CAD Currency - On Board Credit?

[jb456]

I would be very interested in the answer to Boorin's question also. On my profile it is charging me $100 cdn, just wondering if any Canadians have recent experience with what the $US amount actually is once on board. Thanks in advance [emoji4]

 

Hmm I wonder what's going on?

 

Just logged into mine it says $111.11CAD

[Boorin]

It just sounds too good to be true.... Many other people didn't believe me when I said they charged me in CAD... And I even called NCL several times about this and been getting different answers.. The best one was, the guy said I will get $25 USD.... I even said to him.... Wouldn't that be too good to be true????? LOL and he said yeah you got lucky! I am like? I am going to get more if that is the case....... And he said nothing..... So I am just confuse... If what he said is true..... I could go crazy about this.....

[Boorin]

Sorry I mean I would get 1 to 1 rate so I paid $100 CAD and I would've get $100 USD.

[Boorin]

I would be very interested in the answer to Boorin's question also. On my profile it is charging me $100 cdn, just wondering if any Canadians have recent experience with what the $US amount actually is once on board. Thanks in advance [emoji4]

 

 

Sounds like you and I got a good deal our OBC ... Lol....

 

Did you go through. TA? Or paid directly on NCL ?

[jb456]

Boorin - When you originally bought the OBC did it say $111.11 CAD? Have you checked any of your receipts or confirmation emails to see what it says??

 

This has me very curious now.

 

If you really only got charged $100 CAD I wonder if maybe something is up with their system. When we booked a couple weeks ago when logging into NCL site it basically displayed everything in USD and you had to click on the next page to see the CAD price.

 

Recently (I guess last week or so) it appears they updated their site a bit. Like where it reads my account top right (in that area underneath) it now reads "all funds are displayed in CAD" which it did not say that before and now it's much easier to see the CAD price on excursions and stuff. For the $100 gift card however, it says $100 and then says you will be charged $111.11 CAD. Presuming that the gift card of OBC is USD which it should be since everything on the boat is USD.

 

This leads me to believe that if in fact you were only charged $100CAD then when they updated the website to display CAD the tech department screwed something up in the script causing the actual $100 USD gift obc to be read as CAD by their system. Resulting in you only being charged $100 CAD - which would roughly be $90USD.

 

Have you given them a call to ask whats up? I am thinking website script error...

Edited August 10, 2015 by jb456

[pisenor]

It just sounds too good to be true.... Many other people didn't believe me when I said they charged me in CAD... And I even called NCL several times about this and been getting different answers.. The best one was, the guy said I will get $25 USD.... I even said to him.... Wouldn't that be too good to be true????? LOL and he said yeah you got lucky! I am like? I am going to get more if that is the case....... And he said nothing..... So I am just confuse... If what he said is true..... I could go crazy about this.....

 

Boorin - When you originally bought the OBC did it say $111.11 CAD? Have you checked any of your receipts or confirmation emails to see what it says??

 

This has me very curious now.

 

If you really only got charged $100 CAD I wonder if maybe something is up with their system. When we booked a couple weeks ago when logging into NCL site it basically displayed everything in USD and you had to click on the next page to see the CAD price.

 

Recently (I guess last week or so) it appears they updated their site a bit. Like where it reads my account top right (in that area underneath) it now reads "all funds are displayed in CAD" which it did not say that before and now it's much easier to see the CAD price on excursions and stuff. For the $100 gift card however, it says $100 and then says you will be charged $111.11 CAD. Presuming that the gift card of OBC is USD which it should be since everything on the boat is USD.

 

This leads me to believe that if in fact you were only charged $100CAD then when they updated the website to display CAD the tech department screwed something up in the script causing the actual $100 USD gift obc to be read as CAD by their system. Resulting in you only being charged $100 CAD - which would roughly be $90USD.

 

Have you given them a call to ask whats up? I am thinking website script error...

