International currency available onboard Oceania ships?

[Woodrowst]

My wife and I will soon be taking a Middle East cruise on the Nautica.  We are visiting a number of countries and would like a small amount of local currency.  We don’t need much as we are spending our off-ship time on Oceania shore excursions and mostly want money for tips, snacks, and bathrooms.  We are particularly thinking of Egypt where articles talk about the need to tip everyone.   It would be a burden to get so many local currencies in advance and my bank requires a minimum of $200 for each country.  
 

Does Oceania make available small amounts of local currencies for purchase at guest services?

[Cape Hernlopen]

Dear W:

 

The simple answer to your question is No.  ATM machines are everywhere in the Middle East and I am sure that your tour guide will be happy to point them out to you.

Joel Barry

[Woodrowst]

Much appreciated.

[Guest ldtr]

On 5/23/2023 at 5:24 PM, Woodrowst said:

My wife and I will soon be taking a Middle East cruise on the Nautica.  We are visiting a number of countries and would like a small amount of local currency.  We don’t need much as we are spending our off-ship time on Oceania shore excursions and mostly want money for tips, snacks, and bathrooms.  We are particularly thinking of Egypt where articles talk about the need to tip everyone.   It would be a burden to get so many local currencies in advance and my bank requires a minimum of $200 for each country.  
 

Does Oceania make available small amounts of local currencies for purchase at guest services?

A number of the people in the countries in the middle east will take Euros, so they tend to work for tips.  Many merchants will also take them, though the exchange rate may not be good.  Just do a search for each country and see if they will tend to accept Euros.

 

In some other countries such as Jordan dollars are preferred to Euros.  

 

Do not tip with coins of any other currency than the local currency since in most cases they cannot exchange the coins and they are worthless.  Not uncommon in Egypt to be approached by people with coins trying to exchange them for bills which they can exchange.

Edited May 25, 2023 by ldtr

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

On Sirena in April in Spain and Portugal, euros were available for purchase on the ship.  But nothing else. 

[JoePDX]

Dollars ( and Euros) are readily accepted in Egypt for tips and purchases.

 

Joe

[Bufrenee]

On 5/23/2023 at 6:24 PM, Woodrowst said:

My wife and I will soon be taking a Middle East cruise on the Nautica.  We are visiting a number of countries and would like a small amount of local currency.  We don’t need much as we are spending our off-ship time on Oceania shore excursions and mostly want money for tips, snacks, and bathrooms.  We are particularly thinking of Egypt where articles talk about the need to tip everyone.   It would be a burden to get so many local currencies in advance and my bank requires a minimum of $200 for each country.  
 

Does Oceania make available small amounts of local currencies for purchase at guest services?

I usually make sure that I have a load of clean US dollars .it is accepted every where, in fact in a lot of stops the vendors are shouting a number of dollars for a drink or trinket and a dollar or two is always gratefully accepted.

[Bufrenee]

Just now, Bufrenee said:

I usually make sure that I have a load of clean US dollars .it is accepted every where, in fact in a lot of stops the vendors are shouting a number of dollars for a drink or trinket and a dollar or two is always gratefully accepted.

As tips

[Queen of DaNile]

On 5/23/2023 at 8:24 PM, Woodrowst said:

My wife and I will soon be taking a Middle East cruise on the Nautica.  We are visiting a number of countries and would like a small amount of local currency.  We don’t need much as we are spending our off-ship time on Oceania shore excursions and mostly want money for tips, snacks, and bathrooms.  We are particularly thinking of Egypt where articles talk about the need to tip everyone.   It would be a burden to get so many local currencies in advance and my bank requires a minimum of $200 for each country.  
 

Does Oceania make available small amounts of local currencies for purchase at guest services?

