Diamond Princess Cruise Answers

Hi Tried to answer your questions the other day but hit the wrong button and lost the answers I was going to give so I will try again. You do not say which way you are cruising but here are the current rates for the Pound in Beijing. China 10 Yuan, Hong Kong 13 HK$, Japan 131 Yen, Singapore 2S$, Thailand 47 Baht, Korea 1.75Won, Euro 1.12 and US 1.6. These were correct at 12 mid-day today. We have been on this cruise several times both ways and I agree that you only need a small amount of local currency, say 10 Pound each and at the end of the day change the balance and get the next currency you require. The almighty US$ is not as acceptable as it was and the pound is on the nose(sorry about the expression). We have a second credit card we use when in port so if it gets nicked we only have a small amount in it so we don't lose much. The worst country for trying to screw the tourist is Vietnam, they believe that you are a walking ATM so they can put a card in your mouth and the money pours out. You need to spend at least three days in China, dont take ships tours or local tours but hire a guide as they know what you want and usually they only have 4 in the group. All guides speak English and are very reasonable. Just changing the subject, if when you are in Hong Kong and you get lost find a policeman as they patrol in pairs and the one with the star on his shirt or jacket speaks English. Bangkok is OK now or it was last week, plenty of bargains but China is the best for shopping even in Tesco and they change Sterling!!!!If you need any more help on guides or hotels please let me know on maurice.lamberth@gmail.com but please enjoy South East Asia as we have over many years and the wonderful ship Diamond Princess. Good sailing Regards Maurice and Jean Lamberth.

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We did the same cruise from Beijing to Bangkok, and if you're planning a bit of shopping/bartering, I'd urge you not to make the mistake we did by leaving most of it until the cruise ended in Bangkok. We believed all the hype about it being a shopper's paradise, missed many bargains in China and really regretted it. The pearl market in Beijing (they sell everything over 5 floors, not just pearls) was superb, the Chinese were wonderful and the bargaining was all part of the fun - but in Bangkok prices were often higher than at home, and even a slightly lower offer was refused. This was the time when Bangkok was having a lot of civil unrest and maybe that had something to do with it, but I'd hate for you to be disappointed :-)

I have travelled and cruised the Far East numerous times and the answer I always give is this..........Most, if not all these countries have money exchange kiosks on the streets. We take a small denomination of each countries currency, say£20 between us, enough for a cab and a beer/coffee, and any monies left over from the previous day (previous country) we change it in the kiosks for local currency. That way we get rid of all unused monies on a day to day basis. As Chris has stated, your debit card in an ATM is a handy emergency for local currency and any large payments go on the credit card...........Wilba

Best to buy some before you go, at the best price you can find in the high street or on the internet. ..... ..... Try to avoid exchanging on the ship, that's about the worst rate you'll find - I guess its no big deal for a few pounds-worth, but if you do use the ship then pay in USD not sterling or the ship will rip you off twice-over. . ...... restrict your purchases of each currency by using your credit card (safer than debit card) as much as possible for purchases ashore - inform your cc company in advance of your travel plans to avoid them blocking acceptance......... you'll need cash for transport & other minor sundries. ........ at the next country, exchange any unspent cash from the previous one .......... You will find it difficult or impossible to obtain vietnamese dong before you go, best rate is the main post office in Saigon (an historic bldg in its own right) but you can get by in Vietnam with USD (though check before you buy, esp city taxis)............ USD are much less popular in Thailand & HK, in both you'll need local shrapnel for travel & minor sundries, though some shops will accept USD. ...... can't help with China/Japan. ........ DON'T allow Princess to convert your on-board account from ship's currency (USD) to the currency of your credit card (presumably GBP) - allow your credit card company to be charged in USD & your credit card company will give you a much better exchange rate. ...... Chris