Overly-strong US dollar eliminating many cruisers

[SilvertoGold]

It would almost lead you to believe that HAL wants Canadians to stay home. Looking at Canada / NE cruises for this summer, a 7-day Veendam, June 25th, for a Vista Suite (which is actually simply a balcony cabin) is currently priced at $3,638.70 + $289.18 = $3,927.88 CAD pp.

 

It'll be interesting to see when the discounting starts and how far it goes.

 

Alaska cruises in June are all about CND 2800 - 3300 pp for a Vista balcony, 7 days.

 

Our TA says that HAL is selling so well across the board that there may be very slim pickings at reduced pricing (even after final pmt). There always will be some, but you will have to work at it to find them and be very flexible.

[cruz chic]

Personally, it is a matter of what I have to pay for a HAL cruise.

 

HAL prices in USD. They have a CND price that is quoted to Canadians.

 

The cruise I took this year for CND 2000 pp is quoted today by HAL at CND 4000 pp. This is the same intinerary, same category, same length, same month.

 

Another example, not so stark: CND 1800 pp this year, next year quoted at CND 3000 pp. Same everything.

 

After allowing for a 40% premium for the difference between the CND and the USD, HAL is charging a lot more:

 

CND 2000 + 40% = CND 2800 -- we pay CND 4000 pp

CND 1800 + 40% = CND 2520 -- we pay CND 3000 pp

 

Not to defend Hal but is that Hal's ultra high pricing that they usually have when they first release their cruises or is it related to the exchange? If the cruises are that much different it would be much better to book in usd.

Edited December 20, 2015 by cruz chic

[Quo Vadis?]

There's no point in penalizing the crew for our weak dollar. It will be added into the cruise budget and that's it.

 

Anyone being paid in US$ will have had a huge increase in wages.

Very few countries have currencies that stayed even with the huge run up in the value of the US$. Any Canadian working on board for example, has had a 30 to 40% increase in pay. Similar increases would occur for Eurozone staff.

I believe there are very few US based employees on the ships that we have sailed.

[sail7seas]

Most of the crew on HAL ships are Filipino and Indonesian. Sure there are Officers/crew from many other countries. Some are paid in U.S. $, some are not.

 

[gui218]

We were looking at the Zuiderdam for Jun 22 2016, 24 days but now with low Canadian dollar and high cruise cost will not book.

Maybe in 2017 we will reconsider as the itinerary is one we like.

[sail7seas]

Alaska cruises in June are all about CND 2800 - 3300 pp for a Vista balcony, 7 days.

 

Our TA says that HAL is selling so well across the board that there may be very slim pickings at reduced pricing (even after final pmt). There always will be some, but you will have to work at it to find them and be very flexible.

 

Yet, a well known poster from this forum has written quite recently that HAL's bookings are not strong. She has suggested the late date booking bargains are hurting their early bookings as many know there are often good savings after final payment.

 

I wonder which it is?

 

[solocanadian]

Hey, don't blame me. :D

 

Not my fault. ;) Of course, 40% difference is huge.

 

I'm sorry Canadians are in this situation but this, too, shall pass.

 

Our Canadian bean counters don't [predict this passing any time soon. It is likely to get worse in the next 7-8 months according to them. It is going to make every cocktail quite costly on the ship with this lousy exchange rate.:eek:

[CowPrincess]

Our Canadian bean counters don't [predict this passing any time soon. It is likely to get worse in the next 7-8 months according to them. It is going to make every cocktail quite costly on the ship with this lousy exchange rate.:eek:

 

Agreed, "this too shall pass" is a facile and dismissive comment on a complex problem. It seems to me (with information and schooling from my DH) that this is going to be the reality for multiple years :(

 

Not just cocktails on the ship are going to be expensive. The HSC is about $16.80/day/person Cdn. The corkage fee of $18 will be $25 Cdn. $35 bottle of wine..... close to $50 Cdn.

 

If we aren't cruising from a Canadian port, the pre-cruise hotel that used to cost $300/night will be $420/night Cdn. That $10 tip you leave? $14 Cdn. The $100 we spend walking around in the embarkation city? $140.

 

This is the new reality, and we Canadian cruisers need to develop strategies for dealing with it. >small sigh<

[Lizzie68]

Agreed, "this too shall pass" is a facile and dismissive comment on a complex problem. It seems to me (with information and schooling from my DH) that this is going to be the reality for multiple years :(

 

Not just cocktails on the ship are going to be expensive. The HSC is about $16.80/day/person Cdn. The corkage fee of $18 will be $25 Cdn. $35 bottle of wine..... close to $50 Cdn.

