Canadian Princess Cruisers

[canadarocks]

Hi

I paid for our trip in Canadian dollars & am trying to purchase online through the cruise personaliser on princess but it says to fax in the form. How did you do this through your vacation planner to get at par rates?

 

Thanks

Poppy

 

Phone the Gifts & Services number and talk to them directly. Be sure that the charge will go through in Canadian dollars at the 10% exchange. They can tell you. Get an email confirmation, because it won't show on your Cruise Personalizer afterwards.

[h-sar]

I just called the gift line and ordered a soda card, an unlimited kids drink card, a coffee card, and prepaid the gratuities for the four of us for our next year's New Year's Regal cruise. Everything was a 1.10 exchange. The nice thing was I was told I do not have to make a payment on any of these items until final payment due date and the prices invoiced to me will be guaranteed.

 

I received an email confirmation a few minutes later detailing all of the orders and everything was in Canadian. Given that all of the major banks are saying the dollar is going to be low for the remainder of this year, a 10% exchange is phenomenal. Thank you, gunner, for starting this thread last year. Glad the exchange is still available!

 

My booking for the cruise was done by my local TA in Cdn. I am also considering purchasing some OBC.

Edited February 7, 2015 by h-sar

[snoodqueen]

Thanks to everyone for all their input on this discussion! I just bought OBC of $300 USD for the 10% rate - $330 to my Canadian credit card. Par would have been nice but this is pretty good too! These forums are a never ending source of good ideas!

[Mingus]

Just checked some of my saved cruises (in C$) and they have now been increased from 10% to 20% exchange rate :( :mad:

[canadarocks]

Just checked some of my saved cruises (in C$) and they have now been increased from 10% to 20% exchange rate :( :mad:

 

Yep, just saw the same thing. I locked in two cruises at the 10% last month because I just knew the change would be coming.

[joe d]

Just checked some of my saved cruises (in C$) and they have now been increased from 10% to 20% exchange rate :( :mad:

 

I had just talked to my wife about a fall cruise on Princess. Looks like I may have to change plans. I hope my second choice has not raised its Canadian prices. If it has, it may be time for a Canadian vacation.

[diverward]

Just contacted Princess and put in some OBC. It is still at 10% right now. $1,000 OBC charged to my credit card for $1,100.00 Not too bad, but I imagine that will change soon. So if you are going to put OBC on your cruise, better hurry. Never know when they will charge it at the 20% rate.

[Karen Lynn]

Good luck with the Canadian vacation idea...

Travel in Canada is obscenely priced.

 

:confused:

[Kamloops50]

Good luck with the Canadian vacation idea...

Travel in Canada is obscenely priced.

 

:confused:

 

Not any more expensive than in the US. Canada is about 15% cheaper than traveling in US.

 

Sent from my SGH-I317M using Forums mobile app

[canada1867]

Canada is expensive? Don't understand that . Cheaper than Europe and for Americans it is currently 20% off.

[Karen Lynn]

I don't find that to be the case...air within Canada is absurd. Hotels are $$$

I spent a weekend in Niagara on the Lake and 2 nights with 2 meals was upwards of $1500

[Mingus]

Just contacted Princess and put in some OBC. It is still at 10% right now. $1,000 OBC charged to my credit card for $1,100.00 Not too bad, but I imagine that will change soon. So if you are going to put OBC on your cruise, better hurry. Never know when they will charge it at the 20% rate.

 

I believe the exchange rate charged for OBC, gifts, services, etc is same rate as when you first booked the cruise.

[richstowe]

Oh well . That's a huge change but given that the current exchange is 25% on a 80 cent dollar

plus the 2 or 3 % exchange fee , a 20% premium is a "deal" (but not a big deal).

[Karen Lynn]

I believe the exchange rate charged for OBC, gifts, services, etc is same rate as when you first booked the cruise.

 

No, it's just that Princess hasn't got to fixing the rate yet on these!!!!

[Cruise Junky]

I had just talked to my wife about a fall cruise on Princess. Looks like I may have to change plans. I hope my second choice has not raised its Canadian prices. If it has, it may be time for a Canadian vacation.

 

We've switched two trips to the US to visit the Okanagan instead.

