Question regarding Casino and Onboard Credits for cruises out of Australia

[feedmytummy]

Hello! I have searched the boards and seem to have confused myself... I'm hoping a US-based traveler who has recently cruised in Australia (where the folio was charged in AUD) can answer these questions. 1) If you pre-purchased casino or onboard credits through Cruise Personalizer in USD, did it convert to AUD at 1:1 or at the exchange rate posted on the ship? 2) Can you charge table and slot play in the casino to your folio? 3) If you can, was there an additional service charge? I have called Princess about this and get different answers. One rep even said that my folio would be in USD when my booking confirmation clearly says otherwise, so I'm hoping someone with firsthand experience can clear this up for me. I'll be sailing out of Sydney on the Sun in February. Trying to weigh options as to what I should do for ship and casino spending. Thanks in advance!!

[crochetcruise]

Check your exchange rate by comparing the cost of On Board Credit. EG. my cost to purchase USD$100 is AUD$130. I verify, I logged into my booking, and checked the price of On Board Credit.

 

I've just found out my preferred Alcoholic tipple--Crème de Menthe enjoyed with lemonade, is available on the Ruby Princess 3-night Round Trip out of Sydney in February, 2020. Iplan to purchase On Board Credit so I can enjoy a Budgeted for drink and not worry about the cost.

 

THANK YOU! You've just reminded me that I must price Canapes, Pens, and Teddy Bears. Was given a Captain Bear by a friend who sailed on the Sea Princess and bought myself another when I sailed on the Golden Princess in 2016

[Jase0581]

Pre-purchased OBC will convert from USD to AUD, unless the personalizer has changed recently you will not know what that rate is.  It will only give you the USD amount, so my guess is it converts at the going rate on the date of the cruise.  For a cruise in March of this year I pre-purchased 200USD and when I boarded it was 256AUD.

 

You can charge slot play to your folio, not sure about tables as I only play slots.

[crochetcruise]

Just now, Jase0581 said:

Pre-purchased OBC will convert from USD to AUD, unless the personalizer has changed recently you will not know what that rate is.  It will only give you the USD amount, so my guess is it converts at the going rate on the date of the cruise.  For a cruise in March of this year I pre-purchased 200USD and when I boarded it was 256AUD.

 

You can charge slot play to your folio, not sure about tables as I only play slots.

 

The conversion rate is the rate on the day my booking was made at the Travel Agency.

Once I received my Booking Number, I went into my Cruise Personaliser and explored Canapes (don't remember what they're listed as), Gifts, and On Board Credit, where I learnt I had to pay AUD$130 to receive USD$100 On Board Credit.

 

I've been very lucky, I have the same exchange rate for my cruise in February 2020 that I had in November 2018. Yours seems to be USD$1.00 = AUD$1.28 if my math is correct.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[Jase0581]

20 minutes ago, crochetcruise said:

 

The conversion rate is the rate on the day my booking was made at the Travel Agency.

Once I received my Booking Number, I went into my Cruise Personaliser and explored Canapes (don't remember what they're listed as), Gifts, and On Board Credit, where I learnt I had to pay AUD$130 to receive USD$100 On Board Credit.

 

I've been very lucky, I have the same exchange rate for my cruise in February 2020 that I had in November 2018. Yours seems to be USD$1.00 = AUD$1.28 if my math is correct.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

I have a question are you based in Australia, as the OP is asking for someone booked via Princess in the USA.  In which case the OBC costs are simply listed in USD.  As your example would be correct for someone who is booked in Australia, but has a cruise that operates in USD and not for someone who is booked in the US and on a cruise that operates in AUD.

[feedmytummy]

10 hours ago, Jase0581 said:

Pre-purchased OBC will convert from USD to AUD, unless the personalizer has changed recently you will not know what that rate is.  It will only give you the USD amount, so my guess is it converts at the going rate on the date of the cruise.  For a cruise in March of this year I pre-purchased 200USD and when I boarded it was 256AUD.

 

You can charge slot play to your folio, not sure about tables as I only play slots.

Thanks, this clears up some of my confusion. As you stated in your other reply, I was asking about cruises in Australia when traveler is based out of USA. Still trying to decide if there is much difference between charging everything to my card, prepurchasing obc, or going to an atm once in Australia and paying for everything in cash. I'm spending about a week there before the cruise and, from what I understand, most places charge a fee for paying with credit card. Even the folio would incur an additional 1.1% if paid with credit card. 

[crochetcruise]

18 hours ago, Jase0581 said:

Pre-purchased OBC will convert from USD to AUD, unless the personalizer has changed recently you will not know what that rate is.  It will only give you the USD amount, so my guess is it converts at the going rate on the date of the cruise.  For a cruise in March of this year I pre-purchased 200USD and when I boarded it was 256AUD.

