MATHA531

I chatted online with American Express and was told they only issue chip and signature credit cards. I was told there should be no problem in Europe.

 

I asked if I could setup a PIN just in case and was told there was no longer a mechanism to setup PINS for their chip and signature cards.

The interesting thing, of course, is Amex issues chip and pin cards to cardholders outside the USA! How do you like dem apples.

People not signing the card or writing see ID on it represents cluelessness but is fairly common in the US.

 

Chip and Signature instead of Chip and Pin in the US is hilarious. Almost all major store terminals have a keypad and a digital signature pad. So instead of a pin you write your signature on a pad with a clunky digital pen or with your finger and it looks hardly anything like your signature. At gas stations you enter your zip code on the keypad. At restaurants they take your card and bring back a paper receipt to sign and a pen. Restaurants are about the only place you sign with a pen and it will look anything like your signature on the card. Which almost no one actually looks at to compare.

All this has been discussed adnauseum on various travel blogs and the like and nobody is going to disagree with you regarding the worthlessness of a signature as a security factor in preventing credit card fraud. The banks, however, will cite statistics showing that lost or stolen credit card fraud is relatively low and simply not worth converting the whole system. You can argue with them; I am only acting here as the messenger. Restaurants do not want to spring for the portable terminals needed to implement pins with our tipping expectations in restaurants and it's considered less formal to pay as you exit a la Denny's. Another myth is the USA is the only chip and signature country. Japan and Hong Kong, for example, are not chip and pin.

What's done is done. It is simply not worth arguing over. Will US credit cards work in Europe? They will work almost all the time and that's the best one can say.

As a cashier... in Europe...

Yes, chip and signature cards are indistinguishable from chip an pin cards when they are handed over and inserted into the terminal. However, I, as the cashier, do not get to decide how the terminal reads your card. If the terminal tells me it needs a pin, pin it is. Sometimes, for a reason unknown to me because I am just the lowly girl at the register and neither program the terminal nor the card, it asks for a pin eventhough the person the card belongs to swears it's a chip & sign card (which do exist in Europe).

In that case, there is nothing I am allowed to do. All I may do is cancel the transaction even if that means foregoing the revenue. Do I know how to switch the terminal from pin to signature? Yes. I do. Actually. But I will not tell you because doing so will get me fired. And I like my job. I also need the income to pay for my cruising. If you think I am stupid because I tell you "Sorry, I can't" then be it. But there is nothing I can do for you (without risking to lose my job).

 

I can also easily void the transaction because I need to push an additional button for your receipt to come out which I am only allowed to push if the signature on the credit card slip matches the signature on the back of the card. I push yes = receipt, I push no = the system automatically cancels the transaction. And if you don't enter your pin (because you say you don't have one or because you don't remember it) I just push the little red stop button... and it cancels the transaction. Magic

 

 

I am already as risk accepting a credit card that has "see ID" instead of a signature because we are required to check that all credit cards we accept are signed and my employer considers "see ID" as unsigned and hence not valid. I will accept it because I know it's more common in the US than here (where that's basically unheard of) but I know that people I work with might not and don't have to (unless they are trying to be really nice). And if we decide to accept your card... please a) have ID on you (not a paper copy because you left your ID on the ship), b) have your ID on you (not your traveling companions'), c) make sure you look as much like you in the picture as possible (show me your driving license rather than your biometric passport), d) the signature on your ID should match the signature on the credit card slip... just saying.

 

We are not being mean. We are trying to keep our minimal wage jobs. And we are in a country where "the customer is always right" has its limits (at "the customer is most likely not right but to make them happy we will bend over backwards" and at least my boss will back me up at that because while he doesn't like his staff much, he dislikes customers even more).

 

 

 

 

Our credit card terminal decides to let people with chip & pin cards sign about half the time. Do I know why? No. Do I understand why? Nope. Of course that means that the other half of the time if you have a chip&pin, you will need your pin (no matter if your purchase is 10 or 100 Euros). Sometimes it messes up and decides it wants a pin for a card where the owner swears up and down that it's a chip&sign card and not a chip&pin card. Do I know why it does that? Heck, no. Because technology sucks sometimes. I guess.

