OBC and Exchange Rates

[MicCanberra]

I beg to differ - I used a travel agent to book our cruise and had no problem paying them direct. (Celebrity also didn't charge a cc fee like many travel related businesses do in Australia these days)

 

I was referring to woodyren's post who had asked about the RCI site.:D

[Project_gal]

24 hours after booking on-line and still no confirmation or sign of it on my CC.

 

 

I used the gift section, so what should I do now, call Celebrity? This is crazy, if I booked an airline ticket, I'd have an e-mail within seconds.

 

Celebrity, what's up with your website????

 

This thread has become so confused with all the different nationalities involved. [in the past, they have usually been short and confined to on country. Guess that just goes to show how great the rate currently being offered is!].

 

Because of that, I will repeat what I believe I have said previously: The process, at least in the UK, is NOT a fully automated process on line. It requires HUMAN intervention. When there are lots of orders, they are processed in SAIL date and not order date. Occasionally, not often, orders do get lost because of this. You do not know for certain that the order has been processed until the charge hits your credit card. If you telephone your order, it is process while you are on the telephone.

 

I am guessing from the posts on here. The process is similar in all countries. It is POSSIBLE that those who have rung up and been told that there is no record online of their ordering online MAY be because their order is actually in a pile of paper somewhere.

 

I have no connection with Celebrity. I have just been purchasing OBC for eight years. In the past, in the UK, we had excellent customer service people at Celebrity and they explained the process to me. I just want to explain "what is up with Celebrity?" The process was designed for the occasional friend or family member who wished to buy a gift for someone else and not mass ordering from guests because of the exceptional rate of exchange currently being offered.

 

I am tempted to mention something about looking at gift horses .... Celebrity COULD correct their systems easily by changing the exchange rate used to something closer to that you will get at the bureau de change.

Edited January 31, 2015 by Project_gal

[emmas gran]

Hi Sue

We have purchased 4x different times in 10 days and each time got an e/mail and printed off the order from Celebrity website. They have all debited our credit cards so hopefully we do not have a problem

Liz

[jveevers]

I purchased OBC on-line 5 days ago and received the first email but no sign of a second email.

So I phoned Celebrity on the Australian 1800 number (yes, I booked with an Aus travel agent) and finally got through to the Gifts Onboard section which I presume is in the US. They couldn't see my online purchase so I made a transaction over the phone and they confirmed that it would be charged to my credit card in AUD.

 

This morning, three days later, the transaction is finally showing on my credit card so all good.

 

Now we will see how much I receive on board ;).

Fifa. Pretty much same situation as you. Bought it, got confirmation. I had to nominate a "delivery date" which I made the first day of the cruise. As it is a "gift" I think Celebrity will give you a note to that effect when you are onboard. like a surprise. So it will not be showing anywhere on your booking until it has been "gifted" to you onboard.

[Quitwhin'n]

It does tell you, but only on the final screen.

 

Not ideal, but it's not a common, expected scenario to deal with.

 

My final screen was the order confirmation. I have a screenshot of it and nowhere does it say this. Even if it did, credit card info is already submitted.

[upwarduk]

Hi Sue

We have purchased 4x different times in 10 days and each time got an e/mail and printed off the order from Celebrity website. They have all debited our credit cards so hopefully we do not have a problem

Liz

 

I didn't have a problem, except initially when I had a RED message to say I was unable to proceed at this time. A week later, the UK site was all OK.:)

[airhose]

Just curious if you checked your credit card since you canceled? I had the same situation happen but was afraid to cancel because I didn't want to be hit with a double exchange fee thus losing $ on the refund.

 

Nothing on the credit card yet. They're not so quick to refund the charge! I'll try to remember to respond when refund does come.

[butterbread]

I called in Thursday and bought 10 units for $272.00 CAD. Received an email confirmation later that day. They showed up on my visa today. So hopefully it's good to go!

 

Thx for all the experienced cruisers who suggested this.

[lakelivin2]

My final screen was the order confirmation. I have a screenshot of it and nowhere does it say this. Even if it did' date=' credit card info is already submitted.[/quote']

 

I went this far too...but didn't get an email (ordered on January 27). Waited a few days, then I called Celebrity on the phone to make sure the order was being processed. They told me the order could not be found at their end.

I rebooked the 16 obc cards and then received a confirmation of amenities from Celebrity (for the 16).

So, in the end, I will have purchased 16 or 32 units. :D I guess it will be a surprise!

[MicCanberra]

I went this far too...but didn't get an email (ordered on January 27). Waited a few days, then I called Celebrity on the phone to make sure the order was being processed. They told me the order could not be found at their end.

I rebooked the 16 obc cards and then received a confirmation of amenities from Celebrity (for the 16).

So, in the end, I will have purchased 16 or 32 units. :D I guess it will be a surprise!

 

It may be a nice surprise if you get 32 units for the price of 16 units, :D

unless they charge you for 32 but only receive 16:eek:

[spearmint]

Tomorrow I am buying $300 OBC via my travel agent, thanks to this thread.:)

 

I don't want to hijack the thread but I have a related but different question. (If you all think I should start a new thread rather than stay here, I will.)

