RCL Currency Exchange Rate

[A&G]

Does anybody know please what percentage rate RCL charges to convert on board USD to foreign currecy before it hits your credit card?

 

 

Alan

[mlroberts23]

Its usually whatever the going bank rate is that day. I know that is what we do in Canada. Therefore every purchase could be at a slightly different rate of exchange.

[A&G]

mlroberts

 

Thanks for reply. Sorry, I meant the fee charge for converting the currency, not the exchange rate.

[A&G]

Hey cruisers, surely somebody knows the answer to this question or does nobody look at their statments. Maybe there are some Bankers out there that know what I am talking about.

 

I am looking please for the fee (probably expressed as a percentage) that RCL charges to convert all SeaPass debits from USD to your home currency (in my case AUD). I don't mean the international exchange rate, I mean the fee for service. Your AMEX or VISA charge a fee for the conversion of all foreign currency and it will be either just included in the debit or shown as a separate item and depending on the type of credit card will be about 1% - 2.5% of the debit.

 

Obviously RCL have worked out that they may as well get the fee rather than your bank so (by you checking the box) they will convert your SeaPass charges to your home currency before it hits your AMEX / VISA / credit card. I want to know please what that fee is so I can decide which way is cheaper and as such check or don't check the little box on SeaPass application. If RCL are going to charge say 5% for this service then I will not check the box as VISA only charges 1%

 

Don't get me wrong I am not on a tight cruise budget and I love spending money, especially on cruising, but I hate hidden fees and charges and will always go out of my way to avoid or reduce any form of bank fees and charges.....I am sure we are all the same:eek: Pay the SeaPass by travellers cheque may be another option but there are fees and charges there as well.

 

Alan

[madforcruising]

On my lasttwo cruises I let them exchange from USD to Euro there was no fee added. It was just the amount I spent exchanged on the daily exchange rate to Euro.

BTW this was done on my two cruises last year although I only once checked the box. However as no fee was charged and the exchange rate was ok I didn´t complained about it.

[RickT]

I just leave my charges in US and let the Credit Card company do the exchange. They charge 1% for the service which seems pretty reasonable to me. I've previously asked about a fee and RCCL said there was no fee. I guess my only concern was what exchange rate would they be using. With my credit card the exchange rate is pretty much the going rate on the day the charge hits. I feel safer doing it this way.

[A&G]

Thanks for answers. My ticketing docs mentions a fee but does not state at what rate. You make a good point RickT about trusting your bank/credit card company to be more accurate with the daily exchange rate. I think you are correct and I will let RCCL debit my VISA with USD and let VISA sort it out.

 

Thanks again

Alan

[madforcruising]

I just leave my charges in US and let the Credit Card company do the exchange. They charge 1% for the service which seems pretty reasonable to me. I've previously asked about a fee and RCCL said there was no fee. I guess my only concern was what exchange rate would they be using. With my credit card the exchange rate is pretty much the going rate on the day the charge hits. I feel safer doing it this way.

 

That was the way I thought too. However the exchange rate of RCI was the same like the ones the credit card company used and so I saved the 1% fee of my credit card. To me the better deal.