[rocker57]

Just purchased $300 in casino credit for $330. My plan is to cash them in once the casino is opened. That way I have some cash for extra tips, and any souvenirs at port, for a better exchange rate than the banks 🚢

[CruisinFinsUp]

I was wondering if someone might know if I could goto passenger services and get some USD cash to spend in the ports and have them charge it to my account, either against OBC or credit card - not a huge amount - maybe $80-100? Do they do this at all?

[Delphi38]

Just contacted Princess and put in some OBC. It is still at 10% right now. $1,000 OBC charged to my credit card for $1,100.00 Not too bad, but I imagine that will change soon. So if you are going to put OBC on your cruise, better hurry. Never know when they will charge it at the 20% rate.

 

Do you have to book in Canadian dollars for this? I called them and they said since I booked in $US, they could only bill OBC in $US. I mentioned that they always convert my account to Canadian and bill by credit card in Canadian at the end of each cruise, but that just seemed to confuse him.

[Mingus]

Do you have to book in Canadian dollars for this? I called them and they said since I booked in $US, they could only bill OBC in $US. I mentioned that they always convert my account to Canadian and bill by credit card in Canadian at the end of each cruise, but that just seemed to confuse him.

 

Yes, you would have had to originally book your cruise at the prevailing Canadian dollar exchange rate, in order to have that exchange rate applied to any OBC purchase.

Your converting of your on-board account (at the end of the cruise) to Canadian dollars is a different issue.

[richstowe]

Just purchased $300 in casino credit for $330. My plan is to cash them in once the casino is opened. That way I have some cash for extra tips, and any souvenirs at port, for a better exchange rate than the banks 🚢

I assume Princess, like all the other cruise-lines , charges a fee for purchasing chips with your sea-pass of 3 or so %.

Do they still charge this fee when you purchase casino credit ?

[M4dC0w]

I assume Princess, like all the other cruise-lines , charges a fee for purchasing chips with your sea-pass of 3 or so %.

Do they still charge this fee when you purchase casino credit ?

 

Not tge last time I sailed in september

[richstowe]

I'm sorry ,which question of my questions were you answering ?

Do they charge any fee for getting chips charged to your ship account?

Do they charge any fee when you have purchased casino credit and are redeeming it?

Not the last time I sailed in september

[M4dC0w]

Both, no fees charged

[Carpe_Diem]

Hey Cruisers,

 

I am embarking soon (a week today) on two separate cruises and wanted to let all other cruisers (specifically Canadians) know that USD OBC can be bought in CAD ( I used my VISA card) and at the $1.10 CAD will buy $1.00 USD rate. I called the Gifts and Celebrations Department at 1-855-500-7690 and there was no problem explaining and confirming what my intent was regarding buying USD OBC and paying CAD with my CC.

 

Facts:

 

I purchased my cruises in CAD through a Canadian TA last summer (June 2014).

 

I already have some TA OBC and other OBC benefits banked in my on board credit account – this will take care of my one planned PCL excursion in Antigua.

 

I purchased USD OBC for my Caribbean Princess cruise and my Royal Princess cruise, but had to use each respective booking number to apply the OBCs for each cruise. I asked if the purchased OBC was refundable if I didn't use it all, to which the CSR told me it would be refunded to my CC at the same exchange rate as I bought it.

 

Earlier this morning I pre-paid our gratuities for each cruise through my cruise personalizer, however, one was charged at PAR >> a 10 day Royal Princess cruise in a Deluxe Balcony stateroom @ $11.50 USD/person/day << and I paid $230.00 CAD for my wife and I on that cruise. Our other cruise was charged at the $1.10 CAD = $1.00 USD rate >> we are on a 5 day Caribbean Princess cruise in a Vista Suite @$12.00 USD/person/day << of which I paid $132.00 CAD for my wife and I on that cruise. I don’t know and I didn’t make any inquiries as to why the two cruises gratuities were charged at different exchange rates.

 

If you are a Canadian cruiser, I would encourage you to consider pre-paying your gratuities and buying OBC (don’t forget that purchased OBC is refundable) to bank on your on board account. I would rather pay an exchange rate of ($1.10 CAD to $1.00 USD or less) than have to pay the exchange rate that my CC is going to charge me in CAD for USD purchases.

 

Happy Cruising Everyone

[canadarocks]

Yes, that's kind of what this whole thread is about. :)

Edited February 14, 2015 by canadarocks