Gears

Ask RBC about how to pay an RBC Gold USD Visa. That is still a US based entity. As a result, you won't be able to pay it from your online banking (which is Canada based). You would have to send them a USD cheque or pay in branch. Unless RBC has suddenly been able to add 'US bills' to it's payee list...

I will explain...
If you are an RBC customer, you can apply for an RBC Bank account and RBC Bank Visa. This is different than a US dollar account.
RBC Bank is a US soil bank based in Georgia (this is legally different from RBC Royal Bank, the Canadian soil entity)
To pay your RBC Bank USD Visa...(in high level basic terms):
+ In your Canada based online banking, open a $USD savings account. (this is still in Canada)
+ Transfer CDN funds from your usual $CDN account to your fancy new $USD. Here is where the 'buy USD' exchange is done and online is your best rate.
+ Go to your RBC Bank (the US entity) and do a cross border transfer from your CDN $USD account to your US $USD checking account (or chequing for us north of 49 types)
+ Transfer from your US $USD checking account to your RBC Bank USD Visa to pay it.
+ You're done.
No ultra crappy buy/sell rate and no 2.5% foreign exchange charge. There is an annual fee for the checking account, but what you will save more than offsets it.
https://www.rbcbank.com/
Not sure what's going on these days, but you might be able to get this all setup online without having to go into the branch.

Again...you do you. What applies to you is not one size fits all.  In the same way, what doesn't work for you, does not mean that it could not work for someone else. 

@KJones great point that you brought up that I didn’t even think to mention. From past experience, I have found 100% of the time that US based agents offer better deals and incentives than Canadian based agents, and that includes Costco Canada. 😉

I will explain...
If you are an RBC customer, you can apply for an RBC Bank account and RBC Bank Visa. This is different than a US dollar account.
RBC Bank is a US soil bank based in Georgia (this is legally different from RBC Royal Bank, the Canadian soil entity)
To pay your RBC Bank USD Visa...(in high level basic terms):
+ In your Canada based online banking, open a $USD savings account. (this is still in Canada)
+ Transfer CDN funds from your usual $CDN account to your fancy new $USD. Here is where the 'buy USD' exchange is done and online is your best rate.
+ Go to your RBC Bank (the US entity) and do a cross border transfer from your CDN $USD account to your US $USD checking account (or chequing for us north of 49 types)
+ Transfer from your US $USD checking account to your RBC Bank USD Visa to pay it.
+ You're done.
No ultra crappy buy/sell rate and no 2.5% foreign exchange charge. There is an annual fee for the checking account, but what you will save more than offsets it.
https://www.rbcbank.com/
Not sure what's going on these days, but you might be able to get this all setup online without having to go into the branch.

I will explain...
If you are an RBC customer, you can apply for an RBC Bank account and RBC Bank Visa. This is different than a US dollar account.
RBC Bank is a US soil bank based in Georgia (this is legally different from RBC Royal Bank, the Canadian soil entity)
To pay your RBC Bank USD Visa...(in high level basic terms):
+ In your Canada based online banking, open a $USD savings account. (this is still in Canada)
+ Transfer CDN funds from your usual $CDN account to your fancy new $USD. Here is where the 'buy USD' exchange is done and online is your best rate.
+ Go to your RBC Bank (the US entity) and do a cross border transfer from your CDN $USD account to your US $USD checking account (or chequing for us north of 49 types)
+ Transfer from your US $USD checking account to your RBC Bank USD Visa to pay it.
+ You're done.
No ultra crappy buy/sell rate and no 2.5% foreign exchange charge. There is an annual fee for the checking account, but what you will save more than offsets it.
https://www.rbcbank.com/
Not sure what's going on these days, but you might be able to get this all setup online without having to go into the branch.

Many Canadian banks have US subsidiaries that offer CDN residents US based USD accounts and USD cedit cards. Transfers and payments can be done online eliminating the 2.5% exchange fee. RBC and TD have this service.

