Canadian cruisers!!

[Cruisin'Kim]

We book our cruise in Canadian, that way we don't worry about rate changes when we pay the final payment, (good or bad, at least we know that exactly what we owe ahead of time). We usually indicate US funds fir onboard the ship as our credit card company usually has a better conversion rate then the ship. We're going to indicate cash account on online check in then give them our credit card on second to last day for any last minute expenses. We have $1,000 OBC at the moment, going to get another $500 and with the exception of buying my drink package and leaving a couple of hundred in there for shipboard expenses, will cash all out at the casino for spending money.

[davidsmum]

Thought I'd post to bump this thread up, in case there are some new Canadian Cruisers that are not aware of this fantastic deal.

 

I was able to buy more OBC at the same rate $1.10 yesterday, so the deal is still available.

 

Have enough now to cover my drink pkg or tab, speciality restaurants and will also withdraw $$ to pay for excursions booked.

 

Figured I have saved about $500cdn....not to shabby!

[Ourusualbeach]

Thought I'd post to bump this thread up, in case there are some new Canadian Cruisers that are not aware of this fantastic deal.

 

I was able to buy more OBC at the same rate $1.10 yesterday, so the deal is still available.

 

Have enough now to cover my drink pkg or tab, speciality restaurants and will also withdraw $$ to pay for excursions booked.

 

Figured I have saved about $500cdn....not to shabby!

 

Thanks for the update. Great to hear that the exchange rate fairy is still alive and well.

[welshman71]

Thanks to this thread I have bought $400 USD three times in the past three weeks at the $1.10 exchange rate for a total of $1200.

 

Called again today and the rep said I couldn't buy any more without faxing a copy of my ID and credit card as I had bought over $500. I tried to explain to him that I believe that policy comes into play if I am buying over $500 at any one time but as long as I was buying $499 or less I did not need to do that. The reps i talked to previously told me this.

 

He replied that I was incorrect and once i reached $500 OBC I needed to fax copies of my info. I asked him how then have I been able to buy $1200 up to this point without doing so. His response was maybe they didn't know i bought OBC previously which is not correct because each confirmation receipt email shows the previous transactions.

 

I asked to speak to a Supervisor but after being on hold 15mins I gave up and hung up. I'll try again tomorrow. If i have to i'll fax my info but it's frustrating to get different info each time I call.

[davidsmum]

Thanks to this thread I have bought $400 USD three times in the past three weeks at the $1.10 exchange rate for a total of $1200.

 

 

 

Called again today and the rep said I couldn't buy any more without faxing a copy of my ID and credit card as I had bought over $500. I tried to explain to him that I believe that policy comes into play if I am buying over $500 at any one time but as long as I was buying $499 or less I did not need to do that. The reps i talked to previously told me this.

 

 

 

He replied that I was incorrect and once i reached $500 OBC I needed to fax copies of my info. I asked him how then have I been able to buy $1200 up to this point without doing so. His response was maybe they didn't know i bought OBC previously which is not correct because each confirmation receipt email shows the previous transactions.

 

 

 

I asked to speak to a Supervisor but after being on hold 15mins I gave up and hung up. I'll try again tomorrow. If i have to i'll fax my info but it's frustrating to get different info each time I call.

 

 

Definitely call back again. I had a different experience each call, but always managed to buy either $499 or $500 without facing anything.

On the last call it took the longest to complete the transaction, and I was put on hold for about 5 minutes. I did wonder if there was going to be an issue, but thankfully not.

 

Friends of ours who are sailing with us were told they couldn't link their accounts on the ship, but we know that isn't true!

 

In reading this thread, and others, it is clear that the reps are not properly informed of policies! Thank goodness for the help we get from the wealth of experts on this board!

 

 

 

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[A&L_Ont]

Thanks.:)

 

IMO the best way would be to initially set up a cash account and try to withdraw money at the casino without paying the 5% fee. Towards the end of the cruise go to guest services and add a credit card so they automatically settle your account the last day without you having to stand in line.

 

This is what we will be doing in December. I need some cash for shore excursions and we have a US$ credit card that I will give them so I don't have any issues with exchange rates on checkout.

