Currency exchange information for NCL Epic voyages

[Into Cruising]

I would appreciate any input on the process of currency exchange while on a European Cruise.

 

Are Euro's absolutely necessary?

 

Should I take Euro's with me, or exchange on the ship?

 

Does anyone take US Dollars in any of the ports?

 

Any advice will be appreciated, as I leave the first week in February.

 

I can officially say I will be cruising "next month" !!!

[casofilia]

Are Euro's absolutely necessary? If you are intending to spend on land then I would carry Euros. These are only useful in some countries; many not all. Especially not in Scandinavia or the UK.

 

Should I take Euro's with me, or exchange on the ship? Take with you the exchange rate on the ship will be a lot worse. You would be better to buy in a bank in the country you are in than on the boat.

Does anyone take US Dollars in any of the ports? Probably but again the exchange rate would be in their favour. :D

 

HTH, we always buy our currency in New Zealand where we live as the rate is better than trying to exchange NZD abroad where they have no use for them!! It might be different for USD.

 

Mike

[Manbo]

I would appreciate any input on the process of currency exchange while on a European Cruise.

 

Are Euro's absolutely necessary?

 

Should I take Euro's with me, or exchange on the ship?

 

Does anyone take US Dollars in any of the ports?

 

Any advice will be appreciated, as I leave the first week in February.

 

I can officially say I will be cruising "next month" !!!

 

I am sure that you will get a lot of comments, but here are mine.

1. Take a credit card with no international transaction fees.

2. exchanging cash at an air port is expensive

3. Your local bank should give you a much better rate. Call them and tell them how much you need. Get more than you expect to spend, easier to refund, than if you run short in Europe.

4. I don't think the ship exchanges cash. The casino might payout in Euros but not a large sum.

5. Some folks go to AAA for money exchange, but unless you live in a very big city, call them 2-3 weeks in advance of your trip.

 

have fun!

[CruisinMaterial]

Easiest thing to do is notify your bank provider that you will be doing ONE withdrawal from your ATM card while abroad to avoid bank fees. Depending on what US bank you have, you're likely going to get a crappy exchange rate if you do it here. Withdrawing from an ATM in Spain, you get the day's current exchange rate (when I went in November it was 1.07USD to 1EU) and pay a foreign ATM fee to the bank you withdrew from and your bank. It works out much better than going to your bank state-side, exchanging at a Travelex or any other company in the airport and trying to exchange on the ship (which also doesn't have great rates).

 

You will need Euro in your trip on the Epic. While the ship runs in US Dollars, the ports do not accept it easily... the smaller the vendor, the less likely they'll take it. Just convert and guestimate and use a credit card for larger purchases.

 

Have a great cruise! :)

[ibizasue]

Euros are accepted in all of the epic itinery. not usd. definatly better to get currency before you go as airports and the ship is not as good exchange rate.I am on the epic the week before you xx:)

[az_tchr]

I am sure that you will get a lot of comments, but here are mine.

1. Take a credit card with no international transaction fees.

2. exchanging cash at an air port is expensive

3. Your local bank should give you a much better rate. Call them and tell them how much you need. Get more than you expect to spend, easier to refund, than if you run short in Europe.

4. I don't think the ship exchanges cash. The casino might payout in Euros but not a large sum.

5. Some folks go to AAA for money exchange, but unless you live in a very big city, call them 2-3 weeks in advance of your trip.

 

have fun!

 

Disagree with getting Euros in USA. You will pay 3-10% more! Simply get an ATM card tied to an account with no foreign exchange fees and use an ATM overseas. You also are likely to find an ATM on board that dispenses Euros. The ATM rate will be best.

 

Agree with getting a credit card with no fees (Capitol One easy) and make sure you have a 4 digit pin on your debit card. Use it and NOT a credit card to get cash.

[em-sk]

Disagree with getting Euros in USA. You will pay 3-10% more! Simply get an ATM card tied to an account with no foreign exchange fees and use an ATM overseas. You also are likely to find an ATM on board that dispenses Euros. The ATM rate will be best.

 

Agree with getting a credit card with no fees (Capitol One easy) and make sure you have a 4 digit pin on your debit card. Use it and NOT a credit card to get cash.

 

Not certain about US banks. However with a Canadian bank account I always find the best exchange rate is by using my bank card at a local ATM machine in Europe. Credit cards are also extremely common.

