To those who have cruised to SA

[herbanrenewal]

I made final payment today for my January cruise on Infinity from BA to Valparaiso so I'm trying to get all financial arrangements organized.

 

Does anyone have any idea if its okay to tip in US$ when in Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile?

With all the talk of the economy in Argentina, and better rates on the street than from the banks, I'm thinking dollars may be worth more but is the problem only in BA or is the same thing true in other ports?

It certainly would be easier to not have to convert three currencies, but I want to be sure $ would be appropriate. Tours are prepaid.

[Kellie Poodle]

You will love that cruise. We did.

 

We stayed in a hotel in BA for three nights before the cruise. We used a credit card and put the tips on it when we ate dinner at restaurants.

 

I had pre-paid for a private tour on one day and a Viator bus tour on another day. We were there for New Years Eve and the hotel arranged for us and some other guests to go to a Tango club for New Years Eve festivities. Paid that on the credit card, too. Had the time of my life!

 

We did bring currency with us that we got from our bank and we used that for buying small items and some shopping at the Recoletta craft day. We also used currency for a cab tour at one port and for tipping tour guides on the private excursions we took.

[Phxazzcruisers]

They will be happy with any tips you give them whether in local currency or US$. It is a wonderful cruise. Enjoy

[shipshape sam]

We tipped in local currency on our 2 trips to SA. Did not get a sense of people wanting US$, but then we were not specifically looking.

 

I would think though they would be okay with US$. Not sure how they exchange them easy or if everyone keeps up with the ever changing exchange rate.

 

Have a great trip. We enjoyed both our trips. You go from summer to fall to to potentially winter and then the reverse.

[alcpa1]

The only country that I can speak of is Chile. We found that they preferred their currency and since you will have multiple stops incountry you might want to exchange to the Chilean peso.

If you do decide to only tip in dollars in Chile be aware that in South America new, unmarked and unfolded US currency is highly recommended. We saw used bills turned away from street vendors as well as restaurants.

I realize you only mentioned tips but I can't imagine you not purchasing a trinket or two or purchasing a cold drink etc.

In addition please be aware of the possibility, and I emphasize possibility, that Chile will enforce the reciprocity fee for cruise passengers from certain countries, including the US and Canada. The Chilean parliament has passed the fee but never acted upon it. Keep an eye open, just in case. It was $160 USD this year. At the current time it is only applicable to passengers on flights entering Chile through Santiago.

I hope you are staying in Santiago/Valparaiso for a couple of days following your cruise. It's quite lovely.

If you wander through posts from previous SA cruises you should find specific details about currency. If you have not joined the Roll Call for your sailing please do so. The answers you seek may be there as well.

[Keith1010]

In all three countries you can generally use US dollars.

 

There might be some places that do not take them.

 

Speaking of valuables, leave your jewelry on the ship and do not flash money on the street in places such as Argentina. Use a travel wallet and just watch your personal belongings carefully.

 

We love South America and have visited there often as recently as earlier this year but these are places to be very careful on the street and again leave your jewelry on the ship and just take what you need with you.

 

Keith

[grayjay]

We were on this year's cruise to Antarctica on "Infinity" and stayed for a few days in Buenos Aires before and afterwards. US$ were eagerly accepted almost anywhere as it is getting a kind of (inofficial) secondary currency because of the high inflation rate in Argentina. We brought $$ with us ( we need them anyway on the ship for tips) and changed as much as we needed in our hotel where we got a much better exchange rate . Warning: it is not advisable to try this on the street as you might get cheated! We could pay with US$ in many shops or restaurants and paid our pre-booked taxi with $ as well - it was cheaper this way than using the credit card which uses the official exchange rate. We only used the credit card for bigger amounts and the hotel bill .

We paid with Argentina's currency whenever in a small restaurant, for regular taxis, small items like water bottles , post cards etc. and then tipped accordingly in that currency. But we noticed ( or were asked for US currency) quite often that a lot of people were happy to get US$ ( or Euros even) . Once some of our money got wet in Iguazu and this was not taken when dried out because it was not crisp and new enough - the taxi driver who brought us to the airport told us it wouldn't be accepted at the bank if he tried to hand it in.We could have paid with both US$ or Euros in all of the ports , as well as with credit cards.

