Foreign currency for cruise to multiple countries

[Joanandjoe]

Our northern route cruise from Amsterdam to New York next month (8/14)  on the Navigator will go to multiple countries, involving four different foreign currencies other than the Euro (and we have plenty of Euros):  UK pound (1 stop in Scotland), Danish krone (1 stop in Faeroe Islands and two in Greenland), Icelandic krona (3 stops in Iceland), and Canadian dollar (two stops in Canada).  We’ll want to give tips, and possibly buy stuff, at all of our stops.

 

Do we need to buy small amounts of each of the four currencies, or is it your experience that tour guides and drivers are happy to accept dollars or euros in these places?  If the best idea is to purchase foreign currency, does the reception desk (or a booth manned by locals) exchange dollars for local currency?

 

Thanks.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Canadian tour operators will happily take US dollars at par, ha ha.  Since our dollar is worth about US$.75 right now, that's a bad deal for you.  But you can just adjust your tips accordingly.  For purchases in shops, they will sometimes offer an exchange rate, but it will be a bad one.

[ronrick1943]

It's always a good idea to carry small amount of local currency.  When buying something use a credit card.  

[shuguley]

Can't remember many places we have traveled that with a credit card and U.S. dollars you weren't welcomed with open arms.

[Travelcat2]

They may have open arms because they are giving you the worst exchange rate possible.  To my knowledge, the U.K. does not take U.S. dollars (just like we do not take GBP).  

 

There are many places that do not take the U.S. dollar.  As has been said, it is good to have some local currency.  Some of the best buys in some countries are the little "stands" where people are selling their wares.  Most take neither credit cards or foreign currency.  

 

We get currency from ATM's.  The only downside is that you receive larger bills than you want but you can always change them.  

[Portolan]

If your stops are mostly 1-day port calls and the only thing you can't charge to a credit card are tips, use dollars for the tips.  Euros would be even better in the European countries.  A bit of inconvenience for those receiving the tips, but they'll have plenty of practice at this.  Hard to draw just a few dollar equivalents from ATMs and you'd probably end up with lots of small change for a bunch of countries you may not return to anytime soon.  Never had a tip in dollars or Euros refused.  Buying things is another matter, but use a credit card.

Edited July 25, 2019 by Portolan

[JMARINER]

You can tip Euros in Britain, Norway and Denmark and Iceland. US$ in Canada.  Credit card are ubiquitous everywhere in Europe and are accepted for the smallest purchases.  The Pursers desk will only deal in US$ and Euros. 

 

J

[Host Hattie]

48 minutes ago, JMARINER said:

You can tip Euros in Britain, Norway and Denmark and Iceland. US$ in Canada.  Credit card are ubiquitous everywhere in Europe and are accepted for the smallest purchases.  The Pursers desk will only deal in US$ and Euros. 

 

J

None of the countries suggested use Euros, it's not appropriate to tip in Euros there.

[BBWC]

There is no need to tip in Iceland. We attempted to tip but the guide just walked away.

[FlyerTalker]

One pragmatic suggestion:  Take a bunch of US$ ones and fives.  Even if you get a bad exchange rate, you're not out a lot.  And try to bring newer bills.

 

As an example, we once wanted to buy a couple of beers at a simple open-air cafe in a market in Mozambique.  Had no desire to buy much there, so changing money was silly and they didn't take cards (nor would I use them there, as it would be so easy to take the numbers and use the account).  Asked if I could use dollars - so the beers cost about $2.50 each instead of $2.  Big deal in the overall scope of things.  Of course, I had a wad of fives and ones, so paying was easy and I didn't have to worry about getting a lot of local change that wouldn't be used.

 

Best part...when I got home, I just deposited that cash back into the bank.

[merlot101]

We don't bother getting local country currency for only a one day visit.  For longer stays such as our ten-day Iceland visit we got their currency for tolls, etc.  We find that the use of credit cards is even more common in foreign countries than in the US.  Every waiter seems to carry a mobile credit card machine.  Might be a problem for a street vendor but every established shop should accept credit cards.  In a few countries (Russia and South Africa, for example) they prefered USD to their country's currency. As for tips, we tip with USD or whatever currency we have or want to get rid of.  We carry "crisp" 1, 5, 10, and 20 USD.  Sometimes it takes our local bank a week to get the crisp money for us.

[JMARINER]

2 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

None of the countries suggested use Euros, it's not appropriate to tip in Euros there.

Never had anyone in any of those countries turn down a tip in Euros. 

 

Euros are readily taken in Denmark and their territories. Bus driver and tour guides are happy to take Euros in  Great Britain.  Even the larger stores in England will exchange Euros.  But I guess as they say "Your mileage may vary."

 

J

Edited July 25, 2019 by JMARINER

[SWFLAOK]

We just screwed up with money exchange on our recent Med and Adriatic cruise from Barcelona to Venice. We were able to find, with some difficulty, 400 Euros at a local bank. They had nothing smaller than10's. Little did we know that public bathrooms in France, Monaco and Italy required coins for bathroom entry, and even if there was an attendant to make change, they didn't want to make change of a 10. We were always looking for something cheap to buy that would give us change. When we were down to 40 Euros and some change during the second week of our cruise, we went to receptions to ask for another 100 Euros. They told us that they normally run out of Euros after the first few days of the cruise since many people ask for 1 or 2 thousand Euros when they board the ship. They told us they would most likely have some on the last day of the cruise when the same people exchanged them back for dollars. We asked why they didn't restrict the amount of exchanges if they always run out and then get them back at the end. They had no answer. We gave US dollars for tips to our tour guides after that since we had nothing else and they accepted them.

