Boo Hoo or Woo Hoo {Long Post}

[coffin dodger]

Hello all.

What a fantastic site you've got here.

I'm afraid we are cruise virgins and not very well travelled so i could quite easily ask some dumb questions.

I have trawled through the search facility and found a lot of useful answers.

 

But i am struggling to find some clear answers to the following.

We are sailing on the Sea Princess 10-11-07 Grand Caribbean Adventurer.

We have just received the excursion information and prices.

As it's our 25th Wedding Anniversary i am booking the renewal of vows {un be known by my wife}.

In the booklet i have just been sent it is quoted as £138 yet on the princess website it is qouted as $205 which at the current exchange rate roughly = £100.

 

Now i haven't much of a problem with that. The problem being that we are looking at booking excursions through Princess which to me prices seem quite reasonable when you convert the prices quoted in USD to Pounds Sterling.Is it safe to work it out that way or do Princess have their own exchange system.

 

As we are looking at booking 2 excurions on some islands where time permits and at least 1 at each island it will amount to quite a sum and i don't want a massive shock when i settle my onboard account.

Hope you can understand what i am trying to get accross.

 

If we were to decide not to book through Princess and wait till we are dockside are their many companys at the dock that you could go to and get yourself on an excursion. How do they advertise themselves at the dockside.

Also if their is more than one ship docking is it a mad scramble to get your excursion booked with all these people coming ashore all at once.

Or do the cruise lines time it so they dock at different times.

 

 

All comments welcome good, bad or indifferent

Regards Dodger

[BigGuy25]

"Massive Shock" on the final day is part of the cruise experience. We once had a cruise director that told us, jokingly, that the reason that they slide your final bill under the cabin door on your last night is because "they're afraid to hand it to you face-to-face." Those drinks and spa treatments can really add up!

 

But, to answer some of your questions. I'm not positive about the exchange rate, but I would think it would be pretty standard. To make your first cruise the most enjoyable, I think I'd get my excursions through Princess. That way you won't run the risk of being shut out. They will be a bit more expensive, but you'll be able to plan ahead. Another way is to read the posts here on Cruise Critic about the ports you'll be traveling to. There you will find recommendations and web links that will allow you to book shore trips in advance. Many people wait to get tours until they arrive on the dock. But, for a "newbie" this may seem a bit overwhelming on your first cruise.

[DiTomCruisers]

Congrats on your 25th!.. I'm sure the bride will be thrilled with the vow renewal..

 

There are a ton of excursion companies that offer the same thing that go through Princess... They are usually cheaper and may offer a different view of the island.. If the private excursion folks have an issue, the boat won't wait for you. The ones through Princess can hold the ship if they haven't got you back on the ship in time...

 

We booked a private excursion when we were in St Thomas a couple of years ago, we had no problems and he was awesome.. It was 1/2 the price of the Royal Carib excursion... Check out the Ports of Call threads for the places you will be visiting. You're bound to get some good ideas..

 

I'd doubt that you'll get the best exchange rate...

 

Have a great cruise...

[GloriaF]

Hi and congrats on the 25th anniversary!

 

I'm afraid I know nothing of exchange rates and how it works with Princess, but there are a few Brits on the boards that should be able to help you figure it out. You may have to make a separate post asking for Brit's help to get their attention.

 

As for ports and shorex, definitely check out the Port Of Call boards as there is a wealth of info there, including recommendations of local tour guides.

 

Have a wonderful cruise!

[coffin dodger]

Thanks for the replys guys.

I think i will need another cruise to get over the stress of oraganising the first one :)

BigGuy that made me chuckle about the bill under the door.

Even if the bill was a $1.99 it would still be a mahoosive shock :D

Thanks for the congrats DiTom.

Thanks Gloria

[spongerob]

Princess, as part of Carnival Corp., uses a standard currency conversion rate that is not advantageous to you. My advice is to take advantage of the fact that all charges on board will be $US, and to pay off those charges in cash. A good way to do this safely is to purchase dollar-denominated traveler cheques before you leave and use those for your on-board funds. Another thing that happens, if you leave your charges on a pound-denominated credit card, is that in addition to poor exchange, there is also a 3% currency conversion fee. There are ways around it but as I'm sure our many UK-based posters will tell you, it's a royal pain in the rump to get settled properly. Cash is king.

