Carnival shareholder OBC

[Underwatr]

12 hours ago, luckymal said:

 

At the exchange rate at the moment  $250,OO  =. £189.00.  Quite a difference to the £150.00 they give on British ships🍷🥃

But $250/£150 is $1.66/£1, which I think is pretty consistent to where the Pound has averaged over the past 30-40 years. 

[luckymal]

7 hours ago, Underwatr said:

But $250/£150 is $1.66/£1, which I think is pretty consistent to where the Pound has averaged over the past 30-40 years. 

I think you will find in 1981  the exchange rate was almost $2.5. And as late as  2008 was just over $2.00 which is a big difference at today’s rates for the Brits.🍷🥃

[Underwatr]

5 hours ago, luckymal said:

I think you will find in 1981  the exchange rate was almost $2.5. And as late as  2008 was just over $2.00 which is a big difference at today’s rates for the Brits.🍷🥃

But those were unusual rates. I've been traveling from the US to the UK for over 30 years and the "usual" rate on my experience was around $1.60. When it was above $1.80 in 2004 I felt poor, no doubt. 

 

Here's a table of historic exchange rates. To my eye the rate has been around $1.60/£ most of the time. 

 

https://www.macrotrends.net/2549/pound-dollar-exchange-rate-historical-chart

Edited March 28, 2019 by Underwatr

[luckymal]

26 minutes ago, Underwatr said:

But those were unusual rates. I've been traveling from the US to the UK for over 30 years and the "usual" rate on my experience was around $1.60. When it was above $1.80 in 2004 I felt poor, no doubt. 

 

Here's a table of historic exchange rates. To my eye the rate has been around $1.60/£ most of the time. 

 

https://www.macrotrends.net/2549/pound-dollar-exchange-rate-historical-chart

 

How times change in 1996 we visited America,  Flying Concorde from Manchester 4 nights at the Emsley Hotel room only, the sail home on the great QE 2  ( Inside cabin )to Southampton. The price approx £1900 each, that was our first cruise, we have done over sixty more since then. The pound went further in those days.🍷🥃

 

[BrianI]

On 27 March 2019 at 1:35 PM, luckymal said:

 

At the exchange rate at the moment  $250,OO  =. £189.00.  Quite a difference to the £150.00 they give on British ships🍷🥃

Three or four years ago it was only £125. It has got out of step again with the recent drop in the value of the pound. It is only P&O that pays £150. Cunard and Princess pay $250 sailing from the UK.

Brian

[Bigmike911]

On 3/27/2019 at 8:14 AM, Underwatr said:

US brands define their benefit in USD, while UK brands define their benefit in Sterling (while continental European brands define it in Euros)  P&O's benefit is defined as £30/£60/£150 while Cunard's is defined as $50/$100/$250.

 

http://www.carnivalcorp.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=140690&p=irol-sharebenefit

 

Benefits defined here:

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/External.File?item=UGFyZW50SUQ9Mjc0MjIzfENoaWxkSUQ9LTF8VHlwZT0z&t=1

Thanks for posting that. I guess I will get $50 for my two day from Southampton to Hamburg and $100 for my Hamburg to NYC, as they are separate bookings. I didn't think I would get anything. I note that all of the locations for all of the Carnival Brands world wide have fax numbers. So maybe they do fax after all. 

[Bigmike911]

5 hours ago, Underwatr said:

But those were unusual rates. I've been traveling from the US to the UK for over 30 years and the "usual" rate on my experience was around $1.60. When it was above $1.80 in 2004 I felt poor, no doubt. 

 

Here's a table of historic exchange rates. To my eye the rate has been around $1.60/£ most of the time. 

 

https://www.macrotrends.net/2549/pound-dollar-exchange-rate-historical-chart

After the Brexit vote, the GBP has declined. It is now $1.30 and has been in that range the last two annual trips I made to the UK. So the UK benefit for the 6 to 14 days would convert GBP 60 to $78. a bit closer the the US $100 rate than it has been.

