Princess Australia Cruise -- Daily Gratuities for U.S. Citizens?

[pkster]

Hello all.  I'm from the U.S. and booked on an upcoming Royal Princess cruise from Auckland to Sydney.  I've read that for Australia/New Zealand Princess cruises where the on-board currency is AUD, that gratuities are already part of the cruise fare and no daily gratuities are added to your folio.  Can anybody clarify for me whether this applies to all passengers, or just citizens of Australia and New Zealand?  Thanks.

[pompeii]

We just returned from 50+ days on the Royal in Aus and  NZ and we were charged daily gratuities.  If you paid the cruise fare in USD and not AUD then gratuities are not included in the fare and they will be charged to your daily onboard account. Provided of course that you don’t have plus or premium. 

Edited December 25, 2023 by pompeii

[trvlwrld]

It’s interesting that we paid our cruise fare in USD but our OBC was converted to AUD, even though it was FCC $$ earned from previous USD cruises😳

[wallyj]

7 minutes ago, trvlwrld said:

It’s interesting that we paid our cruise fare in USD but our OBC was converted to AUD, even though it was FCC $$ earned from previous USD cruises😳

Yes, it has been reported that shareholders OBC is converted to AUD at 1 for 1 where $250 USD becomes $250 AUD which for US citizens is an unfortunate exchange. This is an unfortunate quirk/protocol for down under sailings for non Aussies.

[Cruise Junky]

So, this is what I found out when researching this for our trip.   Yes, aussies have it built in to their fare but the passengers from NA do not and will be charged as normal. But here’s the kicker…the daily tips we are charged do not go to the staff on your cruise. The Aussie based staff do not participate in that tip pool.  It’s added to the general pool for the rest of the fleet.   

[d9704011]

Just now, Cruise Junky said:

So, this is what I found out when researching this for our trip.   Yes, aussies have it built in to their fare but the passengers from NA do not and will be charged as normal. But here’s the kicker…the daily tips we are charged do not go to the staff on your cruise. The Aussie based staff do not participate in that tip pool.  It’s added to the general pool for the rest of the fleet.   

That's an ineresting theory (I hesitate to label it a fact).  What would happen in the admittedly unlikely event that 75% of the passengers on a cruise come from NA?  Don't you think the Aus based crew will get a share of all those non-fare gratuities added to the fleet pool?

[Thrak]

3 hours ago, wallyj said:

Yes, it has been reported that shareholders OBC is converted to AUD at 1 for 1 where $250 USD becomes $250 AUD which for US citizens is an unfortunate exchange. This is an unfortunate quirk/protocol for down under sailings for non Aussies.

 

Aussies who book out of the US get the opposite conversion. Their normal $250 AUD is converted 1:1 to $250 USD. The Shareholder document clearly spells out what type of currency you will receive.

 

[paradiselivin1]

Did the same or similar cruise in January. Yes, we definitely paid the usual gratuities and did get the OBC conversion that Thrak stated above.. When we cruise in UK/Norway this summer; expect that we'll also pay the usual gratuities as Americans and get another lousy exchange..

[Thrak]

2 minutes ago, paradiselivin1 said:

Did the same or similar cruise in January. Yes, we definitely paid the usual gratuities and did get the OBC conversion that Thrak stated above.. When we cruise in UK/Norway this summer; expect that we'll also pay the usual gratuities as Americans and get another lousy exchange..

 

We had $657 AUD refundable credit at the end of our recent trip. We received $428 USD in the mail. $0.65 per dollar exchange rate. Not the best but not too bad. I'm just pleased that they sent the money in a timely manner.

[coo359a2]

33 minutes ago, paradiselivin1 said:

Did the same or similar cruise in January. Yes, we definitely paid the usual gratuities and did get the OBC conversion that Thrak stated above.. When we cruise in UK/Norway this summer; expect that we'll also pay the usual gratuities as Americans and get another lousy exchange..

