Canadian cruisers!!

[TOCruisers]

You can do either. I have done both. I get cash for the casino and port walking around money and before the end of the cruise I put my US CC on file to have whatever I don't gamble back onto the card as a positive balance to withdraw as cash when I get home. Saves having to carry wads of cash while travelling.

 

RCL's conversion did not apply as the balance of OBC was going back onto a US$ credit card.

 

Oj!

 

My bank says I can when I asked about a credit on my US Visa:

 

"You can transfer the credit balance on your TD Credit Card as a Cash Advance into your TD Canada Trust account using the "Make a Transfer" option in EasyWeb' date=' or withdraw it directly from a branch at any time.

 

If you have a credit balance on your TD Credit Card and transfer that balance into your chequing/savings account, effectively bringing your TD Credit Card balance to zero, no interest or cash advance fee will be charged, as there is no money owing to TD Canada Trust on your account." [/quote']

 

Thank you. Good to know as I have TD accounts as well. I will try this next time if I have any large left over. RCCL messed up so many times for the exchange, I was afraid to use my US CC for a refund in Nov cruise. (In the past they exchanged my USD refund to CAD and refunded to my USD as CAD refund so my bank had to convert CAD to USD INSPITE OF my instruction to RCCL NOT to convert). Before this good deal, I used to take US T/C and US CC, and changed US T/C at GS as needed so I only carried min cash. For non USD, ATM seems to have the best exchange rate if you pick the bank machine with no or little commission.

[SensFan11]

(In the past they exchanged my USD refund to CAD and refunded to my USD as CAD refund so my bank had to convert CAD to USD INSPITE OF my instruction to RCCL NOT to convert).

 

I've had the exact same thing happen with RCCL. I CLEARLY specified I did NOT want dynamic currency conversion. RCCL did it anyway! They converted my on board account to Canadian dollars (at a 3% premium above the exchange rate) to charge my TD US dollar Visa. TD then charged me 2.5% to convert it back to US dollars. To pay the Visa bill, I had to purchase US dollars at the borderless preferred rate, which seem to run around 1.25%

 

Never again do I want to risk being 'triple-charged' currency conversion premiums! That's another reason I use my Marriott Visa...worst case, if RCCL does their dynamic currency conversion, I'll only be charged conversion once!

[NSnewcruiser]

Ok not sure if this has been asked said or answered and I really don't feel like going through 89 pages to find out.lol But say if I purchased $1000 OBC and only used $500.Can I get the remaining $500 in US cash at the end of the cruise and use it for post cruise spending?

[ckrobyn]

Ok not sure if this has been asked said or answered and I really don't feel like going through 89 pages to find out.lol But say if I purchased $1000 OBC and only used $500.Can I get the remaining $500 in US cash at the end of the cruise and use it for post cruise spending?

 

 

Any remaining refundable OBC (that you purchased, not what the cruise line gave you as incentive to book) can be taken back in cash at the end of the cruise. In fact, you can withdraw these funds as soon as it shows up on your onboard account (check your account on your stateroom TV on day 2 of your cruise and it should be there). I set up a cash account when I board instead of using a credit card, this way I can withdraw my OBC at the casino without being charged the 5%. If you withdraw your OBC at Guest Relations there is never a fee.

Although your OBC won't show up until

Day 2, you can charge up to $500 on a cash account without putting any money down before you are asked to pay it off. In other words, you are covered for onboard spending until your OBC shows up.

I took full advantage of this opportunity last month on the Indy, and have purchased a significant amount of OBC for my upcoming Adventure cruise [emoji106]

 

 

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[NSnewcruiser]

Any remaining refundable OBC (that you purchased, not what the cruise line gave you as incentive to book) can be taken back in cash at the end of the cruise. In fact, you can withdraw these funds as soon as it shows up on your onboard account (check your account on your stateroom TV on day 2 of your cruise and it should be there). I set up a cash account when I board instead of using a credit card, this way I can withdraw my OBC at the casino without being charged the 5%. If you withdraw your OBC at Guest Relations there is never a fee.

Although your OBC won't show up until

Day 2, you can charge up to $500 on a cash account without putting any money down before you are asked to pay it off. In other words, you are covered for onboard spending until your OBC shows up.

I took full advantage of this opportunity last month on the Indy, and have purchased a significant amount of OBC for my upcoming Adventure cruise [emoji106]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

thanks for the response.10% is sure better then what the bank exchange rate is.

[The Sunset Glow]

I've had the exact same thing happen with RCCL. I CLEARLY specified I did NOT want dynamic currency conversion. RCCL did it anyway! They converted my on board account to Canadian dollars (at a 3% premium above the exchange rate) to charge my TD US dollar Visa. TD then charged me 2.5% to convert it back to US dollars. To pay the Visa bill, I had to purchase US dollars at the borderless preferred rate, which seem to run around 1.25%

 

Never again do I want to risk being 'triple-charged' currency conversion premiums! That's another reason I use my Marriott Visa...worst case, if RCCL does their dynamic currency conversion, I'll only be charged conversion once!

 

This has happened to us a couple of times. We just called RCI customer service and they refunded us the cost - no way I'm paying for their mistake:mad:

[poutanen]

This has happened to us a couple of times. We just called RCI customer service and they refunded us the cost - no way I'm paying for their mistake:mad:

 

Yeah, I would consider them doing what I had not authorized on my card as an unauthorized transaction, and phone my card company to reverse the credit. You did not authorize them charging you 3% for the service, so you can refute the charges. I've had good luck with my card companies every time I've had an issue with unauthorized charges (Never with Royal)

[deli cruiser]

bought more obc for January cruise and c&a rep said that the 499 limit has been lifted recently, so no need to do multiple transactions.

bought at 10% rate bank is at 43%. thanks RCI

[poutanen]

Called to Royal Gifts a few days ago and they said the $499 limit was in place (I had already picked $499/week for my upcomig cruise). Was at my travel agent yesterday picking up cruise docs, and she called her RCI rep. He said there was no limit, so I added an extra $500 per week!!! :D

 

It's disheartening to read others in this thread that want to take out a bunch at the end of the cruise. This is a great deal they're giving us, and if we take advantage of it I could see it coming to an end.

 

It's one thing to budget for a certain amount and take a few hundred home if you don't end up spending as much as you planned on booze, shore excursions, etc. It's another thing entirely to specifically try to make 30% on your money by buying thousands and bringing it back as USD... :mad: For people with that thought in mind, don't ruin it for the rest of us!

 

My guess is they give us this excellent rate to encourage us to spend while on-board, similar to vacation destinations in the states accepting CDN $ at par. You wouldn't send $10,000 to a hotel you were staying at in the states, and hope to take out $9,000 USD when you leave, would you?

[Emdee]

Called to Royal Gifts a few days ago and they said the $499 limit was in place (I had already picked $499/week for my upcomig cruise). Was at my travel agent yesterday picking up cruise docs, and she called her RCI rep. He said there was no limit, so I added an extra $500 per week!!! :D

 

It's disheartening to read others in this thread that want to take out a bunch at the end of the cruise. This is a great deal they're giving us, and if we take advantage of it I could see it coming to an end.

 

It's one thing to budget for a certain amount and take a few hundred home if you don't end up spending as much as you planned on booze, shore excursions, etc. It's another thing entirely to specifically try to make 30% on your money by buying thousands and bringing it back as USD... :mad: For people with that thought in mind, don't ruin it for the rest of us!

 

My guess is they give us this excellent rate to encourage us to spend while on-board, similar to vacation destinations in the states accepting CDN $ at par. You wouldn't send $10,000 to a hotel you were staying at in the states, and hope to take out $9,000 USD when you leave, would you?

 

I agree. It's shameful. As you say they are giving this to us because of the whammy we face with our currency. Other lines are giving 20% off to Canadian cruisers to make things more even.

