Cash for excursions

[andyb2706]

Hi all,

This question may have been asked thousands of times but there are too many threads to go through to find out so my apologies. I will be going on my first cruise in January and I am aware that on board the ship it operates a cashless system. However, I want to do some excursions but each country I will be visiting has a different currency. So my question that I would want a bit of cash for each excursion as you never know what gifts you may see so would it be best to get some cash in each of the currencies before leaving home or would it be best to just get one currency, for example US Dollars/Euros and would it be possible to change some of that money into local currency while out there?

 

Any help any of you can give would be grateful. Many thanks.

 

Andy

[CruiserBruce]

Yes, it has been discussed many times. There are several variables. What countries are you asking about? Just how "small" a purchase are we talking about? Credit card is almost always an option. Yes, most ships will exchange small amounts of cash, but typically at pretty bad exchange rates. In country ATMs are frequently an option, for far better rates

 

Yes, there are many, many posts. But reading is never a bad thing...you will learn tons, even if it is not on the topic you originally sought.

[andyb2706]

I'll be visiting Jamaica, Mexico, Honduras, Belize and Guatemala. As to the purchases I am not sure, I'm bit of arts and crafts type person and wouldn't mind something that is locally produced and would be disappointed if I missed out on something that caught my eye. May be you are right as to the credit card option.

[Essiesmom]

All of those countries will be happy to accept $US,  doubt if they want pounds, not sure about euros.  EM

[LA_CA_GAL]

USA dollars work just about everywhere in the Caribbean.

 

But, take a good amount of small bills, because many times you will get change in their currency .

[sanger727]

The only country in that group I haven’t been to is Guatemala. The rest (and probably guatemala) will accept USD. I try to bring small bills so they don’t need to make change, change will often come in the national currency.

[OCruisers]

2 hours ago, andyb2706 said:

I'll be visiting Jamaica, Mexico, Honduras, Belize and Guatemala. 

 

We've used the US Dollar without a problem in all of those countries.  Do take some small bills.  

[andyb2706]

Many thanks for all the advise. I think I will take some US Dollars and also my credit card to be on the safe side.

[SlvrFox85]

While I haven't cruised before, I have been to Mexico on a trip in the past. I know what you mean about things catching your eye. We paid for everything with either the USD or our credit card. I would caution you on using the card though. On one transaction there must have been a skimmer or something to that effect, a few months later we were charged over $400 from Mexico. Luckily, before I left I called my bank and informed them of my travel dates, so when I called back and shown them the transaction from months later they refunded the money with no problem. Can't say that all banks will do the same or if you'll notice if something missing in time. But good luck, hopefully you run into no problems, I'll be on my first cruise in less than 30 days and the excitement is too much.

[SPacificbound]

Try to take mostly small bills, $1, $5, & $10, so you can pay as close to the price as possible. The change you get will likely  be coins and you can't do much with them.

[cb at sea]

You can get larger bills broken down on the ship...no need to carry WADS of small denominations!

[andyb2706]

Thanks SlvrFox, that is another good tip to advise your credit card company of travel dates, it also means you do not get the embarrassment of your card being rejected because the card company is suspicious of the area of the world the transaction is taking place. I have had that myself while travelling in Eastern Europe. 

[John Bull]

As others have said, USD are accepted in all those places - and in some (all?) at a decent exchange-rate. In fact close to ports and in touristy places you'll find the wares actually priced in USD.

Vendors who deal primarily with tourists will also give change in USD, but the tills of those which deal primarily with locals (they're usually better value) are set to give change in local currency - hence the advice you've been given about having plenty of $1, $5 & $10 bills. If you only have a $20 bill, a $3 ice-cream is remarkably poor value, although you'll also get an interesting pocketful of souvenir currency.

 

If on a US ship, you can change-down large bills at the casino or purser's office. Likely to be more difficult on a Brit or Italian ship.

 

For best value use your credit card wherever you can ashore.

(banks no longer require you to tell them of overseas travel. But that increases the risk of your card being declined - so if the bank knows your number, take your phone - you'll get an almost-instantaneous  text asking for confirmation that the transaction is genuine)

 

I suggest you buy your cash dollars before you go, from the usual suspects - M&S, Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury, Post Office, on-line etc.

If from a store, buy click-and-collect on-line, because the rates are better than just buying in-store. 

If from an on-line bureau try to ensure that you can specify nothing larger than $20 bills.

 

I'm wary of ATMs in Caribbean ports. I'm none-too-sure whether they dispense USD, or local currency, or give you the choice.

Can anyone answer that ?

 

Don't get your currency on the ship. As others have said, exchange rates on all cruise ships are awful. 

 

It's worth taking a wad of sterling as an emergency reserve - if you don't spend it, it costs you nothing.

But if you need it, you'll have to change it at a bureau because it 's not generally accepted.

 

You don't mention which cruise line, but with that itinerary I'll guess it's American.

If so......................

 

- pay un-spent USD into your on-board account, thereby reducing the charge to your card. That's far better value than changing it back to sterling

 

- you are aware that ships are cashless & you use your card to settle the on-board account.

But because your card is sterling the cruise line will offer to convert the on-board account to sterling "for your convenience".   DECLINE that offer - they'll convert at  disadvantageous rate. Leave the account in USD, & your card issuer will convert at wholesale rates.

Same advice applies world-wide to purchases ashore - trying to screw the traveller with rip-off exchange rates is a growing trend so always but always leave the charge in local currency (but USD in those ports).

 

JB   

Edited November 27, 2018 by John Bull

[andyb2706]

14 hours ago, John Bull said:

As others have said, USD are accepted in all those places - and in some (all?) at a decent exchange-rate. In fact close to ports and in touristy places you'll find the wares actually priced in USD.

