Is Cash available onboard?

[sgrissom]

We don't like to travel with alot of cash, but know we will need a fair amount in the ports.

Can anyone tell me if there is any way to get more cash onboard if we run out?

Can a check be cashed? Anyone know the limit?

Is there an ATM? Anyone know the fee?

Is cash available from the casino?

 

And one last question...can you charge drinks and purchases on HMC to your ship's account or must you pay cash?

Thanks,

Sally

[m steve]

You can find cash at casino, pursers desk and if there is an ATM on board. You can't use cash on board except for casino and for extra tips. Everything else is charged to your room. I have even picked up cash at the front desk and they put it on my room charge. You will need cash when you go ashore for cabs, small purchases, beach chairs.

[peaches from georgia]

If you don't like to carry cash I would recommend taking some Travelers Checks. The ship will cash them. There is a 3% fee to get cash at the casino and there are no ATMs on the ship, though there will be in ports.

[gizmo]

I don't know about personal checks, but they do cash travelers checks.

 

Looks like we posted at the same time.:)

[K&RCurt]

And one last question...can you charge drinks and purchases on HMC to your ship's account or must you pay cash?

Thanks,

Sally

 

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong but, I believe you MUST charge drinks to ship account. Straw market took either cash or ship's charge.

[Esme]

Front desk does not cash personal cheques - only traveller's cheques.

 

K&R Curt - you are correct. HMC - all drinks are charged to your account, just like on the ship.

[cruisegirl]

There is a 3% fee to get cash at the casino and there are no ATMs on the ship, though there will be in ports.

 

Is this a HAL policy? I got cash in RCCL's casino in May with no extra charge. Was plannning to do that on our upcoming HAL cruise but not if it will cost me 3% extra.

[gizmo]

Is this a HAL policy? I got cash in RCCL's casino in May with no extra charge. Was plannning to do that on our upcoming HAL cruise but not if it will cost me 3% extra.

 

Yes, it is a Hal policy.

[cruisegirl]

Shoot! I'm disappointed to learn HAL charges to get cash in the casino. I'm surprised they do that as the "purpose" of getting money for most folks would be to gamble and I'd think they'd want to promote that. I thought this was such a great way to get cash and not have to carry a lot of cash, but guess I won't be doing that. Glad this discussion was here.

[noblepa]

The 3 percent fee is probably to cover the discount that the bank charges them, when they deposit your credit card charges. IOW, if you spend $100, the bank gives HAL $97. When you're buying merchandise or drinks with a markup greater than 3 %, they don't mind absorbing the charge.

 

When you get cash, they have no markup. I'm surprised that RCCL did not charge a fee. Did you fund your onboard account with cash or traveler's checks?

[cdkempton]

We always take traveler's checks and have always been able to cash them at the Purser's desk. We go the the desk at odd times to avoid long lines. I don't recall ever having to pay a premium to do this. Never tried to get cash in the casino, only chips. And, once in a great while, I've cashed in chips and gotten cash. :D

No personal checks may be cashed.

[Esme]

Shoot! I'm disappointed to learn HAL charges to get cash in the casino. I'm surprised they do that as the "purpose" of getting money for most folks would be to gamble and I'd think they'd want to promote that. I thought this was such a great way to get cash and not have to carry a lot of cash, but guess I won't be doing that. Glad this discussion was here.

 

 

Why don't take Travellers Cheques and cash them at the front desk. They won't charge you 3% for this.

 

I may be dense, but what were you going to give them at the Casino to get cash? :confused:

[Two@Sea]

It is a well known "tip" that Celebrity does not charge a fee for getting cash at the casino. The amount you obtain is simply added to your shipboard account. We return a substantial amount back into the slot machines, but also use it for tips, as we prefer to demonstrate our appreciation to the staff in cash, rather than just having the standard amount added to our account. It also relieves us of worry about carrying enough cash to see us through to the end of our cruise.

 

Good to know that I will have to get Traveler's Checks before boarding Westerdam. I would have been surprised at the casino cashier booth!

[cruisegirl]

Why don't take Travellers Cheques and cash them at the front desk. They won't charge you 3% for this.

 

I may be dense, but what were you going to give them at the Casino to get cash? :confused:

 

No, you're not dense. And Two@Sea explained it very well. We just found it more convenient to get cash in the casino rather than try to deal with long lines to cash traveler's checks. I get airline miles on my credit card so by putting the money I got at the casino on the shipboard account, paying it with my credit card and then using the traveler's checks to pay the bill, I gained extra airline miles. I thought I was being fairly smart. But will rethink that for the HAL cruise as am sure not going to pay them 3%. That'd be crazy.

[Crescoia]

I apologize for the slight change of direction on this thread, but what about Euros on European cruises? I know they wouldn't be accepted on board, but it would save time tracking down an ATM in port? Has anyone got Euro's from the front desk or an on-board ATM?

[RevNeal]

The very best way to get cash aboard a HAL ship is with Travelers Checks. You really can't beat them for safety and convenience.

 

I usually bring a couple hundred in cash with me for transit expenses, etc., and that lasts for a while during the cruise too (particularly if I don't buy much of anything at a port). But, when I run low on cash I'll go down to the Front Desk and have them cash a travelers Check or two. Easy, quick, no lines ... convenient.

[sgrissom]

cdkempton,

Do they charge the 3% fee for chips also? If so, I guess I'll have to bring enough traveler's checks for my gambling money too!

 

noblepa,

I'm sure you're right about the 3% covering their share of the credit card fee, but I have to agree with cruise girl that it seems counterproductive. You know how it goes, the gambler has had a few drinks and runs out of money. Seems like HAL would want to encourage him to keep gambling rather than heading off to bed!

 

Thanks everyone for your information and suggestions. I believe I can get traveler's checks for free from AAA.

[cruisegirl]

I got Euros from the front desk on a recent European cruise. It worked fine. The only problem was the long lines! Don't wait until the last minute or you'll be there quite awhile. No Euros in the onboard ATM's though, at least not on our cruise. We had friends that got all their Euros out of ATM's in the ports and they loved doing it that way. But I didn't want to have to track down an ATM.

[A02]

Keep in mind too that you can NOT get cash at the front desk (charged to your shipboard account) after around 6PM the day before your cruise ends.

[RuthC]

In spite of what's been implied here, there are no ATM's on HAL ships.

 

You can cash Traveler's Checks at the front desk very easily---they are open 24 hours/day; surely there must be some time convenient where there's no long line. Try after dinner on your way in to the show; or on your way back out. Or 2:00 AM when you toddle off to bed?

In Europe there is a money exchange set up; specific times are listed in the daily program. It's a lot more convenient that finding an ATM once on shore, but there is a pretty big premium charged, too.

IIRC there was a time in the not-too-distant-past when one could get cash at the casino, but that method was used (and abused?) by some who were not making donations. The casinos were taking the 3% loss, but not getting the benefit, so the charge was added across the board.

[cruisegirl]

RuthC,

You're right in that if you're just trying to cash traveler's checks you can probably choose times when the lines aren't long. My comment was related to trying to cash traveler's checks and do money exchange at the same time, and in that case the lines were quite long.

 

Thanks for clarifying that there are no ATM's on HAL ships although I'm surprised. I guess since they've been on all the other cruise lines we've been on just figured HAL was no different.

 

As for the 3%, it'd be interesting to know if other cruise lines have started charging or if HAL is the exception. I laughed at your comment on "abusing" this way of getting cash as I guess I fall in that category. Sure was a good deal though and obviously we weren't the only ones doing it. But you're right. Oh well.