Need local currency for one day cruise stops?

[lissie]

5 hours ago, KBs mum said:

Generally speaking, any establishment that accepts 'tourist' currencies is worth avoiding. The exceptions being those in countries that have a popular unnoficial second currency. 

Yup - I avoid all restaurants which list menus with multiple currencies on them -  you just know its going to be a) bad and b) expensive 

[John Bull]

6 hours ago, lissie said:

Yup - I avoid all restaurants which list menus with multiple currencies on them -  you just know its going to be a) bad and b) expensive 

 

Yes, altho I've rarely come across establishments which list any foreign currencies, they are clearly aimed at tourists so there's a good chance that the quality & value will be comparatively poor - but at least the customer can relatively-easily figure the establishment's exchange rates, and choose whether to pay, or have their card charged, in local currency.

 

The bigger problem is establishments which quote only local prices but offer the customer the opportunity to pay in the currency of their card "for their convenience" 🙄.

The customer is unlikely to ask the exchange rate being used, and the server is even less-likely to know. But its a penny to a dollar that the exchange rate will favour the seller.

And if I elect to pay a 35 kuna bill in GBP I'll be signing for  a GBP sum - how do I know whether they've entered 35 kuna into the pos card machine or craftily entered 55 kuna.😮

If the menu says 35 kuna and the check says 35 kuna, then I expect to be charged 35 kuna.

 

JB 🙂

[lissie]

2 hours ago, John Bull said:

 

 

The bigger problem is establishments which quote only local prices but offer the customer the opportunity to pay in the currency of their card "for their convenience" 🙄.

The customer is unlikely to ask the exchange rate being used, and the server is even less-likely to know. But its a penny to a dollar that the exchange rate will favour the seller.

And if I elect to pay a 35 kuna bill in GBP I'll be signing for  a GBP sum - how do I know whether they've entered 35 kuna into the pos card machine or craftily entered 55 kuna.😮

If the menu says 35 kuna and the check says 35 kuna, then I expect to be charged 35 kuna.

 

JB 🙂

Yeah dynamic currency conversion - happens all over - never, ever allow a charge to go through in your home currency - its always hugely more expensive. 

[ilikeanswers]

3 hours ago, John Bull said:

The bigger problem is establishments which quote only local prices but offer the customer the opportunity to pay in the currency of their card "for their convenience" 🙄.

The customer is unlikely to ask the exchange rate being used, and the server is even less-likely to know. But its a penny to a dollar that the exchange rate will favour the seller.

And if I elect to pay a 35 kuna bill in GBP I'll be signing for  a GBP sum - how do I know whether they've entered 35 kuna into the pos card machine or craftily entered 55 kuna.😮

If the menu says 35 kuna and the check says 35 kuna, then I expect to be charged 35 kuna.

 

JB 🙂

 

In Poland we found a lot of card machines when we put in our cards would change the price to Australian dollars😮. We would have to tell the cashiers or in restaurants the servers to reset to local dollars before we would press ok/confirm😂. 

[John Bull]

1 hour ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

In Poland we found a lot of card machines when we put in our cards would change the price to Australian dollars😮. We would have to tell the cashiers or in restaurants the servers to reset to local dollars before we would press ok/confirm😂. 

 

 

Yep, we've come across the same ourselves.

Most ASK whether.....,  but some just do it & hope you don't notice.🤬

 

More folk are gonna be scammed like that with contactless transactions because they're less-likely to even look at the screen

 

JB 🙂

[CPT Trips]

35 kuna for a restaurant check? Was that for a biscuit and slice of cheddar? 🤷🏻‍♂️😜

[rkacruiser]

On 4/7/2022 at 12:13 AM, sverigecruiser said:

 

In Sweden you often need to use your phone to pay for the toilet!

 

 

What if one did not have a smart phone?  And, if an app is needed, what would one do if you didn't know the app and had not downloaded it?  

[rkacruiser]

On 4/7/2022 at 12:13 AM, sverigecruiser said:

 

In Sweden you often need to use your phone to pay for the toilet!

 

 

What if one did not have a smart phone?  And, if an app is needed, what would one do if you didn't know the app and had not downloaded it?  

[KBs mum]

45 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

What if one did not have a smart phone?  And, if an app is needed, what would one do if you didn't know the app and had not downloaded it?  

Unfortunately for the tourist, not Sweden's problem. Find somewhere with coin operated or free toilets

[lissie]

2 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

What if one did not have a smart phone?  And, if an app is needed, what would one do if you didn't know the app and had not downloaded it?  

