Euros

[ECrusieAgain]

Do I need to get Euros before I go on the Mediterranean Cruise? Where is the best place to buy Euros?

[Nitemare]

You can change money on the ship (high fees), or at banks or changing places in the places you visit.

 

If you look in the archives of this board and/or the Money Saving Tips board, you'll see suggestions as to the best (cheapest) ways to exchange funds.

[cmason]

best bet is to use your ATM in port. Just do a normal ATM withdrawal, and you will get Euros. You pay ATM fees and get the bank's exchange rate, which is usually very good. Or if you are in port on a weekday, simply walk to the nearest bank and get $$ exchanged.

 

...left until Navigator of the Seas 11/13/04

 

[wwinfl91]

We got a couple of hunderd dollars worth of euros before we sailed from our bank. There was no fee for them to get them for us but it did require us to call ahead of time and arrange to pick up the euros the next day. The exchange rate was whatever it was the day the purchase was made.

 

We also used the money exchange machines on the ship, which had a daily exchange rate that was supposing set each day at whatever the "official" rate was. The machine was set up that you paid a fixed fee, I think it was $2.00 a transaction, but that was for up to 8 or 10 bills so I would go and exchange whatever the maximum number of bills was for the single fee and then store the extra euros in our safe until we needed them. I saw people exchanging a single $20 bill and getting charged the $2 fee on each transaction which was a real rip off. YOU had to read the machine's instructions or you would definitely pay a lot more to exchange money.

By the way we were on the Golden Princess so I don't know if these money exchange machines exist on all ships in europe. Also the pursors office would not exchange dollars for euros. They said that was what the machines were for.

We also cashed some AmEx travelers checks at a bank in Venice for additional euros (Venice is one expensive city but it was worth it). They also gave us whatever the standard exchange rate was for that day.

 

Have a great next cruise.

 

HAL Noordam 3/97 West Carib

Hal Westerdam 12/97 East Carib

HAL Veendam 11/98 East Carib

Hal Zaandam 12/00 South Carib

HAL Veendam 10/01 Panama Canal

RCCL Enchantment 09/02 W.Carib

Costa Atlantica 12/02 E.Carib

HAL Noordam 03/03 S.Carib

Golden Princess 07/03 Med

Celebrity Zenith 12/03 W.Carib

HAL Maasdam 05/04 Canada

[Trevoli]

A couple things to be aware of:

 

Some foreign ATM's will only accept a 4-digit PIN, check with your particular bank for details.

 

I wouldn't depend on cash machines (either regular ATM's or currency exchange machines) on the ship. If you find one that's operational, take advantage of it.

 

While I appreciate the purser's desk not wanting to change money because "that's what the machines are for", if the machines are out of order.....

 

T

[wwinfl91]

I guess we were lucky the machines worked. I suspect that had the machines not worked they would have found some way to exchange money at the purser's desk.

 

I will agree that we were advised to make sure our ATM pin number was only 4 digits long and all numbers as European ATM's only have 0-9 on the keypads.

 

I agree also with the not depending on them which was why we got some euros from our bank before we left.

 

Have a great next cruise.

 

HAL Noordam 3/97 West Carib

Hal Westerdam 12/97 East Carib

HAL Veendam 11/98 East Carib

Hal Zaandam 12/00 South Carib

HAL Veendam 10/01 Panama Canal

RCCL Enchantment 09/02 W.Carib

Costa Atlantica 12/02 E.Carib

HAL Noordam 03/03 S.Carib

Golden Princess 07/03 Med

Celebrity Zenith 12/03 W.Carib

HAL Maasdam 05/04 Canada

[Jolimont]

I do this all the time because my parents and siblings live in France and I visit a lot. Withdrawing from an ATM is the best way to go. Sometimes your bankcard will have maximum amounts that you can withdraw per week. I've tried to get those changed a couple of times and it never works. So there I am in France or Spain yelling that my bank should have changed this!!! So, what I recommend is that you pay for purchases with your credit card and save your cash for things where they don't take cards. Works like a charm. Have fun!

 

Diamond Princess HERE WE COME! Alaska has never been so cool! 5/22/04

May 31, 2003 Carnival Triumph to Western Caribbean.

 

[Mark]

Aren't Euros the paper money used in the Monopoly Game?

[Sekhmet]

Mark,

 

You're right - they are the ones that now cost $1.20 each to buy!

 

Seriously, don't forget that not every country in Europe uses the Euro - you will need to check.

[Papasco]

We will be arriving in England for 2 days stay before sailing on the Royal Princess 5-19=04. Arrive Heathrow Airport..wondering if anyone cane tell us are there ATM's handy at airport?