How many CDNs 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.

[pete_coach]

We booked and paid last yer in Canadian dollars and are cruising soon. Next cruise will have to wait though.

[Christine Frances]

Have three booked when the dollar was ok but will have to wait before I book any more:(

[LucasLounger1]

Well I just made my final payment on a TA booked more than a year in advance, so being committed means we're going no matter. It was a good price and we locked in on $CAD. Luckily we are in Select, so also locked in the grats in the purchase price (rather than paying in $USD onboard).

 

We've talked about limiting our wine and other drinks, and not making any purchases. The wine is a bummer, purchases not really an issue.

 

I'm always looking at other cruises, but to be honest I don't think we'll book another one until the situation rights itself a little bit. We were thinking of cashing in our credit card points for flights next February to Rio and doing a week there. It would cost much less. Mind you, once I get all doped up on cruise there's not saying where my vacation dollars will end up!

[NOSaints1]

So what's causing this low dollar? Is it the damn Liberals?

[Shih-tzu]

I'm still going but it's been booked almost 2 years ago since booked, etc so we did OK there. Will have to re-think some of the extra spending like shore excursions. Dollar is low due to drops in oil prices.

[stratixman]

Forecast for the Canadian dollar gets worse for the next 2 years. Expeceted to hit $.60 of a US dollar.

[OkanaganRon]

On the Eclipse Feb 7th...booked 18 months ago in Cdn$ at a good rate. We bought US$ when our dollar was at par. Still using them , but we will run out this trip.

This will be our last U.S bound trip until our dollar improves. Maybe in 2 years??

[Guytoplay]

We are still going in March but paid last February. Lots of onboard credit and had some US cash ahead of time. So this one is good but probably not going again, for a while.

[ghstudio]

Maybe an equally interesting question is how many are currently booking cruises, Canadian or not, given the financial market meltdown.

[monicajay]

Obviously going on this one because it was booked back when CAD $ was reasonable against the US$. My husband thinks he might not upgrade his bevy package because he mostly drinks only beer anyway. He has upgraded in the past but rarely ordered anything upgraded.

 

Kicking myself in the butt for not booking March of 2017 when they first came out. Prices have gone up so much due to the drop in currency that we will likely not cruise and do a land vacation to somewhere like Mexico whose currency has stayed almost the same versus CAD $.

 

I'm sure lots of Canadians won't be traveling.

Edited January 16, 2016 by monicajay

[Fouremco]

Three currently booked (March 2016, November 2016, March 2017), but all at reasonable rates. The November cruise, booked last June, is now almost double the price in CAD! Also bought lots of OBC for all three cruises. Until the Loonie reverses direction, however, we'll be looking for domestic vacations after next year's cruise.

[CGinMTL]

On the Eclipse Feb 7th...booked 18 months ago in Cdn$ at a good rate. We bought US$ when our dollar was at par. Still using them , but we will run out this trip.

QUOTE]

 

Same here, When it started going down about 1 yr ago, I knew I had about 18 months reserve and I was hoping that this would be ok by now.

We are leaving on RCI in Feb and I am examining every dollar I will spend once on the cruise. After this, I will be monitoring the boards for different cruise lines and see what the start offering to Canadians ( and others) to get them on board.

[JustAGirl79]

Booked more than a year ago for our cruise later this month and the confirmed price was in Canadian. Took the drink package as our perk and prepaid gratuities. Glad our booking was in Canadian funds! Looking at prices for next January, they're 30%(ish) higher than what we paid for our January 2015 and January 2016 cruises for essentially the same product. We aren't booking a winter 2017 cruise because of the higher prices which I think are directly related to the dollar.

 

We have one night in a hotel in Old San Juan before embarkation and I wish had prepaid for the room when I booked it 9 months ago.

[Grandmaanne7]

This year's and next were booked in CDN funds long ago when prices were reasonable and 123 promo was in. Also bought some extra OBC at a decent rate. I highly doubt we'll be booking anything else in the near future. Probably start to look at All Inclusive instead.

 

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[AlbertaCruisers]

We used to always book balcony cabins, by moving down to ocean view cabins our prices are close to what they used to be before the dollar tanked (all booked the day the were released). With the drink package included, we don't have to spend much more if we don't want to. Flights for this coming Nov were close to what we have been paying even before the dollar tanked ($1500 CDN total for 2 round trip to San Juan - booked within a week of release). I love cruising and would pick a lower cabin over a Mexico all inclusive everyday.

[HardToPort]

For upcoming Reflection, Jan 30th, booked nearly a year ago and have a Concierge with drinks package, gratuities, $150 USD OBC and fees / taxes for $1660 CDN. That works out to about $1,100 USD. Great deal and I generally don't spend much money on souvenirs or excursions. I cruise every year with my now 82 year old father. As long as he is healthy enough to go, I'm going regardless of currency. That being said, paying $1.40 CDN to buy $1.00 USD stings.

 

The world runs to the $US during times of political or economic uncertainty and that, more than anything is why the $CDN has fallen vs the $USD. The $CDN is slightly better against the Euro than a year or two ago. It only costs $152CDN to buy a Euro which is lower than past years. Europe is on my horizon for 2016 / 2017 leisure travel.

[ABoatNerd]

No cruises anticipated going forward for many reasons; the free fall of the Cdn $ is the final nail in our travel plans. All travel in Canada and elsewhere cancelled.

 

Celebrity is losing 2 cruises per year from us and other travel purveyors will no longer have business.

 

Fed up with the rapidly rising costs well above inflation, increased complexity of air travel, and nickle and dime crap like "resort fees" etc.

 

We are enjoying travelling on the internet - just watched someone's video trip on the Paul Gaugin in French Polynesia. We had a reservation booked for 2018 - so we cancelled it since we have seen the highlights from the comfort of our new house!

 

The world is changing indeed. You don't need to physically go to places anymore, WOW.

 

For those who will continue to travel, a safe and wonderful vacation for you.

 

ABoatNerd

[Cruise Junky]

This Spring is paid for with $700 OBC bought at 10%. Fall trip is Aussie land trip (switched from cruise). And we are at par with the Aussie dollar. Fall 2017 we have a TA booked on Princess in Cdn at 28% exchange. I can't see booking anything else right now. We were looking at Bermuda on Summit for next Spring but it's just not worth the cost for a 7 day vacation. We'll look at Europe land trips or maybe Asia

[We're The Groupnors]

We're still planning cruises, but for now not on Celebrity. They have priced themselves too high for the value at this point, so we are trying other lines where the pricing seems more reasonable for the product.

Edited January 16, 2016 by We're The Groupnors

[rolfecms]

So what's causing this low dollar? Is it the damn Liberals?

 

The US Federal Reserve has started raising interest rates from near zero where they have been since 2008. Other countries are still easing monetary policy. So the money goes where it can earn the most. That is reflected in the exchange rates of currencies based on which ones are more desirable. Low commodity prices and a slowing Chinese economy is also causing money to flow into the US dollar for the relative security it affords.

[NOSaints1]

Is it better to book with Celebrity or through a TA, we always booked on our own, just to be in control or my sister in law is a TA but has only sailed Princess.

[Ruthk]

What is it they call our dollar - a petro-dollar. When oil is up or dollar is up.

We depend on our natural resources as Canada doesn't have any manufacturing to speak of.

 

It isn't just the dollar that has hit cruisers. Celebrity has raised their prices drastically to pay for those "free" BBB perks.

[Christine Frances]

What is it they call our dollar - a petro-dollar. When oil is up or dollar is up.

We depend on our natural resources as Canada doesn't have any manufacturing to speak of.

 

It isn't just the dollar that has hit cruisers. Celebrity has raised their prices drastically to pay for those "free" BBB perks.

 

Actually X adjusted their pricing on our existing cruise after booking. We had booked at about 1.14 and when they adjusted our sailing to a more current rate overnight they went to 1.30 and it is now worse. Nothing to to do with those BBB perks as the US pricing did not change:(

[ABCruiser]

The $CDN is slightly better against the Euro than a year or two ago. It only costs $152CDN to buy a Euro which is lower than past years. Europe is on my horizon for 2016 / 2017 leisure travel.

 

Our upcoming TA and European cruise is this April so been monitoring the euros since the beginning of this year which was at 1.52. Yesterday the exchange rate was 1.64. The best exchange for euros was spring of 2013 at 1.27 Our next cruise after this will be the British Isle this August and the exchange for the pound is 2.12. Ouch!!