Us$ atm

[WesternTrader]

I'm hoping some kind person can help me...

We're on Infinity early next year and our (independent) excursions have asked for payment in US$. Naturally, I’d like to avoid starting the land bit of our trip with loads of cash, but I have never used the on-board ATM machine before and I have a couple of questions:

1) Is it (the on-board ATM) always loaded with US$ even when travelling outside the US & Caribbean (i.e. South America)?

2) Is it reliable enough to guarantee I’ll be able to withdraw the cash I need – in other words is it ever “off-line” or “out of service” and if so, do I have any other options?

Thank you

[Bobocasey]

Depending on where you are traveling, I would try not to use the atm on board since they charge you (I think $8 per transaction). If you are doing a private tour your tour operator should be able to take you to a safe atm. I have used atm's all over the world and have found that most of them you can get the direction in English. Many cruise terminal have atm's in them and you will get a better rate of exchange from them than on the ship plus they will give you the local currency. The atm on board only(I think give money is US currency and then you have to change it to the local currency and you get a crappy rate on board for that.). The only p[ace we had trouble finding an atm that would take our card was in Japan was at the 7-11. We tried many banks and for whatever reason only 7-11 worked.

[4774Papa]

We rarely use the ATM on the ship. I believe the fee is something like $6 to use.

 

Tour companies from South America want $100 bills that are unmarked, not torn or old. I was on a tour where the tour company rejected one of the bills offered by another person on the tour. He had to go to the cashier onboard the ship, come back out and pay his fee.

 

I would not rely on the ATM for this cash. What if the ATM is out of cash, just when you need it?

 

It is a pain to carry all that cash, but we just put it in our safe until the day we need it. If you are carrying it pre-cruise on your person, wear a money belt for security or put it in your hotel safe.

[Been There, Planning That]

Have you considered purchasing US dollar travellers' cheques at home and then having them cashed at the front desk? You might also get a better exchange rate.

 

That has worked for us under similar circumstances and the front desk always seems to have crisp bills on hand.

 

Ruth

[Wine-O]

I wouldn't rely solely on the ship's ATM, nor would I rely on ATM's ashore as they would not dispense Dollars, but only local currency.

 

I would bring the Dollars from home, and you can get Dollars from Guest Relations if you need more on board the ship -- the exchange rate may not be very favorable. If you can get traveler's checks in Dollars, the ship will cash them for you at no charge.

[Essiesmom]

Since you are from the UK, I would think the exchange rate would be favorable for you if you purchase US$ at home before your cruise. You can always stash them in your cabin safe or lock in a suitcase when not needed. EM

[NorbertsNiece]

Definitely only use the onboard ATM in an emergency..... you get charged twice.... once by the ATM owners and once for the exchange from your Credit Card for taking cash / exchange. If you're an M&S cardholder they have preferential rates for those customers in their stores and online. I usually take the local currency & $US with me where appropriate and keep it in the safe, and when it's not been possible to get local currency pre-cruise the tour guide has always been amenable to take me to a local ATM or exchange booth for it.

Edited December 1, 2015 by NorbertsNiece

[WesternTrader]

Thank you all for your words of wisdom

I was planning to use my $ currency card in the ATM, but from some of your comments regarding the machine, that might be a risky strategy.

Plan B then – a fat money belt!

Thanks again for your prompt guidance - your help is appreciated

WT

[cb at sea]

Bring large denominations...easier to carry...and they can break them down on the ship.

[Northern Aurora]

WesternTrader: I assuming that you are on a South American itinerary. We were on the Infinity for a B2B2B series of cruises in South America starting mid-February 2015 in Buenos Aires. Given the "blue" market peso situation in Argentina we actually carried much more American cash than we have ever carried on any other trip. We also were able to purchase traveler's checks (which, quite frankly, weren't that easy to find) which we then cashed on the ship to obtain the US currency we needed for our private shore excursions. The US currency we received from Guest Relations on the Infinity was in great shape with no torn edges or folds.

 

One British couple who also did the B2B2B actually stayed for several days in Florida prior to flying to Buenos Aires, and were able to use ATMs daily to stock up on US dollars.

[WesternTrader]

WesternTrader: I assuming that you are on a South American itinerary. We were on the Infinity for a B2B2B series of cruises in South America starting mid-February 2015 in Buenos Aires. Given the "blue" market peso situation in Argentina we actually carried much more American cash than we have ever carried on any other trip. We also were able to purchase traveler's checks (which, quite frankly, weren't that easy to find) which we then cashed on the ship to obtain the US currency we needed for our private shore excursions. The US currency we received from Guest Relations on the Infinity was in great shape with no torn edges or folds.

 

One British couple who also did the B2B2B actually stayed for several days in Florida prior to flying to Buenos Aires, and were able to use ATMs daily to stock up on US dollars.

 

Thank you Northern Aurora

 

I’d read about the “blue” market in Argentina and was going to ask my guide for some help in exchanging some dollars. I have 10 days of Brazil and Argentina before boarding and was rather hoping to avoid carrying loads of $ bills between hotel safes. As you point out, travellers’ cheques are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain so, as in my previous note, it looks like a fat moneybelt!

If I may trouble you further, from your experience of SA tour operators, are they happy with $100 bills or do they prefer smaller denominations (which I understand could be done on the ship)? Also, did you have any experience of restaurants – do they prefer local currency or will they accept $ bills?

