeks.

[Miystic]

Down - Unders if that is the case , why did I get knocked back by a large US on line T/A only 2 weeks ago 'Quote - Princess do not allow us to sell to Australiant Residents.'

 

A bit of funny business going on.

How about a few letters/emails to the cruise company's themselves. It's great to have this discussion but lets get some results. I have emailed Princess and waiting for a answer.

[bazzaw]

re the ups and downs of the Aussie Dollar

 

There are always 2 sides to a coin.

 

Theory - the volatility of the Aussie dollar is caused by the strength of the Aussie economy (specifically because of our high relative interest rates)

 

One would think that a strong Aussie economy is good - yes it is, but that is only one side of the coin. The other side of the coin (the bad side) is this.

 

Interest rates overseas are low relative to here in Australia. People borrow money overseas and buy Aussie dollars - to invest them here and earn a higher interest rate. While they are getting this higher interest rate, they are making money - plus this activity slowly drives the value of the Aussie dollar upwards, so their money grows in value. . They are happy -- BUT, if they get the slightest hint of any kind of trouble in the overall world economy ( not the Aussie economy, it is too small to affect anything) , then they quickly sell the Aussie dollar to get out of it before they lose the capital gain they have been slowly building up ( and they get out quick because they know that even a smallish run on the Aussie dollar forces it down very quickly - because it is not too much in demand due to the relative small scale of our economy)

 

After the sudden collapse of our dollar, when the rest of the world settles down again and these "speculator/investors????" regain their calm and gain some courage, they start their activities again and the dollar slowly builds up again. Unfortunately for us, while we currently have a reasonably strong economy, there is much turmoil elsewhere in the world - in 2009, it was the American caused GFC , now it is the Europeans and the possibility of war on the Korean Peninsula - the next collapse will be caused by the (more imminent) possibility of war in the Middle East (Iran)

 

Barry

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

Well folks, we have just booked our first Celebrity cruise! Who knows we might like it more than Princess and be converts.

 

We booked it overseas with an OS TA and are paying US$1499 each for a balcony cabin with US$200 OBC per cabin. It is a 14 day caribbean cruise over the Thanksgiving holidays. That is $100 per day for a 5 star cruise ship.

 

Princess better wake up soon or more people will realise and start talking with their feet.:mad:

[raringtogo]

Well folks' date=' we have just booked our first Celebrity cruise! Who knows we might like it more than Princess and be converts.

 

We booked it overseas with an OS TA and are paying US$1499 each for a balcony cabin with US$200 OBC per cabin. It is a 14 day caribbean cruise over the Thanksgiving holidays. That is $100 per day for a 5 star cruise ship.

 

Princess better wake up soon or more people will realise and start talking with their feet.:mad:[/quote']

 

good work -

can I ask if that price includes all taxes etc.,?

thanks

marilyn

[Gold Coast Cruisers]

I have also been watching the price of the cruise on Diamond, Bangkok to Sydney in December and today the price shot up an extra $600 when I had a look at the Australian Princess website. This may be due to the falling Australian $ or bookings have been increasing. I don't think it is due to the latter with the trouble in Bangkok at the moment.

Rassa

 

 

I wonder how many cabins they still have to sell? Quite a few I would think.

 

Jillybean:)

[Gold Coast Cruisers]

Well folks' date=' we have just booked our first Celebrity cruise! Who knows we might like it more than Princess and be converts.

 

We booked it overseas with an OS TA and are paying US$1499 each for a balcony cabin with US$200 OBC per cabin. It is a 14 day caribbean cruise over the Thanksgiving holidays. That is $100 per day for a 5 star cruise ship.

 

Princess better wake up soon or more people will realise and start talking with their feet.:mad:[/quote']

 

 

Good on you, sounds a great deal. Which ship?

Once you've cruised on Celebrity you can merge your Loyalty points from Celebrity over to RCCL when you cruise on them.

Don't think it works vice versa.

 

Jillybean:)

[The_Big_M]

Once you've cruised on Celebrity you can merge your Loyalty points from Celebrity over to RCCL when you cruise on them.

Don't think it works vice versa.

 

Both programs work the same way as far as transferability, and no merging occurs. With both programs you can get equivalent status at the same level - but only once you've reached higher levels.

 

Once sailed on Celebrity a cruiser will only be on their basic level, known as Classic. This does not provide any benefits with RCL. Only after a cruiser has reached the next stage (Select) after 5 credits can they get equivalent status with RCL - but it will not merge their credits to that point or at any stage.

[Gold Coast Cruisers]

Both programs work the same way as far as transferability, and no merging occurs. With both programs you can get equivalent status at the same level - but only once you've reached higher levels.

