Pre-Purchasing Onboard Credit - Canada

[rubiksgirl]

I am interested in purchasing onboard credit for my upcoming cruise. I live in Canada, so when I go on Celebrity's website to do it, the amount comes up in Canadian funds. This might be a silly question, but if I purchase it now in Canadian dollars, does it show up on the cruise as US funds?

[Grandmaanne7]

Yes it will show up in US funds. Only currency on board is US$.

[rubiksgirl]

Thank you for your quick reply!!

 

And I assume its the set amount, it won't change if our dollar goes up/down?

[MarkusToe]

I've had the experience: if paid to X Mia - floating exchange rate

If paid to X local, fix exchange rate: sometimes excelent deal.....

 

It's pending on the cruise or travel agency location - can't remember

p.e. Caribien cruise - floating

trans pacific - fix

[AlbertaCruisers]

I am interested in purchasing onboard credit for my upcoming cruise. I live in Canada, so when I go on Celebrity's website to do it, the amount comes up in Canadian funds. This might be a silly question, but if I purchase it now in Canadian dollars, does it show up on the cruise as US funds?

 

What you see online is you are purchasing units of $25 US OBC. The CAD price you see when you put the OBC into your cart is the price that will be charged on your card in CAD and for each 1 unit you buy you will get $25 US of OBC. It is what it is now and doesn't change later with changes in the dollar (i.e. you are locked in with what you pay now). So, according to their site right now, you will pay $30.60 CAD to get $25 USD OBC, or $122.40 CAD for $100 USD OBC, which still isn't bad considering the current exchange rates and the fees the banks charge here. We did this for our last cruise and it worked great, no issues.

[rubiksgirl]

What you see online is you are purchasing units of $25 US OBC. The CAD price you see when you put the OBC into your cart is the price that will be charged on your card in CAD and for each 1 unit you buy you will get $25 US of OBC. It is what it is now and doesn't change later with changes in the dollar (i.e. you are locked in with what you pay now). So, according to their site right now, you will pay $30.60 CAD to get $25 USD OBC, or $122.40 CAD for $100 USD OBC, which still isn't bad considering the current exchange rates and the fees the banks charge here. We did this for our last cruise and it worked great, no issues.

 

Thank you!! We are going to do this :)

[Fouremco]

At the end of the cruise, assuming there's any OBC left, is it possible to get it back in USD cash rather than have it refunded to my credit card? I know it can be done on HAL and RCI, but I'm not sure about Celebrity.

Edited September 26, 2015 by Fouremco

[Grandmaanne7]

At the end of the cruise, assuming there's any OBC left, is it possible to get it back in USD cash rather than have it refunded to my credit card? I know it can be done on HAL and RCI, but I'm not sure about Celebrity.

 

OBC-R will be refunded to your credit card in US funds. It cannot be received in cash unless you go to the casino and withdraw it. There you will be charged 5%. OBC-N will not be refunded. You will lose it if you do not use it. However, non refundable OBC is always used up first if you have both.

Edited September 26, 2015 by Grandmaanne7

[Fouremco]

OBC-R will be refunded to your credit card in US funds. It cannot be received in cash unless you go to the casino and withdraw it. There you will be charged 5%. OBC-N will not be refunded. You will lose it if you do not use it. However, non refundable OBC is always used up first if you have both.

Depending on what happens with interest rates, it may be worth paying the 5%, but it's a shame that Celebrity won't allow cash back at the end of the cruise.

Edited September 26, 2015 by Fouremco

[drakes2]

I booked my upcoming cruise with a US Travel agency in US currency, so if I purchase additional on board credit, even though it states my CC will be charged in CDN funds, my bank will still convert it at the current exchange rate, at least this is what the Celebrity rep told me. Had I booked with a local TA, there would be no conversion rate. Still very confusing.

Depending on what happens with interest rates, it may be worth paying the 5%, but it's a shame that Celebrity won't allow cash back at the end of the cruise.

