Currency Exchange on Board Ships

Just looking for some advise, no doubt for most people trying to plan how much spending money to have is always a headache.

I already know that I will need GBP on board the ships and doing the Med cruise will need Euros at ports. But just need some guidance on the following;

- Do the ships by Marella have currency exchange facilities on board?

- I am best exchanging before I go to get a better rate?

All answers are appreciated.

:D

You don't spend on board it is a cashless system,you give your card details or leave cash when you board and get a bill at the end ,night before usually,exchange rate on board I find is very poor ,try your bank to see if they will match the best offer,hope you have a good cruise .

Don't know if you are calling at Gib but if so it's Sterling that you get the best deals with[emoji6]

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You could use an ATM ashore?

If you are calling at gib ,brandy ,and the rest of spirits are £7 in plastic bottles,cigs are a lot cheaper just before you get back on board.always haggle in gib ,I don't usually but I got the wife a new wedding ring,engagement ring for a decent price, just need to go on another cruise to have a blessing at sea enjoy your cruise

- I am best exchanging before I go to get a better rate?

The Barclaycard Platinum Travel credit card is top choice - https://www.barclaycard.co.uk/personal/credit-cards/platinum-travel-credit-card

The Starling debit card is another winner - https://www.starlingbank.com/blog/best-card-for-travel-money/

That is administered via an app on smartphones etc. - works a treat on my old iPad and even better on the iPhone

A Metrobank debit card is also a fee free deal where Euros are concerned, and you can now apply online - https://www.metrobankonline.co.uk/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw5-TXBRCHARIsANLixNxNJYU3fYEMS7Ae7-mv0kATyfmAaTDxJXEFnJuXditACodzYgiErMsaAk7nEALw_wcB

Don't exchange onboard at the ship's FX rate - it's very unfavourable.

just back from spirit, present rate onboard is 1.10 euro to the pound, just for small quatities and the sheer convenience of it its not that bad, you really need to be buying a few hundred at home to get up around 1.12, plenty shops ashore were only offering 1.08

If you are calling at gib ,brandy ,and the rest of spirits are £7 in plastic bottles,cigs are a lot cheaper just before you get back on board.always haggle in gib ,I don't usually but I got the wife a new wedding ring,engagement ring for a decent price, just need to go on another cruise to have a blessing at sea enjoy your cruise

spirits up the street are the cheapest if you shop around ,cigs are no longer cheap in gib, they have raised the tax so much they are now only any good to the spanish migrant workers, also i would not risk buying up the street any more for the fear of fakes they are smuggling in, the ACTUAL duty free shop in the terminal shoul be able to undercut the rest easy but are just too greedy.best buy for cigs was malaga port duty free shop,about £20 ,rolling baccy best is cadiz duty free , amber leaf 80 euro for 20 x 50g, gv 90euro for 20 x 50g, the duty free shop opened on spirit last week and the prices even with any offers are crap and easily beaten ashore

A cruise director once told me they buy the cheap booze in morrisons because you can guarantee it is not counterfeit and won't send you blind.

I found morrisons dear compared to some of the other shops,we got b&h for my mate at £22 a carton in the duty free shop all the named spirt bottles we got from a shop we go to all the time when we have called there, I saw b& h at Malaga airport at£33 but I only ever bring two cartons back ,the euro rate you got was quite good,hope you had a good cruise.