 

Besides a common NCL website glitch, I have another possibility to throw at you. NCL was offering CAD at par with USD for a very long time as our dollar was keeping pace with the green back. My last cruise (Jan 2015) was locked in at par but that was booked more than 1 year in advance. NCL only started to charge an exchange rate after our CAD started to take this downturn. If I remember correctly the pricing at par only disappeared early this year in January (I think) but I am not sure of the exact date of the change. All I know for sure is when I booked my two upcoming trips in January I received the $1.11 rate which my PCC apologized for as the rate had recently changed.

 

It is highly possible you booked before the change and were lucky enough to lock in at the even par pricing before the exchange was changed. Otherwise it very well may be a website glitch.

 

My thoughts.....

[jb456]

Besides a common NCL website glitch, I have another possibility to throw at you. NCL was offering CAD at par with USD for a very long time as our dollar was keeping pace with the green back. My last cruise (Jan 2015) was locked in at par but that was booked more than 1 year in advance. NCL only started to charge an exchange rate after our CAD started to take this downturn. If I remember correctly the pricing at par only disappeared early this year in January (I think) but I am not sure of the exact date of the change. All I know for sure is when I booked my two upcoming trips in January I received the $1.11 rate which my PCC apologized for as the rate had recently changed.

 

It is highly possible you booked before the change and were lucky enough to lock in at the even par pricing before the exchange was changed. Otherwise it very well may be a website glitch.

 

My thoughts.....

 

It very well could be that as well. Makes even more sense then my website glitch lol.

 

I guess a way we could try and figure this out would be for Boorin and paradiseawaitsme to log into their NCL account, go to $100 OBC, click through the steps to add to shopping cart and see if it says $100CAD or $111.11

and I guess if it is at par set in their account then all the excursions should be even numbers like $49, 99, etc

 

My account when I go through the steps to add OBC into the shopping cart is $111.11

Edited August 10, 2015 by jb456

[vav]

It very well could be that as well. Makes even more sense then my website glitch lol.

 

I guess a way we could try and figure this out would be for Boorin and paradiseawaitsme to log into their NCL account, go to $100 OBC, click through the steps to add to shopping cart and see if it says $100CAD or $111.11

and I guess if it is at par set in their account then all the excursions should be even numbers like $49, 99, etc

 

My account when I go through the steps to add OBC into the shopping cart is $111.11

 

When I follow those steps it goes into my cart at $100 CAD. Per my TA when the TA booked my cruise (as a group) back in 2013 the Fx was at par - so any payments on my account get the same rate even though I didn't book until February 2015.

 

When I get on board this coming saturday I am expecting to get 1:1 USD OBC for what I purchased in CDN!!

[Vric]

Exchange rate is kinda weird. For me, it looks to be 7%. When I look for $100 OBC, it's $107.60. Everything else is also 7%.

 

My dad is doing the same cruise 2 months after us and his is 19%. $100 obc is $119.xx and everything else is also higher priced than us.

 

I certainly won't complain!

 

Our cruise back in february was on par 1:1.

Edited August 10, 2015 by Btov

[pisenor]

When I follow those steps it goes into my cart at $100 CAD. Per my TA when the TA booked my cruise (as a group) back in 2013 the Fx was at par - so any payments on my account get the same rate even though I didn't book until February 2015.

 

When I get on board this coming saturday I am expecting to get 1:1 USD OBC for what I purchased in CDN!!

 

This makes perfect sense. The NCL exchange rate in Feb 2015 was $1.11 but your TA secured a group rate in 2013. So in essence, as far as NCL is concerned, all rooms booked under that group rate were made in 2013. That is a great win for you and everyone else who are in that same group rate.

[jb456]

So no system glitch just different peoples rates they are locked into. Good call pisenor :)

[Boorin]

Boorin - When you originally bought the OBC did it say $111.11 CAD? Have you checked any of your receipts or confirmation emails to see what it says??

 

NOPE.... I paid exactly $100 CAD and looked at my credit card statement and it's said $100 CAD .... That's why up to this point I still don't know what the deal is weather or not the exchange rate would happen on board of if I am really that LUCKY to get at par..... which I don't think NCL would make such silly mistake... but no one had ever confrimed on cruise Critic that the OBC will be transferred to USD as I sail.... so ... I am now on the edge of buying couple thousands of dollars worth on OBC just to get it cashed out in the Casino.......

