Rare NMTraveller Posted December 8, 2023 #1 Share Posted December 8, 2023 I was just wondering what a reasonable amount of cash to get exchanged is for a foreign port? My next cruise has 4 different foreign currencies in port. I realize that most transactions will be on a credit card. Your thoughts? For ports is $100 to $200 about right? Do the ship ATMs switch out currencies for the current port or do I need to go to guest services to exchange? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patty1955 Posted December 8, 2023 #2 Share Posted December 8, 2023 It depends on your spending habits. I'm a cheap skate and my husband's a spend thrift so we always have to compromise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare mom says Posted December 8, 2023 #3 Share Posted December 8, 2023 It would be helpful to know which countries you will visit. Some, such as those in the Caribbean, accept USD, although not at the best exchange rate. In other ports, depending on your planned activity, no local currency may be needed. In others, the best exchange rate would be from a bank owned ATM. Or an exchange bureau. About the worst exchange rate would be on the ship. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare NMTraveller Posted December 8, 2023 Author #4 Share Posted December 8, 2023 (edited) Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand. Edited December 8, 2023 by NMTraveller Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cruisestitch Posted December 8, 2023 #5 Share Posted December 8, 2023 1 hour ago, NMTraveller said: I was just wondering what a reasonable amount of cash to get exchanged is for a foreign port? My next cruise has 4 different foreign currencies in port. I realize that most transactions will be on a credit card. Your thoughts? For ports is $100 to $200 about right? Do the ship ATMs switch out currencies for the current port or do I need to go to guest services to exchange? Ship ATM’s do not change currencies Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare NMTraveller Posted December 8, 2023 Author #6 Share Posted December 8, 2023 (edited) 13 minutes ago, cruisestitch said: Ship ATM’s do not change currencies Miswording on my part. Will the ATMs dispense foreign currencies for the next port? Edited December 8, 2023 by NMTraveller Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare mom says Posted December 8, 2023 #7 Share Posted December 8, 2023 If you dock at the Marina Bay Cruise Center in Singapore, there is an exchange bureau in the terminal. If you tender in Phuket, you will find several exchange bureaus on the street at the end of the dock. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare DaKahuna Posted December 8, 2023 #8 Share Posted December 8, 2023 2 minutes ago, NMTraveller said: Miswording on my part. Will they dispense foreign currencies for the next port? My experiences is that the shipboard ATMs dispense dollars which is what is considered to be the ship's currency. When we have needed local currency in a foreign port, we simply used our CC at a shore ATM and took out what we needed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cruisestitch Posted December 8, 2023 #9 Share Posted December 8, 2023 1 hour ago, NMTraveller said: Miswording on my part. Will the ATMs dispense foreign currencies for the next port? No they do not dispense local currencies 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
megfla Posted December 8, 2023 #10 Share Posted December 8, 2023 Always best to find a bank ATM. You will get the best exchange rate. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichYak Posted December 8, 2023 #11 Share Posted December 8, 2023 19 minutes ago, NMTraveller said: Will the ATMs dispense foreign currencies for the next port? They dispense dollars... very expensive dollars 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JDPCruisers Posted December 8, 2023 #12 Share Posted December 8, 2023 1 hour ago, NMTraveller said: I was just wondering what a reasonable amount of cash to get exchanged is for a foreign port? My next cruise has 4 different foreign currencies in port. I realize that most transactions will be on a credit card. Your thoughts? For ports is $100 to $200 about right? Do the ship ATMs switch out currencies for the current port or do I need to go to guest services to exchange? We found on a spring cruise to various parts we did not have any issues with our CC exchange rate and doing so on the ship was the same rate as our bank. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisinsusin Posted December 8, 2023 #13 Share Posted December 8, 2023 1 hour ago, NMTraveller said: Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand. The only Singapore currency we needed last month was for the hawker centers- everyone else took credit cards. Most taxis took cc as well and Grab ( the Uber equivalent) works like Uber with cc on file. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patty1955 Posted December 8, 2023 #14 Share Posted December 8, 2023 Just now, cruisinsusin said: The only Singapore currency we needed last month was for the hawker centers- everyone else took credit cards. Most taxis took cc as well and Grab ( the Uber equivalent) works like Uber with cc on file. Good to know. Thank you. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jelayne Posted December 8, 2023 #15 Share Posted December 8, 2023 1 hour ago, NMTraveller said: Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand. Just spend 3 days in Singapore and arrived with 16 Sing $ and left with the same 16 Sing $. Everything was by credit card. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wanderlust58 Posted December 8, 2023 #16 Share Posted December 8, 2023 Other posters are correct; nearly everyone, everywhere takes cards. I wouldn't purchase currency in advance or at airports, ports, etc, as rates are bad there. If you do need cash and plan to withdraw from an ATM, make sure it is a bank-affiliated ATM, rather than an "independent". Examples in Europe are Cashpoint, Euronet, etc, but I don't know if they exist in Asia or under what name(s). Their exchange rates are always poor and service charges are high. Some US and Canadian banks have international agreements with foreign banks to honor debit cards without a fee for use. Bank of America is one. You might want to check with your bank about that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marieps Posted December 8, 2023 #17 Share Posted December 8, 2023 Open a Charles Schwab account that includes a debit card. Seed the acct and use the card at bank ATMs in the ports. Zero fees and good exchange rates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denny01 Posted December 8, 2023 #18 Share Posted December 8, 2023 Also depends on how long and what tours you are taking. We usually get enough for cash tips and a few bucks handy in local $. We get it prior to the trip via our Bank. it gives very good rates. It can be tricky getting to a local ATM sometimes so we carry $100’s in local funds…usually. Not in Caribbean and Mexico, but certainly in Europe and Asia. And others are right about using CC’s is the norm; and tour guides would take US $ but we do like to use local money for tips and if I find something that take cash. A number of local small stores give a better deal taking local cash. Den 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare NMTraveller Posted December 9, 2023 Author #19 Share Posted December 9, 2023 What about ApplePay? Will it be usable? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patty1955 Posted December 9, 2023 #20 Share Posted December 9, 2023 11 minutes ago, NMTraveller said: What about ApplePay? Will it be usable? I can't really speak to ApplePay but Google Pay worked fine in Europe. The US seems to be behind the rest of the world when it comes to this stuff. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare markeb Posted December 9, 2023 #21 Share Posted December 9, 2023 3 hours ago, NMTraveller said: What about ApplePay? Will it be usable? Definitely in Singapore. Be prepared to switch to Visa/MC if you normally use AMEX. ApplePay, Google Pay or contactless cards work on all public transit. The only place I remember using cash was at the true Hawker Markets. But $10 US will pretty much buy you a meal there. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare NMTraveller Posted December 9, 2023 Author #22 Share Posted December 9, 2023 10 hours ago, markeb said: Definitely in Singapore. Be prepared to switch to Visa/MC if you normally use AMEX. ApplePay, Google Pay or contactless cards work on all public transit. The only place I remember using cash was at the true Hawker Markets. But $10 US will pretty much buy you a meal there. Is it like the US? Some take AMEX some don't? Or less take AMEX? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisinsusin Posted December 9, 2023 #23 Share Posted December 9, 2023 16 minutes ago, NMTraveller said: Is it like the US? Some take AMEX some don't? Or less take AMEX? In our experience less take Amex 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare markeb Posted December 9, 2023 #24 Share Posted December 9, 2023 7 minutes ago, cruisinsusin said: In our experience less take Amex I’d agree. The big shopping enters will probably take anything but the smaller vendors usually don’t take AMEX. And you need Visa/MC for the transit system. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedIguana Posted December 9, 2023 #25 Share Posted December 9, 2023 I use my Amex for the ship account. That card stays in the safe onboard. I'll carry a Visa or MC, one in my party will carry the opposite (I'll take MC if they have Visa, I'll take Visa if they have MC). I think the worst card I have for foreign transaction fees is only 1%, so that doesn't bother me much. I'm probably way to OCD about having the right card or having a few spares in case one gets compromised. I think the MC came from one of the European countries being MC only a while back. Or it could be the wine and scotch (can't be age!). 🤪 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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