currency conversion

[CountessP]

I understand Americans suffer quite a bit when exchanging to CUC. Is there an exchange location at pier? Will the driver take you somewhere or do it themselves? I am wondering the most efficient and economical way of changing money.

[RiverBlues]

There is an exchange booth at the pier.

The fee to exchange any currency to Cuban CUC is 3% (and 3% to change back any leftovers at the end of the visit).

Note: Currency exchange rates fluctuate slightly every day.

There is an additional 10% charged on US dollars. So you get 87 CUC for 100 USD always and at every official cadeca and bank.

The "savings" in first exchanging dollars at home to either Euros or CDN dollars amounts to about USD$40 on USD $1000, not including any fees to do the home exchange and also your time and effort.

If you are not planning to spend that much (and on a short cruise stay, you should only spend a few hundred at most), it may not be worth it.

If you have Euros left over from a European trip, you may want to bring them along, however.

[CountessP]

Thanks! Unfortunately, no euros. I wonder how they are with rupees, which I happen to have too many of!!

With an exchange booth at pier, I guess that's the way to go.