Notify your bank about your cruise!

[artist47]

Hi all..I mentioned this in another thread, but I am also posting it here because I think it's important.

 

Yesterday, I called my bank to notify them of my travel plans, like I always do. The rep said a couple things that stood out to me and I think they are worth considering:

 

1. This is more important than ever, because with all the security breaches in stores lately (Target, Michaels, etc.) my bank has been declining transactions right and left. Especially if they are in foreign ports. She wanted to know exact dates, and even the names of towns I will likely stop to get gas in, as I'm driving to the port...she wanted the names of any hotels, restaurants... I mean, this was the most thorough notification I have EVER done!

 

2. With MY bank, she said it can take up to 3 days for the notations to get to the fraud department -- if you don't notify them soon enough, they may not know and might cancel your card, freeze your account, especially if they can't get ahold of you, which they probably can't if you're floating down the Amazon...or ziplining in Maz...lol.

 

3. She stated that : cloning of cards is even more of a problem than in the past --- she sent me an email confirming our conversation, but it also had something that stood out: Cloning of cards is now a HUGE problem. Try not to use your cards too much in port...try to use cash wherever possible and try never to use ATM's.

'AMEX travellers checks are also still available and are excellent subs for cash.

 

it's a hassle, I know, but personally, I would hate to find myself broke and unable to get home, if someone cloned my card. UGH....

 

I asked her when American banks were going to start using the chipped cards in Europe and she was very much in agreement that these are far better...but she also said it could realistically take another few years for the US to catch up .... :mad:

 

Anyway, happy cruising to all....Just wanted to share what my bank advised me, for the benefit of all.

Edited March 2, 2014 by artist47

[Clem Kadiddlehopper]

Very good advice. On our first cruise (2011) we had our card shut down by the bank mid-cruise. A quick call to the 800 number on the back of the card (at no change, thanks NCL) got it straight but now we always notify the bank ahead of time. We wiat until one week before our departure date to call in.

[sdmike]

Great information for the traveling public. Card cloning at ATM's is a serious issue in Europe. They attach a device over the card feeder that reads the cards as it feeds it into the machine. Chipped cards will certainly help protect against this problem, but better safe than sorry in the meantime

[artist47]

Great information for the traveling public. Card cloning at ATM's is a serious issue in Europe. They attach a device over the card feeder that reads the cards as it feeds it into the machine. Chipped cards will certainly help protect against this problem, but better safe than sorry in the meantime

 

Did you write the email that I got??? LOL

 

That's exactly what was included, in BOLD HUGE LETTERS, in the email I received from my bank.

[xriva]

Excellent advice. Also, some banks must do some pattern matching, because we had one cruise where my wife's debit card was refused to pay our final tab, but mine worked, and they were tied to the same account. (I travel more than she does.) Make sure you contact all the banks where you have cards, even if you know there's one you won't use. That will be the one you need!

 

However, if you don't need it, leave it at home. I strip my wallet down to the minimums before we leave. Then, you have less to lose if your wallet or purse is lost or stolen.

 

We've found for most excursions, we need a single credit card, minimal cash (depending on the excursion), (maybe) our passports and our card keys. Everything else is in our room safe. I take my wallet out of my pocket when we board and it goes in the safe. I may not see it again until we're disembarking. (That's how I know I'm on vacation.)

 

Kevin

[artist47]

Excellent advice. Also, some banks must do some pattern matching, because we had one cruise where my wife's debit card was refused to pay our final tab, but mine worked, and they were tied to the same account. (I travel more than she does.) Make sure you contact all the banks where you have cards, even if you know there's one you won't use. That will be the one you need!

 

However, if you don't need it, leave it at home. I strip my wallet down to the minimums before we leave. Then, you have less to lose if your wallet or purse is lost or stolen.

 

We've found for most excursions, we need a single credit card, minimal cash (depending on the excursion), (maybe) our passports and our card keys. Everything else is in our room safe. I take my wallet out of my pocket when we board and it goes in the safe. I may not see it again until we're disembarking. (That's how I know I'm on vacation.)

 

Kevin

 

Excellent addition to this thread. Very good advice! Thank you!

[bobg529]

Hi all..I mentioned this in another thread, but I am also posting it here because I think it's important.