Thanks again

WT

[jan-n-john]

Thank you Northern Aurora

 

I’d read about the “blue” market in Argentina and was going to ask my guide for some help in exchanging some dollars. I have 10 days of Brazil and Argentina before boarding and was rather hoping to avoid carrying loads of $ bills between hotel safes. As you point out, travellers’ cheques are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain so, as in my previous note, it looks like a fat moneybelt!

If I may trouble you further, from your experience of SA tour operators, are they happy with $100 bills or do they prefer smaller denominations (which I understand could be done on the ship)? Also, did you have any experience of restaurants – do they prefer local currency or will they accept $ bills?

Thanks again

WT

 

Can't speak to Argentina specifically but my general experience with restaurant and other local purchases everywhere is that you can generally find places that accept credit cards without much trouble. Therefore, your best bet is to get a CC that does not charge a foreign transaction fee and uses a fair market rate for currency conversion (in the US that is usually the rate publlshed daily in the Wall Street Journal), and just pay with that denominated in the local currency. I assume you can find such a card in the UK. Use that card for all shore purchases possible and that will wind up being the most economical way to go. I can almost guarantee that restaurants which accept dollars will give an exchange rate that is highly unfavorable to you.

 

In my case, I use the Capital One Quicksilver Visa card for overseas purchases. Fair rate, no conversion charge (typically 3% or so on other cards) and 1.5% cash back, so not a bad deal.

Edited December 2, 2015 by jan-n-john

[BSinPNS]

We were on the Infinity in SA earlier this year. Both ATMs dispensed US$20 bills. The charge was $6 per transaction billed as Wells Fargo, Miami. We used the machine twice without problems. Some bills were new, others well worn.

 

Tour operators will only take crisp, unmarked, untorn, $100 bills. In BsAs there is an 18 month wait for safe deposit boxes where customers keep their $100 bills. We had one bill with a small tear at the top and it was refused by the operator. The front desk is willing to exchange, but by the end of the cruise their bills were well worn.

 

We found the exchange rate for credit cards in Argentina to be at the official rate. The blue rate was about 10:1 while the black rate was 12+:1. Caution on the black rate as you are often given counterfeit bills. Many/most restaurants provided the price in Argentinean pesos, but would pencil in the amount for USD. We often got 12:1 by paying USD cash.

 

Bottom line is you will need crisp money in a variety of currencies. In the countries visited - Argentina around the horn to Fort Lauderdale, all preferred US dollars. No need for local currency.

[WesternTrader]

Thank you for yet more words of wisdom from this well-travelled, experienced and fantastic community.

In my planning, I assumed that US$ bills would be attractive to restaurateurs, but on reflection, while using a cc may be slightly less favourable, it would probably be safer and I'd be happier not carrying bundles of bills around!

I can get new bills from my bureau de change Which will satisfy my tour operators and I have a cc that doesn't charge a foreign currency fee.

Time to look for the bucket and spade...

Thanks again

WT

[Jade13]

We have been to South America multiple times and the tour operators all want clean (no tears) US bills. We always carry the cash that we need with us. If you are concerned split it up with your spouse or traveling partner.

 

We do carry a bank card that could be used at an atm, but have never had to use it. Most of the tours we arrange start very early in the morning with a group of 8-10, and everyone is advised to have the correct currency when we leave the ship for that days tour as we always have a packed itinerary and no time to go looking for ATMs or be concerned that one person will not be able to get clean bills out of a machine that the tour operator will accept.

Edited December 5, 2015 by Jade13

[NorbertsNiece]

If using your CC abroad please don't let it out of your sight when paying for food etc...... I've had a card cloned.... only happened once but was a lesson learnt.....

 

Edited : Actually the word 'abroad' could be anywhere.....

Edited December 5, 2015 by NorbertsNiece

[Northern Aurora]

Thank you Northern Aurora

 

....

 

If I may trouble you further, from your experience of SA tour operators, are they happy with $100 bills or do they prefer smaller denominations (which I understand could be done on the ship)? Also, did you have any experience of restaurants – do they prefer local currency or will they accept $ bills?

Thanks again

WT

 

Since I was traveling with my husband and we did the same private shore excursions. Depending on the price of the excursion, we would pay with generally one US$100 bill, a US$50 bill and then the number of $20 bills to reach the amount of the shore excursion and tip. I don't remember if any of our private shore excursions were over US$100 per person, with most in the $60 to $80 per person range.

 

It was actually quite surprising how many places, including restaurants, accepted US currency, and in the case of Argentina, preferred US currency. For example, when checking in to our small boutique hotel in Buenos Aires we were offered three options for payment: one price if we paid in US currency, one price if we paid in AR pesos and of course the price if we left the hotel bill on the credit card (no foreign transaction) we had used to secure the reservation. The cheapest price for us was actually the price quoted in US currency.

[SPacificbound]

We spent 42 nights on Infinity Feb-March this year. We spent some time prior to the cruise on some land/air travel mainly Iguazu Falls.

 

In Argentina there is the bank rate, the blue rate, and the black rate. You don't want to ever do the black rate.

 

Exchanging at the blue rate however can be quite a savings as long as you are dealing with a reputable business.

 

We took enough US dollars, all of it in pristine condition, most of it in $100.

I called our bank and placed an order so I could get the pristine condition bills.

 

When we arrived in Buenos Aires we exchanged enough of it at the blue rate to pay our hotels and other expenses in Argentine Pesos. This was a good savings since the hotel charged us in Argentine Pesos instead of USD.

 

The tour operators mostly wanted the $100.

 

This all sounded crazy to me in the beginning but that was how it was, and it all worked out fine.

 

I hope one of the places you are going is Iguazu Falls!