Currency requirements

Hi, this is my first time on this site so hello to everyone.

I am relatively new to cruising, this will only be my 5th.

I am cruising on the Diamond Princess from Beijing to Bangkok in 4 weeks time and have a couple of questions. I am hoping someone will be able to help.

Firstly, as we will be visiting 6 different countries and intend to go ashore in each one can anyone tell me is it advisable to take currency for each of the Countries visited.

Secondly, I have found out that as we are flying to Beijing and staying there for 3 nights prior to the cruise, the taxi fare to the ship is £160. Does anyone know of a cheaper (easy) way to get to the port? (Tianjin)

Many thanks

BigAl1950

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

You do not list the countries you will visit, so this will be a generic answer for that part of the world. In general, in most East Asian countries, the US$ is accepted in most businesses. Often, public transportation an museums will require local currency.

You can almost always get local currency on the ship the day you dock, but their rates tend to be high. Alternatively, you can find a cash machine near the dock and use your debit card to get some cash. It is always advisable to have a small amount of local currency when you head out on your own in any country, even while traveling in the USA. Not a lot, but enough for incidentals.

Google your request for info on transportation and it will in all likelihood bring you back to a Cruise Critic with good information.

Have fun!

You obviously need Chines Yen - for other countries you can make the exchange from US$ locally if needed. Many will prefer US$ rather than local currency. Only for official places you will need local currency.

Just a warning. If you visit Hong Kong and you have a Chinese port of call afte Hong Kong, you will need a multiple entry visa for China.

My experience last year was to travel with some of each country's currency, except we found it impossible to get Indian currency but just used the ATM there to get money and paid the $5 fee charged by credit union, also ran out of Malaysian money and had to use ATM which was ok also.

If you travel with US$ make sure you have an idea of the exchange rate as they can sometimes try to over charge you in US$ because they will tell you it costs them to exchange into local currency and the exchange rate will not be as good as you might otherwise get - this happened to us on Reunion Island with US$ verse Euro.

hope this makes sense.

Hi, this is my first time on this site so hello to everyone.

 

I am relatively new to cruising, this will only be my 5th.

 

I am cruising on the Diamond Princess from Beijing to Bangkok in 4 weeks time and have a couple of questions. I am hoping someone will be able to help.

 

Firstly, as we will be visiting 6 different countries and intend to go ashore in each one can anyone tell me is it advisable to take currency for each of the Countries visited.

 

Secondly, I have found out that as we are flying to Beijing and staying there for 3 nights prior to the cruise, the taxi fare to the ship is £160. Does anyone know of a cheaper (easy) way to get to the port? (Tianjin)

 

Many thanks

BigAl1950

Welcome to Cruise Critic .:)

I suggest you visit the Asia and Britain boards.

The Britain because they are always helpful and knowledgeable:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=70

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=233

We are doing the next cruise Bankonk to Beijing. I went to a currency exchange place and changed US currency into small denonminations for each country we are visiting. If I need more then I will use an ATM in that country.

Note that if you wish to haggle with taxi drivers, local currency is a plus. They will often take USD but will really inflate the rate.

Bring lots of crisp, new US$. (I still hear the phrase resonating in my ears from street vendors, "Wan dollah! Wan dollah!") Also, every hotel I stayed in had a currency exchange machine or would exchange money.

Secondly, I have found out that as we are flying to Beijing and staying there for 3 nights prior to the cruise, the taxi fare to the ship is £160. Does anyone know of a cheaper (easy) way to get to the port? (Tianjin)

 

Check with Princess what options they offer to those arriving by air the night before or the morning of the cruise. It may be less expensive to make it to Princess transportation even if you need to return to the airport.

Would you please list all of the counties you are visiting.

Keith

Would you please list all of the counties you are visiting.

 

Unless the itinerary has changed, the countries shown in the Cruise Atlas are China (mainland and Hong Kong), South Korea, Japan, Viet Nam, Singapore, and Thailand.

Unless the itinerary has changed, the countries shown in the Cruise Atlas are China (mainland and Hong Kong), South Korea, Japan, Viet Nam, Singapore, and Thailand.

I would obtain local currency for each country. We visited each one this past Spring and while a few will take other currencies I found the exchange rates to be better using the local currency.

