ATM's on cruise ships

[livingstone]

If I want to make a withdrawal from the ATM on Rhapsody of the seas what is the exchange rate like using a debit card linked to an Aussies bank account. Also does royal caribbean charge me a fee for my withdrawal.

[Drelix]

I cant really help you here though i am pretty sure when i went on the Pacific jewel it said that it was in England where it is registered but it was all in Australian no exchange rate.

 

But maybe when it comes here they change it to Australian I don't know but it would be interesting to find out

[Drelix]

Double post sorry...

[thinfool]

If I want to make a withdrawal from the ATM on Rhapsody of the seas what is the exchange rate like using a debit card linked to an Aussies bank account. Also does royal caribbean charge me a fee for my withdrawal.

 

You will pay the current exchange rate PLUS a rather hefty 'foreign' atm fee.

 

Is there a reason you want to use the ATM onboard rather than in a port that you visit? Onshore ATM's are usually a better deal. Lower fees and all.

[cazz0069]

If I want to make a withdrawal from the ATM on Rhapsody of the seas what is the exchange rate like using a debit card linked to an Aussies bank account. Also does royal caribbean charge me a fee for my withdrawal.

 

Good question Livingstone. Have we established if Rhapsody has ATMs? I hope so. We have bought Travel Mastercards and pre purchased our US dollars so in that case we are just taking out our money already converted. If you are taking out money from an account back home i would think it would just be converted to the days rate. :)

 

You havent got long to wait now....

[bobhsv]

You will pay the current exchange rate PLUS a rather hefty 'foreign' atm fee.

 

Is there a reason you want to use the ATM onboard rather than in a port that you visit? Onshore ATM's are usually a better deal. Lower fees and all.

 

 

Exactly what I was going to say. I too suggest you take $US with you, the exchange rate at the moment is good, and if the aussie dollar does go down and you have $US left over.....then you will make a profit with any left over. This happened to us when we were on the ROS. We bought cash at a mid 90 rate, then the aussie dollar crashed into the 40's during our cruise. We were lucky we could buy at such a high rate. So, taking cash is def the way to go.

Lastly I do remember that several fellow cruisers were complaining onboard about the high fees re the atm.

[livingstone]

You will pay the current exchange rate PLUS a rather hefty 'foreign' atm fee.

 

Is there a reason you want to use the ATM onboard rather than in a port that you visit? Onshore ATM's are usually a better deal. Lower fees and all.

 

 

On shore ATM's DESPENSE local currency, in my case it will be will be in NZ dollars during our NZ cruise. I want to get money in the currency of the boat, USD in this instance.

 

will the bank charge me the large fee or will be Royal Caribbean?

[Big Kev]

On shore ATM's DESPENSE local currency, in my case it will be will be in NZ dollars during our NZ cruise. I want to get money in the currency of the boat, USD in this instance.

 

will the bank charge me the large fee or will be Royal Caribbean?

 

 

Gidday again...

 

Since you are sailing in NZ, the only cash you will need is NZD, for when you are on shore and not using credit card to buy stuff.

 

The ship itself is cashless, and everything charged to your on-board account. (That has normally, for us been charged in USD, wherever in the world).

 

You can choose to pay that account with the credit card that you give details of when you embark, or you can leave a cash or debit card amount at embarkation. (If Debit card, you have to go to desk to re-plenish as you use it up)

 

If initially using credit card to guarantee payment, you elect the method of paymentof the seapass. You can elect to have RCI to do the conversion, or you can have YOUR BANK do it... Your Banks days rate and conversion fee when processed after last day .

 

The word is to NOT select RCI conversion, Choose YOUR bank to do the conversion. You are only then paying the normal credit card and overseas rates of your credit card. (Thats 3% for us)

Warning Tho, make sure that check-in person actually selects that option on the computer screen

 

Hope that helps

 

 

2 weeks to go !! WOOOHooo

 

Sue and Phil

[The_Big_M]

The ship itself is cashless, and everything charged to your on-board account. (That has normally, for us been charged in USD, wherever in the world).