 

Yesterday, I called my bank to notify them of my travel plans, like I always do. The rep said a couple things that stood out to me and I think they are worth considering:

 

1. This is more important than ever, because with all the security breaches in stores lately (Target, Michaels, etc.) my bank has been declining transactions right and left. Especially if they are in foreign ports. She wanted to know exact dates, and even the names of towns I will likely stop to get gas in, as I'm driving to the port...she wanted the names of any hotels, restaurants... I mean, this was the most thorough notification I have EVER done!

 

2. With MY bank, she said it can take up to 3 days for the notations to get to the fraud department -- if you don't notify them soon enough, they may not know and might cancel your card, freeze your account, especially if they can't get ahold of you, which they probably can't if you're floating down the Amazon...or ziplining in Maz...lol.

 

3. She stated that : cloning of cards is even more of a problem than in the past --- she sent me an email confirming our conversation, but it also had something that stood out: Cloning of cards is now a HUGE problem. Try not to use your cards too much in port...try to use cash wherever possible and try never to use ATM's.

'AMEX travellers checks are also still available and are excellent subs for cash.

 

it's a hassle, I know, but personally, I would hate to find myself broke and unable to get home, if someone cloned my card. UGH....

 

I asked her when American banks were going to start using the chipped cards in Europe and she was very much in agreement that these are far better...but she also said it could realistically take another few years for the US to catch up .... :mad:

 

Anyway, happy cruising to all....Just wanted to share what my bank advised me, for the benefit of all.

 

 

Thanks Artist 47 for this great and informative post! Another tip for travelers: buy an extra small zippered wallet to carry on your trips. Carry in it 1 ID ( I like to carry my US Passport card) 1 credit card, your room card, and the cash you'll need for the day) leave your regular wallet in the safe in your room or cabin. This way you will not lose everything if you are robbed or lose the wallet you are carrying. You can also use one of those travelers money belts that are sold on Amazon that can be worn around your neck or around your waist. Don't carry your passport in US ports or ports that would accept the passport card. Leave that locked up as well unless you're in a place that you HAVE to carry it! Lastly, NEVER carry your social security card or number. Memorize it instead. Thieves go to great lengths to get that information so don't make it easy for them!

[artist47]

Thanks Artist 47 for this great and informative post! Another tip for travelers: buy an extra small zippered wallet to carry on your trips. Carry in it 1 ID ( I like to carry my US Passport card) 1 credit card, your room card, and the cash you'll need for the day) leave your regular wallet in the safe in your room or cabin. This way you will not lose everything if you are robbed or lose the wallet you are carrying. You can also use one of those travelers money belts that are sold on Amazon that can be worn around your neck or around your waist. Don't carry your passport in US ports or ports that would accept the passport card. Leave that locked up as well unless you're in a place that you HAVE to carry it! Lastly, NEVER carry your social security card or number. Memorize it instead. Thieves go to great lengths to get that information so don't make it easy for them!

 

YW - :) I wish there was a clapping smilie because this is MORE GREAT ADVICE!

 

Keep the tips coming....those who have never cruised before will benefit from all of you and your experiences!

[artist47]

Very good advice. On our first cruise (2011) we had our card shut down by the bank mid-cruise. A quick call to the 800 number on the back of the card (at no change, thanks NCL) got it straight but now we always notify the bank ahead of time. We wiat until one week before our departure date to call in.

 

Thanks for sharing your experience...I'm sorry that happened to you...hopefully someone else will avoid it because of your advice.

[artist47]

Also, I learned this trick from my dad -- he is an amazing man who has had a fascinating life traveling all over the world (and taking us with him, when we were children) for the US government---

 

He calls this a "Robber Roll". Always carry this in unfamiliar cities, even here in the US --- he has lived to tell tales and I can personally testify that it works.

 

A "Robber Roll" is simple: You take 15 one dollar bills. Stack them. Place a $20 dollar bill on the bottom. Then roll it up so that only the 20 shows. Put a rubber band around it.

 

If you are "held up", or threatened, you offer it to the robber, and at the right minute, you throw it PAST them....all they see is a thick wad and think it is a huge amount of cash and are scrambling to turn around and pick it up...this gives you time to run for help.

