Canadian cruisers!!

[Funbobby68]

Oh that's funny [emoji651]️

[robtulipe]

On a current Anthem sailing thread, the refund of excursion fees due to an itinerary change from a western to an eastern came up. I believe this may have been posted here before.

 

For Canadian who book their cruise in $CAD we've found in the past there was typically an exchange advantage to pre-booking excursion in $CAD rather than doing this onboard in USD. Even if one is not sure of exactly what they wants to do as you can use the refund to their onboard account, which is in USD, if one cancels before the no charge deadline to pay for an alternative excursion or to get USD cash at the end of the cruise.

Edited February 4, 2016 by robtulipe

[Funbobby68]

On a current Anthem sailing thread, the refund of excursion fees due to an itinerary change from a western to an eastern came up. I believe this may have been posted here before.

 

 

 

For Canadian who book their cruise in $CAD we've found in the past there was typically an exchange advantage to pre-booking excursion in $CAD rather than doing this onboard in USD. Even if one is not sure of exactly what they wants to do as you can use the refund to their onboard account, which is in USD, if one cancels before the no charge deadline to pay for an alternative excursion or to get USD cash at the end of the cruise.

 

 

I'm intrigued by the thought of booking a excursion, in Canadian with the intent to cancelling once we board , to have the credit in US once we cancel . But kinda need to find out what the exchange rate in on the excursion can only seam to get it posted in Canadian dollars on the cruise planner

[SensFan11]

I'm intrigued by the thought of booking a excursion, in Canadian with the intent to cancelling once we board , to have the credit in US once we cancel . But kinda need to find out what the exchange rate in on the excursion can only seam to get it posted in Canadian dollars on the cruise planner

 

Here's one way...from this web page you can download a shore excursion brochure:

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/beforeyouboard/shoreExcursions/downloadBrochure/view.do

 

On that page, you need to enter your ship, sail date, and currency...just choose US dollars, then compare it to what is displayed in your cruise planner.

 

Cheers,

Noel

[retird]

I'm intrigued by the thought of booking a excursion, in Canadian with the intent to cancelling once we board , to have the credit in US once we cancel . But kinda need to find out what the exchange rate in on the excursion can only seam to get it posted in Canadian dollars on the cruise planner

 

I booked the cruise in Cdn dollars and booked my excursions through RCI in Canadian dollars. I paid an exchange rate of 1.33 for the excursions and 1.23 for the cruise itself.

[CaribCruiser54]

[son3cruisers]

I'm intrigued by the thought of booking a excursion, in Canadian with the intent to cancelling once we board , to have the credit in US once we cancel . But kinda need to find out what the exchange rate in on the excursion can only seam to get it posted in Canadian dollars on the cruise planner

 

I'm not understanding this... Why would you book an excursion that you don't want only to get a refund onboard?

[LuCruise]

I booked the cruise in Cdn dollars and booked my excursions through RCI in Canadian dollars. I paid an exchange rate of 1.33 for the excursions and 1.23 for the cruise itself.

How do you know since if you bought in CAD, the excursion price is only shown in CAD?

 

Sent from my ONE E1005 using Tapatalk

[Funbobby68]

I'm not understanding this... Why would you book an excursion that you don't want only to get a refund onboard?

 

 

If the excursion rate to by before boarding was more favourable and then you were credited in USD on board the rate would be different .... It's all for not , 40% exchange rate is on all excursion

[son3cruisers]

If the excursion rate to by before boarding was more favourable and then you were credited in USD on board the rate would be different .... It's all for not , 40% exchange rate is on all excursion

 

Sounds unethical to me.

 

Hopefully we can continue to exchange ideas on this thread to help Canadian cruisers save money, through deals, good exchange rates and others experiences. Let's keep it on the up and up.

[son3cruisers]

On a current Anthem sailing thread, the refund of excursion fees due to an itinerary change from a western to an eastern came up. I believe this may have been posted here before.