 

In most of the islands, there are tour operators who conduct private tours. If you look around this site you will find the "ports of call" forum where you will find lots of information about different tours and the quality of the operators. Many have websites that will permit you to pre-book. Be sure to ask about cancellation penalties if any. There are no guarantees your ship will arrive in a port on time, or at all, if the weather turns bad.

[cynbar]

Let me add my congratulations to you both -- what a lucky woman your wife is!!! Have you checked out the roll call for your cruise?? Often posters there have great discussions re tours both through the ship and independently, beaches and resorts to visit, etc. Sometimes they even get together to book private tours in advance. If you haven't been there, just click on Cruise Critic Message Boards, look for the Roll Calls- Princess cruises section and then go to your ship's listings to find your cruise.Also, you may want to be cautious re booking 2 tours in one day --- sometimes tours are late returning, so be careful there is a gap between them so you aren't a no show for tour # 2. Have a great time!

[ourlol]

Hi Dodger!

 

Congratulations on your Silver Wedding Anniversary. I had my own 'belated' celebratory cruise in August. We didn't do the vow renewal but the kids did treat Mum and Dad to the Ultimate Balcony Dinner which was a lovely surprise (as was the bill on our account... but it's the thought that counts).

 

Anyway, my first suggestion is that you get yourselves a Nationwide Credit Card for settling your onboard account. Nationwide don't charge for foreign currency so it will save you a few %.

 

I don't know what happens in respect of the vow renewal, but your ship's excursions will be charged to your account. By the way so long as you have your booking reference from Princess you should be able to book these (or cancel them if you change your mind) through the Princess Cruise Personalizer.

 

Given that the tours will be billed to your account in $$s you then need to make sure that Princess does NOT do the conversion. There are numerous threads on this topic here on Cruise Critic and it appears to be a bit hit or miss as to whether they take note or not of your request. Have a look at this thread Princess Converting Without Authorisation.

 

There should be a tick box to say you don't want Princess to convert on the sheet where you will be asked to provide your credit card details. In the first instance use that. Then scrawl at the bottom of page that they should not convert... and finally go to the Pursers desk on the last night and get them to do a manual swipe of your credit card (using Nationwide if you can).

 

I hope that makes sense.

 

Laura

 

PS: Don't forget to look at the Roll Call section of Cruise Critic. You will find others on your sailing and often people decided to organise and share private tours.

[coffin dodger]

Thanks Spongerob for the advice on the travellers cheque gives me something to think about ;)

I guessed that the exchange rate would not be in my favour it's just that going on the figures for what i had seen on the US princess site quoting $205 for the vows package which at todays exchang rate is roughly £100.

Yet in the booklet Uk Princess sent me they want £138 which if that is the rate they are going to use that is 38% :eek:

 

I know i could just ring Princess and make a fool of myself in front of them but i thought i would try that here first and have the benefit of getting to meet you guys and gals first.

Cynbar thanks. I tell her everyday just how lucky she is :D but does she listen :confused:

I will take a look see over on roll calls.

 

I have been on the ports of call and have yet to contact some of the tour operators i have seen reccommended.

I just wondered if they had kiosks at the dockside that you could go straight to, to get on an excursion.

Just trying to cover all my options because if anything is going to go wrong you can gaurantee if i am involved it will :o

 

Thanks Laura a belated congrats to you. We have thoughtful children just like yours.