Get Egyptian coins as soon as you can. Baksheesh is demanded everywhere and you'll be broke in no time if you use dollars.😵

[Redtravel]

On Marina now. They have local currency. However, it’s expensive.  Their conversion rate is inflated plus the charge extra 5% service fee.  It can only be charged to your onboard account.  The real question is why do you need it?  Use your credit card. I have foreign money from previous trips.  Haven’t used it.  Plastic is accepted everywhere.

[Woodrowst]

On 5/23/2023 at 8:24 PM, Woodrowst said:

My wife and I will soon be taking a Middle East cruise on the Nautica.  We are visiting a number of countries and would like a small amount of local currency.  We don’t need much as we are spending our off-ship time on Oceania shore excursions and mostly want money for tips, snacks, and bathrooms.  We are particularly thinking of Egypt where articles talk about the need to tip everyone.   It would be a burden to get so many local currencies in advance and my bank requires a minimum of $200 for each country.  
 

Does Oceania make available small amounts of local currencies for purchase at guest services?

To close the loop after returning…..like IWantToLiveOverTheSea the only non-US denomination Nautica made available was euros when we got to Barcelona.  And like JoePDX we found that US one dollar bills were accepted as tips in Dubai, Oman, Egypt, Israel, and Malta.  Some bathrooms wanted the local coin but let us use them anyway when we said we did not have any.

[Hambagahle]

Just take a lot of $1 notes.  And some €5 and €10   Use the $1 for the bathroom tips.  And the others for guides and drivers (if they do a good job).  Don't get involved with coins or EGP...

[Tranquility Base]

I am planning a Europe to Middle East cruise.

Can I expect Guest Services to be able to change larger USD notes into smaller USD notes ?

[ORV]

22 minutes ago, Tranquility Base said:

I am planning a Europe to Middle East cruise.

Can I expect Guest Services to be able to change larger USD notes into smaller USD notes ?

I've always had no trouble with this but I did read recently that some cruiser was told no. 

[chloemonkey]

On 6/25/2023 at 8:43 AM, Redtravel said:

On Marina now. They have local currency. However, it’s expensive.  Their conversion rate is inflated plus the charge extra 5% service fee.  It can only be charged to your onboard account.  The real question is why do you need it?  Use your credit card. I have foreign money from previous trips.  Haven’t used it.  Plastic is accepted everywhere.

 But that will not work for tips for shore excursion guides, driver's etc......

[Redtravel]

1 minute ago, chloemonkey said:

 But that will not work for tips for shore excursion guides, driver's etc......

They gladly take dollars.  

[Mura]

Back in Renaissance days, things were more flexible.  There were various currencies on board.  But I think that disappeared even before Renaissance did. With O it's pretty much been dollars (I think).

 

ATMs are helpful here. Our private guides generally were very happy with U.S. dollars, maybe even more so than with their local currency -- but it does depend on the country and the currency, There are indeed countries where dollars are more valued than their own currency.  (Bear in mind we haven't been traveling since pre-Covid, so things may well have changed.)

 

We generally bring a good amount of U.S. dollars with us for tips, and go to ATMs for currency as needed. Indeed, it can very much depend on where you are traveling.  If you are in Europe, dollars and euros seem to be welcome.  But in other countries (third world?) it can be more difficult.

 

 

[osandomir]

49 minutes ago, Mura said:

 

 

We generally bring a good amount of U.S. dollars with us for tips, and go to ATMs for currency as needed. Indeed, it can very much depend on where you are traveling.  If you are in Europe, dollars and euros seem to be welcome.  But in other countries (third world?) it can be more difficult.

 

 

I’d say that dollars are not excepted in Europe nowadays anymore. They take credit cards almost for everything and ATMs are still exist just in case. That being said, I always keep some euros to take with me on the trip to Europe for small things. It’s just for convenience so we don’t need to run for an ATM if we need them.

Edited August 25, 2023 by osandomir

[Mura]

Just now, osandomir said:

I’d say that dollars are not excepted in Europe nowadays anymore. They take credit cards almost for everything and ATMs are still exist just in case. That being said, I always keep some euros to take with me on the trip to Europe for small things. It’s just for convenience so we don’t need to run for the ATM if we need them.

