steve_b_wales Posted November 27, 2022 Report Share Posted November 27, 2022 Yesterday, I booked a 14 night Caribbean cruise for February 2024. Would $USD be the best currency to spend when onshore? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert Posted November 27, 2022 Report Share Posted November 27, 2022 (edited) Yes for the cash part. Eastern Carribean dollars can be useful in smaller places, like the market in St Thomas to save a quick witted trader doing a bias conversion to US Edited November 27, 2022 by Rupert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave at kelton Posted November 27, 2022 Report Share Posted November 27, 2022 Yes but if you get change it is likely to be in EC dollars which aren’t much use anywhere else. Most places will price in both currencies so stick with US. We love the Caribbean for cruising. Super relaxed. You can hop off the ship and just get a cab for island tours rather than pay the companies inflated prices. Try to find little local cafes or restaurants and eat some local food, spreading the cash about. Enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_b_wales Posted November 27, 2022 Author Report Share Posted November 27, 2022 39 minutes ago, Rupert said: Yes for the cash part. Eastern Carribean dollars can be useful in smaller places, like the market in St Thomas to save a quick witted trader doing a bias conversion to US The places we'll be visiting are: Barbados, Tortola, La Romana, St Maarten, Antigua, St Kitts, Martinique and St Lucia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enfieldspares Posted November 27, 2022 Report Share Posted November 27, 2022 (edited) Antigua will be ECD. But everyone there will be happy with US Dollars. Martinique is a French DOM (Departement d'Outre Mer) so you'll need Euros! Edited November 27, 2022 by enfieldspares Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oowee Posted November 27, 2022 Report Share Posted November 27, 2022 St Lucia is simply wonderful. If you have a full day arrange to climb the Pitons for a experience of a life time. Both can be done in the same day but its tough. Gross Piton is easiest and you can book a guide petit Piton is risking your life but worth the risk. If time is more limited get ashore walk out of the cruise terminal and hail a taxi to go to Anse Chastanet Soufriere. Wow wow wow.🥰 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve_b_wales Posted November 28, 2022 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2022 11 hours ago, enfieldspares said: Antigua will be ECD. But everyone there will be happy with US Dollars. Martinique is a French DOM (Departement d'Outre Mer) so you'll need Euros! Thank you 11 hours ago, oowee said: St Lucia is simply wonderful. If you have a full day arrange to climb the Pitons for a experience of a life time. Both can be done in the same day but its tough. Gross Piton is easiest and you can book a guide petit Piton is risking your life but worth the risk. If time is more limited get ashore walk out of the cruise terminal and hail a taxi to go to Anse Chastanet Soufriere. Wow wow wow.🥰 Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoBodyImportant Posted November 28, 2022 Report Share Posted November 28, 2022 Yes, everywhere I have went in the Caribbean the US Dollar was accepted and preferred by retailers. Even in Mexico Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enfieldspares Posted November 28, 2022 Report Share Posted November 28, 2022 1 hour ago, steve_b_wales said: Thank you Take a good few SMALL denomination US Dollar bills, $1, $2, $5 and maybe some $10 for small tips rather than larger values. And, as others have said, to avoid spending a large value note and getting change back in local currency. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discobob Posted November 28, 2022 Report Share Posted November 28, 2022 15 hours ago, oowee said: St Lucia is simply wonderful. If you have a full day arrange to climb the Pitons for a experience of a life time. Both can be done in the same day but its tough. Gross Piton is easiest and you can book a guide petit Piton is risking your life but worth the risk. If time is more limited get ashore walk out of the cruise terminal and hail a taxi to go to Anse Chastanet Soufriere. Wow wow wow.🥰 Castres Market is also an experience - doubt you will be there on a Friday night for the Jump-up although I believe it has become very commercialised. I was there in 1994 getting married - I don't hold that against the place Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oowee Posted November 28, 2022 Report Share Posted November 28, 2022 1 hour ago, discobob said: Castres Market is also an experience - doubt you will be there on a Friday night for the Jump-up although I believe it has become very commercialised. I was there in 1994 getting married - I don't hold that against the place I did that too on some beachfront somewhere lots of ganja 🙂 For the piton climb I hired a jeep to get to the base of Gros Piton which was broken into whilst i was climbing. I had a young woman from the forestry as a guide who had forgotten to bring a bra for the trip. I hired a guide from a fish factory in Soufriere for petit piton he came out in a loin cloth and flip flops opened the back of my jeep and climbed in covered in blood. I agreed US$20 to take me to the top. I had to pay a local bar $10 to watch the jeep. The climb up involves a cliff hanger moment holding, onto jeans tied together as ropes over a 500ft drop. I was drinking water from sower sop plants on the way up. I was so filthy when I got back to my hotel that they would not let me in. Did you get some diving in? It was pretty special even by Caribbean standards. I spent much of my time with a ballerina from the royal ballet who was rather anorexic rarely eating she would drink like a fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discobob Posted November 28, 2022 Report Share Posted November 28, 2022 23 minutes ago, oowee said: I did that too on some beachfront somewhere lots of ganja 🙂 Up at the Jump Up - Charles (the BBQ chef from the resort) took us down to the fish market off the main street (no lighting) while he got himself some "stuff", we also got a pair of birds done down there from reeds - still have them. But while there I saw his teeth, then the whites of his eyes and then the biggest rastafarian come out of the darkness and then the words "Hey man, do you want to buy some Ganja" - I nearly pooped myself - but went "sorry, I don't use it" and he responded with "respect" and fist bumped me. A while later I had this scrawny little fella waving it in a bag under my nose who wouldn't go away until I flashed my ID and said police. 28 minutes ago, oowee said: Did you get some diving in? It was pretty special even by Caribbean standards. I spent much of my time with a ballerina from the royal ballet who was rather anorexic rarely eating she would drink like a fish. I did indeed, twice, and it was amazing. I wanted to go on the morning of my wedding (bragging rights and all that) but SWMBO was dead set against it - so I laid by the pool, got drunk and third degree sunburn - I looked like a panda on the wedding photos - RayBahn wayfarers were quite large 😆 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sussexboy Posted November 28, 2022 Report Share Posted November 28, 2022 Back in 2016 we were in the Caribbean for our silver wedding anniversary on a 9 island cruise. On recommendation from some friends we booked a full day tour with an outfit called Cosol while on St. Lucia. It was much cheaper than the cruise offering and was a great day out. They are still going and the tour itinerary looks pretty similar. You get to see a lot of the island. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rimfire4969 Posted November 28, 2022 Report Share Posted November 28, 2022 We are going on our first cruise with friends in February. We are starting with 3 days in New York then down to the Caribbean. Can’t wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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