Foreign Currency

[BecL]

Hi All,

 

Going on first cruise to South Pacific next month on the Carnival Legend.

 

Just wondering if anyone can tell me if currency exchange is available on board the ship or if i need to make sure i have exchanged money before i embark?

 

Thanks for your help!

[rkmw]

Hi All,

 

Going on first cruise to South Pacific next month on the Carnival Legend.

 

Just wondering if anyone can tell me if currency exchange is available on board the ship or if i need to make sure i have exchanged money before i embark?

 

Thanks for your help!

 

depends on your itinerary but on most ports you can get away with using AUD, Noumea you may need some local currency but if you have a credit card use that if, you can or get some from the ATM in their currency

 

if you have some foreign currency over hang onto it for another cruise

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Only change what you need...as little as possible , as you will have difficulty changing it back to Au , unless as said above , you want to keep it for next time.

[GUT2407]

Agree with the above two comments.

[Aus Traveller]

We have cruised to the South Pacific islands a few dozen times and have only exchanged currency once. On that occasion we knew that what we wanted to do in Noumea would require local currency. We were planning to go on the local bus, go to the zoo and the aquarium, although the latter two would have taken a credit card. The problem with changing currency is that you don't know how much you will need and there is always some left over that is virtually useless because you lose money when you change it in the first instance, then lose again when you change the remainder back.

 

What ports are you going to and what do you plan to do?

[Grey Nomad]

We found in Noumea that if you are at the tour desk section where the shuttle drops you off, you can pay all your tours in AUD. If you want a coffee or soft drink from the coffee shop there, they take Aussie dollars but give you back Pacific Francs in change unless it is later in the morning and they have plenty of Aussie dollars to give you the change in AUD.

[LuckiePuris]

Based on my personal experiences, in Vanuatu I have always been able to use small AUD.

 

Fiji I found only accepted Fijian Dollars.

 

Most places on Isle Of Pines and Lifou were happy to accept small AUD however some would only take local currency - New Caledonia South Pacific Francs.

 

In Noumea, the last two times we've done the hop on hop off bus, the desk to buy your tickets at the cruise ship terminal has been happy to accept AUD and even credit card. But as soon as you leave the cruise ship terminal, everywhere else in Noumea will only accept local currency - South Pacific Francs. Some restaurants and cafes will also take credit card.

 

Just to be sure, I like to take Francs for the New Caledonia port as I would hate to be there and miss out on an experience or buying something because I didn't have the currency.

 

I also find that having local currency adds to the experience of traveling overseas!

[Aus Traveller]

Based on my personal experiences, in Vanuatu I have always been able to use small AUD.

 

Fiji I found only accepted Fijian Dollars.

 

Most places on Isle Of Pines and Lifou were happy to accept small AUD however some would only take local currency - New Caledonia South Pacific Francs.

 

In Noumea, the last two times we've done the hop on hop off bus, the desk to buy your tickets at the cruise ship terminal has been happy to accept AUD and even credit card. But as soon as you leave the cruise ship terminal, everywhere else in Noumea will only accept local currency - South Pacific Francs. Some restaurants and cafes will also take credit card.

 

Just to be sure, I like to take Francs for the New Caledonia port as I would hate to be there and miss out on an experience or buying something because I didn't have the currency.

 

I also find that having local currency adds to the experience of traveling overseas!

I'm surprised that you found you had to have Fiji dollars in Fiji. We have been there more than 30 times over 33 years (most are in the last 10 years) and only once had Fiji dollars because a friend gave us his left-over currency. We have used AUD for tours, taxis and bought items at markets and several different shops including a pharmacy every time we go. Jacks department store keeps AUD and gives that as change. The pharmacy gave us change in Fiji dollars but because we had small AUD notes, it was very little.

 

In Fiji we have even had taxi drivers tell us they prefer AUD to FIJI dollars because it is stable.

Edited January 13, 2016 by Aus Traveller

[NSWP]

What about using the universal currency in the South Pacific Islands and Fiji THE U.S. DOLLAR !!

 

I am sure we used US in Suva, last time there in 2007 on ye olde Regal Princess.

 

We generally get our foreign currency by ordering at local post office, ready in 3 days. I like to have some local money when I get off the aircraft or ship.

Edited January 13, 2016 by NSWP

[Aus Traveller]

What about using the universal currency in the South Pacific Islands and Fiji THE U.S. DOLLAR !!

 

I am sure we used US in Suva, last time there in 2007 on ye olde Regal Princess.

 

We generally get our foreign currency by ordering at local post office, ready in 3 days. I like to have some local money when I get off the aircraft or ship.

AUD is more readily accepted in the Pacific Islands. They get Aussie tourists in almost every day and are happy to have it.

[NSWP]

AUD is more readily accepted in the Pacific Islands. They get Aussie tourists in almost every day and are happy to have it.

Thanks for that. AUD it is.

[MicCanberra]

AUD is best for most of those islands, a CC does the rest.

Edited January 13, 2016 by MicCanberra

[NSWP]

AUD is best for most of those islands, a CC does the rest.

Cheers Mic.

Edited January 14, 2016 by NSWP

[OzKiwiJJ]

AUD is more readily accepted in the Pacific Islands. They get Aussie tourists in almost every day and are happy to have it.

 

Although many places will accept AUD, a couple of times I noticed a look of relief when we tendered local currency.

[Aus Traveller]

Although many places will accept AUD, a couple of times I noticed a look of relief when we tendered local currency.

