Exchange rates for British Isles cruises?

[spongerob]

How does Princess handle the onboard accounts for UK passengers embarking on Princess cruises out of Southampton. Since the dollar is used on the ship for all transactions, are there the same exchange rate problems and "little boxes to tick" as we've found out are happening for Canadian passengers on Alaska cruises?

[haggis]

We did the around Britain trip on the Golden Princess 11th June. The transactions were shown as per normal in US dollars and at the end of the trip the US dollars were convereted into Pounds Sterling to be submitted to our credit card. I had no boxes to tick and there certainly wasnt any exchange rate problems that I was aware of. As far as I can tell, it was as per normal. I've travelled Princess for 11 years now and there was no change in their procedures. Happy cruising.

[carltonda]

I'm sure this will apply to all cruises irrespective of departure point.

 

On all of my previous cruises, Princess have never converted the shipboard account from $US to £UK. I've always left my credit card company to do so. (Never charged a % but not sure whether the conversation rate the card company used was competitive.)

 

In my cruise docs that arrived today for a forthcoming CB cruise the Express Check-Out form has the following:

 

CURRENNCY CONVERSION DETAILS: If the card you are using is a MasterCard or Visa issued outside the US and which is not billed to you in US dollars, then the full amount of the onboard account will be conveted by Princess Cruises, to the currency of the card at the current exchange rate at the time the onboard account is charged to your credit card. The rate will include a 3% currency conversion service charge. If you do not wish your charges to be converted by Princess Cruises please ensure you tick the box verleaf. If you opt for your charges not to be converted or if your card was issued in the US your charges will be processed in UD dollars. Choice of currency conversion is final.

 

This to me this could be another example of profiteering but this is dependent on the exchange rate Princess use.

 

I asked Princess in the UK for the rate - they knew nothing about the conversation and therefore couldn't tell me the rate.

 

Do any other recent UK cruisers have any experience of this?

 

Thanks

[terrierjohn]

How does Princess handle the onboard accounts for UK passengers embarking on Princess cruises out of Southampton. Since the dollar is used on the ship for all transactions, are there the same exchange rate problems and "little boxes to tick" as we've found out are happening for Canadian passengers on Alaska cruises?

 

I have no experience of sailing from Southampton but I assume it is the same now on all Princess ships, their standard is to convert your shipboard account to your credit cards home currency at a mark up of 3%, normal credit cards in the UK charge 2.5% but some are free. They will also use their own exchange rate which again might not be as good as the credit card uses, in fact it probably wouldn't be worth their while to do it if it wasn't profitable. However you can tick the box on the express check out form to indicate you want charging in US Dollars.

[captainron]

Rob,

I've seen on other threads for conversion of US to CAD $$$ that if you let Princess do the conversion that they will use a standardized yearly exchange rate (for 2005 this is 1 USD = 1.41 CAD) plus a 3% service charge.

Considering that we get a better rate with our Canadian CC company and the fluctuating rate (downward right now) of the USD we can get an exchange of approx 1.25 CAD vice what Princess charges(plus their 3% surcharge).

 

You asked about GBP. I was wondering how they work it with the Euro also. You raise an interesting fiasco that would appear to make Princess lots of $$$$.

 

To all my American friends,

Hope you have a great July 4 weekend, and...

 

Ciao for now!!!

[haggis]

I've looked out my final statement from the trip on the 'Golden' on 21/6/05 and theres no mention of this 3% surcharge. I've converted my total bill and it comes out spot on with this evenings closing exchange rate. I've checked both my wifes and my items with a fine tooth comb but thers nothing untoward in it. Im on the 'Sea' in February from Barbados and I certainly will study these forms minutely. Could it be that as we sailed from a UK port on a UK registered ship that this policy could not be enforced. Its certainly got me baffled.