The operating currency for P&O Pacific Sky is Australian dollars (AUD); therefore, all prices onboard will be quoted in Australian dollars.
The Purser's Office can cash travellers cheques and change local currencies but cannot accept personal cheques.
Pacific Sky operates on a cashless basis. Each passenger is issued with a Pacific Sky Cruise Card, which is used to make all purchases onboard. The Cruise Card is a debit card to which funds must be applied at the beginning of the cruise to establish a credit balance for the passenger's use.
Credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Bankcard) can now be used as a means of applying funds to the Cruise Card. This is processed as a regular credit card transaction through the ship's automated authorisation system.
Limited currency exchange facilities are available onboard Pacific Sky, particularly to assist passengers when ashore in foreign ports.
If you need to 'top up' your Cruise Card, please do so at your convenience using cash, travellers cheque/s or your credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Bankcard) at the Purser's Office.
There are NO EFTPOS or ATM facilities available onboard Pacific Sky.
As you embark Pacific Sky you will receive a personalised Pacific Sky Cruise Card. A Pacific Sky Cruise Card looks and feels like a credit card, but has a number of functions:
Your Pacific Sky Cruise Card will give you AUD$100 spending power immediately to use as soon as you are onboard. Effectively, P&O Cruises has loaned you this initial AUD$100 amount as a convenience to you; however, you are required to attend the Purser's Office within 48 hours of embarking the ship to repay the initial amount and to add any further funds to your card. In the unlikely event that you do not wish to use this AUD$100, do not be concerned, as this amount will be reset to nil at the expiration of the 48-hour period. Of course, you will still be responsible for any portion of the AUD$100 you may have spent.
The Pacific Sky Cruise Card can be used anywhere onboard where you would normally use cash. In fact, to buy food or drinks in any of the bars, New Zealand Natural Icecream, Harry's Cafe de Waves, Sky Dogs grill and the Pizzeria, the casino, the duty-free shops and for shore tours, your Pacific Sky Cruise Card is the ONLY thing you can use.
At the conclusion of your cruise, any money remaining in your Cruise Card account can be withdrawn on the last evening (we suggest just before retiring for the night) or on the last morning prior to arrival in port, up until 8.00am. If you have used your credit card, any outstanding balance will be credited back onto your credit card account. Once you have withdrawn the remaining balance from your account, you are very welcome to keep your personalised Cruise Card as a memento of your Pacific Sky Cruise.
Australian currency regulations allow each passenger to take a maximum of AUD$10,000 cash out of Australia. Travellers cheques may be cashed at the Purser's Office onboard Pacific Sky. A small fee is charged for this service. Australian currency travellers cheques are accepted in some ports Pacific Sky visits, plus Australian dollars may be exchanged for local currencies onboard when needed.
You don't need money for accommodation, main meals onboard, entertainment, child-minding services and other shipboard activities; they are all included in your cruise fare. Costs that you are likely to incur are for drinks, duty-free shopping, souvenirs, shore tours, in-cabin video card, pizzas, snacks, espresso, cappuccino, icecreams, massage, photographs, beauty and spa packages, gambling, hairdressers, medical and any tips you might offer.
During, or at the conclusion of your cruise, you may wish to reward your waiter and your cabin steward for their excellent service. How much you tip is a matter of judgement, however a suggested rate is AUD$2.00 to AUD$3.00 per day, per adult passenger.
The TRS enables you to claim a refund of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Wine Equalisation Tax (WET) that you pay on goods you buy in Australia. For more information please refer to the Australian Customs website at www.customs.gov.au