 

You can charge slot play to your folio, not sure about tables as I only play slots.

 

My conversion rate remained the same, and I booked over 18 months out.

 

[gottagocit]

I’m glad you’ve posts this question as we are going through essentially the same discussions for our voyages down under in February and March.

 

I haven’t compared Princess exchange rates vs what we can get here in the USA at this point but will be doing so.  I do know the rates offered onboard with the exchange machines are always awful. As you indicated the onboard 1.1% credit card fee makes me want to pay with cash we bring with us if we don’t decide to prepurchase obc. Further investigation is required. Hopefully more will reply here and offer details. 

 

[triple7tahoe]

I am in a similar situation and I am also confused by what I am seeing. We did three cruises down under last year with the first two being strictly within Australia and NZ. They were in AUD and our US was converted to AUD around 1.25. The third cruise was leaving OZ and headed to the Orient-It was in US$. On all three we received any OBC in US and it was converted to AUD at stated rate.     This upcoming year we have booked similar cruises in that one is strictly OZ and the second is headed for Hong Kong. So far, and everything I am hearing says that OBC and other credit will be at 1 to 1. We will lose the difference. $250 US military credit goes to 250 AUD. Sad in that the prices are going to be in AUD and higher so we lose money?  I am going to try and buy FCC and see if they will sell that at $100 AUD?  I do plan to get some $AUD before i go as even if the ship does convert from US$ the rate has never been favorable.

[OzKiwiJJ]

9 hours ago, crochetcruise said:

 

My conversion rate remained the same, and I booked over 18 months out.

 

Crotchetcruise, you are referring to buying USD OBC from Australia. That is NOT what the OP is asking. The OP does not get the option to buy OBC in AUD, only in USD and I think Princess will convert the USD amount to AUD at the commencement of the cruise using the current exchange rate then. It may be the dynamic currency conversion exchange rate though and, if so, it is usually a cent or two per dollar worse than the actual exchange rate.

 

The situation you are talking about is where Princess gives those of us in countries other than the US to pay for USD cruises in local currency - not just Australia, Canada, and the UK and Europe (I think). In those cases the Princess exchange rate for online purchases like OBC is set at the time of booking and can be very favourable when the AUD (or other local currency) drops against the USD. 

Edited October 30, 2018 by OzKiwiJJ

[OzKiwiJJ]

42 minutes ago, triple7tahoe said:

I am in a similar situation and I am also confused by what I am seeing. We did three cruises down under last year with the first two being strictly within Australia and NZ. They were in AUD and our US was converted to AUD around 1.25. The third cruise was leaving OZ and headed to the Orient-It was in US$. On all three we received any OBC in US and it was converted to AUD at stated rate.     This upcoming year we have booked similar cruises in that one is strictly OZ and the second is headed for Hong Kong. So far, and everything I am hearing says that OBC and other credit will be at 1 to 1. We will lose the difference. $250 US military credit goes to 250 AUD. Sad in that the prices are going to be in AUD and higher so we lose money?  I am going to try and buy FCC and see if they will sell that at $100 AUD?  I do plan to get some $AUD before i go as even if the ship does convert from US$ the rate has never been favorable.

 

I can't comment on whether Princess will be converting OBC correctly or not, however in my experience you will get the best exchange rates for AUD from local ATMs when you arrive here, especially if you have a debit card that does not charge foreign exchange fees.

 

Also remember that drinks prices on AUD cruises include the gratuity so. Also the speciality restaurant prices are the same as on USD cruises but in AUD so effectively cheaper. In other words a US $29 on USD cruises becomes an AU $29 charge on AUD cruises. 

[diane.in.ny]

For the casino, you can also charge to your onboard account. Tell them how much and give them your cruise card. You'll have to sign for the amount of money and you'll get it in chips.

 

As for paying cash vs credit card with1.1% fee (one place charged us 1.5%) .... I used my credit card. Our bank charges us 1% on foreign currency withdrawals, so cash or credit is pretty much a wash. 

 

But what swings me to use a credit card for the big charge (my onboard account) is I have a Bank of America card that gives me 3% on travel charges. So for the folio charge, I"m almost 2% ahead using that credit card.

[gottagocit]

It is indeed confusing.  After reading your OP I went to the cruise personalizer for both of our upcoming Australia/New Zealand cruises. Both give the option to purchase OBC in various denominations and each one simply states the purchase about as $’s. Not USD or ASD but simply as $. I went as far as to select an amount and clicked on to the page where I was supposed to enter the credit card and had nothing to indicate the exchange rate or even which $’s I wouldn’t be purchasing. 

 

I should add that some onboard purchases shown on my CP’s for these voyages doe indicate the purchase price is in USD. 

Edited October 31, 2018 by gottagocit