Currency: The currency in China is called the renminbi (RMB), meaning “people’s money,” and the basic unit is the yuan. 
 
Exchange Rates: You can find the current exchange rates in the financial sections of newspapers and on the Internet.  You can find a number of websites by typing “foreign exchange rates” in your search engine. 
 
Currency Exchange: Many locations will accept major credit cards, but for incidentals and small vendors you will need some local currency. ATM machines will dispense local currency for internationally accepted ATM cards and/or credit cards.

Except in large cities, ATM machines are not conveniently located and your itinerary may not allow you sufficient time to locate one. There is generally a service fee for using ATMs in China (about 3%). You should bring most of your funds in traveler’s checks. We strongly suggest that you confirm with your bank prior to your departure that your ATM or credit card and PIN number will work in Asia. 

You can exchange cash and traveler’s checks for local currency at hotels, banks and exchange bureaus. Please note that these establishments will charge a fee to exchange traveler’s checks; some establishments may also charge a fee to exchange cash. Under Chinese law, the ship cannot exchange cash or traveler’s checks for local currency.
 
Once you exchange your American dollars into Chinese currency, it can be a time-consuming process to exchange it back into American currency before you depart China. To do so, you will need all your receipts and the currency declaration form you completed when you arrived in China. To avoid this, it is suggested that you plan your currency exchanges during your trip in order to have as little Chinese currency as possible at the end of your trip.
 
American Cash: When exchanging traveler’s checks at hotels and exchange bureaus, you will receive only Chinese currency. U.S. dollars are valued in China, and you may wish to bring a small supply of low denomination bills (one’s and five’s) for incidental tipping and purchases along the way.
 
Credit Cards: Most major credit cards will be accepted to settle your incidentals bill at all hotels and onboard ship, and in major shops and restaurants ashore. Credit card and traveler’s check companies accept collect calls to report lost or stolen cards or checks. Check with these companies to obtain their Asian reporting numbers.
 
If you do not travel overseas and use your credit card abroad on a regular basis, your credit card company may refuse to honor charges you make while on your trip. We strongly advise you to notify the companies of the credit card/s you plan to use on your trip to inform them that you will be traveling abroad.
 
Shipboard Account: The onboard currency is the renminbi. All onboard purchases are billed with a guest check and added to your personal shipboard account. At the end of the cruise, you will receive a total bill, which can be paid with cash (renminbi, euros, Swiss francs, Great Britain pounds or dollars) or charged to a credit card. Please note the ship can accept MasterCard, Visa and American Express. The ship cannot accept Diners Club or traveler’s checks to settle your shipboard account.
 
Please carefully review your shipboard bill upon checkout. This will help reduce the amount of time required to research questions you may have when you receive your credit card bill after you have returned home.