 

No one who has purchased their cruise in US$ has been able to purchase the OBC. Royals system will not allow the processing if 2 different currencies.

 

I can't wait to do exactly this in 24 days or so on Indy. :D

[Magicat]

I have called 4 times purchasing $500 OBC without any issue. It all depends on who you talk to when you call.

[Kesali]

Thought I'd post to bump this thread up, in case there are some new Canadian Cruisers that are not aware of this fantastic deal.

 

I was able to buy more OBC at the same rate $1.10 yesterday, so the deal is still available.

 

 

Thanks for the bump! I'm going to check into this later today. Does it make any difference how far out a cruise is? Just yesterday I booked our family on the April 2017 Harmony.

[Ourusualbeach]

I can't wait to do exactly this in 24 days or so on Indy. :D

 

86 days for us, but who's counting.:D

 

Enjoy.:)

[davidsmum]

Thanks for the bump! I'm going to check into this later today. Does it make any difference how far out a cruise is? Just yesterday I booked our family on the April 2017 Harmony.

 

 

I'm not 100% sure but I don't see why not.

If at first you don't succeed try again!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[davidsmum]

86 days for us, but who's counting.:D

 

 

 

Enjoy.:)

 

 

59 days for us..... And I am counting! [emoji2]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[LuCruise]

I'm so glad that Royal has this as the exchange rate is so awful right now. Dh and I are going to sit down this weekend and figure out how much we want to purchase.

 

I forget...do you call the mail RCL number or a specific department?

[Ourusualbeach]

I'm so glad that Royal has this as the exchange rate is so awful right now. Dh and I are going to sit down this weekend and figure out how much we want to purchase.

 

I forget...do you call the mail RCL number or a specific department?

 

I've always called C&A and had great service but you can also call Gifts & Gear.

[Blondynka]

This is such a great thread! Thanks so much for the info, we will be taking advantage for sure :)

[Virtopia]

I'm on the Adventure right now (in Curaçao!!) and it worked like a charm. My friend went to take out money first and they told her it was a 5% service charge. I went down with her and there was no fee. I will be taking our more before our cruise ends on Saturday.

[phabric]

I'm on the Adventure right now (in Curaçao!!) and it worked like a charm. My friend went to take out money first and they told her it was a 5% service charge. I went down with her and there was no fee. I will be taking our more before our cruise ends on Saturday.

 

What did you say that they did not charge you a fee? Did the friend go to the guest services or the casino?

[Ourusualbeach]

What did you say that they did not charge you a fee? Did the friend go to the guest services or the casino?

 

Most likely they would have had to remind them that they had a cash account. The money would have been taken out at the casino as guest services will only give you cash the last evening.

[Smitty815]

Can someone confirm for me how to tell if the On Board Credit is added to your account?

 

I ordered it back in July. I ordered $500 USD for a little less than 550CAD

 

When I look at my receipt that was sent via email, it does not even say how much I ordered. It just says that I spent $548.90 CAD.

 

Will I definitely have access to $500 USD once I get on board?

[Clarea]

Can someone confirm for me how to tell if the On Board Credit is added to your account?

 

I ordered it back in July. I ordered $500 USD for a little less than 550CAD

 

When I look at my receipt that was sent via email, it does not even say how much I ordered. It just says that I spent $548.90 CAD.

 

Will I definitely have access to $500 USD once I get on board?

I believe you only see what you paid, not the value of what you purchased.

[Ourusualbeach]

Can someone confirm for me how to tell if the On Board Credit is added to your account?

 

I ordered it back in July. I ordered $500 USD for a little less than 550CAD

 

When I look at my receipt that was sent via email, it does not even say how much I ordered. It just says that I spent $548.90 CAD.

 

Will I definitely have access to $500 USD once I get on board?

 

You must have had one of the agents that insists that $499 is the max.

 

As Royal allows you to charge up to $500 before you are asked to pay down a cash account then yes you will have access to your $499 once you board.

[Ourusualbeach]

I believe you only see what you paid, not the value of what you purchased.

 

Correct. A strange system they have.