Vendors who deal primarily with tourists will also give change in USD, but the tills of those which deal primarily with locals (they're usually better value) are set to give change in local currency - hence the advice you've been given about having plenty of $1, $5 & $10 bills. If you only have a $20 bill, a $3 ice-cream is remarkably poor value, although you'll also get an interesting pocketful of souvenir currency.

 

If on a US ship, you can change-down large bills at the casino or purser's office. Likely to be more difficult on a Brit or Italian ship.

 

For best value use your credit card wherever you can ashore.

(banks no longer require you to tell them of overseas travel. But that increases the risk of your card being declined - so if the bank knows your number, take your phone - you'll get an almost-instantaneous  text asking for confirmation that the transaction is genuine)

 

I suggest you buy your cash dollars before you go, from the usual suspects - M&S, Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury, Post Office, on-line etc.

If from a store, buy click-and-collect on-line, because the rates are better than just buying in-store. 

If from an on-line bureau try to ensure that you can specify nothing larger than $20 bills.

 

I'm wary of ATMs in Caribbean ports. I'm none-too-sure whether they dispense USD, or local currency, or give you the choice.

Can anyone answer that ?

 

Don't get your currency on the ship. As others have said, exchange rates on all cruise ships are awful. 

 

It's worth taking a wad of sterling as an emergency reserve - if you don't spend it, it costs you nothing.

But if you need it, you'll have to change it at a bureau because it 's not generally accepted.

 

You don't mention which cruise line, but with that itinerary I'll guess it's American.

If so......................

 

- pay un-spent USD into your on-board account, thereby reducing the charge to your card. That's far better value than changing it back to sterling

 

- you are aware that ships are cashless & you use your card to settle the on-board account.

But because your card is sterling the cruise line will offer to convert the on-board account to sterling "for your convenience".   DECLINE that offer - they'll convert at  disadvantageous rate. Leave the account in USD, & your card issuer will convert at wholesale rates.

Same advice applies world-wide to purchases ashore - trying to screw the traveller with rip-off exchange rates is a growing trend so always but always leave the charge in local currency (but USD in those ports).

 

JB   

Many thanks John, That is very useful. As a matter of fact it is a Brit cruise ship. The Marella Discovery 2 I will be sailing on.

[John Bull]

One of the things I like about Thomson (now Marella) is that they offer unusual itineraries instead of the same-old same-old  itineraries offered by other Brit  cruise lines. 

That's my excuse for guessing wrongly 

 

Ship's currency is sterling, so I doubt the ship can break-down large dollar bills.

But you won't have the trouble & expense of currency exchange for your on-board account.

The reverse of that of course is that putting left-over dollars into your on-board account is poor value - but they're very acceptable if like most folk you want to tip crew members like your cabin steward who go the extra mile. 

 

Unlike every other cruise line, Marella used to charge for using a credit card, so we always paid with a debit card.

I don't know whether the fairly recent UK ban on credit card charges applies to ships (international law is pretty complicated) but it's worth finding out - and taking a debit card if it doesn't.

 

Marella are nowhere near as glitzy as US ships, but a Brit ship is best for a Brit's first cruise.

And Marella's on-board costs (drinks prices, no service charges etc) are significantly lower than on US ships.

Have a good one

 

JB 

[wonderland1]

On 11/28/2018 at 7:43 PM, John Bull said:

One of the things I like about Thomson (now Marella) is that they offer unusual itineraries instead of the same-old same-old  itineraries offered by other Brit  cruise lines. 

That's my excuse for guessing wrongly 

 

Ship's currency is sterling, so I doubt the ship can break-down large dollar bills.

But you won't have the trouble & expense of currency exchange for your on-board account.

The reverse of that of course is that putting left-over dollars into your on-board account is poor value - but they're very acceptable if like most folk you want to tip crew members like your cabin steward who go the extra mile. 

 

Unlike every other cruise line, Marella used to charge for using a credit card, so we always paid with a debit card.

I don't know whether the fairly recent UK ban on credit card charges applies to ships (international law is pretty complicated) but it's worth finding out - and taking a debit card if it doesn't.

 

Marella are nowhere near as glitzy as US ships, but a Brit ship is best for a Brit's first cruise.

And Marella's on-board costs (drinks prices, no service charges etc) are significantly lower than on US ships.

Have a good one

 

JB 

NIce. Thanks for sharing.

[Nebr.cruiser]

For the itinerary you are using, US dollars will be fine.  Do try to bring newer, unwrinkled bills because some vendors will not accept used looking ones.  Just happened to us in Grenada last week; had a meal on the Carenage and the waitress brought the tip back as she said her bank wouldn't take it.  

 

We have had that happen before and some non-ship tour companies also ask for newer bills.

[wonderland1]

16 hours ago, Nebr.cruiser said:

For the itinerary you are using, US dollars will be fine.  Do try to bring newer, unwrinkled bills because some vendors will not accept used looking ones.  Just happened to us in Grenada last week; had a meal on the Carenage and the waitress brought the tip back as she said her bank wouldn't take it.  

 

We have had that happen before and some non-ship tour companies also ask for newer bills.

oh this one is a good tip about bringing a dollar. Also experienced ones that they really didn't accept mine cause it looks over used and is asking me for a newer bill.  IDK why.

[Nebr.cruiser]

7 hours ago, wonderland1 said:

oh this one is a good tip about bringing a dollar. Also experienced ones that they really didn't accept mine cause it looks over used and is asking me for a newer bill.  IDK why.

I think they have trouble exchanging them at some banks.  Apparently they suspect used looking bills aren't authentic.  There may be other reasons as well.