Canadians can now pay U.S. rates (in U.S. $'s)

[cruiser9999]

I just got off the line with Princess...Canadians can now pay either in U.S. dollars (U.S. rates) or Canadian dollars (Canadian rates) when dealing directly with Princess (and this should also now apply to any TA). There is also an email coming out from Princess to this effect but I have not yet seen it.:)

[Nancyquilts]

That's certainly good news - hope the other cruise lines follow suit. Nancy

[toberman]

So - I'm obviousy missing something here, or it wasn't explained very well.

This topic has been almost beat to death. If I go to Princess.com & rq a quote, it recognizes my IP address as Cdn and quotes me in Cdn$. I've downloaded brochures in both Cdn$ and US$, and, what a surprise - they're almost identical prices. Does it recognise my IP and change the US rates to be equal to Cdn??

If the Cdn rates are already inflated by 15% or more, why would I want to pay that rate in Cdn$ ?? How do we as Cdn's get a US quote without going thru a US TA ??

Doug

[cruisinbuddy]

I'll believe it, when we go to pay the final payment and it's a lot lower than what we booked at.

[Techie]

I'm assuming this is for new cruises only and is the e-mail going out to you or to everyone?

 

Thanks,

[Robroy]

......now we can get back to more important matters such as chair hogs and cheapskates who don't tip!

 

Rob

 

 

p.s. Speaking of chairhogs, haven't seen a thread on this topic for a long time now. Hmmmmmm...........

[cruiser9999]

Up until yesterday, if you called Princess and had a Canadian address you were quoted the Canadian rate which was, for 2007, 1.15 of the US rate, REGARDLESS of what the actual exchange rate was (i.e. if the U.S. rate was $100US then you would be charger $115 CANADIAN, even if the dollar was at par). The same applied if you went in through the internet to make a booking in Canada - they could tell by the IP address which prices to bring up (i.e. if it was a US IP address then you would be quoted the US rate; if it was a Canadian IP address then you would be quoted the Canadian rate; it made no difference if you were signed into your account or not). I don't know what the website is quoting now but I know that if I call Princess I can request to be billed either in US dollars (and get the US rate) or in Canadian dollars (and get the Canadian rate though obviously I dohn't know why anyone would do this). The rep that I talked to said that Princess was going to be sending out an email to this effect but I have not seen it. She was well aware of what was being posted on the internet (so it would seem that this did become a 'topic' at Princess).

[drakes2]

I could write a book on chair hogs - On our last cruise we spent most of the day on the last sea day at the aft pool and finally got two chairs at 5 pm. I noticed several people getting up to leave for a smoke, food and or drinks only to come back to their lounger; one couple were gone almost two hours and left a book on their chair so no one would sit down. I was under the impression that if you left your chair for more than 1/2 hour it was free to take; doesn't appear to be the case. Any tips to ensure getting a chair are welcome.

......now we can get back to more important matters such as chair hogs and cheapskates who don't tip!

 

Rob

 

 

p.s. Speaking of chairhogs, haven't seen a thread on this topic for a long time now. Hmmmmmm...........

[sept10dsm]

The Canadian dollar is worth more than the US now. I guess they had to do something. I was surprised last week on our Canada/New England trip.

[izzy2]

I just hung up from Princess (1-800-Princess) they had booked me, e-mailed me confirmations showing US $. Then the agent came on the line and said she had talked to her supervisior and had to cancel my current booking and re-book in CDN . It came up $150 more plus tax.

 

She said mabee I could book thru a US TA.

 

Any ideas who I could ask for to book in US $?

[Robroy]

Perhaps tell them RCCL or NCL will be your next call.....that is ridiculous!

 

Rob

[dirtgirl]

I have had no problem booking in US$ with RC, and am booking all my cruises that way now - mind you, I do have a US TA.

[chrysalis]

I just hung up from Princess (1-800-Princess) they had booked me, e-mailed me confirmations showing US $. Then the agent came on the line and said she had talked to her supervisior and had to cancel my current booking and re-book in CDN . It came up $150 more plus tax.

 

She said mabee I could book thru a US TA.

 

Any ideas who I could ask for to book in US $?

