Currency Exchange on Ship or Marina?

[SuzieQ521]

Hello:

 

Headed to Cabo next week on our NCL Bliss cruise. I was hoping to obtain some pesos, mostly for tips, small purchases, etc. 

 

Does NCL have a currency exchange onboard or is there a currency exchange area near where we tender? (which I imagine would be a better exchange rate)?

 

Thanks 

[SDPadreFan]

Not really necessary for small purchases. American dollars will work just fine (ABSOLUTELY NO AMERICAN COINS). Smaller bills are your best choice (1's, 5's, 10's). You will lose a little on each transaction because most small businesses will give you an exchange rate less than the official rate. A peso is worth about a nickel so you could lose 5-10 cents on every dollar you spend. Just consider it as a transaction (or convenience fee) because those shopkeepers have to make weekly/daily trips to the bank to convert your American dollars to peso's.

[Mike45LC]

The Mexican version of 7-11 is called Oxxo.  I used to go into an Oxxo and make a small purchase (soda, chips, water), paying in US $ and getting pesos in exchange.  Their exchange rate is something like 18 pesos per US$, so that is roughly a 10% convenience charge.  

 

We have taken 4 MexRiv cruses in the last year.  Before the first of these four cruises, I went to a local (Las Vegas) money change place and converted $500 US into $MX.  [Mexico uses the same $ symbol as the US does, so I try to remember to type $US and $MX to distinguish.]  I keep the $MX with my travel things; our banks pay such little interest that this costs me almost nothing.  So I have plenty  of pesos, and don't have to change any until I finally deplete my stash.  But last week, we won $360MX ($180US) at the PlayWin Casino, and took the winnings in $MX -- no choice!  So my cache of pesos got increased.  

[njhorseman]

1 minute ago, Mike45LC said:

$360MX ($180US)

You need to make a correction to the above. 😉

[Ashland]

We've cruised to the Mexican Riviera often and will next week again. Have never found the need to use anything other than USD$ for the small amount that we actually spend in port.

[Hlitner]

19 hours ago, Mike45LC said:

The Mexican version of 7-11 is called Oxxo.  I used to go into an Oxxo and make a small purchase (soda, chips, water), paying in US $ and getting pesos in exchange.  Their exchange rate is something like 18 pesos per US$, so that is roughly a 10% convenience charge.  

 

We have taken 4 MexRiv cruses in the last year.  Before the first of these four cruises, I went to a local (Las Vegas) money change place and converted $500 US into $MX.  [Mexico uses the same $ symbol as the US does, so I try to remember to type $US and $MX to distinguish.]  I keep the $MX with my travel things; our banks pay such little interest that this costs me almost nothing.  So I have plenty  of pesos, and don't have to change any until I finally deplete my stash.  But last week, we won $360MX ($180US) at the PlayWin Casino, and took the winnings in $MX -- no choice!  So my cache of pesos got increased.  

$360 Mexican Pesos is currently about $20 US 🙂

[Mike45LC]

3 hours ago, Hlitner said:

$360 Mexican Pesos is currently about $20 US 🙂

I'm a lousy typist.  We won $3,600MX, or $180US.  $360MX would not have replenished my peso cache.