[majortom10]

1 hour ago, Bigmike911 said:

After the Brexit vote, the GBP has declined. It is now $1.30 and has been in that range the last two annual trips I made to the UK. So the UK benefit for the 6 to 14 days would convert GBP 60 to $78. a bit closer the the US $100 rate than it has been.

Tourist rate which is the rate which many if not all get when buying $ has been as low as $1-25 and is  ot much higher than that at today's rate.

[Bigmike911]

2 hours ago, majortom10 said:

Tourist rate which is the rate which many if not all get when buying $ has been as low as $1-25 and is  ot much higher than that at today's rate.

If you get cash out of an ATM you should get the current inter-bank rate which was $1.35.40/pound from a Barclays ATM in London on 17 Sept, 2018. On 27 Oct, 2017 it was $134.49. Not much change year to year. 

[Bigmike911]

I also decided to seek information on OBC from Cunard directly, and the young lady was kind enough to e-mail me the form for Cunard US. It states that the proof of ownership can be a brokerage statement not more than 90 days before sailing, or a proxy statement with no date restriction. The forms can be faxed or mailed, (no email) three months before the sailing date. So I will use one of my valuable 'forever' stamps and send it to them on or after 22nd June.

[bluemarble]

31 minutes ago, Bigmike911 said:

I also decided to seek information on OBC from Cunard directly, and the young lady was kind enough to e-mail me the form for Cunard US. It states that the proof of ownership can be a brokerage statement not more than 90 days before sailing, or a proxy statement with no date restriction. The forms can be faxed or mailed, (no email) three months before the sailing date. So I will use one of my valuable 'forever' stamps and send it to them on or after 22nd June.

 

Is this the same shareholder benefit request form that Cunard emailed you? I had forgotten all about it, but this form for US shareholder benefit requests was attached to an earlier thread from September/October 2017 titled "Shareholder Credit".

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/applications/core/interface/file/attachment.php?id=330288

 

I haven't used a form for previous shareholder benefit requests (just a cover letter containing the requested information), but if Cunard would prefer us to use this form and this is still the correct form, I'll use it for future requests.

[majortom10]

19 hours ago, Bigmike911 said:

If you get cash out of an ATM you should get the current inter-bank rate which was $1.35.40/pound from a Barclays ATM in London on 17 Sept, 2018. On 27 Oct, 2017 it was $134.49. Not much change year to year. 

Why would I want or could do that all I can get from any ATM in UK is £££ and being British I dont need £££. When I need $$$ for my visits to the US I have to order them at a bank, travel agency bureau de change and the exchange rate is today approx $1-28 for my UK£.

[Wiltonian]

2 hours ago, majortom10 said:

Why would I want or could do that all I can get from any ATM in UK is £££ and being British I dont need £££. When I need $$$ for my visits to the US I have to order them at a bank, travel agency bureau de change and the exchange rate is today approx $1-28 for my UK£.

I think the meaning was that you use an ATM in the US to get dollars. You don’t “have to order them...”.

 

Stuart

[Underwatr]

I thought about that, then I decided having dollars onboard might be important to majortom10. I think tips in Pounds, Euros or Dollars are all appreciated. 

[Bigmike911]

7 hours ago, majortom10 said:

Why would I want or could do that all I can get from any ATM in UK is £££ and being British I dont need £££. When I need $$$ for my visits to the US I have to order them at a bank, travel agency bureau de change and the exchange rate is today approx $1-28 for my UK£.

My was to compare the value of USD to GBP in every day commerce. I am a US citizen getting GPB for dollars at an ATM in London to comment on the exchange rate. Of course you can get UK pounds from any UK ATM you visit. And I can get USD in the US from any US ATM I visit without a conversion rate. You can stick your UK debit card in any US ATM and get Dollars and that is the conversion rate I was talking about. 

[Underwatr]

Further, if I use a credit card, my purchase is converted to my home currency using the interbank rate plus my bank's foreign transaction markup (which is zero for the cards I choose to use overseas).

