To take Euros or wait until we get there

[Driftwoodgal]

First time going to Europe. All of our other cruises we have been able to use US dollars in the Mexico, Canada, Caribbean, etc.

 

Trying to find out information about getting Euros. I called RCCL today and was told that I can get Euros on the ship at the prevailing rate.

 

Does anyone know if there is a limit as to how much you can get from them and is there a currency exchange fee charged to your credit card like it is if you use it in port for a purchase.

 

Are the rates better on the ship than they are if you go to a ATM on shore.

 

We have several independent tours booked and they all want payment in Euros.

 

Would love to hear what you have done in the past.

 

Any tips are appreciated. Normally have all of this reasearch done by now, but have not been able to research for the last two months.

 

We are leaving in 10 days.

[andrzej5914]

First time going to Europe. All of our other cruises we have been able to use US dollars in the Mexico, Canada, Caribbean, etc.

 

Trying to find out information about getting Euros. I called RCCL today and was told that I can get Euros on the ship at the prevailing rate.

 

Does anyone know if there is a limit as to how much you can get from them and is there a currency exchange fee charged to your credit card like it is if you use it in port for a purchase.

 

Are the rates better on the ship than they are if you go to a ATM on shore.

 

We have several independent tours booked and they all want payment in Euros.

 

Would love to hear what you have done in the past.

 

Any tips are appreciated. Normally have all of this reasearch done by now, but have not been able to research for the last two months.

 

We are leaving in 10 days.

 

Just so you know, it's NOT "EUROS", it's Euro

 

Local ATM is your best bet. They're everywhere, and will work with your card as long as you have a 4 digit PIN number.

 

Have a great trip!

[mo&fran]

I have always used my ATM card, but it is with a local credit union who is more restrictive than the big banks. Most recent trip to Barcelona I could not use it at all. WE have mainly cruised from BCN and each time it seems to become more restrictive. Make sure you contact the bank and let them know where you will be and try to get confirmation about whether there are any restrictions on card use. So far, Spain has been the biggest problem. Used to be there was no fee for ATM usage, but some fees have started to show up, and the ATM requests also that they do the currency exchange and they bill your bank in dollars rather than Euro.

[dplusd]

I don't want to carry my ATM card with me to BCN. Can you convert dollars to eruo somewhere at the airport upon arrival?

[MOSusan]

I've always gone to my back and ordered Euro before traveling. I figure that it is better to have it with me than to need it and not be able to access funds for some reason.

 

I take the majority with me, but have used an ATM to withdraw funds.

[RosieRoo]

Driftwoodgal, I don't know when you are cruising, but here is what I did. I got a Capitol One charge card specifically for my trip to Europe because they don't charge any foreign transaction fees on purchases made out of the country. Some cards charge hefty fees. I also opened an account at Capitol One (through Costco) which had a debit card and that was the card I used while in Europe. It was accepted at every ATM machine and it charged no fees. The best conversion rates will be found at ATM's located at banks and they are pretty much located on every corner in Europe. The ship's exchange rate will not be very good. You could get some euros at your local bank before you leave just to have until you hit the ATM there. Hope that helps.

[musik07]

I have always been told to wait until I was in Europe so you got the most current/best exchange rate. That being said you may want a few Euro when you land incase you need to tip, buy a bottle of water, etc. I used a Visa debit card (My parents got me a Visa Buxx card which they loaded $ into and could monitor my spending before my trip with school) in ATM's and it worked fine. We did pay a fee for the ATMS though but we looked into how much the card's fee was and then figured that there would be a fee for the ATM machine there too. I don't think the fee was ever more than 3 Euro and it was easy and convenient.

 

One thing you need to do if you plan on using any credit or debit card overseas is call your company and let them know the dates you will be out of the country and where you will be going. One of the girls on our trip didn't do this and her card was shut down and she couldn't get any money, because the company thought they were fraudulent charges. We had to get an international phone card, and she had to call her parents who called the bank. If they know in advance that you are using your card over in Europe they won't shut the card down, it will save you a big hassle!

[CRUISIN LINDA]

Just so you know, it's NOT "EUROS"

 

:confused::confused: No! the plural of Euro is Euros:)

[NorbertsNiece]

Just so you know, it's NOT "EUROS", it's Euro

 

Local ATM is your best bet. They're everywhere, and will work with your card as long as you have a 4 digit PIN number.

 

Have a great trip!

 

:confused::confused: No! the plural of Euro is Euros:)

 

 

So.......

