Uk cruisers -exchange rates

[swigso]

HI All

Just visited the X main site and noticed that if

you buy On Board Credit in $25 multiples it costs £15.70 which is

per $25 ($1.596 to the Pound.)

I also noticed that if you buy the Beverage package the

equivalent rate rises to $1.612 to the pound.

The Dollar has recently had a bit of a revival against the pound

and most tourist rates at this time on the High Street are in the $1.54/56

range. Anyone who is travelling in the next 3 months might want to

look at either purchasing some OBC or the Beverage Package.

[hooked cruiser]

I have also been looking at the rates and have also ordered and paid for our on-board refreshment packages in advance. I have noticed a few small alterations over the last few weeks and finally bit the bullet and did it.

[Ollieowl]

Hi Hooked cruiser from Ireland!

I too am looking to buy our beverage package for our 1st ever cruise on Equinox next May. Do you know if I can buy my package from the Celebrity website directly, or do I have to book it through the Travel agent that I booked through in Dublin? It seems like the Euro is as good as its going to be against the Dollar right now and it can only get worse for us Irish!

[swigso]

Hi Hooked cruiser from Ireland!

I too am looking to buy our beverage package for our 1st ever cruise on Equinox next May. Do you know if I can buy my package from the Celebrity website directly, or do I have to book it through the Travel agent that I booked through in Dublin? It seems like the Euro is as good as its going to be against the Dollar right now and it can only get worse for us Irish!

 

Log into my Celebrity, put in your reservation number and go to Manage my reservations, you should be able to buy the package.

[excitedofharpenden]

swigso, I remember you pointed this out back in September so I bought some on board credits for my October cruise and got a good deal. Thanks very much again. I didn't even consider it before you mentioned it.

 

Phil

[hooked cruiser]

Hi Ollieowl,

 

As a previous post says, go into the Celebrity site and "View the Beverage packages" You will then see a small box to the right (half way down) that you click on to purchase a package. This will take you into your booking screen, just enter your booking reference, ship and date and then you will be taken to the screen to book and purchase your package.

I looked at a commercial currency exchange site beforehand to see what the bank rate was and then converted it and when the time was right booked it. With our problem here in Ireland at the moment I don't think it will help in strenghening the € to $ rate in the near future either.

[leyla]

Perhaps you have not noticed but one can purchase the beverage packages on board and these packages can be purchased on the 2nd or 3rd day up to the last 3 days or so before the cruise ends. If you buy on line one has to buy for the entire trip from the very first day which in your case ship leaves at 5pm which counts as day one. So we save at least that first day and purchase the pkg on day two or whatever to the end of cruise...Just a thought!

 

We live in Canada so the exchange rate is also an issue for, although for us lately it is not a big difference in the $. We exchange our $'s on an ongoing basis into US $'s and then still set up our credit card while on board but on the last night we settle our account in cash.

 

I've heard on these boards that it is not wise for Canadians to purchase the beverage pkgs because for some reason Celebrity site charges a much higher exchange rate than we can actually get at the bank.

[hooked cruiser]

I understand fully what you say about booking it onboard on the second day. However, I am lucky in that although I live in Ireland I booked my cruise through a UK agent and also have a UK bank account and at the moment the £ is quite strong against the Dollar. Infact so much so that the rate being offered by X at present is nearly 3 cents better than the current exchange rate and in our favour.

I also intend having wine with my dinner on the 1st evening and other drinks, and as we are being picked up by X from our hotel at 1100 Hrs we should be on-board by 1300 Hrs so may have a drink also with my lunch.

At least I won't have a bill for drinks at the end of the cruise and as things are going at the moment in Europe the rate of exchange will (in my opinion) be against us before the cruise on the 27th December.

[fiona page]

If i check the rate on Celebritys site for the drinks package it tells me it is £30 per night for the full package. Does anyone know what the rate is in dollars when on board?

 

Also if you purchase the drinks package do they still add the 15% or is it included.

 

We didnt think it was worth it earlier this year when we were on Equinox but now re thinking it.

 

Thanks for the info on the exchange rate purchase :p

[excitedofharpenden]

If i check the rate on Celebritys site for the drinks package it tells me it is £30 per night for the full package. Does anyone know what the rate is in dollars when on board?

 

Also if you purchase the drinks package do they still add the 15% or is it included.

 

We didnt think it was worth it earlier this year when we were on Equinox but now re thinking it.

 

Thanks for the info on the exchange rate purchase :p

It's $49 equivalent for the premium package. 15% gratuity isn't included and will be added when you purchase it.

 

Phil

[swigso]

Hi,

The premium package is $49 plus 15% per day so for a 14 night

cruise it works out at $788.90 for the cruise, the high street

rate today is $1.52 to the pound that makes it £519.01p.

The cost to buy the same package on the X website is

£489.12p.

That equates to an exchange rate of 1.613 to the dollar, I cannot

see the pound reaching that level prior to our cruise in Feb.

Even if the exchange rate comes back I still won't have a bill to pay at

the end of our cruise Wow that will be a first!!!:D

 

The HSBC have a rate of 1.465 they are highwaymen

[hooked cruiser]

If it is of any help I purchased the premium alcoholic package this afternoon and as we booked through the UK the rate was in sterling.

 

I paid £334.18 and the gratuity added was £50.13 which makes a total of £384.31.

These figures are for an 11 night cruise and therefore equate at £34.93 per day (inclusive of the 15% gratuity) This worked out at an exchange rate of $1.6129 to the £.

 

This is therefore a daily cost of £29.69 before tips. If you look at the price listing of drinks on the front page of this site and compare the prices against what you will actually drink it should give you a good idea as to whether the package is for you or not.

 

The exchange rate as at 5-00pm this evening (European time) was $1.5555). I personally don't think it will be long before X change the rates so i would say get in there now if you are buying any package for travel this year.

[hooked cruiser]

As an afterthought if you are going to purchase a package before travel and pay for it you will also be getting the commercial exchange rate as opposed to the tourist rate, which is always considerably higher.

[swigso]

The other plus about buying now is that

you can purchase in Pounds so that your

Credit card provider doesn't take his cut as well.

[hooked cruiser]

Absolutely Swigso,

It looks this evening as if the £ and the € in particular are going downhill fast against the Dollar. The € is at it's lowest against the $ for 6 years today. And the £ has dropped 6 cents since Friday.

[fiona page]

Thanks for the info. My DH is concerned we wont drink over £300 each but I have assured him I will defo give it a good go.

 

Think will order the drinks package today for our March 11nt cruise:p

[swigso]

Thanks for the info. My DH is concerned we wont drink over £300 each but I have assured him I will defo give it a good go.

 

Think will order the drinks package today for our March 11nt cruise:p

 

Hi Fiona,

you will be amazed how it all adds up,

Say wine with lunch, couple of beers after lunch, maybe a Latte then

a G&T before dinner and say two glasses of wine with dinner and another Latte plus

a drink or two after dinner add in a bottle of water and that would add

upto about $70 plus tip.

I passed Thomas Cook in St Helens today and the rate for the $$

was 1.51

[fiona page]

Thanks for all the info. Small world I used to live in Rainhill and St Helens was my local town.:p

[swigso]

Thanks for all the info. Small world I used to live in Rainhill and St Helens was my local town.:p

It is a small world, we live 2 mins from Rainhill village

[fiona page]

It is a small world, we live 2 mins from Rainhill village

 

 

My Dad still lived there up until 2 yrs ago right by the village hall. I went to Rainhill High school then Knowsley Comp. Pity your not on the same cruise we could of had a real chat about Rainhill.