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Currencies


AmandaLMcL
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Obviously Euros and USD are the main currencies, but there are some countries that don't seem to accept these. We tend to visit the markets and street stalls in the port towns rather than the big duty free or chain stores. Can anyone advise on currencies accepted in:

India, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, PNG, KL, Sri Lanka, UAE, Oman.

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Obviously Euros and USD are the main currencies, but there are some countries that don't seem to accept these. We tend to visit the markets and street stalls in the port towns rather than the big duty free or chain stores. Can anyone advise on currencies accepted in:

India, Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, PNG, KL, Sri Lanka, UAE, Oman.

 

Off hand, I don’t know that I can list the actual currency names in each of those countries, but they all prefer local currency. We got an ATM card with no exchange fees or ATM fees (Schwab has one, for example) and used that to get money out of the ATMs where we needed to pay for tours in local currency ... we aren’t shoppers, so didn’t need money for markets. Fiji, by the way, accepted Australian dollars.

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Off hand, I don’t know that I can list the actual currency names in each of those countries, but they all prefer local currency. We got an ATM card with no exchange fees or ATM fees (Schwab has one, for example) and used that to get money out of the ATMs where we needed to pay for tours in local currency ... we aren’t shoppers, so didn’t need money for markets. Fiji, by the way, accepted Australian dollars.

 

We have always found on HAL that the front desk will have a supply of local currencies, and we will get them as needed. For the small of shopping that we might do in these ports, the exchange rate is immaterial.

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Some cruise lines will bring local currency exchange people on board at the first port in a new country. What I did was exchange any leftover of the last currency for the new currency. That way you don't wind up with a commission or fee to exchange the leftover back to your home currency (if you can exchange it at all). You're paying commission or fees for the new exchange, but you'd be paying it anyway no matter what you're exchanging.

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  • 4 months later...

Just look online for what currencies are used in those countries and obtain a small amount from your local bank if you really want it on hand. We obtained a few local currencies for some ports where we were multiple days and I had private tours scheduled...Australia dollars, Singapore , Hong Kong, Cambodia, etc. But the ship will easily provide small amounts of local currencies. (for a price)...no real need to worry.

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On our last WC - 2015 Sun Princess, DW carried Sterling, US, Euro, Australian and in addition she had about $20 in local currency for every other country we visited (provide RBC had access to the currency). Although the dollar amounts are small, RBC provides vastly superior rates to the ship, or foreign currency exchange dealers.

 

While cruising we find most stores will accept VISA & US$, and most street vendors will accept local currency or US$. Obviously you can bargain better, if using local currency. On return we had very little local currency remaining, so exchange losses were minimal.

 

On our next WC in 2020, we will carry Sterling, Euro, US, Australia, New Zealand, India (land tour) and Egypt (land tour), plus small amounts for each of the other countries.

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On our last WC - 2015 Sun Princess, DW carried Sterling, US, Euro, Australian and in addition she had about $20 in local currency for every other country we visited (provide RBC had access to the currency). Although the dollar amounts are small, RBC provides vastly superior rates to the ship, or foreign currency exchange dealers.

 

Can you tell us what "RBC" stands for? - Thanks!

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  • 3 months later...
Surely you can use ATM's to get the currency you need for most places? I'm not sure I see the necessity to get all these currencies in advance?

 

With limited time in port and the remoteness of many ports, we have no desire to spend time looking for an ATM using the "Plus" system. Getting currency in advance works for DW.

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With limited time in port and the remoteness of many ports, we have no desire to spend time looking for an ATM using the "Plus" system. Getting currency in advance works for DW.

 

That is exactly my thinking.

 

Also, I live "in dread" of the problems that I would face if the ATM "ate" my ATM card in a foreign port.

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