2018 USD to AUD Exchange Rate on AUD Sea Princess Cruise

We are US citizens who are booked on a Sea Princess Australian cruise in March. Our Princess provided OBCs is 500 USD. However, our cruise personalizer account states that our OBCs are in AUD. Additionally, we will be receiving OBCs from our TA.

Since a Princess representative informed us that AUD and USD are treated as having equal value even though 1 USD currently equals 1.25 AUD, we will instruct Sea Princess' passengers services to not apply any of our onboard charges to the refundable OBCs from our TA. Hopefully, several weeks following the cruise's completion, we will receive a check in the amount of refundable OBCs.

While we will be using a non foreign transaction fee credit card to pay for onboard charges which exceed our Princess provided OBCs, Princess will charge a 1.1% surcharge of using a credit card.

We are US citizens who are booked on a Sea Princess Australian cruise in March. Our Princess provided OBCs is 500 USD. However, our cruise personalizer account states that our OBCs are in AUD. Additionally, we will be receiving OBCs from our TA.

 

Since a Princess representative informed us that AUD and USD are treated as having equal value even though 1 USD currently equals 1.25 AUD, we will instruct Sea Princess' passengers services to not apply any of our onboard charges to the refundable OBCs from our TA. Hopefully, several weeks following the cruise's completion, we will receive a check in the amount of refundable OBCs.

 

While we will be using a non foreign transaction fee credit card to pay for onboard charges which exceed our Princess provided OBCs, Princess will charge a 1.1% surcharge of using a credit card.

I would call again. Princess does not treat the currencies as equivalent.

I know from experience, for example, that the Loyalty OBC is issued in USD$ and converted to AUD$ when onboard Princess ships sailing from OZ. The $USD50 was credited as approx $AUD73 on our last cruise in November. Definitely not 1:1.

We are sailing on the Sun in March. Our $100 stockholders' onboard credit was posted as only $100AUD with no extra consideration for exchange rate. It definitely feels like a rip off.

we will instruct Sea Princess' passengers services to not apply any of our onboard charges to the refundable OBCs from our TA.

I am going to be very interested if that is possible. I am suspecting not.

I do find it interesting that some are saying their SBC/OBC has been adjusted for exchange rate, but, from all indications I have seen, that is not true.

Once aboard the Sea Princess, our TA, who spoke to a Princess rep, advised us to request that our refundable OBCs not be applied to any onboard charges. If there is a future problem, we assume that our TA will take care of this matter following our return home.

By the way, this 1:1 matter came to light when we booked a Princess shore excursion online. The cost of this excursion was an amount in AUD, and the payment therefor was an offset of an equal amount of our USD OBCs.

By the way, this 1:1 matter came to light when we booked a Princess shore excursion online. The cost of this excursion was an amount in AUD, and the payment therefor was an offset of an equal amount of our USD OBCs.

That is a blatant rip-off. :mad:

I know from experience, for example, that the Loyalty OBC is issued in USD$ and converted to AUD$ when onboard Princess ships sailing from OZ. The $USD50 was credited as approx $AUD73 on our last cruise in November. Definitely not 1:1.

There seems to be no set rule for this. I booked 2 cruises with FCD's mid last year both sailing from Oz. The cruise last August was converted to Aus dollars and the other one which is next month wasn't. Both letters had exactly the same wording regarding onboard credit as I bought them at the same time. When I queried why the second one wasn't I was told that it depends on the cruise??? After escalating the matter I was then told they are not doing the conversion anymore as the policy has been changed. The current FCD letter (not yet used) I have says it will be converted. Princess have advised it won't be. I actually believe it is misrepresentation to say one thing on a letter and then not honour it. By all means change the policy but you cannot backdate it for people who bought under different conditions.

This is all very interesting. I believe we are on the same cruise starting 3/14. My $100 OBC showed up as au $137. My excursions were in au paid in US dollars converted rate. My $600 self funded room credits were in US dollars on my credit card. I know one thing, when they hit my folio they better be in au dollars. Princess can't have it both ways. If we can figure this out I am confident Princess can seperate apples from oranges and all will be proper. It seem everything billed on the credit side should be in au and everything paid on the debit side will convert to us. The required prepaid evcursions were at the lower US dollar amount. Stay tuned, film at 11. LOL

My $100 OBC showed up as au $137.

Which OBC is that? We are on Diamond Princess, B2B, March 2-22. All of our non-refundable OBC is showing in AUD in our personalizer after 1:1 conversion rate.

Will not know how the refundable OBC will be handled as that does not show up until on the ship.

And don't forget that unless you have a credit card free from foreign exchange fees the bill in AUD$ will incur additional fee charges.

We just completed several cruises on the Golden Princess, which operates in AUD. All of our OBC with the exception of the Loyalty OBC was parity, USD=AUD, so we effectively lost 20% of the value. The Loyalty OBC was handled differently, and we received AUD $137 OBC for that.

We have not been home to receive any checks mailed out to see how our refundable OBC is handled.

Just spoke to a Princess rep in customer relations after sending another email inquiry. On our March 12th Sea Princess cruise all USD OBC s provided by Princess (including our refundable military benefit) has been converted to AUD on a 1:1 basis.

However, USD OBCs either purchased online or provided by a TA will be converted to AUD at a conversion value then used by Sea Princess on the date of our cruise. If the cruise commenced today, the conversion rate is 1.28%. So, for example, 300 USD would be converted to 384 AUD.

