ATM On Board

[overinvester]

:confused:Funny thing, whent to my bank yesterday to get some travelers checks for our cruise next week because I do not like carrying a lot of cash on my person, and they tell me that they no longer have a need to sell these and do not carry them anymore. I checked with several banks and Credit Unions and was told the same thing.

 

So my question is this:

 

Do the ships have ATMS on board, or is it better to purchase credits to convert to cash on board? That is, if they will convert to cash?

 

Any comments would be appreciated.

 

Overinvester:confused:

[Randyk47]

I've never seen, or at least don't remember seeing, an ATM on a HAL ship. I think a number of years ago we needed cash for some reason and we went to the Front Desk and wrote them a check.

[RuthC]

There are no ATM's on HAL ships, and to my knowledge, the Front Desk does not cash personal checks, either.

Have you tried AAA for Travelers Cheques? They used to carry them; they have some sort of Smart Card equivalent now, and may still have the paper version.

I would be very disappointed if the day came when I couldn't get Travelers Cheques anymore.

[Krazy Kruizers]

No ATM's on HAL.

Travler's Checks -- I sure hope that our AAA is still selling them.

[sail7seas]

I have held onto some Travelers checks for years as 'emergency funds' for when we travel. Yes, I know AmEx loves they've held my money all these years but I'm starting to worry they would be useless to me for getting cash in an emergency. If they are disappearing from being sold in banks, they probably are becoming unrecognizable to merchants and they well could refuse to accept them.

 

I better think about cashing them out at a bank where I'm known. :(

[kazu]

Travellers cheques are stills sold at the banks in Canada and CAA offers them as well. I am pretty sure AAA should as CAA is a part of that. While there are no ATM's on Hal ships, there will be lots in various ports and at the airports:)

[whogo]

Some AAA branches offer travelers checks. Mine does not.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We had some that we had bought years ago -- cashed them in one our last cruise. They were really old.

So now have to get new ones -- good to know that the larger AAA's still have them.

[Putterdude]

Travelers checks are quickly becoming a thing of the past. However, I hate paying ATM fees and a few years ago on a cruise we did start to run low on cash. I am still able to purchase AMEX t/c at my bank on a commission free basis so we now make sure we have $500 to $1000 in them at all times, just as a reserve fund. Few places shore-side will cash them but they are always cashable at the PSD.

[taxmantoo]

We have used the Casino as our ATM when needing U.S. dollars for extra tips to waiters/stewards on the last day when going ashore was not a possibility. You just sign in at a slot machine with your sail card, deposit $$$ charged to your on board account, spin once (...even won once :D...bonus), and cash out. Take the ticket to the teller, and voila, $$$ in U.S. dollars.

[superoma]

We have had increasing problems cashing traveller's cheques both in the USA and Europe. we stopped using them in Europe about 20 years ago because they always charged a redemption fee at the banks and most merchants wouldn't take them. and in the USA we last used TC in 2006 - the only place that would cash them was Walmart and they would only take 50 or 100 denominations.

 

Now, if US gas stations and online retailers would take my Canadian based credit card, i would be OK and just use it all the time and carry very little cash. It works fine at bricks and mortar places, just not gas stations and many online retailers.

 

If anyone knows of a US based credit card that doesn't say it is only for US citizens or permanent residents, please let me know. So far, no luck.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have used the Casino as our ATM when needing U.S. dollars for extra tips to waiters/stewards on the last day when going ashore was not a possibility. You just sign in at a slot machine with your sail card, deposit $$$ charged to your on board account, spin once (...even won once :D...bonus), and cash out. Take the ticket to the teller, and voila, $$$ in U.S. dollars.

 

I like your idea.

I haven't played the slots in years since HAL switched over to the new system.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Travelers checks are quickly becoming a thing of the past. However, I hate paying ATM fees and a few years ago on a cruise we did start to run low on cash. I am still able to purchase AMEX t/c at my bank on a commission free basis so we now make sure we have $500 to $1000 in them at all times, just as a reserve fund. Few places shore-side will cash them but they are always cashable at the PSD.

 

We also like to keep so much in Traveler's checks as well for an emergency.

So far we have never had a problem cashing them at a hotel or on the ship.

[sapper1]

We have had increasing problems cashing traveller's cheques both in the USA and Europe. we stopped using them in Europe about 20 years ago because they always charged a redemption fee at the banks and most merchants wouldn't take them. and in the USA we last used TC in 2006 - the only place that would cash them was Walmart and they would only take 50 or 100 denominations.

 

Now, if US gas stations and online retailers would take my Canadian based credit card, i would be OK and just use it all the time and carry very little cash. It works fine at bricks and mortar places, just not gas stations and many online retailers.

