Which currency will my on board charges be in?

[Sunshine Bob]

As a Brit with a British card loaded with US dollars on a Alaska cruise will I be stiffed with some dynamic exchange rate and charged in pounds sterling or US dollars?

 

I ask as when checking in there was some poorly written tick a box type statement talking about being charged in a  "local currency". The question was ambiguous to say the least and (probably deliberately) confusing.

 

Any Brit offered up a Wise or Revolut type preloaded US dollar card have any insight to this please?

 

[ela123]

I’ve not used a preloaded card but onboard spend is calculated with US Dollars. I use a Nationwide credit card that doesn’t charge for foreign spend

[Sunshine Bob]

32 minutes ago, ela123 said:

I’ve not used a preloaded card but onboard spend is calculated with US Dollars. I use a Nationwide credit card that doesn’t charge for foreign spend

Thanks for your reply. I appreciate that they tot up the bill in dollars and the final payment is due in US dollars but did they charge your card in US dollars (and Nationwide converted it to sterling with no fee) or did Celebrity know its a UK card and charge you in sterling directly exchanging the currency at their own rate?

 

And did you see the "tick here box" when checking in that gave the option (or not its badly written) to have the currency conversion done/not done for you? That smacks of nickle and diming making money on the exchange rate.

 

What I don't want is to present my UK Dollar card and they charge it in sterling meaning I pay for two currency exchanges.

 

Cheers.

Edited July 5, 2023 by Sunshine Bob

[ela123]

I never tick the box to convert the currency. Celebrity charge my car in US dollars and Nationwide convert it to sterling with no fee. As long as you don’t tick the currency conversion box they will charge your card in US dollars

[Sunshine Bob]

Thanks.. Its what I hoped for and assumed. 

[the penguins]

5 hours ago, Sunshine Bob said:

Thanks for your reply. I appreciate that they tot up the bill in dollars and the final payment is due in US dollars but did they charge your card in US dollars (and Nationwide converted it to sterling with no fee) or did Celebrity know its a UK card and charge you in sterling directly exchanging the currency at their own rate?

 

And did you see the "tick here box" when checking in that gave the option (or not its badly written) to have the currency conversion done/not done for you? That smacks of nickle and diming making money on the exchange rate.

 

What I don't want is to present my UK Dollar card and they charge it in sterling meaning I pay for two currency exchanges.

 

Cheers.

Do not repeat not tick the box agreeing  to Celebrity doing the changing this simply adds to your cost. Use your Nationwide UK Credit Card and it will do the conversion at the rate on the day with no extra fees.

Use the same card for all purchases again never agreeing to the merchant doing the transactions.

Enjoy your trip