Good news for Canadians!!

[Christine Frances]

I checked two of the new sailings (July/11 and Feb/12) and it looks like the exchange rate that they are applying is pretty current - appox .97 cents. From what I was told by X when I requested clarification re different rates on different sailings is that the exchange rate is set at rollout and will not change, At least we have an option now!:D

[maryann ns]

That is good news. However, this time I have gone through an online TA and the prices are in US. I am watching the exchange rate and may jump in and pay up when we get to parity or higher.

[Susan-M]

I always check both US and Cdn prices on Azamara's site to see which one is more favourable. It seems to vary ... sometimes it's a better deal to book in Cdn, and other times in US.

 

If using a Cdn credit card to book in US$, you need to take into account the credit card's exchange rate (I don't get a very good rate with my CC) ... so based on the current value of the Cdn $ vs. US. $, Azamara's .97 rate is quite fair.

[Christine Frances]

I have a good relationship with my US based TA and she is investigating methods of booking in CAD, Don't know if it is possible but it seems strange that our local TA's can book in both currencies and so does X. I have a USD CC which I use when the exchange rate is awful.

[UB & AS]

I have a good relationship with my US based TA and she is investigating methods of booking in CAD, Don't know if it is possible but it seems strange that our local TA's can book in both currencies and so does X. I have a USD CC which I use when the exchange rate is awful.

 

I book through a U.S. travel agent and have found it is almost always to our advantage to book in U.S.$ using a Canadian bank US$ credit card which is paid off automatically each month from a US$ Canadian bank account. I can do much better on exchange by buying US$ through an Internet based bank than from a Canadian bricks and mortar bank. Either is better than taking the exchange rate charged by your friendly credit card company. It pays to buy US$ when you feel the exchange rate is favourable and have US$ available for your future cruising. I have tended to buy US$ on a dollar cost averaging basis which may work better than trying to guess the optimal exchange rate. I did buy US$ yesterday at 1.0075 but feel that the Canadian dollar still has wings and I will buy again in a week or so at an even better exchange rate.

 

Regards, Bill

[Christine Frances]

Hi Bill

I think we are on the same wave length. We also automatically buy on a bi-weekly basis and also buy bulk at optimum prices. I get staff rates at a local bank so that helps. Like you, I usually book in USD except the NCL cruise we are doing in Sept was a no brainer to book in CND. But no OBC etc:mad: I think all the new itineraries coming out will be very close in exchange rates. I'm torn on getting Aeroplan points on my CND CC or a better rate using my USD CC.

Where on VI are you located? Anywhere near us?

Cheers

Christine

[Susan-M]

Bill,

Good advice; I agree with all that you say, and do much the same ... except for travel expenses. I have a Cdn $ card that has excellent trip cancellation/interruption and out of country health insurance .... so I book my trips on it, suffer the higher exchange rate, but more than make up for it in the $ saved by not having to purchase cancellation or out of country health insurance.

[UB & AS]

Hi Bill

I think we are on the same wave length. We also automatically buy on a bi-weekly basis and also buy bulk at optimum prices. I get staff rates at a local bank so that helps. Like you, I usually book in USD except the NCL cruise we are doing in Sept was a no brainer to book in CND. But no OBC etc:mad: I think all the new itineraries coming out will be very close in exchange rates. I'm torn on getting Aeroplan points on my CND CC or a better rate using my USD CC.

Where on VI are you located? Anywhere near us?

Cheers

Christine

 

We are all close on this Island! Our home is in Campbell River and we view Cape Mudge on Quadra Island. It is a great view of cruise ships on the Alaska run and we have managed to look at cabins that we will sail in when the ships pass by. :cool:

 

My problem with CIBC US$ CC is that we pay an annual fee and receive no cardholder benefits. If we use our Master Card we get a 1% cash rebate. I have often though that we would be doing better with an Aeroplan card, but got burnt once through inactivity and lost all accumulated Aeroplan points.

 

Victoria is one of our favourite places and our daughter has two degrees from U Vic. Our best experience in Victoria was arriving on a cruise ship so we could just be tourists. :D Too often our trips to Victoria are for medical appointments or other non-pleasure trips.

 

Next week is our 42nd and we will enjoy a few days at River Rock Casino Resort in Richmond. TravelZoo had a great deal where we stay in an executive suite at very little cost (depending upon the cards in the casino). A bit of a come down from our 41st which was in Monte Carlo while cruising on Journey.

 

Let's meet on a cruise soon. We are booked B2B on Journey January 19 to Sea of Cortez followed by a Canal transit to Miami. Journey friends have booked a Penthouse so we have a nice place to hang out. November 2 we sail from Santiago around the Horn to Buenos Aires on Veendam.

 

Happy Cruising, Bill

[UB & AS]

Bill,

Good advice; I agree with all that you say, and do much the same ... except for travel expenses. I have a Cdn $ card that has excellent trip cancellation/interruption and out of country health insurance .... so I book my trips on it, suffer the higher exchange rate, but more than make up for it in the $ saved by not having to purchase cancellation or out of country health insurance.

 

Hello Susan,

 

Your point is well taken and we used to depend upon CC insurance. Since we started cruising we have been covered by a retired teachers' group plan which has been excellent. It is a year round policy with a monthly charge and allows for ten 35 day out of country trips per year. The medical maximum is $5,000,000 per person and trip cancellation and interruption are included.

 

We have used the insurance three times. I got sick in the Bay of Bengal on an Oceania cruise and was treated by the ship's doctor. Our insurance paid the full cost including the $75 satellite phone call from the ship. Last year we canceled two cruises at the last moment, under full penalty, due to a medical situation and had all costs paid except for a $40.00 charge for six months of medical records by Sandy's GP. We have tested the policy and have been well treated.

