Exchange rate on board

[HighlandGirlEB]

Going on RC Navigator in June to east med.

 

Trying to decide how to pay for my online purchase and looking at the differnt exchange rates etc.

 

Just looking for advise from fellow Uk ers.

 

I will be cruising on a very tight budget, ive pre paid my tips and we have $200 free onboard spend with Royal Caribbean.

 

Previous cruise onboard was in £ so was no problem.

 

I really like to use cash and keep my debit card as an emergency back up as then i like to think i wont over spend. Once its gone its gone kinda thing.

 

So i expect to spend maybe another £100 onboard spend during the week and yet i know the ship works in $. So what do you think is the best way to get best value for my money?

 

Take £ and pay at the desk in cash and let them convert it to $ using their exchange rate?

 

Pay by card and get the exchange rate from $ to £ that way.

 

Or exchange my £ to $ back home before i go?

 

Just wondered if others had experience of how "bad" the onship exchange rates are. I do realise they do change every day and we cant be exact :)

 

Thanks

[Kamloops50]

Going on RC Navigator in June to east med.

 

Trying to decide how to pay for my online purchase and looking at the differnt exchange rates etc.

 

Just looking for advise from fellow Uk ers.

 

I will be cruising on a very tight budget, ive pre paid my tips and we have $200 free onboard spend with Royal Caribbean.

 

Previous cruise onboard was in £ so was no problem.

 

I really like to use cash and keep my debit card as an emergency back up as then i like to think i wont over spend. Once its gone its gone kinda thing.

 

So i expect to spend maybe another £100 onboard spend during the week and yet i know the ship works in $. So what do you think is the best way to get best value for my money?

 

Take £ and pay at the desk in cash and let them convert it to $ using their exchange rate?

 

Pay by card and get the exchange rate from $ to £ that way.

 

Or exchange my £ to $ back home before i go?

 

Just wondered if others had experience of how "bad" the onship exchange rates are. I do realise they do change every day and we cant be exact :)

 

Thanks

 

The best exchange rate will always be your local bank. I would buy US$ before leaving of the cruise. You could always buy another OBC up to a given amount . I always buy OBC's to the amount that expect to spent including excursions , gratuities and misc purchases (wine , perfume(DW) and presents for the Grand kids). Any excess will be returned in cash or to your Credit card (debit card).

[John Bull]

Going on RC Navigator in June to east med.

 

Trying to decide how to pay for my online purchase and looking at the differnt exchange rates etc.

 

Just looking for advise from fellow Uk ers.

 

I will be cruising on a very tight budget, ive pre paid my tips and we have $200 free onboard spend with Royal Caribbean.

 

Previous cruise onboard was in £ so was no problem.

 

I really like to use cash and keep my debit card as an emergency back up as then i like to think i wont over spend. Once its gone its gone kinda thing.

 

So i expect to spend maybe another £100 onboard spend during the week and yet i know the ship works in $. So what do you think is the best way to get best value for my money?

 

Take £ and pay at the desk in cash and let them convert it to $ using their exchange rate?

Lousy exchange rate, 5% or more lower than high street bureaux

 

Pay by card and get the exchange rate from $ to £ that way.

Yes with a credit card.

Yes with a debit card - unless you run a low bank balance, because although it won't be debitted til the end of the cruise, the ship will put a daily "hold" on your account. And that "hold" stays against funds until a week or so after your cruise even after your card has been charged, so for a while approx. double your on-board spend is unavailable to you. Ask the cruise line how much the daily hold is.

With either - at some point during your cruise you'll be asked, usually on a form, if you'd like the ship to convert the bill from $ to the currency of your card, £. DECLINE, because the rate will be lousy, and there may be a conversion charge as well.. Leave your card to be charged in $ & allow your card company or bank to convert to £ at a much better rate. Typically 3% better than the high street. Some credit cards don't charge to convert - Halifax Clarity, Capital One, Post Office & others.

 

Or exchange my £ to $ back home before i go?

Yes. But I doubt you'll accurately calculate how much you'll spend.

 

Just wondered if others had experience of how "bad" the onship exchange rates are. I do realise they do change every day and we cant be exact :)

 

Thanks

 

Get euros before you cruise, at the best rate you can find from the usual suspects - Tesco, M&S, Tesco, on-line etc.

Or, depending on your bank's foreign use charges, from ATMs abroad using your debit card . NB interest is charged from day 1 on credit card cash advances.

Again, don't buy from the ship - and especially using sterling cos it'll be a double transaction, £ to $, then those $ to €. That's the way it's done, so a double dose of lousy rates.

 

If you have no use for left-over euros (notes only), you can pay them into your on-board account. Lousy rate but a single transaction & saves changing them back at home.

 

Complicated, innit :confused:

 

JB :)

[insidecabin]

Get a CC with low costs on forien transactions, I use nationwide, 0% loading in €, 1% on $.

 

Another option is to check the OBC purchase before you go, on some lines the rate is only set every few months so you can win if the rate has moved since it was set.

 

For € spends ashore, probably best to get cash before you go, carry some £ as a backuop and change in port not on the ship.

 

Sometime I have found that fellow pax will do a swap.

 

 

Also get onto roll call for your cruise.

[suekay]

I have a post office credit card which I only use for foreign transactions as there is no fee anywhere in the world. Good exchange rate too. Don't let the ship convert your account to dollars you'll get a better rate from the credit card company. I pay it off in full when the CD bill arrives so no interest payable. I take some Euros and dollars from our local 'payday loan shop' as they give the best rates - just hope nobody sees me going in :-) I also use my Nationwide debit card in foreign ATMs to get cash abroad

 

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