Money is money - I'm sure the staff at the hotel and on the cruise will be delighted with whatever currency you tip in. The current rate is 12.8 pesos to the dollar so I'm sure they'd prefer 1 dollar over 10 pesos, but would probably prefer 13 pesos even more. As mentioned above though it can be extra hassle for the staff to change Dollars to Pesos in order to pay for their everyday expenses. I know that whenever I end up with dollars through one way or another I'm like damn, where am I going to get rid of these.
As a Canadian we always take US$, at the moment our $ is almost at par...also we have a US savings account so we make deposits throughout the year as we know we'll need US money at some point whether it's in Cancun or down in the states somewhere. I've asked my bank about pesos and they always say it's really not worth it. D
We usually bring a 1000 with us just so we have enough, I do bring a credit card and bank card for emergencies but you never know how much you will need, if you are a couple and you are planning on excursions you are looking at 50 each or more to go on them and bars are close to that amount. We like to o shopping to and go out and hit the local spots. If a don't spend it you can always bring it home.
Good info. i sometimes get confused at 13.00 pesos to 1.00. i think i might make a little cheat sheet to take with me.
I use the simple 10:1 ratio as a quick guide myself. Sure it's not that precise but it gets you in the ballpark. I see how Americans want to just use the USD since all they have to do is hit an ATM or two at home to get all the money they need for day to day stuff. For us Canadians, I don't really see the point, you are committing yourself to an extra trip to a bank, or even worse, an airport currency exchange that doesn't give you a good rate at all. I use the Bank of Montreal and CIBC. For either bank call them and tell them you are going to be in Cancun so there are no issues withdrawing from a Mexican ATM. Then once you are down, find a 'bank owned' ATM and withdraw as needed. I like to do the equivalent of $400 worth or so to keep the transaction fees to a minimum. Almost any store will accept the USD (at a rate favourable to them) but I like knowing that using the Peso its more convenient to whoever receives it. As a Canadian I know that if I have some USD on me I expect I have to go to a bank or get screwed on exchange at a store if I try to use it. I can't really see how it would be any different for a Mexican doing the same. It makes me wonder though if there are any other countries where similar situations occur? For example how freely can Brits use Pounds in Eurozone countries like Spain or France? Can Aussies use their dollar in Thailand easily?
I'm not Steve but from personal experiences on the boats I like to leave a $20 ($200 peso) tip. If you consider the level of service compared to a meal at a restraunt or at a night club it's very easy to justify at least that much. Remembering of course that the crew makes very little from the boat company.
Keith (Canadian Dos Equis) is a nice guy and $20 as a single is generous. When people ask me on the cruises how much to tip (as they often do) I always suggest $20 per couple. You are, of course, welcome to tip higher or lower as you decide and how you feel the day went. I should probably add that I don't share in the tips, they are shared between the boat crew (including Chinos and Omar).
We always take US$ for tipping. I see what is being said about the convenience of the staff to exchange their tips into pesos. I would get pesos when I get there and go that route except anytime I try to exchange at the desk I get larger pesos in return. What do I do when I tip someone, say "can you break this for me?":huh:
