Experienced canadians cruisers

[RTLS]

As a Canadian you actually have a choice with Celebrity... You can book in either US or Cdn Currency. As others have said the Cdn Rates are usually very good... And beneficial if you have a Cdn Credit Card that gives perks... Such as Airmiles, Other Loyalty Points, or Cash Back (a lot of Cdn Banks that have US Currency Cards don't offer any perks with them)

 

The only thing is once you select the Currency for your Deposit... So it remains. So if you then go ahead and tranfer the booking to a TA (have 60 days to do that) then the Currency mst remain the same

 

Which is why you have to have a plan on where your TA will be... Canada or the USA and pay accordingly (although as pointed out by Others sometimes you will find a US TA who will take payment with a Cdn Credit Card for a cruise booked in Cdn Dollars)

 

Also... On board everything is in US Dollars. So if you have a US Currency Credit Card from a Cdn Bank... If that is the one you want to use onbard, You have to make sure that is the one that is registered for your Onboard SeaPass Account when you check in on E-Day

 

Hope this helps,

 

Cheers!

Yes, thanks that does help.

 

I always use my Canadian CC with my US TA so I don't lose out on my loyalty points but, of course, I do have foreign transaction fees and conversion rates to deal with.

 

I'll have to think this through and may simply book on board and not transfer even though I do like the idea of a middleman between me and Celebrity just so that I will have someone to go to bat for me if something goes wrong.

[Can'tstopcruising]

Over the years, I have tried many methods!

 

First and foremost, I have to use my Cad.$ credit card to book because it gives us cancellation insurance. (for on board charges we have a MC in US funds that gives us airmiles BMO)

 

Once or twice, when I booked in US funds, using my credit card that is in Cad funds, I had problems when I had to cancel or make a change. As exchange rates fluctuate, we can gain or lose in such a situation.

 

I have used US and Canadian agents and I have booked directly with Celebrity.

If there is a problem, and you use an agent, Celebrity won't speak to you.

I prefer to deal with Celebrity directly and have control over my booking.

 

If everything goes smoothly, of course, it doesn't matter. But once in a while, problems do arise.

Edited September 26, 2014 by Can'tstopcruising

[Ontario Cruiser]

Please re-read post #47, above, for specifics. We don't permit travel agents to post promotional posts and, as well, don't permit discussions of travel agents by members because travel agents are not permitted to respond to any positive or negative posts about their agency.

You are so right. I would love to respond to many of the comments

Ontario Cruiser

[Sloop-JohnB]

Over the years' date=' I have tried many methods!

 

First and foremost, I have to use my Cad.$ credit card to book because it gives us cancellation insurance. (for on board charges we have a MC in US funds that gives us airmiles BMO)

 

Once or twice, when I booked in US funds, using my credit card that is in Cad funds, I had problems when I had to cancel or make a change. As exchange rates fluctuate, we can gain or lose in such a situation.

 

I have used US and Canadian agents and I have booked directly with Celebrity.

If there is a problem, and you use an agent, Celebrity won't speak to you.

I prefer to deal with Celebrity directly and have control over my booking.

 

If everything goes smoothly, of course, it doesn't matter. But once in a while, problems do arise.[/quote']

 

Hate to burst your bubble... Sorry :(

 

But your Bank of Montreal / BMO US Funds Card doesn't give out AirMiles (Blue Card Points).

 

Those that do have the AirMiles logo on them... And they are all in Cdn Currency.

 

There are very few Cdn Banks issuing US Currency Cards with any perks to be earned. One that I know of is from the Royal Bank which gives RBC Reward Points.

 

Cheers!

[Can'tstopcruising]

Hate to burst your bubble... Sorry :(

 

But your Bank of Montreal / BMO US Funds Card doesn't give out AirMiles (Blue Card Points).

 

Those that do have the AirMiles logo on them... And they are all in Cdn Currency.

 

There are very few Cdn Banks issuing US Currency Cards with any perks to be earned. One that I know of is from the Royal Bank which gives RBC Reward Points.

 

Cheers![/quote

 

Thanks to you, I looked at my card. Sure enough there is no logo (Blue circle) When I took out the card, I was told ( and subsequently received) airmiles.

So, now I referred to my last statement (we used the card in July.) I did get my airmiles.

 

Go figure!

 

Could it be because we have the card quite a few years, so they still give it to us? I know we don't pay for the card and I think that if someone took it out now, they would be charged.

[meatloafsfan]

Do you have a USD Visa card? TDCT & RBC have them. If you pay your cruise with a US Visa you save the 2.5% Foreign Transaction fee. Or Amazon.ca has the only credit card I am aware of, that has no For Trans fees. I have one:D

 

Sears Mastercard (Canadian fund card), has a 0% foreign currency transaction fee. And you earn Sears club points (which can be used either in store or online). It's issued by Chase (US bank) but it's a Canadian card. I had a "Sears card" for years until they switched over to the MC (was done automatically for all Sears card holders). I really like the card.

Edited September 29, 2014 by meatloafsfan

[Queen of Oakville]

Sears Mastercard (Canadian fund card), has a 0% foreign currency transaction fee. And you earn Sears club points (which can be used either in store or online). It's issued by Chase (US bank) but it's a Canadian card. I had a "Sears card" for years until they switched over to the MC (was done automatically for all Sears card holders). I really like the card.

 

Actually, the cards were not switched over. They were brand new cards. I stil have my original Sears Card (blue card) not a M/C. when i got the M/c I tossed it.

 

I had double paid a sears bill awhile back, and have had about a $75 dollar credit balance on it. I just let it sit there thinking i would eventually charge something to my sears card and use it up. The credit balance sat there for about a year, then Sears charged me a $29.00 credit balance fee. THEY TOOK $29 for having my money on account.

 

I called and complained. Apparently this is explained in the terms of service. They are mailing me a cheque for the credit balance of $75. As soon as I get it, i will be cancelling this card.

 

Just an FYI to anyone who has a credit balance on an old Sears Blue Card.

 

 

 

As for points on a USD card .... i'm pretty sure that my USD card with TD has no points associated with it.

[iancal]

Josee.. Only once in the past 15 or so cruises has a Canadian TA matched the price, net of OBC's that our on line US TA could provide.

 

Now we do not even bother with getting a quote from a Canadian TA-on line or bricks and mortar.

Edited September 29, 2014 by iancal

[Du vent dans les voiles]

Thank you iancal, i'll definitely do some research next winter.

 

And thanks everyone, for all these other interesting topics.

 

Josée