We cruised Norway last June and had the Plus  package so gratuities were included. Did speak to others who paid daily gratuities.  Princess ships in Norway and other European itineraries we have been on used the USD for onboard charges so there will be no “lousy exchange” rates for you on your Norway cruise   

[paradiselivin1]

7 minutes ago, coo359a2 said:

Princess ships in Norway and other European itineraries we have been on used the USD for onboard charges so there will be no “lousy exchange” rates for you on your Norway cruise  

I guess I may have misunderstood but I don't think so?  Reacting to post #7 and the chart that Thrak posted regarding conversions for those of us with shareholders benefits... We were on a US branded ship in New Zealand that used AUD for onboard charges and the conversion was as stated on the chart above where we had $250USD in benefits that were converted to AUD. We were on Princess Majestic ~ US brand....

[coo359a2]

15 minutes ago, paradiselivin1 said:

I guess I may have misunderstood but I don't think so?  Reacting to post #7 and the chart that Thrak posted regarding conversions for those of us with shareholders benefits... We were on a US branded ship in New Zealand that used AUD for onboard charges and the conversion was as stated on the chart above where we had $250USD in benefits that were converted to AUD. We were on Princess Majestic ~ US brand....

 

Yes when cruising in AU/NZ  on board accounts are in AUD and their exchange rates are used..  My comment was for your sentence regarding your Norway cruise this summer having lousy exchange rates.  The Norway cruises are in USD so no exchange rates will be involved.  If you weren't referring to the exchange rates for your Norway cruise, I totally misunderstood your sentence.

[TRLD]

4 hours ago, d9704011 said:

That's an ineresting theory (I hesitate to label it a fact).  What would happen in the admittedly unlikely event that 75% of the passengers on a cruise come from NA?  Don't you think the Aus based crew will get a share of all those non-fare gratuities added to the fleet pool?

From my last cruise there.

 

On ships based in Australia using the Australian dollar. If you book under NA fares and T&Cs you get charged the daily gratuity. If you book under Australian fares and T&Cs, then you do not pay daily gratuity and they are included in the fares.

 

In either case the same amount is paid into the fleet pool. Either from the gratuity paid by NA guests or that same amount  from the fares of the Australian guests.

[d9704011]

Just now, TRLD said:

From my last cruise there.

 

On ships based in Australia using the Australian dollar. If you book under NA fares and T&Cs you get charged the daily gratuity. If you book under Australian fares and T&Cs, then you do not pay daily gratuity and they are included in the fares.

 

In either case the same amount is paid into the fleet pool. Either from the gratuity paid by NA guests or that same amount  from the fares of the Australian guests.

That sounds reasonable to me.  My problem with post #5 is the suggestion that the Australian based crew do not receive a share of the fleet gratuity pool; this seems unfair annd unlikely to me.

[TRLD]

6 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

That sounds reasonable to me.  My problem with post #5 is the suggestion that the Australian based crew do not receive a share of the fleet gratuity pool; this seems unfair annd unlikely to me.

My understanding  is that if a ship is owned by an Australian company and based in Australia then Australian employment rules apply. Some CCL brands do have Australian corporate presence. For example P&O Australia and Carnival Australia. In the case of those ships a different salary structure might apply instead of the salary bonus structure. 

 

Kind of a Rose by any other name.

 

Not sure about the couple of princess ships permanently assigned there. 

 

 

[pkster]

9 hours ago, wallyj said:

Yes, it has been reported that shareholders OBC is converted to AUD at 1 for 1 where $250 USD becomes $250 AUD which for US citizens is an unfortunate exchange. This is an unfortunate quirk/protocol for down under sailings for non Aussies.

Interesting . . .  So what happens with the $16 USD daily gratuity?  Does it convert 1 for 1 to $16 AUD as well (like the shareholder OBC)?  Or will I see the $16 USD daily gratuity converted to ~$23.52 AUD (using current exchange rate)?

[beltsbear]

We are on the Royal now, and had $100 casino and $100 shareholders both considered in AUD so we took a haircut on those.  But our travel agent provided credit was given a good exchange rate, and in fact it was larger than we expected   A 13 day cruise is Australia is probably the worst deal for the shareholders credit!  