Many Canadian banks have US subsidiaries that offer CDN residents US based USD accounts and USD cedit cards. Transfers and payments can be done online eliminating the 2.5% exchange fee. RBC and TD have this service.

Yep. I buy my cruises from a US based TA and pay in USD. The direct RCL $CDN costs take an 'exchange cut' as do the $CDN credit cards. The least cost way is to online transfer CDN-USD and pay with those USD.

Yep. I buy my cruises from a US based TA and pay in USD. The direct RCL $CDN costs take an 'exchange cut' as do the $CDN credit cards. The least cost way is to online transfer CDN-USD and pay with those USD.

Many Canadian banks have US subsidiaries that offer CDN residents US based USD accounts and USD cedit cards. Transfers and payments can be done online eliminating the 2.5% exchange fee. RBC and TD have this service.

Right on...those we call the 'Junior Suite Days'.

Right on...those we call the 'Junior Suite Days'.

Yep. I buy my cruises from a US based TA and pay in USD. The direct RCL $CDN costs take an 'exchange cut' as do the $CDN credit cards. The least cost way is to online transfer CDN-USD and pay with those USD.

Don't tease @twangster!!...if only I had been cruising back when that was the case....there was a short period of time in 2008 as well

Escargots!!!! MY GOD, DO NOT THINK ABOUT TOUCHING THE ESCARGOTS!!!!!
 
EDIT: Unless there's actually a way to make them better. I mean, this is the head chef who actually made Sorrento's pizza fairly decent. Imagine what he can do with something that's already at the level of "OMG!"

This is exactly why we booked our flights for Feb/Mar two weeks ago. They were cheap and I don't expect them to stay that way.

I do not find this to be helpful, I do not find RCL to be anywhere near a scam or an international Joke but love the fact you create an Alias with the same name as your topic title.  #Clever

This is exactly why we booked our flights for Feb/Mar two weeks ago. They were cheap and I don't expect them to stay that way.

This is exactly why we booked our flights for Feb/Mar two weeks ago. They were cheap and I don't expect them to stay that way.

One of our considerations is the weight of the luggage empty.
The 50lbs limit/extra charge for over/depending on your airline policy of the day...is a factor. Our hard luggage is super light and durable. The largest one in our set is almost five pounds lighter than the largest in our previous soft set. It can make a difference. You typically get what you pay for.

One of our considerations is the weight of the luggage empty.
The 50lbs limit/extra charge for over/depending on your airline policy of the day...is a factor. Our hard luggage is super light and durable. The largest one in our set is almost five pounds lighter than the largest in our previous soft set. It can make a difference. You typically get what you pay for.

Well then dont remain hopeful as Dr. Fauci said yesterday than it will be spring of 2021 at least before there would be enough vaccinations for the US alone.....and even then they are not sure how long the vaccination will be effective.
 
So if that's the case...we need to accept to live with it...or shut down the world and we can all stay locked down in  our homes and die peacefully in our old age, but not from Covid...

Article from today’s WaPo discussing the realities we need to face around the likelihood this virus is NEVER “going away”.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/05/27/coronavirus-endemic/?utm_campaign=wp_post_most&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_most
 
The article rightly points out we already have 4 coronaviruses today, which cause the common cold and which have never been stamped out. Vaccinations will help with managing this virus, but we have to stop looking for a quick-fix solution to “get us back to normal” and understand that the presence of COVID-19 is the new normal.
I don’t think for a second this means that we’re all going to be isolated for the rest of our lives, or that cruising is done as a form of travel and vacation, or that we’re done for as a species. But I think it does mean we really should stop saying things like, “Things will be back to how they were once 2021 comes around”, and start planning on lives where this new virus is going to be a thorn in our side for at least the next decade.
Hopefully our favorite cruise line and all the others are already taking that long-term view.

This is the kind of thing that may end up causing us a problem...

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/16/politics/uss-theodore-roosevelt-sailors-coronavirus/index.html