Currency advice on the Cuban Fusion Discovery 2

Visiting

Jamica (probably no time to do anything)

Cuba and Mexico

We normally use the ship excursions, and then also like to have a walk off ship if close to the town.

Not sure what to do about currency if we fancy a coffe, snack, or to get some supplies in the supermarkets

Any thoughts?

US dollars everywhere so makes it easy with the exception of Havana

Here you have to exchange in the port building for Cuban tourist currency I have used dollars and sterling to exchange in the past but maybe someone who has been recently can say which gets the best exchange (as we go in 2 weeks again) If you have any left you can change it back - it cannot be used anywhere else and cannot be exchanged once outside of Cuba

Havana is very safe and easy to get around even late at night so we just visit the bars and see the fabulous musicians now but on our first visit we did an evening trip to the cafe parisienne others went to the cocacabana - check these out on line During the day get a taxi or a horse and carriage ride from the square across the road from port exit or again take an excursion to the cigar factory etc if that's your thing

Hope this helps

Best to exchange gbp in Cuba as there is a 10% penalty on exchanging US dollars. You can exchange euros at no extra penalty if you have them. Spend all your Cuban currency as you will lose out on exchanging your money back.

To change in Cuba, £20 and £10 notes, must be clean and unmarked. Havana is lovely to walk around. The history is amazing.

Much as others have posted.....

USD for Jamaica & Mexico.

Exchange rates on the ship are very poor, and ATMs in port might only dispense local currency.

So buy before you go from the usual suspects - M&S, post office, Tesco, Sainsbury etc or on-line.

Particularly with on-line, make sure its not gonna be all high-denomination bills (eg $50)

If you use Sainsbury (mebbe others) buy click-and-collect on-line - the walk-up rates in Sainsbury's are poorer than their click-and-collect. When you've ordered on-line, phone your collect store & ask them to include low-denomination bills like $1's and $5's. This is because shops which deal predominantly with locals do accept USD (and not at rip-off exchange rates) but give change in local shrapnel - so if you use a $20 bill for a $3 icecream, that $20 bill will get you the $3 icecream and a pocketful of souvenir shrapnel.:eek:

From other posts it sounds like I'm not out-of-date on Cuban CUC - that's Cuban tourist pesos, different to local pesos.

Exchange facility in the cruise terminal, simplest to tender cash rather than card, and use your home currency (presumably sterling) rather than USD to avoid a double-dose of exchange commissions.

About a five minute walk up-stream (turn left out of the cruise terminal) is a huge covered market. Lots of tourist tat but some interesting stuff too. Useful for your last hour ashore to use up your left-over CUC.

The terminal in Havana is easily walkable to the city centre, and there's a hop-on bus stop close to the terminal. No need to do ship's excursion.

JB :)

John Bull - Cuban Fusion has an overnight stop in Havana and you cannot get into the Cafe Parisienne or Cocacabana easily if at all if you're not on an organised trip which is why I recommended it if they wanted to to visit either of these venues and as I said if they don't then they can visit the hundreds of bars with music on their own

John Bull - Cuban Fusion has an overnight stop in Havana and you cannot get into the Cafe Parisienne or Cocacabana easily if at all if you're not on an organised trip which is why I recommended it if they wanted to to visit either of these venues and as I said if they don't then they can visit the hundreds of bars with music on their own

Hi VS,

The Cocacabana (the hottest place north of Havana according to Barry Manilow) is in NYC

Are you thinking of the Tropicana?

But my post wasn't responding to yours.

My "no need to do ship's excursion" was in response to the OP's "we normally use the ship's excursions". Hop-on bus, tour in a classic 1950's US gas-guzzler, museums, exploring on shanks's, lots of restaurants & bars with music, I think we both agree these things are all fun & easy to DIY.

So no need for you to be defensive (not for the first time) cos I wasn't referring to the Tropicana, which I'd agree warrants.pre-booking. We went there decades ago but we were pretty under-whelmed.

JB :)

JB sorry if I sounded a bit abrupt - a problem with texting etc I think

Lol yes of course it's the Tropicana and yes we were underwhelmed too and wet!!!

Yes and everything else is easy to DIY as you say

We're snowed in are you? ☃️⛄️

We're snowed in are you? ☃️⛄️

Snow?

What snow? :D

We have a mini-climate on the coast, sheltered by the Hampshire Downs & the Isle of Wight.

The last visit from the Beast which caused so much grief elsewhere gave us an afternoon of snow, which was gone 24 hours later.

Forecast for tomorrow but I doubt it'll stick around.

Time you moved south ;p

JB :)

Thanks for all your advice :D

JB lucky you actually I love snow but now with so many cars on the roads and drivers not used to driving in it we worry about all the accidents So we hope it's gone by the time people go back to work

Would never move south although I love to visit - so expensive to live there now I feel sorry for all the young people with sky high house prices Children of friends of mine who live in the south fortunately have good jobs but massive mortgages and say they'll live like millionaires when they retire and move back home

Haylau do you go 3rd April? If so we'll be there too it's our fourth Cuban Fusion and a great cruise We stay on for the journey back to the Med can't wait

we are also on Cuban Fusion and staying on for the Atlantic Discovery looking forward to Cuba and some sunshine may see you on plane or on board

we are also on Cuban Fusion and staying on for the Atlantic Discovery looking forward to Cuba and some sunshine may see you on plane or on board

I’m dead jealous.

Haylau do you go 3rd April? If so we'll be there too it's our fourth Cuban Fusion and a great cruise We stay on for the journey back to the Med can't wait ����������

Yep, but just the week for us.