[Boorin]

You could all be pretty much right about Glitches, rate locks and group rates etc... we booked our cruise via Canadian TA in April. Not sure about this rate thing back then, just agreed with a price they gave me fit our budget. But after I logged in to NCL. I realize my rate is 1.19 (Teppanyaki cost is $25, but we got charged at $29.95) So that's %1.19 rate. So I'm guessing my rate was locked in at %1.19.

 

BUT

 

When I added things to my account Via my TA like our transfers from Airport to Port, she said it was going to be $19 USD per person. but then she said because she made a deal with NCL, we got it at Par, so they only charged us $19 CAD.

 

THEN NOW,

 

I just logged into my NCL and try to get more OBC, and I did $500, went to my shopping cart and about to check out and it's still $500 CAD. So still not sure if I were to do that, how much ACTUAL on board credit I would get. But since I really have nothing to loose (as I know you can get the money back when you didn't use it) I would probably buy a lot of them and see what happens. I guess I would be the Gennie Pig in this case.

[pisenor]

You could all be pretty much right about Glitches, rate locks and group rates etc... we booked our cruise via Canadian TA in April. Not sure about this rate thing back then, just agreed with a price they gave me fit our budget. But after I logged in to NCL. I realize my rate is 1.19 (Teppanyaki cost is $25, but we got charged at $29.95) So that's %1.19 rate. So I'm guessing my rate was locked in at %1.19.

 

BUT

 

When I added things to my account Via my TA like our transfers from Airport to Port, she said it was going to be $19 USD per person. but then she said because she made a deal with NCL, we got it at Par, so they only charged us $19 CAD.

 

THEN NOW,

 

I just logged into my NCL and try to get more OBC, and I did $500, went to my shopping cart and about to check out and it's still $500 CAD. So still not sure if I were to do that, how much ACTUAL on board credit I would get. But since I really have nothing to loose (as I know you can get the money back when you didn't use it) I would probably buy a lot of them and see what happens. I guess I would be the Gennie Pig in this case.

 

That is a very interesting chain of events indeed. In any case it is a HUGE win for you!

[jb456]

You could all be pretty much right about Glitches, rate locks and group rates etc... we booked our cruise via Canadian TA in April. Not sure about this rate thing back then, just agreed with a price they gave me fit our budget. But after I logged in to NCL. I realize my rate is 1.19 (Teppanyaki cost is $25, but we got charged at $29.95) So that's %1.19 rate. So I'm guessing my rate was locked in at %1.19.

 

BUT

 

When I added things to my account Via my TA like our transfers from Airport to Port, she said it was going to be $19 USD per person. but then she said because she made a deal with NCL, we got it at Par, so they only charged us $19 CAD.

 

THEN NOW,

 

I just logged into my NCL and try to get more OBC, and I did $500, went to my shopping cart and about to check out and it's still $500 CAD. So still not sure if I were to do that, how much ACTUAL on board credit I would get. But since I really have nothing to loose (as I know you can get the money back when you didn't use it) I would probably buy a lot of them and see what happens. I guess I would be the Gennie Pig in this case.

 

WAIT - before we start thinking it's a glitch.

 

 

Are you sure the cost of the restaurant is not the "gratuity charge"

 

When I look at the restaurants offered on our ship underneath the price it says "Price includes an 18% gratuity and specialty service charge." I know it's not 19% it's 18 which would be $29.50 and well 19% would be $29.75 so wonder why you got charged $29.95 but maybe that is the taxes or cents off the USD/CAD rate in their system?

 

Check some of the excursion prices and see what it says. If it says $99 then your account is set to par.

Edited August 10, 2015 by jb456

[jb456]

I think that price was your 18% gratuity and depending where NCL credit card processors are located and how they bill the transaction your credit card may have tacked on a foreign exchange fee. Different issuing banks charge a foreign exchange fee anywhere from 1.5% and into the 2% range.