 

 

Until recently you could buy a train ticket (regular DB ticket machine) without signature or pin. Stick in your credit card, out comes your ticket. They have finally caught onto credit card fraud (in the year of 2017:o) and are requiring a pin. We are also introducing a system of contactless payment (for purchases up to 25 Euros) where you just hold your credit card to the side of the terminal... no signature, no pin required. And you can now pay on your phone through a nation wide loyalty card program... We still like cash :D

Believe me, I understand how you feel. I could explain why 99.9% of US cards will require a signature and your terminal will flash signature required. But it's boring and frankly unnecessary.

Also these people who write "see id" on their cards instead of signing don't realize they have basically invalidated their cards. Besides, it's not lost or stolen cards that cause the problem but cloned cards. So what good does it do to write see id when that will not be the card presented!

Sometimes just pressing the green button if one does not have a pin does the trick. And also, and this is totally understandable, nobody checks signatures in the USA any longer nor asks for id. On small purchases here, they don't even bother to have you sign.

I guess it's different strokes for different folks, no pun intended!

Capital One has a pin for its chip cards

 

 

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They do but it's only used for cash advances. Never for purchases.

I am well aware of the dictionary meanings of kiosk, thank you. I asked what you meant in context because I thought it might be helpful. I guess you don't agree....

 

 

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I didn't think there was a difference in the use of the term; nor was I trying to be snappy about it. To me, any place where there is some sort of automated method of purchasing or acquiring cash, that's a kiosk. I guess as opposed to free standing. Sorry if you mis-interpreted my intention. I really wasn't trying to be obnoxious. My apologies.

It was not my intent to pick on you or to criticize you. If so, I apologize but here's the problem. There are next to no pin preferred credit cards being issued in the USA so that people who suggest make sure you have a pin may cause frustration to some. Almost every credit card being issued in the USA today is signature preferred. Many but by no means a majority have pin capabilities but almost none of the cards being issued by the big credit card banks such as Chase, Citi, Capital One, Bank of America. But is it a good idea to search out, just as a back up if need be, a card with pin capabilities. Absolutely. Also, sometimes at a terminal a pin will be requested and just pressing the enter button will complete the transaction. Not always but sometimes. Just how prevalent it is to not be able to use pinless cards is not clear. But again, thank you for the heads up.

Just in case it's one of those 'divided by a common language' things, could you explain what is meant by kiosk in this context - to us in the UK it's a small shop or a telephone box!

 

OP - I wouldn't worry about setting up an online account for an Oyster if you are visiting. They are to help manage regular use of an Oyster card and enable auto-top up. You can top up at any station.

 

You can use a contactless debit or credit card instead of an Oyster - your daily journey costs are charged straight to your account, but beware of fees.

 

 

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ki·osk

ˈkēˌäsk/

noun

noun: kiosk; plural noun: kiosks

1. a small open-fronted hut or cubicle from which newspapers, refreshments, tickets, etc., are sold.
   synonyms:booth, stand, stall, concession, counter, newsstand; information booth
   "the kiosks along the boardwalk"
    
    
    
    
   
   • a small structure in a public area used for providing information or displaying advertisements, often incorporating an interactive display screen or screens.
      
      
     
   • British
     a telephone booth.
     noun: telephone kiosk; plural noun: telephone kiosks
      
      
     
   • archaic
      
      
     

I'm surprised you haven't yet received from your bank a credit card with a chip. You should immediately call the bank and ask for a replacement card with a chip. That will resolve that problem.

As far as debit cards. Some here are confused by what you mean. A debit card is an ATM card first and foremost used for withdrawing cash from ATM's but it is also useful on either the mastercard or visa network. Some people use debit cards with the mc or visa logo in lieu of credit cards for purchases. As far as the merchant is concerned, it's a credit card purchase. The only difference is instead of creating an indebtedness, when the transaction clears your bank, the money is immediately pulled out. Some people swear by them; others like me swear at them as the protections in the USA for debit card purchases are not as strong as credit card purchases especially if the account gets hacked. But no matter. Your debit card should work with the chip and function as a credit card. The OP was not referring to using a credit card for a cash advance which can have very high fees.

