Travelers Checks

Do you think I need to take travelers checks to Alaska?

Blessings,

Sunny

No.

Why would you?

We use our credit card for most things, stop at an ATM if we need pocket money.

Travelers checks are all "Old School" for only those that have no credit cards.

Welcome to CC,

If you must bring them be informed that the pursor's desk should be more than willing to cash them as long as you are using a credit card for everything else.

Most places these days do cash/CC, as another said travelers cheques are getting much more rare with CC and ATMs everywhere.

Do you think I need to take travelers checks to Alaska?

Blessings,

Sunny

This is question that get asked quite often and I have to agree that TC's are kind of old hat.....however having once run short of good old cash and hating to pay the atm fees on the ship, I now carry at least $500 in AM-EX TC's which I purchase commission free at my bank. I have never had a problem with cashing them at the pursers' desk and they are just a nice little safety net as far as I am concerned.

Do you think I need to take travelers checks to Alaska?

Blessings,

Sunny

Welcome to cruise critic.

We normally just bring cash with us and in port we normally use a credit card for most purchases and if we need cash we use the ATM machines that are in port.

Of course, if you prefer not to bring much cash and don't use an ATM card, then travelers checks are fine. You can easily cash them at the pursers office and most stores will take them.

Keith

Do you think I need to take travelers checks to Alaska?

Blessings,

Sunny

Do you use travelers checks at home? Alaska is a state. You can get cash there just as you can at home, through ATM machines.

Very very few banks even issue travelers checks anymore. Yes, if you get them you can stand in line at the purser's desk on the ship and cash them, but why bother? Most Alaska stores will readily accept your American checks, credit cards, and/or cash, easily obtainable at an ATM.

We still take travelers checks with us -- safer to travel with them as we have to fly to all our embarkation ports.

We cash them on the ship and use them for the Extra tips that we give the crew at the end of the cruise -- and being as we take cruises no less than 14 days -- that can mount up. Yes -- we do leave the auto tips (Hotel Service Charge on HAL) in place. But we do like to give extra tips to those crew members who have made our cruise enjoyable.

Travelers checks are all "Old School" for only those that have no credit cards.

They may be a remnant of past times, but I do not believe that only those without credit cards use them. We have cards with long histories, something like three decades, and we continue to take along trav chex because we don't want to carry a huge wad of cash and we don't want to pay to access our funds at ATM machines when we can cash these free onboard.

First of all if you should or shouldn't take them with you would depend on how much cash you are planning to bring and how much money you will be spending. Yes, travelers checks are old fashioned now. Also most cruise lines will cash a personal check for you so really no need to bother with travelers checks.

I haven't used traveler's checks in years and believe that they are harder and harder to cash, depending on where you're going.

We use traveler’s checks when we cruise a lot. I can purchase them for free. We carry them so we don’t have $500 or more in cash on use until we board the ship. We cash them on the ship at guest services when we want cash to take on shore or put money on our on board account which we set up with a credit card. We think it is safer than carrying cash. We don’t use them on shore. We purchase them a few at a time to build up our spending money. Traveler checks in a dresser drawer won’t get spent on anything else before the cruise. That same amount of money may if it is sitting in the bank. ATM’s on ship cost about $6 each time you use them and they frequently run out of money near the end of a cruise.

Do you use travelers checks at home? Alaska is a state. You can get cash there just as you can at home, through ATM machines.

 

And pay the ATM fees... few "lower 48 banks" have branches in coastal Alaska.

And pay the ATM fees... few "lower 48 banks" have branches in coastal Alaska.

Or find a bank at home that reimburses your account for any "outside their service area" ATM's.

Or find a bank at home that reimburses your account for any "outside their service area" ATM's.

Wouldn't it be easier to just purchase some commission free TCs than change one's banking arrangements and all that goes with that.:)

Wouldn't it be easier to just purchase some commission free TCs than change one's banking arrangements and all that goes with that.:)

I'll still bring a few hundred in TC's with me. Like the others, my bank doesn't charge me for them and since I never have to cash them RIGHT NOW I can always find a line-free time at the purser's desk. Those ATM fees will eat you up and the fewer times I use my credit cards outside the US (yes, I know we're talking about Alaska here but in general . . . ) the fewer opportunities I give crooks to steal my credit card info. At every port of call I'll have just enough cash to cover what I expect to be lunch and incidentals. Anything over that I can still use a credit card if I want to. But the fewer times I whip that card out the safer I feel.

I still get them for the same reasons as others listed above. Worst comes to worst, I bring them back home and use them or deposit them in my account.

Dont know what cruise line you will be using, but Princess allows you to gift yourself casino credit prior to your cruise. You get a voucher in your stateroom usually right after you board. If you need more cash you can cash in the voucher at the cage in the casino. No need to gamble a penny of it if you wish. If you do not need the extra cash, on the last night of the cruise, cash them in and take the money home with you. You can get them in smaller denominations by having the cards show as 'gifts' from various people. There is NO ADDED FEE for this gift. We often do it so we dont have to carry the extra money for airport and parking expenses during the trip home. I agree that travelers checks are dated and from what Ive read its getting harder to find places that will accept them. Yes, I know they are like cash, the store just doesnt want to deal with them.

I like traveler's checks. They serve a valuable service - especially if you do not want to carry a lot of cash.

I did not even know that travellers checks were still available

credit card best way

Travelers Checks have actually become obsolete. Sure, you can still cash them on cruise ships and in some establishments. But more and more we are finding that nobody wants the antiques. In Europe you will even see banks that put signs in their windows saying "We do not cash Travelers Checks." We still see some money changing kiosks that take them. but they generally get a lesser exchange rate then cash. We travel all over the world and rely on ATMs and credit cards for cash and expenditures.

Hank

P.S. Always notify your ATM issuing bank and credit card companies of your upcoming trip and give them an itinerary if requested.

Travelers Checks have actually become obsolete. Sure, you can still cash them on cruise ships and in some establishments. But more and more we are finding that nobody wants the antiques.

I probably wouldn't hazard trying to use a TC ashore but commission free TCs remain a great way to transport money from bank to ship then cash them at the pursers' or passenger services desk...or just to have as a little cash reserve if necessary.

Not in Alaska, there should be a BOA, Chase, or Wells Fargo close to the pier at every stop. Now when going out of the good old US of A, we do take a few and cash on Ship.

Not in Alaska, there should be a BOA, Chase, or Wells Fargo close to the pier at every stop. Now when going out of the good old US of A, we do take a few and cash on Ship.

Not so, BOA has a branch in Anchorage only, Chase has no branches in Alaska, only Wells Fargo is represented in many coastal Alaska towns.