On board credit pay ahead or wait Canadian $

[AandBmom]

On our last NCL cruise it was suggested to buy on board credit ahead in Canadian dollars as the NCL exchange rate was much better than the rate we'd get with our credit cards paying on the last day of the cruise.

 

Is that still the case? Anyone know NCL's current exchange rate?

[lakelivin2]

On my booked cruises, I'm seeing $1 USD (OBC) costs me $1.33 Canadian...

[armwinder]

It appears to depend on the cruise. Last September it was it was .33 on the Alaska cruise. On a upcoming February Panama Canal it is .19. We pre payed our service charges and bought a few hundred $ for the Feb cruise. $500.00 cost us $595.24 about 19%.

[Mac4YYZ]

Where do you see the exchange rate?

 

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[lakelivin2]

It is posted on your myncl account after you have booked a cruise...look at the gifts section and there should be onboard credits cost. I believe it doesn't matter what cruise you book (exchange rates) but, ...it just depends on 'when' you booked it.

[Mac4YYZ]

Thanks! Much appreciated as I have 2 cruises coming up.

 

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[meester_jamie]

. We pre paid our service charges and bought a few hundred $ for the Feb cruise. $500.00 cost us $595.24 about 19%.

 

:eek: what did you pay with? if we pay with Visa.,, won't the credit card co, charge the going rate? :confused:

[Mac4YYZ]

Ok, so I added a $100 OBC to my cart and it just says my purchase is $100 US. Do I have to wait to see it posted on my CC account to see the exchange rate?

 

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[lakelivin2]

You must have booked in USD on a US site. If you paid in Canadian dollars, then all your excursions, gifts, tours, etc. would be in Canadian dollars and the exchange rate would be listed. If booked paying US dollars, then your credit card company will charge the going exchange rate (from Canadian to US) and usually a couple of percentage points extra (their processing fee).

[armwinder]

Yes if you book in Canadian all future transactions you book on line will be in Canadian. When you get on board it will all in US so anything charged will be converted to Canadian by the charge card company at around 30% or more :(

[AandBmom]

Yes if you book in Canadian all future transactions you book on line will be in Canadian. When you get on board it will all in US so anything charged will be converted to Canadian by the charge card company at around 30% or more :(

 

That's basically what I learned so it appears to make most sense to buy credit ahead in Canadian dollars. The rate is similar to the bank rate right now but then we avoid the processing fee credit cards add.

[CdnArtyWife]

Ok, so I added a $100 OBC to my cart and it just says my purchase is $100 US. Do I have to wait to see it posted on my CC account to see the exchange rate?

 

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It depends on what the NCL exchange rate was when you booked your cruise. Our last cruise (Escape, Mar16) was booked in Mar15 when the NCL exchange rate had CAD par with USD as an incentive to Cdns. As a result, I was able to buy OBC of $100 USD for the cost of $100 CAD. Like you, I thought I'd just see the exchange on my CAD cc bill, but that never happened.

 

So I maxed out and bought $1000 OBC for each of our staterooms at par knowing that any unused would be refunded to me via cheque in USD. It kinda felt like money laundering [emoji51] but apparently it was all on the up-and-up.

 

Unfortunately our next cruise exchange rate is not as good (around 19%).

 

 

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[lakelivin2]

I thought that if you purchased OBC with Canadian, then any unused money would be credited to you in the currency paid... ie Canadian back to Canadian at the rate paid. At least I think that is how they do it now.

[CdnArtyWife]

I thought that if you purchased OBC with Canadian, then any unused money would be credited to you in the currency paid... ie Canadian back to Canadian at the rate paid. At least I think that is how they do it now.

 

 

I'm not sure.

 

We booked in CAD through our Cdn TA because we are Cdn, but we are Cdn Military posted to the USA so the refund cheque was sent to our US address. Perhaps that's why the refund cheque was in US funds?

 

 

 

 

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[Freckles_51]

You are buying USD, it is added to your onboard account which is also USD, anything left at the end of the cruise is credited to you in USD.....by cheque in the mail some months later. At least that was my experience earlier this year.

[Mr and Mrs C]

We usually buy OBC and cash it out as needed at the casino. We've done this as it was a better deal then the bank. For this cruise it is pretty much the same but I was still thinking on buying some that way I'm not carrying around a bunch of cash, and can cash it out as needed. Had anyone done this recently?

 

 

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[Jay1974]

I just checked my account and a $100 US account credit would cost me $107.53. It seems too good to be true

[katiecat]

I just checked my account and a $100 US account credit would cost me $107.53. It seems too good to be true

 

I would buy $1000 then and don't forget to buy future cruise certificates (cruise next} they are a good deal.

I've got two booked right now Jan 2017 .33 and Jan 2018 .30;)