 

For Canadian who book their cruise in $CAD we've found in the past there was typically an exchange advantage to pre-booking excursion in $CAD rather than doing this onboard in USD. Even if one is not sure of exactly what they wants to do as you can use the refund to their onboard account, which is in USD, if one cancels before the no charge deadline to pay for an alternative excursion or to get USD cash at the end of the cruise.

 

Sorry, I don't see the savings.

An excursion I'm looking at is listed at is $105 US, and $150 Canadian.

If I purchase the excursion , for $150 Can , and get on board to cancel, I will be refunded $105 Us, and my bank will do a conversion whick would probably be very close to if the same as $150. No savings and a lot of hassle in my opinion.

[weathermom]

We're on Radiance in April and I see chops grill in the cruise planner for $42 cdn. We will eat there at least once on the 11 night cruise. Do you think it's worth it to book ahead for that price? Your advice is appreciated! :confused:

Thanks

[retird]

How do you know since if you bought in CAD, the excursion price is only shown in CAD?

 

Sent from my ONE E1005 using Tapatalk

 

Well, through some excellent detective work, I was able to look up the excursion I wanted and pay for it in Canadian Dollars. So I then had the Canadian value. I then signed in to excursions asking to be quoted in U.S. dollars and was able to learn what the cost of the exact same excursion was in U.S dollars. From those two figures I was able to determine what conversion rate RCI used to quote me the excursion in Canadian Dollars.

Edited February 5, 2016 by retird

[A&L_Ont]

I found this news story on CBC today. Some areas in the US are offering delas to Canadian who want to travel there. It is an interesting article.

 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/canadian-dollar-travel-snowbirds-1.3433817

[Funbobby68]

I'm sure a lot of the larger vacation spots will feel the pinch with a lack of Canadians willing to travel , one they realize that we supply a big portion of there revenue I'm sure more deals will be coming out

[moopetguy]

I'm considering making a booking with a U.S.-based TA (I have once previously). But, of course that means I need to pay in USD, over the phone, with a credit card.

 

For the itineraries I'm currently considering, I have sufficient USD currency in an RBC USD High Interest eSavings account (converted at a much better exchange rate than available now). But, I need some suggestions on how to transfer/load that into some USD prepaid credit card product.

 

I've done some research on my own so far but the products I've found either require a U.S. address or SSN (e.g. Amex Bluebird), or require you to deposit funds in CAD (e.g. Cash Passport), which obviously isn't what I want to do.

 

I don't make purchases in USD frequently, so getting a regular credit card in USD doesn't make sense because the ones I know about have annual fees (e.g. RBC's USD Visa card has a $65 USD annual fee). I also don't have any U.S.-based bank accounts or a U.S. mailing address.

 

This is why I am looking for a one-time, USD prepaid credit card solution.

 

Does anyone have any further suggestions I can look into? Thank you!

[Canadian Tyler]

I'm considering making a booking with a U.S.-based TA (I have once previously). But, of course that means I need to pay in USD, over the phone, with a credit card.

 

Sorry, can't help with the credit card question but I use a US TA and can book in Canadian funds.

[SensFan11]

I'm considering making a booking with a U.S.-based TA (I have once previously). But, of course that means I need to pay in USD, over the phone, with a credit card.

 

For the itineraries I'm currently considering, I have sufficient USD currency in an RBC USD High Interest eSavings account (converted at a much better exchange rate than available now). But, I need some suggestions on how to transfer/load that into some USD prepaid credit card product.

 

I've done some research on my own so far but the products I've found either require a U.S. address or SSN (e.g. Amex Bluebird), or require you to deposit funds in CAD (e.g. Cash Passport), which obviously isn't what I want to do.

 

I don't make purchases in USD frequently, so getting a regular credit card in USD doesn't make sense because the ones I know about have annual fees (e.g. RBC's USD Visa card has a $65 USD annual fee). I also don't have any U.S.-based bank accounts or a U.S. mailing address.

 

This is why I am looking for a one-time, USD prepaid credit card solution.

 

Does anyone have any further suggestions I can look into? Thank you!

 

A few ideas...