But don't be pessimistic. While there might be problems in using a US credit card lacking a chip, there aren't always. Try the card and if it doesn't work, you can fall back on the debit card idea.

The tfl machines (transport for London the guardian sort of of the Underground) will absolutely take US credit cards. Depending on your bank, it might not ask for the pin (which bank issued your card). Also, don't worry as the windows at Heathrow have people at all times to assist and while you might have to wait on a bit of a queue, it won't be for more than 5 or so minutes. These clerks will also assist you in making sure you are getting the best bang for the buck or actually best bang for the quid (the colloquial term for the pound). There is no worry there.

I do not find the visitor's oyster card particularly attractive. It is far too easy to buy your oyster card at the Heathrow Underground station either via the machines or the help of a clerk.

As far as testing your pin in the USA, you probably can't. You can try to make a purchase at a place like Wal Mart but unless the card was issued by one of three specific very very small credit unions, you will be asked for a signature everywhere in the USA. If you read one of the other threads here, you will understand that you will never be asked for your pin by a pos terminal where a clerk is present and almost surely not by any of the kiosks. But if they don't ask for pins, I have never had my card not work in the UK whether it be a machine or a kiosk type thing. So most importantly, don't worry.

The reason chip and pin were originally used in Europe was to cut the amount of fraud

When cards are lost or stolen. It is also quicker to enter a pin than find a pen to sign a printed slip.

 

As for Americans having more cards, I really don't know if they do or don't. We have three different cards which charge no foreign transaction fees which we only use for holidays. We also have debit and credit cards we only use in the UK.

 

Many places are now becoming cashless societies with more people making contactless transactions. This is definitely the case in the UK and other Northern European countries.

Actually, chip and pin was not developed because of fraud. The communications systems in many parts of the world were not as well developed as they were in the USA back in the early 1980's. USA authorizations were able to go online without much expense because of that. Chip and pin was initially a response to the lack of ability to do real time on line authorizations and it took a while for the current chip, the emv chip, to become the standard as different places experimented with different ways of authorizing credit card payments. By the turn of this century, the emv chip had become sort of the standard and did allow authorizations to be done both on and off line. The USA did find its system with magnetic strips to be sufficient for a long while. Credit card fraud began to spike just past the turn of this century and with many places going chip and pin, credit card hackers found it easier to hack the magnetic strips than the chips. Hence as it developed, there was somewhat less fraud with chip and pin card than magnetic strips. Finally, the USA banks were forced, much against their wills because of the costs involved, to give in. It was also becoming somewhat more problematic to use USA cards lacking chips outside the USA although it never really reached a crisis stage. Just an inconvenience stage.

It is the same chip and it is the chip that provides the added security. Pins only come into play if your physical card is lost or stolen. Of course, none of this does any good with online fraud which has spiked dramatically since the introduction of the emv chips. Retinal scans anybody?

I have been in shops where a US customer has been served by a young shop assistant who is not sure how to deal with a US issued CC and has to get somebody to help.

 

What I really don't understand is why US banks don't automatically issue chip and pin cards when sending a new card. I find not having chip and pin very backward , plus it stopped a lot of card fraud in Europe.

Backwards? I might quibble with that. Chip and signature cards are every bit as secure as chip and pin cards with the exception if the physical card itself is actually lost or stolen. US banks claim such fraud is minuscule and simply not worth the hassle of converting the entire payments systems to accommodate pins.

Do remember Americans tend to carry more cards than others as many of us search the best rewards possible and best combination of features to our best advantage. I have several different cards and while I'm pretty good at memorizing 4 digit numbers, matching the right pin to the right card might take a lot more concentration. So should I make all the pins the same? Then we have to start setting up systems for changing pins, an added cost to issuers. While it's certainly not impossible to do, it is a greater pain for me than to simply take out the card and wait for the terminal to do its thing, sign the signature slip and be on my way.