Euro - euros..... it depends which country you're talking about as to whether they add the 's' to pluralise. So now we're clear....... I googled....

[diane.in.ny]

My ATM card is also with a small credit union and I have used it all over the world and had only one problem....Belgium...because it didn't have the smart chip.

 

I call my credit union and let them know where I am going and when.

 

And I always wait and get local currency when I arrive. So far every airport I have been to has an ATM machine, either just inside where luggage is or just outside customs.

 

http://www.travelsnippetsandmore.com/2010/03/chip-and-pin-credit-cards-making-us.html

[misslissa]

We're going on Friday and what I did was call the bank to ask them their lowdown on fees, etc.

 

It turns out that my specific bank has partners who have "no fee" ABMs in Spain and France but none in Italy... and my Visa will charge an extra 2.5% for converting. So, I took some Euro(s) and plan to get some more out at an ABM at some point.

 

My question is... prices onboard RCI will be in USD or EUR? And, what will they charge the credit card with?

[cruiselvr04]

Prices on board for drinks and shops are in U.S. for cruises in Europe. Can't remember if we were charged a transaction fee for those or not?!

 

We didn't want the hassle of finding an ATM on excursions so we took our Euros with us. Used a hidden money pouch which worked fine. We may have payed a little more for it but had no hassles. Spent the last of them in the airport on the way home - we had planned out our expenses in advance inclduing gifts.

[Cruise_With_Me]

My advice comes not from the occasional cruise experience. I am a frequent business traveler to Europe (4-5 times a year for the last 10 years).

 

I made the exchange test many years ago and frequently confirm the test results.

 

My experience is based on $100 exchange rate on the same trip.

 

I exchanged $100 into Euro via Amex Traveller Cheques, $100 exchanged in the US (which most likely will be the airport), $100 exchanged in Europe at Airport, $100 exchanged in Europe at bank and $100 in ATM Cash in Europe.

 

While the exchange rate a lot of times does not differ much you still get a better rate most definitely in Europe anywhere.

 

The other thing you have to consider is the extra fees. Exchanging dollars into foreign currency in the US will be the last you should do. Most of the time you can get them only at the airport and because there is no competition (I have yet to see a bank in Europe not being able to exchange USD) they charge an arm and a leg.

 

Here is my ranking of the most cost efficient way to exchange into Euro:

 

a) ATM (even if your bank charges you a small amount of an exchange fee and a $3.00 ATM charge it is still the cheapest way

b) AmEx Traveler Cheques

c) Bank in Europe

d) Airport in Europe

e) Airport in US ( I would never do that unless I do one of those test runs)

 

Between a) and d) the difference is minimal. We are talking about a few dollars.

Avoid e) at all cost.

 

If you get Amex Traveler Cheques do not get them through your bank. They charge you extra fees. Go to an AmEx office.

 

On my last test in February 10, 2010 these were the results with the Net Euro result:

 

Official exchange rate for $100 was 73 Euro.

 

a) at the ATM in Europe: net 69 Euro (I had to recalculate based on my bank fees and extrapolate it from a 70Euro ATM request)

b) AmEx TC via Amex Office: 67Euro (after all fees and exchange rates.

c) Bank in Europe: 65Euro

d) Airport in Europe (Paris): 61 Euro

e) Airport exchange in US (JFK): 53 Euro

 

Hope that helps.

[andrzej5914]

So.......

Euro - euros..... it depends which country you're talking about as to whether they add the 's' to pluralise. So now we're clear....... I googled....

 

I really don't care, but here it is:

 

The English Style Guide of the European Commission Translation Service states:

 

12.12 ... Guidelines on the use of the euro, issued via the Secretariat-General, state that the plurals of both ‘euro’ and ‘cent’ are to be written without ‘s’ in English. Do this when amending or referring to legal texts that themselves observe this rule. Elsewhere, and especially in documents intended for the general public, use the natural plural with ‘s’ for both terms.

 

I just thought I pass it down....;)

[critterchick]

We take Euro(s) with us, maybe 200. Then we get the rest from ATMs. The first time we went, we just used the ATM at Charles DeGaulle Airport, but had the machine been out of order, we would have been SOL. So we get a small amount from our bank (as a retail customer you will never the get the official exchange rate) and then get the rest as we need them. I'm not a fan of carrying large amounts of cash.

 

We've never gotten Euro(s) onboard, but have exchanged for other currency (Scandinavian) and the rate appeared to be comparable than on land.

