On Board Credit - UK Passengers

[Chunky2219]

I may have missed the boat (no pun intended) but I've asked our cruise-only TA today to check the rate for buying OBC for our QE voyage next week.

 

High street travel agents are around £1=$1.1914 so I'll report what the Cunard rate comes back at.

 

 

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[Bell Boy]

I'm afraid you've already missed the boat when it comes to the favourable OBC rate ( $1.53) that Cunard have been offering throughout this year.

 

The rate will now be the daily exchange rate that your bank or credit will use. Cunard will not be able to advise you, they only arrange an amount of us$ OBC to be credited to your onboard statement.

[Traderboy]

Why were Cunard offering $1.53 when the rate was so much less?

Why do Cunard now not offer any rate?

 

 

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[rakkor]

I've no idea as to why they were offering the rate, maybe it was just inertia in their systems. I would think it's obvious why they are no longer offering it now.

I took advantage of it for my last cruise and with the advantageous rate and the free OBC with the booking and being ex-forces I had an effective exchange rate of approximately $3 to the pound, which made the drink prices quite cheap, £7 for a Cosmopolitan and a pint of Pedigree.

Edited November 1, 2016 by rakkor

[Pennbank]

Why were Cunard offering $1.53 when the rate was so much less?

Why do Cunard now not offer any rate?

 

 

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Cunard were offering $1.53/4 to £ on Gift Credit.

This was were you could purchase as a gift some obc. In The UK You bought the Gift in £ and Cunard were offering the rate of $1.53/4 to £

 

You can still by Gift Credit but it is now at the normal bank rate at time of ordering and no refunds.

https://ask.cunard.com/help/fleet/onboard_credit

Edited November 1, 2016 by Pennbank

[Chunky2219]

Confirmed - Cunard will still sell me OBC but only charged as US dollars to my credit card at the prevailing rate on the day.

 

So now I have a dilemma, do I buy OBC beforehand or just roll it all up as on-board charges to be paid on day of disembarkation? The US election is during our cruise, so the result will supposedly have the dollar plummeting through the floor or rallying to new highs. The polls are too close to call and I could be a big winner or loser. Decisions, decisions. :confused:

 

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[Underwatr]

The US election is during our cruise, so the result will supposedly have the dollar plummeting through the floor or rallying to new highs.

Currently those aren't equally likely outcomes.

 

Something tells me that's as far down that path as we should go.

[nc388]

Hi all just wanted to update on my OBC today

Called Cunard 0843 number

Spoke to a lady asked for $600 off obc in $100 denominations. The lady said it would at the current market rate. I said ok what's the cost she said £389.71 I said ok press the button to me that's a rate of $1.5396/£ to my humble maths . Checked and the £389.71 has been took from bank and had confirmed $600 passed onto my obc so I thought I would pass on as we are at $1.23/£ currently at my bank

[Selkie74]

It worked for me too! We are travelling tomorrow, I phoned just now and got $300 for £205. A bit under 1.50, but still way better than bank rates. Many thanks to all!

[Host Hattie]

Well done both, it seems as if reports of the death of the good deal on OBC were premature.

[Chunky2219]

Hmmm. :confused: Fortune definitely isn't smiling on me today.

 

We sail on Monday, so I've just called Cunard to see if I can book some OBC. The good news was yes, today is the last possible day for us. The bad new was that it is booked in dollars at whatever my bank rate is. Can't I book it in £ sterling? No, it's in dollars.

 

Congrats to Selkie and NC388 for however they managed it, but I drew the same blank as my TA did last week when I asked. I wonder if there's a difference between direct and travel agent bookings. If so, this would be the first ever time that I've not come off better off by using a TA.

 

 

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Edited November 4, 2016 by Chunky2219
typo

[Lockedm]

Leaving tomorrow on QM2 and just saw the updates on this thread for OBC. Just rang Cunard up on the 0843 number, asked for $300 of on-board credit, no problem sir, that will be £194 and some pence (the 1.54 exchange rate). Sail tomorrow, but won't hit the account until Monday but that's no problem for me. Thanks to the earlier posters for relaying this is back on.

 

 

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[Chunky2219]

Tell me, please do. Are you direct Cunard bookings or via a TA?

 

 

 

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[nc388]

Hi I am with Cunard direct

[Lockedm]

I am Cunard direct as well

 

 

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[nc388]

They refused me on Monday when I tried but fine today

They seemed to know straight away today what I was looking for

Sorry yours doesn't seem to be working

[SellaVee]

I couldn't get it to work today either. Rang 0843 374 000 and was told $400 would be at whatever my bank charged. The lady went onto Google and suggested £319 which was about £60 more than I was expecting going on the rates posted earlier. I booked with a TA if that is significant.

 

Ah well, let's see what the U.S. election does to the dollar

Edited November 4, 2016 by SellaVee

[Traderboy]

Didn't work for me either. I booked with a TA.

Does it depend on when the cruise was booked?

 

 

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[Chunky2219]

That may be it then - two successes with Cunard direct, three failures on a TA booking.

 

Just out of interest I did the numbers and we'll still be better off with the lower price I got for the booking with a TA and paying credit card rates for on-board spend. Unless we really hit the wine list hard, in which case it will be borderline.

 

I can't even contemplate the impact of which way the US election will fall. A week is a long time in politics as a great Yorkshireman once said.

 

 

 

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[Wordzz]

That may be it then - two successes with Cunard direct, three failures on a TA booking.

 

Just out of interest I did the numbers and we'll still be better off with the lower price I got for the booking with a TA and paying credit card rates for on-board spend. Unless we really hit the wine list hard, in which case it will be borderline.

 

I can't even contemplate the impact of which way the US election will fall. A week is a long time in politics as a great Yorkshireman once said.

 

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We booked direct with Cunard, as always (by phone). Didn't make any difference - I tried umpteen times, but despite posts on here from people who happily managed to get the OBC at the great rate, I was constantly knocked back and told that yes, I could buy OBC (as a gift or otherwise), but it would be at the exchange rate set by my credit card. So I have no idea what the key to the mystery is. On the plus side, once we were on board, as always, it really didn't seem to matter so much...

[Traderboy]

This is quite bizarre.

Are Cunard definitely giving an out-of-date exchange in some situations?

Can anyone think through what might be happening?

 

 

 

 

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[AllieBallie]

I had trouble getting 'the deal' and when I finally did it was a case of buying multiples of $100 gift credit from their list of gifts. $100 is the only option but you can buy several $100 amounts. Others haven't had to specify this and just got the amount they asked for converted to sterling (that's where agent knowledge seems to make a difference).

 

 

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[Traderboy]

Thanks AllieBallie

I rang to enquire about gift OBC. Despite me pressing for the full story they insist that the deal is no longer available in £.

However I was able to buy multiple coffee cards at £25 for 10 coffees, which I thought was a good deal.

Even the spa prices are subject to whatever your card exchange rate is!

 

 

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[babs135]

At the risk of sounding stupid (nothing new there) could someone tell me exactly what they ask for, ie basically a 'transcript' of the conversation.

 

Thank you.

[Lockedm]

Me: hello, I'd like to add some on board credit to an upcoming cruise

Cunard: what is your booking reference number

Me: give reference number

Cunard: how much do you want?

Me: $300

Cunard: that will be £194

Me: thank you. Give credit card number

 

Nothing about gifts or anything. As easy as it could be for me yesterday.

 

 

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