Oceania is Irish? WATCH OUT

We charged our cruise deposit on a Chase Visa card with no problem. The balance was charged to our USAirways Mastercard from Juniper Bank. Imagine our surprise when the bill came through with a "foreign transaction fee" of 2%.

The bank's response, when I called, was to tell me that Oceania bills from Ireland - and that Juniper is allowed to charge me the 2 percent. Their supervisor said essentially "Sorry but we can do and we will do it. It's in your contract."

I asked how I was expected to know that what I thought was a Florida company would bill from a foreign country. She told me that that wasn't the bank's problem. I guess it isn't.

So watch out where you charge your trip.

Our travel agent will contact Oceania and discuss it with them.

There are very long threads about this very point from last year.....I suggest you search here and read them.............denials everywhere from everybody.

Brian

this happened to me also. My travel agent called Oceania directly and they credited my cridit card account with the fee the Irish bank charged. mimzee

this happened to me also. My travel agent called Oceania directly and they credited my cridit card account with the fee the Irish bank charged. mimzee

Very old news indeed.

Citibank's MasterCharge card does not charge a "foreign transaction" fee for Oceania charges run through the Irish bank.

Very old news indeed.

 

Citibank's MasterCharge card does not charge a "foreign transaction" fee for Oceania charges run through the Irish bank.

Interesting. After being charged 3% for our Oceania Cruises by my Visa MBNA, I shopped around and got a Capital One Visa card, which doesn't charge a foreign transaction fee. I use it for our Oceania cruises and for other foreign venues that we visit. I recently obtained a CitiBank MasterCard AAdvantage card to build up my American Airlines "points". When I applied for this card, I asked if they had a foreign transaction fee, and was told "yes".

My TA was successful in obtaining a refund from Oceania, prior to my switching cards.

Mike

But an AAdvantage card issued by Citibank is different than a Platinum Mastercharge card issued by Citibank.

Branded cards often have different rules than standard cards.

Trial and error is but one way to find out. I asked Citibank if "foreign transaction fees" were applied if Oceania ran the charge through an Irish bank, was told no; and when I received my billing, for both an '85 Regatta cruise into the Baltic, and next month's Nautica cruise through the Suez, no "foreign transaction fee" was assessed.

Since I ran into the foreign transaction fee issue when I charged the deposit on my '08 Oceania South American cruise to my US Airways MasterCard, I've been checking other cards. I looked at the Citibank AAdvantage and Platinum Mastercards and found that they both have a foreign transaction fee. The terms and conditions for both cards use the same language to define the fee.

I think the different responses mikebrill and Michael got are due to the fact that they asked different questions. Mikebrill asked if the AAdvantage card had a foreign transaction fee. He was told there was such a fee. Michael, on the other hand, asked if foreign transaction fees were applied if Oceania ran the charge through an Irish bank. He was told no such fee would be applied. My guess is that mikebrill would have received the same answer as Michael if he had asked the same question.

Has anyone used a Costco American Express card to charge Oceania fares and other expenses? Their fee only appears to apply when foreign currency is converted into USD but I'd like to make sure before using the card. I have a year before my final payment is due so, hopefully, Oceania will come up with a way to avoid foreign transaction fees on its charges.

I have used my American Express COSTCO card and there has been no foreign transaction fee applied on the charge from Oceania. I have another Amex card that I have also used and likewise no foreign transaction fee was charged on the final payment to Oceania.

Thanks, jfb128. That's good news about the Costco AE card, especially since there is a 2% rebate for travel expenses charged on the card. 2% in my pocket is a lot better than a 3% fee to the bank. :D

My recent $1000 deposit through Amex shows no foreign transaction fee. Oceania is listed as a US company on my Amex on-line billing.

I agree with jfb128. I always charge all my travel on the Amex Costco card. The 2% rebate which we receive in Feb usually is enough to pay for the January cruise extras tab!!!

My recent $1000 deposit through Amex shows no foreign transaction fee. Oceania is listed as a US company on my Amex on-line billing.

Donna

I had the same experience for a deposit that I paid in April and the final charges for our August cruise this year. I appreciate the tips I receive on these boards, so I watched my AmEx statement, and our charges were applied by Oceania in the U.S. with no foreign transactions fees. Our on-board charges were also charged in the U.S. and not in Ireland. I wonder if the difference is in booking directly with Oceania? We booked through a travel agent.