Are pins more secure? As I just said only if the actual physical card is lost or stolen. Personally, I find the way things are done now in the USA to be more convenient than worrying about pins. In the USA, at most places with the full blessings of matercard and visa, they don't bother with signatures for amounts under $50. Cashiers rarely check signatures anyway and would not say anything even if they are clearly forgeries. It ain't their job. I get peeved sometimes when I'm in London and use my chip and signature card at a self check out (a new concept in Europe in some places) and when finishing the transaction say for £2 or something like that, the message comes up "seek assistance" and I have go wait till some clerk gets off his or her rear end, enters a code, produces a signature slip which he or she might check, not that he or she would do anything about it, to complete the transaction. What a waste for £2. Blame my bank for not issuing a pin? Or blame the stupidity of the system collecting signatures on such small amounts.

Again, for uniformity's sake, I wish the US banks had adopted chip and pin. But the system that has been put in place should work everywhere and almost does. And bear in mind, in the USA as in most other places, there is no liability on the part of the customer for fraud. Inconvenient if my card gets hacked. To a small degree, yes. But this is not identity theft and is not worth laying awake at night worrying about it.

The bottom line is it is what it is. For those from the USA, chip and signature cards work fine the overwhelming majority of times even in places off the beaten trail. Sometimes just pressing the green button when a terminal asks for a pin with do the trick when it seems the card is being rejected. It just isn't worth worrying about.

Many people start or end cruises in the UK, and they start at Harwich, Southampton ,Dover or other UK ports which are off the main tourist trail. Then again many spend time before and after in the UK.

Lots of threads talk of trips out to Stonehenge, Bath etc where these can be a problem. Especially if local country pubs are used, or local shops. I accept you won't have a problem at Harrods, or central London hotels.

Surely the issue is with US banks if the travelling classes, left them in enough numbers, and voted with their feet, they would have to follow other countries in bringing in chip/pin cards. They became accepted in the UK as this cut back on cc fraud .

I will grant every word you say but there's a small problem. There is nowhere to turn in the USA. The overwhelming majority of banks have simply rejected pin preferred cards. Where do you suggest people to turn?

I'm not here to argue or tell anybody they are wrong so forgive me. I have travelled extensively in the UK even to some non touristy places. I have never once had any difficulty using my signature preferred card anywhere. Maybe I'm just lucky. As I've said, I have changed my mind on this to a small degree. It is probably advantageous even if one's primary card makes no provision for pins to carry a card with pin capabilities just in case. But these cards will always defer to signature at a point of sales terminal. What do you suggest people do if indeed this is a problem? And btw as an aside, when the UK went to chip and pin in 2005, there were objections from some groups representing the handicapped that this might be an impediment to say visually handicapped people from using cards. A provision was made in the law that British banks must do something to prevent this from happening. The solution? Chip and signature. There are some British cards that are chip and signature; true not many but some.

One must simply bear in mind that the size of the USA card payment system is light years larger than elsewhere. Competition is heavy. Merchants have complained about how costly it would be to set up new terminals with provisions for pins especially say at restaurants. It's just something we Americans have to roll with. I still feel, in all due respect, the problem is far from overwhelming but do recognize if it happens to me, it stinks. There is no solution.

 

 

 

The cashier certainly does make a decision on this.

 

At the basic level that decision is "can I be bothered with this?"

 

I have seen on more than one occasion people trying to use a non pin card and it being a problem. At least one I have seen people walk out of the shop without their purchases.

 

Pin cards are so well established here that some people who work in shops will never have had anyone try to use a non pin card. Some people under about 30 are pretty well unaware that such cards exist.

 

However easy it may be for the systems to deal with it, the reaction from the shop staff if likely to be "hang on, I don't know how to do this, I'll need to get a supervisor".

 

Most people will be absolutely fine without a pin card. My point is that you are running a risk of it being an annoyance, especially if you move off of the tourist track. You may not believe it, but my experience of being in the queue behind such examples is enough evidence for me that it is a possibility, albeit not all that common.

 

If the same terminals can generally do the job now then that's an improvement, but I've certainly seem different equipment having to be used for signature cards fairly recently, so that doesn't seem to be universal.

