Currency to carry

[Joseph2017China]

On 3/11/2022 at 12:31 PM, wake74 said:

Are there really too many "tourist" places in the world that won't gladly take good old US Greenbacks?  Sure you may not always get the best conversion rate, but I've never had someone say no, in anything that I would define as a tourist area globally.  Now, I've been to some way off the beaten track places in third world countries that expected local currency, but thats a different story as these aren't places you are going just wander into on vacation.

well, the dollar is not accepted worldwide, in tourist places, but when someplace takes it, expect a huge mark-up.  For example, in Europe, I say people paying $5.00 for a drink that was about $1.29 next to a port.  I heard a person complain about a $100.00 taxi ride but he said, he could not argue because the taxi meter said 98.00.  (the local amount was about $16.00).  I watched people pay $5.00 for a beer that I bought for $0.84.  The number one thing in common for most people is they don't want to pay the 3% rate so they trust they will just pay cash, and pay a 500% mark-up on an item.  

 

However, in the Caribbean, the currencies are usually tied to the dollar, and they are happy to take it dollar for dollar.  But don't expect it to happen outside of the Caribbean or in Mexico where they are masters of rip off exchange rates

 

[alexgtp]

USD

[SRF]

21 hours ago, Joseph2017China said:

well, the dollar is not accepted worldwide, in tourist places, but when someplace takes it, expect a huge mark-up.  For example, in Europe, I say people paying $5.00 for a drink that was about $1.29 next to a port.  I heard a person complain about a $100.00 taxi ride but he said, he could not argue because the taxi meter said 98.00.  (the local amount was about $16.00).  I watched people pay $5.00 for a beer that I bought for $0.84.  The number one thing in common for most people is they don't want to pay the 3% rate so they trust they will just pay cash, and pay a 500% mark-up on an item.  

 

Those people are just clueless and are not paying attention.   But as I get older, I find that most people in the world are morons.

[goldfish65]

Easy enough to get a bundle of new USD notes from the bank, crisp and sanitary, for spending and especially tipping.

[SRF]

If you want new notes, contact your bank a few days before and they will order brand new from the Federal Reserve.

 

I have had tellers do through their drawer, and swap with other tellers to get the newest, crispest bills that have.

 

In some countries I have traveled to, you needed cash, and cripst, fairly new bills.  No credit cards accepted.  Don't worry, they are not cruise or tourist destinations.

[Roybthered]

On the ship USD, in the US and Caribbean USD. In Europe, the Euro, in the UK GBP and in Turkey all of the above (nice and new notes) including Turkish Lire.

Most countries have an ATM around the port or in the nearest city/town so you should have no trouble getting the local currency if you do not have enough. We take what we think will be enough whilst in that part of the cruise and plan accordingly but always have a back up to get more in a debit/credit card if required.