Australia/NZ Cruise - what currency ?

We are booked on an Australia/New Zealand cruise in Decemcer 2016 on Emerald Princess. We received OBC for using a future cruise deposit in AUS $ (at a much worse rate than if we were receiving US$) and my personaliser states our bill will be in AUS $. I know it is too early to book excursions but these are all listed with the prices in US$. Does this mean that these & tips & drinks on board will also be converted by Princess into Australian dollars at their fixed exchange rate? Does anyone have experience of this ? At the moment it seems to make a difference of 10% increase in price when we eventually get charged by our credit card company in GBP. Just trying to work out a budget for this trip - would appreciate any guidance. Thanks.

We are booked on an Australia/New Zealand cruise in Decemcer 2016 on Emerald Princess. We received OBC for using a future cruise deposit in AUS $ (at a much worse rate than if we were receiving US$) and my personaliser states our bill will be in AUS $. I know it is too early to book excursions but these are all listed with the prices in US$. Does this mean that these & tips & drinks on board will also be converted by Princess into Australian dollars at their fixed exchange rate? Does anyone have experience of this ? At the moment it seems to make a difference of 10% increase in price when we eventually get charged by our credit card company in GBP. Just trying to work out a budget for this trip - would appreciate any guidance. Thanks.

When Emarald is sailing to and from Australia all on board charges are in AUS$.

Unfortunately at the moment the Aussie dollar is way down, though that probably good for you.

Generally the cruise line will give you a much worse exchange rate than your bank. Many suggest having it billed to your credit card in Aus$ and thus getting their exchange rate rather than having Princess charge it in GBP at their rate.

Depending on how you booked tips may be included, they are if you book in Aus.

I hope you enjoy your visit down under .

We sailed the Dawn Princess around Australia a couple of years ago and the onboard account was in AU$.

We are booked on an Australia/New Zealand cruise in Decemcer 2016 on Emerald Princess. We received OBC for using a future cruise deposit in AUS $ (at a much worse rate than if we were receiving US$) and my personaliser states our bill will be in AUS $. I know it is too early to book excursions but these are all listed with the prices in US$. Does this mean that these & tips & drinks on board will also be converted by Princess into Australian dollars at their fixed exchange rate? Does anyone have experience of this ? At the moment it seems to make a difference of 10% increase in price when we eventually get charged by our credit card company in GBP. Just trying to work out a budget for this trip - would appreciate any guidance. Thanks.

Make sure you have either a Nationwide Select Credit Card or a Halifax Card. Then select the option to have your account settled in AUS$. Your credit card will be billed in AUS$ which will be converted totally commission free at the Visa interbank rate in Sterling.

We do a similar thing with cruises denominated in $US

As you will see from my location I am based in both France and the UK. However, although I have a French bank account, to enable me to have French direct debits for phone accounts etc., I find that the credit card rate is so good that it is cheaper to use my commission free UK credit cards in France for normal purchases rather than to use my French debit card simply because I can avoid the cost of transferring money to my French account.

The deal really is that good.

i'm on the emerald in dec 2016 to nz and everything is in aus $, in my personaliser there are no excursions to browse or book at the moment.

i'm on the emerald in dec 2016 to nz and everything is in aus $, in my personaliser there are no excursions to browse or book at the moment.

The excursions I have looked at are on the cruise info page and all seem to have prices listed in US$ (except for a few disembarkation tours which specifically state AUS$). My query is will these prices be restated in AUS$ by the time we come to book them and if so I presume this will be at the current 'poor' exchange rate ? And are drinks, specialty restaurants etc on board also priced in AUS$ ?

We sailed the Dawn Princess around Australia a couple of years ago and the onboard account was in AU$.

Hi there. We have the around Australia cruise booked for 2017. Do you have any tips to share regarding ports and "must sees". Would appreciate any information you can provide.:) Also, what ship did you sail? We are doing a 13-day cruise of New Zealand before the 29-day Australia cruise.

We are booked on an Australia/New Zealand cruise in Decemcer 2016 on Emerald Princess. We received OBC for using a future cruise deposit in AUS $ (at a much worse rate than if we were receiving US$) and my personaliser states our bill will be in AUS $. I know it is too early to book excursions but these are all listed with the prices in US$. Does this mean that these & tips & drinks on board will also be converted by Princess into Australian dollars at their fixed exchange rate? Does anyone have experience of this ?

All onboard purchases will be priced in AUS $ and may not have any relation to the exchange rate with US $.

The drinks will have any tip built into the price so there will not be a 15% gratuity added.

Good question about the excursions if you are only seeing US $ pricing. I suggest contacting Princess to ask what you would really be paying.

We are booked on an Australia/New Zealand cruise in Decemcer 2016 on Emerald Princess. We received OBC for using a future cruise deposit in AUS $ (at a much worse rate than if we were receiving US$) and my personaliser states our bill will be in AUS $. I know it is too early to book excursions but these are all listed with the prices in US$. Does this mean that these & tips & drinks on board will also be converted by Princess into Australian dollars at their fixed exchange rate? Does anyone have experience of this ? At the moment it seems to make a difference of 10% increase in price when we eventually get charged by our credit card company in GBP. Just trying to work out a budget for this trip - would appreciate any guidance. Thanks.

