The Virtual Explorers' Lounge

[SantaFe1]

1 hour ago, FetaCheese said:

He will be posting

It’s “ she,”. But I will still be posting!

[FetaCheese]

1 hour ago, SantaFe1 said:

It’s “ she,”. But I will still be posting!

Yes, the anonymity of CC!

 

Thanks for correction.  Enjoy the day of embarkation.

 

 

[SantaFe1]

I don’t know where to ask this, so this is always a good place for seasoned travelers.  I want have small bills in pounds (£5) for tipping on excursions.  On our trip ending last week to Hawaii, the ship would change large bills into smaller ones.  But that was  $US to $ US basically.  Does anyone know if I can change £20 or 50 notes for 5s on the ship?  Or should I just order a bunch of small notes from B of A before we go?  TIA.

Edited March 6 by SantaFe1

[Jim Avery]

17 minutes ago, SantaFe1 said:

I don’t know where to ask this, so this is always a good place for seasoned travelers.  I want have small bills in pounds (£5) for tipping on excursions.  On our trip ending last week to Hawaii, the ship would change large bills into smaller ones.  But that was  $US to $ US basically.  Does anyone know if I can change £20 or 50 notes for 5s on the ship?  Or should I just order a bunch of small notes from B of A before we go?  TIA.

Only change USD onboard.  Can break a $100 for smaller.  

[MikeyB]

19 minutes ago, SantaFe1 said:

I don’t know where to ask this, so this is always a good place for seasoned travelers.  I want have small bills in pounds (£5) for tipping on excursions.  On our trip ending last week to Hawaii, the ship would change large bills into smaller ones.  But that was  $US to $ US basically.  Does anyone know if I can change £20 or 50 notes for 5s on the ship?  Or should I just order a bunch of small notes from B of A before we go?  TIA.

Although others will say otherwise, give your local currency.

No one will refuse a gratuity.  

[Peregrina651]

18 minutes ago, SantaFe1 said:

I don’t know where to ask this, so this is always a good place for seasoned travelers.  I want have small bills in pounds (£5) for tipping on excursions.  On our trip ending last week to Hawaii, the ship would change large bills into smaller ones.  But that was  $US to $ US basically.  Does anyone know if I can change £20 or 50 notes for 5s on the ship?  Or should I just order a bunch of small notes from B of A before we go?  TIA.

 

Jim says only US$, but that is when you are in the US. In Europe, you can break €. I fully expect that we will also be able to break £ while in the British Islands.

 

[SantaFe1]

1 minute ago, MikeyB said:

Although others will say otherwise, give your local currency.

No one will refuse a gratuity.  

I have done this on a WC, but would prefer not to do that when most of the cruise is one currency.  

[SantaFe1]

1 minute ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

Jim says only US$, but that is when you are in the US. In Europe, you can break €. I fully expect that we will also be able to break £ while in the British Islands.

 

I see that that the $ to £ rate is not that good anyway.  And B of A is even worse.  But I might get $100 in £5 notes for tipping.  I have to check, I think we have a few  pounds in he safe, but probably not small notes.  

[Jim Avery]

Hi Peregrina,

Never tried in Europe cruise but on third WC now and only $ been on offer so far on all 3.  No matter which country, Euro or otherwise.

[Peregrina651]

2 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

Hi Peregrina,

Never tried in Europe cruise but on third WC now and only $ been on offer so far on all 3.  No matter which country, Euro or otherwise.

 

Perhaps the issue on the WC is that there are so many currencies to deal with that they choose to deal with none except the onboard currency.

[Heidi13]

2 hours ago, SantaFe1 said:

I don’t know where to ask this, so this is always a good place for seasoned travelers.  I want have small bills in pounds (£5) for tipping on excursions.  On our trip ending last week to Hawaii, the ship would change large bills into smaller ones.  But that was  $US to $ US basically.  Does anyone know if I can change £20 or 50 notes for 5s on the ship?  Or should I just order a bunch of small notes from B of A before we go?  TIA.

 

Smaller denomination Sterling notes should be available from your local bank, but I suggest ensuring that they are the new style plastic notes and not the old paper notes. I believe the paper notes have been withdrawn, so would need exchanged at a bank.

 

Tips in a foreign currency are never refused, but from experience of carrying golf bags on the Old Course, foreign currency tippers may not be held in high esteem, as you must trudge to the bank or post office to exchange them. Based on my experience years ago, we generally only had 1 nationality that tipped in their own currency.

[Heidi13]

2 hours ago, MikeyB said:

Although others will say otherwise, give your local currency.

No one will refuse a gratuity.  

 

Correct, nobody refuses the money, but you also don't hear the comments.

[MikeyB]

6 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Correct, nobody refuses the money, but you also don't hear the comments.

I guess then we all need to bring Philippine Pesos or Indonesian Rupiahs.

[SantaFe1]

8 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

Smaller denomination Sterling notes should be available from your local bank, but I suggest ensuring that they are the new style plastic notes and not the old paper notes. I believe the paper notes have been withdrawn, so would need exchanged at a bank.

