ATM on Emerald Princess

[Hooley]

We're on the Emerald trans-atlantic in May.  Does anyone know if the onboard ATM dispenses Euros?  Thanks.

[oskidunker]

Do not use it as the exchange rate can be quite bad. Go to a bank atm

once on shore for the best rate. Also better than getting money from your bank before leaving 

 

most places take credit cards

[AF-1]

The ATM is US Dollars

[Redwing55]

1 hour ago, oskidunker said:

Do not use it as the exchange rate can be quite bad. Go to a bank atm

once on shore for the best rate. Also better than getting money from your bank before leaving 

 

most places take credit cards

Uh, so please expand a bit.  I can get up to 1000 for $7.5 from my local bank.  Now I also have ATM options:  3% conversion fee, no ATMfee/refunded at machine, or no conversion fee and only pay a fee at the ATM.. pending on which account I use.   I have no clue as to what a typical ATM fee is in Europe.. more so at an airport which is likely where I'd get the cash from (Italy)

So, I'm in the camp of getting some euros at home from the bank.  I won't need more than 1000.. likely much less due to CC use.  So, total cost will be less than $8.

 

So, are you still suggesting to use a land based ATM?  One downside is finding one.  I get that they are around, but I need funds to get from airport to hotel almost from day one.

Edited April 9, 2019 by Redwing55

[Jaymuxman]

Almost every major airport I have been in has an ATM machine.

[Expat Cruise]

All Princess ATM's on the ships are set to give US Dollars. Even on the cruises using Australian Currency. Princess Cruises uses USD as the Currency on the ship when in Europe.

 

[caribill]

Princess ships (except possibly those that are based in Australia) only dispense US $.

 

However, the ships that sail in Europe have a currency exchange machine that accepts currency from one country (such as US $) and dispenses one other currency (such as Euros).

 

The exchange rate will be about 10% higher than if you get Euros at a land ATM in a country that uses Euros. And there will an additional fee ($5 ?) for each transaction.

 

Of course for the above poster who needs Euros when arriving at an airport, it does not matter what is available on a Princess ship since the poster needed the Euros before boarding the ship. (By the way, if you use an airport ATM, be sure it is a bank ATM, not one owned by a currency exchange booth at the airport as those give very poor exchange rates.)

 

With a debit card such as one from CapitalOne, there are no foreign exchange fees when obtaining currency at a foreign ATM. You get exactly what the interbank rate is at the time the bank processes the transaction. This means a debit card used at a foreign ATM will always be better than purchasing Euros at your local USA bank as the Euros from the bank will be 5% or more than the current interbank rate, even if the bank does not add a transaction fee.

[Redwing55]

On 4/10/2019 at 2:53 AM, caribill said:

Princess ships (except possibly those that are based in Australia) only dispense US $.

 

 

 

With a debit card such as one from CapitalOne, there are no foreign exchange fees when obtaining currency at a foreign ATM. You get exactly what the interbank rate is at the time the bank processes the transaction. This means a debit card used at a foreign ATM will always be better than purchasing Euros at your local USA bank as the Euros from the bank will be 5% or more than the current interbank rate, even if the bank does not add a transaction fee.

So then you're suggesting that using the ATM uses a "better" conversion rate?  I ask since my bank just charges a $7.5 fee to convert and uses the interbank rate.  So, I'm in for 7.5 for what I need.  If I wait and do it at the airport you're suggesting that the conversion rate will be lower at the ATM?  I didn't know that.  I thought a conversion rate with an ATM or bank is the same.  It's the additional fee that can separate the action... that is IF one is using a bank ATM.     Thanks for the info.  I guess for me, it's not a ton of money, but as much as a convenience.  Heck the bigger issue for me will likely be to convert those unspent euros back to dollars.😏

[caribill]

12 hours ago, Redwing55 said:

So then you're suggesting that using the ATM uses a "better" conversion rate?  I ask since my bank just charges a $7.5 fee to convert and uses the interbank rate.  If they are truly using the Interbank rate, they that is a good deal. Most banks use a rate based on the Interbank rate, usually adding about 3% above the current rate. However, it is easy to check what the current Interbank rate is on the Internet. So, I'm in for 7.5 for what I need.  If I wait and do it at the airport you're suggesting that the conversion rate will be lower at the ATM?  I didn't know that.  I thought a conversion rate with an ATM or bank is the same.  It's the additional fee that can separate the action... that is IF one is using a bank ATM.  If you are using a debit card that does not charge a foreign transaction fee (such as one from CapitalOne), then yes, you are getting a better rate at a bank ATM than if you walked into a banl in that country to exchange currency.    Thanks for the info.  I guess for me, it's not a ton of money, but as much as a convenience.  Heck the bigger issue for me will likely be to convert those unspent euros back to dollars.😏 If I have leftover Euros, I just save them for my next trip to a country that uses them.

see above in red

[Thrak]

I actually used the ATM on Emerald Princess. I had run out of cash (too many - waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too many - $1 tips in the bars as I had the beverage package and it was a 28 day cruise... Anyway, I had no money left at the end of the cruise and wanted to tip my steward, waiter, etc. As far as I can remember, I was only offered USD. I blew it as there was a per-transaction fee (I think it was $5 USD) and I didn't take out enough the first time and had to pay the fee a second time. Lesson learned. Take out plenty the first time! The point is that, as far as I can remember, the only option I was offered when I took money out of the ATM was USD.

