$$$ Money Question $$$

[sail7seas]

I carry about $300 in cash plus I went to my bank and got an ATM-only card. This is not a debit card, it cannot be used to buy merchandise but only to get cash out of ATM machine. That way I can get more cash if needed.

 

 

Learn something new everyday. I never knew there was such a card.

[serendipity1499]

We take cash rather than use our credit cards in port. Once in Sint Maartin, we had lunch on the harbor...a salad and iced tea each. We charged it, didn't keep the receipt, and when we rec'd our CC bill, it was close to $100! We know it was in the high $20's, so someone added on to our credit card! Cash is safer!

 

Couldn't you have disputed it with your CC company even without your receipt?

I once purchased a LLadro in Little Switz in the Bahama's..They charged us for two..I called the CC company & disputed the second one..The CC company immediately removed the second one from our Account for investigation..DH was out for the day & when I told him about it, he produced the second one which he was saving for my Birthday.. I had been debating which one to purchase & our Friend's were in on the plot...Now had to sheepishly :o:ocall the CC company to have it re-instated on our bill..

 

We usually leave home with $1000 in Travelers Checks along with a couple of hundred dollars in cash.

 

Before we even get to the ship we know that we will have to pay for cabs, tips for them and our shuttle from where we leave our car at home, etc.

 

Once on the ship we do keep everything in the safe. And take only a little money with us when we get ashore. I take a credit card ashore that has a low limit on it.

 

And I always keep my credit card receipts.

 

That's just about what we do, as its so easy to cash a Traveler's check on board..We also only use a special Capital One credit card with a low limit in port..

Cheers, Betty

[hrhdhd]

I carry about $300 in cash plus I went to my bank and got an ATM-only card. This is not a debit card, it cannot be used to buy merchandise but only to get cash out of ATM machine. That way I can get more cash if needed.

 

I wish my bank offered those. We used to have an ATM-only card, but I came home one day to find a new debit card with an annoying congratulatory letter from the bank informing me of my good luck that they had decided to send me one.

 

I called and visited a branch to no avail--they've discontinued the ATM-only cards.

[TheDarkestBlue]

Be careful if you are planning to use your credit cards in Europe. Apparently, they have shifted in a big way to chips in the cards and many U.S. credit cards do not yet have the compatible chip. You may wish to confirm with your bank what card you have and their reports of their customers being able to use their cards in Europe.

 

 

So true about the ATM/credit chip cards, they are the standard in Europe now. What we do is get a "cash passport" from Travelex, which you can load with however much money you like and use it in ATM's (has a PIN) or vendors where they take Master Card, worked great for us, and comes with 24/7 travel assistance. Travelex can be found in all major airports and train stations, as well as in some malls, can also be ordered online:

 

http://www.travelex.com/US/Products/Cash-Passport/

 

Cash Passport™

 

Cash Passport will change the way you think about your money when traveling. With all the convenience of travelers cheques, but without the hassle, it allows you to pre-load your travel budget for smart and convenient use in millions of ATMs, shops, and restaurants where Euros and Pounds are used. You can load your Cash Passport with a choice of two currencies, € Euro and £ GBP.

 

Key Benefits

 

Chip & PIN Enabled

 

All Cash Passports are enabled with chip & PIN functionality, making it easier to transact abroad, particularly in countries throughout Europe, where this payment method is most popular. When conducting a chip & PIN based transaction, you must insert the Cash Passport into the machine and the machine will prompt you to insert a PIN number before confirming payment. These transactions are very similar to debit card transactions in the United States. There will not be a receipt to sign, as your identity is verified using the PIN number.

 

Smart

 

The Cash Passport is not connected to your bank account. It is Chip & PIN AND signature protected and has 24/7 Global Emergency Assistance.

 

Prepaid Convenience

 

Withdraw local currency at millions of MasterCard® ATMs worldwide, or pay directly where MasterCard is accepted.

 

Flexibility

 

Cash Passport is available at numerous banks, credit unions and Travelex retail locations throughout the US. Please note, the Cash Passport cards are not sold in certain states. Please check our Terms and Conditions for more details.

 

Global Emergency Assistance

 

Our staff can provide emergency funding where necessary, free replacement cards and help with problems like lost passports.

 

Buy Your Cash Passport Today

 

You can buy your Cash Passport online or by visiting a Travelex store located through out the United States.

[lovetocruise2020]

We have always taken $800 no more than $200 leaves the safe... In mazatlan we went to stone island... Only time we wished we'd brought more... We never buy things but this little island was the exception. Best day of our lives...

[PathfinderEss]

We have always taken $800 no more than $200 leaves the safe... In mazatlan we went to stone island... Only time we wished we'd brought more... We never buy things but this little island was the exception. Best day of our lives...

Good to know Surfergirle, we've been to Mazatlan many times but never over to Stone Island. Don't know when we will get back there as many of the cruise ships are not going there anymore.

[michmike]

As someone else mentioned in passing, it is easy to get a couple hundred dollars a day (if you need that much) in travelers checks cashed at the front desk onboard. No need to carry large amounts of cash in transit.

 

Our local bank even gives us the travelers checks w/o service charge as we are over 55, so a no brainer.

[Johanna7]

Yes, small bills are a good idea but in our case, we are in Canada, the best and smallest bills they usually have are 20s. And not always many of those. Stuck with 50s and 100s. Our banks are not set up to give too much in small bills unless some people resell it. We do not. Keep it for next time.

 

This works if we are a day or two ahead and use restaurants and other places to buy stuff and use the larger bills and hoard the ones and fives. I do not like to use Credit Cards in places I do not know.