[Nylsor]

Hi Dodger

We are also going on our first cruise to Asia in October 2008 to celebrate our 40th WA. I joined this board in January this year and believe me it's addictive! We knew nada re cruising even though we are quite well-travelled. The world of cruising is certainly a 'whole new world'. We've learned loads from these boards - especially about Princess and exchange rates! The thread given by ourlol was excellent and we plan to pay our account with dollar travellers cheques. You will see posts by phillipahain who has a lot of knowledge re exchange rates pound / dollar. She recommends going to the pursers desk the last night of your cruise and getting the staff to do a manual swipe of your credit card and pay in dollars. Don't trust the 'tick box'. Go to the 'Search' facility on this page and enter phillipahain and you will see lots of posts that will be of enormous help to you re finances. Another tip from these boards is to take plenty of $1 bills with you as they will be useful for tips for staff for room service, etc. Spongerob is a very helpful contributor - he's answered many of my questions. Some of the contributors to this board have huge experience re cruising, Toto2Kansas, Coral, Pam in MA, MercedMike, and many others help if they can. Just read the threads and explore the boards - an excellent source of information for us newbies. I also love your board name - it made me laugh! Have a wonderful cruise and congrats on your 25th.:)

Ros

[Pam in CA]

"Massive Shock" on the final day is part of the cruise experience. We once had a cruise director that told us, jokingly, that the reason that they slide your final bill under the cabin door on your last night is because "they're afraid to hand it to you face-to-face." Those drinks and spa treatments can really add up!

"Massive Shock"? I sure wouldn't want to give a newcomer the impression that their onboard bill will be huge because it sure doesn't have to be. Most people are pretty aware of what they are putting on their onboard account and the ones who aren't are probably shocked at their monthly credit card bills too. Your onboard account is like a credit card and like any fiscally responsible person, you charge only what you can afford and if you're "shocked," then that's your own fault. You can have a wonderful cruise without paying for extras or specialty items.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Another option is not booking any excursion at all in a port. We often like to just get into town and check out the sights and shops. I'll try to read up on the port (guide books and the ports' websites) and often will find many attractions to explore.

[Nebr.cruiser]

I have absolutely no knowledge about how Princess addresses the exchange rates, so can't help you there, but we have taken many excursions, both ship and private. To be perfectly safe about getting back to the ship in time, of course use the ship excursions.

 

We used to do that, but now book privately almost exclusively because we have found that private excursions are almost always much cheaper and of better quality, with much lower passenger/guide ratios.

 

We only book ship excursions if the tour is one we can't find privately, the length of the tour makes us nervous about getting back to the ship on time, or (hasn't happened yet) we are in an area where we wouldn't feel safe on a non-ship tour.

 

We usually book tours privately from recommendations of this board. We have also just winged it and found tours, taxis, etc. from the dock. There will usually be people standing around with signs or boards advertising tours as well as booths where you can book tours. Some are just taxi drivers who will take you where you want, others are full-fledged tours. We've had good luck doing this also.

 

Have a great time; cruising is addictive! But my big dream is to visit Britain. Big Anglophile here! I want to go to Lincolnshire!

[coffin dodger]

Thanks nylsor

40 yrs wow many congrats for next year.

 

Ma Pam thanks for your input.I thoroughly understand what you are saying.It's just i don't want to work things out wrong. What i am trying to establish is, Princess have sent me prices for the cost of the excursions and lets say i book one that costs $200 which at todays exchange rate = about £100.{ I understand i am not going to get a fantastic exchange rate from Princess }

The prices they have sent me are in USD and is the same amount as advertised on their website which is in USD.

The cost of their wedding vows package on the website is $205 which again is roughly £100.

The price they have sent me for this which is quoted in Pounds Sterling is £138 that as you can see is a huge mark up as opposed to their website price. I was just trying to find out if i have to equate the same kind of mark up on the price of the excursions.

 

Thanks Cruisin Chick i am trying but it's making my brain hurt lol.

 

Thanks Nebr.cruiser that's just the info i was looking for. If you do make it over here get in touch and i will try to help in anyway i can.Lincolnshire is a beautiful part of the country

[britsbest]

Dodger

 

Make sure you get either a Post Office Credit card or Nationwide CC.

 

Tick the box on your embarkation papers that you DO NOT want them to bill you in the currency of your origin but in $$$$.

 

Both the above cards do not charge a commission or any loading for foreign transactions so the rate you get will be the best available.