[Clipper123]

Called to Royal Gifts a few days ago and they said the $499 limit was in place (I had already picked $499/week for my upcomig cruise). Was at my travel agent yesterday picking up cruise docs, and she called her RCI rep. He said there was no limit, so I added an extra $500 per week!!! :D

 

It's disheartening to read others in this thread that want to take out a bunch at the end of the cruise. This is a great deal they're giving us, and if we take advantage of it I could see it coming to an end.

 

It's one thing to budget for a certain amount and take a few hundred home if you don't end up spending as much as you planned on booze, shore excursions, etc. It's another thing entirely to specifically try to make 30% on your money by buying thousands and bringing it back as USD... :mad: For people with that thought in mind, don't ruin it for the rest of us!

 

My guess is they give us this excellent rate to encourage us to spend while on-board, similar to vacation destinations in the states accepting CDN $ at par. You wouldn't send $10,000 to a hotel you were staying at in the states, and hope to take out $9,000 USD when you leave, would you?

 

Exactly, as I said in an earlier post, RCI is not a bank, they are giving the fantastic rate so that we will spend more on board. I'm sure it will come to an end soon. They are already making it so that it isn't quite so easy to cash out in the casino on some ships and that is set to go fleet wide. I'm sure when the beards get enough reports of all these people cashing out hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars at the end of the cruise, they will stop that real quick. It is a shame, as the saying goes, a few bad apples ruin it for everyone.

Edited December 22, 2015 by Clipper123

[skatie]

I've had the exact same thing happen with RCCL. I CLEARLY specified I did NOT want dynamic currency conversion. RCCL did it anyway! They converted my on board account to Canadian dollars (at a 3% premium above the exchange rate) to charge my TD US dollar Visa. TD then charged me 2.5% to convert it back to US dollars. To pay the Visa bill, I had to purchase US dollars at the borderless preferred rate, which seem to run around 1.25%

 

Never again do I want to risk being 'triple-charged' currency conversion premiums! That's another reason I use my Marriott Visa...worst case, if RCCL does their dynamic currency conversion, I'll only be charged conversion once!

 

Just so I'm crystal clear as I also have a US TD Credit card - if I want any remaining OBC to just be put on my US Credit Card (no currency conversion back to Canadian), what do I tell them when I go to Guest Services on the last day when i provide that CC to the my account? Or is it safer to withdraw all of it in cash to be certain no issues?? Thanks

[deli cruiser]

Exactly, as I said in an earlier post, RCI is not a bank, they are giving the fantastic rate so that we will spend more on board. I'm sure it will come to an end soon. They are already making it so that it isn't quite so easy to cash out in the casino on some ships and that is set to go fleet wide. I'm sure when the beards get enough reports of all these people cashing out hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars at the end of the cruise, they will stop that real quick. It is a shame, as the saying goes, a few bad apples ruin it for everyone.

 

Instead of purchasing excursions, specialty restaurants, drink pkgs, etc. ahead of time at the Canadian prices we will buy these things on board at the US rate and may even upgrade to better things than we would have.

Also plan on using in casino so now I don't have to carry as much cash with us.

 

I agree, people that purchase excessive amounts are abusing the system.

[poutanen]

Instead of purchasing excursions, specialty restaurants, drink pkgs, etc. ahead of time at the Canadian prices we will buy these things on board at the US rate and may even upgrade to better things than we would have.

 

Exactly, wife and I are going on a B2B in a few weeks, and with the weak dollar we were talking about not doing any drinking on board, and saving it for the various cheap islands. Now we're likely to not change our habits from last time when we spent $700-800 each week on drinks, restaurants, on board shopping, etc.

 

We were going to spend as little as possible on board, so their policy is certainly going to encourage us to keep spending. Win win I think...

[new_cruzer]

We are thinking of switching our Nov 2016 DCL cruise because of the great exchange rate offered. Does your trip have to be paid in full before you can start buying the OBC?

[tinkertwo]

We are thinking of switching our Nov 2016 DCL cruise because of the great exchange rate offered. Does your trip have to be paid in full before you can start buying the OBC?

 

no, you do not have to be paid in full. our pif date is not till july (i think) and we have purchased $1500.

we to switched from our usual cruise on DCL to rcl. we are taking the nov 5th sailing on the oasis (the first out of port canaveral) which gives us one extra day of sailing and, at the time of booking, was $2000 cheaper. same category. bonus!

