Getting euros onboard Seabourn

[alexandria]

DW and I are on the upcoming Quest TA sailing from Miami to Las Palmas, Gran Canaria with just one port of call in Santa Cruz de La Palma.  We'll be on an all-day Distinctive Voyages excursion in Santa Cruz de La Palma.

 

We may want to have on hand a modest amount of cash for gratuities for the excursion and included lunch and perhaps for any local purchases we might want to make if a credit card isn't accepted.  Are euros available onboard, either through the guest services desk or an onboard ATM?  Alternatively, are USD generally accepted in the Canary Islands or are euros preferred or required?

 

I've already checked with local bank branches in our area and none will exchange USD for euros for non-customers and the nearest branch of our "megabank" is about an hour away.  I know that I can get euros at the airport but I hear the exchange rates/fees are terrible.

 

Thanks!

Edited March 18 by alexandria

[margbem]

We visit the Canary Islands regularly and have never come across any other currencies being accepted rather than the euro. You will find that there are ATM's all over the place so getting euros will not be a problem. There are also exchange places in the larger islands. Everywhere will take credit cards. Can't answer the question re the onboard exchange.

[alexandria]

Thanks for the reply. I see some ATM locations within a thirty minute walk from the cruise terminal but don't know that we would have time to do that before the excursion departure. And trying to get to an ATM while on the excursion might be difficult or impossible depending on the location of the restaurant that is hosting our lunch (which hasn't been provided yet).

 

Getting euros from an ATM in Las Palmas when we disembark won't be an issue. But for the Santa Cruz stop we'll want to have euros on hand when we arrive.

Edited March 18 by alexandria
Spelling and grammar.

[Daisy617]

If you’re an AAA member, you can order foreign currency through your local branch office.  I’m not sure how competitive the rates are, though.

[MJN1]

There should be a bank ATM within 5min from the Port gate

[Hlitner]

We do quite a lot of travel in the UK (and cruising) and get all of our cash via ATMs.  They are easy to find and get you the best exchange rates.  Just make sure to notify your issuing bank of your itinerary in order to avoid any security issues.

 

Hank

[frantic36]

13 hours ago, alexandria said:

I know that I can get euros at the airport but I hear the exchange rates/fees are terrible.

 

 

We had to get some US cash onboard one time last year and the exchange rate for Australian dollar wasn't great. I am not sure that exchanging US for Euro would be better. If you just want a small amount and in small bills it might be better to do it at the airport if you don't want to risk finding an ATM in time. The ship might also not have much Euro or the right sort of notes coming from Miami.

[alexandria]

7 hours ago, frantic36 said:

 

We had to get some US cash onboard one time last year and the exchange rate for Australian dollar wasn't great. I am not sure that exchanging US for Euro would be better. If you just want a small amount and in small bills it might be better to do it at the airport if you don't want to risk finding an ATM in time. The ship might also not have much Euro or the right sort of notes coming from Miami.

 

Thanks for the information, exactly what I was looking for!