The Canadian dollar... Ouch!

[mevelandry]

We booked a cruise (just the deposit) for April 2017 this week. My bill just came in.

1,39$ CND = 1$ USD

So... 246$ US= 343$ CDN !!!!

Thanks to the universe our PIF is only in 2017... Because we are being outpriced with a 3 nights cruise!

We'll travel to Canada in 2016 for sure.

 

[argomANIA]

feel your pain...i have one booked for October 2016. I really hope things start looking up soon.

 

[mevelandry]

Yeah, at first, I thought the trip was too far away... Now, I feel a bit of relief hoping that it will get better...

 

[zebsterama]

Yeah, at first, I thought the trip was too far away... Now, I feel a bit of relief hoping that it will get better...

I'm living in fear! Oh well -- there's no turning back now.

Hoping for some $$ relief this summer ... but I doubt it!

 

[bcwife76]

Yep, we're feeling it too. Originally we were booked on an Alaskan cruise in August 2016 but after a few weeks we just realized it was not feasible (and we live in Vancouver so no airfare) so we changed it to a Bahamas cruise for January 2017. Not only do we have a PIF that is now 6 months longer but the cruise itself was HALF the price (also a 7 night cruise). Adding in airfare and we are still no where NEAR what Alaska would've cost us. Plus excursions are way more $$$ for Alaska than other cruise destinations.

 

[tinkerone]

my feeling is its going to be a while (read long while) before the dollar gets better. really is disappointing. its a shame dcl doesn't offer the ability to book in canadian funds. then at least the exchange rate fluctuation wouldn't be a worry.

 

[Iamaplanner]

Our PIF date was last week. We were delaying and delaying - hoping the dollar would get a bit better. It didn't and we paid the balance. Ouch is right.

Due to this, we have booked with RCL for 2017. They let you pay in Cdn dollars.

 

[mevelandry]

I wish Disney would let us pay in canadian dollars...

 

[tinkerone]

Our PIF date was last week. We were delaying and delaying - hoping the dollar would get a bit better. It didn't and we paid the balance. Ouch is right.

Due to this, we have booked with RCL for 2017. They let you pay in Cdn dollars.

they also let you purchase obc's at a 10% rate. that saves a ton!

 

[Frozen2014]

Hate to say it, but that was a big factor for us for why we ended up booking with Royal over Disney. When we booked our cruise in Dec 2014 for April 2016, the dollar was 1.15. Our Royal cruise is booked in CAD so what we booked at, will be our cost at final payment. Now Disney price is in USD and the dollar today is 1.38. Yikes, that really ups the price (final payment is end of January so I imagine the dollar will only get worse in a month). I just did the calculation and the increase in the exchange rate alone would have increased the Disney cost by $1100 (i.e... if we had booked Disney Fantasy back in Dec 2014 instead of booking with Royal Allure).
And as the poster above said, you can purchase OBC with Royal at the 10% rate which is a huge bonus.

 

[Madame]

PIF for our August Fantasy cruise isn't until the end of May, but I bit the bullet & paid it off tonight. Ouch is right. After Aug we're waiting until March 2018 to vacation south of the border again.

It's at $1.39 buy rate at the bank at close of business today & Visa will charge us even more exchange for the transaction.

Luckily my mil is paid in USD and is willing to sell to us at $1.35. The USD buy rate is $1.34. We use that $ for spending and food, but need to use our Visa to pay off our cruise for the trip & medical insurance provided. Sigh...

 

[Aby]

Yes, I'm one of the ones also feeling the pain of the Canadian Dollar. We're taking my parents on an Alaskan cruise with us next year with DCL, so with 2 cabins to pay for, it's really making me cringe. I have most of the money now, so I'm debating just paying as much as I can now to hopefully not lose any more money when the dollar drops some more. It just hurts to think that the extra money just seems to *poof* with nothing really to show for it. Just trying to remember that it doesn't really help to think about it too much - we can afford it, and we're going regardless, so it is what it is, but the frugal part of me still cries a little bit when I see the exchange on the bills.

Aby

 

[Cruise-n-2015]

We booked in January of this year and we leave on Friday to head down to Port Canaveral. Sadly because of the exchange rate I don't think we will have the opportunity to do some of the "extras" around Florida we were hoping to
Buy hey what can you do ..

 

[mevelandry]

I don't know if it's going to get much worst... I hope not. Maybe with the new government... *fingers crossed*

 

[Iamaplanner]

they also let you purchase obc's at a 10% rate. that saves a ton!

Really?! I didn't know! Thanks!

 

[Frozen2014]

Really?! I didn't know! Thanks!

As an additional note on the exchange from Royal. If you purchase OBC and then set up your account as cash (as opposed to credit card), then you can withdraw money at the casino during the cruise. This lets you use the cash while in port. Only downside (and this is from what I've read as we haven't done this ourselves) is that you have to stand in line at Guest Services to cash it out at the end of the cruise...either that, or change your account back to use credit card. And also, with cash set up, you can't go over the amount that you have in your OBC.

 

[tinkerone]

As an additional note on the exchange from Royal. If you purchase OBC and then set up your account as cash (as opposed to credit card), then you can withdraw money at the casino during the cruise. This lets you use the cash while in port. Only downside (and this is from what I've read as we haven't done this ourselves) is that you have to stand in line at Guest Services to cash it out at the end of the cruise...either that, or change your account back to use credit card. And also, with cash set up, you can't go over the amount that you have in your OBC.

recent reports are saying that they will tie you a voucher at the casino now and not cash. the way people are getting around it is to take the voucher, put it into a slot machine and then take it right back out and cash it in. a bit of work but still worth it when you consider the alternative cost.

 

[dennes]

hi there
I really feel your pain. our New Zealand dollar is about the same. eeek!

 

[Cheerio]

We paid off our Feb cruise last month. It was over 10k after exchange.

 

[mevelandry]

We paid off our Feb cruise last month. It was over 10k after exchange.

Ouch again!

I think right now it costs 500-600$ more for a 3 night cruise that we are paying 1600$ US. That extra cash would have paid all our expenses and excursions. :/