atm / travelers checks

[78232]

I know travelers checks are much less popular now but I was wondering if the guest services desk will still cash them. Also is there an atm machine on the ship? We will be cruising to Mexico in the fall and I assume the merchants will accept US money..

Thanks

Marcia

[kevingastreich]

I have never seen an ATM on board

[bakcd]

I know travelers checks are much less popular now but I was wondering if the guest services desk will still cash them. Also is there an atm machine on the ship? We will be cruising to Mexico in the fall and I assume the merchants will accept US money..

Thanks

Marcia

 

Yes, guest services will cash traveler's checks. We are able to obtain them without cost to us and always carry them on a cruise. We never use them off the ship.

[CaveDiving]

I know travelers checks are much less popular now but I was wondering if the guest services desk will still cash them. Also is there an atm machine on the ship? We will be cruising to Mexico in the fall and I assume the merchants will accept US money..

Thanks

Marcia

 

Yes, the front desk will cash traveler's checks. And NO, there is no ATM on board. And Yes, most merchants in Mexico will accept US$.

 

Scott & Karen

[take us away]

Have always only used US$ in Mexico and never had any problems. You will need pesos if you take a public bus but cabs will take US$ if you ask before you get in.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We used up our Travelers Checks about a year ago on a HAL cruise. We can't even buy them anywhere around where we live. AAA stopped selling them about 10 years ago and our Bank stopped selling them 3 years ago.

No ATM's on HAL ships.

Never had a problem using US dollars in Mexico. We just make certain that we have lots of fives and ones so that we don't get back a ton of Mexican money. Also we use a low limit credit card for larger purchases.

[dakrewser]

You can use $$ in Mexico, but you'll pay more because of the exchange rate merchants use. Better to stop by an ATM in port and get some pesos for your smaller purchases.

[78232]

Thanks for all your info. I called our bank and AAA office. Both have stopped providing travelers checks to customers. I guess they have become almost extinct. We will have to re-think the cash and credit cards. On our last cruise we were going to make a purchase in an art gallery in San Juan and they didn't take American Express credit cards. After walking back to the ship to get our Visa card I decided I didn't feel like going back to the store. It save us some money but I still think about what I left behind.

[sppunk]

What is a travelers check?

[Boytjie]

What is a travelers check?

 

A piece of paper that you had to sign twice before they gave you money. :)

 

I believe the last time I used that was in 1986 when I came to the USA.

 

Edited July 21, 2016 by Boytjie

[sppunk]

Thanks - never seen that before (I'm 33).

 

ATMs exist for a reason ...

[Boytjie]

Thanks - never seen that before (I'm 33).

 

Argh... kids!

 

You bought travelers checks and signed each of them. Then when you wanted to cash one, you signed it again in front of whomever was cashing it. If you lost them or it was stolen, you could recover the money.

 

 

ATMs exist for a reason ...

 

When I came to the US in 1986 there were very few ATMs in New York City while back in South Africa I had an ATM card already for something like 10 years. And the first one was not issued in a big city.

Edited July 21, 2016 by Boytjie

[sail7seas]

I had a staCK OFavelers's checks left from years of travel chec ks we didn't used. I re ecenfftly brought thermthem gto my bank and afer gthey stopped laugbhingbb,

 

We Icthey were fine ab out cashing Am Ex checks.

 

We always use u.S. $$ in Mexico.

Edited July 21, 2016 by sail7seas

[kazu]

Argh... kids!

 

You bought travelers checks and signed each of them. Then when you wanted to cash one, you signed it again in front of whomever was cashing it. If you lost them or it was stolen, you could recover the money.

 

 

 

 

When I came to the US in 1986 there were very few ATMs in New York City while back in South Africa I had an ATM card already for something like 10 years. And the first one was not issued in a big city.

,

 

LOL at this post.