[AlbertaCruisers]

I booked my upcoming cruise with a US Travel agency in US currency, so if I purchase additional on board credit, even though it states my CC will be charged in CDN funds, my bank will still convert it at the current exchange rate, at least this is what the Celebrity rep told me. Had I booked with a local TA, there would be no conversion rate. Still very confusing.

 

 

Yes, I have heard of people having issues if your cruise is booked in US funds. I.e. Even though for $100 US the website shows a CAD price, if your cruise is booked in US funds I have heard it may go on your credit card as USD instead and your card will convert, which of course isn't as good of a deal as the Celebrity exchange and you have to worry about the 5% fee to withdraw.

 

FYI, if anyone is a Mlife member, check out that thread. We are platinum and I called in and added my number to the cruise reservation and the person confirmed the 5% fee will be waived for us. May be waived for gold too?

[Goof3]

I booked my upcoming cruise with a US Travel agency in US currency, so if I purchase additional on board credit, even though it states my CC will be charged in CDN funds, my bank will still convert it at the current exchange rate, at least this is what the Celebrity rep told me. Had I booked with a local TA, there would be no conversion rate. Still very confusing.

 

What if you just go to the Celebrity web site without actually logging in, and go to Gifts by Celebrity > Delivery Aboard > Onboard credit? Hopefully the site will detect that you are in Canada and show Canadian prices. When you check out it will ask for the reservation # of the party for whom you are buying the gift. Which in this case is you :), but why should they care.

[drakes2]

I think it has something to do with how you paid when originally booked, if I add OBC to use onboard I have to enter the booking # and it will show that the booking was made in USD. No way around it, I even called my CC company and checked, it will convert to the US exchange rate. BTW Celebrity have their Go Big promo on and I was considering transferring my deposit from the TA to Celebrity, I can still keep my original cabin which was a 1 category upgrade but would have to pay the current pricing, gone up by $250 pp, so doing the math with my OBC from TA I'm still ahead $300. Oh well, I'm travelling alone so get to use all the OBC myself. My only consolation is the flight was very cheap.

What if you just go to the Celebrity web site without actually logging in, and go to Gifts by Celebrity > Delivery Aboard > Onboard credit? Hopefully the site will detect that you are in Canada and show Canadian prices. When you check out it will ask for the reservation # of the party for whom you are buying the gift. Which in this case is you :), but why should they care.

[Goof3]

I think it has something to do with how you paid when originally booked, if I add OBC to use onboard I have to enter the booking # and it will show that the booking was made in USD. No way around it, I even called my CC company and checked, it will convert to the US exchange rate.

 

Oh well, that's just a bummer! So even if a friend or family member wanted to 'gift' you some credit. they would get charged the full exchange rate too?

 

I guess we should consider ourselves lucky that we can travel at all, considering the exchange rate. I'm going to have to get Euros eventually and I don't even want to think about it :eek:. I suspect this will be our last trip out of the country for a while.

[drakes2]

Whether the OBC is for a friend your yourself you would be charged the current exchange rate at the time of the transaction, so whenever it hits your credit card, no different than buying from a bank, unless of course you have a USD credit card, but they you still have to buy your currency. You can also open up a Borderless account but you need to maintain a minimum balance to avoid those high fees. Hardly worth it. In fact, when I was purchasing euros for my trip to Amsterdam last month I looked up the rate at home, went immediately to the bank at it had gone up again. Summer is high season, it appears the euro drops in price during the winter months, at least that's what the teller told me. I have enough OBC to cover the majority of my expenses on board and if I still have a small balance left I will pay it off in cash.

Oh well, that's just a bummer! So even if a friend or family member wanted to 'gift' you some credit. they would get charged the full exchange rate too?

 

I guess we should consider ourselves lucky that we can travel at all, considering the exchange rate. I'm going to have to get Euros eventually and I don't even want to think about it :eek:. I suspect this will be our last trip out of the country for a while.