 

It works. Hopefully, you will never need and will arrive back at your ship with your $35. ;)

Edited March 2, 2014 by artist47

[kcwingwalker]

We don't use bank cards when traveling for many reasons. But we do notify American Express when vacationing.

[artist47]

We don't use bank cards when traveling for many reasons. But we do notify American Express when vacationing.

 

Great advice also for those who prefer... :)

[perkydebrajean]

When I went into the port last time, I took a credit card that had a very low credit limit on it and left my other couple of cards locked in the safe in the cabin. I knew I wasn't planning on going shopping in port so knew I wouldn't need a large amount of credit. I also used a water proof wallet that hangs around your neck and I tucked it down in my bathing suit so it wasn't even noticeable.

 

I started notifying the banks of travel a few years ago when we were on vacation in Tucson and my bank debit card was declined at a gas station while filling up our rental car on the way to the airport. My initial fear was that someone had hacked into my bank account and wiped it out. When we flew to Vegas that afternoon I called the bank and they told me that they had put a hold on the card for possible fraud when they saw it was being used in a different state than where I lived. Ever since then I make sure to contact the bank and my credit card companies if I'm travelling.

[mking8288]

Make sure your mobile contact info is updated with your bank as they can call you and/or do SMS text alert (which is usually inexpensive, even while roaming in foreign ports, to receive any urgent notices, etc.)

 

We do call our bank a few days before leaving for the cruise, especially if we expect to be doing any "serious" shopping abroad in a foreign ports - banks are very cautious & doing their due diligence with tropical islands.

 

Once for a major purchase, our bank called back the known business & ask to speak to us, verified our identity & ask about the pending transaction, and approved it in a few minutes when satisfied it is ours - for mutal protections and we appreciate it. Merchants doing business in cruise ports are familiar with this & had us in a private area, offered us bottled water as refreshment while waiting for the processing.

[amc155]

Great thread. I haven't called in the past when traveling, because so far I've stuck to the US and didn't think it was really necessary. perkydebrajean's post has me making a note to call before I go to Hawaii. Thanks artist47 for starting it.

 

My mom and I usually use one CC when we travel to keep things easy (I am blessed to have a mom that loves to travel and we get along really well lol). I make sure she has one also though in case something were to happen to mine. A big fear is being somewhere with only one method of payment and something happening to it.

Edited March 2, 2014 by amc155

[GeezerCouple]

We've always notified charge card companies of "when and where" we'll be traveling, so they are less likely to shut down the card due to unexpected location charges.

(Decades ago, while living overseas with young children, I had to buy the children complete new wardrobes, as they had outgrown everything we had arrived with - no surprise. Suddenly the store manager was demanding passports and had all sorts of questions. It took me a while to realize that the REAL questions were coming from Amex, so I asked to be connected to them, and I was. No longer alarmed, I asked them to make note of where we'd be, etc., and there was no more difficuly. Needless to say, this was long before the current epidemic of assorted fraud. But it taught me a handy lesson.)

 

Now, I also let them know in advance if I think I might purchase something expensive or unusual, perhaps due to the local artwork or whatever.

Again, that type of purchase would be out of the ordinary even if here at home.

 

GeezerCouple

[MRBOOKEND]

Good advice.

 

I got a chipped card from one of my cc accounts just for use abroad. Also had shielded sleeve to prevent from being "read" while in your secure wallet. The card also has the magnetic strip so can also use in US.

[phoenix1181]

One more thing.............. Notifying your card issuer is important but it doesn't guarantee that your card won't be frozen. Things like numerous transactions in a very short period of time, or using your card in a store & then using it in the same store a few hours later may result in the card being shut down. Knowing where you are is great but your bank can never be sure who's using the card so make sure you have a back-up.

 

I'm telling you this from both sides of the fence. It happened to me & for quite a few years I worked credit card fraud....

[sparks1093]

Excellent tips and easy to do. If you do take your passport ashore with you then carry it separate from your other valuables, i.e. don't carry it in your camera bag or purse that a thief will target.

[negn]

The day before we left for a land based vacation in Aruba,got a call from my CC questioning some charges. There was airfare from Ireland which they paid and numerous charges they denied in Cal, London and Paris. Card was never out of my possession. Needless to say they cancelled card and were sending a new one. All I could think of was what if I needed that for my vacation ?!