[majortom10]

17 hours ago, Wiltonian said:

I think the meaning was that you use an ATM in the US to get dollars. You don’t “have to order them...”.

 

Stuart

No I was meaning exactly as I said as I always get my foreign currency be it US$ or any other country before I leave the UK from bank, TA or whoever gives the best exchange rate. I never use ATMs to get currency whichever country I am visiting as especially as I mainly cruise and not usually in port for very long I dont want to waste time looking around for ATMs.

Edited March 30, 2019 by majortom10

[Underwatr]

 

5 hours ago, majortom10 said:

I dont want to waste time looking around for ATMs.

There's an app for that... 

[Bigmike911]

On 3/30/2019 at 10:49 AM, majortom10 said:

No I was meaning exactly as I said as I always get my foreign currency be it US$ or any other country before I leave the UK from bank, TA or whoever gives the best exchange rate. I never use ATMs to get currency whichever country I am visiting as especially as I mainly cruise and not usually in port for very long I dont want to waste time looking around for ATMs.

Yes, you can certainly get what ever currency you need from your bank in advance for your convenience. You will pay more for it than from an ATM. I have traveled the world on business and have a lot of experience in currency exchange. I spend my whole career in International Payment Services including a spell at Visa International where I managed international settlement and reporting, so I think I can speak from experience. I also have made it a practice to keep a small stash of GBP and EUR with me, refreshed with each trip. I can easily pay for taxis and small purchases from funds on hand, and don't have to look for an ATM immediately. I offer my comments as information, everyone is free to chose which ever option one wishes. 

[Bigmike911]

On 3/30/2019 at 7:02 AM, Underwatr said:

Further, if I use a credit card, my purchase is converted to my home currency using the interbank rate plus my bank's foreign transaction markup (which is zero for the cards I choose to use overseas).

There is a clever little trap that some retailers use in collaboration with their Merchant Acquirers. They will offer to handle your purchase in your home country and show you the amount in that currency. It may be appealing but it isn't. The Merchant and the Acquirer have created an exchange rate that not only benefits the Acquirer, but also offers a generous amount for the Merchant as well. Remember that the clearing organization adds a hidden fee to every transaction they process,  that is how Visa, MasterCard and American express et.al.  make their money. And even though the purchase is in your home currency, your bank may still add a conversion component amount, but not charge a separate transaction fee. 

[Wiltonian]

On 3/30/2019 at 3:49 PM, majortom10 said:

No I was meaning exactly as I said as I always get my foreign currency be it US$ or any other country before I leave the UK from bank, TA or whoever gives the best exchange rate. I never use ATMs to get currency whichever country I am visiting as especially as I mainly cruise and not usually in port for very long I dont want to waste time looking around for ATMs.

It's your choice, but it's costing you money!

 

[majortom10]

10 minutes ago, Wiltonian said:

It's your choice, but it's costing you money!

 

For the small amount I shall get for 1 day (about 6-7hrs) in New York I think I can cope with the extra charge and wont lose sleep over it.

[Underwatr]

Yet you're the one making note of the difference between interbank rate and tourist rate. 😉

[Bigmike911]

On 3/28/2019 at 7:58 PM, bluemarble said:

 

Is this the same shareholder benefit request form that Cunard emailed you? I had forgotten all about it, but this form for US shareholder benefit requests was attached to an earlier thread from September/October 2017 titled "Shareholder Credit".

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/applications/core/interface/file/attachment.php?id=330288 111.34 kB · 56 downloads

 

I haven't used a form for previous shareholder benefit requests (just a cover letter containing the requested information), but if Cunard would prefer us to use this form and this is still the correct form, I'll use it for future requests.

It is the same form, with instructions to post it to a California address. 

[esrs]

Very impressed with the turnaround time on the shareholder OBC; we faxed a letter and proof of shares at 0930 on Monday morning and by 1600 we had revised booking confirmations (via email) that showed the increased OBC!