 

[Travelcat2]

Paying in U.S. dollars for tips to tour guides and bus drivers is no big deal - anywhere (although when someone gave a someone a dollar in Africa, they they held it up to the light - turned it over and upside down trying to figure out what it was).  It can be an issue when you want to purchase something  (especially if they do not take credit cards).

 

I'm trying to find the word in my brain that means that we are pretty selfish to assume that other countries love to have USD.  There are a few that do but for the most part, they are a nuisance. How would any of you like to be paid in British Pounds, Danish krone, krona or even the Canadian dollar?). We live 20 miles from the Canadian border and our city does accept Canadian money but at a horrible exchange rate.  The "horrible" exchange rate is likely put in place because they do not want foreign currency.

 

 

[rcandkc]

We always try to take some local currency although we could have gone with Euros in some Northern Europe countries instead of individual currency.  I always think what a merchant,restaurant, etc would think here if someone offered a foreign currency for payment...so we try as best as can to plan ahead for tips and small purchases..bigger ones on CC. 

[Host Hattie]

6 hours ago, JMARINER said:

Never had anyone in any of those countries turn down a tip in Euros. 

 

Euros are readily taken in Denmark and their territories. Bus driver and tour guides are happy to take Euros in  Great Britain.  Even the larger stores in England will exchange Euros.  But I guess as they say "Your mileage may vary."

 

J

That's probably out of politeness ...

 

[Hambagahle]

The only country you will visit where Euros are really not acceptable is Canada.  For the rest - use Euros.  Notes are in 5,10,20,50, 100 denominations.  Do NOT get 100s.  There is so much counterfeiting of those that shops have signs up saying they won't take them.   A Euro is worth about 15% more than a USD so figure that in to the amount you tip.  And as someone said above - in Scandinavian countries (like my own Switzerland) tipping is not done on a regular basis because all tips are included in the prices published.  Buy a beer and tax and tip is included for example.

 

And yes - you need coins to use toilets.  I suppose you will have to get those at the first country you stop at that uses Euros because banks do not have coins as a rule.

 

TC2 - probably the reason people held a note up to the sun is to see the watermark.  Most currencies have watermarks in their notes which make the note hard to forge.  I think it wasn't till quite recently that the US introduced those into their notes.

[swansong]

Well said TC. Dollars and Euros may be accepted in places like London in the UK but won’t be welcome anywhere else. 

No one I know here would dream of travelling abroad without the appropriate currency. 

As an aside whilst of course English £s are accepted in Scotland they do have their own Scottish £s and these whilst the same value are not universally accepted in England even when they are legal tender.

When tipping guides in dollars here please remember that many more people use on line banks that don’t have bricks and mortar premises so exchanging them for £s could be problematical and frankly not worth the effort.

[Tucruisers]

In the UK, tipping in $USD is no more acceptable than tipping in £ would be in Teaneck NJ. Of course tour guides and bus drivers would probably be too polite to say anything. What they would think is of course something else entirely! 

[Travelcat2]

7 hours ago, Hambagahle said:

 

TC2 - probably the reason people held a note up to the sun is to see the watermark.  Most currencies have watermarks in their notes which make the note hard to forge.  I think it wasn't till quite recently that the US introduced those into their notes.

 

Gerry, in most countries, I would agree with you.  These young people (teenagers) in Africa held up the dollar bill, turned it over, upside-down, etc. and passed it on to the others.  They truly did now know what it was.  

 

Actually, I brought up a good point without realizing it.  Paying (or trying to pay) in U.S. dollars (or any other non-local currency) in some places (Africa, the Amazon for instance) is giving them "paper" that they cannot do anything with.  They cannot get to a money exchanger so keep this in mind when you travel. 

[1982CruzStart]

Out of respect for the countries i visit i always try to get local currency. When we fly through YVR,  we always go a day ahead of time and i visit a currency exchange store. They carry many different currencies and i don't think i have had trouble picking up small amounts of currency for virtually anywhere i go.  I have even been able to get some obscure currencies for our cruise of western Africa in 2018.  I do my homework and find out what the local currency is as well as see if they are willing to take other currencies. If my research tells me that they don't want USD for example i don't use it, i use what they suggest. 

As Wendy says in Canada you can easily use USD.  Please do not use Euros as it is virtually useless here.  Someone might take it out of courtsey or if they are or someone close to them are travelling to Europe and use it when they travel. 

[Hambagahle]

TC2 's point about currency is a very important one.   If you are in an area - Euro for example - and then tip in USD be aware that the person receiving the tip has to physically take the money to a bank to change it.  And for small amounts the rate is never great.   PLUS these are busy people, working hard and perhaps because they are involved in tourism are not free to get to banks during the hours when banks are open.   IF possible it is always best to tip in the local currency.

[taxare]

I agree with these last few comments. In similar threads there are often Americans that say everyone takes USD. I believe it is disrespectful to not try and have some local currency and as Hambagahle said the service providers or vendors either don't have the time or place to easily convert the USD but of course they aren't going to say no. Perhaps I am one of the few that still has a small bank account at one of the large US banks. They have an excellent online foreign currency department that carries almost all currencies and I receive it in two days (they couldn't provide Cuban dollars). The exchange rate is certainly not as good as an ATM but for the small amounts I get for the one or two day stops the fee difference is negligible. As many of you do we generally go on at least two trips a year and I plan in advance for both trips. 

[Gilly]

Are we the only people to have such a tray in our home?  (No, we are not setting up a currency exchange, though it occasionally feels that way!)  Small currency amounts are in ziplock bags (originally) in alphabetical order, plus we have a $ purse, a € purse and a SFr purse for those we use most frequently!

[liptastic]

Gilly similar set up here too , especially with Canadian $ as we have family in Canada and go there as frequently as possible with the usual work and leave restrictions allow.

I never cash in any left over foreign currency, and we always ensure we have the local currency required, it’s a mark of respect really? 

Jean.