What currency do I use?

Recently, I have had a number of calls asking about the options for currency whilst on their cruise, so I thought I would try to do a brief note to give some advice.

All ships are cash free, so any purchases on board including drinks will be added to your on board account which you will have to settle by credit card at the end of your cruise. So you won't have to take cash for specific use on ship.

But don't forget, P and O and Fred Olsen use pounds sterling on board, Royal, Celebrity, Cunard and Princess Cruises use dollars - getting more expensive now as the dollar falls and MSC and Costa are Euro based.

Most receptions have a modest amount of currency available for the ports of call, but beware if they charge to your credit card you will probably get charged the cash advance fee by your credit card company.

Alternatively, in most ports of call you can get cash from the many cash dispensers and banks in the area.

So which currency is the one you need most, well the Med is in the main Euro, on a Caribbean cruise you will find when on shore the US Dollar is accepted in most of your places of call and if like me you are off to The North Cape soon, time to buy in some Norwegian Kroner.  What is the exchange rate?

My advice then is to take a little bit of cash for your drinks and snacks when ashore, then make sure you have enough limit available on your credit card for everything else, especially now with falling exchange rates making dollar and Euro purchases more expensive!














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If you think about it the worry of currency is probably greater when you are on a Caribbean cruise, in a different place on a daily basis and each with their own currency. Of course an exception might be on the Oasis of the Seas which only stops once or twice on a weeks cruise!



























Well, I am told that in the majority of places in Caribbean US $ are widely acceptable, just make sure you are not given local currency in your change.









I did find this on the Questions and Answers section of http://www.cruise.co.uk/cruise-answers/question-19424/ website.