 

Make sure that your bank knows you'll be overseas. We have had our card declined even when we did and had to follow up online.

[Caliterp07]

We ordered Euros through bank of america before we left for the trip. We didn't take out much ($200 worth, I think), but it was enough for peace of mind. It covered our train tickets from the airport to the hotel, lunch the first day, etc until we found an ATM (bancomat, in italy). Then we withdrew a bunch more euros to pay for our tours in other countries.

 

If we hadn't had the days beforehand to wander Rome before we got on the ship, I would have taken out everything from BofA before we left. It was a little worrisome to try to find an ATM, and if I had been in a hurry it would have been downright stressful. People tell you they're all over the place in Rome, but we wandered around quite a bit before we found one, and then it would only do cash advances, not withdrawals. Wandered some more, found another one that was out of order. We finally found one in the main train station that was working properly.

[RoofingPrincess]

I have a Capital One credit card (no for-ex fees but hefty cash advance fees) and a Capital One money market account with a debit card, which I use only for travel (no for-ex fees, and this way if the card is lost/stolen and/or the account is compromised, it doesn't mess up my direct deposits and direct payments from my "regular" checking account with a local bank).

I was stressing about foreign exchange before my Transatlantic. 3 different currencies involved (Icelandic kronur, British pounds, Euro).

A friend of mine who's a travel agent told me to stop listening to the little "what if I can't find an ATM? what if it doesn't work?" voice in my head. She's traveled extensively and never had a problem getting the local currency out of an ATM.

I listened to her. I had no problem finding ATMs - in Iceland and England they were right in or near the baggage claim area in the airport. I went into the "Euro zone" by ship and found an ATM within a few blocks of the Eiffel Tower after we got off of our shore excursion bus there. No problem.

You do need to have a rough idea of what the exchange rate is, though - else how do you know how much money you want to take out! :)

[oldandslow]

On our cruise last year out of Barcelona we used our ATM card exclusively and it could not have been easier and after-the-fact was the least expensive as well. A couple of bullet points in favor of ATM usage:

- We got the best exchange rate with the fewest fees.

- Did not have to carry a lot of cash as we could get cash as we needed it.

- Our bank even credited us back the small ($3) ATM fees we incurred.

- No other fees other than ATM fees, unlike credit cards.

- We changed plans in Frankfurt and found that Deutch bank (SP) ATMs charged no fees.

A couple of things to do in advance if using an ATM:

- Make sure your bank knows the dates and the countries you will be traveling to so they don't flag your activity as possible fraud.

- Make sure you know what your 4 digit NUMERIC pin is. The ATMs in Europe have no letters on the key pad.

- Make sure you go to an ATM that has the logo on the back of your ATM card.

- Local (European) ATMs or banks may impose a daily withdrawal limit that is less than your bank's daily maximum.

Other than that just go and have a great time!

 

First time going to Europe. All of our other cruises we have been able to use US dollars in the Mexico, Canada, Caribbean, etc.

 

Trying to find out information about getting Euros. I called RCCL today and was told that I can get Euros on the ship at the prevailing rate.

 

Does anyone know if there is a limit as to how much you can get from them and is there a currency exchange fee charged to your credit card like it is if you use it in port for a purchase.

 

Are the rates better on the ship than they are if you go to a ATM on shore.

 

We have several independent tours booked and they all want payment in Euros.

 

Would love to hear what you have done in the past.

 

Any tips are appreciated. Normally have all of this reasearch done by now, but have not been able to research for the last two months.

 

We are leaving in 10 days.

[oldandslow]

On our cruise last year out of Barcelona we used our ATM card exclusively and it could not have been easier and after-the-fact was the least expensive as well. A couple of bullet points in favor of ATM usage:

- We got the best exchange rate with the fewest fees.

- Did not have to carry a lot of cash as we could get cash as we needed it.

- Our bank even credited us back the small ($3) ATM fees we incurred.

- No other fees other than ATM fees, unlike credit cards.

- We changed plans in Frankfurt and found that Deutch bank (SP) ATMs charged no fees.

A couple of things to do in advance if using an ATM:

- Make sure your bank knows the dates and the countries you will be traveling to so they don't flag your activity as possible fraud.

- Make sure you know what your 4 digit NUMERIC pin is. The ATMs in Europe have no letters on the key pad.

- Make sure you go to an ATM that has the logo on the back of your ATM card.

- Local (European) ATMs or banks may impose a daily withdrawal limit that is less than your bank's daily maximum.

