Canadian currency ! Help

[Thechamp555]

For my fellow Canadians !

 

I am a Canadian and planning to cruise early 2018 . I realize these days the major impact (+25%) of our currency of the cost of the cruise. :mad:

 

Do you have some hints on how to compensate the drop of our dollar on our future vacations plans ?

 

 

 

Thanks

Thechamp555

Québec

[LHT28]

1)some cruise lines will offer a lower exchange rate when paying in CAD

 

2)find a CC that does not have the hidden Foreign transaction fee for using USD if you need to pay with USD

 

3)When the exchange rate is good we buy some USD & save for the cruise expenses

 

4) do not cruise get a package holiday where you pay in CAD

 

If we want to cruise we just have to pay the fares or stay home :(

Edited September 13, 2016 by LHT28

[Nic6318]

For my fellow Canadians !

 

I am a Canadian and planning to cruise early 2018 . I realize these days the major impact (+25%) of our currency of the cost of the cruise. :mad:

 

Do you have some hints on how to compensate the drop of our dollar on our future vacations plans ?

 

 

 

Thanks

Thechamp555

Québec

 

 

Hi there

 

There is no way around it, it will cost your more than it would have cost 5 yrs. ago, but what doesn't.

 

The sooner you start investigating prices, the better informed you will be on what good value is.

As LHT suggested you can look for any "special" pricing for Canadians. Be sure to verify that it is really "special" and not a promotion that doesn't deliver what it says.

For sure get a U.S.$ credit card to avoid additional conversion costs for purchases. You can also open a $U.S. savings account. I find myself using this a lot on internet purchases.

 

You still have till 2018, buy $U.S. whenever you can, not just when you are preparing for a vacation. You can't know when the dollar will go up or down, but if you plan on traveling in the U.S. or cruising over the course of your life, you will always need $U.S.

 

hope this helps

have a great cruise

[Twickenham]

For my fellow Canadians !

 

I am a Canadian and planning to cruise early 2018 . I realize these days the major impact (+25%) of our currency of the cost of the cruise. :mad:

 

Do you have some hints on how to compensate the drop of our dollar on our future vacations plans ?

 

 

 

Thanks

Thechamp555

Québec

 

In addition to the excellent advice above, look into collecting airline/hotel points to reduce your other expenses. Now, the best way to collect/spend said points is a whole other thing, so make sure you inform yourself beforehand to see what will give you the best value.

[mom says]

No different than planning a vacation in the States. The advice about getting a CC that doesn't have a forex fee is a good one.

 

We've also has a US $ account at our bank for many years. Whenever the exchange rate is decent, we transfer funds into it for later use on a trip.

 

Sometimes it means scaling back- either a shorter cruise, or a less expensive cabin. We try to be flexible with dates as well. The same cruise can be a lot cheaper when going a couple of weeks earlier or later.l We'll also try to use points for flights or pre/post cruise hotels.

 

We rarely buy ship excursions. Most of the time we can find the excursions we want by booking directly with vendors- at a lower price.

 

But the exchange rate is what it is. Just another factor that needs to be budgeted for.

Edited September 13, 2016 by mom says

[Nic6318]

Hi Champ

 

I forgot to mention, if you can save on airfare it can add up quite a bit, especially for families.

 

We are able to drive to U.S. airports, where we can usually find much better airfares. Better still, if you can drive to the cruise port, no airfare. Montreal and Quebec city both have cruises leaving from there. You can also look at Boston, Baltimore and New York ports.

 

hope this helps

[Thechamp555]

Thanks for all your help, it is appreciated !

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[newport dave]

Just suck it up and save more.....By the way, if you think your exchange rate is crap at the moment, you should try being in the UK.

[iancal]

It is a challenge. Some cruise lines are offering special deals from time to time. The last cruise we took was in Australia. We booked it with the cruise lines Australian office. The on board currency was AUD. This saved us a considerable amount of money over booking the same cruise in Canada or the US.

 

We have avoided US travel. There are lots of alternatives. We spent our first winter in SE Asia vs somewhere warm in the US. Our money went much further. Liked it so much that we returned for two more winters. We also did six weeks in Greece last fall which cost us about same as the the Mec cruise that we were considering.

 

I do not think that the outlook for our CAD dollar is good so we are looking for alternatives for at least the next eighteen months.

Edited September 15, 2016 by iancal

[VennDiagram]

We use Airmiles for pre-cruise hotels. We buy US $s throughout the year in small bits that add up. Watch for sales. Skip specialty restaurants onboard.