nephthys431 Posted July 15, 2018 #1 Share Posted July 15, 2018 I'm going on my first cruise in November. I've seen people say to bring extra cash because atm fees are outrageous. But... What do I do for money in ports? Not like at the touristy gift shops and all; I know they'll take my card. But what about little local vendors? Do I need to exchange somewhere for local currency? Thanks for a the help so far!!! Sent from my SM-G930V using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spookwife Posted July 15, 2018 #2 Share Posted July 15, 2018 I'm going on my first cruise in November. I've seen people say to bring extra cash because atm fees are outrageous. But... What do I do for money in ports? Not like at the touristy gift shops and all; I know they'll take my card. But what about little local vendors? Do I need to exchange somewhere for local currency? Thanks for a the help so far!!! Sent from my SM-G930V using Forums mobile app depends on the ports. many take US cash happily Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Essiesmom Posted July 15, 2018 #3 Share Posted July 15, 2018 If you are going to the Caribbean, they will expect you to have $US. In Europe, they want local currency. EM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nephthys431 Posted July 15, 2018 Author #4 Share Posted July 15, 2018 Thanks! It's the western Caribbean on the Glory. So Mexico and Belize! I'm so excited Sent from my SM-G930V using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tatka Posted July 15, 2018 #5 Share Posted July 15, 2018 They'll take USD. In Costa Maya in port they a cashless though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krazy Kruizers Posted July 15, 2018 #6 Share Posted July 15, 2018 You can get small bills at the front desk on the ship. Use small bills so that you don't get back a lot of foreign money. Some vendors and merchants don't always have a lot of US coins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leaveitallbehind Posted July 15, 2018 #7 Share Posted July 15, 2018 They'll take USD.In Costa Maya in port they a cashless though Not sure I understand what you mean by Costa Maya in port being cashless? We have been there twice and have purchased items in the stores in town by the pier and have paid US$ in cash for the items. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tatka Posted July 15, 2018 #8 Share Posted July 15, 2018 Not sure I understand what you mean by Costa Maya in port being cashless? We have been there twice and have purchased items in the stores in town by the pier and have paid US$ in cash for the items.Not sure what was a reason, but last two times this year none of restaurants in CM was accepting cash. Only Credit Cards. There were signs everywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCruisers Posted July 15, 2018 #9 Share Posted July 15, 2018 Not sure I understand what you mean by Costa Maya in port being cashless? We have been there twice and have purchased items in the stores in town by the pier and have paid US$ in cash for the items. I don't understand either. In Costa Maya we have always needed cash ... the US Dollar works for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leaveitallbehind Posted July 15, 2018 #10 Share Posted July 15, 2018 Not sure what was a reason, but last two times this year none of restaurants in CM was accepting cash. Only Credit Cards. There were signs everywhere. We were there in March and didn't notice that. But, with the exception of one small store, didn't spend much time near the pier area and was just coming and going from the ship to Maya Chan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philob Posted July 15, 2018 #11 Share Posted July 15, 2018 There's a trend for establishments going cashless to speed up transactions, prevent robberies and employee sticky fingers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatbush Flyer Posted July 15, 2018 #12 Share Posted July 15, 2018 I'm going on my first cruise in November. I've seen people say to bring extra cash because atm fees are outrageous. But... What do I do for money in ports? Not like at the touristy gift shops and all; I know they'll take my card. But what about little local vendors? Do I need to exchange somewhere for local currency? Thanks for a the help so far!!! Sent from my SM-G930V using Forums mobile app Best exchange rates are usually bank ATMs. Use your own bank ATM card (NEVER a credit card) with the same logos on back as on the machine. At home, use banks that rebate ATM fees of other banks. In Northern California, we use Mechanics Bank. Be careful of lookalike currency exchange "ATMs" (e.g., Travelex) - NOT a bank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi13 Posted July 15, 2018 #13 Share Posted July 15, 2018 I'm going on my first cruise in November. I've seen people say to bring extra cash because atm fees are outrageous. But... What do I do for money in ports? Not like at the touristy gift shops and all; I know they'll take my card. But what about little local vendors? Do I need to exchange somewhere for local currency? Thanks for a the help so far!!! Sent from my SM-G930V using Forums mobile app Believe you are going to the Caribbean, so we would take some US $ and also get about the equivalent of CAN $20 in the local currency of each port we visit. We purchase, before leaving, from our local bank, which tends to give better exchange rates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cb at sea Posted July 15, 2018 #14 Share Posted July 15, 2018 We never use ATM's whether at home or on a trip. We bring the cash we might need...and our credit card takes care of the rest. I refuse to pay a fee to access my own freaking money! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GottaKnowWhen Posted July 15, 2018 #15 Share Posted July 15, 2018 I'm going on my first cruise in November. I've seen people say to bring extra cash because atm fees are outrageous. ...Sent from my SM-G930V using Forums mobile app I would start by checking with someone who knows what your ATM fees are. That would probably be someone at your bank. Tell them where you will be, how much you might try to withdraw in dollars or local currency’s. Then you decide if you think the fees are reasonable or outrageous. I usually try to estimate how much I will spend and take that with me in cash. Pretty much anyplace, I can spend $US. But if I am going to be in Europe then it is cheaper to plan on an ATM withdrawal rather than a currency exchange. If/when I do an ATM withdrawal, I note that there is often a flat fee. If I need to pay $3 to withdraw $10, no way Jose! Instead I’ll withdraw $200-300 so that the flat fee amounts to a relatively small percentage. And I will make a mental note to start with more cash the next