Your Cruise Your Way Cruise Blog

During my many conversations with vacationers over the last 17 years, one item that always enters the conversation is “How much is my dollar worth in……. One of the biggest fears expressed by cruisers about to go to a new foreign country is not knowing when they are getting the true value of their money when purchasing shore excursions, souvenirs, gifts, necessities or just dining out at a romantic cafe’.

One of my favorite tools is the XE.com Personal Currency Assistant. This unique little tool is invaluable for helping you plan your expenses ahead of time, or through your PDA while you’re on vacation. No need to worry anymore whether it’s a good deal, or if you can afford to do it! It lists over 150 countries for your convenience, and takes seconds to return your answer. While it’s usually a good idea to use a credit card when making purchases abroad, in some cases only cash is acceptable to the vendor and you won’t want to miss out on a real bargain because you didn’t understand how much it was actually costing you. While this is one of my favorites, I would love to hear from some of you veteran travelers about other services you have used to accomplish the same end.