 

But it does add up.

 

$25 plus 18% gratuity $29.50 times a 1.5% foreign exchange fee =$29.9425

 

EDIT - except for the fact you were not charged any other fees on your $100 transaction - so I guess it was not that either. Oh I don't know either way your winning regardless :)

Edited August 10, 2015 by jb456

[Boorin]

WAIT - before we start thinking it's a glitch.

 

 

Are you sure the cost of the restaurant is not the "gratuity charge"

 

When I look at the restaurants offered on our ship underneath the price it says "Price includes an 18% gratuity and specialty service charge." I know it's not 19% it's 18 which would be $29.50 and well 19% would be $29.75 so wonder why you got charged $29.95 but maybe that is the taxes or cents off the USD/CAD rate in their system?

 

Check some of the excursion prices and see what it says. If it says $99 then your account is set to par.

 

I am %100 sure that it's not Gratuity. Because my cost was $29.95 per person, then they added 18% on top of that. Total cost per person for Teppanyaki is $35.34. So which my calculation is correct in terms of my rate is %1.19

 

I think that price was your 18% gratuity and depending where NCL credit card processors are located and how they bill the transaction your credit card may have tacked on a foreign exchange fee. Different issuing banks charge a foreign exchange fee anywhere from 1.5% and into the 2% range.

 

But it does add up.

 

$25 plus 18% gratuity $29.50 times a 1.5% foreign exchange fee =$29.9425

 

EDIT - except for the fact you were not charged any other fees on your $100 transaction - so I guess it was not that either. Oh I don't know either way your winning regardless :)

 

I just called NCL again and asked to confirm. So it's funny how all have a different answer, but I like this one the most. She explained to me that I would get $25 dollar on board, as it doesn't exchange on board. Everything we paid, has already been exchanged to the local currency. I even explained that it didn't make sense that I'm only paying $100 for the OBC when my CC showed only $100. She didn't quite get why, and just said that your CC company probably had a different way of charging... so without getting her to be too suspicious, I've just said ok and leave it as is as this is the SECOND person that told me that I' would get my full $100 USD on board. But one thing she did say is, the OBC is the ONLY portion on the website that it doesn't convert to what ever the currency that you paid your cruise in. (so for her saying that it means the OBC charge should be in USD at checkout) But again. for me and some others here .... IT"S IN CAD !!!!!!!

 

AND !! I saw this little disclaimer at the check out.

 

"Total checkout price shown above is inclusive of all applicable taxes and fees.

All prices have been converted from USD into local currency based on the current exchange rate.

 

Please note for European residents we can only accept payment via the following credit cards: MasterCard, Visa and American Express."

 

So pretty much I can say that we got lucky if we are being charged in CAD.... or we could be pretty screw when we sail....

 

My cruise is still 52 days away... waiting to be within 30 days and I'll get massive OBC... try to do it within the CC cycle. Fingers cross that this will work out the way I have imagine and it's still going to be at par. Then this cruise would be AWESOME and save a bundle !!

[Tangocherie]

Good for you! There is, however, a limit to the OBC you can purchase. I think it's $800 per stateroom.

[vav]

Good for you! There is, however, a limit to the OBC you can purchase. I think it's $800 per stateroom.

 

This is not accurate. I have already bought 25 x $100 OBC certificates and will likely buy more.

[Boorin]

This is not accurate. I have already bought 25 x $100 OBC certificates and will likely buy more.

LOL ... I guess we are really on a "glitch" program... true that it's not only $800 per stateroom. Just tried for 1000 each adult.... some other thread did say there's a limit... I guess we got double lucky.....

 

"VAV" when are you going in August? Since it sounded like you have the same situation as me.... can you please please please come back to this thread and let us know how it worked out for you ????? I would very much appreciated if you do and let us all know how it worked.

