Currency for tips

Hi, question about onboard tips

This is NOT a “should you/do you” tip post! Just want to know best way to do so!

From the US going on New Zealand cruise from Australia in December.

Would prefer to not have to exchange currency to tip.

Would onboard staff be OK with USD? The ship will not be back in US ports until spring so some staff may have rotated off before they get a chance to spend actual US currency.

Or would it be better to get bite the bullet and get some AUD or NZD?

Thoughts?

They will be fine with any currency. They can exchange on board or can save US for when the ship goes back there.

If you aren't going to carry any Aus or NZ currency, what do you plan on doing when you go ashore?

Payment to crew is always done in USD, it does not matter if a ship goes to the US or not.

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As a Canadian I would not get US money unless I was going to the US so I would buy local currency

Hi, question about onboard tips

This is NOT a “should you/do you” tip post! Just want to know best way to do so!

 

From the US going on New Zealand cruise from Australia in December.

Would prefer to not have to exchange currency to tip.

Would onboard staff be OK with USD? The ship will not be back in US ports until spring so some staff may have rotated off before they get a chance to spend actual US currency.

 

Or would it be better to get bite the bullet and get some AUD or NZD?

 

Thoughts?

Tipping on the ship is in US Dollars. You could probably get buy using your credit card and not exchanging any currency, but you might want to think about converting $10/20 on the ship just to have some pocket money for ice cream, sodas, water, and the like. I've found that most places take credit cards, but of course, there are some exceptions.

USD on the ship is the way to go.

If you aren't going to carry any Aus or NZ currency, what do you plan on doing when you go ashore?

Hi, I will get local currency to use ashore. Hoping to avoid extra exchange fees for currency that I use to tip.

Sounds like a reasonable plan so stick with dollars for extra tips.

US$ are always appreciated by the staff. That is what we always use for our extra tips. Enjoy your cruise

Hi, I will get local currency to use ashore. Hoping to avoid extra exchange fees for currency that I use to tip.

Assume you mean that you will get your local cash by using a local ATM, not going to an exchange bureau and actually exchanging cash. Making one or 2 larger withdrawals (for both shore expenses and anticipated tips), will incur fewer ATM user fees than several small ones.

Anyone from the US who travels internationally fairly frequently should have an ATM account at a bank or credit union that doesn't charge FOREX fees (or just a small 1% fee).

We always tip onboard based on the Ports we're sailing to or from. So when sailing from a US port, we tip in USD. In the EU in euros, and from Aus, it would be AUD. Why? Because that's what would be most useful to the crew members when they go ashore, and avoiding the need for them to have to first exchange the money (and incur a loss due to exchange fees).

US$ are always appreciated by the staff. That is what we always use for our extra tips. Enjoy your cruise

You can tip with rupees if you want. They won't turn it down.

Assume you mean that you will get your local cash by using a local ATM, not going to an exchange bureau and actually exchanging cash. Making one or 2 larger withdrawals (for both shore expenses and anticipated tips), will incur fewer ATM user fees than several small ones.

 

Anyone from the US who travels internationally fairly frequently should have an ATM account at a bank or credit union that doesn't charge FOREX fees (or just a small 1% fee).

 

 

 

We always tip onboard based on the Ports we're sailing to or from. So when sailing from a US port, we tip in USD. In the EU in euros, and from Aus, it would be AUD. Why? Because that's what would be most useful to the crew members when they go ashore, and avoiding the need for them to have to first exchange the money (and incur a loss due to exchange fees).

The crew don‘t use the money in local ports, they save most of it and send it back home. If their home is in the Philipines USD is the best option but of course they do not turn diwn Euro or CAD or whatever they can get.

Hi, question about onboard tips

This is NOT a “should you/do you” tip post! Just want to know best way to do so!

 

From the US going on New Zealand cruise from Australia in December.

Would prefer to not have to exchange currency to tip.

Would onboard staff be OK with USD? The ship will not be back in US ports until spring so some staff may have rotated off before they get a chance to spend actual US currency.

 

Or would it be better to get bite the bullet and get some AUD or NZD?

 

Thoughts?

As the currency on board is USD there is no need to obtain any additional AUD or NZD other than what you have planned for your anticipated needs while ashore.

The crew don‘t use the money in local ports, they save most of it and send it back home. ……..

Really not sure I follow the logic of this statement....if the crew doesn't use the money in local ports and they save most of it....where does the remainder go?

Of course the crew (at least some of them) get off in ports and do things and they appreciate local currency to save on exchanging currencies.

Personally we pay the required gratuities in USD; however, any additional gratuities we give to the crew are in the local currency. This past summer we met our dining room servers while on shore and they were certainly spending local currency.

The crew don‘t use the money in local ports, they save most of it and send it back home. If their home is in the Philipines USD is the best option but of course they do not turn diwn Euro or CAD or whatever they can get.

Disagree. Crew get time off in some ports . they take turns and I always ask which day they have off. Sometimes they switch with other crew members. We always give local currency. Last cruise our room attendant was very excited to have cash for food at Burger King in Ireland. He said he was tired of mess food . he even told us everything he ate .. down to the flavour of milkshake.

Disagree. Crew get time off in some ports . they take turns and I always ask which day they have off. Sometimes they switch with other crew members. We always give local currency. Last cruise our room attendant was very excited to have cash for food at Burger King in Ireland. He said he was tired of mess food . he even told us everything he ate .. down to the flavour of milkshake.

Yes for a small amount but most money goes back home. They do not go shopping or eating out in many ports. If a few people give local currency this is fine but not as a general approach. They can change all currency back to USD for transfer e.g. to the Philipines or Indonesia and take all kind of money from you so do whatever you like...

If I was sailing from Southampton or a Mediterranean port, the only currency I would have would be GBP or Euros. Why would I want to tip in $US?

If I was sailing from Southampton or a Mediterranean port, the only currency I would have would be GBP or Euros. Why would I want to tip in $US?

That does not make sense as well, you are right. However, the question was if you should get local currency for tipping depending on where the ship currently goes to.

That does not make sense as well, you are right. However, the question was if you should get local currency for tipping depending on where the ship currently goes to.

Why does it not make sense. If I was going to Australia or New Zealand, I would have local currency and no $US. If you are from USA, you will already have $US. but it is likely that you have some AU$ or NZ$. So you could tip in those currencies.

If I was going to Caribbean I would have purchased $US.

I understand that $US readily accepted here, so no need to purchase local currency.

Likewise if I was going to the Baltics, I would not have $US but there is a good chance that I will have Danish or Swedish currency. I would consider using this for tips bearing in mind that cruise ship would do this itinerary several times.

Why does it not make sense. If I was going to Australia or New Zealand, I would have local currency and no $US. If you are from USA, you will already have $US. but it is likely that you have some AU$ or NZ$. So you could tip in those currencies.

 

 

 

If I was going to Caribbean I would have purchased $US.

 

I understand that $US readily accepted here, so no need to purchase local currency.

 

 

 

Likewise if I was going to the Baltics, I would not have $US but there is a good chance that I will have Danish or Swedish currency. I would consider using this for tips bearing in mind that cruise ship would do this itinerary several times.

Because as explained before the crew does not spend much SEK or similar in those countries and to suggest use of local currency as a general approach does not make sense.

It really makes no difference, US$, Pounds, EU$, Pesos, any legal tender is OK for the crew. They can exchange on the ship, trade with other crew members, or keep and exchange later. On a Australia New Zealand Cruise, the standard currencies will be AU$ or US$.

Because as explained before the crew does not spend much SEK or similar in those countries and to suggest use of local currency as a general approach does not make sense.

How do you know this. If I wasn’t tipping in local currency I would be tipping in GBP or Euros. As Expat Cruise says, it really makes no difference what currency you use.

Yes for a small amount but most money goes back home. They do not go shopping or eating out in many ports. If a few people give local currency this is fine but not as a general approach. They can change all currency back to USD for transfer e.g. to the Philipines or Indonesia and take all kind of money from you so do whatever you like...

Have you not seen the crew members coming back to the ship in every port with bags of groceries???? and other items. Watch the next time you cruise. A lot of money is spent by crew. Many are young single people who are not supporting people at home

We tip using leftover local currency we didn't use during the cruise (past two cruises EU, next cruise would be AU) and supplement with US dollars.

If I was sailing from Southampton or a Mediterranean port, the only currency I would have would be GBP or Euros. Why would I want to tip in $US?

We always tip with our good. US.....’DOLA’ Never ever had any complaints

Bon voyage

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We always tip with our good. US.....’DOLA’ Never ever had any complaints

Bon voyage

 

 

 

 

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Again why would I want to tip in $US if local currency is GBP or Euro. I would have to exchange GBP for a small amount of $US. This adds additional exchange costs.

Never had complaints when offering Euros on Med cruise