 

Keith...I am not looking to start a verbal spat with you. Chip and signature cards are indistinguishable from chip and pin cards. They are inserted in the same terminal. The only difference comes in when the transaction is processed, you get a message to enter pin with chip and pin or get a message with signature required with a chip and signature. At that point the transaction has been processed and needs finishing off. Frankly it is a bigger problem for a merchant at this point to void the transaction if they don't want to do signatures and I doubt if merchants want to go through with that. Yes there was a time before USA cards had chips that merchants' terminals might not be able to process magnetic strip cards but that's in the past. Now if a merchant wishes to hassle somebody who has no control over whether his or her card requests a pin or a signature, that doesn't make any sense to me but if you want to insist there are places where this happens, I can't argue with you. Again, whatever difficulties one might have with chip and signature cards will almost surely be at kiosks not at pos terminals with human attendants. The final point is that unfortunately most USA banks do not issue pins for use with purchases. They will issue pins for their cards but in most cases they will not work for purchases; they are for cash advances in ATM's which are usually not a good idea.

 

The issue is far more complex, unfortunately, than to pin or signature. The USA banks for the most part are very obstinate that pins are not necessary for purchases.

You've used two labels: bank card and credit card. Each of these cards does different things and different rules apply to their use. The names should not be used interchangeably.

 

Bank cards typically refer to a card that allows someone to access his/her own funds. (The more common name is ATM card.) Yes, you'll need a bank card with PIN to use an ATM/cash point in Europe, but you need one in the US so that shouldn't be a surprise or a problem. (Debit cards are a different, hybrid, category. Since the OP didn't mention them, I won't either.)

 

Credit cards allow a person to pay a merchant/service provider on a delayed and indirect basis. The issuer of the credit card makes a direct payment to the merchant/service provider. The card holder pays the bank, typically on a regular basis for all goods and services purchased that month. (Using a credit card to get money is called a cash advance and is a very, very expensive way to get money while traveling. Definitely not recommended)

 

Based on what you've written, you asked Chase about your credit card, the person who answered was largely correct. Assuming they added the phrase, "as long as you are dealing with a human" their advice was good. There are lots of threads about this topic and most cruisers can vouch for the fact they did not need a PIN when dealing with a human.

 

The safe advice for dealing with untended ticket machines is that you will need a credit card with a PIN, but even that answer isn't actually 100% true. Since many Baltic cruises depart from Southampton, the fact that automated machines in Tube Stations in London dispense tickets without the use of a PIN is useful information. The automated ticket machine in the VASA museum did require a PIN, but as of 2015, all instructions were in Finnish so you might not want to use that even with a PIN.

 

 

Always excellent advice.

Really? Somehow I thought the Vasa museum was in Stockholm in Sweden and the national language of Sweden is Swedish.

If you move away from the main tourist areas you will quite quickly find that even when dealing with a person you will struggle without a pin.

 

They are so well established nowadays round here that places who don't regularly get visited by tourists (especially from the US) rarely, if ever, have to deal with a non pin card.

Some places won't have the facilities to accept such cards and, even if they do there is a chance that the person serving you won't actually know how to do it.[/quote

 

Oh please. It ain't brain surgery. The cashier makes no decisions on this. You insert your card and if it's from the USA, even if it has pin capabilities, the message will flash "signature required" and a signature slip will be printed. The cashier does nothing. I am sure anybody with an elementary school education can figure out he or she needs to find a writing utensil for you to sign the slip. I find it hard to imagine there will be a problem at a personneled pos terminal using a USA credit card which will almost surely be signature preferred in any case even if the bank issues pins for the card.

 

As far as kiosks and automated gas pumps are concerned, yes unfortunately there are still some merchants who are in violation of mastercaard/visa regulations which state all cards must be honored even if they lack pins. Nothing you can do as mastercard/visa do not nake all that much of an effort to enforce their own rules. Solution is to, even if not your primary card, to get a card from the small number of banks that issue credit cards with pin capabilities just in case but let's not make is seem this is an overwhelming problem. Inconvenient if it happens to you at a bad moment. Absolutely but there's little any of us can do about it.

