Transatlantics to Rio

[Kruzin Again !]

Anyone know if Oceania's purser's office exchanges dollars for Brazilian Real's? Would like to get some walking around cash to use when we debark around 2 pm our first day. I know we can go looking for an ATM, but wondered if the ship exchanged $ to R. :confused:

[StanandJim]

Anyone know if Oceania's purser's office exchanges dollars for Brazilian Real's? Would like to get some walking around cash to use when we debark around 2 pm our first day. I know we can go looking for an ATM, but wondered if the ship exchanged $ to R.

 

Yes, the front desk does exchange currency as a courtesy, and for a fee.

Because they don't want you to use the ship AS an ATM, however, they have it priced so that most people will seek out another source to exchange large amounts, and there will be a limit of how much they will exchange per passenger.

That limit will vary with the vagaries of foreign exchange rates, but you can figure on being able to change at least $250 per passenger without trouble.

A credit card is the easiest form of payment to use. They will also take travelers Checks and, of course, cash, but not personal checks.

 

Hope this helped-

[hondorner]

We get money ahead of time. Bank of America, for example, will let you use on-line banking to arrange for currency from almost any nation. They charge it against our account, then send the money either to our home, where we have to be available to sign for it, or to our nearest bank branch, where we can securely pick it up with a photo ID. They charge a currency exchange fee, but it is much less than the ship or local ATM's. We usually get a small amount for walking around, then get more locally if we need it. Because of credit cards, we have never needed more than $50 or $100, and usually have to find some way to spend it. We got $200 for our recent Argentina stops, but we were in Buenos Aires for 2 days and 2 other Argentinian ports later.

 

By the way, Warren or Karen, you were the ones who started our roll call for the March 21, 2010 crossing from Miami to Barcelona. It is a very active roll call, but you have not posted since. Are you still booked for that cruise?

[Kruzin Again !]

Hi Don: We decided to do the January Caribbean instead of that TA.

 

We are also doing the BCN to RIO this November. Going to BCN a day early and staying at the Regencia Colon and then staying (2) days at the Sofitel in Rio. I know you and Betsy did that cruise in 2007. Went to your website and enjoyed your various pictures. Did you get a chance to post your Rio TA pix?

 

Does BOA have a fee other then the Currency Exchange fee for obtaining the cash?

[Kruzin Again !]

Thanks StanandJim:

After reading some other posters that said they needed a small amount of Real's in Salvador to use the elevator to the city top level, I just wanted to be able to get some from the ship before debarking in Recife, Salvador, and Rio.

[tak2]

....After reading some other posters that said they needed a small amount of Real's in Salvador to use the elevator to the city top level,.....

 

 

Not that I'm encouraging this, but my fellow cruisers who only had US$1 got the ride for free.

[hondorner]

We took the inclined railway up, and the elevator down. We were looking for the elevator, got lost, and found the inclined railway, instead. :o

 

We showed up without or Reals -- we forgot them :o:o. We tried $1, didn't work. There was another couple there from the ship, he had some Reals, and offered to pay both our fares, He offered a bank note, and the operator said she couldn;t make change for a bill that large (I think it was about 10 Reals). It turned out the fare was on a couple of pesos -- I think I remember it was about 2 cents in US money. She took the 4 of us up for free.

 

We stopped in a little shop and exchanged a few dollars, got some small coins in change for some postcards, and proudlly paid our fare down the elevator -- again, just a few pesos, the same as the inclined railway (funicular).

 

Shortly after we were there, the TV program, "The Amzing Race" started their season with a dash to Salvador. The contestants went up the inclined railway, saw the same sights we did, and then came down the elevator -- the hard way. The producers stretched a cargo net down the outside of the elevator building, and the contestants had to climb down it. That saved them a couple of cents...:cool: It was really neat to watch the familiar scenes on TV.

 

Warren, sorry we will miss you on the 2010 TransAtlantic. No, I have been lazy and have not posted pictures from the last two cruises -- Betsy gets on my case, but I always have an excuse. I just can't multi-task like today's generations...

 

The BOA currency exchange web page with frequently asked questions is here. If I am reading it correctly, they charge no fee for the actual exchange but charge a $7.50 delivery charge if the order is less than $1,000 total. I guess I have paid that fee wihout paying much attention, probably figuring it was an exchange fee. The rest of the FAQ should help.

 

I have mine delivered to the bank rather than the house, because we are frequently away at the time deliveries are made, and a signature is required. Even if they would leave it, we live in a very rural area, and deliveries are left in a plastic bag tied to our gate -- I wouldn't want to leave currrency out like that.