We brought mostly 50 and 20$ bills for exchange and small bills for tipping - I usually take a stack anyway to give away as extra tips on the cruise ship. Be aware that as in many big cities all over the world there might be pickpockets trying to take your money off you - never wear anything valuable on your person, leave most of your cash in the hotel safe or in a really safe place on your person. We took these sensible precaution and really felt totally safe in Buenos Aires - but of course we didn't venture out in the seedier parts of the city especially at night!

Enjoy your cruise - it's a great place to be.... We'll be back in March...

[herbanrenewal]

thanks to all who have answered.

We wont be arriving in BA until day one of cruise - its docked for an overnigher.

so no hotel stay this trip - not a recommended practice but the fates have it this way. I figure i need a cab from the airport to the pier for our afternoon arrival, then cabs in to and out of town for a couple of free walking tours the next day with tips the only other expense for the walking tours.

 

all of our ports have tours planned and paid for, so tips will be the only additional costs. any meals will be paid by credit card hopefully. Im not big on souvenirs - my photos are my favorite reminders of trips

 

when we dock in Valparaiso we've a paid tour to Santiago where we will meet up with my best friend's cousin who lives there. I know i will need Chilean pesos then, but I will also have a local to help with non-credit card transactions

[Phxazzcruisers]

In that case I would seriously advise you to get some local currency for the cabs. You do not want to use a credit card in a cab. You can get local currency at the airport from a bank ATM. A LOT of credit card fraud happens in cabs when you cannot machine swipe your card, but instead they write down the number or use a machine to copy your card onto the paper like we used to do here.

Again, enjoy your cruise

[shipshape sam]

In that case I would seriously advise you to get some local currency for the cabs. You do not want to use a credit card in a cab. You can get local currency at the airport from a bank ATM. A LOT of credit card fraud happens in cabs when you cannot machine swipe your card, but instead they write down the number or use a machine to copy your card onto the paper like we used to do here.

Again, enjoy your cruise

 

If you have the opportunity, try and get some local currency in the US prior to leaving. There are exchanges in a number of US airports or even at some banks, depending on where you live.

 

I like local currency as I then am not dependent on exchange rate and discussing that with vendor, which I have done in past. Vendors tend to not give a good 'exchange rate' when using US$ in our experience. :)

 

Best option is to have both, then you have flexibility to go best way for you and them.

[Phxazzcruisers]

If you have the opportunity, try and get some local currency in the US prior to leaving. There are exchanges in a number of US airports or even at some banks, depending on where you live.

 

I like local currency as I then am not dependent on exchange rate and discussing that with vendor, which I have done in past. Vendors tend to not give a good 'exchange rate' when using US$ in our experience. :)

 

Best option is to have both, then you have flexibility to go best way for you and them.

 

I actually work for a bank and know that if I use an ATM in the local country I will get a much better exchange rate. They also usually do not charge a fee. One must check with their bank if they will charge a fee for the foreign ATM use. If they do, it might be better to purchase currency from their bank before they leave. Never buy foreign currency from airports booths or exchange stores. Their rates are horrible !!!

[sddsddean]

I figure i need a cab from the airport to the pier for our afternoon arrival

 

If you haven't done it already, I strongly recommend you pre book your airport taxi, as the airport is rife with touts etc. We used http://www.taxiezeiza.com.ar/eng a couple of years ago and many other cruisers have too. Their booth is just outside the arrivals hall door and they will have your name up on an A4 sheet on the side of the booth, so you can point if your Spanish is a bit rusty!! Just so you know, although the prices on the website say $, they mean pesos!

 

Simon

[shipshape sam]

I actually work for a bank and know that if I use an ATM in the local country I will get a much better exchange rate. They also usually do not charge a fee. One must check with their bank if they will charge a fee for the foreign ATM use. If they do, it might be better to purchase currency from their bank before they leave. Never buy foreign currency from airports booths or exchange stores. Their rates are horrible !!!

