Best currency for Far East cruise

PNM_2

I am taking a cruise around the Far East later this year and am trying to decide the best way to fund my spending. I shall be visiting China, Japan, Hongkong, Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand. The currency on the ship is US $'s. My first thought is a US $ credit card through a currency exchange company, ie Interchange FX. Your experiences would be most welcome, thanks.

property.advert

You need to look at fees to get hold of cash and fees to charge purchases. Pay particular attention to fees in both percentage and absolute terms.

I make assumptions that your home bank cards work abroad and that you tell your bankers that you will be visiting a number of countries in Asia.

Japan - you will need JPY. Western bank cards work at many Japanese ATMs
Singapore - you will need SGD and your bank cards will work.
Thailand - you will need THB but your cards will work. Often surcharges for card payments (3%)
Vietnam - the VND is not traded and you can use USD at around 18,500 VND to $1. Very few ATMs, http://www.xe.com/ucc/convert.cgi?Amount=1&From=USD&To=VND&image.x=31&image.y=14&image=Submit

Hong Kong - you will need HKD but your cards work
China - I do not know.

The symbols on your card will be of more use than the currency it is in. If you are GBP, then buying a card in USD and then using it to buy JPY is just wasting money on FX spreads.

If I was going, I'd have some USD small and large bills for Vietnam and China and use ATMs for the other countries. I would tell my bankers and credit card people and I'd have a number of cards. If you only have a couple of cards, I'd look at other solutions, perhaps cheques.

On board then boat, it will probably be USD denominated and you will be able to pay with any card.

Watch out in Asia for places where you want to pay with your card offering to have you pay in your own currency at the point of sale. This is not a fraud, but it is a con of sorts as they exchange it to your currency at a terrible rate. You will need a calculator, your phone probably has one.

PNM_2

Thanks for your suggestions, I'll give them serious thought.