Cruise Travel Toolkit

Skip the Currency Exchange

Wise gives you the real mid-market exchange rate at ATMs and shops in every port. No hidden fees, no cruise ship exchange booth markups.

Get Your Wise Card

Free to sign up — card fee around $9

Why Cruisers Need a Wise Card

💸

Cruise ship exchanges are a ripoff

The currency exchange desk on your ship typically marks up rates by 8-12%. That's $8-12 lost on every $100 exchanged. Wise gives you the real rate.

🏧

ATM withdrawals in local currency

Pull out euros, kuna, lira, or kroner at local ATMs with the real exchange rate. Up to 2 free withdrawals per month included.

🌍

50+ currencies, one card

Hold and convert between currencies in the app. Pay in euros at lunch in Mykonos, kuna at dinner in Dubrovnik — all from one card.

🚫

No foreign transaction fees

Most credit cards charge 2.5-3% on foreign purchases. Wise charges nothing. That adds up fast over a week-long cruise.

How It Works

1

Sign Up & Order Card

Create a free Wise account online. Order the physical debit card (around $9). It arrives in 3-5 business days.

2

Load Your Balance

Add money from your bank account or debit card. Convert to euros or other currencies ahead of time if you want to lock in the rate.

3

Pay & Withdraw in Port

Tap to pay at shops and restaurants. Withdraw cash from ATMs. Always choose to pay in local currency, not USD.

Cruise-Specific Tips

Order 2 weeks before your cruise

Give yourself time for the card to arrive and to load funds. You can also add it to Apple Pay or Google Pay as a backup.

Always pay in local currency

When a terminal asks "pay in USD or local currency?" always choose local. Paying in USD triggers dynamic currency conversion with terrible rates.

Great for ports with non-euro currencies

Turkey (lira), Croatia (kuna/euro), Sweden and Denmark (kroner) — Wise handles them all at the real rate. No need to carry multiple currencies.

Keep your regular credit card as backup

Use Wise for daily port spending and ATM withdrawals. Keep a travel credit card for emergencies and big purchases where you want purchase protection.

Stop Losing Money to Bad Rates

Sign up before your cruise and keep more of your vacation budget.

Get Your Wise Card

We earn a small commission when you sign up through our link. This doesn't affect the price you pay. We only recommend tools we'd use ourselves.