 

Edit: The next cruise was only 14 days but still had the beverage package as a perk. I got carried away again and went through something like 100 $1 bills in bar tips. D'Oh!

Edited April 12, 2019 by Thrak

[Redwing55]

9 hours ago, Thrak said:

I actually used the ATM on Emerald Princess. I had run out of cash (too many - waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too many - $1 tips in the bars as I had the beverage package and it was a 28 day cruise... Anyway, I had no money left at the end of the cruise and wanted to tip my steward, waiter, etc. As far as I can remember, I was only offered USD. I blew it as there was a per-transaction fee (I think it was $5 USD) and I didn't take out enough the first time and had to pay the fee a second time. Lesson learned. Take out plenty the first time! The point is that, as far as I can remember, the only option I was offered when I took money out of the ATM was USD.

 

Edit: The next cruise was only 14 days but still had the beverage package as a perk. I got carried away again and went through something like 100 $1 bills in bar tips. D'Oh!

Next time you need US cash..just go to the casino and load some on from your cabin.  You might need to take a spin or two on the slot but then when finished, just go to the cashier (in the casino) and cash out. (if you feel guilty with doing this.)  Of course WHEN you win at the machine, you'll even have more to cash out for.😂

 

Yup, this option does require some discipline.

[shrii]

On 4/9/2019 at 1:40 PM, Hooley said:

We're on the Emerald trans-atlantic in May.  Does anyone know if the onboard ATM dispenses Euros?  Thanks.

I always get my euros from the bank before I travel to Europe. Check with different banks to see if they have different rates.

[wheezedr]

5 minutes ago, shrii said:

I always get my euros from the bank before I travel to Europe. Check with different banks to see if they have different rates.

That provides a level of both security and comfort that many travelers prefer.  However using a bank based ATM machine in the country you are visiting gives you the best available exchange rate.  I never pay any fees as my C Schwab card reemburses all of them.  If in an airport be sure the ATM is part of a bank network and not from a money exchange company.

[caribill]

16 hours ago, Redwing55 said:

Next time you need US cash..just go to the casino and load some on from your cabin.  You might need to take a spin or two on the slot but then when finished, just go to the cashier (in the casino) and cash out. (if you feel guilty with doing this.)  Of course WHEN you win at the machine, you'll even have more to cash out for.😂

 

 

You could lose several dollars at the slot machine and still come out ahead by avoiding the ATM user fee.

[pompeii]

13 hours ago, wheezedr said:

That provides a level of both security and comfort that many travelers prefer.  However using a bank based ATM machine in the country you are visiting gives you the best available exchange rate.  I never pay any fees as my C Schwab card reemburses all of them.  If in an airport be sure the ATM is part of a bank network and not from a money exchange company.

Ditto to the Schwab ATM card.  I opened a Schwab checking account before my first (recent) trip to Europe in 2015 and have used it on every trip abroad since then.  No ATM fees, even for the ship's ATM.  It's easy to fund from my "regular" bank account or if you have a Schwab office near you, of course you can go in to make a deposit. I have never had a problem finding an ATM at airports or wherever I've been, and the card has never failed to work.  It's a great option if you just need a few dollars in local currency.

 

The only place I foresee having a problem is The Falklands, where there are no ATMs, but that is an unusual situation and the tour operators make you well aware of it ahead of time.  So I will either have to pay a little more in USD for my tour there, or get GBP from my bank ahead of time. 

[thinfool]

On 4/9/2019 at 2:58 PM, Redwing55 said:

  One downside is finding one.  I get that they are around, but I need funds to get from airport to hotel almost from day one.

There are far more ATMs in Italy....and Europe in general than in the US.  You will, without doubt, pass one or more ATMs in an Italian airport (Rome, Venice, Milan, etc).  

Where you decide to get local currency is obviously your choice.  We have never gotten foreign currency at a local bank here in the US.  Always at our first stop when we have traveled to Europe, South America, Canada, etc

"Finding" an ATM has never been an issue.

As mentioned by others, we have the Schwab ATM card which rebates ATM fees.

[Hooley]

Thanks, Everyone for your suggestions.  I was mainly curious.  A bank seems like the best bet.  I live in a small town and bank locally at a credit union.  They don't offer currency exchanges.  One local bank will get Euros for a $20 fee, which seems high.  Another only offers the service to their account holders for $7.50.  I did find that my mother's bank (TD Bank), not too far away, offers the service for a $7.50 fee and will buy back any leftovers.  Since I'm listed on her account, I'm all set.  If I run out of cash, I'll use a local ATM.