Let RCCL convert Canadian $ ?

[Arrow Fan]

I saw this in an earlier post but I cant find it now. What are the relative merits of letting Royal convert my charges from U.S. to Can. as opposed to having my credit card company to do it?

[KEN31VA]

Don't do either if you can avoid it. You will save 5-10% by getting your USDs from your bank before you leave or using an ATM in the US that is associated with your bank back home so that you avoid the ATM fees.

[ckrobyn]

I saw this in an earlier post but I cant find it now. What are the relative merits of letting Royal convert my charges from U.S. to Can. as opposed to having my credit card company to do it?

 

Make sure you tick off the box that says NO!

RCI will ding you a conversion and so will your credit card company - therefore you will be dinged twice! :eek:

Just let your credit card do the conversion and not RCI!!!!

[SPCSC]

check NO RCI will use an out of date exchange rate and it will cost you money. Your credit card company does charge a service fee, but you come out ahead. RCI makes money on this 'service' that they offer.

[cadcruiser]

RCI charges a higher fee for conversion than your credit card company will.

[workingboy]

I agree with the posters above. Don't use RCCL's currency conversion and therefore tick "NO". However when you get your bill on the last day of the cruise, make sure they have not converted it anyway. That has happened to me several times. Unfortunately it means a trip to guest services on the last morning to get it corrected.

[Langley Cruisers]

Don't do it! And check your statement on the last day carefully to make sure they haven't done it. We have checked "No" numerous times and only ONCE did they honor it. Very frustrating.

[dirtgirl]

Tick NO, and it's vitally important to mention it at check-in, so they can tick a tiny box on their screen, too.

[InsideCruiser]

Don't do either if you can avoid it. You will save 5-10% by getting your USDs from your bank before you leave or using an ATM in the US that is associated with your bank back home so that you avoid the ATM fees.

 

I agree with this, a cash account will be the most economical.

[newtocruisingcdn]

Great topic,

 

Can I pay using USD travellers cheques,

I have a US credit card which is easier to pay account, I had read earlier someplace where the rate depending on your purchase varies from 20 - 3 percent...

[Northern Bear]

I found lots searching with "exchange rate".

 

Heres one I asked a while back:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1257366

[scottbee]

I saw this in an earlier post but I cant find it now. What are the relative merits of letting Royal convert my charges from U.S. to Can. as opposed to having my credit card company to do it?

 

Bad bad move. Pay for everything in USD. One of the problems is that if you check the "C$" box onboard; all of a sudden, you pay the C$ rate for the shore excursions, which the exchange rates were worked out 5 yrs ago when the rate was closer to 0.75 not the 0.98 it is now. Any Canadian bank can get you a US$ credit card, that's my recommendation....