 

First off, if you already have one or several accounts wi RBC, I'd ask them if they'd waive the fee on a US dollar Visa (even if just for the first year).

 

Second, CAA may be able to sell you a prepaid credit card in US cash.

 

Third, you should be able to buy a one time use prepaid credit card in person in the US at somewhere like a Target or WalMart.

[moopetguy]

Sorry, can't help with the credit card question but I use a US TA and can book in Canadian funds.

 

What exchange rate do they offer you for booking in CAD? The going rate? Even a somewhat lower rate is probably not as good as what I got for the USD I have on hand. ($1.10 CAD to $1.00 USD, sound familiar to people? ;))

 

A few ideas...

 

First off, if you already have one or several accounts wi RBC, I'd ask them if they'd waive the fee on a US dollar Visa (even if just for the first year).

 

Second, CAA may be able to sell you a prepaid credit card in US cash.

 

Third, you should be able to buy a one time use prepaid credit card in person in the US at somewhere like a Target or WalMart.

 

I am a good customer with RBC and have many accounts with them. The problem with the RBC USD Visa is that even if they agree to waive the annual fee for the first year, I'll be stuck with it going forward. If I cancel the card, I can avoid the ongoing annual fee, but not without an impact on my credit rating (since average account age is a factor in credit score calculations). I don't normally care that much about my rating (especially because it's good; I've never had a late payment or paid interest on anything except my mortgage), but my mortgage is due to renew one final time next year before it will be paid off.

 

CAA offers the Cash Passport, which as I mentioned, only allows loading in CAD if bought in Canada. Reference: "A Cash Passport purchased in Canada can only be loaded with Canadian Dollars (CAD). If you have a foreign currency Cash Passport, the amount loaded will be converted to the currency of your Card."

 

I have thought about the third idea as well, but the product I know of from Walmart is the Amex Bluebird, which requires a SSN.

 

I appreciate you taking the time to provide suggestions...however I am looking for a specific solution that somebody knows about or has personally tried. It wouldn't make sense for me to drive down to the U.S. to Target or Walmart on the chance that there's something to fit the bill, only to drive home empty-handed. In short, I am hoping for "you can do this" instead of "you should be able to...". :)

[robtulipe]

Sorry, I don't see the savings.

An excursion I'm looking at is listed at is $105 US, and $150 Canadian.

If I purchase the excursion , for $150 Can , and get on board to cancel, I will be refunded $105 Us, and my bank will do a conversion whick would probably be very close to if the same as $150. No savings and a lot of hassle in my opinion.

We saw more of a difference when we booked some excursions for our Navigator B2B2B cruises in January 2015. The it was at least 10% better to book in $CAD at the then current exchange rate and the typical credit card conversion fee.

I checked three excursions for our October Brilliance cruise about a week ago and the rate between the USD and CAD pricing was 1.39 and the then current interbank exchange was over 1.42 and I find the credit card conversion fee and the actual exchange rate they charge typically boost that rate by 3% so in effect 1.45 would be charged to your credit card.

Today the $CAD is stronger at about $0.72US so $US is worth 1.39 but the excursion pricing difference is the same 1.39 rate so there is no savings other than what your credit card charge you extra for that conversion which as mentioned above for me is around 3%. At that difference I wouldn't bother either unless I wanted to actually book an excursion and I would do so in $CAD before rather than $USD onboard. Then if the $CAD value increased one could simply cancel their excursions prior to boarding, get refunded in $CAD and book again in $USD onboard to take advantage of that stronger $CAD. If the $CAD goes down then you have locked in your cost in CAD.

Edited February 5, 2016 by robtulipe

[phabric]

I'm considering making a booking with a U.S.-based TA (I have once previously). But, of course that means I need to pay in USD, over the phone, with a credit card.

 

For the itineraries I'm currently considering, I have sufficient USD currency in an RBC USD High Interest eSavings account (converted at a much better exchange rate than available now). But, I need some suggestions on how to transfer/load that into some USD prepaid credit card product.