[Love.NCL]

I am %100 sure that it's not Gratuity. Because my cost was $29.95 per person, then they added 18% on top of that. Total cost per person for Teppanyaki is $35.34. So which my calculation is correct in terms of my rate is %1.19

 

 

 

I just called NCL again and asked to confirm. So it's funny how all have a different answer, but I like this one the most. She explained to me that I would get $25 dollar on board, as it doesn't exchange on board. Everything we paid, has already been exchanged to the local currency. I even explained that it didn't make sense that I'm only paying $100 for the OBC when my CC showed only $100. She didn't quite get why, and just said that your CC company probably had a different way of charging... so without getting her to be too suspicious, I've just said ok and leave it as is as this is the SECOND person that told me that I' would get my full $100 USD on board. But one thing she did say is, the OBC is the ONLY portion on the website that it doesn't convert to what ever the currency that you paid your cruise in. (so for her saying that it means the OBC charge should be in USD at checkout) But again. for me and some others here .... IT"S IN CAD !!!!!!!

 

AND !! I saw this little disclaimer at the check out.

 

"Total checkout price shown above is inclusive of all applicable taxes and fees.

All prices have been converted from USD into local currency based on the current exchange rate.

 

Please note for European residents we can only accept payment via the following credit cards: MasterCard, Visa and American Express."

 

So pretty much I can say that we got lucky if we are being charged in CAD.... or we could be pretty screw when we sail....

 

My cruise is still 52 days away... waiting to be within 30 days and I'll get massive OBC... try to do it within the CC cycle. Fingers cross that this will work out the way I have imagine and it's still going to be at par. Then this cruise would be AWESOME and save a bundle !!

 

I bought some OBC for my mom few weeks back. I paid 595CND for 500US.

Ask them to email you the Amenity Confirmation. My confirmation says $500 On Board Credit Certificate. Price 595.24 CAD.

[Boorin]

I did. But it's not on the amenity sheet. But it's online....

[jb456]

Boorin,

 

That info on the exact amount you were charged would have been helpful..Anyways I did some more research and think I have figured it out now.

 

In mid July the price model changed for some specialty restaurants and teppanyaki price is now $29.95 USD. The changes were around same time as the DSC increase.

 

I found another thread of people talking about it and posting a screenshot about some on the new charges, etc...

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=47149850

 

I also found a news article (many actually but just posting one link)

 

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article27438955.html

 

 

Besides $29.95 times 1.18 is exactly what you were charged $35.341 so it is the 18% gratuity and not a 19% exchange rate. I think all this confusion just stemmed from you believing the price to eat at teppanyaki was $25 when in reality the cost is actually $29.95.

----------------

 

Your account is set to PAR!

Edited August 10, 2015 by jb456

[Boorin]

Boorin,

 

That info on the exact amount you were charged would have been helpful..Anyways I did some more research and think I have figured it out now.

 

In mid July the price model changed for some specialty restaurants and teppanyaki price is now $29.95 USD. The changes were around same time as the DSC increase.

 

I found another thread of people talking about it and posting a screenshot about some on the new charges, etc...

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=47149850

 

I also found a news article (many actually but just posting one link)

 

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article27438955.html

 

 

Besides $29.95 times 1.18 is exactly what you were charged $35.341 so it is the 18% gratuity and not a 19% exchange rate. I think all this confusion just stemmed from you believing the price to eat at teppanyaki was $25 when in reality the cost is actually $29.95.

----------------

 

Your account is set to PAR!

 

 

Lol you are absolutely right!!!! Thanks for doing all the homework. I found something similar too before I came back to cruise critic. I also had a talk with my agent. She said my account is at par..... Which makes me very happy as I have always thought my rate was 1.19% because I thought the teppanyaki was $25.... Wow.... You won't believe how long I have this rate and OBC thing stuck in my head for. Now I can finally relax and just count down to our sailing... It's been 10 years since my last sail.... Thanks again for all your investigations. I am going to go crazy with this OBC thing and just get cash out at the casino.... Good luck to you all!!!!!

[Tangocherie]

Seems you have hit the jackpot! Good for you! :)