Asia 2018 cruise. Currency question

[donadawson]

Hi all. We are doing the Asia cruise next april from Singapore, visiting, Vietnam, Hong kong, Korea( depending on current government crisis) and China.

Can anyone tell me the best currency to take. Don't really want to take 6 different currencies.

[Biker19]

Welcome to CC.

 

USD. You'll have to figure out what you are doing in the ports to determine if you'll need local currency. Others on the same sailing may be discussing this in the roll call thread.l

[datolim]

I would take Singapore. It is awfully easy to change to other Asian currency in SG even at the airport. Lots of money changers outside for the best rate. I would get some HKD and China Renminbi . Vietnam you can use HKD. Don't know about Korea. It depends if you are taking the ship tour in which case you may not require local currency.

[Aussie FF]

If you are going to 5 different countries you will need 5 different currencies, as well as USD for the cruise, if you plan to buy anything.

It is usually quite easy to exchange money when you get there, but you will need the local currency at your first stop, to pay for transport to your hotel or cruise port.

 

Aussie Frequent Floaters

[little britain]

If someone came to the USA from Hong, do you think they can pay for items with HK$ in your local stores and restaurants???

No of course not.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[direptor]

USD should work in Vietnam as well

[geomancer]

Sometimes places will take foreign currency, but often not at a favorable exchange rate. So it's simple, yes, but it costs you for that simplicity.

 

Unless you have a terrible bank, using an ATM is often the best way to get cash. If you only need a little bit though, it may be better to just take the hit from a currency exchange booth if the shop won't take USD.

 

Best of all options is a credit card with no foreign transaction fees, than it literally is just like using USD worldwide. Not always an option with all shops, especially street vendors though.

 

On the plus side, keeping a few bills of foreign currency makes a nice souvenir in itself.

[Havingfun2010]

Hi all. We are doing the Asia cruise next april from Singapore, visiting, Vietnam, Hong kong, Korea( depending on current government crisis) and China.

Can anyone tell me the best currency to take. Don't really want to take 6 different currencies.

 

South Korea and China, credit cards were widespread accepted. Can't speak for the ports you are visiting, but should not be an issue. I would also highly guess Hong Kong you could use a credit card with no issues. I have no idea about Vietmam.

 

I always stat a few extra days when I travel, so I would make sure I have the local currency for the place I'm staying pre-cruise. You need cash usually for taxi's etc. If you are taking tours, maybe money for tour guides and tips.

 

I would also examine what you plan on doing at each stop. For example, a pre-arranged tour, you might only need tipping money? Maybe some cash for small purchases like lunch/water/etc. If you are buying items in stores, credit cards would be fine. If you plan on just wondering around, taxi money is needed.

 

Analyze what your plans are, and take if from their. My next big trip, I have 4 currencies not counting USD. I will carry USD/EUR and for the other 3, I might decide to get about $100 equivalent each day which is $50.00 per person, if we are exploring on our own.

[Gordo]

We sailed on Ovation of the Seas from Hong Kong to Singapore, with stops in Vietnam and an island off of China.

 

On arrival in Hong Kong, our hotel offered a pick up service and since we ate dinner at the hotel because of our late arrival, we didn't need money until the second day. We walked from our hotel to the train station where they had an exchange so we could get Hong Kong dollars. We used our HKG dollars during our stay, and we saved enough money for our taxi to the port.

 

In Vietnam, we had tours booked for both ports, and every where we went took credit cards (no foreign conversion fees with our Chase card), and vendors took US dollars as well.

 

In Singapore, we had a tour booked for the day we left the ship, which included a transfer to our hotel. The tour guide took us to an exchange desk in one of the markets we visited. We needed more money later in our stay, and so did an exchange at the casino on Sentosa while gambling. Ended up winning that night so had extra money that we exchanged back at the airport.

[voyager70]

As a rule I always get local currency for the departure country then use credit cards for the other ports, just make sure they ate accepted. Never assume US$ are accepted everywhere they definitely are not.

[datolim]

I just want to emphasize that you need to get HKD before you get to HK. I am in HK every few months and the banks would not change money for you Unless you have an account with them. The few money changers around charge exorbitant rates.

[xpcdoojk]

Sometimes places will take foreign currency, but often not at a favorable exchange rate. So it's simple, yes, but it costs you for that simplicity.

 

Unless you have a terrible bank, using an ATM is often the best way to get cash. If you only need a little bit though, it may be better to just take the hit from a currency exchange booth if the shop won't take USD.

 

Best of all options is a credit card with no foreign transaction fees, than it literally is just like using USD worldwide. Not always an option with all shops, especially street vendors though.

 

On the plus side, keeping a few bills of foreign currency makes a nice souvenir in itself.

 

We just did this trip on the Ovation with another couple. They despite my advice bought currency for all the countries we visited from their bank. They spent a lot of money at crappy exchange rates upfront. I just used their money in several of the places we didn't stay at too long, by buying a meal using my CC. I really do not see the benefit of exchanging before you arrive. If you think you need currency hit an ATM when you arrive. If not use your credit card for all purchases. If you are buying a knock-off Louis Vuitton handbag on the streets of Ho Chi Minh City, do you really care if you could have save 3% by using dong? I don't think so. Your normal exchange rate is a dollar, and if that purse is 30 dollars and you negotiate it down to 15 do you think O crap they have screwed me on the exchange rate. I don't think so.

 

I withdrew money in Singapore to buy train tickets, blasted the extra away on the cab to the ship and souvenirs. I never held a dong in my hand, but I purchased something worth a million or more of them. In Hong Kong I withdrew some HK money to pay for lunch and the HOHO bus from an ATM.

 

In South Korea, I only purchased a Starbucks coffee and a sweet, and used my CC. In China I withdrew a small amount from the ATM but had to blast that away at tha airport when we left.

 

So, my opinion is, use your FX free credit card. If you must have money use an ATM (contact your bank or credit union before you leave to let them know) if it is a small purchase don't worry that you could have saved 25 cents.

 

JC

[datolim]

It all depends on ones tolerance for risks. Many including myself would not feel comfortable going into another country without having any local currency. What if there is a change of plans or something unexpected happens. Carrying some local currency is in a way an insurance policy against this. Yes there is some cost associated with this.

Knowing the system in a foreign country helps. But for me the peace of mind associated with carrying some local currency trumps the cost.

[MrYellowDuck]

You need to be careful using an ATM in Vietnam. I had two interesting experiences over a couple of days. The first was someone who was moving in to do a grab-and-run. The second I watched a card skimmer being installed at an ATM in a mall.

[xpcdoojk]

It all depends on ones tolerance for risks. Many including myself would not feel comfortable going into another country without having any local currency. What if there is a change of plans or something unexpected happens. Carrying some local currency is in a way an insurance policy against this. Yes there is some cost associated with this.

Knowing the system in a foreign country helps. But for me the peace of mind associated with carrying some local currency trumps the cost.

 

Well it is not like you are going to be dropped in the middle of the country. You will be arriving at airports or cruise ports, not exactly places unfamiliar with foreigners needing local currency. The cruise ship will exchange money, albeit at crappy rates, but it is not like you are going out in the bush and living off the land.

 

JMHO and YMMV

 

I agree we all do what makes us comfortable, and I want everyone to be comfortable. That said, fear can be blinding.

 

JC

[Havingfun2010]

Personally, I would rather have crappy exchange rates than using an ATM to get cash out of my checking account. The risk is too great. However, my CC protects me from fraud, so I'm not concerned with it. However, it has a cash advance fee. So, I get small amounts and use my CC for most purchases except for taxi's and small items.