Canadians using a US$ Credit Card

[Sulo]

Have any Canadians out there had a problem using a US$ credit card for their shipboard account? I've now heard of two people who used their US card, but the ship, knowing they were Canadian just went ahead and changed their charges into Canadian dollars, incurring exchange rates and admin fee, and then it had to be changed again, back into US$, incurring yet more fees.

 

Can something be put in their system at check-in, that a US$ card is being used?

[taxmantoo]

Can something be put in their system at check-in, that a US$ card is being used?

 

We do not use a US credit card and have always had our shipboard account charged in US dollars on our Canadian credit card. Our credit card company posts the US amount received from HAL and then do the conversion to CAD according to current rates.

 

There is a box to be checked on the form at embarkation that specifies whether you want your on board account charged in CAD or US. The trick is in checking the ONE YOU WANT!

[Koshlong]

Hmmm..... I've used my US$ account to pay for the cruise, but my husband has always used his CDN$ account to pay the onboard bill. I wonder if you have to point out that the credit card is US$; the indication on my card isn't very big.

[vancpl]

As Canadians who travel south periodically, we carry both denomination credit cards. Upon our return from a 30 day Inca Empires trip in Feb. we paid the ship board account, US$ on our US$ credit card. From what you mention, someone not paying attention. We would not have accepted a double exchange.

[trophy_23]

We have always had our Canadian Card charged in USD with the CC company taking care of the exchange. I have never heard of the ship charging in CDN?

[Sulo]

trophy 23, they weren't charged in Cdn, it was charged in US on the US card but then it was automatically converted to Cdn but then had to be converted back again to US.

[WpgCruise]

We have a US$ credit card that we use for vacations in the US including the onboard costs while on cruises. Celebrity is famous for converting the onboard account into CDN $ which are then converted into US$ by the credit card company. Every time they have done this, I have Fax'd a copy of the sttement to them and they have posted a credit for the difference to the Visa account.

 

There is a box to check on the form when you check in that says "Do not Convert" or words to this effect and you might like to make sure this is drawn to the attention of the person checking you in, and another suggestion is to check with the front desk during your cruise.

 

If neither of these work and the charge is posted in CDN $........well the suggestion to ask for a refund of the charges has worked for us (at least with Celebrity)

[OVgirl]

HAL does not ask you to indicate a currency for billing purposes. We always use a CAD$ CC and have ship charges in US$.

Celebrity does ask you to indicate on your checkin if you want the cruiseline to convert your charges to CAD$.

So, if you are cruising a HAL ship you will be charged in US$.

[Sulo]

Thanks folks for all your info. I'll be sure to mention it at check-in and again at the front desk.

[boards]

We just completed a cruise on the Zaandam and used our US charge for on board charges and they went through our bank in US. Hal did not convert it to CDN.

[I_r_a]

Hi Su,

 

Have you considered calling HAL?

 

Ira

[fann1sh]

Sulo, don't feel bad you missed this. I had to *triple* check. Indicated billing in US$...found they'd converted to C$...went to the front office to change it...then had to go back AGAIN to change it back to US$ a second time.

 

The front desk clerk who converted to C$ the second time appeared hurt, "Trying to be helpful - isn't this better for you?" I think they were honestly unaware of the problems/extra charges they were creating.

 

I've had this happen in some Florida department stores as well (Bealls and/or Dillards).

[MATHA531]

Sulo, don't feel bad you missed this. I had to *triple* check. Indicated billing in US$...found they'd converted to C$...went to the front office to change it...then had to go back AGAIN to change it back to US$ a second time.

 

The front desk clerk who converted to C$ the second time appeared hurt, "Trying to be helpful - isn't this better for you?" I think they were honestly unaware of the problems/extra charges they were creating.

 

I've had this happen in some Florida department stores as well (Bealls and/or Dillards).

 

See the explanation of dynamic currency conversion I provided in the section on ports of call, Europe, Northern Europe, euros. It is a scam pure and simple but the bottom line is they can only convert the currency with your permission. If they send through a charge which has been converted by them outside the mc/visa system, you have every right to dispute the charge under the visa/mc rule that you weren't offered the option of paying in local currency which in the case of HAL is USD and since you have a USD credit card there should be no foreign exchange fees.

[Bodger]

I take the belt and suspenders approach.

 

Not only do I tell them not to convert the currency by checking or not checking the right box, I write on it "Charge in US$". I have not had any problems when I do this.

 

Bodger