 

If anyone knows of a US based credit card that doesn't say it is only for US citizens or permanent residents, please let me know. So far, no luck.

I am sure you can get a US funds MC or Visa from a Canadian bank, just as you can open a US funds account in a Canadian bank. I have a few friends who do that as they spend their winters down south.

 

That being said---I have never had a Canadian Visa or MC refused anywhere in the US. The gasoline company cards do not always work in the US but the major credit cards pose no problem. If the card does not work at the gas pump because you need to punch in a zip code, just ask at the counter and they have a generic code they give you for Canadians to punch in so the pump will work.

[Putterdude]

If anyone knows of a US based credit card that doesn't say it is only for US citizens or permanent residents, please let me know. So far, no luck.

 

Try Bank of America's Alaska Airlines card. It is or used to be available to Canadian residents, I have had one for years and it is all I use all winter in AZ and on cruises. It costs about $75 per year for your and your spouse but has some pretty good benefits.

[English_in_Spain]

Travellers cheques are virtually unheard of now in Europe.

 

We managed to buy some last year for our trip to USA at our Spanish bank but it was really difficult. They had to get advice from head office what to do.

 

We will need to rethink next April. ATMs are ok but what happens on Caribbean islands? Can we get $USD or just local currency?

 

We can get $USD before we sail in Ft Lauderdale but don't really want to carry cash.

 

 

[Himself]

I usually get American Express Travelers Cheques before I leave for vacation. I get them at my bank.

[geosand]

Try Bank of America's Alaska Airlines card. It is or used to be available to Canadian residents, I have had one for years and it is all I use all winter in AZ and on cruises. It costs about $75 per year for your and your spouse but has some pretty good benefits.

 

I also have this card ( in fact more than one) However if you have a Canadian address it will not be a bank of America card it will be a MBNA card. I would be interested to know if you were able to get the Bank of America one with a Canadian address.

[piscesgal223]

I would think that they had an ATM on a HAL ship that it would be emptied of money in only a few days!

[2ptu/000]

We went on a Celebrity cruise once. They had an ATM.

[CruiserBruce]

Before we pronounce traveler's checks dead, we need to remember many private tour venders only accept travelers checks or cash. As full day tours can run over 400 euros, that can result in carrying large amounts of cash. The solution is for the vendors to take credit cards, but for whatever reason we aren't there yet.

 

We had no problem getting travelers check for this purpose last summer.

[superoma]

I also have this card ( in fact more than one) However if you have a Canadian address it will not be a bank of America card it will be a MBNA card. I would be interested to know if you were able to get the Bank of America one with a Canadian address.

 

the address is not the only problem. I have a US address I can use but I am not a US citizen or permanent resident - a question that almost all applications ask.

 

Sapper1, I have a US dollar account and a US dollar credit card but it is issued on a Canadian bank. I really want one issued on a US bank so I can use it at online US sights and gas stations.

 

The search continues.

[mudscraper]

Travellers cheques are virtually unheard of now in Europe.

 

We managed to buy some last year for our trip to USA at our Spanish bank but it was really difficult. They had to get advice from head office what to do.

 

We will need to rethink next April. ATMs are ok but what happens on Caribbean islands? Can we get $USD or just local currency?

 

We can get $USD before we sail in Ft Lauderdale but don't really want to carry cash.

 

 

As mentioned in Post #10, we use the casino for obtaining cash or we use the pursers desk which will charge a three percent fee. This alleviates our need to travel to the ship with excessive cash on our persons.

[Modern_Viking]

the address is not the only problem. I have a US address I can use but I am not a US citizen or permanent resident - a question that almost all applications ask.

 

Sapper1, I have a US dollar account and a US dollar credit card but it is issued on a Canadian bank. I really want one issued on a US bank so I can use it at online US sights and gas stations.

 

The search continues.

 

I have heard that Capital One Bank will issue a credit card (a Master Card with a Delta Skymiles theme) to residents of Canada. I don't have such a card, so I don't know how easy or hard it would be to use in the USA. For citizens of the USA, Capital One is certainly a low fee option (they don't charge extra for making purchases outside of the USA while other banks do).

 

http://www.capitalone.ca/credit-card/mastercard/compare-credit-cards/

 

http://skymilesoffers.delta.com/intl_credit_card_partners.php#CANADA

[kazu]

the address is not the only problem. I have a US address I can use but I am not a US citizen or permanent resident - a question that almost all applications ask.

 

Sapper1, I have a US dollar account and a US dollar credit card but it is issued on a Canadian bank. I really want one issued on a US bank so I can use it at online US sights and gas stations.

 

The search continues.

 

Eva, I'm a little bit confused. Canadian too. I have no problem using my Canadian credit card on US sites, gas stations or anywhere. Readily accepted all over. am i missing the boat:confused: