Is Princess ripping off canadians?

[joanne1]

Book through an American TA. I have a great one and we have used her for our past 6 cruises. If you would like a name please post your e-mail address and I will send it to you.

[Cruise Junky]

Book through an American TA. I have a great one and we have used her for our past 6 cruises. If you would like a name please post your e-mail address and I will send it to you.

 

Thanks for the offer Joanne, but I've already contacted on from these boards who has been very helpful.

[mr green]

So does anyone have a solution to this for us Canadians? Checking Princess's website, before I log in prices are $2,099, I log in and it recognizes me as Canadian price goes to $2,623...that's 25% exchange rate - a good 8 - 10% over current rates. Checking with one of the big on line agencies...same thing happens, as soon as I enter my Princess number price jumps 25%. Thats insane. How do brick and mortar agencies handle this? Do we lie and say we've never cruised with princess before?

 

I use BCAA. I find a good price on the net, usually in US funds, call my agent, and ask her to meet it or beat it. She usually does the latter, at times getting the same price for me, but in Canadian funds! john

[the4ofusandallourfriends]

So does anyone have a solution to this for us Canadians? Checking Princess's website, before I log in prices are $2,099, I log in and it recognizes me as Canadian price goes to $2,623...that's 25% exchange rate - a good 8 - 10% over current rates. Checking with one of the big on line agencies...same thing happens, as soon as I enter my Princess number price jumps 25%. Thats insane. How do brick and mortar agencies handle this? Do we lie and say we've never cruised with princess before?

 

Cruise Junky, after calling around, my agent was able to find a tour operator (Holiday House) who was able to book our trip in US dollars. So I guess find an agent who will find a way.

[HotJet]

The box that you have to check is on the card that you authorize for all your on board charges to be billed to the credit card you have provided. The box is in the upper right hand corner of the card. Even if you do this, double check at the purser's desk the night before disembarkment to see that they have not converted your charges to your country of residence. On our last cruise, even though we checked the box, my folio was not converted but DH's was so I will follow my own advice for our upcoming April cruise and make a visit to the purser's desk on last night. ( before the line-ups......don't bother on the morning of disembarkment as you will be in line for more than an hour)

 

Thanks for the heads -up on this issue. Is this a card that you fillout and check the appropriate box at the time of embarkation or in the pre-cruise package or somewhere else?

[Anubi]

We booked in NOV and where given these choices:

 

1: If was cruise ONLY could be CND or USD, our choice

2: If doing AIR AND CRUISE would be in CND ONLY if flying from a Canadian airport

3: if Doing AIR AND CRUISE would be in USD ONLY if flying from a USA airport

 

Our booking agent with Princess explained it just like that. If you are flying from toronto it whould be in CND $$, PLUS remember the flights are far more expensive from TO, mostly due to large amount of TAXES!!

We ended booking the cruise only and did our own flight arrangements out of Detroit.

 

JUST AN FYI FOR FUTURE CND PRINCESS CRUISERS AS WELL:

For your ship board card check the line on your signature card at check in and it keeps all your expenses in USD for your credit card....then you pay the credit card exchange rate....was cheaper that way for us and you don't pay the service charge princess uses to change your ship account expenses from US to CND.

good luck and hope this helped

SF

Thanks so much for the credit card info. I was getting quite steamed under the collar. Yes, the CDN dollar is high right now but to deliberately, and in my lowly opinion backhandedly, scoop more out of us is just too much. I shall look for the place to check for USD or get myself an American credit card.

[kruisinkay]

With the Canadian $ so strong, it's well worth booking with a US TA. For my last 2 cruises, I used online TAs and have been very pleased. Paid in $US and had documents couriered right to my door. For my upcoming Caribbean Princess (Dec 16) my deposit was converted on my credit card at $1.13. Not bad. As for air, if you can, go out of the US. It's much cheaper than any Canadian air. I got air out of Buffalo for $99 each way for Xmas! You really need to shop around and not be afraid of buying online. BTW, the online TAs will also book over the phone if you prefer. :p :p :p

[iancal]

We always book on line with a US TA. I don't think they are just overcharging Canadians...everyone is getting overcharged. For on board accounts, ALWAYS request your account be billed to your credit card in the 'ships currency', ie US dollars, Euros, whatever, AND never exchange currency on board (do it from a shore bank ATM). Princess exchange rates are typically 3-8 percent above those charged by your credit company, sometimes higher. It does not matter what the currency. And, on the last night of your cruise, request a copy of you room charges from the purser's desk just to ensure that they have not converted. Because they will convert, even IF you indicate that you do not want this. Princess, by the way, is not the only cruise line that does this.

[CruisinFinsUp]

Hi all,

 

I had asked a similar question on another thread, and some well informed cruise criticers cleared up my confusion, so I'll pass their wisdom along...

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=371581

 

Basically - if you are from Canada, and you DO NOT WANT Princess Air, and you live "relatively close" to a US airport, when you book with Princess, give them the US Airport as your nearest departure airport (if you later want Princess Air, they will have to fly you out of that airport).

 

Then Princess will quote you in USD, and charge you in USD. You can pay using a CAD credit card and the credit card company will convert the charges at their rate.

 

If you use a canadian airport, you will be charged in CAD, which for this year is at 1.25 exchange, next year 1.15.

 

It works, I did it yesterday.

 

.

[Member]

My frustration is about the Princess US$100 Future Cruise Deposit charged to my onboard account with no specific sailing fixed. When I ask to apply it as deposit to my upcoming Sapphire sailing quoted in CAD$, my Canadian TA can't get it through because "Princess has the FCD shown in CAD$ in the system AND this sailing contract is in US$". It seems I've to use it on a "CAD$ contract" future sailing only. Why doesn't Princess lay out the restriction in writing in the first place? I'm sure I'm not alone on this issue here.

[Bramcruiser]

Never travelled Princess before but it sounds like a function of its own computer reservation system than anything. If you book with a travel agent you can get the fares in $US. I know HAL gives you the option to reserve in either currency if you are from Canada so am surprised that Princess' own system would only do the reservation in Canadian dollars.

 

Overall, I find they do put on a higher exchange rate if you want to book in Canadian dollars so I would rather book in $US and have the credit card company do the exchange - it would be far cheaper.

 

Yeah you can cheat the reservation system and put in a US airport and it looks like our OP did say he wants to fly from Buffalo. However, I only live 20 minutes away from the Toronto airport and, despite the extremely higher prices, am too lazy and would 9 times out of ten fly from home.

[senior lady]

We were on the coral in May. When I booked my FCC, I specifially asked the question. If I book in Canadian do I have to pay in Canadian. The answer was yes. In May my $100 FCC was going to cost me $125 CA even though the dollar at that point was at $1.11. So I opted for paying in US funds. Now I can only book and use US TA's but that doesn't bother me. I find that even when the $ was higher, I still got the best deals dealing with an on-line US TA.

 

So we booked a 15 day Hawaii cruise for next April and used out FCC. Had no problem. We only need one way fare to LA so will do that on our own.

[2ladies]

OK guys listen up!!!

 

I live both in US and UK and own an apartment in both.

 

Was told a few weeks ago by a Princess Rep in the US that I would no longer be permitted to book in the US as I am a British Citizen!!! Even when I was living in the US - in Ft. Lauderdale, down the road from the Port!!! My US travel agent was not amused!! We cruise a lot!! Retired, don't yer know!!

 

On the UK threads there has been a great deal of discussion about this. Especially because not only do we pay more, but our deposit is non-refundable!! Apparently, Australians are receiving the same treatment!

[MV21]

OK guys listen up!!!

 

I live both in US and UK and own an apartment in both.

 

Was told a few weeks ago by a Princess Rep in the US that I would no longer be permitted to book in the US as I am a British Citizen!!! Even when I was living in the US - in Ft. Lauderdale, down the road from the Port!!! My US travel agent was not amused!! We cruise a lot!! Retired, don't yer know!!

 

On the UK threads there has been a great deal of discussion about this. Especially because not only do we pay more, but our deposit is non-refundable!! Apparently, Australians are receiving the same treatment!

 

I can't see how Princess can enforce this. If I am a British Citizen and live in the USA are they saying I can't book one of their cruises unless I do it through a UK Travel agent! What if I'm Bolivian and live in the USA does that mean I have to contact a Bolivian TA!!!

My USA TA has no problems booking me on Princess cruises and has done very recently.

I just think Princess are getting confused in their effort to keep parts of their business separate so as to enforce separate policies etc.

[gabberqueen]

OK guys listen up!!!

 

I live both in US and UK and own an apartment in both.

 

Was told a few weeks ago by a Princess Rep in the US that I would no longer be permitted to book in the US as I am a British Citizen!!! Even when I was living in the US - in Ft. Lauderdale, down the road from the Port!!! My US travel agent was not amused!! We cruise a lot!! Retired, don't yer know!!

 

On the UK threads there has been a great deal of discussion about this. Especially because not only do we pay more, but our deposit is non-refundable!! Apparently, Australians are receiving the same treatment!

yep us aussie's get the same treatment:mad: not happy!

[C 2 C]

Is this UK policy only on Princess bookings or does it happen on other cruiselines as well?

[iancal]

We booked air (in late May). for a Dec. Star cruise. YVR-FLL was $840 pp CAD. SEA-FLL was $303CAD on AA. We book on AA's web site. Now here is the difference between how AA treat their customers and how Princess treat theirs. On the website, AA asks if you want to be billed in US or CAD- entirely your choice. They also tell you the price of each before you pay. The exchange rate that AA used was essentially 1.10. It was/is lower than our Visa exhange. Now what exchange rate is Princess using and how flexible are they.??? Suggest they take a look at the AA site and get some ideas.

[Wilcoam]

Right or wrong, I never buy air from a cruseline, so I can't address that.

My flights on AC, YYZ-FLL were $600 and change, less than $230.00 what Princess quoted you. I prefer direct flights, knowing my seat, routing, etc. I understand the disadvantages of being bumped for charters and missing cruises, so at least I know the risk.

 

but I just bought the Princess Star Jan 27th, used an American TA, and put a deposit in USD. No problem.

 

The final payment will also be in USD.

 

If I was not able to buy in USD, I would have chosen either another cruise-line, or not cruised.

 

While boarding, I always check the box in USD, and ask for a photocopy of the what I signed. I also always make it a point of checking in with the purser at least once to ensure it will be USD.

 

I've never had a problem, though I've read horror stories, specifically from those overseas, based in the UK.

 

I think the CAD dollar may even be stronger come next winter, so paying in USD is even more economical, though it's a risk, (if the war ends, and the US economy picks up, ya lose).

 

Good Luck..

 

jc

Princess Star Jan 27th