Good to know that dollars are no longer welcome.  We haven't traveled since Covid raised it's head so I don't doubt that things have changed.  But we have never insisted that people take dollars rather than their own currency, so this won't be a problem for us in the future! We still have some euros on hand for our last trip ... Even some Turkish lira which I doubt we will ever use!

 

[osandomir]

9 minutes ago, Mura said:

Good to know that dollars are no longer welcome.  We haven't traveled since Covid raised it's head so I don't doubt that things have changed.  But we have never insisted that people take dollars rather than their own currency, so this won't be a problem for us in the future! We still have some euros on hand for our last trip ... Even some Turkish lira which I doubt we will ever use!

 

Mura, you will do just fine with your credit cards and some small amount of cash in Europe. I also have a collection of all different currencies leftovers from that days when credit cards weren’t so widely excepted. My husband calculated that we have been to 90+ countries so the collection is pretty impressive.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[Cape Hernlopen]

Dear Fellow Cruisers:

 

On our recent (2022 and 2023) cruises and land trips U.S. dollars were welcomed in Egypt, Cambodia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Figi and Samoa but were not accepted in Japan.

Joel Barry

[Torquer]

I have a somewhat different question.  We have an upcoming cruise to South America and it seems that all the private tour companies we are booking shore excursions with want cash in USD, not the local currency.  It is now close to $2000 we will need to take along.  We are worried about carrying this much money off the plane, during our pre-cruise stay in a 3rd-world country, and then on to the ship.  After we get on the ship we are comfortable keeping it in the safe in our cabin.

 

So what are our other options?  Does O have an ATM onboard that dispenses USD?   Even if it does, we hate to put all our eggs in one basket (suppose it is out of order or they don't have enough USD).  Is American Express travelers checks an option to cash at the front desk?  We haven't used them in 10+ years but perhaps it makes sense in this case.  Does O accept them?

[EJL2023]

13 minutes ago, Torquer said:

I have a somewhat different question.  We have an upcoming cruise to South America and it seems that all the private tour companies we are booking shore excursions with want cash in USD, not the local currency.  It is now close to $2000 we will need to take along.  We are worried about carrying this much money off the plane, during our pre-cruise stay in a 3rd-world country, and then on to the ship.  After we get on the ship we are comfortable keeping it in the safe in our cabin.

 

So what are our other options?  Does O have an ATM onboard that dispenses USD?   Even if it does, we hate to put all our eggs in one basket (suppose it is out of order or they don't have enough USD).  Is American Express travelers checks an option to cash at the front desk?  We haven't used them in 10+ years but perhaps it makes sense in this case.  Does O accept them?

Perhaps your hotel where staying could assist? Or perhaps they have a secured ATM on premises that could be used just prior to boarding? Or perhaps even at the cruise terminal? I’ve seen it mentioned also before that some ships may have them at the casino. 

Edited August 25, 2023 by EJL2023

[Torquer]

27 minutes ago, EJL2023 said:

Perhaps your hotel where staying could assist? Or perhaps they have a secured ATM on premises that could be used just prior to boarding? Or perhaps even at the cruise terminal? I’ve seen it mentioned also before that some ships may have them at the casino. 

I doubt there would be any ATM in South America that would dispense USD??  I know on the other cruise line we travel with there is an ATM in the ship's casino...does O have that in their casinos...I never needed it before so I never looked?  But even if they do, I would want an alternate just in case it doesn't work or is out of USD.

[EJL2023]

2 minutes ago, Torquer said:

I doubt there would be any ATM in South America that would dispense USD??  I know on the other cruise line we travel with there is an ATM in the ship's casino...does O have that in their casinos...I never needed it before so I never looked?  But even if they do, I would want an alternate just in case it doesn't work or is out of USD.

Oops, sorry, forgot you were looking for USD.