US Currency question

[CruiseDawg5772]

We are leaving from Southampton…when we give some personal tips or play in the casino, will we need to go ahead and exchange our US dollars for pounds? Or will either be fine on the ship? 

[Essiesmom]

Dollars, pounds, and euros will be fine.  EM

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

52 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

Dollars, pounds, and euros will be fine.  EM

The ship's onboard currency though is in €.

 

[notley-cruise]

5 hours ago, CruiseDawg5772 said:

We are leaving from Southampton…when we give some personal tips or play in the casino, will we need to go ahead and exchange our US dollars for pounds? Or will either be fine on the ship? 

 

UK based ships use Great British Pounds.  The onship exchange rates are lousy, so avoid using cash. 

Casino play can be against your cabin account and won't show as a gambling transaction or cash advance on the associated card.

There's no need to tip onboard.  Hotel service charge is either prepaid or added to cabin bill at end.  Drinks package includes bar gratuity.

[GPPhilly]

10 hours ago, notley-cruise said:

 

UK based ships use Great British Pounds.  The onship exchange rates are lousy, so avoid using cash. 

Casino play can be against your cabin account and won't show as a gambling transaction or cash advance on the associated card.

There's no need to tip onboard.  Hotel service charge is either prepaid or added to cabin bill at end.  Drinks package includes bar gratuity.

We were on the Euribia out of Southampton and the currency was Euros.  And you are 100% correct their exchange rate was so bad.  I just used my credit card as the rate was so good.  We did tip both Euros and dollars.  

[Beamafar]

On closed UK sailings from Southampton the onboard currency is Sterling (GB pounds).  Some sailings out of Southampton also have embarkation ports in Northern Europe;   currency is then Euros onboard. 

[notley-cruise]

12 minutes ago, Beamafar said:

On closed UK sailings from Southampton the onboard currency is Sterling (GB pounds).  Some sailings out of Southampton also have embarkation ports in Northern Europe;   currency is then Euros onboard. 

 

On the MSCCruises.Co.UK website there's a destination category 'Cruises from UK', believe those use GBP onboard, rather than EUR. 

On MSCCruisesUSA.Com and MSCCroisieres.Fr there's no such category, they are lumped in with 'Northern Europe' even when the destinations are the Canary Isles and North Africa !

 

Edited May 7 by notley-cruise

[Beamafar]

All cruises on the UK site are priced in GBP. 

[alserrod]

AFAIK, after november 2023, GBP isn't used by MSC.

 

It rules as

- America: Dollar except cruises in Antilles (Euro)

- Europe: Euro

- South Africa: Dollar

- Middle East: Euro

- Japan: I do not know

- World Cruise: Dollar (I am not sure, I read dollar)

- Grand Voyages: depending departure (America to Europe in dollar, Europe to America in euro)

 

 

For tips... I would tip always "useful money". Just guess what about going to your homecity, grabbing a taxi and.... tipping in another currency. What would taxi driver do with those notes?

 

This is... can a MSC employee cash his money in the bank (and ask it to be refunded)?. I am not sure but if he could... it should be in local currency, isn't it?

[perakcruiser]

27 minutes ago, alserrod said:

This is... can a MSC employee cash his money in the bank (and ask it to be refunded)?. I am not sure but if he could... it should be in local currency, isn't it?

He cannot, only local currency for cast transactions. But in all these countries there are myriads of moneychangers who change EUR and USD to local currency with excellent rates. Only Sing Dollar is even better. British pounds are worse, but not a rate disaster. GBP are used by MSC and all Caribbean cruises that do not start in USA have EUR as currency. 

[Best Cat Mom]

Crew have told us that they'll "trade" amongst themselves if the currency is not their norm. This avoids the exchange fees for them. They said that there are always others ready to swap.