Canadian cruisers!!

[xcell]

You can't buy OBC online? Asking because on NCL you can...

 

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[Cruise Junky]

thanks for the tip!!

 

No problem. A cruise I was watching on Azamara jumped $500 pp tonight too.

[Ourusualbeach]

Just tried to get OBC limit to 499.00 at ten percent exchange rate fellow on the phone confirmed I received email confirmation and while still on the phone I look at the invoice and was charge 698.60 . I questioned and he confirmed exchange rate is 10% , after questioning their math skills , and being put on hold for a few minutes they come back to me with Canadian dollar is devalued on the international market........NO KIDDING. They are refunding tonight charge will try again tomorrow

 

Let's hope that this is not the end of the deal.

[Ourusualbeach]

You can't buy OBC online? Asking because on NCL you can...

 

Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Tapatalk

 

Not available on line. Only buy calling gifts and gear or C&A.

[poutanen]

Let's hope that this is not the end of the deal.

 

Wouldn't surprise me with pages and pages of people explaining how to take it out as cash to use on shore, take home with them, buy their little girl a pony, etc. :mad:

[Funbobby68]

Will keep y'all posted tomorrow when I call again

[Clarea]

You can't buy OBC online? Asking because on NCL you can...

You can only buy gift certificates online, they are a hassle to redeem, and I've no idea if they can be purchased at the same advantageous exchange rate.

[hancogran]

Let's hope that this is not the end of the deal.

 

:( Yes, let's hope not! Fingers crossed that it was just another RCI inconsistency and the poster will be able to buy it today at 10% when he/she calls back.

[A&L_Ont]

Just tried to get OBC limit to 499.00 at ten percent exchange rate fellow on the phone confirmed I received email confirmation and while still on the phone I look at the invoice and was charge 698.60 . I questioned and he confirmed exchange rate is 10% , after questioning their math skills , and being put on hold for a few minutes they come back to me with Canadian dollar is devalued on the international market........NO KIDDING. They are refunding tonight charge will try again tomorrow

 

Wow, that's a 40% rate to the penny. That's close to bank rates and right on for credit card rates. I hope this was a mis-trained agent but I sinkingly think this might be the end of favourable exchange rates. If they are charging credit card rates you might as well use the card for on board charges, have the extra month to pay the bill when you get home and earn whatever points you card is associated with it.

 

I just checked the Bank of Canada and their cash rate exchange for $499 US will cost $674.68 Canadian. I wonder if they have also rolled in their credit card fee for the purchaser to cover? The folks at gifts and gear will miss all the calls from Canada. They will be sitting staring at their phones waiting for it to ring.

 

Let us know what happens when you call back today.

[Ourusualbeach]

You can only buy gift certificates online, they are a hassle to redeem, and I've no idea if they can be purchased at the same advantageous exchange rate.

 

Interesting. As gift certificates cannot be used for on board purchases BUT can be used to pay off a a balance on a cruise booked this opens up a new possibility.

 

If the gift certificates were (a big if) available at a favourable rate, one could purchase enough to purchase your cruise ahead of time and then book the cruise in US$. You could also prepay any specialty restaurants and gratuities etc and have those paid off as well.

 

Might make a phone call today.

[Blondynka]

My husband phoned yesterday and purchased a $1500 USD onboard credit for $1650 CDN, so the 0.90 exchange rate still stands. We will likely get a little bit more right before we leave for our Jan 25th cruise on Anthem.

 

We plan to get the alcohol package when onboard, and it will be "cheaper" to pay for it with the OBC once onboard because when you buy online in advance you pay the going exchange rate. We just bought a little bit of US cash to bring with us, $220 USD cost us $320 :eek:

 

On the confirmation it showed two transactions for $750 each if that helps too.

[phabric]

I called today, Thur Jan 7, to Gifts Dept to purchase OBC to my new booking. The rate has gone up to $1.40, $200 US= $280 Cdn. and $500 US = $700 Cdn. and received a confirmation right away.

 

I then called Crown & Anchor to confirm if the rate went up. The answer is YES, the rate has gone up to $1.40 and he said a lot of Canadians had been calling to add OBC to their booking.

 

Anybody that that purchased OBC at $1.10, good rate while it lasted. At $1.40 still cheaper than the banks.

 

I booked a cruise on Tuesday Jan 5 and my cabin rate has already gone up.

Edited January 7, 2016 by phabric

[hancogran]

Wow, that's a 40% rate to the penny. That's close to bank rates and right on for credit card rates. I hope this was a mis-trained agent but I sinkingly think this might be the end of favourable exchange rates. If they are charging credit card rates you might as well use the card for on board charges, have the extra month to pay the bill when you get home and earn whatever points you card is associated with it.

 

I just checked the Bank of Canada and their cash rate exchange for $499 US will cost $674.68 Canadian. I wonder if they have also rolled in their credit card fee for the purchaser to cover? The folks at gifts and gear will miss all the calls from Canada. They will be sitting staring at their phones waiting for it to ring.

Let us know what happens when you call back today.

