money question Med. cruise

[katyb405]

Question: what are should we bring in terms of money?

 

We are going on the 12-day Canival liberty mediterranean cruise.

 

I know on the ship you use your sail & sign card to pay for everything.

 

Off the ship will you be buying EURO's to pay for things or credit cards? If bringing Euro's how much? I was hoping to pay with credit card as I assume most places will take it and then bring a minimal amount of Euro's for anywhere that doesn't.

 

Is there any need for American money at all?

 

Thanks for your input!!

[cruisead]

Don't take a lot of cash. Credit cards are great because you get a better rate of exchange by the credit card company when they convert the charge. Usually just a small amount of local money will do if you want to buy small things like snacks or tips for tour guides. We take maybe $100 in Euros

[CoolKath]

You do get a better exchange rate with a Credit card, but check with your issuer about any fees for using the card overseas. Visa started charging all the companies 1% Foreign Currency conversion fee in April, which is in addition to the usual 2% cards already calculate into the exchange rate. The 2-3% is often incorporated into the credit card exchange rate, so you don't really see it. But, I've seen it as an additional charge lately, too. (which is confusing and alarming when you don't know what it is.) Just a heads up.

[navybaby]

I've lived in Europe for nearly 2 years. Europeans are slowly starting to accept US-issued credit cards, but it's still not nearly as universal as it in the US. On a more positive note, most of your stops will likely be in touristy areas, where cruise traffic is common. The majority of these shops will accept Visa/MC (Good luck with AMEX or Discover). Just keep in mind that if you travel away from these central 'touristy' areas, you may run into problems. When you can, use your card - you do get a much better exchange rate!

 

On a slightly unrelated note -- make sure your pin number for your ATM/debit card is 4-digit numeric ONLY. I've yet to find a European ATM (and I've visited nearly a dozen countries) that accepts more than 4 numbers for a PIN.:eek:

[Juliadlf]

Question: what are should we bring in terms of money?

 

We are going on the 12-day Canival liberty mediterranean cruise.

 

I know on the ship you use your sail & sign card to pay for everything.

 

Off the ship will you be buying EURO's to pay for things or credit cards? If bringing Euro's how much? I was hoping to pay with credit card as I assume most places will take it and then bring a minimal amount of Euro's for anywhere that doesn't.

 

Is there any need for American money at all?

 

We are also doing the Liberty 12 day cruise. Although first time cruisers, we have visited Europe many times.

We typically like to bring about 300 euros and then get more when needed. We use this for the cafes, small purchases, entrance fees, tipping,etc.

We use credit card for major expenses.

Some places in Europe may not take a credit card but they will take US$. However the store will convert the amount from Euros to US$ using what exchange rate they are given.

We typically have euros left over from a previous trip so that gets us started with at least pocket change for the next trip.