Recent exchange rate for Canadians

[Phaedra_11]

Hi, can anyone please tell me what the exchange rate for Canadians is onboard? I can buy onboard credit ahead of time at a rate of 1.3 and was wondering if that was comparable to what is being offered onboard?

 

Thanks in advance

 

[hobbyfarmer2]

We are Canadian as well.  Did not know you could buy OBC on board.  We are on Sky in the Med right now and bought some using the Personalizer on the website because it was a better deal than the current exchange rate.

 

Seems to me that onboard purchases would first drain OBC, then go against your credit card.  Not really certain, however.

[senior lady]

You have to buy OBC before you cruise.   The cruise will charge your final amount to credit card on file.   

[jimlouisesophie]

33 minutes ago, senior lady said:

You have to buy OBC before you cruise.   The cruise will charge your final amount to credit card on file.   

Seems like a good deal....30% exchange rate...we bought some a few months ago, and better than the bank rate.  Can use for excursions as well as beverages and any other items bought on board.

[CruisinFinsUp]

22 hours ago, Phaedra_11 said:

Hi, can anyone please tell me what the exchange rate for Canadians is onboard? I can buy onboard credit ahead of time at a rate of 1.3 and was wondering if that was comparable to what is being offered onboard?

 

Thanks in advance

 

 

You can pre-purchase before your cruise OBC at the rate at which you booked your cruise - go into the personalizer and the OBC is offered for sale.  You can calculate your rate by looking at how much $100 OBC costs.  

 

You also select in the personalizer whether Princess will apply exchange rate to your on board account, or if they will charge your credit card in $US, allowing your credit card to make the exchange.  Usually the credit card exchange rate is better as most credit cards charge 2.5% fee over the market rate while Princess charges more. 

 

Once onboard, your purchases are posted to your account.  Any accounts linked to be paid by the same credit card "roll up" to the owner of the card and the owner can see everyone's accounts on their device (or printout).  So all on board credit either earned, gifted or purchased, shows up.  Gratuities (unless prepaid) are posted daily to each person's account.  Any onboard spending is posted to the accounts.  You can see the transactions by signing into your account (no extra charge) on the ship's intranet or go to the printing machine near passenger services and print out the account.    

 

At the end of the cruise, if you owe them money they will charge the credit card in the currency you selected.  (no opportunity to apply the rate that you booked at- this charge is at market rate).

If they owe you money, and if its from REFUNDABLE OBC (pre-purchased OBC is refundable), they will send you a cheque with the refund.   It varies if the amount comes in Canadian or US currency - but do verify that whichever currency it comes in, it has been converted correctly.  Sometimes they make mistakes.   

 

You can print out the account on the last night, or take screen shots of your account on your device.  Usually you get a printed statement under the door on the last night of the cruise - I say usually because we have had a couple times where the statement did not show up but I had screen shots so it didn't matter to me.  

 

A few weeks before the cruise I check the current exchange rate and then go into the personalizer and look at our OBC from the promotion when we booked or from shareholder benefit or whatever. 

Then I figure out how much we will spend onboard (gratuities, drinks, spa, souvenirs, shore excursions, specialty restaurants, etc)   

I will then, depending on the current exchange rate, either prepay for some of the items at the rate we booked at (gratuities, drink packages, other gift packages can be prepaid at the rate booked at) and/or buy OBC for on board spending.   That way the actual amount left owing at the end of the cruise and subject to the current market exchange rate is smaller.   

Note prepurchased shore excursions are charged to your credit card in USD and you pay whatever your card is charging that day.   You can apply some types of OBC to prepurchased shore excursions - it will show up on the payment page for the shore excursion asking if you want OBC applied or not.  

 

Hope that helps.  

 

[Steelers36]

@cruisintoddler knows what they are writing about.  Pay good attention.  Never let Princess convert to CAD on board the ship.  Either buy OBC in USD ahead of time, or bring sufficient USD cash.  Owning a USD credit card is a good idea.  Or at least one that doesn't have a foreign currency surcharge.

 

[CruisinFinsUp]

2 hours ago, steelers36 said:

@cruisintoddler knows what they are writing about.  Pay good attention.  

 

Lol Thanks much!! I'm gonna print this out and hang it on my wall to point to when the kids give me trouble!! 😎