 

Regards, Bill

[Susan-M]

Hi Bill,

 

Yes...quite a relief to find out that your trip cancellation & medical policy stands up to the test. Mine passed with flying colours too. :)

[Christine Frances]

Bill

Next time you are down this way let us know - cfhamilton at gmail dot com. Love to trade stories!

Our USD CC is RBC with low annual fees, its the CND CC that is CIBC

DH is retired Parks Canada mgr and we have an annual policy as well - it wasn't too long ago that having travel insurance never occurred to us:eek: Now I've begun to realize that people retire just so they can make all their doctor appointments!

Susan is out east in the heat wave and here in Victoria the wind is trying to blow us off the rock! Funny weather lately with this El Nino stuff.

Have fun at the River Rock:D Usually can find me in the Casino when I'm cruisin'

 

Cheers

Christine

[UB & AS]

Christine,

 

You nailed it about retirement and medical appointments. We were booked to sail on Millie on an Alaska B2B May 14 but canceled due to a medical instability on Sandy's part. Twenty or so specialist appointments and many hospital tests and we will start the 90 day stability period required before Round the Horn. Maybe we should not have five cruises booked at one time. :( We did the same B2B on Millie in 2008 so it is not a big loss. The ports are not much but it is a lovely boat ride with Celebrity's new Elite perks. :(

 

We will wave at you when you sail by on Mercury. She was the first ship we cruised on, first love and all that. The second Mercury cruise was a Wine Cruise from San Francisco to Vancouver. It was great to sail into Victoria as a tourist instead of driving down for medical tests. Before the cruise we got a case of tourist brochures from Tourism Victoria and passed them out at the CC party on Mercury!

 

Our address when traveling is swanson999 at gmail dot com. Azamara announced its affinity perks yesterday and it will be great to have 6o minutes a day of Internet on our Jan/Feb cruises! I hate to pay the price for shipboard Internet.

 

Bear Mountain must be a beautiful place to live, are you golfers? I would not trade our view for yours though. We look out at the narrowest part of the Inside Passage so we have been able to look at the cabin we have booked for a future cruise through our telescope.

 

Regards, Bill

[Christine Frances]

Hi Bill & Sandy

It is very lovely at the top of the mountain. We have golf clubs but that doesn't necessarily make us golfers:eek: The two great courses up here are way beyond our capabilities!

I am envious of your location! We sold our waterfront condo to move up here to a bigger house but there is nothing as nice as an ocean view.

I am taking the Mercury cruise with my GF who has never cruised to give her a taste of the good life!. Will really spoil her with the Elite perks:D

We lived in the Queen Charlottes (Haida Gwaii) from 1990 to 2000 while my DH was helping to establish the new Gwaii Haanas Nat Park Reserve. We could see Alaska from North beach. Because we had done the inside passage to Rupert so many times my DH didn't mind sitting this one out!!

We are doing Asia next spring and then after that we want to go around the horn. Will probable try to do a B2B on Infinity.

Cheers

Christine

[UB & AS]

Christine, Haida Gwaii was on our list of things to do last year after I bought a new motorcycle, we went as far as making the reservations but decided to get more experience on the bike first. We have done the Inside Passage a number of times on Queen of the North (RIP) and did the inaugural sailing of the Queen of Chilliwack to Mackenzie's Rock, Ocean Falls, Bella Bella, some other stops and then Bella Coola and the drive over Heckman Pass and on to Williams Lake in our motor home. It was a 25 hour ferry trip with a mini-cruise atmosphere.

 

Our Asia trip was in 2007 on Oceania's Nautica, YVR, Toronto, Rome then 27 nights of sailing from Rome to Singapore then air to Hong Kong and back to YVR. It was a wonderful cruise. Nautica is a former R-ship as are Azamara's Quest and Journey. We love the ambiance of the R-ships. The library is absolutely beautiful, the main dining room is great and the specialty restaurants are excellent. You will love it. :D

 

We are not golfers. We do a bit of hunting and fishing and cruising. If we are not on a cruise then we are planning excursions for future cruises. Round the Horn will be our first cruise with HAL, we are Celebrity and Azamara fans, but Veendam's timing and itinerary are right for us and we want to try a lanai cabin on the Lower Promenade Deck. :cool:

 

Wasn't that a windstorm? We lost some shingles which need to be repaired. Along our shoreline waves crashed up over the road and in places logs were thrown onto the highway. Exciting stuff! Beautiful today so I will get out for a brief motorcycle ride.

 

Happy Easter, Bill (and Sandy)

[UB & AS]

I have a good relationship with my US based TA and she is investigating methods of booking in CAD, Don't know if it is possible but it seems strange that our local TA's can book in both currencies and so does X. I have a USD CC which I use when the exchange rate is awful.

 

Christine, We had no problems booking with local Agents in either currency. There were two problems, cruise line CND$ pricing was way out of line with US$ price for same cruise and the local TAs are just not knowledgeable enough about cruising. Our agent in Florida has lots of opportunities to look at ships and also has frequent complementary cruises. Her picks of individual cabins has been excellent. We generally book a year or more out for best cabin selection. Centre aft balcony (sunset cabin) is our first choice. Also we are shareholders in the agency and receive a 5% rebate on cruises which helps the cruise budget. Being shareholders in RCCL also helps with the expenses on X and Azamara, but less now since they no longer allow one to combine benefits.

 

We wish there were more cruises Vancouver return as we hate airports and long flights. Were were booked on X for Hawaii Auckland Sidney B2B but had to cancel. It is high on our list to do, either that or HAL sailing to Hawaii and beyond from Vancouver.

 

Bill