 

Normally, as a Canadian, I get Celebrity to send my account to my charge card in U.S. dollars and let the charge card make the exchange as it is a better rate. From other threads here over the years, that has been the consensus.

 

However, does anyone know if the same exchange rate for OBC is also set for closing the account? I am assuming that it would be, but don't know for sure. We are traveling at the end of March, and for the first time I am wondering if I should have Celebrity make the conversion to Canadian dollars before sending the bill to the charge card.

 

Thanks, Bill

[upwarduk]

No, let the CC do the conversion, Celebrity charge (3.5%? )every time they do their accounting.

This can be daily, if you have your pay your gratuities once on the ship.

For that reason we pre- pay, which we have to do when we have opted for Select dining.

So when you fill in your credit information pre boarding, tick the box which elects for the c.c do the conversion and make sure you have a card high charges % for conversion of foreign currency.

[MicCanberra]

Nearly always better off with the CC conversion rather than the cruise line.

[Project_gal]

Better still, if your account is in credit, have it refunded to you in cash. You will always lose out on a currency exchange [purchasing OBC at the present excepted!] If you have no other use for the US$, you can always save it until your next cruise.

Edited February 2, 2015 by Project_gal

[Gordoncruickshank]

Better still, if your account is in credit, have it refunded to you in cash. You will always lose out on a currency exchange [purchasing OBC at the present excepted!] If you have no other use for the US$, you can always save it until your next cruise.

 

I have a $us prepaid card that anything left goes on. It keeps it in $us at a good exchange rate for the next cruise.

Gordon

[MicCanberra]

I have a $us prepaid card that anything left goes on. It keeps it in $us at a good exchange rate for the next cruise.

Gordon

 

Great idea.:D

[GUT2407]

I have a $us prepaid card that anything left goes on. It keeps it in $us at a good exchange rate for the next cruise.

Gordon

 

 

So do you give them that card for onboard expenses and that's why the refund goes to it?

 

Sounds like a good idea.

[Gordoncruickshank]

When you check in for the cruise register a regular credit card with a lot of availability (Celebrity are a pain as they reserve some of your card availability when you charge anything to your account and don't release that for what can be weeks). On the last day switch the card onto your prepaid $us card. The cash gets refunded onto that card not the credit card with all the chunks of your credit that Celebrity have put a hold on. Hotels do this as well when you check in but they are much quicker at releasing the hold that Celebrity. Last March they held onto $400+ which I was expecting to be available for the rest of out stay in Fort Lauderdale.

[GUT2407]

When you check in for the cruise register a regular credit card with a lot of availability (Celebrity are a pain as they reserve some of your card availability when you charge anything to your account and don't release that for what can be weeks). On the last day switch the card onto your prepaid $us card. The cash gets refunded onto that card not the credit card with all the chunks of your credit that Celebrity have put a hold on. Hotels do this as well when you check in but they are much quicker at releasing the hold that Celebrity. Last March they held onto $400+ which I was expecting to be available for the rest of out stay in Fort Lauderdale.

 

Thanks for that.

 

I never seem to have much OBC left,:eek:, probably because I always take the bride with me:D but I'll keep it in mind.

[goodycruising]

Gordoncruickshank - what about a multi currency card. We have one that does have our name on it, and it currently has US$ and AUD$ loaded prepaid. Will the credit just go back on as US$?

[Gordoncruickshank]

Gordoncruickshank - what about a multi currency card. We have one that does have our name on it, and it currently has US$ and AUD$ loaded prepaid. Will the credit just go back on as US$?

 

I am sorry I can't give you any definitive advice on that. I have never dealt with that sort of card. I would expect that since the card is probably a US$ account and an AUD$ account that if US$ were fed in they would be allocated to the US$ part of your CC account but I would check with the credit card issuer before relying on what I have said.

 

Gordon

[Gordoncruickshank]

Thanks for that.

 

I never seem to have much OBC left,:eek:, probably because I always take the bride with me:D but I'll keep it in mind.

 

Don't let on you have any in the first place!!

 

Actually we usually have decided what we will do on the ship beforehand and load on enough OBC to cover that if the rate is better than the current UK rate.

 

We usually eat in Blu and have premium drinks so other than internet, most of our spending is covered.

[goodycruising]

Thanks Gordon. We go on board on Saturday (10 nighter) and only have $150 OBC, so we shall see if we can have a little left. We may have to put some cash on so that there is a little left for the exercise. We are on a B2B next year and would have $400 OBC then for 8 nights, and would love that to come onto our card so we can use it on the second leg of the trip. Will come back here and let people know how we go. :) (My trips are Royal ships but it should work the same through RCI)

Edited February 2, 2015 by goodycruising

[Gordoncruickshank]

I usually try and make sure that I have more than I need and what is left goes back onto the US$ card either to use while we are still in the US or to carry forward to the next cruise.

 

With the current exchange rate for OBC it is a good deal.

Gordon

[spearmint]

Thanks to the thread starter and the responders; it's been a real eye-opener.

 

This morning, my travel agent got us 12 units ($300) for a total cost of $326.20 Cdn. He received an email from Celebrity and forwarded it to me with a confirmation number. It is very faint, but I printed it off anyway and will fill in pertinent details in ink, and take it with me. The entire operation from my call to his return call including my email took only about 11/2 hours. Slick!:D