For Canadians owed refunds of OBCs

[Putterdude]

I offer this as a heads up for Canadians who have positive balances in their OBAs at the end of the cruise. In our case refund cheques for unused OBCs arrived in USD, as they should, about 2 weeks after our previous 2 cruises. However after our Baltic cruise in May a cheque didn't arrive until a week ago and it was in CAD.

 

So I phoned Princess and spoke with 2 different people who said that as I was a Canadian they always did the refund in CAD. I said that was nonsense, OBAs were operated in USD and any balance should be refunded in same...certainly if we owed them money they would charge our credit card in USD.

 

Eventually I was told to send an email to Customer Relations which I did. I am happy to say that within 36 hrs I got a phone call from a lovely lady in customer relations who said I was absolutely correct, this is not the first time this issue has come up (although it was a rarity) and that she would be very happy to cancel the CAD cheque I had and issue another one in USD.

 

The moral of the story is check those cheques Canadians.

[freshair8]

Thank you for the information. Really appreciate it :)

[caribill]

I offer this as a heads up for Canadians who have positive balances in their OBAs at the end of the cruise. In our case refund cheques for unused OBCs arrived in USD, as they should, about 2 weeks after our previous 2 cruises. However after our Baltic cruise in May a cheque didn't arrive until a week ago and it was in CAD.

 

So I phoned Princess and spoke with 2 different people who said that as I was a Canadian they always did the refund in CAD. I said that was nonsense, OBAs were operated in USD and any balance should be refunded in same...certainly if we owed them money they would charge our credit card in USD.

 

 

There is another thread that says Europeans also receive a check in US$ which is almost impossible to cash in their home country. If a bank does accept it, the fees are so high that the refund can get cut 50% or more.

[Putterdude]

There is another thread that says Europeans also receive a check in US$ which is almost impossible to cash in their home country. If a bank does accept it, the fees are so high that the refund can get cut 50% or more.

 

Obviously in our case that is not a problem.

 

What I failed to mention is that the balance in our OBA was $146 USD and the cheque we received was $146 CAD.

[Bextra1256]

Before my cruise i pre-purchased cruise credits paid Canadian through Princess Vancouver. Received the credits in cash US on board. 110cdn paid = 110 US. Loved it should have bought more. :):p

[alfieisgod]

Obviously in our case that is not a problem.

 

 

 

What I failed to mention is that the balance in our OBA was $146 USD and the cheque we received was $146 CAD.

 

 

Nice try Princess. I would be happy to buy all of the USD that they are selling at that exchange rate. [emoji6]

 

 

 

 

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[Bextra1256]

Nice try Princess. I would be happy to buy all of the USD that they are selling at that exchange rate. [emoji6]

 

 

 

 

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Exactly. Exchange rate was around 72 before we left.

[Daddysbaby]

Hi Bextra, do you know what the exchange rate for the Casino is today? I am sailing in December and booked the cabin 3 weeks ago. The CDN dollar is around $0.77 these days.

[Putterdude]

Nice try Princess. I would be happy to buy all of the USD that they are selling at that exchange rate.

 

Not even for a moment do I think Princess was trying to pull a fast one. I genuinely believe that an honest mistake was made at once I cut thru the corporate baffle gaff they readily corrected the error. I tested the thought that perhaps it was there refund agent, Bottomline, who had made the error and I was assured that the error was all Princess's.

 

[alfieisgod]

Not even for a moment do I think Princess was trying to pull a fast one. I genuinely believe that an honest mistake was made at once I cut thru the corporate baffle gaff they readily corrected the error. I tested the thought that perhaps it was there refund agent, Bottomline, who had made the error and I was assured that the error was all Princess's.

 

 

 

 

 

I agree it was likely an honest mistake (I was just making a small joke given how lousy the rate is of late for us Canadians).

 

In fact, a year or two ago Princess was slow to change its rate to the benefit of the passenger. We could still buy a USD from Princess (to purchase OBC's for example) at 1.10 CAD when it was costing 1.20 CAD or more at the bank.

 

Don

 

 

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Edited August 25, 2016 by alfieisgod

[TorontoTL]

I've never had OBC left after a cruise. I always find a way to spend it. But thanks for the information.

[Putterdude]

By way of an update, after numerous calls to no less then 5 Princess employees over some 6 months a cheque in USD finally arrived today refunding the balance of the OBA form our May/June Baltics cruise on the Regal. I am not angry, everyone who I spoke with was friendly and everyone except the first 2 people in the call center understood where I was coming from, for me it became pretty much a game.

[riclop]

Very interesting.