Here is the problem one should be aware of. If you use say US dollars in London whether they be ATM's or money changes to draw out euro, first they convert the USD to GBP using their inflated poor rate and then they use their inflated poor rate to convert the GBP to EUR. In other words, you lose twice. Now if it's a small amount, you can argue the convenience is worth the loss but that's something for you to decide.

I will try to explain and help some people from outside the United States understand. Every card with a chip has a sequence of cvm (card verification methods) programmed into it in priority order, separate ones for purchases as opposed to cash. If A doesn't work then the card and terminal try B. If B doesn't work then they try C till they hit one that works and that's end of the game. Nothing the merchant or cardholders can do about it.

So my card may have as A signature. Since almost all pos terminals with a human can process signatures, it's game over. The message signature required flashes on the terminal, a slip is printed and one signs and is done. A card issued in the UK probably has as priority A pin so at the very same terminal, a UK cardholder will be asked for a pin. At kiosks, where signatures are not possible, it go es to B which might be online pin. Then C which is offline pin. Only if the bank issuing the card has set up their cvm's that way. D might be no cvm. Almost without exception every credit card issued in the USA has for cvm A signatures. That is why almost every American credit card will default to signatures. Many of the larger banks do not bother with pins and make B no cvm needed. MC/Visa rules require kiosks to honor these cards. Unfortunately a few in some places do not and that's where one might have a problem with a US credit card. It almost never happens in Britain though.

Here we go again. US credit cards lacking pins will work 99% of the time in the UK. Period. As far as difficulties some student might have processing the card, the terminal flashes in bold letters "SIGNATURE REQUIRED". A signature slip will print, the hassle might be finding a pen, you will sign the receipt and be on your way. Period.

US credit cards lacking pins work 100% of the time in the tfl machines in the Underground. They work 100% of the time on mainline rail terminals. When somebody outside the USA suggests getting a pin, please be informed the overwhelming majority of US banks issue credit cards that do not provide for the use of pins. It's not so easy to say get a card with a pin. Every card in the USA almost without exception is what the industry calls a signature preferred card. At a pos terminal, you will almost always be prompted for a signature. Now some do have pin capabilities and for peace of mind, you might prefer to get a card which is signature preferred with pin capabilities but most of the larger credit card banks do not issue such cards. It simply is the way it is. There should be no problems in the UK, at least, as most unpersonneled kiosks there do accept what they industry calls no cvm (credit verification method) cards. I have been travelling to the UK a couple of times a year for the past 20 years. My primary credit card is a signature preferred cards without pin capabilities and have never once been asked for a pin. Relax and don't worry about the naysayers who don't know what they're talking about.

On the ship, you can use any currency you want to tip individuals who are I am sure used to geting US dollars or euro or sterling. They'll deal with it. Your account on the ship will be in US dollars and you will settle that it is best with credit cards left at the start of the cruise and automatically charged for the incidentals and bar tabs and whatever. The joke they use at the orientation meetings the day before debarkation is they automatically charge your credit card; it's almost like cruising for free. I suggest you settle on the ship with your credit card, have them write the charge up in US currency and your bank will give you the best rate possible.

Now as for the ports. You'll be visiting Copenhagen and Stockholm. Both are well on the way to going cashless as far as practical. They will take cards most anywhere for everything. So it is not necessary to procure their currencies. As a matter of fact, where there might be remnants of the days when there was cash, the attendants will give you coins for things like lockers if necessary. Again make sure they write up the charges in local currency and your bank will do the conversion.

You're probably also visiting Estonia and Finland. Both use the euro, and it's possible you might need euro in those places although again cards will be taken for most everything. You might wish to pick up a few euro from ATM's upon arrival.

Alla tours no longer takes any currency other than Rubles. Your tour is probably quoted in US currency. What they will do when it comes time to settle is figure out the equivalent based on that day's exchange rate between US and Russian currencies, charge your credit cards in Russian currency and your card will be converted to sterling in the usual manner.

In other words, quite frankly, you need not worry too much about currency fluctuations and the like and use your cards for most everything.

