Cruise with different currencies

[rahrah50]

When cruising I usually obtain some foreign currency before I leave then hit the ATM's as needed for additional funds. How do cruisers handle different country's currency when you are only there for a day?? I use my credit card for a lot of purchases but hate to be without some cash.....

[Christine Frances]

When we did our Baltic and Asia cruises, Guest Relations had local currency for the different ports that you could purchase. Because we only needed small amounts for lunch, etc, we were not worried too much about the exchange rate.

[Lsimon]

A better question might be whether you actually need the local currency or not. What country are you thinking of?

 

The only cruises I've been on where that occurred we were able to get by using other currency and credit cards. For example on a stop in Croatia on a Mediterranean cruise we found Euros were accepted at all merchants except for one place and they took credit cards. In the Caribbean, including stops in Central American countries, Mexico, and Columbia, we've always gotten by with just U.S. currency and credit cards.

[rahrah50]

We will be on the Baltic cruise and Sweden, Denmark, and Russia are not on the Euro. Thanks for the info regarding purchasing small amounts on board. That should work as I use my credit card for most purchases.

[Christine Frances]

We will be on the Baltic cruise and Sweden, Denmark, and Russia are not on the Euro. Thanks for the info regarding purchasing small amounts on board. That should work as I use my credit card for most purchases.

 

I don't think the ship had rubles but our wonderful guide with SPB Tours exchanged $10 for us so we could get ice cream, drinks etc from the vendors. You will love the itinerary!!

[TLCOhio]

A better question might be whether you actually need the local currency or not. What country are you thinking of? The only cruises I've been on where that occurred we were able to get by using other currency and credit cards. For example on a stop in Croatia on a Mediterranean cruise we found Euros were accepted at all merchants except for one place and they took credit cards. In the Caribbean, including stops in Central American countries, Mexico, and Columbia, we've always gotten by with just U.S. currency and credit cards.

 

As always, excellent above points by Larry. When we did the Baltics, from Dover/UK to Russia and finishing in Sweden, we had some English Pounds (being there five days before our cruise), but got by with just some previously obtained Euros, but did most everything on our credit card. Worked well!!

 

The Baltics are among the toughest areas as there are so many different currencies among the many nations. Getting all of those different local national currencies can be a "pain".

 

We are planning a Jan. 25-Feb. 20, 2015, Amazon River-Caribbean combo back-to-back sailing over 26 days. Glad to hear Larry's details on the working connection with U.S. currency and the credit card.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Back from doing a 14-day Celebrity Solstice, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure on this ship and getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for much more information and lots of wonderful pictures on these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 76,804 views for this fun posting.

[Christine Frances]

A better question might be whether you actually need the local currency or not. What country are you thinking of?

 

The only cruises I've been on where that occurred we were able to get by using other currency and credit cards. For example on a stop in Croatia on a Mediterranean cruise we found Euros were accepted at all merchants except for one place and they took credit cards. In the Caribbean, including stops in Central American countries, Mexico, and Columbia, we've always gotten by with just U.S. currency and credit cards.

 

US currency maybe, but a little different with Canadian dollars:) Can't even cash them south of Seattle lol!! Not too familiar with our plastic bills. We actually prefer to use local currency as you don't get ripped off as much. I live in Victoria and I have seen what the restaurants and stores use for conversion rates.:eek:

[CPT Trips]

A better question might be whether you actually need the local currency or not. What country are you thinking of?

 

The only cruises I've been on where that occurred we were able to get by using other currency and credit cards. For example on a stop in Croatia on a Mediterranean cruise we found Euros were accepted at all merchants except for one place and they took credit cards. In the Caribbean, including stops in Central American countries, Mexico, and Columbia, we've always gotten by with just U.S. currency and credit cards.

 

50 Euro cent and five kuna coins are essential . . . I've yet to find a WC that accepts plastic. :p

[Host Walt]

For small transactions I agree with the suggestions made. However the exchange rates for actual currency trading on board ship are very poor. They were so bad on a recent trip (about 25% lower than the current interbank rate) that we decided to keep the money as a souvenir...and as 'seed money" for future trips, should we ever return.

 

On a cruise several years ago I was delayed from joining the ship by a business issue. The ship sailed from Rotterdam and I joined her in Oslo, two days into the cruise.

 

I was booked on a flight from LAX to Oslo with a connection in London. I had some Norwegian Krone's left over from a previous land trip so I was good to go for taxi fare from the Oslo airport to the ship. The airline offered an alternative flight from LHR to Stockholm with a 7 hour bus ride Stockolm to Oslo. The bus ride included a "no host" rest stop where we could buy something to eat and drink. The restaurant at the local stop was happy to accept Norwegian Krones instead of Swedish Kronas so I was able to get a sandwich and a Coke.

 

I suspect that the best answer is to carry some miscellaneous currencies and see if the local merchant will accept that currency rather than going to the exercise of converting small amounts on board or at a bank.

[rahrah50]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions...Eight widows are going on our first Celebrity cruise and really looking forward to it. We have travelled together before but to one country and didn't have to think about this. I will relay the information to the other ladies.

[xxoocruiser]

We will be on the Baltic cruise and Sweden, Denmark, and Russia are not on the Euro. Thanks for the info regarding purchasing small amounts on board. That should work as I use my credit card for most purchases.

 

Though it was back in 2004 on a Baltic cruise, I actually used small denominations of US$ ($1 & $5) in Sweden, Denmark and Russia. Change was given in local currency which I than exchanged on board ship at Guest Services.

Edited September 14, 2014 by xxoocruiser

[Hlitner]

The OP ask a great question and the simple answer is that it's a pain in the behind to those of us who do most things on our own and strongly dislike ship's tours. In Europe is has become less of a problem since the Euro, but I have a stash of pounds sterling, Euros, and a little of a few other currencies that we simply save for our next visit. Asia is a bigger problem, but we just try to use up any foreign currency or possibly exchange it at the next Asian port. Many fellow Americans think that they can simply use US Dollars in most countries, but that is either not the case or you might get an awful exchange rate every time you use a dollar. We see this in Mexico (where we live in the winter) when cruise ship passengers will sometimes only get 10:1 when they use dollars when the actual exchange rate is about 13:1. Cruisers are the only tourists that seem to have no problem losing 30% on their money. The rest of us understand the value of having some local currency.

 

Hank

[Jacs]

I usually do some research on the port areas we will be arriving in to see if there is a convenient ATM location, and if there is, I wait until at port and just withdraw what I think I would need for sundries. If there isn't an ATM I will usually convert a small amount of currency at home before leaving.

 

I think it's important to carry and use local currency except where US dollars are known to be accepted (Carribean for example). I saw quite a few shipmates in Athens get very angry and upset when they couldn't but an icecream on a hot day because they didn't have any Euros on them and tried to pay with dollars.

[Underwatr]

During a Scandinavia cruise we ended up getting a bit of currency (too much, of course) from an ATM in each country visited and when we were in London we went to a Bureau de Change and turned it all into Pounds and only took the hit once.

[hubofhockey]

Most of the Scandinavian countries accept euros. If not, they take debit and credit cards. We got rubles at an ATM in Russia because we were going to be there a couple of days and DKK in Copenhagen for the same reason. Other than that, it was all euros and plastic. We had no problems at all.