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Tipping w/ Canadian Dollars


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This must be an incredibly stupid question because I haven't found the answer anywhere. I need to preface this by saying that I have such severe anxiety since a TBI I can actually have seizures and I need answers to kind of strange questions before I can even begin to enjoy myself even in everyday life. So something like this is driving me crazy because no matter how I word it I can't find the answer.

We're a couple from Iowa going on an Alaskan cruise in either September 2021 or 2022. Probably this year since the one that I want is, right now, around $1000 pp for a balcony cabin. The one I'm looking at that I would like to take depart and arrive in Vancouver. Now here's my question:

Since this cruise departs and arrives in a Canadian city if I choose to tip extra should it be Canadian or American dollars?

This is our first cruise and our first vacation/10 year anniversary/really late honeymoon present to ourselves. And like I said with my severe anxiety I really don't want weird things like this ruining what should be an amazing trip. Everyday cruise etiquette will be enough that I don't need off-the-wall questions like this hanging over my head.

Thanks, Leah

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Canadian dollars may be hard(er) for the crew to deal with.  Vancouver is the only Canadian port on many Vancouver round trip itineraries so it's the only port where they can spend the money without dealing with conversion issues.

Prepaying the daily gratuity eliminates that tipping component so all that's left is tipping above and beyond the gratuity that already built in.  Even drinks at bars have an 18% gratuity applied to them.

Since you are from Iowa I'd suggest bringing US dollars for any additional tips you feel like providing.  

That being said crew will be happy with any additional tips in any currency so if you think you are going to have extra Canadian money on hand I'm sure they would still appreciate it.  

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At the moment the exchange rate is $0.79 which isn't bad compared to recent times so if you do tip in CAD just remember it's not dollar for dollar.

5 hours ago, Mrs. RoyalMoyal said:

(or one loonie) egads...

LOL.  Try shopping in Canada.  Before you know it you have 10 lbs of coin in your pocket and are listing to starboard like a ship in trouble.  You know those old pirates movies where they always pay in gold coins?  I call BS.  I've experienced a pocket full of coin in Canada.  Took a chiropractor 6 sessions to get my back straight again.

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While the rate posted is .79ish and doesn't sound so bad..it actually costs us 1.33 CAD to get 1 USD...so we are still losing over 30% on echange....it hurts......Americans don't know how good they have it when it comes to that!!

That cruise for $699 is over $900 Canadian with exchange....the drink package at $55 a day is almost $90/day cad with the grats added in....

 

I would always only tip in American....we do that no matter where we go...cruises....south...resorts etc...only place we don't is Cuba for obvious reasons!

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