Thank you.  I read something about this yesterday, and really didn’t quite know what it meant.  I think we will just get Pounds when I arrive in London.  I think we have a few in the safe anyway from previous trips.  

[Heidi13]

12 minutes ago, SantaFe1 said:

Thank you.  I read something about this yesterday, and really didn’t quite know what it meant.  I think we will just get Pounds when I arrive in London.  I think we have a few in the safe anyway from previous trips.  

 

If you have any paper 20's and 50's in the safe, I believe they will also need to be changed at a bank before you can use them. Not so sure about the 20's, but since I had some paper 50's in the safety deposit box, I sold them at our bank in 2022, before they were removed from circulation.

 

Hopefully some of the UK members can confirm.

[SantaFe1]

I’m pretty sure we don’t have any 50s. Maybe a 20 and some 5s and 10s.  But what you are saying is that if I gave them to a cab driver at the airport s/he wouldn’t take them?  I do believe we have always used a CC for a cab at Heathrow anyway.  Am I wrong about this?

[Island2Dweller]

All UK currency is now printed on polymer (plastic).  Paper notes are no longer accepted, though they can be exchanged at the Bank of England and certain Post Offices.

London is surprisingly cash free now.  You'll encounter a number of places (such as bars and coffee shops) that are now card only.

[OneSixtyToOne]

1 hour ago, SantaFe1 said:

I think we will just get Pounds when I arrive in London.  I think we have a few in the safe anyway from previous trips.

If your old notes aren’t the new style with the clear plastic window, you’ll have to take them to a bank to get them exchanged. I had an old style 20£ note from a pre-Covid visit that I needed to exchange. My other denominations were fine. The 20 was the last note changed.

 

[Heidi13]

1 hour ago, SantaFe1 said:

I’m pretty sure we don’t have any 50s. Maybe a 20 and some 5s and 10s.  But what you are saying is that if I gave them to a cab driver at the airport s/he wouldn’t take them?  I do believe we have always used a CC for a cab at Heathrow anyway.  Am I wrong about this?

 

Here is a link to the BoE regarding how to exchange the old paper notes. 

 

https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/banknotes/exchanging-old-banknotes#:~:text=your UK bank-,Exchanging old notes at the Post Office,not have a bank account.

 

[Heidi13]

4 minutes ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

If your old notes aren’t the new style with the clear plastic window, you’ll have to take them to a bank to get them exchanged. I had an old style 20£ note from a pre-Covid visit that I needed to exchange. My other denominations were fine. The 20 was the last note changed.

 

 

The 20's and 50's were withdrawn on the same day in Sept 22, as I had some of both notes in the safety deposit box.

[OneSixtyToOne]

1 hour ago, SantaFe1 said:

But what you are saying is that if I gave them to a cab driver at the airport s/he wouldn’t take them?  I do believe we have always used a CC for a cab at Heathrow anyway.  Am I wrong about this?

We tried to give a driver an old 20 and he refused to take it because he said he didn’t want to go to the bank.

Edited March 6 by OneSixtyToOne

[formernuke]

It's funny the impact that different mindsets  that nationalities/cultures have on even every day functions. In the US today, there would be riots in the streets if the government ever took currency out of circulation like this and made people go through these hoops to use their cash (that states on it "Legal tender for all debts, public and private")!  Just different... 🙂

[OneSixtyToOne]

55 minutes ago, formernuke said:

It's funny the impact that different mindsets  that nationalities/cultures have on even every day functions. In the US today, there would be riots in the streets if the government ever took currency out of circulation like this and made people go through these hoops to use their cash (that states on it "Legal tender for all debts, public and private")!  Just different... 🙂

Yes, in the U.S. all legal tender is always usable. If you are lucky enough to have a U.S. Note with the red seal that was eliminated in 1971 (only Federal Reserve Notes printed after that) it’s worth much more than face value because of its collectibility. 
 

One intriguing note that I’ve heard economists talk about when the e-currency vs. Dollars talking point devolves into “the dollar isn’t backed by anything either” is that the real difference is legal tender can always be used to pay taxes.

Edited March 6 by OneSixtyToOne

[Heidi13]

9 hours ago, formernuke said:

It's funny the impact that different mindsets  that nationalities/cultures have on even every day functions. In the US today, there would be riots in the streets if the government ever took currency out of circulation like this and made people go through these hoops to use their cash (that states on it "Legal tender for all debts, public and private")!  Just different... 🙂

 

The UK notes that have been withdrawn from service are still and will remain legal tender in perpetuity. When a new series of note is introduced, with enhanced security features to prevent counterfeiting, the existing notes remain in circulation for a number of years, with considerable notice provided prior to removing the old notes from service.

 

With the notice provided, it impacted the ex-pats mostly, who had wads of old notes in the safe for future trips.Wasn't an issue for me, as I sold them to our local bank before the deadline, so they became their problem.

 

Totally agree with the culture issue, as I find it hard to believe that citizens are happy continuing to use old technology notes that are easy to copy/forge. Although I rarely carry cash, I much prefer the new plastic (polymer) notes over the old paper ones.

[formernuke]

The US also upgrades the technology and rolls out new bills, but the old ones are taken out of service by natural attrition. You don’t have to stop using the old ones.