Future cruise deposit - OBC Currency@

Hi

On our last Princess Cruise (TA from Ft Lauderdale to Southampton), I took advantage of their Future Cruise Deposit, paying £75 each.

The offer is

17 - 44 Days $125 Inside, $125 Outside, $150 Balcony, $150 Suite

I assumed that this would be in US$. We have now booked a cruise from Sydney to Singapore and have been given $150 each, but in AUS$. By current exchange rates I would have thought that US$150 should be over AUS$200.

Has anyone else encountered this before? What did you do?

Regards

Robert

You paid £75 each for your FCD. You are being paid in the same currency. I pay $100 US for the FCD and am paid in the same currency. You are paying substantially less for the FCD and are receiving less in return. Seems fair to me.

Unfortunately Princess does not convert the OBC from USD to AUD from the FCD. It is given in the amount on the FCD letter in whatever the onboard currency is. There isn't anything you can do since it is a cruise with AUD as the onboard currency you receive the amount in AUD. Just be thankful that, at least based on today's conversion, that you are getting slightly more back in OBC than you paid for the FCD.

You paid £75 each for your FCD. You are being paid in the same currency. I pay $100 US for the FCD and am paid in the same currency. You are paying substantially less for the FCD and are receiving less in return. Seems fair to me.

Actually, this is not how it works. First of all, the OP paid in British pounds, but the OBC is in Australian dollars, so not the same currency. The currency of the OBC is not dependent on the currency you paid your FCD in. I buy FCDs in Canadian dollars all the time. They cost $100 Canadian (equivalent to about $77 USD), but I still get all the standard OBC amounts in US dollars when I book a cruise.

You paid £75 each for your FCD. You are being paid in the same currency. I pay $100 US for the FCD and am paid in the same currency. You are paying substantially less for the FCD and are receiving less in return.

Seems fair to me.

It seems right to me also. :)

Tony

Actually, this is not how it works. First of all, the OP paid in British pounds, but the OBC is in Australian dollars, so not the same currency. The currency of the OBC is not dependent on the currency you paid your FCD in. I buy FCDs in Canadian dollars all the time. They cost $100 Canadian (equivalent to about $77 USD), but I still get all the standard OBC amounts in US dollars when I book a cruise.

Oh. So you pay substantially less than I do but still get the same amount of OBC that I get? :confused:

Oh. So you pay substantially less than I do but still get the same amount of OBC that I get? :confused:

:)

Yes that is exactly the point I was trying to make - obc amount is not dependent on the amount originally paid for the FCDs.

At today's exchange rate 75 GBP is equal to 98.56 USD. I am not sure how the folks from Great Britain are paying less than we pay in USD for their FCD.

All cruises in Australia use AUD for on board accounts, and OBC from FCDs, from sale pricing (where the sale includes OBC), from military service and from shareholders OBC is stated in AUD, and there is no exchange rate figured into the equation - it is simply 1 to 1. None of us likes it. You get less value. But that's the way Princess is doing it.

I think if you gift yourself OBC - that one is converted using exchange rates.

Don

Princess has changed their wording on their FCD forms sometime over the last year or so. We sailed out of Australia in the winter of 2017 and our OBC from our FCD was convertered from US TO AUD because the ships currency was AUD. As I said sometime over the last year or so Princess changed their wording on the FCD forms and the forms no longer say a currency after the amount of OBC you will get with a FCD. It only states an amount. We sail this winter again out of Australia and this time there is no conversion of the FCD from US to AUD. The 150.00 is now only 150.00 AUD. Princess is also doing this with OBC you might get from your TA or part of a sale when booking. The only OBC that is now being converted from US to AUD is military and loyalty OBC.

Oh. So you pay substantially less than I do but still get the same amount of OBC that I get? :confused:

The OP is not paying substantially less than you. I think you are a little confused with this. When purchasing a FCD you are paying a deposit for a future cruise. I am Canadian and I can buy my FCD in either Canadian funds or American funds. Both cost $100.00 but a Canadian FCD is in Canadian funds and American FCD is in American funds. I need to buy my FCD in the currency that I plan on booking my cruise. Yes my Canadian dollar is worth less than the American dollar but I pay more for my cruise in Canadian funds than I would if I book in American funds. Because Princess is an American company and their operating currency is the American dollar Canadians and British passengers have their fares set accordingly to the US dollar conversion. Princess changed in the last year or so their wording on their FCD forms and they only state an amount that you will receive as a FCD. No currency is indicated when before it indicated US dollars. So i don’t think the OP is getting something more than you, he just didn’t understand that Princess has changed their policy on FCD currency

You paid £75 each for your FCD. You are being paid in the same currency. I pay $100 US for the FCD and am paid in the same currency. You are paying substantially less for the FCD and are receiving less in return. Seems fair to me.

You would not now get your FCD on an Australian ship in US funds any more. You would get in AUD, no conversion on the funds from American to AUD.

The OP is not paying substantially less than you. I think you are a little confused with this.

Now that's not a big surprise. :D