 

If we aren't cruising from a Canadian port, the pre-cruise hotel that used to cost $300/night will be $420/night Cdn. That $10 tip you leave? $14 Cdn. The $100 we spend walking around in the embarkation city? $140.

 

This is the new reality, and we Canadian cruisers need to develop strategies for dealing with it. >small sigh<

 

Yep. A reality check for all of us Canucks. We are re-thinking a few of our plans for future vacations.

[Blue Mudshark]

AThe corkage fee of $18 will be $25 Cdn.

 

If the exchange rate is about 1.39 CAD == 1.00 USD, that means that Canadians pay about the same amount as Americans for corkage. Why would that be a problem?

[SilvertoGold]

Not to defend Hal but is that Hal's ultra high pricing that they usually have when they first release their cruises or is it related to the exchange? If the cruises are that much different it would be much better to book in usd.

 

I am comparing approximately the same time frame for booking as I did last year. Some of the difference must be the exchange rate, the rest I assume is HAL's increased cruise pricing.

 

HAL's pricing in USD + the CND exchange rate + 2.5% for my credit card exchange fee = more than the CND pricing for each of these cruises.

[sail7seas]

Agreed, "this too shall pass" is a facile and dismissive comment on a complex problem. It seems to me (with information and schooling from my DH) that this is going to be the reality for multiple years :(

 

Not just cocktails on the ship are going to be expensive. The HSC is about $16.80/day/person Cdn. The corkage fee of $18 will be $25 Cdn. $35 bottle of wine..... close to $50 Cdn.

 

If we aren't cruising from a Canadian port, the pre-cruise hotel that used to cost $300/night will be $420/night Cdn. That $10 tip you leave? $14 Cdn. The $100 we spend walking around in the embarkation city? $140.

 

This is the new reality, and we Canadian cruisers need to develop strategies for dealing with it. >small sigh<

 

 

 

Of course, it will pass. I have no clue when and am no economist nor did I ever claim to be. However, your dollar goes up and down, U.S. dollar goes up and down, as does Euro, Yen, and most world wide currencies. Canadian currency at some point will vary into a more reasonable zone. I understand the displeasure of any nationality which at any given time has a weak currency deals problems balancing their spending. I don't dismiss or diminish it but accept it is reality. This is not the first time our dollar has been stronger than the Canadian dollar and likely will not be the last. In the same vein, Canada $ has been stronger than U.S. in the past and likely will be again in the future.

 

You can 'pick every nit' as POA introduced us to that expression and always find something to criticize..... even when there really is no appropriate criticism. So, pick the nits. :)

 

Edited December 20, 2015 by sail7seas

[sail7seas]

I am comparing approximately the same time frame for booking as I did last year. Some of the difference must be the exchange rate, the rest I assume is HAL's increased cruise pricing.

 

HAL's pricing in USD + the CND exchange rate + 2.5% for my credit card exchange fee = more than the CND pricing for each of these cruises.

 

I think you are right that Canadians are getting a double whammie.

 

HAL has raised prices at the time the Canadian dollar is low against the U.S. $$. You are getting hit from two directions at once.

 

[Stratheden]

If the exchange rate is about 1.39 CAD == 1.00 USD, that means that Canadians pay about the same amount as Americans for corkage. Why would that be a problem?

 

This is how I see that it is a problem. Please tell me where I am wrong.

Let's assume that we each earn $50,000 pa (in our own currency)

Let's also assume that we each take $1000 on our cruise (in our own currency).

 

Corkage $18US

 

US passengers pay $18 US

AU passengers pay $25.09 Au

CA passengers pay $25.09 Ca

 

Everything else that we pay for on the trip is converted the same way. HSC, excursions, drinks, coffee etc.

 

We all started with the same amount of our own currency. As you can see it is costing Non US cruisers a lot more to travel and are left with a lot less in our hip pockets.

 

It is much cheaper to holiday in our own country and pay with our own dollars.

[OVgirl]

All of this makes the SBP included with Explore4 and any OBC(in US$), worth a lot more to Canadians.

 

For the SBP you break even at 4 1/2 drinks. So if you have 5 drinks a day the SBP is the better deal.

