Dramatic Change in Currency Market Due to British Vote

[caber]

First apologies for the multiple posts - I'm new at this and not quite sure how it all works yet!

 

I have just checked my personaliser and it is still showing the rate that I got yesterday so it does seem that, once set, the rate maybe remains the same.

 

I had a look at my account and we can buy blocks of credit at up to £70 a time but it doesn`t show what you will get in dollars. I am scared to do it in case I get a rubbish exchange rate.

[caber]

I have also checked this morning and for my cruise (as shown below and booked in Jan 2016) you still getl $100 for GBP65 or if you prefer 1GBP=$1.5384)

 

Maybe it depends in the rate when you booked. We got 2 dollars to the pound for a cruise in 2009 because that was the rate when we booked in 2008,

[caber]

I hope Mr. Caber, with the angry face is reading your post.

 

It is up to the individual what they do. The word "discretionary" is quoted.

I am delighted that we prepayed our tips as now we are getting a better deal.

I have always said that they should build the tips into the price of the cruise to save us having all these silly threads on cruise critic.

Edited June 26, 2016 by caber

[crows nest club]

I had a look at my account and we can buy blocks of credit at up to £70 a time but it doesn`t show what you will get in dollars. I am scared to do it in case I get a rubbish exchange rate.

 

The £70 = $100 obc - £35:= $50 and £17.50 = $25.

 

After purchasing it will not show up in your cruise personaliser but there will be a confirmation in your cabin on embarkation. We have done this before and with no probles I do, however, take a print of my credit card/bank statement with me showing the debit to Princess, if it is available.

 

These obc credits can be purchased up to a few days prior to sailing so you can even wait to see if the Princess rate is still advantageous against the local High Street rate, which we have found that it usually is.

[pablo222]

Yeah,but its common knowledge that all yanks are minted and chuck $100 bills at everyone so can afford it.I think us brits subsidise you because we dont get the discounts and deals you get,cheers,Brian.ps I prepaid my grats.

 

Waiters, junior waiters, etc. are serving you in expectation of tips.

They are not there for fun, to see the world, or for any reason

but to earn money.

 

It makes me upset when people cheat them.

 

It is unfortunate that princess allows this.

 

Hopefully they will include a few more countries with

Austrailia, where tips are included in the cruise fare,

and not optional.

[SWORRUB1]

I had a look at my account and we can buy blocks of credit at up to £70 a time but it doesn`t show what you will get in dollars. I am scared to do it in case I get a rubbish exchange rate.

 

 

Refer to post 67, or ring them up,, and I am sure they will confirm the amount of $ you will get for GBP16.25/32.50/65, or whatever is applicable to your Sailing/booking time.

Edited June 26, 2016 by SWORRUB1
because my fingers dont hit the letters I want them too!

[mamkmm2]

I honestly haven't seen anything that people call "dramatic" or "historic lows." It seems news is making more of it than it actually is. The exchange rate really isn't off that much from what it was a couple of months ago when I started planning my UK trip. Certainly isn't helping all that much when it comes to exchanging currency. At best $25 US per block of 500 GBPs. While that is indeed something it isn't the big fracking deal the news core's drama queens tried to make it out to be.

Edited June 26, 2016 by mamkmm2

[majortom10]

Waiters, junior waiters, etc. are serving you in expectation of tips.

They are not there for fun, to see the world, or for any reason

but to earn money.

 

It makes me upset when people cheat them.

 

It is unfortunate that princess allows this.

 

Hopefully they will include a few more countries with

Austrailia, where tips are included in the cruise fare,

and not optional.

 

Princess (i.e. Carnival) are cheating their staff by not paying them a proper decent wage instead of making cruisers feel guilty so pay the gratuities and in the meantime boost Carnival profits. Princess gratuities at $12-95pppd are already too high so with the recent collapse of the UK Pound the rate for US $ makes it even higher and unrealistic.

[antsp]

Princess (i.e. Carnival) are cheating their staff by not paying them a proper decent wage instead of making cruisers feel guilty so pay the gratuities and in the meantime boost Carnival profits. Princess gratuities at $12-95pppd are already too high so with the recent collapse of the UK Pound the rate for US $ makes it even higher and unrealistic.