 

Donna

It all depends on your credit card company. The fact is, Oceania uses an overseas firm to minimize its processing costs. Whether you're charged a "foreign transaction fee" depends on your credit card company, and sometimes on the specific card you carry.

If your credit card company imposed a surcharge, you have several options: 1) have the transaction made to a different credit card (the easiest, which we've done twice); 2) rant and rave to Oceania and hope they'll credit you for the fee (some passengers have reported success); 3) call your credit card company to complain (usually they'll firmly tell you it's in black-and-white on your agreement and there's nothing they can do about it If they're THAT uncooperative, cut up the card and send it back to them, because any other charges you'll make while on your cruise will also result in a 3% surcharge!).

...If they're THAT uncooperative, cut up the card and send it back to them, because any other charges you'll make while on your cruise will also result in a 3% surcharge!).

Excellent advice. After reading these tips in this forum, we prepared for our trip by getting a new card from AmEx (actually an AmEx Blue card licensed to MBNA, which in turn is owned by Bank of America, where most of our accounts are established). The written policies for this card specifically state that they do not charge the fee.

Second, I discovered that Debit cards (check cards) issued with the Visa name on them do not incur the foreign transaction fees. I much prefer check cards to credit cards, anyway. So, in addition to the Bank of America check card, I activated another one with a different bank in which we keep accounts. The only problem with check cards is they have a relatively low security limit on spending, usually $1,000 or so, regardless of how much money one has in the bank account. However, it only takes a phone call to the issuer to have the limit temporarily lifted for a large purchase such as paying the final bill for a cruise.

Check cards with the Visa logo are treated as credit cards by all merchants who do not specifically accept debit cards. The merchants are not aware, and do not care, that the money is transferred from one's bank account immediately instead of having to be paid at the end of a month.

My travel agent called to let me know that she had spoken to Oceania, and they were issuing a credit. Five days later when it didn't show up when I checked on line, I called my agent again. Here is her response:

"I called Oceania back and spoke with a supervisor (Mauricio x2242) who tried to explain the charge.

The 2% foreign country fee is a fee imposed by the credit card company – not by Oceania . Since an international bank is used to process the payments, some credit card companies impose this fee. When I asked if this happens with EVERYONE who uses a credit card, I was told it only happens to about 3% of passengers; it depends on which bank the credit card is issued through.

Since the charge of $99.52 was not “generated “ by Oceania, they can’t reverse it. (the person I talked to on Friday apparently didn’t know what he was talking about since he said it had been reversed!)

As a goodwill gesture, (!) Oceania has issued a shipboard credit in the amount of $99.52."

Needless to say, we'll be dropping our USAirways card issued by Juniper Bank.

The subject of a 3% Foreign Transaction charge on Oceania payments has been worked to death over these past years. Do a "Search" to bring up all the past discussions on this very same subject.

To recap:

1. The "Foreign Transaction" charge is levied by only ONE banking group - the CHASE/JP MORGAN group!

2. It is CHASE who (for reasons known only to them) decided that Oceania is a "FOREIGN" entity.

3. The 3% charge is levied and collected by CHASE, not Oceania. Why would anyone expect Oceania to refund to them an amount that Oceania never received in the first place?

The solution is so very simple - DO NOT USE A CHASE CARD!! Instead of making such a fuss - use any of the many other credit cards issued by anyone but CHASE!!

Perhaps Chase may come to the realization that their rules and regulations are in need of review and change.....

The subject of a 3% Foreign Transaction charge on Oceania payments has been worked to death over these past years. Do a "Search" to bring up all the past discussions on this very same subject.

To recap:

1. The "Foreign Transaction" charge is levied by only ONE banking group - the CHASE/JP MORGAN group!

2. It is CHASE who (for reasons known only to them) decided that Oceania is a "FOREIGN" entity.

3. The 3% charge is levied and collected by CHASE, not Oceania. Why would anyone expect Oceania to refund to them an amount that Oceania never received in the first place?

The solution is so very simple - DO NOT USE A CHASE CARD!! Instead of making such a fuss - use any of the many other credit cards issued by anyone but CHASE!!