[cutiepie43]

Have any Canadian cruisers had any luck purchasing at 1.10 even if they originally booked in USD? I'll probably still call and try but I'd like to know if anyone has had any success.

[new_cruzer]

no, you do not have to be paid in full. our pif date is not till july (i think) and we have purchased $1500.

we to switched from our usual cruise on DCL to rcl. we are taking the nov 5th sailing on the oasis (the first out of port canaveral) which gives us one extra day of sailing and, at the time of booking, was $2000 cheaper. same category. bonus!

 

Thanks for the quick response!

 

One more question - is anyone worried they will change the rules before you sail? What if they say you still have the OBC but are not be able to access it until right before your trip ends or something else....???? It just seems too easy and too good to be true. Am I overthinking this?

[A&L_Ont]

Have any Canadian cruisers had any luck purchasing at 1.10 even if they originally booked in USD? I'll probably still call and try but I'd like to know if anyone has had any success.

 

It has been reported it is only available to those that book in Canadian dollars. You can check but I doubt you'll get it.:)

[yxupaul]

Let us know what rate they are quoting you....

Maybe I should purchase a little bit more... Lol

 

I am so glad I read this!!!!! I just purchased $400 for $440 Canadian

[monctonguy]

Have any Canadian cruisers had any luck purchasing at 1.10 even if they originally booked in USD? I'll probably still call and try but I'd like to know if anyone has had any success.

 

I don't think they will from what I have read here. I booked a great deal with USD before our dollar went in the toilet. So while I got an amazing deal on the cruise, I am going to spend ALOT more in the end once we add up all the extras from casino to drinks etc.

 

Thank god I booked 2/3 next cruises in CAD...which has allowed me to get the OBC at a reasonable rate.

 

However, I am still going to try once, maybe even twice to see if I can still get a good deal on OBC for the cruise I paid in USD. Never know when you call RCI you get a different answer each time it seems.....:rolleyes:

[hancogran]

Have any Canadian cruisers had any luck purchasing at 1.10 even if they originally booked in USD? I'll probably still call and try but I'd like to know if anyone has had any success.

 

Good luck but if I remember correctly, somebody else who purchased their cruise in USD tried to get the special rate and was refused. You can go back to the earlier pages of this thread where, I'm pretty sure, they posted that they tried without success more than once.

[RobinCruiser]

Any remaining refundable OBC (that you purchased, not what the cruise line gave you as incentive to book) can be taken back in cash at the end of the cruise. In fact, you can withdraw these funds as soon as it shows up on your onboard account (check your account on your stateroom TV on day 2 of your cruise and it should be there). I set up a cash account when I board instead of using a credit card, this way I can withdraw my OBC at the casino without being charged the 5%. If you withdraw your OBC at Guest Relations there is never a fee.

Although your OBC won't show up until

Day 2, you can charge up to $500 on a cash account without putting any money down before you are asked to pay it off. In other words, you are covered for onboard spending until your OBC shows up.

I took full advantage of this opportunity last month on the Indy, and have purchased a significant amount of OBC for my upcoming Adventure cruise [emoji106]

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Thanks for info. I'm wondering about using the OBC to purchase drink packages... for four of us in our cabin, it's going to come to a lot more than $500. Will they let you put the drink packages on the OBC on day 1 or do you have to wait until it shows up in your account?

[ckrobyn]

Thanks for info. I'm wondering about using the OBC to purchase drink packages... for four of us in our cabin, it's going to come to a lot more than $500. Will they let you put the drink packages on the OBC on day 1 or do you have to wait until it shows up in your account?

 

 

If you have a cash account you can charge up to $500 without being asked to pay it down. You could open the cash account with a few hundred dollars down ( go to guest relations as soon as you board) this should provide you with enough to purchase drink packages as soon as you board. Your OBC should appear in your account on day 2.

 

 

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[A&L_Ont]

Robyn, did you ever think you'd come home from your Indy cruise to experience this weather we have right now?