[ckrobyn]

Loving the amazing rate, and I have bought a lot of OBC for my upcoming cruise. I have a question for anyone in the know.....I have always set up a credit card account, but some of you are suggesting that a cash account is the way to go in order to save the 5% charge for taking out cash in the casino. Why am I paying any fee at all to take out my own CASH? If I set up a credit card account when I board, how will this affect me taking out my OBC? Can I not take it out at Guest Relations? I'm sorry if this has been addressed already, but I am still confused...:confused:

[Hoopster95]

I'm on Radiance in a couple of days with a huge pre-bought obc. I emailed the concierge, and attached the obc invoice, asking if I can book my excursions & dining the second I step on board. The reason I asked is that I have a couple of very expensive excursions (ie. Helicopter in Kona = over $500us per person x2) and wish to book immediately on board. Here's the reply from the CL:.......

 

While the reply is not 100% clear, this tells me RCL/the CL can likely confirm on board that I do have the cash to book what I want right away even though the obc "doesn't show on my account" until day 2. I'll come back to this thread when I get back in a couple of weeks and let everyone know how it went.

 

Aloha!!! :D

 

 

Hey everyone,

 

Just want to again thank all of you on this thread for answering the various questions by everyone incl myself. Everything that has been said throughout this thread worked exactly as mentioned. I also wish to say that upon entering my cabin day #1 I had an envelope waiting for me with each and every one of my obc's ready to go, even though they did not "show up" on my account until the next day. The DL had no problems taking my excursion requests right away on embarkation day even though it was clearly way over $500.

 

During the cruise, my helicopter tour was cancelled (in half... I explain in my review) and the Maui excursion I was wait listed on was also unavail so I had even more cash than anticipated left over unused. Keep in mind that the casino will only cash out $500 per night, so on the 2nd to last night I took out $500 from the casino and the final night the remainder from guest services as the casino would not cash out for the final time without you having the final bill in your hand from guest services anyways. Profound thanks again to RCL for providing this benefit.

[Ourusualbeach]

Loving the amazing rate, and I have bought a lot of OBC for my upcoming cruise. I have a question for anyone in the know.....I have always set up a credit card account, but some of you are suggesting that a cash account is the way to go in order to save the 5% charge for taking out cash in the casino. Why am I paying any fee at all to take out my own CASH? If I set up a credit card account when I board, how will this affect me taking out my OBC? Can I not take it out at Guest Relations? I'm sorry if this has been addressed already, but I am still confused...:confused:

 

Guest relations only gives cash back on the last evening. I don't know the logic behind this but that's the way it is.

 

As far as the 5% fee. I guess they look are trying to make it a simple decision making process for the employees. Cash account...no fee, credit card on account...fee. If they did otherwise they would then have to start seeing how much cash you had and where the OBC came from. Again not entirely logical but that's the way it is done.

 

So in short, if you want cash early in the trip you have to take it out at the casino and you will be charged a 5% fee unless you set up a cash account and even then not all ships have waived the 5% fee.

[jojocruisin]

I started reading this thread last night so thanks to whoever has kept it current.

 

I couldn't believe that it was still available now, as the thread started early in the year.

 

We have 5 cabins for 10, 2 families

 

I called first and was able to by 2x 500 obc for 1,100, no problem

 

Then my sister-in-law called and bought 2500 worth for 2,750 no problem

 

I was rethinking my budget, we only have 4 of the 10 and decided I should add more, and called again.

This time the agent had to go and ask for permission, and she took at least 10 minutes to do this. She came back and said I couldn't put any more on the cabin I already had the 1,000 and could only add 499 for each of the other 2 reservations I had (luckily my kids are in two different rooms)

 

I also am still waiting for a confirmation receipt. The last one came while I was still on the phone. This girl hung up on me while I was trying to get the receipt, in the middle of the conversation?

 

I will call back to see if I can get someone else to issue the receipt, she must have used the wrong email address, even though i spelled out the whole thing.

 

It really depends on who you get.

 

Thanks again for this great heads up. I bought US for 35 cents on the dollar, so this is a great savings.