CADECA Hours at the Port

[pyrrhus]

I have searched through the threads and have not yet seen anything relating to the CADECA hours at the port.  I have read several blogs that suggest CADECAS often close early in the city.  (Around 3:00 PM).  I haven't read anything about when they close at the port?  I don't really want to exchange everything I plan on spending at once, but only in blocks as I need it.  I know Hotels will exchange money most hours, but at less favorable terms.  Also my ship gets in to port at 8:00 PM on a Sunday so I want to leave and go strolling, hit a bar on Sunday evening.  I assume the CADECA will be open then since the ship is newly docked.  Although I have learned in the past not to assume too much.  

 

Michael

[jdemps]

following - we leave port at 6am next day and have read that exchange closes at around 6pm so if have leftover, we're stuck with it I guess.

[Cienfuegos]

In Cienfuegos and Santiago de Cuba, one money changer remained open until the last tender left for our ship on the final port day.  I don't know if it would have remained open for a very late evening departure.

[mac1_131]

I believe 8am to 6pm are the hours.

[rgtkkb]

10 hours ago, mac1_131 said:

I believe 8am to 6pm are the hours.

 

I guess I am in trouble because my ship arrives at 8 pm and I have a tour the next morning at 8 am. I won't be able to get tip money. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[mac1_131]

 
I guess I am in trouble because my ship arrives at 8 pm and I have a tour the next morning at 8 am. I won't be able to get tip money. Does anyone have any suggestions?

No worries just use US will be fine. Break your 20s before you come in to 10s 5s and 1s that will help.

[pyrrhus]

2 hours ago, rgtkkb said:

 

I guess I am in trouble because my ship arrives at 8 pm and I have a tour the next morning at 8 am. I won't be able to get tip money. Does anyone have any suggestions?

If we can’t exchange at the Cadeca, we can usually go to one of the major hotels.

[Cienfuegos]

You might check with your cruise line to determine if they've made arrangements to have money changing available.

 

I was surprised to see one booth open quite late in the evening in Cienfuegos, perhaps 10 pm.

[travelwide]

When we were there several months ago I believe the exchange closed at 9 pm. I am sure with our ship coming in at 8 p.m. they will stay open. If they want us to spend money in Havana we need cucs and in order to get them we need to purchase them at the exchange so I do not think we will have any problems getting them. If there is a way for them to make money off of us they will stay open.

[pyrrhus]

2 hours ago, travelwide said:

When we were there several months ago I believe the exchange closed at 9 pm. I am sure with our ship coming in at 8 p.m. they will stay open. If they want us to spend money in Havana we need cucs and in order to get them we need to purchase them at the exchange so I do not think we will have any problems getting them. If there is a way for them to make money off of us they will stay open.

Excellent news.   It isn’t like Cuba has that many other streams of income besides tourism.

[princeton123211]

On 3/26/2019 at 11:12 AM, pyrrhus said:

I know Hotels will exchange money most hours, but at less favorable terms.

Hotels do exchange for CUC and do so at the standard rates (13% hit for USD). Keep in mind though that hotels are technically only supposed to change money for their own guests-- no one from the outside. This is not universally enforced as we came to find out, but we were asked for our room number when we were at the Hotel Nacional exchanging money which we had to provide them before they would do the transaction.