Dollar exchanges on Princess

[moonhunter]

do they no longer have the money exchange machines on Princess? I know the rates weren't particularly good, and we hadn't needed to use them for a while until our last cruise which ended in Buenos Aires and found that there we no machines and no where else to exchange dollars. We are sailing for Southampton and a few days in London soon and will need to buy pounds. Can we get them on a transatlantic? We are driving to ft. Lauderdale so won't be near an airport and it is somewhat of a hassle to exchange dollars at local banks.

[triple7tahoe]

On recent cruises I have not seen the money exchanging machines. They seem to have given that task to the Front Desk. I just ordered Pounds from my local bank for my upcoming trip as I faced a similar problem of needing them. I do not remember ATM's at Southampton port and will need pounds for local transport. Arriving on a Saturday also cuts down on my options.

[Govantrueblue]

Most major shopping stores in the UK have bureau exchange so no need for banking hassle

 

Cheque center

Marks and Spencer's

Sainsburys

 

Are a few we use in the UK for better rates than banks

 

Happy travels

Hope this helps

[skynight]

do they no longer have the money exchange machines on Princess? I know the rates weren't particularly good, and we hadn't needed to use them for a while until our last cruise which ended in Buenos Aires and found that there we no machines and no where else to exchange dollars.

We were told that in South America laws prevent Princess from exchanging currencies. It would be considered money laundering. When we were in S.A. we had to exchange currencies at the ports.

 

We are sailing for Southampton and a few days in London soon and will need to buy pounds. Can we get them on a transatlantic? We are driving to ft. Lauderdale so won't be near an airport and it is somewhat of a hassle to exchange dollars at local banks.

 

I would order some GBP from my local bank in advance or get pounds at an ATM once in the UK. Princess may have pounds, but the rate will not be very good as compared to an ATM.

[Colo Cruiser]

do they no longer have the money exchange machines on Princess? I know the rates weren't particularly good, and we hadn't needed to use them for a while until our last cruise which ended in Buenos Aires and found that there we no machines and no where else to exchange dollars. We are sailing for Southampton and a few days in London soon and will need to buy pounds. Can we get them on a transatlantic? We are driving to ft. Lauderdale so won't be near an airport and it is somewhat of a hassle to exchange dollars at local banks.

 

 

The Regal has one on deck 3 or 4 near the gangway.

I used it when we were docked in Toulon to get rid of remaining Euros.

[SadieN]

Auto Club has tip packs of foreign currency for $100. Rates not too good but it works in a pinch.

[dickinson]

I found Wells Fargo had better rates than our other bank and also two different money exchange places at local malls. We bought some euros and GBP at Wells Fargo after getting the BEST exchange rate from a friend who had some euros she wanted to get rid of ;)

[redtogo]

We buy our foreign currency before leaving home. When we went to

Ireland, friends said that they would wait because they had heard the best exchange rates were from ATM machines at the airport or at a hotel desk, if staying at a hotel. Well, when our group arrived at the Dublin, Ireland airport, ALL of the ATM machines were out if order. Our friends had a teenager, and you know the teen was hungry and wanted to buy a snack. They had no money that they could use. It was frustrating the parents because they depended on the advice to wait and get the money from the machines at the airport, and it just wasn't going to happen. I ended up lending them 20 Euros to relieve the stress.

 

Later, at the hotel, they tried to buy Euros from the desk clerk. The desk clerk said - No, they didn't exchange Euros for American dollars.

 

It appears that at the time the American dollar had fallen from favor in the eyes of Europeans. They just didn't want the American dollar.

We always buy our currency before leaving home. It's just too stressful to try to find an exchange bureau sometimes, depending on where you are.

(This was not a cruise. It was a land trip.)

[redtogo]

Also, our experience with the exchange machines on the ship's was confusing. One exchange rate was on the machine, but when a friend exchanged their Ameripcan dollars for the foreign currency, the rate was totally different than what the sign said. The machine displayed a lot less US$ for one Euro - it actually cost about 40 cents more per Euro than what was posted as the exchange rate. And the $4.75 fee per exchange was on top of the error in the exchange rate.

 

The machines that we saw didn't exchange multiple currencies. So if you had British pounds and wanted Euros. You couldn't exchange. Only American dollars could be exchanged for a Euros.

 

Maybe that's why machines were eliminated.:eek:

[dickinson]

We buy our foreign currency before leaving home. When we went to

Ireland, friends said that they would wait because they had heard the best exchange rates were from ATM machines at the airport or at a hotel desk, if staying at a hotel. Well, when our group arrived at the Dublin, Ireland airport, ALL of the ATM machines were out if order. Our friends had a teenager, and you know the teen was hungry and wanted to buy a snack. They had no money that they could use. It was frustrating the parents because they depended on the advice to wait and get the money from the machines at the airport, and it just wasn't going to happen. I ended up lending them 20 Euros to relieve the stress.

 

Later, at the hotel, they tried to buy Euros from the desk clerk. The desk clerk said - No, they didn't exchange Euros for American dollars.

 

It appears that at the time the American dollar had fallen from favor in the eyes of Europeans. They just didn't want the American dollar.

We always buy our currency before leaving home. It's just too stressful to try to find an exchange bureau sometimes, depending on where you are.

(This was not a cruise. It was a land trip.)

 

If you run out of money and need more foreign money then go to ATMs at a bank not at the airport or exchange places. They are all much higher as you found out.

[redtogo]

Sometimes you are not conveniently located near a bank or bureau of exchange.

[Colo Cruiser]

Maybe that's why machines were eliminated.:eek:

 

 

Who said they were eliminated? :confused:

[susancruzs]

On my transatlantic Nov. 2014 there was a machine on the Emerald Princess and it accepted various types of currency. I changed pounds and euros to dollars on it.

 

Screen was a little tricky to figure out but it was there and why would they eliminate them??? This was less than 6 months ago.

 

I would never use an exchange bureau. I find using my bank ATM everywhere works great and the charges aren't high. First I get the currency I need from my regional bank just to get me started, then an ATM machine. I've been doing the ATM thing overseas for years.

Edited April 12, 2015 by susancruzs

[redtogo]

Who said they were eliminated? :confused:

 

Triple7 said that they had not seen the machines on recent cruises. We haven't seen them recently either. If they are in the passenger service area, where do they keep them??? If they aren't displayed for use, that's as good as "eliminated". When we first began seeing the machines, they were displayed and connected for use. Then, we noticed that the machines were off to one side of the passenger services area, and not connected to electricity, even when at port. Now, when we sail, we never see the machines.

 

I've been on many cruises recently and haven't seen them. Maybe Princess only puts them on the ships that you sail.

 

I'll make a point next week to see if they are displayed and usable.

[redtogo]

I would never use an exchange bureau..

 

I don't use exchange bureaus either. I order my currency before I leave home.

Edited April 12, 2015 by redtogo

[Colo Cruiser]

Triple7 said that they had not seen the machines on recent cruises. We haven't seen them recently either. If they are in the passenger service area, where do they keep them??? If they aren't displayed for use, that's as good as "eliminated". When we first began seeing the machines, they were displayed and connected for use. Then, we noticed that the machines were off to one side of the passenger services area, and not connected to electricity, even when at port. Now, when we sail, we never see the machines.

 

I've been on many cruises recently and haven't seen them. Maybe Princess only puts them on the ships that you sail.

 

I'll make a point next week to see if they are displayed and usable.

 

 

See post#5

[redtogo]

See post#5

 

See post 2.

[Colo Cruiser]

See post 2.

 

 

So not seeing them is an assumption and actually seeing them means they are eliminated? Ok.

Edited April 12, 2015 by Colo Cruiser

[triple7tahoe]

Having read posts #2 & 5, I will concede that he reason I would not have noticed foreign exchange ATM's on recent cruises, is because I stopped using them long ago. I found that they displayed a fairly low rate of exchange (I was getting less for my dollars) and then the charge to make the exchange (very fine print :) ) was extremely high. Sorry if I added to the confusion.

[Colo Cruiser]

Having read posts #2 & 5, I will concede that he reason I would not have noticed foreign exchange ATM's on recent cruises, is because I stopped using them long ago. I found that they displayed a fairly low rate of exchange (I was getting less for my dollars) and then the charge to make the exchange (very fine print :) ) was extremely high. Sorry if I added to the confusion.

 

Well we all know they are not there to benefit the passenger. :(