 

It is against the rules here to recommend any particular travel agent, but there a lots of banners and other ad on Cruise Critic who will gladly take CDNs and book their cruises in US$s. We book ours that way all the time.

[A Sixth?]

I'm on the Princess web site and looking at pricing for cruises.... but it'll only show me it in CAN$$. How do I get it to switch to their US pricing? Is there a way?

[chrysalis]

I'm on the Princess web site and looking at pricing for cruises.... but it'll only show me it in CAN$$. How do I get it to switch to their US pricing? Is there a way?

 

nope, because their computers know that your computer is in Canada....the only other way is to check prices of an online TA located in the US.

[Cruise Junky]

I'm on the Princess web site and looking at pricing for cruises.... but it'll only show me it in CAN$$. How do I get it to switch to their US pricing? Is there a way?

 

I'll happily look up something for you. My work computer has a US IP Address :)

[A Sixth?]

I'll happily look up something for you. My work computer has a US IP Address :)

 

 

Thanks, I actually regularly use a variety of US based TA's as Chrysails suggested and compare the US pricing that way. I just thought that maybe, and judging from the OP, that the web site may have had some flexibility too.

[Mac7881]

I'm on the Princess web site and looking at pricing for cruises.... but it'll only show me it in CAN$$. How do I get it to switch to their US pricing? Is there a way?

 

Yes there is a way. We have set up a new account with Princess.com and filled out our address, etc as if we lived in NY. All you have to then is log onto MyPrincess with your new US address account, and presto, US pricing. :D A little underhanded, but it works. Just don't book anything using this method.

[DanJ]

I just hung up from Princess (1-800-Princess) they had booked me, e-mailed me confirmations showing US $. Then the agent came on the line and said she had talked to her supervisior and had to cancel my current booking and re-book in CDN . It came up $150 more plus tax.

 

She said mabee I could book thru a US TA.

 

Any ideas who I could ask for to book in US $?

 

You can go to any Canadian TA and book your cruise. They can book it in USD, and you'll more than likely get a lot better deal than booking direct with Princess.

[ljtinney]

We can now book with Princess (TA or direct) using a Canadian gateway city, including air in USD!!! I just did a couple bookings to check...one for next month and one for next year with no problems at all:)

 

We have not seen an email regarding this change and we are going to contact our Princess DM to verify this.

[A Sixth?]

Yes there is a way. We have set up a new account with Princess.com and filled out our address, etc as if we lived in NY. All you have to then is log onto MyPrincess with your new US address account, and presto, US pricing. :D A little underhanded, but it works. Just don't book anything using this method.

 

Good idea! I'm going to try it.

 

Thanks

[vickie_bernie]

well it is about time... maybe now I will book directly thru princess

[A Sixth?]

Welll I tried to register with my friends US address but Princess.com won't let me input a US State or zip code, saying:

 

The form you submitted was not saved due to some error(s).

Please correct them before you re-submit the form.

 

Please select State.

Please select your Nearest Airport.

 

Invalid Zip Code for Canada. Valid zip code format is 'X9X9X9' or 'X9X-9X9' or 'X9X 9X9'.

[Mac7881]

Welll I tried to register with my friends US address but Princess.com won't let me input a US State or zip code, saying:

 

The form you submitted was not saved due to some error(s).

Please correct them before you re-submit the form.

 

Please select State.

Please select your Nearest Airport.

 

Invalid Zip Code for Canada. Valid zip code format is 'X9X9X9' or 'X9X-9X9' or 'X9X 9X9'.

 

That's odd, we had no problem doing it...:(

[Olwyn]

Very Annoying!

 

Just called Princess to pay our balance on our Feb 2008 Cruise on the Crown, to take advantage of the high Canadian dollar, but because did our deposit in Canadian funds, (due to their website) and they lock the rate in at the beginning of the year, in this case, at $1.15 or whatever...No Savings!! At all!! They will make at least $50 pp on each member of our family!!

MUST pay the balance in Canadian funds, and the same amount as was quoted back in February. UG.

 

Disgusting!!:mad:

 

As Canadians we lose no matter what! First by paying more for everything, and even now...by paying more even when our dollar is higher than the US.

 

Olwyn