Cash when visiting ports

We are sailing on the Celebrity Constellation on 19th Feb and I want to order some cash for use in each of the ports we will visit (Brunei, Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore).

Would American dollars be accepted in every port or are we better taking each of the different currencies of each country?

We are sailing on the Celebrity Constellation on 19th Feb and I want to order some cash for use in each of the ports we will visit (Brunei, Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore).

Would American dollars be accepted in every port or are we better taking each of the different currencies of each country?

Welcome to Cruise Critic. You may consider asking your question on the Ports Of Call. Here's the link to the Asia sailings. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=70

How much cash do you think you will need? If not that much, I'd probably just use an ATM when you disembark. Just make sure you tell your bank you will be traveling. Yes, you may pay a fee but you will pay a fee at a currency exchange place anyway. For big purchases everybody takes everybody else's credit cards anyway.

Take local currency, order it from your bank or online before you go. US$ are not universally accepted. When you use them for tipping the porters, doormen have to get them changed to local currency at a cost.

If I went to my local restaurant and wanted to pay in Thai Baht, they would not accept it. Be respectful and accept the country's ways.

Thailand uses Baht, Singapore uses Singapore $, Vietnam used Dong BUT no one wants that, the one country where US $ happily accepted. Not sure of Brunei, google will tell you.

Enjoy your cruise, these are wonderful countries, very different to home so expect to be challenged as to lifestyles.

Just use ATM's as you go. No need to tote a lot of different countries local currencies with you. You will lose money on both ends of the transaction. When you buy and when you sell what you have not used.

For Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore, we simply bought currency at home, brought it with us and hence had no hassle with having to use ATMS in those countries. Souvenirs cheap in Vietnam and Thailand, $50 per day that you are in each port is sufficient. Singapore is pricey - basically very comparable to US so you will need more $ for Singapore put it at $75 a day for souvenirs, t shirts.

How is using an ATM a hassle?

They work exactly the same way as at home.

And most every ATM I have used around the world, gives you the option of English.

For Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore, we simply bought currency at home, brought it with us and hence had no hassle with having to use ATMS in those countries. Souvenirs cheap in Vietnam and Thailand, $50 per day that you are in each port is sufficient. Singapore is pricey - basically very comparable to US so you will need more $ for Singapore put it at $75 a day for souvenirs, t shirts.

We were unable to purchase Dong from our bank (Wells Fargo) but had no problem using USD in Vietnam

......................brought it with us and hence had no hassle with having to use ATMS in those countries. .

How is using an ATM a hassle?

 

They work exactly the same way as at home.

 

And most every ATM I have used around the world, gives you the option of English.

It's not so much the using, it's mainly the prospect of hunting for an ATM the moment you step off the ship. Who wants to spend who-knows-how-much-time looking for an ATM before heading for the sights??

There's also the question of which ATMs charge & which ATMs don't charge - that needs research with your card issuer to find out who their overseas partners are - and then finding one of those ATMs the moment you step off the ship or wondering how much you'll be charged for accessing your own money.

Add to that the risk of ATMs refusing your card. :(

Or worse, swallowing your card. :eek:

We had that happen once at an all-night automated gas station in a wild and woolly corner of France, and had to hang around until staff turned up next morning. That was no fun.

Using an ATM has its pros & cons, and it's up to the individual to choose

JB :)

(acknowledged technophobe ;))

Either get the appropriate currency in advance or use an ATM ...it is a massive inconvenience to burden the local tourist economy with your USD not to mention being blatantly disrespectful. If I came to your country and wanted to use my GBP's just to save myself time or a slight inconvenience how would you feel about me ? ..... I see this question time and time again and it really gets to me ...I live in a city frequented by cruise ships and I'm so tired of saying "no, we don't accept Euro's and no, we don't accept dollars " ...

John Bull,

Many Thanks for backing up my statement that using ATMS in Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, etc, China, can be quite a "hassle". We would hate to waste our precious time searching for ATMS, it has always been better for us (and we have traveled extensively throughout the world to bring the currency of the country with us. We do a value comparison of cost prior to leaving using the McDonalds menu in whichever country we are visiting and choose the most appropriate smaller denomination of currency. The smaller the denomination of the local currency we have in our possession, the less chance we will have of getting bilked by a vendor. If you rely on the ATMS in foreign countries, they will only spit out the larger denominations. Also, there are fees attached to using those ATMS in other countries and heaven forbid, my card gets eaten up by a machine.

We use a foreign exchange company to buy all of our currency prior to leaving our home country rather than the bank as banks do not carry all the currencies, some have to be ordered,etc. but foreign exchange companies (they are everywhere) will have the currency sitting there or will have it the next day for you.

Either get the appropriate currency in advance or use an ATM ...it is a massive inconvenience to burden the local tourist economy with your USD not to mention being blatantly disrespectful. If I came to your country and wanted to use my GBP's just to save myself time or a slight inconvenience how would you feel about me ? ..... I see this question time and time again and it really gets to me ...I live in a city frequented by cruise ships and I'm so tired of saying "no, we don't accept Euro's and no, we don't accept dollars " ...

The issue is very country dependent. In Vietnam, they encourage you to pay in USD. In many other countries, prices are often quoted both in USD and the local currency and shop owners are pleased to make a little extra via their exchange rate. And as you say, in many other countries it is an inappropriate expectation.

So the OP was correct to ask about specific countries.

It's not so much the using, it's mainly the prospect of hunting for an ATM the moment you step off the ship. Who wants to spend who-knows-how-much-time looking for an ATM before heading for the sights??

 

There's also the question of which ATMs charge & which ATMs don't charge - that needs research with your card issuer to find out who their overseas partners are - and then finding one of those ATMs the moment you step off the ship or wondering how much you'll be charged for accessing your own money.

 

Add to that the risk of ATMs refusing your card. :(

Or worse, swallowing your card. :eek:

We had that happen once at an all-night automated gas station in a wild and woolly corner of France, and had to hang around until staff turned up next morning. That was no fun.

 

Using an ATM has its pros & cons, and it's up to the individual to choose

 

JB :)

(acknowledged technophobe ;))

In India last year our tour guide had to take a fellow traveller to 6 ATMs before they found one with money to dispense, just a normal day. Lol.

Always take some local money for Asian countries, ATMs can be few and far between, not to mention dodgy out of the main tourist areas.