[Gettingwarmer]

8 hours ago, paradiselivin1 said:

Did the same or similar cruise in January. Yes, we definitely paid the usual gratuities and did get the OBC conversion that Thrak stated above.. When we cruise in UK/Norway this summer; expect that we'll also pay the usual gratuities as Americans and get another lousy exchange..

Ships leaving the UK are charged in US dollars onboard and everyone whatever nationality is liable for  gratuities in US dollars unless paying plus or premium fare. 

[Astro Flyer]

4 hours ago, pkster said:

Interesting . . .  So what happens with the $16 USD daily gratuity?  Does it convert 1 for 1 to $16 AUD as well (like the shareholder OBC)?  Or will I see the $16 USD daily gratuity converted to ~$23.52 AUD (using current exchange rate)?

This is what I’d like to know…when booking from the US & paying in USD the OBC is devalued to the same amount of AUD. Thus we lose about 1/3 of the value & I believe the daily tip amount should be the same amount in AUD as when in USD.

 

I’ve been seeking actual onboard experiences for an answer but have never read a definitive answer & hopefully someone can provide the tip amount in AUD.
 

[pompeii]

2 hours ago, Astro Flyer said:

This is what I’d like to know…when booking from the US & paying in USD the OBC is devalued to the same amount of AUD. Thus we lose about 1/3 of the value & I believe the daily tip amount should be the same amount in AUD as when in USD.

 

I’ve been seeking actual onboard experiences for an answer but have never read a definitive answer & hopefully someone can provide the tip amount in AUD.
 

Ours was 23.90 AUD for a balcony in November.  

Edited December 26, 2023 by pompeii

[Torfamm]

3 hours ago, beltsbear said:

We are on the Royal now, and had $100 casino and $100 shareholders both considered in AUD so we took a haircut on those.  But our travel agent provided credit was given a good exchange rate, and in fact it was larger than we expected   A 13 day cruise is Australia is probably the worst deal for the shareholders credit!  

This is a confusing topic. Shareholders credit is not converted, it is given in AUD in the amount stated on for the period covered by the benefit agreement. There is no exchange rate.You can see the full document here

https://www.carnivalcorp.com/static-files/bc1b7f04-a3e8-4176-91ac-a529290fe45d

 

USD gift cards used to purchase shore excursions or OBC pre-cruise are exchanged 1:1 for AUD, which is a terrible exchange rate. OBC available in USD from the $200 pp deposit for casino cruises however, is converted to AUD at the current exchange rate, it ended up being about 300 AUD in September and October.

[coo359a2]

2 hours ago, Torfamm said:

This is a confusing topic. Shareholders credit is not converted, it is given in AUD in the amount stated on for the period covered by the benefit agreement. There is no exchange rate.You can see the full document here

https://www.carnivalcorp.com/static-files/bc1b7f04-a3e8-4176-91ac-a529290fe45d

 

USD gift cards used to purchase shore excursions or OBC pre-cruise are exchanged 1:1 for AUD, which is a terrible exchange rate. OBC available in USD from the $200 pp deposit for casino cruises however, is converted to AUD at the current exchange rate, it ended up being about 300 AUD in September and October.

You were lucky in the exchange rate for your casino cruise OBC.

[Torfamm]

4 hours ago, coo359a2 said:

You were lucky in the exchange rate for your casino cruise OBC.

It’s the deposit that they credit back once you board. I believe they consider it more like cruise fare than OBC. The cruise fare would change if they didn’t refund the full amount 

Edited December 26, 2023 by Torfamm

[Astro Flyer]

8 hours ago, pompeii said:

Ours was 23.90 AUD for a balcony in November.  

Thank you very much for sharing your experience to have a definitive answer.

 

I’ve read the ship charges a 1%-2% fee when paying the onboard spending account’s balance with a chargecard…do you know if that is true? When outside the US we charge in the local currency & our financial institution uses the best daily conversion rate with no fees charged.

 

Edited December 26, 2023 by Astro Flyer

[pompeii]

Yes, there is a fee for using a credit card for your onboard account. When we were on in November, it was 1.1%.