Will Canada/USA currency exchange detract cruising with Celebrity

[Spartan Tartan]

$100.00 US dollars costs Canadian's $125.51 Cdn.. This exchange rate will impact many Celebrity cruisers from Canada when deciding to cruise. As all purchases on board are in US funds I can see those from Canada being very cautious with discretionary spending on board. That Murano dinner @ $50.00 per person will now cost $75.00 per person. Shore excursions and ship purchases will take a big hit I surmise. What strategies can Celebrity use to entice Canadian cruisers? Has Celebrity ever accepted Canadian funds at par or reduced rate of exchange on board ship? On the plus side it is definitely a great time for US citizens to travel to Canada as your dollar will go 25% further. Your thoughts please.

[Solution]

The drop in Canadian dollar affects everything that is priced in foreign currency. To ease the pain, there are a couple of things you can do.

 

Most mass market cruise lines have CAD pricing. Their exchange rate is better than the credit card exchange rate. That will save you some money.

 

For Celebrity, you can pre-purchase On Board Credit with CAD, as long as your booking is in CAD. Today, you pay CA$27.20 for US$25 credit. That is a very good exchange rate.

[sr4mjc]

If 100 USD is 125 CAD, then 50 USD can't be 75 CAD, or you are really getting a bad conversion on that dinner! :eek:

 

It's all cyclical. I remember how expensive it was to visit London back in 2005. Like 2:1 to the British pound. Ouch.

[Cruise Junky]

Within the last two weeks we switched both of our Celebrity cruises from USD to CDN. Celebrity's price for cruises is about a 12% exchange rate. We have drink packages for both cruises which would be the major expense. We'll just have to suck up the rest. One of them will come with OBC from our TA which we'll use for dinners..but not at your math :p

[Spartan Tartan]

Thanks sr4mjc for the math correction each $50.00 US $ meal would be approx. $62.50 CDN not $75.00. I was thinking of a $ 25.00 increase for 2 people equalling the $125.00 total for the meal in Canadian funds. The way the Canadian $ is falling I may not be to far in my conversion in the future. Purchasing OBC may take the sting out of future cruises. I know one thing I have become more price conscious in the last 12 months. Appreciate all assistance and comments from fellow cruise critics. Thanks again.

[az_tchr]

Similar issue to Europeans going on a Med cruise. Euro was $1.40 to $1USD and down to $1.13 today. All depends on which side you are on. Last year went to Australia and USD was worth .92AU. Today it is reversed and USD buys $1.28AU. Crazy.

[dgparent]

When I moved to the US 12 years ago the CDN $ was only worth about .70 - if I lived in Canada now I would open a US account and when the $ is par or over I would pump $$ into it that way you don't have to worry about it. Too late now I guess

[FRMPEI]

The FX impact is a major factor for us Canadians spending our vacation time in the US. This summer I am sure some of us will vacation within Canada because of the exchange. The forecast does not look any better. Celebrity seems to be very generous with CDN$ pricing offering to Canadian. For our up coming March 1st cruise I have booked everything possible upfront with Celebrity and paid in CDN$. Which is such a better deal than waiting to book on Ship and paying USD$. When $100 USD cost almost $130 that is significant! I am feeling pretty good that I have already booked my 2016 and 2017 Celebrity Cruises in CDN$.

 

Regards,

Kevin Reid

[hvsteve1]

I remember back around 2002 when we lived in NY so found it convenient to drive to the Maritimes once or twice a year because the Canadian dollar was worth about 70 cents US. It made for a really attractive vacation. The fact the Canadian government was, at that time, refunding the sales tax to tourists made it even better.

 

At about the same time we were making trips to Disney World. On one occasion we took a "behind the scenes" tour at Epcot part of which had us sitting in a conference room while a "cast member" gave us some background information on the operation of the park. One subject that came up was foreign visitors. I recall her telling us how Disney was offering incentives, such as free airfare, to entice Canadians to buy Disney packages to visit the parks during the period of a low-value loony.

 

I suspect cruise lines and other tourist companies are trying to be creative. I know there is a sizable contingent of Canadians on our upcoming Silhouette cruise and have seen some discussion on the great deals on air/cruise packages. I suspect that's how the cruise line and travel agents deal with a weak Canadian dollar.

[I_r_a]

Hey ST,

 

Don't you think it reasonable that, considering all of the benefits of citizenship, the Canadians should be paying a premium?

