FOREIGN CURRENCY EXCHANGE SERVICE DISCONTINUATION

[ColdCruise]

On 1/12/2024 at 6:18 PM, luv2kroooz said:

No. The title of the email is foreign currency exchange service discontinuation. Nothing to do with settling accounts. No.bigbdeal. onboard exchange rates were horrible. Always better to use an in network ATM to get bank exchange rates.

@luv2kroooz

You may want to re-parse the letter. I think it’s specifically addressed to those who want to use non-US currency to settle their NCL onboard account. The entire 2nd paragraph specifically addresses settling onboard accounts (well, minus the controversial apology).

 

In my albeit limited experience, most cruise lines state what currency is used on board their ships. NCL uses US Dollars (at least in the US and European cruises - I’m not perusing their site to look for exceptions). When I sail MSC in Europe, my bill’s in Euros, my credit card gets charged Euros. When I sail a UK-based cruise line, I expect to be billed and pay in British Pounds (£), not USD.  Note: I don’t carry large sums of cash, but rely on ATMs at destination other than a small amount of “just in case”  destination currency. 

 

 

 

[luv2kroooz]

14 minutes ago, ColdCruise said:

@luv2kroooz

You may want to re-parse the letter. I think it’s specifically addressed to those who want to use non-US currency to settle their NCL onboard account. The entire 2nd paragraph specifically addresses settling onboard accounts (well, minus the controversial apology).

 

In my albeit limited experience, most cruise lines state what currency is used on board their ships. NCL uses US Dollars (at least in the US and European cruises - I’m not perusing their site to look for exceptions). When I sail MSC in Europe, my bill’s in Euros, my credit card gets charged Euros. When I sail a UK-based cruise line, I expect to be billed and pay in British Pounds (£), not USD.  Note: I don’t carry large sums of cash, but rely on ATMs at destination other than a small amount of “just in case”  destination currency. 

 

 

 

Thanks!

The official currency on board NCL ships is USD. Their ships are not banks and do not operate as such. They have discontinued offering their currency exchange service. This includes, but is not limited to, settling your onboard account. Hope that helps!

[mugtech]

When we sailed the Mediterranean in 2014 the Euro exchange rate was terrible, plus there was a service charge.  Did better on the streets of Barcelona.

[phillygwm]

6 hours ago, julig22 said:

 

I suspect this has more to do with people trying to use foreign currency to pay their final bill, over just exchanging USD for local currencies - or vice versa. 

Geez, I hope not.  Not only are pax foregoing rewards (3% in some cases) but they'd be settling up at a bad rate of exchange.

 

As I mentioned above, I don't mind holding the popular currencies because I expect I'll get back there.  When I had some excess Croatian Kuna a few years back, I kept a bill as a souvenir and used the rest for tips.  I figured the crew would get back to Dubrovnik before I would!

[julig22]

4 minutes ago, phillygwm said:

Geez, I hope not.  Not only are pax foregoing rewards (3% in some cases) but they'd be settling up at a bad rate of exchange.

Read about the cashing-in any excess currency to settle the final bill on another post somewhere - I'm not that creative LOL!

 

Definitely not my style. My motto, more or less, if I can't charge it, I probably don't need it. But I do usually get some local currency, primarily for small purchases and it makes a nice souvenir.

 

 

[mugtech]

        In Hawaii back in October we went to a takeout shrimp restaurant.  There was a sign hanging there which said "Using a credit card invokes a 3 % service charge"  So I paid cash, but they fooled around for a while, then came back to me and said  "This time of day you must use a card."  It was 3pm and there were two other customers.  Told them we will eat where cash is accepted.  I think they were suspicious of my 50 dollar bill.  People in Pennsylvania told me more and more businesses are charging a credit card user fee, usually 2 or 3 %

           When I made a large purchase at a department store in the Philippines I offered my credit card, and they offered to give me a 2% discount if I paid cash,  I paid cash.

[ColdCruise]

10 hours ago, mugtech said:

        In Hawaii back in October we went to a takeout shrimp restaurant.  There was a sign hanging there which said "Using a credit card invokes a 3 % service charge"  So I paid cash, but they fooled around for a while, then came back to me and said  "This time of day you must use a card."  It was 3pm and there were two other customers.  Told them we will eat where cash is accepted.  I think they were suspicious of my 50 dollar bill.  People in Pennsylvania told me more and more businesses are charging a credit card user fee, usually 2 or 3 %

           When I made a large purchase at a department store in the Philippines I offered my credit card, and they offered to give me a 2% discount if I paid cash,  I paid cash.

More and more restaurants in Maryland are adding the 3% credit card fee to people’s bills. It started during COVID with some very creative add on fees at restaurants… one I went to when you could only do takeout (no dining in) added a credit card fee, a fair wage fee and a Covid fee… I walked out and left them with my order.

 

The credit card costs used to be baked in to the pricing, or I guess you could consider those paying cash were unfairly paying for those using cards. Pre-Covid, if I made a significant purchase I usually asked if the business had a cash discount, no one seems to anymore. Now I carry more cash when I plan to eat out.

 

The “fair wage” fee is another story…..businesses should bake the cost of adequate compensation for employees into their pricing structure AND pay the employees that fair wage. If it’s tacked onto your bill, how do you know it all (or any) of that extra money gets passed onto the employees? (Much like the discussion oft seen on Cruise Critic on whether ship’s crews actually receive all the daily service charge 😲)

[julig22]

50 minutes ago, ColdCruise said:

More and more restaurants in Maryland are adding the 3% credit card fee to people’s bills. It started during COVID with some very creative add on fees at restaurants… one I went to when you could only do takeout (no dining in) added a credit card fee, a fair wage fee and a Covid fee… I walked out and left them with my order.

It actually used to be illegal to charge a different amount when using credit but eventually most states created their own rules around CC fees, so it's now legal in most states.  Same for debit cards.

I don't blame the merchants, especially smaller businesses, for including their charges but I'd much prefer the old "cash for discount" way - I always like feeling like I got a discount when paying cash. But I'd probably also walk out if I was forced to pay the fee because they wouldn't accept cash.

[phillygwm]

6 hours ago, ColdCruise said:

More and more restaurants in Maryland are adding the 3% credit card fee to people’s bills. It started during COVID with some very creative add on fees at restaurants… one I went to when you could only do takeout (no dining in) added a credit card fee, a fair wage fee and a Covid fee… I walked out and left them with my order.

This is a pet peeve of mine.  My favorite pizza joint started surcharging about a year ago.  I could pay cash, sure, but instead I found a different restaurant.  Thankfully, I live in an area with many restaurants. 🙂

 

I feel similarly about the other fees (health insurance recoupment cost etc.)  If it's disclosed up front, I'll decide whether I still want to dine there.  If it's ambushed, I'll never return.  This isn't to say that waitstaff shouldn't be fairly compensated but don't hide the charge.  Better still, bake it into the cost of my apps, entree, drinks, etc...just like any other cost of doing business.

 

It's not dissimilar to DSC but that's disclosed when you're booking your cruise, at least, plus it's more or less a uniform practice among cruiselines so cruise vets sort of know to expect it..  

Edited January 15 by phillygwm