We might bump into you on this cruise :).

We are on the Dawn in Oct and Nov....our first cruises that are charged in AUD $. When I was filling our my Personalizer, it asked me if I wanted Princess to do the conversion before charging my credit card. Foolishly, I said yes. Now seeing what their conversion rate is, as compared to the current rate, I would rather have my credit card company do the conversion. How can I change my instructions to a Princess? I can't find the option on my Personalizer. I booked my cruises through a travel agent. Do I call them to change this? Or do I just go to the purser's desk when I get on the ship?

Anyone know?

Thanks.

We are booked on Diamond while in Aus / NZ so it's an AUD ship at that time.

The excursions are definitely also priced in AUD.

My GUESS.

While you may currently see them in USD that would be a guide only.

Once Princess firm up the tours and pricing, and they are actually offered for booking, then I think you will see that changed to AUD.

We might bump into you on this cruise :).

This will be our first trip to Australia & New Zealand - we're very excited. Already starting to plan what we might want to do in the ports. Just hope the flight prices are not too high when they are available in January/February !

The excursions I have looked at are on the cruise info page and all seem to have prices listed in US$ (except for a few disembarkation tours which specifically state AUS$). My query is will these prices be restated in AUS$ by the time we come to book them and if so I presume this will be at the current 'poor' exchange rate ? And are drinks, specialty restaurants etc on board also priced in AUS$ ?

yes, the AIBP is priced at $73per day, coffee card is $43.

This will be our first trip to Australia & New Zealand - we're very excited. Already starting to plan what we might want to do in the ports. Just hope the flight prices are not too high when they are available in January/February !

Hope you enjoy your visit down under.

i'm on the emerald in dec 2016 to nz and everything is in aus $, in my personaliser there are no excursions to browse or book at the moment.

I'm sailing in November, a Coastal between Sydney and Melbourne so no excursions but I cannot get any Spa pricing as yet, the message said it hadn't been released

I'm sailing in November, a Coastal between Sydney and Melbourne so no excursions but I cannot get any Spa pricing as yet, the message said it hadn't been released

Spa pricing should be there by now, it is available in the personalizer for my cruise in Dec to NZ. You just have to make a mock booking to see the prices for each individual treatment, not exactly user friendly.....

Rubynic - the drinks package is $59AUD bought onboard which at the current exchange rate is about 27.50GBP if you don't use the Princess conversion rate (the Aussie peso is way low at the moment :( )

Spa pricing should be there by now, it is available in the personalizer for my cruise in Dec to NZ. You just have to make a mock booking to see the prices for each individual treatment, not exactly user friendly.....

 

Rubynic - the drinks package is $59AUD bought onboard which at the current exchange rate is about 27.50GBP if you don't use the Princess conversion rate (the Aussie peso is way low at the moment :( )

its actually $64.90 inc tax, i thought it was $59 but appeared in my personaliser about 5 days ago checked with cruise about and it appears its $59 plus tax, next december 2016 the package is $73.

its actually $64.90 inc tax, i thought it was $59 but appeared in my personaliser about 5 days ago checked with cruise about and it appears its $59 plus tax, next december 2016 the package is $73.

I would be expecting to pay GST if I purchased prior to departing as it is a sale within Australia, however once departed I would not be happy to pay good old Joe anything the same as I wouldn't be happy to pay him GST on any of the other items I purchase whilst overseas (noting the cruise Rubynic asked about is to NZ).

I would be expecting to pay GST if I purchased prior to departing as it is a sale within Australia, however once departed I would not be happy to pay good old Joe anything the same as I wouldn't be happy to pay him GST on any of the other items I purchase whilst overseas (noting the cruise Rubynic asked about is to NZ).

I'm afraid that if you buy in NZ and bring it home JH will want his 10.

I'm afraid that if you buy in NZ and bring it home JH will want his 10.

I know that, but we are talking about the drinks package, pretty sure I am not bringing any of that back that they can measure :D

I know that, but we are talking about the drinks package, pretty sure I am not bringing any of that back that they can measure :D

Uncle Joe and Aunty Tony are working on it don't you worry about that.

They also plan to weight you before you leave and when you return and calculate how much you ate while away and apply the GST to that amount of food.

Uncle Joe and Aunty Tony are working on it don't you worry about that.

 

They also plan to weight you before you leave and when you return and calculate how much you ate while away and apply the GST to that amount of food.

That would not surprise me. What gets me is how you are expected to pay GST for every drink you consume on the entire cruise if you purchase before you depart even though you are out of the Australian tax zone, yet you would pay no GST if you buy each drink on board.

This will be our first trip to Australia & New Zealand - we're very excited. Already starting to plan what we might want to do in the ports. Just hope the flight prices are not too high when they are available in January/February !

Looks like there are a few of us on the Emerald's 2016 Christmas cruise. We're booking today. I hope the airfares will be pleasing for you.