time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatbush Flyer Posted July 16, 2018 #16 Share Posted July 16, 2018 We never use ATM's whether at home or on a trip. We bring the cash we might need...and our credit card takes care of the rest. I refuse to pay a fee to access my own freaking money! While you may have a credit card with "no foreign transaction fee," you are subject to exchange rate differentials (buy vs sell the foreign "currency") when your credit card company posts the debit. Same goes for foreign ATMs. Your bank may waive foreign (or domestic) ATM use fees from other banks. But, you will always be subject to the exchange cost. And, of course, NEVER use a credit card in any ATM (interest starts accruing immediately). When in a country where USD paper currency not readily acceptable, best bet is getting local cash from a bank ATM associated with your own provider network. Make the right choice of home bank (and its ATM card) and you'll have the lowest exchange rate and no ATM nor foreign transaction fees. Thinking US cash is the best way to go doesn't account for what you lose when the vendor makes up their own exchange rate "on the go." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
donaldsc Posted July 16, 2018 #17 Share Posted July 16, 2018 depends on the ports. many take US cash happily However you may get your change in local currency so make sure to take small bills. DON Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogs4fun Posted July 16, 2018 #18 Share Posted July 16, 2018 While you may have a credit card with "no foreign transaction fee," you are subject to exchange rate differentials (buy vs sell the foreign "currency") when your credit card company posts the debit. Same goes for foreign ATMs. Your bank may waive foreign (or domestic) ATM use fees from other banks. But, you will always be subject to the exchange cost. And, of course, NEVER use a credit card in any ATM (interest starts accruing immediately).When in a country where USD paper currency not readily acceptable, best bet is getting local cash from a bank ATM associated with your own provider network. Make the right choice of home bank (and its ATM card) and you'll have the lowest exchange rate and no ATM nor foreign transaction fees. Thinking US cash is the best way to go doesn't account for what you lose when the vendor makes up their own exchange rate "on the go." (y)Well said Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRF Posted July 16, 2018 #19 Share Posted July 16, 2018 We never use ATM's whether at home or on a trip. We bring the cash we might need...and our credit card takes care of the rest. I refuse to pay a fee to access my own freaking money! I find that most foreign ATMs do not charge any fees. And the exchange rate is at the published currency trading rates. If you are not using an ATM, you hare paying large fees to change currencies. And has been said, there are ATM cards that refund any out of network ATM fees. And also do not charge any foreign transaction fees. Maybe you need a new bank for travel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRF Posted July 16, 2018 #20 Share Posted July 16, 2018 While you may have a credit card with "no foreign transaction fee," you are subject to exchange rate differentials (buy vs sell the foreign "currency") when your credit card company posts the debit. Same goes for foreign ATMs. Your bank may waive foreign (or domestic) ATM use fees from other banks. But, you will always be subject to the exchange cost. And, of course, NEVER use a credit card in any ATM (interest starts accruing immediately).When in a country where USD paper currency not readily acceptable, best bet is getting local cash from a bank ATM associated with your own provider network. Make the right choice of home bank (and its ATM card) and you'll have the lowest exchange rate and no ATM nor foreign transaction fees. Thinking US cash is the best way to go doesn't account for what you lose when the vendor makes up their own exchange rate "on the go." The difference in exchange fees between buy and sell for ATM transactions is VERY small. You are combining your transaction with ALL the international transactions by the large banks. If you take US cash and exchange it, you will be hit with very large buy/sell differential. Basically you will lose money both ways. Or, if you take $100 and change it to local and then change it back to US, you will get maybe $90 back from many money changers. My experience (25 years of travel to over 140 countries), the bank exchange rate for ATM and credir card transactions are the best an individual will ever see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LA_CA_GAL Posted July 16, 2018 #21 Share Posted July 16, 2018 Geez. I like to keep it simple. I take a lot of USA cash. Lots of small bills, lots of hundreds. No ATMS, no credit cards, no debit cards. And when I get home, I always have a couple of thousand in cash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KBS1607 Posted July 17, 2018 #22 Share Posted July 17, 2018 On our recent Caribbean cruise, the ship ran out of change. We weren’t able to get one dollar bills. We’re taking a lot to Alaska. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRF Posted July 17, 2018 #23 Share Posted July 17, 2018 Geez. I like to keep it simple. I take a lot of USA cash. Lots of small bills, lots of hundreds. No ATMS, no credit cards, no debit cards. And when I get home, I always have a couple of thousand in cash. It seems you only go to the Caribbean. Your plan will not work to Asia or Europe or South America or many other parts of the world. Unless you want to use money changers, and then you are paying a LOT to convert your US dollars to local currency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tatka Posted July 17, 2018 #24 Share Posted July 17, 2018 It seems you only go to the Caribbean. Your plan will not work to Asia or Europe or South America or many other parts of the world. Unless you want to use money changers, and then you are paying a LOT to convert your US dollars to local currency. We travel a lot all over Europe and mostly use cash, unless we book before (hotels, cars).We had situations when banks didn't let transactions to go through even though we called before and let them know about our travels. Don't want to risk it. We are ok with exchange fees. We do learn about better exchange locations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flatbush Flyer Posted July 17, 2018 #25 Share Posted July 17, 2018 It seems you only go to the Caribbean. Your plan will not work to Asia or Europe or South America or many other parts of the world. Unless you want to use money changers, and then you are paying a LOT to convert your US dollars to local currency. Plus 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now