 

Guess you are lucky. I have had major bank charge an exchange fee in US. I am not talking a lot of money, especially for the convince of having local currency, so the fee which for us was 3% amounted to a few $ on the $200 we got. I am sure the fees at the airport are much higher, but it is an option as is the foreign ATM.

[SixOneTwo]

There is an ATM at the airport. Or at least there was one there when we visited a couple of years ago. At that time it was conveniently located near baggage claim. You can ask any airport personnel for help finding it.

 

Also, be aware that the reason the locals are so concerned about the condition of your currency is that there is extensive counterfeiting. So you may be a victim of receiving phony cash if you're not careful. I would suggest that if you bring US dollars, that you bring small bills and pay in denominations that reduce your need to receive any kind of change back. Our hotel was very concerned about this matter and warned us repeatedly.

 

As for needing a cab in Buenos Aires, you get that by going to a central kiosk inside the airport and pre-paying. You can pay with a credit card there if you want. They assign a particular taxi to you. The only amount you will need after that is a small tip. There will be a guide who will take you to your cab from that kiosk and s/he will expect a small tip, too. I'm not sure if that "guide" was officially associated with the cab business, but they are pleasant and helpful and definitely worth a small token of thanks. It was not my impression that getting a cab at the airport was possible any other way. Again, assuming this is still the case since our visit a couple of years ago.

[SixOneTwo]

PS, you're going to LOVE this cruise.

[herbanrenewal]

If you haven't done it already, I strongly recommend you pre book your airport taxi, as the airport is rife with touts etc. We used http://www.taxiezeiza.com.ar/eng a couple of years ago and many other cruisers have too. Their booth is just outside the arrivals hall door and they will have your name up on an A4 sheet on the side of the booth, so you can point if your Spanish is a bit rusty!! Just so you know, although the prices on the website say $, they mean pesos!

 

Simon

 

thanks - i just emailed them so i should be all set.

 

i have also read of a free shuttle to a jewelry store from the port. has anyone tried this?

[SixOneTwo]

I consulted my travel journal about our SA trip and here's the first two paragraphs I wrote about arriving in Buenos Aires.

 

Our first order of business was obtaining local currency at an ATM at the airport. Leave the luggage claim area, walk through the tour / remise desk area, past the large taxi kiosk. At the right is the ticketing area, straight ahead is a bank of doors to the outside and to the left is a shop, a post office and an ATM. If you’re planning to send postcards home, you may want to buy stamps at the post office here, as they are not that easy to find in the city. We were successful in getting cash at the ATM machine and proceeded to the taxi kiosk.

 

A taxi to our hotel, the Marriott Plaza in the Microcenter area of town was 98 ARG, or about $33 USD. You pre-pay at the kiosk, the staff radios a driver and a porter escorts you through the busy ticketing area to the ground transportation area where you meet your driver. The porter is not shy about asking for a tip; ours even suggested an amount. We didn’t comply, he received 2 ARG. The taxi drive was quite long; perhaps 30 minutes; making us feel much better about what we originally thought was a steep price. The taxi was in good shape with working seat belts, air conditioning, etc.

[brazilgirl]

To tell you the truth , tipping is not really the norm in South America. I live here ( in Brazil ) and have traveled to Chile , Peru , Argentina , Ecuador , Paraguay and Uruguay ( on several occasions) .

 

In restaurants , the tip is already included in the bill. South Americans do not tip over that amount on the bill.

 

In taxis , you can round up , but no need to tip extra unless you have a lot of luggage and want to tip extra.

 

As for porters , it is nice to give a little something , but much less than the expected in the US.

 

If tips are solicited , it is because the expectation is that Americans tip , not because it is part of the culture here. Actually , that is pretty true in many countries around the world. :)

 

I am American and tip accordingly in the US , but follow local customs in each country I visit.

 

It is better to tip in local currency.