Purely the tourist's problem.  The days of travelling without a smart phone are pretty much over in places like Europe 

[rkacruiser]

2 hours ago, KBs mum said:

Unfortunately for the tourist, not Sweden's problem. Find somewhere with coin operated or free toilets

 

12 minutes ago, lissie said:

Purely the tourist's problem.  The days of travelling without a smart phone are pretty much over in places like Europe 

 

Neither of your responses encourage me to travel to Europe again.  

[slidergirl]

26 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

 

Neither of your responses encourage me to travel to Europe again.  

That's OK.  We'll keep it to ourselves. 😉

[John Bull]

3 hours ago, CPT Trips said:

35 kuna for a restaurant check? Was that for a biscuit and slice of cheddar? 🤷🏻‍♂️😜

 

Just a typo, seems I missed a 0, should have read 350 kuna.

 

Naturally I'm too thorough and efficient to just chuck in a figure without checking exchange rates.

Anyway, you can't prove that I did 😜🤪🤪

 

JB 😉

[lissie]

51 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

 

Neither of your responses encourage me to travel to Europe again.  

Your loss  I guess you're staying home - I'm currently planning a 4 month 1/2 way around the trip - and the only places I can see I need cash is USA and probably Sri Lanka - Asia and Australiasia are probably more cashless then Europe. In fact I'm starting to use my watch for stuff like payment rather than getting my phone out 

[rkacruiser]

16 minutes ago, lissie said:

Your loss  I guess you're staying home - I'm currently planning a 4 month 1/2 way around the trip - and the only places I can see I need cash is USA and probably Sri Lanka - Asia and Australiasia are probably more cashless then Europe. In fact I'm starting to use my watch for stuff like payment rather than getting my phone out 

 

I wish you well in your planned journeys.  

 

Is it my preference to not travel?  No.  Is it my preference to experience my current physical limitations that realistically make it unwise to travel such distances?  No.  Is it my preference to not have to use whatever new "tech" stuff that I ought to use to have a pleasant trip?  Yes.  Is it my preference to try to learn how to use this "new and improved" ways to travel?  Yes.  If I choose to do so.  Do I understand the reason why this "new tech" is so "advantageous" to the traveler?  No.  

 

 

[lissie]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I wish you well in your planned journeys.  

 

Is it my preference to not travel?  No.  Is it my preference to experience my current physical limitations that realistically make it unwise to travel such distances?  No.  Is it my preference to not have to use whatever new "tech" stuff that I ought to use to have a pleasant trip?  Yes.  Is it my preference to try to learn how to use this "new and improved" ways to travel?  Yes.  If I choose to do so.  Do I understand the reason why this "new tech" is so "advantageous" to the traveler?  No.  

 

 

Look I was a very slow phone adopter - I didn't start travelling with one until well into the 2000s .  Then I had to communicate on a multiple times a day with an insurance company from a hospital in China. China doesn't have land lines - only cell  phones. The insurance company would not  accept a reverse charge/collect call from a cell phone. If I'd had to call them using my phone call function it would cost around US$3/minute. Sometimes I was on hold for 60mins before they answered and offered to call me back. 

 

I used Skype to call - the  cost is around 0.01c / minute - it  still cost me around $35/ over about a month - which  tells you just how much time I spent on the phone. 

 

The google maps, Uber, checking in with an airline and getting  real time updates is  all very useful and nice. But its actually  Skype I don't travel without. 

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

Is it my preference to try to learn how to use this "new and improved" ways to travel?  Yes.  If I choose to do so.  Do I understand the reason why this "new tech" is so "advantageous" to the traveler?  No.  

 

Comes a time where you have to get out of the horse-drawn carriage and get into an electric car. As you say, the choice is yours. 

 

A few advantages of traveling with a smart phone:

• Smart phones provide valuable back-up. All your travel documents (tickets, boarding passes, hotel reservation confirmations, tour confirmations) are in one place. No more keeping up with reams of printed documents.
• Airline apps make it much easier to deal with rebooking flights (no more standing in line for hours), keeping track of your luggage, alerting you to gate changes while you're waiting for flights, etc.)
• You can choose to have your credit cards send you a text immediately if there is a charge outside your normal geography, thus alerting you to any fraudulent use while traveling.
• Cruise apps have already been discussed here, I'm sure you're aware of them.
• Cameras on new smart phones are so good that you can do away with the need for a separate one. (And it's easier to share your photos by emailing or texting them).
• Translation apps -- they're not perfect, but in a pinch if you're in Italy and need to know how to ask for something really specific -- like a shoe repair store or where to find a blow dryer -- they can be invaluable aids.
• Navigation -- very handy indeed. Just one example:  I was in Lisbon, trying to get to the archaeological museum. I must've gotten off the bus a stop or two too soon and found myself somewhat lost. Google maps to the rescue -- directed me step by step.  That' more of an emergency use as it does use a lot of data, but there are things you can do like create a map in advance and save it, then pull it up on your phone when needed without using data.
• Some use them in lieu of an e-Book, it's just a bit too small for me to feel comfortable doing that, but if I were into audiobooks, smart phones are perfect (and for podcasts and music, of course).
• With apps like Apple Pay and VenMo and others that are country- or region-specific, they provide a way to purchase items without using a credit card and without having to obtain local currency (like the pay toilets example).

 

 

 

[ilikeanswers]

13 hours ago, John Bull said:

Yep, we've come across the same ourselves.

Most ASK whether.....,  but some just do it & hope you don't notice.🤬

 

More folk are gonna be scammed like that with contactless transactions because they're less-likely to even look at the screen

 

JB 🙂

 

I should probably make clear it wasn't the establishments that was changing the currency but the payment terminal. In the less touristy areas since they had not encountered the issue before staff had a lot of trouble figuring out how to change it back to złoty 😂. It was the Polish banks that wanted tourists to pay in foreign currency, I'm guessing there must have been good money in it🤑. 

 

8 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

What if one did not have a smart phone?  And, if an app is needed, what would one do if you didn't know the app and had not downloaded it?  

 

You have to remember first and foremost they are thinking of their own citizens and residents. The reality is Sweden is one of the most cashless societies in the world and coins cost money to secure and transport, so if there aren't many people paying by coin in the first place it won't be cost to maintain that payment system.

 

If you are cruising best to go to the bathroom before you disembark😂. Otherwise if you eat or drink the establishments usually have a toilet for patrons. When we drove through Sweden we found most shopping centres had free toilet facilities. 

 

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

That' more of an emergency use as it does use a lot of data, but there are things you can do like create a map in advance and save it, then pull it up on your phone when needed without using data.

 

I'm always telling people who complain about data and internet connection that you can pre download your maps for navigation. I'm amazed how many seem to be unaware of this function. Google should promote it more 😂. 

Edited April 9, 2022 by ilikeanswers

[sverigecruiser]

9 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

 

What if one did not have a smart phone?  And, if an app is needed, what would one do if you didn't know the app and had not downloaded it?  

 

Without a smartphone you can't use the toilet.

 

I guess that if you have a smartphone with you but haven't downloaded the app you can just download it.        

[sverigecruiser]

8 hours ago, KBs mum said:

Unfortunately for the tourist, not Sweden's problem. Find somewhere with coin operated or free toilets

 

I doubt that coin operated toilets still exist here. I should go to a cafe/restaurant/bar, buy something, and use the toilet there.   

[ontheweb]

4 hours ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

I doubt that coin operated toilets still exist here. I should go to a cafe/restaurant/bar, buy something, and use the toilet there.   

We find museums good for finding free toilets. And since DW is an art teacher, we go to lots of museums when travelling. 😊

[lenquixote66]

8 hours ago, ontheweb said:

We find museums good for finding free toilets. And since DW is an art teacher, we go to lots of museums when travelling. 😊

Many Department stores have free toilets.We often traveled with friends ,the wife is also an art teacher and I agree with the above about rest rooms in museums,also some book stores.

[lenquixote66]

I cannot recall where I was going but I remember looking for foreign currency and going to banks and various currency exchanges .I spent many days doing this and when we were shopping in at least one store they accepted US currency.

[rkacruiser]

15 hours ago, sverigecruiser said:

I should go to a cafe/restaurant/bar, buy something, and use the toilet there.   

 

I have learned that as well.  

 

10 hours ago, ontheweb said:

We find museums good for finding free toilets

 

And, department stores as was mentioned. 

 

15 hours ago, ilikeanswers said:

If you are cruising best to go to the bathroom before you disembark😂

 

Learned that lesson a long time ago!  Only one cup of coffee with breakfast as well.  And, no diuretics until I am back on the ship.  

 

18 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

A few advantages of traveling with a smart phone:

 

Thank you for such comprehensive information.  Seriously, there were some advantages that you listed of which I was not aware.  

 

I wonder if there is a "smartphone for dummies" book available?  Need to do some Googling and see if such exists.