 

Once sailed on Celebrity a cruiser will only be on their basic level, known as Classic. This does not provide any benefits with RCL. Only after a cruiser has reached the next stage (Select) after 5 credits can they get equivalent status with RCL - but it will not merge their credits to that point or at any stage.

 

 

Yes you're right, 'merge' was a wrong choice of word on my part.

 

Jillybean:)

[The_Big_M]

We booked it overseas with an OS TA and are paying US$1499 each for a balcony cabin with US$200 OBC per cabin. It is a 14 day caribbean cruise over the Thanksgiving holidays. That is $100 per day for a 5 star cruise ship.

 

That's not an accurate comparison though, since that price doesn't include taxes and is in USD not AUD (neither Princess or Celebrity include tips in the price so are equal). Taxes brings it to approx US$161.00, and when converted to AUD = ~$1,920 at present. Divide by days = ~$137/day.

 

While that's a good price for a balcony, comparisons to the US will favour balcony prices since newer ships have so many more of them whereas here they are limited. The inside price of US$1162.00 is ~AU$1384 which is just below the $100/day mark.

 

The price is a few hundred better than local sailings but given the mass of competition that exists in the Caribbean, that's not surprising - it's the most trafficked and competitive cruise destination in the world (and prices have collapsed there since the GFC, particularly as Oasis and Allure are now taking 10,000+ extra bookings a week - that's equivalent to our whole permanent Australian market!)

[Big Kev]

Both programs work the same way as far as transferability, and no merging occurs. With both programs you can get equivalent status at the same level - but only once you've reached higher levels.

 

Once sailed on Celebrity a cruiser will only be on their basic level, known as Classic. This does not provide any benefits with RCL. Only after a cruiser has reached the next stage (Select) after 5 credits can they get equivalent status with RCL - but it will not merge their credits to that point or at any stage.

..

.

 

Yes, and FYI, can also add Azamara as part of the equivalent "cross benefits" looping between 3 brands.

.

 

.

[MMDown Under]

That's not an accurate comparison though, since that price doesn't include taxes and is in USD not AUD (neither Princess or Celebrity include tips in the price so are equal). Taxes brings it to approx US$161.00, and when converted to AUD = ~$1,920 at present. Divide by days = ~$137/day.

 

While that's a good price for a balcony, comparisons to the US will favour balcony prices since newer ships have so many more of them whereas here they are limited. The inside price of US$1162.00 is ~AU$1384 which is just below the $100/day mark.

 

The price is a few hundred better than local sailings but given the mass of competition that exists in the Caribbean, that's not surprising - it's the most trafficked and competitive cruise destination in the world (and prices have collapsed there since the GFC, particularly as Oasis and Allure are now taking 10,000+ extra bookings a week - that's equivalent to our whole permanent Australian market!)

 

14 day Cruise Thanksgiving Holiday Week (roundtrip)

• 8 full day ports of call - southern Caribbean
  
• 5 sea days
  

 

• $1049 US/$1238 Aust (I)
  
• $1349 US/$1592 Aust (O)
   
  
• plus $200 US OBC per cabin
  
• plus reduced deposit.
  (includes port charges, taxes extra)
   
  Sounds like a bargain to me!
   
  Princess are currently advertising in our weekend press (? name of ship) -
  13 night NZ cruise
  $1999 (I)
  $2539 (O)
  $3529 Balcony
  (includes taxes and fees)
   
  Whilst Holland America -
  14 day Aust & NZ Sydney to Auckland (involves a flight to or fro NZ)
  $1799 (I)
  $1849 (O)
  $3599 Balcony
  based on Dec 3rd sailing and includes taxes.
   
  14 day Pacific Treasures (roundtrip to Sydney)
  $1949 (I)
  $1949 (O)
  $3199 (Balcony)
  based on Nov 9th sailing and includes taxes.
   
  Subject to currency fluctuations until final payment is received.
  

[Gold Coast Cruisers]

14 day Cruise Thanksgiving Holiday Week

• 8 full day ports of call - southern Caribbean
  
• 5 sea days
  

• $1049 US/$1238 Aust (I)
  
• $1349 US/$1592 Aust (O)
   
  
• plus $200 US OBC per cabin
  
• plus reduced deposit.
   
  Sounds like a bargain to me!
  

 

Me too, what ship is that on?

 

Jillybean:)

[MMDown Under]

Me too, what ship is that on?

 

Jillybean:)

 

Celebrity Constellation, Jillybean.

 

Me too!

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

good work -

can I ask if that price includes all taxes etc.,?

thanks

marilyn

 

Sorry no all up including taxes and port charges it will cost us $1511.50 each.