Perhaps Chase may come to the realization that their rules and regulations are in need of review and change.....

Come on man, don't live up to your name at the bottm of your reply,:D just don't read the posts about the fees if it bothers you that much.

Since the charge of $99.52 was not “generated “ by Oceania, they can’t reverse it. (the person I talked to on Friday apparently didn’t know what he was talking about since he said it had been reversed!)

 

As a goodwill gesture, (!) Oceania has issued a shipboard credit in the amount of $99.52."

There was a post a while back from Mr Del Rio ...he said they would issue a credit for those people that had the charge applied.

Maybe if you try a search for the "transaction fee" topic you can find it.

It was a large topic.

Come on man, don't live up to your name at the bottm of your reply,:D just don't read the posts about the fees if it bothers you that much.

That was a bit rude! :eek:

That was a bit rude! :eek:

I realize it was rude;) BUT the post it concerned was also rude. Dick acts as if it was costing him money if someone starts a topic that had been covered a number of times. The poster was looking for information about forgeign transaction fees, not smart remarks by another poster. Here's advice for Dick in his own words. The solution is very simple, dont read post about FTFs, Instead of making such a fuss simply read any post other than those concerning FTFs.:p

The subject of a 3% Foreign Transaction charge on Oceania payments has been worked to death over these past years. Do a "Search" to bring up all the past discussions on this very same subject.

 

To recap:

1. The "Foreign Transaction" charge is levied by only ONE banking group - the CHASE/JP MORGAN group!

2. It is CHASE who (for reasons known only to them) decided that Oceania is a "FOREIGN" entity.

3. The 3% charge is levied and collected by CHASE, not Oceania. Why would anyone expect Oceania to refund to them an amount that Oceania never received in the first place?

 

The solution is so very simple - DO NOT USE A CHASE CARD!! Instead of making such a fuss - use any of the many other credit cards issued by anyone but CHASE!!

 

Perhaps Chase may come to the realization that their rules and regulations are in need of review and change.....

The safest thing to do is to check with your credit card issuer before using your card for Oceania charges.

The subject of a 3% Foreign Transaction charge on Oceania payments has been worked to death over these past years. Do a "Search" to bring up all the past discussions on this very same subject.

To recap:

1. The "Foreign Transaction" charge is levied by only ONE banking group - the CHASE/JP MORGAN group!

2. It is CHASE who (for reasons known only to them) decided that Oceania is a "FOREIGN" entity.

3. The 3% charge is levied and collected by CHASE, not Oceania. Why would anyone expect Oceania to refund to them an amount that Oceania never received in the first place?

The solution is so very simple - DO NOT USE A CHASE CARD!! Instead of making such a fuss - use any of the many other credit cards issued by anyone but CHASE!!

Perhaps Chase may come to the realization that their rules and regulations are in need of review and change.....

Donna

Conde Naste Magazine had a good report about the foreign transaction fees and the foreign bank fees. Basically, Capital One does not charge either - we used it to both purchase our Oceania cruise and to make purchases in foreign ports. Citibank will not charge fees for foreign banks, as long as the purchases are in US Dollars, so it can be used for the Oceania charges. Even though the bank is in Ireland, the charges are in US Dollars. However, you will pay foreign transaction fees if you use the card abroad, as no foreign country uses the US Dollar.

If you use MBNA, you will be hit with charges in both instances. Easy choice - get a Capital One card for these instances. Their frequent user program is not as good as the others, but I have not found any program that credits you more than using the other cards will cost you in fees.

Conde Naste Magazine had a good report about the foreign transaction fees and the foreign bank fees. Basically, Capital One does not charge either - we used it to both purchase our Oceania cruise and to make purchases in foreign ports. Citibank will not charge fees for foreign banks, as long as the purchases are in US Dollars, so it can be used for the Oceania charges. Even though the bank is in Ireland, the charges are in US Dollars. However, you will pay foreign transaction fees if you use the card abroad, as no foreign country uses the US Dollar.

If you use MBNA, you will be hit with charges in both instances. Easy choice - get a Capital One card for these instances. Their frequent user program is not as good as the others, but I have not found any program that credits you more than using the other cards will cost you in fees.

Donna