[sail7seas]

This is how I see that it is a problem. Please tell me where I am wrong.

Let's assume that we each earn $50,000 pa (in our own currency)

Let's also assume that we each take $1000 on our cruise (in our own currency).

 

Corkage $18US

 

US passengers pay $18 US

AU passengers pay $25.09 Au

CA passengers pay $25.09 Ca

 

Everything else that we pay for on the trip is converted the same way. HSC, excursions, drinks, coffee etc.

 

We all started with the same amount of our own currency. As you can see it is costing Non US cruisers a lot more to travel and are left with a lot less in our hip pockets.

 

It is much cheaper to holiday in our own country and pay with our own dollars.

 

 

 

I don't believe anyone has been disputing this.

 

It stinks..... No one is happy about it but there isn't anything any of us can do about it.

 

We all choose where to spend our discretionary funds and have to decide what is worth how much to us. Most of us have budget issues at one time or another. Wish it wasn't the case but it is.

 

[SilvertoGold]

I think you are right that Canadians are getting a double whammie.

 

HAL has raised prices at the time the Canadian dollar is low against the U.S. $$. You are getting hit from two directions at once.

 

 

Sail

 

That sums it up well. Not much fun contemplating these prices now and for the future. I don't really care what the equations are, just the bottom line and it is bad!

 

Hope you are having a pleasant Christmas season!

[SilvertoGold]

All of this makes the SBP included with Explore4 and any OBC(in US$), worth a lot more to Canadians.

 

For the SBP you break even at 4 1/2 drinks. So if you have 5 drinks a day the SBP is the better deal.

 

For already booked I guess, but think about how much more a cruise with Explore4 is going to be priced at in CND to start with.

[Stratheden]

All of this makes the SBP included with Explore4 and any OBC(in US$), worth a lot more to Canadians.

 

For the SBP you break even at 4 1/2 drinks. So if you have 5 drinks a day the SBP is the better deal.

 

Yes it does if you happened to purchase your cruise when they were offering the Explore 4.

[sail7seas]

Sail

 

That sums it up well. Not much fun contemplating these prices now and for the future. I don't really care what the equations are, just the bottom line and it is bad!

 

Hope you are having a pleasant Christmas season!

 

Same good wishes to you, Silver. All the Best of the Season to you and yours.

 

[Lizzie68]

For already booked I guess, but think about how much more a cruise with Explore4 is going to be priced at in CND to start with.

 

Thankfully I have it on both of my future cruises. And I booked in Cdn, and before the prices went up. Not planning on booking any more in the foreseeable future.

[Blue Mudshark]

Let's assume that we each earn $50,000 pa (in our own currency)

Let's also assume that we each take $1000 on our cruise (in our own currency).

 

Is there any basis for such assumptions? Typical income levels in the USA, Canada, and Australia are pretty similar; certainly they don't differ by anything close to the 140% or so by which the USD differs from the AUD and CAD.

 

And why would Australians and Canadians take less cash with them on a cruise?

 

These assumptions seem to be based on the notion that AUD, CAD, and USD are (or should be) at parity for some reason, and I don't know of any rational reason for such an assumption. They are different units, and there is no reason to expect them to be equal.

[iancal]

There is something that we can do about. Just don't buy. Select alternate travel destinations and/or travel productd that are not based in USD.

 

This is what we are doing. Probably for the next two years. Rather than staying home or cruising and moaning about it why not do something different. Take advantage of a more favourable currency situation. There are several out there.

Edited December 20, 2015 by iancal

[sallycruiser06]

When was the last time you recall it costing Americans $1400 to buy $1000 Cdn?

 

If I recall correctly, the late 80's ,early 90's saw the dollar at almost half of the US dollar. Good for Canadian trade....crappy for Canadians wanting to travel.

Hope our dollar picks up soon or we won't be going far after our trip in May which I managed to get in Canadian dollars before the bottom fell out!

[Kamloops50]

If I recall correctly, the late 80's ,early 90's saw the dollar at almost half of the US dollar. Good for Canadian trade....crappy for Canadians wanting to travel.

Hope our dollar picks up soon or we won't be going far after our trip in May which I managed to get in Canadian dollars before the bottom fell out!

 

I booked a HAL last week . Because my FCC was in a different exchange rate . I got the exchange rate that the FCC was bought in. Saved about 15% on the cruise because of that . HAL's computers automatically did the rate conversion.