For you all CDN cruisers how many are still cruising with the low dollar?

[NOSaints1]

With the low dollar and costing more to cruise, how many are still cruising and how many are staying home till the US dollar falls against the CDN dollar, and what's causing this? Any advice on what your doing to not spend as much in US dollars and can you book all of your packages in CDN dollars.

[islandgirl70]

We booked our entire cruise in Canadian currency and actually got a decent price for the Oasis class. We've cruised enough to know that we won't spend any money in port and this trip we just won't spend as much at the casino. Also we won't be going down a day early or staying late this trip to avoid spending on a hotel, food, etc.

[Ourusualbeach]

Only book in CDN (as much as possible)that way you know what your costs will be. Check out the Mariott rewards visa for Canadians. Enough bonus points for a few free hotell nights and a certificate for a free night annually. I used it for 4 free nights worth over $800 US. First years fee is waived. I plan on keeping it as the annual fee is $129 CDN and you get a free hotel night every year that is worth about $250 US.

Edited January 16, 2016 by Ourusualbeach

[Plan.B]

Love cruising, but will be staying home!

[Duke Mazer]

We have 2 we booked when the price/conversion was still good. We have a D4 booked for 3 people in two weeks. For fun I tried seeing what it would cost a year from now. It's $1500 more!! Now throw into, hotel, cabs all the extra's crazy. we took advantage of the 1.1 OBC's.

 

We will have to wait and see and compare cruise lines/ land vacations, but it's hard to sell RCI cruising as the "cheap/value" vacation for us anymore. We would love to continue, but if I can do 2 weeks elsewhere for what it will cost me for 1 week on a RCI cruise, not going to flush our money away on blind loyalty.

 

Happy cruising.

[NOSaints1]

Can you book drink packages, dinner packages in CDN dollars, I mean is it better to book online?

[patreke]

I intend to continue to travel, cruise or otherwise. I think I will just reduce my expectations about some things. It may be insides rather than balconies, less time in the casino and fewer drinks and other extras. Travelling at less peak times and doing more DIY in ports etc

 

I think you need to be open to what you choose to do and do a lot of research.

[searaider]

We are still cruising, but for 2017 and 2018 will be thinking about inside cabins, shorter cruises, less excursions, and other ways to cut costs. Our 2016 cruise was booked long ago and mostly paid at higher exchange rates.

 

We had also planned a long northern Europe cruise in fall of 2017, but with the predicted exchange rates, have decided to also look at land based trips, within Canada, instead. And save that one for when rates are better.

[CanadaRob]

Can you book drink packages, dinner packages in CDN dollars, I mean is it better to book online?

 

 

Yep our cruise planner will be in CAD did notice on my upcoming cruise my drink package us 100 more than when I booked it.

 

Have one more booked next year but if it's still 1.48 to buy USD without any freebies or package considerations or OBCs from the cruise line won't be booking or if I do the extras wil be cut

[jtdlmc]

With our dollar the way it is now and the price cruises are now, we won't be cruising until things improve. We have one in Feb that was booked back in 2014 when our dollar was actually higher than the US$ (for a couple of weeks). We also lucked out and purchased OBC at $1.10 exchange rate before it went up for our drink packages and dining so we are good.

[Alaska Newbie]

We cruise next Sunday. Our cruise was booked May 2014, Canadian money. Dollar value was much better. OBC were bought for $1.10. Won't be Ny vacations cruises or cross border shopping for a long time now until the money is in better shape. Crazy, within 5 years it's gone from par to $1.48 to buy a US dollar.

[MamatoJack]

I have one booked and do plan on booking another when I'm on board. I just started cruising lol, I can't stop now! I do like that I can book in CAD. Makes it easier to plan when the number doesn't change after you book. I will stick with cruises that let me do that. I have an outside view booked but it wasn't much more than inside and came with more OBC (more than the difference in price). Otherwise we will probably stick to inside cabins. As much as I'd love a balcony, the cost is just too much more. Since I don't drink (and travel with my son who can't lol) we don't spend much on the ship, excursions we like to spend at the beach for the most part so can usually do that fairly inexpensively. We don't buy a lot of souvenirs or anything either.

[cruisingcanadian]

Greetings to all my fellow cruising Canadians!

 

I have a question,and hope some can answer it: I booked my next RCL cruise in November 2015-it is for Serenade OTS, Canada and New England,October 2,2016. My booking is in Canadian dollars; do you think that RCL will honor it, or will they increase the price accordingly to new CAD value?

Thank you.

[moopetguy]

Greetings to all my fellow cruising Canadians!

 

I have a question,and hope some can answer it: I booked my next RCL cruise in November 2015-it is for Serenade OTS, Canada and New England,October 2,2016. My booking is in Canadian dollars; do you think that RCL will honor it, or will they increase the price accordingly to new CAD value?

Thank you.

 

Once you have a booking confirmation, they can't arbitrarily change the pricing (upwards) on you. BUT, watch out for accidental pricing mishaps. This happened to me twice (Aug and Oct 2015) for my Jan 2016 sailing -- apparently due to a web site bug in My Cruises. RCI told me the "workaround" is to not log into My Cruises using your username+password, but instead use the Cruise Planner and Online Check-in by logging in with your last name and reservation ID/ship name/sail date.

 

I don't know if the My Cruises bug still exists on their web site but I'd be wary.

[cruisingcanadian]

Thank you for your response,moopetguy.

Will check it out...

[robtulipe]

Like Ken mentioned in his post above, book your RC cruises and any extras in $CAD. We booked our next cruise four days ago on Anthem in $CAD at an effective exchange rate of 1.266 for the cruise and 1.23 for the gratuities.

It averaged out to an effective exchange rate of 1.259 for all when compared to the $USD pricing. The interbank CAD TO USD exchange rate on the day I booked was 1.42 and today it is 1.46. Then there is the credit card higher exchange rate and possible conversion fee of up to 3 %. Today the same cruise has the $CAD pricing I booked at and the USD pricing is unchanged. ;)

[cdwh1902]

The Canadians aren't the only ones suffering...so are the Aussies. We are about on parity with Canada...and are feeling the pain! However, we are cruising around Australia and New Zealand (where we do better with our currency) on the new Ovation of the Seas in December on a Christmas Cruise and are being charged in AUD not USD.

 

It is a perfect time for the Americans to travel down under - cheap as chips for you!

[AriGoldstein]

The exchange is crazy. We went up to Canada a couple weeks ago and were excited by the 28% discount on everything. I am glad Canadians can book in CAD, otherwise this would have been a huge increase in price.

[LuCruise]

We feel very fortunate that we booked a year ago when the dollar wasn't as bad. And also, we bought some OBC a few months ago when it was at 10%. Cruising is certainly much more now as our stateroom is $1100 more today and I'm sure that's mostly because of the dollar. Of course though, we still have to pay for our port expenses in USD (unless we set up our account as cash and take money out during the cruise).

 

I will say as well that we're really glad that we went with Royal instead of with DCL , which we were also considering. With the dollar, it's a huge deal being able to book in CAD.

 

Having said all that, we are a family of four and don't travel that much. So it won't stop us from cruising (or whatever "big trip" we do next, as we'll have time to save). It is a shame though as it makes you think twice when doing anything off the ship or doing any on board purchases.

Edited January 18, 2016 by LuCruise