Attention all Canadians

[kruisey]

I know this is mentioned in the general Canadian thread but thought it very important to 'Highlight' this.

All cruises booked now from January 1st 2016 on wards are on the rate of exchange $1.30.Meaning price is now 30% above the USA Dollar.If you did not book before this weekend then your rate is now this.

I have not heard a hint of anyone getting advance notice of this sudden change. :(

Edited August 16, 2015 by kruisey

[Cruise Junky]

Yes, definitely looks like my sailing went up 10% :(. Deal was nice while it lasted. Won't be booking anything at 30%

[kruisey]

Yes, definitely looks like my sailing went up 10% :(. Deal was nice while it lasted. Won't be booking anything at 30%

Not even the Princess agent knew about this.She looked it up and saw the difference.:(

[TorontoTL]

That's a shame, I thought that the rate wasn't going to increase until sometime in September. It doesn't surprise me thought, it was a too good to be true rate since the CDN$ has plummeted.

[kruisey]

That's a shame, I thought that the rate wasn't going to increase until sometime in September. It doesn't surprise me thought, it was a too good to be true rate since the CDN$ has plummeted.

Would you still book at this higher rate though?

[bigenna]

Ouch!!!

I was hoping to book an after Christmas cruise at 20%. Thought it might stay at that rate until year end. Already cancelled our usual RV trek south for the winter at those rates. It is going to be a long cold winter at home this year I guess.

So glad I booked our upcoming BCN- FLL cruise early at 10% though.

[kruisey]

Worked out the increase if I had not booked my 30 day 2016 cruise.

This is with my past passenger discount, it would have cost me $636 Canadian more:eek:

[Daisyloo]

I have a Princess cruise booked for April 2017. It is gone up $300 more each from when we booked it. And we got the drink package for free. Glad we booked when we did. I am glad we booked our three upcoming HAL cruises when the Canadian dollar was better too.

Edited August 16, 2015 by Daisyloo
spelling

[Griller]

We noticed a sizable increase in the number of Canadians cruising over the past several years as the Can$ increased in value to nearly par with US$.

Now the oil price is way down, an important factor in C$ value, so probably fewer Canadians cruising, and other commodities as well which will similarly reduce the until recently larger number of Australians cruising abroad.

I can see Princess also not doing so well in the Australian based market they have been targeting with the ships based there, either keeping their Aus $ prices the same and making less profit, or increasing them and losing passenger bookings.

And now with the Chinese Yuan being recently devalued by their government no doubt this may reduce the number of their citizens cruising in Asia.

[cherylandtk]

Would you still book at this higher rate though?

Bank exchange rate is pretty close to $1.30, within a cent. Not sure what you are using for rate, but this is what xe.com, Bank of Canada, etc. all quoted on Friday's close.

[Cruise Junky]

Bank exchange rate is pretty close to $1.30, within a cent. Not sure what you are using for rate, but this is what xe.com, Bank of Canada, etc. all quoted on Friday's close.

 

Trust us, we know what the real rate is. Princess has been charging 20% which has enabled a lot of a Canadians to still cruise. Raising it to 30% will be a deal breaker for some.

[icat2000]

We noticed a sizable increase in the number of Canadians cruising over the past several years as the Can$ increased in value to nearly par with US$.

Now the oil price is way down, an important factor in C$ value, so probably fewer Canadians cruising, and other commodities as well which will similarly reduce the until recently larger number of Australians cruising abroad.

I can see Princess also not doing so well in the Australian based market they have been targeting with the ships based there, either keeping their Aus $ prices the same and making less profit, or increasing them and losing passenger bookings.

And now with the Chinese Yuan being recently devalued by their government no doubt this may reduce the number of their citizens cruising in Asia.

 

One thing you have factor in with retired Australians is some of them have large super funds i.e cashed up. Princess has been smart keeping the ships based there and ones during summer in aud dollars including onboard charges, and I don't see much drop off, rather other lines cruising the region with their onboard costs in usd struggling.

Edited August 16, 2015 by icat2000

[kruisey]

That if one prepays gratuities mine is still at 20% so I will pay that off.:)

Regarding cruise for 2017 if the rate stays at 30% I am out.

[kruisey]

Bank exchange rate is pretty close to $1.30, within a cent. Not sure what you are using for rate, but this is what xe.com, Bank of Canada, etc. all quoted on Friday's close.