 

:D This could cause a massive layoff in the Gifts and Gear Department at RCI! :eek: I also hope it's simply a normal RCI discrepancy.

[Ourusualbeach]

So long good friend...we will miss you.

 

[hancogran]

I called today, Thur Jan 7, to Gifts Dept to purchase OBC to my new booking. The rate has gone up to $1.40, $200 US= $280 Cdn. and $500 US = $700 Cdn. and received a confirmation right away.

 

I then called Crown & Anchor to confirm if the rate went up. The answer is YES, the rate has gone up to $1.40 and he said a lot of Canadians had been calling to add OBC to their booking.

 

Anybody that that purchased OBC at $1.10, good rate while it lasted. At $1.40 still cheaper than the banks.

 

I booked a cruise on Tuesday Jan 5 and my cabin rate has already gone up.

:( Well as they say "all good things must come to an end". I am not surprised though... that's about a year that this deal has been going on and I guess we should just be thankful that we were able to enjoy it for that long. I have already purchased my OBC for our Oasis cruise at the end of this month and I'm glad I did now! :) If it wasn't for this special rate and a great price in Canadian dollars on booking Oasis, we likely wouldn't be cruising this winter or anytime soon until the Canadian dollar is a bit stronger.

[MamatoJack]

Well that kind of sucks, I was going to call today and do this, that's what I get for waiting! Oh well... still got a great deal on my cabin and $200 in OBC. Which I hope will get used against the gratuities since I didn't prepay those.

[yoyogu]

I am also getting 1.40 :(

[dpostman]

 

I'm glad I got this deal a few weeks ago for $1000 of OBC. But the 6 or 7 other families cruising with us are SOL cause they had not gotten around to it yet. Even though I warned them that this day was coming.

 

Oh well, see ya's all in the other treads ;)

 

Sorta makes the quote in my signature even more relevant for those that procrastinated.:(

 

dp

Edited January 7, 2016 by dpostman

[A&L_Ont]

 

I'm glad I got this deal a few weeks ago for $1000 of OBC. But the 6 or 7 other families cruising with us are SOL cause they had not gotten around to it yet. Even though I warned them that this day was coming.

 

Oh well, see ya's all in the other treads ;)

 

Sorta makes the quote in my signature even more relevant for those that procrastinated.:(

 

dp

 

So true on your quote.

 

Perhaps "we" should work together to figure out other possible ways of finding more economical ways of exchanging funds. I hope that CC will allow us to have a thread alive on the RC board, or another location, where Canadians can discuss ways of getting favourable exchange rates.

 

EDIT: I might also say with over 100,000 reads, 2000 posts, and 100 pages this might have been the only thread on the main RC boards this BIG that never once had any "heat" or "tension" surrounding it. So Canadian of us. Thanks to all that have contributed to this great read. :)

 

Bob, you might as well call your self one of us too. You are only across the lake.:D

Edited January 7, 2016 by A&L_Ont

[dpostman]

So true on your quote.

 

Perhaps "we" should work together to figure out other possible ways of finding more economical ways of exchanging funds. I hope that CC will allow us to have a thread alive on the RC board, or another location, where Canadians can discuss ways of getting favourable exchange rates.

 

That would be nice, since this thread proves that there would be a lot of interest, This thread alone has over 2000 posts.

 

dp

[Blondynka]

Wow. We JUST made it. Husband called to confirm that we got the 1500 for 1650 yesterday, which we did. Had we waited until today, 1500 would have cost us 2150. Hubs always teases me for wanting to get things done sooner than later (he would have left this until a few days before we left), this should shut him up for a while!

[tinkertwo]

i hope someone will post back if rcl changes their minds again. from what i have seen they do this often.

i'll keep checking back. :)

[Funbobby68]

Just tried again was quoted 10% rate yet when charged to CC was 40% spent half hour on the phone and same result , was told to check back in a week or so and see if anything changes

[jtdlmc]

Thanks to son3cruisers for letting us all know about this rate way back when! I initially got some back in March and just called again December 31 to get a little more. Got my kids each some as well. Have enough for drink packages, speciality dining, etc. So glad this information was posted here as I would never have known and my DH and I would not have got beverage packages :D !

 

Could we keep the thread going with updates about cashing out at the casino? We are on Freedom in February. Wanted to use a little of the OBC for the ports. We will get a voucher and play the slots a bit if we have to but so much easier to just get cash.

Edited January 7, 2016 by jtdlmc

[Canadian Tyler]

Thanks to son3cruisers for letting us all know about this rate way back when! I initially got some back in March and just called again December 31 to get a little more. Got my kids each some as well. Have enough for drink packages, speciality dining, etc. So glad this information was posted here as I would never have known and my DH and I would not have got beverage packages :D !

 

Could we keep the thread going with updates about cashing out at the casino? We are on Freedom in February. Wanted to use a little of the OBC for the ports. We will get a voucher and play the slots a bit if we have to but so much easier to just get cash.

 

I board Freedom on Sunday and will be trying to get cash from the casino for spending money in ports. I will post the outcome when I'm back.