Currency for tipping

[suenterry]

We are sailing from Singapore to Fremantle in May 2018. What currency should we use if we want to give our Cabin steward an extra tip? TIA

[moki'smommy]

You can tip in USD or the local currency. It is very easy for the crew to convert currency, but of course there is the loss for the conversion. Most crew members are depositing their tips to their account and sending money home. As one explained to me, he always gets plenty of cash for his limited needs while on board and he is working for his family's future.

[suenterry]

thank you. I thought about getting a visa card but would prefer cash and AUD makes it easier for me. thank you for your help.

[fishywood]

You can tip in USD or the local currency. It is very easy for the crew to convert currency' date=' but of course there is the loss for the conversion. Most crew members are depositing their tips to their account and sending money home. As one explained to me, he always gets plenty of cash for his limited needs while on board and he is working for his family's future.[/quote']

 

According to their signature the OP is sailing on Sun Princess. As the onboard currency is always AUD then USD need not come into the conversation at all.

 

Yes most crew members will be wiring home the amount of extra cash tips they receive. Whether or not there are conversion or transaction fees borne by the crew again is not for us to think about; I highly doubt many tips are given in the native currency of the South Asian, Eastern Bloc, or occasional South American nation the crew members' families hail from.

[CruiserBruce]

According to their signature the OP is sailing on Sun Princess. As the onboard currency is always AUD then USD need not come into the conversation at all.

 

Yes most crew members will be wiring home the amount of extra cash tips they receive. Whether or not there are conversion or transaction fees borne by the crew again is not for us to think about; I highly doubt many tips are given in the native currency of the South Asian, Eastern Bloc, or occasional South American nation the crew members' families hail from.

 

This is the correct answer. USD shouldn't even come into the discussion.

 

If USD were the currency of the ship...then USD would be appropriate.

[moki'smommy]

Absolutely correct--if the currency of the cruise is AUD, then that or the currency of the country where the cruise is going is the correct currency. Sorry that I didn't check the sig line.

[GUT2407]

When we did our Circumnavigation of Aus/NZ cruise we saw crew shopping in port and they had almost every type of currency you could name,

 

So whilst I’d suggest Aus$, they’ll put pretty much anything to good use.

[Ron the Rev]

When we did our Circumnavigation of Aus/NZ cruise we saw crew shopping in port and they had almost every type of currency you could name,

 

So whilst I’d suggest Aus$, they’ll put pretty much anything to good use.

Agreed, as the crew travel widely anything is appreciated. We just empty our pockets of our never to be used again currency along with some US,AUS and GB (getting too old to cruise to distant lands). There's a saying never look a gift horse in the mouth.;)

[paul929207]

While the ship's currency is the simplest, in the end, any currency is better than nothing. A good example is the poster above who empties his pockets and gives all the foreign currency. This is extra