 

The exception is the casino. If you want to gamble, you will need dollars (US) to do so.

[cazz0069]

Gidday again...

 

Since you are sailing in NZ, the only cash you will need is NZD, for when you are on shore and not using credit card to buy stuff.

 

The ship itself is cashless, and everything charged to your on-board account. (That has normally, for us been charged in USD, wherever in the world).

 

You can choose to pay that account with the credit card that you give details of when you embark, or you can leave a cash or debit card amount at embarkation. (If Debit card, you have to go to desk to re-plenish as you use it up)

 

If initially using credit card to guarantee payment, you elect the method of paymentof the seapass. You can elect to have RCI to do the conversion, or you can have YOUR BANK do it... Your Banks days rate and conversion fee when processed after last day .

 

The word is to NOT select RCI conversion, Choose YOUR bank to do the conversion. You are only then paying the normal credit card and overseas rates of your credit card. (Thats 3% for us)

 

Warning Tho, make sure that check-in person actually selects that option on the computer screen

 

Hope that helps

 

 

2 weeks to go !! WOOOHooo

 

Sue and Phil

 

Thanks guys...Thats awesome information, for some reason i had forgotten that you didnt have to pick the RCL conversion rate...Would there be any reason that someone would pick that option i wonder?

 

Thanks again! :)

[Big Kev]

Thanks guys...Thats awesome information, for some reason i had forgotten that you didnt have to pick the RCL conversion rate...Would there be any reason that someone would pick that option i wonder?

 

Thanks again! :)

 

 

The biggest problem actually occurs when you elect to be billed by RCI in the currency of your credit card issuer (AUD in this case)..

 

What happens then is that you are hit with a double whammy!!

 

Even though the amount has been converted, you will find that your CC will still have an overseas transaction charge.. That is because the transaction is NOT processed in Australia..

 

P

[cazz0069]

The biggest problem actually occurs when you elect to be billed by RCI in the currency of your credit card issuer (AUD in this case)..

 

What happens then is that you are hit with a double whammy!!

 

Even though the amount has been converted, you will find that your CC will still have an overseas transaction charge.. That is because the transaction is NOT processed in Australia..

 

P

 

So Phil can you elect that it be converted into American? We have already purchased a fair bit of US currency anyway so maybe we will cash it in on day of travel and just put that on our ship board account :rolleyes: :)

[Big Kev]

So Phil can you elect that it be converted into American? We have already purchased a fair bit of US currency anyway so maybe we will cash it in on day of travel and just put that on our ship board account :rolleyes: :)

 

Precisely... You have two options when you print out your seapass docs. Complete form that you want to be billed in USD and want your bank/card provider to do the conversion. Give it to check-in person when you board, but double check that it is entered into the computer as that option. . They do make errors at this point, and it causes problems later, and you may not know until you get home..

 

Even if you have guaranteed your account by using credit card, you can always pay it off in cash with purser at any time. May as well do that with the cash currency you have already paid conversion fees on:D.

 

P

[cazz0069]

Precisely... You have two options when you print out your seapass docs. Complete form that you want to be billed in USD and want your bank/card provider to do the conversion. Give it to check-in person when you board, but double check that it is entered into the computer as that option. . They do make errors at this point, and it causes problems later, and you may not know until you get home..

 

Even if you have guaranteed your account by using credit card, you can always pay it off in cash with purser at any time. May as well do that with the cash currency you have already paid conversion fees on:D.

 

P

 

Awesome thanks mate. Thats exactly what i needed confirmed. You have put the whole process from start to finish and cleared up all confusion...as your reward you may go book another cruise ;) :)

[livingstone]

Yeah that is well said, I have a pile of cash for the ship, more than I need in fact. so I will put the credit card, then pay in cash to settle the bill. So what happens on the evening before home port, do they open a cash bar from say 1000 pm

[The_Big_M]

So what happens on the evening before home port, do they open a cash bar from say 1000 pm

 

No, it still goes through the purser's office. If you had paid the night before, you would then need to visit the final morning to settle your account.