I just looked at Royal Bank exchange rate on the web it is $1.75 Cash ...25% exchange.:)Princess is $1.70.......30% exchange:(

[Cruise Junky]

I just looked at Royal Bank exchange rate on the web it is $1.75 Cash ...25% exchange.:)Princess is $1.70.......30% exchange:(

 

You're doing it backwards. It will cost you $1.3107 Canadian to buy $1.00 us. But you won't find that rate anywhere. Royal bank is 1.3434

[rdsqrl]

Worked out the increase if I had not booked my 30 day 2016 cruise.

This is with my past passenger discount, it would have cost me $636 Canadian more:eek:

That's all of $20 per day. To my way of thinking, if you can afford to book a 30-day cruise at all, you're not going to get a whole lot of sympathy for such a trivial increase.

 

[kruisey]

You're doing it backwards. It will cost you $1.3107 Canadian to buy $1.00 us. But you won't find that rate anywhere. Royal bank is 1.3434

 

It had the Canadian dollar $1 on on side with $1.75 US on the other.So what were they talking about? That's how I got 25%. Maybe I am getting befuddled in my old age.??:confused:

[kruisey]

It had the Canadian dollar $1 on on side with $1.75 US on the other.So what were they talking about? That's how I got 25%. Maybe I am getting befuddled in my old age.??:confused:

 

It still tells me the non cash rate for exchange is 75 cents USA for a dollar?

Usually handle this way in larger amount

[kruisey]

That's all of $20 per day. To my way of thinking, if you can afford to book a 30-day cruise at all, you're not going to get a whole lot of sympathy for such a trivial increase.

/FONT]

Would have made alot of difference when saving on pensions.

It can be done if one books a couple of years in advance and are very thrifty.Do without luxuries ,don't drink ,never smoked ,beauty parlor once every 2 months,no vacation for one year, and lead a simple life.You should try it some time then you will be about to afford a long cruise. :)

[Cruise Junky]

It still tells me the non cash rate for exchange is 75 cents USA for a dollar?

Usually handle this way in larger amount

 

Yes, you will get .75cents us for one Canadian dollar. 75 cents times 133% equals almost 1 Canadian dollar.

[Putterdude]

Well we have 3 cruises booked between now and May 2016.....after that we will be shopping for deals no matter which cruise line it is. I was just looking at what our winter in AZ is going to cost this year and its rather shocking. Some of my golf pals say that their 5 mos in the Desert will be 3 months this year. Oh, well if we don't spend it the kids will.

[shredie]

That's all of $20 per day. To my way of thinking, if you can afford to book a 30-day cruise at all, you're not going to get a whole lot of sympathy for such a trivial increase.

 

 

I guess I'll have to tell you about my Canadian grandmother and her financial sensibilities. ;) This low dollar is making me think I should take a trip to the old home town to see my relatives. The last time the exchange was so low, I bought some of them cemetery plots in Toronto since my American dollar stretched. (Yes, we do buy each other odd gifts, since you ask.) But this thread is about hardships for Canadians and not windfalls for exiles in the states. :D

[AE_Collector]

That's all of $20 per day. To my way of thinking, if you can afford to book a 30-day cruise at all, you're not going to get a whole lot of sympathy for such a trivial increase.

 

 

I think the extra $636 would be tge additional amount in going from 1.2 to 1.3 exchange rate. Another $1272 is already inclded with the exchange having changed from par to 1.10 and then to 1.20. So Canadians are paying $1908 more than Americans for this same cruise with everything else being equal and that isn't including extra flight cost increases or all the onboard spending costs in US$. Not so trivial now in my mind. I didn't catch where her cruise was to and from but it might not be anywhere near the US and could easily be in countries where the currency hasn't changed against the Canadian dollar at all.

 

Increase all US prices 30% across the board and I bet we could hear the howling all the way up here in Canada! But, I know it is no one's "fault", just a fact if life.

 

We have two 10 days booked B2B in October and just grabbed another in November. All are at 1.20 and I see our cruising slowing down slightly this year over last year and slowing more next year unfortunately.

 

Terry

Edited August 17, 2015 by AE_Collector

[emmak8]

Is there any relief in sight?

[Putterdude]

Is there any relief in sight?

 

In the short term, No, in the long term Yes, once oil and other commodity prices recover.