 

 

It's not just Princess, a lot so wait staff in the us are only paid $2.13 an hour, the rest being made up of tips

[moki'smommy]

I honestly haven't seen anything that people call "dramatic" or "historic lows." It seems news is making more of it than it actually is. The exchange rate really isn't off that much from what it was a couple of months ago when I started planning my UK trip. Certainly isn't helping all that much when it comes to exchanging currency. At best $25 US per block of 500 GBPs. While that is indeed something it isn't the big fracking deal the news core's drama queens tried to make it out to be.

 

Exactly. I spent a lot of time in the UK about a year ago. (2014-2015) The exchange rate that I was actually getting (similar but not identical to that posted on line) ranged from $1.40 - $1.51. While I'm not there now to address the actual rate my bank offers, the rates I'm seeing on line are $1.35-$1.40 OK, a little lower, but not the panic rates people are discussing.

[IDsailor]

It's not just Princess, a lot so wait staff in the us are only paid $2.13 an hour, the rest being made up of tips

 

That statement is total BS. Unless your last experience in the US was 1968.

[mamkmm2]

That statement is total BS. Unless your last experience in the US was 1968.

 

Each state sets it's base rate for wait staff. What may be true in ID is not necessarily true in the next state. In Florida it is $5.03 per hour ... or at least it was earlier this year. In Georgia it is only $2.13. In Idaho it is $3.35. Every state is a little different.

 

Add to that the fact that some employers collect tips on behalf of their wait staff and then redistribute it after dividing it equally amongst all wait staff regardless of performance, sometimes collecting based on party-size being served, sometimes tell all wait staff that they have to turn in their tips at night so they can they can be taxed (states may require this), etc.

 

It isn't as clear cut as some people are trying to paint it. Know your state laws and then understand that each state is different.

[caber]

Refer to post 67, or ring them up,, and I am sure they will confirm the amount of $ you will get for GBP16.25/32.50/65, or whatever is applicable to your Sailing/booking time.

 

I phoned up Princess UK and have bought some obc. The rate was about £1 - $1.42. I am sorted now.:)

[caber]

Waiters, junior waiters, etc. are serving you in expectation of tips.

They are not there for fun, to see the world, or for any reason

but to earn money.

 

It makes me upset when people cheat them.

 

It is unfortunate that princess allows this.

 

Hopefully they will include a few more countries with

Austrailia, where tips are included in the cruise fare,

and not optional.

 

People are not cheating the waiters. It is Princess who are cheating them if they are not paying them a living wage.

[moki'smommy]

Sorry, but I don't understand how people are cheating the wait staff. If you pay your automatic daily assessment, you are doing what is expected. If you tip in addition on top of that assessment, you are being generous.

 

Unless you are removing the daily "hotel charge" or whatever the current term is for the daily gratuity, you are not cheating anyone.

[crows nest club]

I phoned up Princess UK and have bought some obc. The rate was about £1 - $1.42. I am sorted now.:)

 

Well done. The rate in our local supermarket today was $1.32 = £1 so at present your decision is looking good.

[caber]

It's a chance you take.

[Putterdude]

Well as usual my timing is terrible, should have done our BI and Baltics cruises post Brexit.:D However, in the mid term it will be interesting to see how the GBP and Euro fare.

[pablo222]

People are not cheating the waiters. It is Princess who are cheating them if they are not paying them a living wage.

 

You should stand up for what you believe in, and spend

your cruise dollars on a cruise line that pays waiters

a living wage.

 

Talk is cheap.

[marti222]

Blocks of £65 still available booked cruise in April for Sept28th sailing.

Bought 6 blocks to day £395 😀

[windsurferfirst]

I am sure you age going to see a lot less Brits cruising and traveling internationally because their currency is going to be a weak currency against the Euro and USD....better start practicing their stiff upper lips!! :)

 

The Canadian $ is very weak. As a brit living in Canada I would rather have our pond when traveling than CAD

[MicCanberra]

 

Hopefully they will include a few more countries with

Austrailia, where tips are included in the cruise fare,

and not optional.

 

It is the cruise lines responsibility to pay their staff and the sooner all cruise lines do this in all regions the better. It is in the cruise lines hands.

[MicCanberra]

People are not cheating the waiters. It is Princess who are cheating them if they are not paying them a living wage.

 

The cruise lines can easily fix the problem if they really wanted to.

[hjd36]

Blocks of £65 still available booked cruise in April for Sept28th sailing.

Bought 6 blocks to day £395 😀

You were robbed - should have been £390...

[marti222]

You were robbed - should have been £390...

 

Senior or blonde moment😡 It was £390 just checked 😀😀