 

:)

 

Ira

[airhose]

Canadian pricing on cruises booked now have the high exchange rate. I know that we will cut back! European land trips look pretty good. It seems the USD has soared compared to many other currencies, while our CDN dollar has held up compared to the euro and pound. Who would have thought that our dollar would have dropped so far and so quickly against the US.

[Christine Frances]

Canadian pricing on cruises booked now have the high exchange rate. I know that we will cut back! European land trips look pretty good. It seems the USD has soared compared to many other currencies, while our CDN dollar has held up compared to the euro and pound. Who would have thought that our dollar would have dropped so far and so quickly against the US.

 

Not so. Look at the Sept 2 2016 Solstice Alaska cruise. Book in US and it is $1298 USD and in CND it is $1469 for a balcony. That is a rate of 1.13%

[tazlover]

The cost of the American dollar won't denture me from booking cruises, but, I may be cutting back on shore excursions. But even travel within Canada can be expensive, and flights from Toronto to Vancouver are pricy. Face it, travel is not cheap anymore.

 

One good thing, a road trip is cheaper with the cost of gas at the moment.

[abelthi]

Within the last two weeks we switched both of our Celebrity cruises from USD to CDN. Celebrity's price for cruises is about a 12% exchange rate. We have drink packages for both cruises which would be the major expense. We'll just have to suck up the rest. One of them will come with OBC from our TA which we'll use for dinners..but not at your math :p

 

Can you do that even if your going through a TA in the States ?

 

 

EDIT: Actually just call X, and don't know where/how you did this, but they just told me it was impossible...

Edited January 30, 2015 by abelthi

[airhose]

Not so. Look at the Sept 2 2016 Solstice Alaska cruise. Book in US and it is $1298 USD and in CND it is $1469 for a balcony. That is a rate of 1.13%

 

That is interesting! I was looking at the exciting deals rates, and their exchange rate is higher than 13%. Maybe I had better investigate further into the future!

[Cruise Junky]

Can you do that even if your going through a TA in the States ?

 

 

EDIT: Actually just call X, and don't know where/how you did this, but they just told me it was impossible...

 

 

Never take the word of a celebrity phone agent ;). Yes. my US TA can book in Canadian. She's part of a franchise. I know when she books Princess in Canadian she had to use their parent company but my invoices for the 2 celebrity cruises look like she did it under her own name.

 

 

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[abelthi]

Never take the word of a celebrity phone agent ;). Yes. my US TA can book in Canadian. She's part of a franchise. I know when she books Princess in Canadian she had to use their parent company but my invoices for the 2 celebrity cruises look like she did it under her own name.

 

 

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Maybe I explained it wrong... they told me once a booking is made it can't be changed.

 

I should contact my TA instead (which I will do right after pressing "Submit" :))

[Cruise Junky]

Maybe I explained it wrong... they told me once a booking is made it can't be changed.

 

 

 

I should contact my TA instead (which I will do right after pressing "Submit" :))

 

 

Ah, yes that is correct. Both of mine had to be cancelled and rebooked. I wanted to do it now as there had been no price increases and the perks are still being offered.

 

 

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[tazlover]

Ah, yes that is correct. Both of mine had to be cancelled and rebooked. I wanted to do it now as there had been no price increases and the perks are still being offered.

 

 

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Who do you usually book with. I'm not sure if we are allowed to post it on here or not. Is it an American travel agent?

[Cruise Junky]

Who do you usually book with. I'm not sure if we are allowed to post it on here or not. Is it an American travel agent?

 

 

Hi. Yes she's American but sorry we can't give out TA names here.

 

 

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[Us Two]

In view of our falling $ we are not booking anything beyond our TA in April. Just about $ 2. For £ 1 pound. We are spending 2 weeks with family , in UK which is a big saving but even so , we need money to do things and things are not cheap to start with there.

So nothing in the future re cruising. Will have to see how things go. :(

[Us Two]

Just bought OBC from Celebrity, $150 US for $163 CAN . Pretty good eh!!

[Mapleleaf5]

If we have a cruise booked with Celebrity in US, can we change it to Canadian funds without cancelling and rebooking?

 

Thanks,

Joanne

[monicajay]

Just bought OBC from Celebrity, $150 US for $163 CAN . Pretty good eh!!

Did you do this on the internet or by phone?

 

I tried on-line yesterday but never got a confirmation.

[If only]

If we have a cruise booked with Celebrity in US, can we change it to Canadian funds without cancelling and rebooking?

 

Thanks,

Joanne

 

No, it would have to be cancelled & rebooked in the correct currency CDN & also at the prevailing rates.