 

This year we never got below $2.03 to a pound.

[Nylsor]

Hi Dodger

All good advice here but just pay everything in dollars and then you won't have to worry about the exchange rate you'll get. Yes 40 years - you understand that I was a child bride (ha-ha). I originally come from just across the Humber from you - East Yorkshire - but I've lived in London for many years now.

Nebr.cruiser - if /when you make it to the UK make sure that you visit Yorkshire which is just across the River Humber from Dodger. It's the biggest county in England and is really beautiful. There - I've done my bit for the English Tourist board! :)

[coffin dodger]

Thanks britsbest the Nationwide cc has been applied for ;)

 

Nylsor East Yorkshire is indeed a beautiful county.

I am just south of the bridge in a village between Scunthorpe and Grimsby. My parents did it the other way round, moved from Bromley to Scunthorpe when i was 18 months old

[edinburgher]

We have cruised with several lines so I cannot remember exactly which ones will convert for you unless you opt out and which ones will not.

 

Either way, unless the exchange rate moves in your favour during the trip you will certainly pay more in commissions and rates than if you pay cash.

 

There are some good ides already suggested, just wanted to say that we always pay in cash $s, but WE HAND OVER CREDIT CARD DETAILS ON EMBARCATION. This means you are not subject to the "payment by cash" rules. You can shop around for exchange rates before you go, we always use one of two companies which are commission free, very competitive with rates and will convert back any unused $s on your return at the same rate you bought. Actually it isnt only $s, the same applies to any currency.

 

It also means we can go to the desk and pay off our account the evening before the last day and check the bill for any errors. We have found a few of these over the years, only a few but still worth checking for. And remember to ask for the return of the unused credit card slip.

 

For information on your destinations, go to the PORTS OF CALL boards and also look at the DESTINATIONS pages on the home page. CC have very good info there as to where you are docked, whats available at the dock etc.

 

We celebrated our Silver onboard last September. UK passengers used to enjoy free goodies such as portrait photo, one upgrade, chocolate strawberries, champagne, commemorative champagne glasses, dinner for 2 in a speciality restaurant etc. We were lucky to get this. It was there when we booked early last year, but by the time we boarded in September new brochures were out and the complimentary package had disappeared, replaced by one which had to be bought. We have noticed that other lines are also quietly dropping special complimentary treats.

[Northender]

http://messages.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=447206

 

Coffin Dodger - here is a link to your rollcall. I am assuming the cruise is November 10th.....:) It is not a very large rollcall yet, but looks like some fun folks there.

Perhaps you can ask what excursions, etc. they are on and join them.

I did notice they changed St. Thomas to a port in the Dominican Republic.

 

You certainly have some great advice here but get those Yankee dollars

or travelers checks. You will do a lot of tipping before you even get on the ship:D so the $1.00's will come in handy.

 

Congrats on your wedding anniversary and what a great guy to do this.

Usually it is the woman making all the arrangements for these type of things.:cool:

[coffin dodger]

Thanks Edinburgher + Northender

 

Seems like it's cash all the way.

Thanks for the link Northender. Roll call now joined

[ourlol]

Coffin Dodger

 

I think it is lovely what you are doing for your wife. She is going to be lost for words when you tell her about the renewal ceremony. I've got some thoughts about some extra "surprises" that you might be interested in!

 

Can you get in touch with me when you get a moment.

 

Thanks

 

Laura

ourLOL

[Nebr.cruiser]

Hi Dodger

All good advice here but just pay everything in dollars and then you won't have to worry about the exchange rate you'll get. Yes 40 years - you understand that I was a child bride (ha-ha). I originally come from just across the Humber from you - East Yorkshire - but I've lived in London for many years now.

Nebr.cruiser - if /when you make it to the UK make sure that you visit Yorkshire which is just across the River Humber from Dodger. It's the biggest county in England and is really beautiful. There - I've done my bit for the English Tourist board! :)

 

 

I want to go to Yorkshire too--and the Lake District, and Cornwall, and....everywhere!