My husband's credit card was hacked in Copenhagen last September and the cc company cancelled it. Fortunately, with chips, my card, (as it has a different number, even though it's the same account) remained viable.We could continue to use mine throughout the remainder of our trip abroad. PS...we always notify the cc company before travel anywhere, including other states in the USA as well as foreign countries.

How do you know it was in Copenhagen. The information could have been stolen weeks before or even yes in Copenhagen. So? You notify your bank or your bank notified you. The fraudulent charges are removed from the account. It simply drives home the point you should never travel with just one card. If your card has a chip and if it was used properly in a chip reader, that was not where the information was stolen. But what difference does it make in the end? You have zero liability for fraud and the incident will have no lasting effect on you or your financial life.

When is your Med cruise. We are going on 3rd June so could post the Compass after that for you.

I'm on that cruise too. Indy just finished her TA to begin positioning herself for the summer sailings out of Southampton and somebody was writing a wonderful report of that TA which was preceded by a Caribbean fling. Unfortunately their reports that have been posted, which were outstanding and also included downloads of menus could not be finished as the internet on the TA was not working well I hope they finish as they are probably home now and the report was so good.

Just switched to the BofA AAA Rewards CC. No FT fees.

 

 

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Be careful with this one. Bank of America offers a travel rewards card which has no annual fee and no ftf.

Their cash rewards card, however, while it has no annual fee has the obnoxious almost criminal 3% ftf.

What is it they say, things happen. It's not just flying. Last year, I decided to take a cruise out of Barcelona and to be frank about it, I hate Barcelona and feel uncomfortable. But on previous cruises, I had flown into Europe somewhere other than Barcelona, taken an economy flight to Barcelona the day before and stayed by the airport and took a cab to the port. Fine. Worked well.

Then last year I decided I wanted to take a couple of days in Paris and originally was going to do the same thing. But then I saw blurbs about the wonderful train from Paris to Barcelona and relying on the fact that the trains were almost always on time itw ould work on a 7 AM train arriving in Barcelona around 1 PM, plenty of time to cab to the port. Foolproof. Right? Well little did I know watching CNN the night before in my hotel room that there workers on the French National Railroad were calling a strike for the next day and spent the next couple of hours (thank goodness for wifi and smartphones) discovering my train in the morning had been cancelled, finding a relatively affordable flight to Barcelona in the mid morning (thank goodness there were seats) booking it and hoping the RER depite the strike would get me to CDG. Bottom line it worked but it was a big big hassle.

Now this year, I'm cruising out of Southampton but still not going down there the day before but rather staying in a hotel in London and taking National Express to morning of the cruise. My rationale is what could go wrong? If there's a problem with National Express, there's always the train, right?

While I don't like to quibble with anybody's tastes and things like that, let me just say that every cruise ship I've ever been on, the tap water is perfectly fine and just as good as what you pay extra for (spring water, evian or whatever). I myself end up with a couple of extra empty bottles of water at some places and before going out on an excursion, fill them up with water right out of the tap left in the fridge overnight. What I don't understand are the number of people who do the same thing but insist on filling their bottles only at the buffet fountains. (You can also I suppose fill your water bottles with the orange or apple juice served at breakfast for free). But let me repeat, I'm not going to have a philosophical argument with anybody about the purity of the water on the various cruise ships. Just my experience.

I really don't understand all the fuss, over the new policy. I never intended to bring a stack of new US bills to pay for my tour with Alla. When I booked with them, I read everything, including all the fine print. I swear I read that our CC would be charged in rubles. Yes, they advertised a USD amount but it always said, we would be charged in rubles. I have not heard of any CCs being compromised because I hope that their terminals are guarded & protected against hacking.

Just my humble opinion.

Hi. I don't know where you're from and how familiar you are with how cc's are handled say in European and Canadian restaurants. They use the portable on-line terminals which is in your sight the whole time. You never lose sight of your credit card the way you might do at an American restaurant where in most places above Denny's or a fast food restaurant take your credit card to a back room for processing or at some of our self service gas stations where scanners can easily be planted. You need not lose one moment's sleep worrying if your card will be compromised by them or any of the other Russian tour companies which operate the same way. They use the rate that day of the Russian National Bank so there shouldn't be a problem.