Other than that just go and have a great time!

 

First time going to Europe. All of our other cruises we have been able to use US dollars in the Mexico, Canada, Caribbean, etc.

 

Trying to find out information about getting Euros. I called RCCL today and was told that I can get Euros on the ship at the prevailing rate.

 

Does anyone know if there is a limit as to how much you can get from them and is there a currency exchange fee charged to your credit card like it is if you use it in port for a purchase.

 

Are the rates better on the ship than they are if you go to a ATM on shore.

 

We have several independent tours booked and they all want payment in Euros.

 

Would love to hear what you have done in the past.

 

Any tips are appreciated. Normally have all of this reasearch done by now, but have not been able to research for the last two months.

 

We are leaving in 10 days.

[chipmaster]

The best rate is almost always the ATM where you only pay the out of network fee which is usually a few extra dollars.

 

I don't believe a bit the "good" rate for the ship. On our Princess ship two years ago they had an "ATM" like machine that would take various currencies and spit out Euro. The rates were horrible, about similar to the airport exchange places. Use only if you are desperate and don't mind losing 20-25% of your money in the process between fees and bad rate.

 

If you only need a little spending money ATM is the way to go. If you need a lot of cash for private tours, get it before you go. You will be busy enough in port you don't want to go looking for mutlipe ATMs to get cash.

[chipmaster]

The best rate is almost always the ATM where you only pay the out of network fee which is usually a few extra dollars.

 

I don't believe a bit the "good" rate for the ship. On our Princess ship two years ago they had an "ATM" like machine that would take various currencies and spit out Euro. The rates were horrible, about similar to the airport exchange places. Use only if you are desperate and don't mind losing 20-25% of your money in the process between fees and bad rate.

 

If you only need a little spending money ATM is the way to go. If you need a lot of cash for private tours, get it before you go. You will be busy enough in port you don't want to go looking for mutlipe ATMs to get cash.

[celle]

I really don't care, but here it is:

 

The English Style Guide of the European Commission Translation Service states:

 

12.12 ... Guidelines on the use of the euro, issued via the Secretariat-General, state that the plurals of both ‘euro’ and ‘cent’ are to be written without ‘s’ in English. Do this when amending or referring to legal texts that themselves observe this rule. Elsewhere, and especially in documents intended for the general public, use the natural plural with ‘s’ for both terms.

 

I just thought I pass it down....;)

 

So, since most of us are "the general public", we can correctly call the currency "euros" and "cents" ! :)

[critterchick]

We're going on Friday and what I did was call the bank to ask them their lowdown on fees, etc.

 

It turns out that my specific bank has partners who have "no fee" ABMs in Spain and France but none in Italy... and my Visa will charge an extra 2.5% for converting. So, I took some Euro(s) and plan to get some more out at an ABM at some point.

 

My question is... prices onboard RCI will be in USD or EUR? And, what will they charge the credit card with?

 

Prices onboard most of the RCI ships are in USD. I'm not sure about Brilliance or Independence, which are in Europe year round and are owned by a different subsidiary. Brilliance was USD in 2005 when we were aboard.

 

You can ask to be billed in $Cdn if you prefer it to USD. They're not very good about getting it right, but I believe you can check a box on your Set Sail Pass to ask to be billed in your own currency (I'm not sure how many currencies they'll bill in).

[critterchick]

The best rate is almost always the ATM where you only pay the out of network fee which is usually a few extra dollars.

 

I don't believe a bit the "good" rate for the ship. On our Princess ship two years ago they had an "ATM" like machine that would take various currencies and spit out Euro. The rates were horrible, about similar to the airport exchange places. Use only if you are desperate and don't mind losing 20-25% of your money in the process between fees and bad rate.

 

If you only need a little spending money ATM is the way to go. If you need a lot of cash for private tours, get it before you go. You will be busy enough in port you don't want to go looking for mutlipe ATMs to get cash.

 

On Jewel of the Seas the purser's desk handled the exchange. They posted the rates, so it was easy to verify that they weren't gouging us on the rate.

 

Bank of America does have a network of banks where the $5 (US) international ATM use fee is waived. The list can be found on their website, at least that's where DH found it prior to our Down Under adventure.

[wrp96]

Bank of America does have a network of banks where the $5 (US) international ATM use fee is waived. The list can be found on their website, at least that's where DH found it prior to our Down Under adventure.

 

 

When I called to notify Bank of America of my trip last month, they gave me a specific list of banks that they have ATM agreements with.