snoodqueen Posted October 7, 2015 #801 Share Posted October 7, 2015 This certainly changes my plans for another Princess cruise or two in 2016. I'll be looking around at other cruise lines to see how much they've jumped up the exchange rate. I have been finding Princess prices are not that great compared to other lines which offer BOGO on already lower prices with more interesting itineraries. I like Princess but they are going to lose a few Canadian cruisers with their greed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamloops50 Posted October 7, 2015 #802 Share Posted October 7, 2015 (edited) 1.35 is a giant rip off. XE rate this morning is 1.3011. Most CC in Canada charge another 2 to 5 % in addition . Today it is 1.3011. Yesterday the rate was 1.325. Edited October 7, 2015 by Kamloops50 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickAndysMom Posted October 7, 2015 #803 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Just this past weekend I booked a cruise directly through Princess for my husband & myself (US residents) and our relatives (Canada residents). We are on 2 separate reservations. The Princess agent asked if the Canadians would prefer to book in Canadian dollars. The fare in Canadian dollars was at 1.2 times the rate in US dollars. This definitely seemed favorable to the prevailing bank rate, so I booked their reservation in Canadian dollars. (Wish I could have booked our cruise in Canadian $s as well - - - my VISA card does not charge to do the currency conversion, so we would have been ahead of the game, I think!) I'm wondering if the 1.2 rate might have been because our cruise is fairly soon, so we had to pay in full at the time of reservation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steelers36 Posted October 7, 2015 #804 Share Posted October 7, 2015 I'm wondering if the 1.2 rate might have been because our cruise is fairly soon, so we had to pay in full at the time of reservation. The rate had been 1.20 since back in the spring of this year and was in effect through end of December cruises. When the new 1.30 rate was announced in mid-August, it was applicable from JAN 2016 forward. That is why you were able to book for your friends in CAD. (Or maybe they should have booked for both of you). Just this week, Princess changed the 1.30 to 1.35 for 2016 as of yesterday. As of this morning they made a further change and applied it to remaining NOV & DEC sailings. Remind your friends to use Cruise Personalizer and pre-pay gratuities or excursions and so forth at the booked 1.20 rate and they can save further. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickAndysMom Posted October 7, 2015 #805 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Thanks, Steelers36. Now I understand. They were indeed very lucky! We were going to hold off booking for another week, but decided that the fares for our cruise probably weren't going to decrease at all, so we went ahead with the booking. None of us were even aware of the whole Canadian $ conversion issue. We had all thought they would book in US $ & the conversion would be made by their credit card company. I will definitely recommend to them that they pre-pay their gratuities. Beverly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Cruise Junky Posted October 7, 2015 #806 Share Posted October 7, 2015 Most CC in Canada charge another 2 to 5 % in addition . Today it is 1.3011.Yesterday the rate was 1.325. Most but not all and if you're paying in Canadian credit card exchange rates have no bearing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g8way2go Posted October 8, 2015 #807 Share Posted October 8, 2015 I would like to see the USD rates on the Princess website but everything is quoted in CAD on my computer. How do you check the conversion rate charged by Princess? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sueandkent Posted October 8, 2015 #808 Share Posted October 8, 2015 I would like to see the USD rates on the Princess website but everything is quoted in CAD on my computer. How do you check the conversion rate charged by Princess? Most TA's and cruise brokers can see both prices. I know the cruise broker we use can book us in either and quote in either. Even Princess should be able to give you this info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smitty251 Posted October 8, 2015 #809 Share Posted October 8, 2015 The rate had been 1.20 since back in the spring of this year and was in effect through end of December cruises. When the new 1.30 rate was announced in mid-August, it was applicable from JAN 2016 forward. That is why you were able to book for your friends in CAD. (Or maybe they should have booked for both of you). Just this week, Princess changed the 1.30 to 1.35 for 2016 as of yesterday. As of this morning they made a further change and applied it to remaining NOV & DEC sailings. Remind your friends to use Cruise Personalizer and pre-pay gratuities or excursions and so forth at the booked 1.20 rate and they can save further. So I booked my cruise for Feb 2016 - back in June - I booked in CDN dollars - I have to pay the final payment in November - just wondering if I will be paying my quoted rate for the balance or will there be a new rate at 1.35? When I look at my cruise personalizer I am at the 1.20 rate - I will pre pay gratuities this week along with some excursions - maybe get some spending money in the way of casino credits. Any info is appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steelers36 Posted October 8, 2015 #810 Share Posted October 8, 2015 So I booked my cruise for Feb 2016 - back in June - I booked in CDN dollars - I have to pay the final payment in November - just wondering if I will be paying my quoted rate for the balance or will there be a new rate at 1.35? When I look at my cruise personalizer I am at the 1.20 rate - I will pre pay gratuities this week along with some excursions - maybe get some spending money in the way of casino credits. Any info is appreciated. You are good to go at the 1.20. If it makes you nervous that Princess might change another practice, then go ahead and pay now, but you will be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smitty251 Posted October 8, 2015 #811 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Great thanks :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h-sar Posted October 8, 2015 #812 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Yes just a couple weeks ago on the Grand. You can also buy casino credit at that same rate and just cash in the certificates for them that will be in your stateroom in the casino for US cash. Thank you to my fellow Edmontonians! Does anyone have any information on what the limit is that Princess will allow you to cash out from the casinos? Want to buy some OBC at 1.10 to use toward a watch that my son wants to get (expensive style, but the rates on board have been better than any other place). However if they do not have it this time or if he changes his mind, I want to be able to cash out. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steelers36 Posted October 9, 2015 #813 Share Posted October 9, 2015 It's kind of ironic now that Princess just upped the 1.30 exchange rate earlier this week to 1.35 (they had just set it to 1.30 in mid-August). The CAD has been rising steadily this week and today the wholesale rate is just UNDER 1.30. So the 1.35 is certainly a bad deal and should be sending Canadians to be booking in USD now. But, the CAD could fall off again as well. Never know, but it pays to check the rates and shop around for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamloops50 Posted October 10, 2015 #814 Share Posted October 10, 2015 It's kind of ironic now that Princess just upped the 1.30 exchange rate earlier this week to 1.35 (they had just set it to 1.30 in mid-August). The CAD has been rising steadily this week and today the wholesale rate is just UNDER 1.30. So the 1.35 is certainly a bad deal and should be sending Canadians to be booking in USD now. But, the CAD could fall off again as well. Never know, but it pays to check the rates and shop around for sure. What would you do it the dollar fell below 1.35 . Suddenly it was 1.40. I hoping the dollar will stay around 1.30 until I cruise in Oct 2016. Once booked at 1.30 or 1.35 you know what will cost you for the cruise. Exchange rate can change 4 percent in a few days like it did this last week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steelers36 Posted October 10, 2015 #815 Share Posted October 10, 2015 What would you do it the dollar fell below 1.35 . Suddenly it was 1.40. I hoping the dollar will stay around 1.30 until I cruise in Oct 2016. Once booked at 1.30 or 1.35 you know what will cost you for the cruise. Exchange rate can change 4 percent in a few days like it did this last week. Like I said, things can change, so you are right. But if you found a better deal in USD, you could assuage your desire to know the future costs by either paying in full, or just buy the amount of USD you need to cover the future final cruise cost. The latter is the better strategy and works well if you have a USD credit card - an invaluable asset for anyone who travels south. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamloops50 Posted October 10, 2015 #816 Share Posted October 10, 2015 Like I said, things can change, so you are right. But if you found a better deal in USD, you could assuage your desire to know the future costs by either paying in full, or just buy the amount of USD you need to cover the future final cruise cost. The latter is the better strategy and works well if you have a USD credit card - an invaluable asset for anyone who travels south. A little hard to pay for a $15 cruise at one time. With a USD CC ,you still are at the mercy of exchange rates. I get around the exchange rate on board by pre buying OBC . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamloops50 Posted October 10, 2015 #817 Share Posted October 10, 2015 Meant $15000 in one shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Putterdude Posted October 12, 2015 #818 Share Posted October 12, 2015 Pre-paid the gratuities today for our January cruise at the current rate in CAD at the 10% exchange rate we booked at at in June 2014. Now we have figure out how we will spend all our OBCs....such a dilemma.:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madeph Posted October 12, 2015 #819 Share Posted October 12, 2015 Wow...1.30/35 in November and on? I've already pre-purchased some OBC but my cruise will not be until next month. Does anyone know if they will go by the rate at the time I bought the OBC or the time I get on the ship? :confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steelers36 Posted October 12, 2015 #820 Share Posted October 12, 2015 Wow...1.30/35 in November and on? I've already pre-purchased some OBC but my cruise will not be until next month. Does anyone know if they will go by the rate at the time I bought the OBC or the time I get on the ship? :confused: Your question is not clear. If you've already purchased OBC, then you know where you stand because it's paid for. If you are asking what about on board charges, well those are in USD and you should charge them (1) to a USD CC if you have one or (2) to your CAD CC without asking Princess to do the conversion to CAD - it will be worse. You can buy more OBC at whatever the rate was when you booked the cruise if you don't think you have enough to pay expenses. Otherwise, please re-state your question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madeph Posted October 12, 2015 #821 Share Posted October 12, 2015 (edited) Your question is not clear. If you've already purchased OBC, then you know where you stand because it's paid for. If you are asking what about on board charges, well those are in USD and you should charge them (1) to a USD CC if you have one or (2) to your CAD CC without asking Princess to do the conversion to CAD - it will be worse. You can buy more OBC at whatever the rate was when you booked the cruise if you don't think you have enough to pay expenses. Otherwise, please re-state your question. Sorry for being unclear. Yes, I've already paid for the OBC in Canadian. In that I have never done that before, I thought they would just convert the CAN into USD with whatever the current rate is once on board. I would hope that, for example, $30 CAN for $25 US when I bought it, it would be that once the ship sails. All that said, you pretty well answered my question. So thank you! :) Edited October 12, 2015 by madeph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jascal Posted October 13, 2015 #822 Share Posted October 13, 2015 When making a purchase of casino credits or onboard credits, it quotes the price in Canadian $$. I assume my credit card will be also be billed in Canadian $$. How do I know how much I will actually get in US $ once I am on board?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steelers36 Posted October 13, 2015 #823 Share Posted October 13, 2015 Sorry for being unclear. Yes, I've already paid for the OBC in Canadian. In that I have never done that before, I thought they would just convert the CAN into USD with whatever the current rate is once on board. I would hope that, for example, $30 CAN for $25 US when I bought it, it would be that once the ship sails. All that said, you pretty well answered my question. So thank you! :) When making a purchase of casino credits or onboard credits, it quotes the price in Canadian $$. I assume my credit card will be also be billed in Canadian $$. How do I know how much I will actually get in US $ once I am on board?? Casino and OBC are sold in $25 / $50 / $100 value certificates. You are always buying USD for OBC/Casino, regardless of which currency you booked the cruise in. So, you are not picking any old CAD amount - you are being billed in CAD for the equivalent of what Princess offers in USD. The rate used will be the same rate in play when you booked the cruise in CAD. If you are never sure of what you are buying, call Princess and do the transaction with one of their reps. They will tell you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avcruz Posted October 13, 2015 #824 Share Posted October 13, 2015 When making a purchase of casino credits or onboard credits, it quotes the price in Canadian $$. I assume my credit card will be also be billed in Canadian $$. How do I know how much I will actually get in US $ once I am on board?? It's based on the exchange rate in place when you booked your cruise. For example, I booked at a 20% exchange rate. So when I purchase a shipboard credit that costs me $30, it shows up in my personalizer as USD $25. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen Lynn Posted October 28, 2015 #825 Share Posted October 28, 2015 If placing a credit in the casino ... Can it be withdrawn at any time throughout the cruise? Or If left as OBC can it be withdrawn from guest services at any time? Or is it only at the end of the sailing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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