Keith

I would obtain local currency for each country. We visited each one this past Spring and while a few will take other currencies I found the exchange rates to be better using the local currency.

 

It really depends on what you might spend the money on. On a similar itinerary, we had four stops in Japan and we never needed local currency, paying for purchases in stores with a credit card and tipping in US$. Our tours were with Princess.

In Viet Nam, our independent tours were priced in US $ and again we did not need local currency.

Having spent days on our own in Thailand, Singapore and China, we did use some local currency in those places.

caribiil, in most of these ports you can use USA dollars for most purchases but we have found over the years that you will do better in purchasing value by using the local currency. You don't have to but that is what we now do.

I just want to note that the OP is from Wales.

Keith

caribiil, in most of these ports you can use USA dollars for most purchases but we have found over the years that you will do better in purchasing value by using the local currency. You don't have to but that is what we now do.

 

I agree that you get better value dealing in local currency.

Credit cards that do not charge a foreign transaction fee can be used for all but small purchases.

The cost of obtaining local currency (other than at a local ATM using a debit card with no foreign transaction fee) and then having to change the unused currency back into your own currency can be significantly more than any loss in value dealing in Euros or US$.

If for example (using actual rates I have seen on Princess and ATMs used on shore), you obtain 20 Euros on a Princess ship vs. the local ATM route, it will cost you over 20% more. This includes both the poor exchange rate and the service fee.

(I used 20 Euros as an example as that would just be for some incidental expenses.)

We did the Beijing to Singapore cruise last autumn, same ports of call presumably ?

Chinese Yen are a good idea for China, although the US Dollar is widely accepted. Take small denominations - and they must be in pristine condition - they do not like old worn notes, and are likely to refuse them.

Plenty of ATMs in Hong Kong and Singapore for local currency. Japan also and they will take Dollars in tourist areas. VietNam and Thailand likewise.

Can't advise on transfer Beijing to port of embarkation as it was included in our deal. It's quite a long drive.

There will be tour operators in Beijing who can provide transfers cheaper than taxis. Google around.

We were with Wendy Wu Tours - absolutely excellent. Try them.

We stayed at the Great Wall Marriott last year before the cruise. We did not purchase the Princess transfer to the ship(long story which I will not go into). We purchased a transfer by bus(which I learned about from this board) from Beijing Tours. We took a taxi to a central location from which the transfer departed about a 10 minute taxi ride from the Marriott. I believe the cost was about $78 pp. the Princess transfer was about the same cost and last year Princess used the Great Wall Marriott as one of their pre-cruise hotels and transferred straight from the hotel to the ship. The port is about a 2 1/2 hour drive away on the interstate but timing depends on the traffic and the fog. We were lucky because we had a somewhat clear day. Warning---the port is the new port and on the back side of nowhere and there is absolutely nothing there as far as shopping goes unless they have built something since we were there. There is a small duty free shop within the cruise terminal with a small selection of items to purchase.

We were on the ship for 31 days and used a mixture of US dollars and local currency. I arranged 3 private tours and all the tour operators excepted US dollars.

I've been to a couple of countries in Asia. Based on my travel experience, I won't suggest using USD. You will be able to get local currencies from ATM machines. You can also exchange currencies on the cruise. Even though the exchange rate won't be good, you are not losing a lot of money if you only need a small amount.

This thread has my name all over it! Last year I did exactly the same cruise, and South East Asia is my second home, averaging 3-4 trips a year for both business and pleasure.

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

In general, in most East Asian countries, the US$ is accepted in most businesses.

I'll absolutely disagree with you. The US Dollar is only accepted when US travellers want to spend it. If you're in town when there's no boats and it's non tourist season you'll be hard pressed to find a green-back.

As OP is a Brit, I'll ask it this way.... OP, would your local store prefer USD or GBP?

Sure, if 10,000 people come into your store in Devon and offer to pay you US Dollars, you'd accept them, but the preferred currency for everyone is always local.

Something to factor in is that either you or they will need to pay a bank a conversion rate. If they're doing it for you into the currency they'll use to pay their rent and buy their children food, you can bet they'll be including a fee in their price for it!