 

I've done some research on my own so far but the products I've found either require a U.S. address or SSN (e.g. Amex Bluebird), or require you to deposit funds in CAD (e.g. Cash Passport), which obviously isn't what I want to do.

 

I don't make purchases in USD frequently, so getting a regular credit card in USD doesn't make sense because the ones I know about have annual fees (e.g. RBC's USD Visa card has a $65 USD annual fee). I also don't have any U.S.-based bank accounts or a U.S. mailing address.

 

This is why I am looking for a one-time, USD prepaid credit card solution.

 

Does anyone have any further suggestions I can look into? Thank you!

 

Could you use your US cash to purchase a US money order at RBC and send it to your US agent by register mail?

[Alaska Newbie]

Onboard FOS the specialty restaurants were offered at 20% off so I wouldn't pre book. They weren't full.

[fralon]

What exchange rate do they offer you for booking in CAD? The going rate? Even a somewhat lower rate is probably not as good as what I got for the USD I have on hand. ($1.10 CAD to $1.00 USD, sound familiar to people? ;))

 

 

 

I am a good customer with RBC and have many accounts with them. The problem with the RBC USD Visa is that even if they agree to waive the annual fee for the first year, I'll be stuck with it going forward. If I cancel the card, I can avoid the ongoing annual fee, but not without an impact on my credit rating (since average account age is a factor in credit score calculations). I don't normally care that much about my rating (especially because it's good; I've never had a late payment or paid interest on anything except my mortgage), but my mortgage is due to renew one final time next year before it will be paid off.

 

CAA offers the Cash Passport, which as I mentioned, only allows loading in CAD if bought in Canada. Reference: "A Cash Passport purchased in Canada can only be loaded with Canadian Dollars (CAD). If you have a foreign currency Cash Passport, the amount loaded will be converted to the currency of your Card."

 

I have thought about the third idea as well, but the product I know of from Walmart is the Amex Bluebird, which requires a SSN.

 

I appreciate you taking the time to provide suggestions...however I am looking for a specific solution that somebody knows about or has personally tried. It wouldn't make sense for me to drive down to the U.S. to Target or Walmart on the chance that there's something to fit the bill, only to drive home empty-handed. In short, I am hoping for "you can do this" instead of "you should be able to...". :)

 

 

How about getting a no fee TD US Visa card?

[SensFan11]

I have thought about the third idea as well, but the product I know of from Walmart is the Amex Bluebird, which requires a SSN.

 

I appreciate you taking the time to provide suggestions...however I am looking for a specific solution that somebody knows about or has personally tried. It wouldn't make sense for me to drive down to the U.S. to Target or Walmart on the chance that there's something to fit the bill, only to drive home empty-handed. In short, I am hoping for "you can do this" instead of "you should be able to...". :)

 

At Walmart, Target and many other stores in the US I've seen prepaid credit cards offered for sale...and I once bought a $200 Amex to give as a gift. There's usually a fee associated with these cards - around $5-10.

[squadron]

I'm considering making a booking with a U.S.-based TA (I have once previously). But, of course that means I need to pay in USD, over the phone, with a credit card.

 

For the itineraries I'm currently considering, I have sufficient USD currency in an RBC USD High Interest eSavings account (converted at a much better exchange rate than available now). But, I need some suggestions on how to transfer/load that into some USD prepaid credit card product.

 

I've done some research on my own so far but the products I've found either require a U.S. address or SSN (e.g. Amex Bluebird), or require you to deposit funds in CAD (e.g. Cash Passport), which obviously isn't what I want to do.

 

I don't make purchases in USD frequently, so getting a regular credit card in USD doesn't make sense because the ones I know about have annual fees (e.g. RBC's USD Visa card has a $65 USD annual fee). I also don't have any U.S.-based bank accounts or a U.S. mailing address.

 

This is why I am looking for a one-time, USD prepaid credit card solution.

 

Does anyone have any further suggestions I can look into? Thank you!

 

With an infinity travel visa from TD can get a US dollar visa (no fees). No need to have Am address - it is just linked to your CDN TD visa.