 

You're right on the ATM's too :). We had a LOT more ATM's (ABM's in the U.S.) here in Canada than there were in the U.S. Probably more in our little town and area than in some cities of our Southern neighbours ;)

 

We still can get Travellers Cheques here and I use them when we cruise. It saves taking a lot of $ and since I try to buy U.S. $ when the "price is right", I don't want to use ATM's for withdrawal of U.S. $ and be subject to the current exchange rate. No problem at all cashing them on boards.

 

For other cash needs that come up (ie. Euros) we use ABM's like you.

[Cruising-along]

I haven't seen or used a travelers check since the 60's-70's. Didn't know they're still around!

[serendipity1499]

We've never been on any ship which had an ATM & sailed on HAL, NCL & Oceania..

 

Our bank used to sell Traveler's checks but not sure if they still do.. Front desk always cashed them for us.. On our long cruise in 2013 I did purchase Traveler's checks at our bank.. Had to order them in advance..

 

On the last few shorter cruises we took cash & also used our Capitol One Credit cards, which do not charge a currency conversion fee.. If we run short of cash we use our bank cards at ATM's in port..

Edited July 21, 2016 by serendipity1499

[RuthC]

From what I read here I suppose I should be grateful that my local bank still sells Travelers' Cheques. I don't leave home without them.

 

I do not want to carry a lot of cash with me, but do want to be able to get US dollars when I need them. The Cheques take care of that nicely just stopping at the Front Desk.

I just buy them when I go to pick up any foreign cash I have ordered.

[Fouremco]

Celebrity ships have ATMs, but I've not used them. There's a higher than normal transaction fee if I recall.

 

I stopped using Travellers Cheques in the 90s, at a time when we only took land-based vacations and it was becoming increasingly difficult to find places to cash the cheques, especially in Europe. Since starting to cruise, we haven't gone back to them but will consider doing so.

[whogo]

I bought no fee traveler's checks as an emergency backup through the 1990's, never used them and deposited them on return. I quit buying them when my bank and local AAA quit offering them.

[Bowie MeMe]

have not used traveler's checks in years -- as others say use ATM. Last trip on Viking passage (Rotterdam) we went to many out of the way places where there were not banks (Iceland and Greenland) but most of the "stores" took US$. Front desk would not give anything but US Dollars -- no exchange for local money $ to Euro/kronor/or Canadian $/GBP.

 

I carry at least 2 debit cards (ATM cards) from different banks -- local banks can use one of several systems so want more chances to have card accepted or if card gets "shut off". I also carry 2 visa credit cards and 1 Master card. Be sure to phone or go online to put in travel notices for all cards! Also either research or ask the fees and rates for each card. I make a cheat sheet so I know that card A has 3% foreign transaction fee but no ATM fee and card B has 3 free transactions a month but then is $5 per transactions etc. Shop for credit cards and ATM cards early to get the best deal FOR YOU. A little research can save you money or get you rewards. Things change often so each trip needs the research.

 

TAKE A PHOTO OF BOTH SIDES OF CREDIT/DEBIT CARD. IF YOU LOOSE THE CARD YOU NEED THE SERVICE NUMBER AND DETAILS.

[sppunk]

Read today VCR production ends this week, fitting for this thread!

[donaldsc]

Read today VCR production ends this week, fitting for this thread!

 

However, the US Military still uses 8 inch floppy discs and analog phone lines in their Minuteman missile launch complex - http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/04/60-minutes-shocked-to-find-8-inch-floppies-drive-nuclear-deterrent/.

 

Also, the IRS is using programs written in Assembly and in COBOL.

 

DON

Edited July 22, 2016 by donaldsc

[mudscraper]

Read today VCR production ends this week, fitting for this thread!

 

Even Beta Max??

[hrhdhd]

Read today VCR production ends this week, fitting for this thread!

 

As a VCR lover, I am saddened by this news.

 

In 30 years, the smartphone will be a fossil; I eagerly await the mocking of today's 30-year-olds by the next generation.

[Nanobot]

Even Beta Max??

 

lol. FYI, Sony stopped making them in 2002, and only last year stopped selling Betamax tapes.