 

One thing to watch out for with credit cards is many countries (including Canada and most of Europe) use a system called chip and pin. I believe many of the US banks are still on a older system that uses card + signature. I think the US banks are somewhere in the process of transitioning over to Chip+PIN. Basically you want to check that your credit card has a chip and that you know what your PIN number is.

[Cloudyrain]

Get some cash on arrival from the cash point in Barcelona (or wherever you are starting) or take some with you. Although lots of bars/restaurants/cafes/shops/venues will accept credit cards, lots of them won't. This includes some of the "biggies" like Pompeii - where there is also no cash point! People get very unstuck with this!

 

I can't see that anywhere will accept american dollars, but lucky for you all your ports are Euros so at least it's easier and a major currency.

 

Have fun :)

[Sauer-kraut]

DO NOT exchange money on the ship, their rate is very poor and the fees they charge (for your convenience :D) arel just outrageous.

 

I travel almost annually to Europe, I have a few Euros always on hand, but will go to the bank at the airport and exchange about $30 worth just to have on hand. Using ATM machines in Europe are extremely easy and you can choose which language you want to make the transaction in. Your fees from your home bank will be minimal and the European bank ATM won't charge you extra fees on top.

 

Have a wonderful time!!

[FreestyleNovice]

Not trying to be offensive but what does someone makes him think that using cash USD will get him anywhere on the shores of Europe/avoiding the currency of the countries they visit, in this case one major currency?

Any vendor will pass on any fee he will have to pay for exchanging the USD to EUR or even worse scam you with an awful higher price. If a vendor or chain shop does accept USD and uses a fair exchange your change will be in EUR anyway. Therefore any possible savings made are minimal or even less than getting EUR from an European ATM?

[Bluenoser47]

Not certain about US banks. However with a Canadian bank account I always find the best exchange rate is by using my bank card at a local ATM machine in Europe. Credit cards are also extremely common.

 

Glad to have a Canadian comment on this. I have seen many say use atm but all from usa.

I had ordered euros from my bank but i will skip that and plan to go to an atm when i arrive in Barcelona next week.

[CincyJen]

Thanks for these terrific tips, CruisinMaterial! How many Euro would you suggest for 15 days (12 of which are on board)?

[Quilting_Cruiser]

As others have said, use an ATM when you get there. I travel to Europe every 12-18 months so always have some Euro on hand, but my first stop is always at an ATM. I wouldn't even think of trying to use USD in another country--think of it in the reverse...when someone from Europe visits the U.S. they wouldn't expect American companies to accept Euros. :p If you have a low daily limit for ATM withdrawals, contact your bank and ask them to raise it so you can take a larger amount out at one time and lower your fees. My bank charges, I think, $5 for a withdrawal from a non-U.S. ATM, so I take out the maximum I can to make as few withdrawals as possible.

[Reebster]

If you fly into Barcelona, use the ATM in the arrivals hall to make a withdrawal in Euros. After that, just use ATMs while in port to replenish your supply. (There's always one near the port. Crew members need them.) You'll get the best exchange rates by far, and won't have to worry so much about pickpockets if you're not carrying all the cash for your entire trip. Charles Schwab offers a debit card with no ATM fees or foreign transaction surcharges. It was great on my last European cruise. Also, as others have mentioned, make sure you have a credit card that doesn't charge foreign transaction fees.

[em-sk]

Not certain about US banks. However with a Canadian bank account I always find the best exchange rate is by using my bank card at a local ATM machine in Europe. Credit cards are also extremely common.

 

Glad to have a Canadian comment on this. I have seen many say use atm but all from usa.

I had ordered euros from my bank but i will skip that and plan to go to an atm when i arrive in Barcelona next week.

 

You should not have any problems. Especially in Western Europe.

 

On the back of your bank card, you will see an "Interact" logo (that is the network used in Canada). You will also see either a Plus or Cirrus logo. Plus and Cirrus are the two international networks. Almost all ATM I have across in Europe connect onto those two international networks.

 

The only county I have ever had a problem is Japan. In Japan most ATM work on their domestic network and it is only the ones in the 7/11 stores that connect onto the international networks.

[june123]

Not trying to be offensive but what does someone makes him think that using cash USD will get him anywhere on the shores of Europe/avoiding the currency of the countries they visit, in this case one major currency?

Any vendor will pass on any fee he will have to pay for exchanging the USD to EUR or even worse scam you with an awful higher price. If a vendor or chain shop does accept USD and uses a fair exchange your change will be in EUR anyway. Therefore any possible savings made are minimal or even less than getting EUR from an European ATM?

 

I totally agree

[minn55441]

If you fly into Barcelona, use the ATM in the arrivals hall to make a withdrawal in Euros. After that, just use ATMs while in port to replenish your supply. (There's always one near the port. Crew members need them.) You'll get the best exchange rates by far, and won't have to worry so much about pickpockets if you're not carrying all the cash for your entire trip. Charles Schwab offers a debit card with no ATM fees or foreign transaction surcharges. It was great on my last European cruise. Also, as others have mentioned, make sure you have a credit card that doesn't charge foreign transaction fees.

 

We leave for Barcelona in a little over two weeks. My local bank will sell me Euros with no fees however their exchange rate is roughly 5% worse than the currently traded exchange rate. As of today 1.1292 dollars per Euro vs the current market rate of 1.0747 dollars per Euro. While in Europe, I will be paying transaction fees at each ATM. Will the exchange rate be closer the current market rate at the ATM's in Europe. Is the improvement in rates enough to cancel out the transaction fees? I have been advised to only use bank ATM's while traveling and not generic for profit ATM's not associated with any individual bank. would you agree with this?

 

thanks for your thoughts.

[clean1owner]

I would appreciate any input on the process of currency exchange while on a European Cruise.

 

Are Euro's absolutely necessary?

 

Should I take Euro's with me, or exchange on the ship?

 

Does anyone take US Dollars in any of the ports?

 

Any advice will be appreciated, as I leave the first week in February.

 

I can officially say I will be cruising "next month" !!!

 

The only place you can use US $$ is onboard the ship.

 

I got a no foreign transaction fee Debit Card from my credit union and simply made ATM withdrawals. It cost me $1 per transaction.

 

For purchases in port, my airline partnered credit card has no foreign transaction fees.

 

In both cases I got the best exchange rate available, at the moment of the transaction.

[Reebster]

We leave for Barcelona in a little over two weeks. My local bank will sell me Euros with no fees however their exchange rate is roughly 5% worse than the currently traded exchange rate. As of today 1.1292 dollars per Euro vs the current market rate of 1.0747 dollars per Euro. While in Europe, I will be paying transaction fees at each ATM. Will the exchange rate be closer the current market rate at the ATM's in Europe. Is the improvement in rates enough to cancel out the transaction fees? I have been advised to only use bank ATM's while traveling and not generic for profit ATM's not associated with any individual bank. would you agree with this?

 

thanks for your thoughts.

 

 

At any bank ATM you will get the best exchange rate available that day, so it is the best value. My bank doesn't charge for international ATM transactions, so my only fees were the ones associated with the withdrawals. Personally, I think it's worth paying the fees in order to avoid carrying around large amounts of euros. Pickpocketing is rampant, and it's worth the extra fees IMO to not have to worry about having all of the cash for my trip stolen while in port. On my 12-day Jade cruise I think I made three cash withdrawals, so the fees were less than $15 total. I do recommend trying to use bank ATMs whenever possible, preferably during the daytime. They will have security cameras, etc., for your protection.

 

 

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[TrumpyNor]

I live in Norway myself (not an "Euro-country"), and all banks and other financial institutions here advice to use ATM-machines locally in "Euro-countries" to get the best exchange rate. And then how much your own bank charges you for the cash withdrawal abroad varies - depending on type of card used, just contact them and ask.

[dbdb]

Anyone try to change chips for Euro on the Epic? Are there fees or limits?

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, dbdb said:

Anyone try to change chips for Euro on the Epic? Are there fees or limits?

Try not to post to very old threads since the information here is out of date. 

 

You can cash in your chips for US Dollars (the currency of the ship). You can exchange US dollars at a very unfavorable exchange rate for Euros if you choose. It would be better to stop at an ATM on shore and get your Euros. 

[Nola26]

2 hours ago, dbdb said:

Anyone try to change chips for Euro on the Epic? Are there fees or limits?

Onboard casino transacts in US$, getting euros is like exchanging dollars. No "fee", just a lower exchange rate onboard. 

Edited August 22, 2019 by Nola26