We just completed several cruises on the Golden Princess, which operates in AUD. All of our OBC with the exception of the Loyalty OBC was parity, USD=AUD, so we effectively lost 20% of the value. The Loyalty OBC was handled differently, and we received AUD $137 OBC for that.

Thank you so much for first hand information!

On the opening page of the Cruise Personaliser depending on the cruise shows "On board Folio Charges will be in" in USD or AUD.Going to "Payments and Credits" on the same page it states " On board credits for this booking" those marked With a * "Please enjoy these credits on board as they are non Refundable". From my experience they always use the non refundable first even my wife's entitlement. I have received cheques back when not using the total. Also remember there is no automatic tipping on most ships operating out of Australia.

On the opening page of the Cruise Personaliser depending on the cruise shows "On board Folio Charges will be in" in USD or AUD.Going to "Payments and Credits" on the same page it states " On board credits for this booking" those marked With a * "Please enjoy these credits on board as they are non Refundable". From my experience they always use the non refundable first even my wife's entitlement. I have received cheques back when not using the total. Also remember there is no automatic tipping on most ships operating out of Australia.

There are no auto-gratuities for passengers who book through an Australian travel agent. People who book in USA or the UK have the auto-tips added to their account daily. However, they can remove them if they wish and they need not feel guilty doing so. The crew are paid at a much higher rate than on ships where the auto-gratuity applies.:)

There are no auto-gratuities for passengers who book through an Australian travel agent. People who book in USA or the UK have the auto-tips added to their account daily. However, they can remove them if they wish and they need not feel guilty doing so. The crew are paid at a much higher rate than on ships where the auto-gratuity applies.:)

I was wondering how the gratuities worked out on theses sailings. Since the gratuities are not automatically added for Australian guests, if a guest from elsewhere removed the auto-tips and personally tipped those crew members that served well, would the extra tip still have to be put in a pool? Seems the tips would be handled differently since some guests are auto-tip charged and others not.

I was wondering how the gratuities worked out on theses sailings. Since the gratuities are not automatically added for Australian guests, if a guest from elsewhere removed the auto-tips and personally tipped those crew members that served well, would the extra tip still have to be put in a pool? Seems the tips would be handled differently since some guests are auto-tip charged and others not.

I have been told on board, that the stewards can keep tips handed to them personally on the Australian-based ships. If passengers leave the auto-gratuity on, I believe it would have to go into the tips pool. It would be far too labour intensive to try to work out which stewards served those particular passengers and then give them their usual percentage of the tips.

There is also no auto-gratuity added to the cost of drinks. This applies to everyone, but the initial cost of the drinks is higher than on ships where gratuities apply.

I have been told on board, that the stewards can keep tips handed to them personally on the Australian-based ships. If passengers leave the auto-gratuity on, I believe it would have to go into the tips pool. It would be far too labour intensive to try to work out which stewards served those particular passengers and then give them their usual percentage of the tips.

 

There is also no auto-gratuity added to the cost of drinks. This applies to everyone, but the initial cost of the drinks is higher than on ships where gratuities apply.

Thank you for the reply.

The crew are paid at a much higher rate than on ships where the auto-gratuity applies.:)

I have always wondered about the payment of the crew when they are on the OZ based cruises. I have asked a cruise director and his response was that he would not discuss wages. Do you have a source for the above statement, or does it fall into the "Urban Myth" or rumor bin?

I have always wondered about the payment of the crew when they are on the OZ based cruises. I have asked a cruise director and his response was that he would not discuss wages. Do you have a source for the above statement, or does it fall into the "Urban Myth" or rumor bin?

When the tips were removed, the official statement from Princess was that the crew would be paid at a higher rate, commensurate with what they were receiving with tips included. Secondly, no-one would work on the ships for the nominal remuneration that is paid to the stewards/waiters etc on the ships where auto-gratuity applies. A lot of the stewards/waiters come back to the Australian ships many times. They tell us they love working on them.

There are no auto-gratuities for passengers who book through an Australian travel agent. People who book in USA or the UK have the auto-tips added to their account daily. However, they can remove them if they wish and they need not feel guilty doing so. The crew are paid at a much higher rate than on ships where the auto-gratuity applies.:)

I am interested on how the gratuities process works for the Australian's on board? Do they tip? At what suggested rate?

.. Secondly, no-one would work on the ships for the nominal remuneration that is paid to the stewards/waiters etc on the ships where auto-gratuity applies...

Please explain that statement as I'm sure I have not understood it correctly.

Much discussion on CC about how little crew make on the ships so not interested in bringing that topic up again.

For many of the crew they make much more than they would in their home country or else why would they spend years and years and years away from their families?

I am interested on how the gratuities process works for the Australian's on board? Do they tip? At what suggested rate?

When we are cruising on an "Australian" cruise, we have already paid our daily gratuities in our cruise price therefore it is not necessary to tip any extra. We tip extra if we feel a crew member has gone above "just doing their job". There is no suggested rate, it is completely personal. Someone may tip $10 / week and someone else will tip $50 / week and some people tip nothing and thats ok. We dont have any rules for tipping here and it is not something we really question someone about, it is entirely up to each individual. The crew on the Australian ships always seem quite happy and say they enjoy coming to Australia so their pay must be ok.