buying foreign currency onboard a cruise ship

r2015

I am going on a Fred Olsen cruise in Sept and one of the services they supply is to buy your foreign currency before you join the ship and pick it up at reception.


I usually buy from Travelex and have it delivered to my home a few days before departure.


I was checking the exchange rate and have found that I get a better rate buying and picking up on board ship than buying from Travelex so that is what I shall be doing.


620 euros from Travelex costing £503.12 as against buying from City Forex and picking up 620 euros on board for £501.21.

Hopefully the exchange rate will be a little better in 4 weeks time.

Every little helps.:j

NiftyDigits

Why do you need to buy Euros? Do they not accept cards on board? Are there no ATM machines at the airport on arrival?

Using a suitable card gives you access to a rate of 1.256351

So withdrawing 620€ would cost you £493.50 with a top rated card.

NiftyDigits

If you don't have access to a mainstream card, such a the Halifax Clarity, you can consider a Prepaid card, such as Kalixa Pay.
Beneficial as you get access to the wholesale exchange rate and your money stays in Pounds. So anything left over can be spent without any fees, anywhere.

It's the only Prepaid card that charges nothing for purchases, both here and abroad. Free here.
Unbeatable for purchases anywhere. No exchange rate fee at all.
If using at an ATM, take a decent chunk out. The equivalent of £100 will cost out at 2.25%. £200, 1.5%, £300, 0.75%
Considering that other currency cards shave 2% to 3% off the exchange rate, it's easy to see that you can match or better them when it comes to cash withdrawal value. The others can't compete at all when it comes to purchases.

As an example, withdraw 370€(current maximum per day) on arrival at a European airport and inclusive of the ATM withdrawal fee of £2.25, you get at rate of 1.246€ as opposed to 1.237€ from City Forex.
Make purchases with the remainder and you get a rate of 1.256€

Compare their(Kalixa Pay) offered rates (Your currency is GBP)

As you wrote, every little helps and the potential saving are far more than the differences that you have highlighted in your original post.

r2015

Why do you need to buy Euros?

So that I can spend them when I go ashore.

Cash is more convenient than cards in some places.

Some shops in Europe won't accept cards for some types of purchases.

You try paying for a cup of coffee in a small cafe using a card.

Or even buying tobacco or cigarettes in Italy. Cash only.

Do they not accept cards on board?

this is not for on board spending, ships use a cashless card system that you settle up when you disembark. Olso Fred. Olsen's currency onboard is Sterling

Are there no ATM machines at the airport on arrival?

I am going on a cruise not flying anywhere.

benjus

r2015 wrote: »

Cash is more convenient than cards in some places.

Some shops in Europe won't accept cards for some types of purchases.

You try paying for a cup of coffee in a small cafe using a card.

Or even buying tobacco or cigarettes in Italy. Cash only.

So use the card in an ATM...

r2015

So use the card in an ATM...

You never been behind a crowd of 1,000s of OAPs going ashore from a cruise ship getting money from an ATM?

I have, I'd rather lose the £2 or £3.

I do have a credit card to use for buying anything more than 1 euro.;)

NiftyDigits

r2015 wrote: »

You never been behind a crowd of 1,000s of OAPs going ashore from a cruise ship getting money from an ATM?

I have, I'd rather lose the £2 or £3.

I do have a credit card to use for buying anything more than 1 euro.;)

What do you do with left over Euros? It's not just about the saving of £2 to £3 as you suggest.

In addition, what if you visit a country that doesn't use Euros?

r2015

What do you do with left over Euros? It's not just about the saving of £2 to £3 as you suggest.

I spend them, ( I have a relative who I buy tobacco for, Last holiday I was on I spent 450 euros on tobacco and I got £450 for it, best exchange rate ever )

It would have been more but I couldn't get more cash from the ATM

In addition, what if you visit a country that doesn't use Euros?

Then I get that country's currency.

retired2011

Are you going on the Wine Stops & Tax Free Shops from Rosyth?

I wouldn't let my wife loose on that trip with a credit card, I'd be bankrupt before I got back home:rotfl:

I prefer cash as well when going abroad, that way you can keep a check on what you spend, watch out for dynamic currency conversion especially when sampling the wine.

PM me if you want.

NiftyDigits

Old people... eh?

Kernow666

r2015 wrote: »

So that I can spend them when I go ashore.

Cash is more convenient than cards in some places.

Some shops in Europe won't accept cards for some types of purchases.

You try paying for a cup of coffee in a small cafe using a card.

Or even buying tobacco or cigarettes in Italy. Cash only.

this is not for on board spending, ships use a cashless card system that you settle up when you disembark. Olso Fred. Olsen's currency onboard is Sterling
I am going on a cruise not flying anywhere.

geez whats wrong with people wanting to get money for convenience like you do , i can see nothing wrong with that like 1000s of others do

not everyone uses a card for everything so people want cash in there wallet/purse like the original poster