You obviously need Chines Yen - for other countries you can make the exchange from US$ locally if needed. Many will prefer US$ rather than local currency. Only for official places you will need local currency.

I hope you mean Yuan or CMB, because it's Japan that uses the Yen. But again, as per the above, you're wrong. Nobody but the USA prefers the US Dollar.

Now.... OP...back to your question

Secondly, I have found out that as we are flying to Beijing and staying there for 3 nights prior to the cruise, the taxi fare to the ship is £160. Does anyone know of a cheaper (easy) way to get to the port? (Tianjin)

 

Last year my wife and I caught the train and then the taxi to Tianjin and it cost a fraction of the cost. The train ride is awesome from Beijing South station and takes about 30 minutes.

When we did it, the new terminal in Tianjin for the boat had only opened about a month earlier so we got a tad bit lost in the taxi, but it's all fixed now.

My summary from back then was:

I would definately recommend it. The problem wasn't the taxi, the problem was China.

 

I don't mean that with any malice, but China has a well known reputation for building things almost in secrecy, and not telling the locals. Since getting home and recounting my stories, I've been told of people who were in Beijing in 2008 whose taxi drivers had no idea where the Olympic Stadiums were because they weren't privvy to that information.

 

The new port in Tianjin has only been opened a short time, and not many of the taxi drivers have had the opportunity to go there. Chances are by the time you visit, they'll have been quite a few times with different ships etc so it will work out fine.

 

As others in this thread can tell you, even pre-organised Princess tour busses didn't quite know how to get to the port!

 

The train itself is a beautiful thing and I highly recommend it (even if I was just visiting Beijing and not getting on a ship I'd use this as a day trip). Beijing South Railway Station is more like an airport than a rail station and needs to be seen to be believed.

 

Give yourself plenty of time and you'll no doubt be ok. My wife and I left it fairly late (we wanted to see Tian'men Square once more before we left Beijing) so didn't leave Beijing until midday. If you left at 10am or even earlier you'll beat the stress and probably the rush!

Nobody but the USA prefers the US Dollar.

 

Except:

East Timor

British Indian Ocean Territory

British Virgin Islands

East Timor

Ecuador

El Salvador

Palau

Panama

Turks and Caicos Islands

There is one matter I'd like to flag up ref. Chinese Yen - a caution we received from our tour guide.

Some street vendors and stall holders might try and pass off counterfeit notes on unwary tourists - if/when they are offered higher value banknotes for a purchase.

They'll take the note, turn away to check their money bag and then turn back claiming they can't change that size of note and offer "it" back - however, they've switched the genuine bill for a dud one by practiced sleight of hand.

That's why small denominations are recommended - and if you only have a larger note, write down the serial number so you can call their bluff.

Except:

 

East Timor

British Indian Ocean Territory

British Virgin Islands

East Timor

Ecuador

El Salvador

Palau

Panama

Turks and Caicos Islands

Ok... let me rephrase.

No country thats legal tender is not the US Dollar wants US dollars

Ok... let me rephrase.

 

No country thats legal tender is not the US Dollar wants US dollars

Several countries that I've visited are very happy to accept major foreign currencies.

Several countries that I've visited are very happy to accept major foreign currencies.

And why wouldn't they. It's money. And chances are, the countries you've visited and given US dollars are those with an economy not as strong as the US.

The way I look at it is this:

Imagine you run a little shop in the middle of nowhereville, Idaho. If you get one person coming in saying "Can I spend Vietnamese Dong here?" you'd say no. You might even be insulted that someonee has come to your country and is too lazy or ignorant to want to spend local currency. But if 100,000 Vietnamese came in every year, you'd probably oblige because hey...money's money!

But at 5pm Friday, before you go toWalmart to buy your groceries for the week, or before you go to the pub after work for a drink, you need to line up at the bank and change the dong back to USD. It's a pain to have to go to the bank in any country, and you then probably have a 2% service charge from your bank to change it.

So next time someone wants to pay in Dong, you'll say "sure" but up your pricecs by $5 an item to cover your time and the transaction fee.

TL;DR

1. Spend local currency and you won't look ignorant

2 - Spend local currency and you won't get stung by increased prices