 

On board ship you do not need a lot of cash, just for tips as everything else goes on the shipboard account.

 

In many places we like the hop on, hop off buses and a $50 works for the 2 of us and there may be change. Depends where of course, usually a $100 bill takes care of it and they almost always have change.

[sail7seas]

Funny experience.....

 

Just prior to our recent Oosterdam cruise to Alaska, I called our credit card bank to tell them we would be traveling and possibly would use the card in Seattle or Alaska.

 

The rep told me to hold on while she connected me with the International Travel Department...... :rolleyes:

 

I interrupted her before I got left dangling on hold and asked her to please get out a map and notice that Alaska is our 49th State. She was shocked to hear it is part of U.S. Sigh........

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

I bring at least $500 in cash and every trip I bring some home,I do use ATM out side U.S. for getting the country's currency.

[Johanna7]

Funny experience.....

 

Just prior to our recent Oosterdam cruise to Alaska, I called our credit card bank to tell them we would be traveling and possibly would use the card in Seattle or Alaska.

 

The rep told me to hold on while she connected me with the International Travel Department...... :rolleyes:

 

I interrupted her before I got left dangling on hold and asked her to please get out a map and notice that Alaska is our 49th State. She was shocked to hear it is part of U.S. Sigh........

 

We find that people on cruise ships are more informed about everything than the usual population. A lot more knowleable about all current events too. We run into it all the time, we live in Toronto and there is a Toronto in Ohio and they think we are in the US.

[NMLady]

I know this can be a personal & individual subject, but am curious just how much

money (range) you are comfortable or need to have loose and not tied up in using ship cards, debit cards, travelers cheques,plastic and the like.

 

AND where you keep it?? Locked in the safe or on your person?:confused:

 

This is tricky because we KNOW we will need some cash in the ports, and also for tipping randomly, and a cab or two.

So how do you plan because there isn't an ATM at every place and some places a card won't work, making hard cold cash necessary. :rolleyes:

:)

Thanks for input

 

We bring travelers checks and cash them as needed at the front desk of the ship.

[localady]

Be careful if you are planning to use your credit cards in Europe. Apparently, they have shifted in a big way to chips in the cards and many U.S. credit cards do not yet have the compatable chip. You may wish to confirm with your bank what card you have and their reports of their customers being able to use their cards in Europe.

 

 

Right you are S7S!

To be on the safe side, DH had Citibank send him a new credit card with Pin and Chip technology. This is the card we plan to use in Europe as we know it meets the local technology requirements.

[sandij]

You have to think ahead, first off the porters at the ship terminal need a tip, the ride from the airport to the ship, tips for bus drivers on excursions, tips for room service, so smaller bills are handy. Then remember these small bills will need to be in local currency, we may all think our dollars are the end but the small vendor in Turkey doesn't want them (tried to buy a pretzel once). I have used ATM's and had no problem but I always let my bank know what countries I will be visiting. I rarely use a credit card but still take one with me. Any leftovers you can change back or save for your next cruise, think ahead.

[LeanneLand]

When I travel, everything purchased on the ship goes on my credit card. For every day we're in port, I'll budget around $60-80 a day to buy any little thing I see that I want (no souvenirs hopefully, but useable items like jewelry - I love jewelry :)), and maybe lunch or a snack.

 

If I have any money left over from my day in port, I put that back into my money pool and divide up the balance between the amount of ports that are left. So any I don't spend allows me to increase my budget for the next port. Although I usually come back with some extra cash which I stash away for my next trip.

 

If I'm going to a country that has foreign currency, I exchange the allowance money I'll need for that city before I go. On my European tour a few years ago I took a mix of Euros, Pounds, and Swiss Francs. We have an awesome foreign currency office in town that has better rates than a bank. And it's easier to purchase what you need in another country when you have their preferred currency.

 

I only use the credit card in port for major purchases (...like diamonds :)) and only if it's from a reputable business. Although Visa has a great insurance back up where you can dispute a charge and they'll reimburse your card with minimal fuss so I do feel protected using it. But for the most part I prefer to pay with cash.

[Typhoon1]

You're right, it's a very subjective question.

 

Everyone has a different budget and spending habits while on vacation.

[RuthC]

I only use the credit card in port for major purchases (...like diamonds :)) ....

Diamonds? A girl after my own heart. :D Rubies and emeralds are nice, too. ;)

[the2ofus]

We are so used to popping over to an ATM location in our home areas that we usually don't consider the logistics of finding one in a foreign country. Many of the ATM's are inside the entrances of the banks, not all banks are easily identifiable. Even with a map, sometimes it is hard to find the location of the ATM. If you are in a vehicle there might not be convenient parking near the ATM. If you are with a group, the rest of the group might not appreciate having to wait while you find an ATM when they would rather be sightseeing.

 

All very good reasons to plan ahead to have adequate cash. Then if you need an ATM it will be the exception, not an everyday hassle.

[lovetocruise2020]

Good to know Surfergirle, we've been to Mazatlan many times but never over to Stone Island. Don't know when we will get back there as many of the cruise ships are not going there anymore.

 

It breaks our heart. It was very lovely. This was our first time doing something other than the Golden Zone etc.. It was very rustic. Food and handicrafts amazing. Great water and perfect brown sugar sand. I can''t believe we only got one day there.

 

This was out last cruise into "true Mexico" before switching to the Eastern/Western Caribbean in 2010. we try to do 1-2 Bahamas short cruises, 1 California Coastal short cruise and 1, 7 night a year. I really miss being able to drive to our 7 night. It made DH's vacation days go much farther. Its really a shame.