It's Hard to be a Canadian

[budisal]

Prices are high and, most likely, going higher. It forces you to think through what you want from a cruise. Right now, my wife and I are trying various cruise lines to come up with one or two with which we are most comfortable. When all is said and done, there isn't that much price difference in this strata of cruise line. Savings for Canadians seem to come more from choosing where to fly from and the cost of the hotel you stay at in Florida.

[Ourusualbeach]

Prices are high and, most likely, going higher. It forces you to think through what you want from a cruise. Right now, my wife and I are trying various cruise lines to come up with one or two with which we are most comfortable. When all is said and done, there isn't that much price difference in this strata of cruise line. Savings for Canadians seem to come more from choosing where to fly from and the cost of the hotel you stay at in Florida.

 

Keep an eye out for resident discounts as well. Ontario gets quite a few resident discounts. I have had a couple that have been almost $500.

[tazlover]

We're booked on the Anthem, I'm almost having second thoughts not on the ship but the price, I knew it was gonna be high, do you ever get that where you almost have second thoughts

 

I had my Anthem trip booked for September 2016, and I got an alert about a price drop. I save almost $500 Canadian.

 

We leave near Toronto and try to cruise out if NYC or New Jersey to save money on flights. Lots of good cruises go out of there.

[Ourusualbeach]

We're booked on the Anthem, I'm almost having second thoughts not on the ship but the price, I knew it was gonna be high, do you ever get that where you almost have second thoughts

 

Just cancelled our Anthem cruise for this Christmas. Too much money for the crappy 8 day itinerary they are offering.

[cocacola86]

We're on the 7 to Bermuda and Boston and paid just over 1500, what's your thoughts on the Breakaway?

[TBone2K]

Does RC have a CC for Canadians or how do you get Delta if we're in Canada?

 

It doesn't, but if you go with an Aeroplan CC, you can get miles redeemable on any Star Alliance filght, which includes United and Continental (or whatever they are called now).

 

Our travel agent also gives us Aeroplan points for booking our cruises through them (but I think CC rules says I can't say who that is).

[cocacola86]

Don't worry I know who it is

[Paddy41]

With how restrictive Royal is now with their CC and redemptions you are probably better off getting a card with a decent cash back offer and rewarding yourself in cash or one of the many travel cards that are available.

 

Have a look at Scotiabanks AMEX gold card. I had the travel part of it checked out and was told it is one of the best credit cards to book your travel on. Covers you completely while out of Canada. They also give you cash back and it can really mount up with the price of the cruises.

[squadron]

Paddy41

 

The TD Infinity travel card is similar - get points for what you spend on it and it converts to cash for any travel expense. Includes some insurance and other perks. An option for those in smaller communities that don't have all banks.

[hancogran]

Clarea provided #. Make sure when you check in you don't provide your credit card number so your account is considered a cash account. That way you can withdraw the USD from the casino with the 5% charge

 

There is no 5% charge when you withdraw from the casino if your seapass account is set up as a cash account.

 

We just come off a 15 day Transatlantic on Brilliance and I purchased $2000 U.S. onboard credit. Every few nights, I withdrew $500 from the casino and there was never any charge.

 

If you withdraw funds using your credit card, you will pay the 5% but basically, it's your own money you're taking out if you're set up as a cash account.

[Paddy41]

There is no 5% charge when you withdraw from the casino if your seapass account is set up as a cash account.

 

We just come off a 15 day Transatlantic on Brilliance and I purchased $2000 U.S. onboard credit. Every few nights, I withdrew $500 from the casino and there was never any charge.

 

If you withdraw funds using your credit card, you will pay the 5% but basically, it's your own money you're taking out if you're set up as a cash account.

 

 

Thank you for this information.

[DirtyDawg]

The hotel is Salvatore's Grand Hotel on Transit Road. For $179 per couple, you get a beautiful room and a gourmet dinner at the restaurant attached to the hotel - Russell's Chops Steak and more -- voted the best steak house in Buffalo (and, in my opinion, it is). My wife and I go there twice a year just to shop and stay at the hotel. Also included, if you're flying out to Florida to catch your cruise, your car can stay free in their parking lot, and they will shuttle you to and from the airport. One heck of a bargain! The meal alone is worth the money imo. My wife found this place by accident during a Buffalo visit with friends. We've stayed there ever since. Everybody in Buffalo knows Russ Salvatore.

 

Googled it. Looks like a great place and deal. Thank you very much for the info!

[ronandannette]

LuCruise... I have a bad habit of buying my cruise and paying for it and then forgetting about it. With prices getting out of control (especially flights), I think I'm going to have to start thinking about flying out of Buffalo. It's not that I can't afford it, it just bothers the hell out of me to always be paying top price for everything just because I want to support our national airline, Air Canada.

Forget that...there has not been one time in 15 years (that's as far back as I can remember) that Air Canada could come close to the price of a non-Canadian airline for flights across the boarder. Coupled with the fact that unless we're going to LA or Seattle, there's absolutely nothing direct from Calgary on AC. We would absolutely LOVE to be able to drive to a US city and fly from there but believe it or not, the sorry folk in Montana (the only remotely viable international airport to reach by car) actually pay MORE to fly than we do.

 

Ridiculous airfares are a big part of why we ended up cancelling our long-anticipated 20th Anniversary trip to Europe with a Med cruise. I tracked airfare for 10 months and it never went lower than about $1,500/pp to Rome, lots of days it was higher. Combined with the woeful dollar, when the entire cost of the trip ticked into 5-figures we pulled the plug.

 

We're now taking a quick, cheap 7-day Alaska southbound with the budget whittled back by 75%.

[Donna_In_India]

Just cancelled our Anthem cruise for this Christmas. Too much money for the crappy 8 day itinerary they are offering.

 

Same reason I canceled our Feb cruise on the Anthem.

[Donna_In_India]

We're on the 7 to Bermuda and Boston and paid just over 1500, what's your thoughts on the Breakaway?

 

Breakaway is great, Bermuda is stunning, and sailing out of NYC is unforgettable!

[cocacola86]

Westjet I find is a lot better than AC

[budisal]

In case people think I'm just cheap because I'm complaining about prices, both cruise and air, I'm just looking for value. When you add both the cruise price and the airfare together and come out with $4500, then a one week cruise comes out pretty costly. But, cheap I'm not. My wife and I just spent $21,000 for a two week river cruise in 2016. It's all-inclusive, including airfare, hotels, transportation, gratuities, tips and all side trips. Lots of money, probably only doing it once, but to me, that's value!

[trev71]

In case people think I'm just cheap because I'm complaining about prices, both cruise and air, I'm just looking for value. When you add both the cruise price and the airfare together and come out with $4500, then a one week cruise comes out pretty costly. But, cheap I'm not. My wife and I just spent $21,000 for a two week river cruise in 2016. It's all-inclusive, including airfare, hotels, transportation, gratuities, tips and all side trips. Lots of money, probably only doing it once, but to me, that's value!

 

 

Cancel your trip if your not happy with the price. If you want cheap trip down south and value go to Cuba.

[budisal]

Can't cancel. Leaving on Sunday. Besides, it's a trip with my 28 year old son and I couldn't disappoint him. Been to Cuba. Loved it! Actually, before we started cruising, we spent most winter vacations at all-inclusive so thoughout the Caribbean. Then we found cruising and the world has never been the same since. We absolutely love cruising. However, I can't help but be just a little jealous and envious of those living in Florida, Seattle or Vancouver. No airfare. Then cruising becomes a great value.

[trev71]

Can't cancel. Leaving on Sunday. Besides, it's a trip with my 28 year old son and I couldn't disappoint him. Been to Cuba. Loved it! Actually, before we started cruising, we spent most winter vacations at all-inclusive so thoughout the Caribbean. Then we found cruising and the world has never been the same since. We absolutely love cruising. However, I can't help but be just a little jealous and envious of those living in Florida, Seattle or Vancouver. No airfare. Then cruising becomes a great value.

 

 

I agree it sucks paying airfare, being from New Brunswick it really sucks. I just say it is what it is. We really enjoy crusing so we except to pay what we pay. The only thing we cant control is the Canadian Dollar dropping. But it will go up and down a lot of times in the future. Just hopefully not too low