[newmexicoNita]

I think it is more important to let your credit card company or companies know than your bank, unless you are planning on using your debit card for most of your purchases. For us, we bank at a very small bank, they always know when we are going on vacation, but still it is a good idea to make them aware of it.

[youngestof9]

It's funny someone up above said they strip down their wallet. I'm so glad I *didn't* do that last February when we sailed Epic. I got to the hotel the night before and went to check in and my card was declined. I called CapOne who said someone got a hold of the number and they'd send a new card. Didn't help as I was boarding the next day. If I didn't have my other credit card, I'd have been screwed. So even though I agree with not putting everything you own into one wallet, I would never ever travel without 2 different credit cards.

 

I always let the bank know and in fact told CapOne I was traveling. The lady I called said she saw that on the account and was so sweet but they couldn't get a card to me in time.

 

I wish people who did these things put their energies into something more important - like curing diabetes or ending hunger!

[sjbdtz]

This is a good idea for anybody who is about to do something uncharacteristic with their bank / credit cards.

 

If you normally use your card for gasoline & groceries, but one day decide to shop around and buy a new TV, couch & home theater at different stores, expect to have a verification event with the card issuer.

 

Conversely, if you travel regularly - out of state / out-of-country travel is within your profile, you don't have to necessarily go through these steps.

 

In a past life, I sold data mining tools to large Telcos in their fraud department to help them develop algorithms against which they would score each incoming charge. If your score was too high, you were flagged.

 

 

 

Again, good advice in any context where your spending patterns deviate from YOUR norm.

 

 

.

[che5904]

Great thread and good advice. Like someone else said, it won't guarantee you that your cards still won't be frozen.

 

When I went on my last cruise, my CC company wanted to know exactly where I would be using it. Excuse me? But that would be impossible for me to know, I can tell them where I might use it, or can tell you what cities I may use it in. They wanted to know how much I would be putting on it while onboard (since that would be one large purchase). Again, how would I know that, I told them "well I guess that depends on how much of a good time I have". She said "well just call us if you are going to be over xxx dollars". I said "I'm in the middle of the ocean, how would you presume I do that".

 

Seriously travelling with credit cards, debit cards or even cash is getting harder and harder. If you cross the border with more than a few hundred dollars in cash, border security will question you more to see where it all came from.

 

A sort of funny story on my Canada/New England cruise. It was somewhat booked last minute and I had forgotten to let my CC company know. I drove from Canada to Boston, but didn't use it until I had gotten to Boston the morning before my cruise for our hotel stay. So my CC had a hit from Boston. Less than 2 hours later they had a hit from Florida, since the cruiseline's transactions come from Florida. I guess my credit card company figured since it would be impossible to even fly that distance in such a short time, they froze my card. Luckily Carnival's front desk let me use his phone at no charge from the ship to release the funds a couple of days into the cruise when I discovered this.

[che5904]

This is a good idea for anybody who is about to do something uncharacteristic with their bank / credit cards.

 

If you normally use your card for gasoline & groceries, but one day decide to shop around and buy a new TV, couch & home theater at different stores, expect to have a verification event with the card issuer.

 

Conversely, if you travel regularly - out of state / out-of-country travel is within your profile, you don't have to necessarily go through these steps.

 

In a past life, I sold data mining tools to large Telcos in their fraud department to help them develop algorithms against which they would score each incoming charge. If your score was too high, you were flagged.

Again, good advice in any context where your spending patterns deviate from YOUR norm.

 

.

 

A short time ago DH's card was frozen. When I contacted the CC to find out why. One place he had used it for gas had been suspect of fraud and therefore the new rules in Canada state if there is suspect of fraud, every card that has been used in that place of business around that time is to be flagged as possibly stolen and all transactions have to be verified before they will release it.

 

They made me go through each transaction after that date to make sure they were his. I said but all of the transactions they had on hold until verified were his normal monthly expenses, as a matter of fact one of the ones on hold was to the RCMP (we both had a good laugh on that one). They said their computer doesn't see patterns and because of the new rules this may be happening more frequently.