That's true, but the tourist has the dilemma of working out how much currency to buy, then what to do with the leftover. We have never had AUD refused and when we calculate what it should cost us in AUD, we find they are using a reasonable exchange rate, sometimes better for us than we could get from the bank. In the markets in these islands (Vanuatu, Fiji etc) the prices are usually quoted in AUD.:)

[OzKiwiJJ]

What we've done so far is, if we stop at a bigger port first - Noumea, Port Denarau, Suva - we get some local currency out from an ATM. At the smaller ports we use up our local currency, topped up with AUD when needed.

[LuckiePuris]

That's true, but the tourist has the dilemma of working out how much currency to buy, then what to do with the leftover. We have never had AUD refused and when we calculate what it should cost us in AUD, we find they are using a reasonable exchange rate, sometimes better for us than we could get from the bank. In the markets in these islands (Vanuatu, Fiji etc) the prices are usually quoted in AUD.:)

 

It may be a slight "dilemma" but we need to remember we are visitors to their country. I would be happy to have this slight inconvenience of changing local currency (only takes 5 minutes before you travel) any day of it means I'm traveling to a new country :)

 

And what many don't know is that you can change back any notes when you're back! Maybe lose a couple of dollars or two in the conversion, but that's it.

[Aus Traveller]

It may be a slight "dilemma" but we need to remember we are visitors to their country. I would be happy to have this slight inconvenience of changing local currency (only takes 5 minutes before you travel) any day of it means I'm traveling to a new country :)

 

And what many don't know is that you can change back any notes when you're back! Maybe lose a couple of dollars or two in the conversion, but that's it.

Of course you can change the money (notes) back. :confused: That isn't the point. How much would I need? $50, $100, $250 worth ..... of each currency. It would be very very difficult to know in advance how much you would need.

 

For a South Pacific cruise (similar to what we have been discussing), if a person went with the option of local currency, they would need Pacific francs, Vatu and Fijian dollars. If the cruise goes further, they would need pa'anga and tala. I'll stick with the AUD. It is much simpler. :D

Edited January 14, 2016 by Aus Traveller

[cme2c]

I've got about 600 spf which I will take on my upcoming cruise. 4 New Caledonia ports, and Noumea is the last! Might have been better to go around the other way...

[LuckiePuris]

Of course you can change the money (notes) back. :confused: That isn't the point. How much would I need? $50, $100, $250 worth ..... of each currency. It would be very very difficult to know in advance how much you would need.

 

For a South Pacific cruise (similar to what we have been discussing), if a person went with the option of local currency, they would need Pacific francs, Vatu and Fijian dollars. If the cruise goes further, they would need pa'anga and tala. I'll stick with the AUD. It is much simpler. :D

 

Vanuatu is always okay with AUD.

 

I guess if you're estimating how much AUD to take, you can just as easily change that amount you've set aside into local currency. Like travel by land or sea, always good to take more than you need and change back if you have leftover.

 

In Amadee Island in Noumea there was a beautiful souveneir I wanted however I had taken AUD and XPF and they wouldn't accept my AUD.

 

I certainly like to feel I'm on holidays when trying to find the right notes and coins in overseas currency!

Edited January 14, 2016 by LuckiePuris

[BecL]

Thank you all for the advice.

 

We're going to New Caledonia - Lifou, Noumea etc and was hoping to just take a little of the local currency for things like markets and souvenirs.

 

Will be paying for tours via CC so sounds like we should be ok.

 

Thanks!

[rkmw]

Thank you all for the advice.

 

We're going to New Caledonia - Lifou, Noumea etc and was hoping to just take a little of the local currency for things like markets and souvenirs.

 

Will be paying for tours via CC so sounds like we should be ok.

 

Thanks!

 

at the tourist information at Noumea where the shuttles stop they have markets upstairs and they do take AUD

[6666oz]

In 2014 I knew that we were going to do a few cruises so, I bought one thousand dollars each of vatu and pac francs from the Com bank they have a flat fee, we found that you can haggle a bit with taxi drivers if you offer the choice of Oz dollars or local, the exchange rate does move around a bit , if you have any left over coins give them to the singers / dancers on the wharf at Mare' island or the old lady near the wharf gate at port vila who collects donations to bring medical staff from new zealand to port vila, she will take any donation.

 

The Oz banks back home will change notes but not coins but dont expect the exchange rate to be good .

I always support the local traders were I can, by eating and drinking the local food, without too much fear of getting crook because I spent a few minutes at the docs to have a few shots such as tetanus , hepA, hepB and typhoid.

 

Take small Oz notes and dollar coins for your market and roadside food purchases, I love coconuts and Kava.

Each ship is different but sometimes you can purchase local currency on board in small amounts.

Edited January 15, 2016 by 6666oz

[shrekaus]

We did a South Pacific cruise on Solstice in Nov/Dec, on advise given on the roll call we thought we should have CPD for Noumea. We found that Travelex which we usually use to exchange had a minimum of AUD250, so we changed $70 at customer service onboard.

Unfortunately my wife hurt her foot on Lifou and we didn't get off at next two ports.

We exchanged 70AUD, when we went to change it back we got 45AUD. Lesson learnt, avoid changing onboard, that is more than a slight variation!! Yes I have the dockets to prove it :)

We cruise again in 3 weeks, we won't be exchanging for CPD, if we need any we will use an ATM.

[MicCanberra]

That is a shocking exchange each way, the ship's exchange is always badly stacked against you.:eek: