Help please with getting cash on board

[fedexretiree]

Other than using an ATM machine what is the best way to get cash on board. Can you write checks and if so are you limited to a certain amount?

Can you go load money onto your card at the casino and then cash it out?

[cruisestitch]

You can cash one personal check for $200. One per cruise.

[Alakegirl]

If you can find someplace that still sells travelers checks, Celebrity will cash them for you at Guest Relations. No limit and no fee

[bigbenboys]

If you do not have any non-refundable ship board credit you go to the casino and get money from your credit card for a 5% fee.

Gallery and Museum

[cb at sea]

BRING the money you think you'll need....why wouldn't you do that? Large bills are easy to carry and they can break them down into smaller bills onboard. There's a safe to keep your valuables in....just BRING the cash! There are ATM's but there is a fee to get your own money.

[Alakegirl]

WIth respect, the question wasn’t “should I bring cash”but “how can I get cash on board”

[Essiesmom]

BRING the money you think you'll need....why wouldn't you do that? Large bills are easy to carry and they can break them down into smaller bills onboard. There's a safe to keep your valuables in....just BRING the cash! There are ATM's but there is a fee to get your own money.

 

 

I could explain why some prople might not be able to bring a large amount of cash, but you wouldn't be back to read it, so I won't bother. EM

[Jim_Iain]

I was concerned with the fees for withdrawing cash at both ATM's and on the ship (at least 5%) so opened up an account with First Republic. They refund virtually all ATM fees world wide. As I only opened up the account yesterday I can't speak from personal experience how well it works but the bank told me they automatically refund any fees.

 

On our last trip I was getting hit with a $5.00 ATM fee every time I got cash.

[TeeRick]

Instead of Traveler's Checks like in the old days, now you can buy a pre-paid debit or VISA card and use it on board in the ATM if you don't want to use your personal debit card.

[Alakegirl]

Is there an ATM fee for doing this?

[fedexretiree]

I could explain why some prople might not be able to bring a large amount of cash, but you wouldn't be back to read it, so I won't bother. EM

Thanks ..I was thinking the same thing ..lol..

[fedexretiree]

You can cash one personal check for $200. One per cruise.

Great. Thanks so much

[fedexretiree]

thanks to everyone for all of the suggestions.

I typically take the amount of money that I think I'm going to spend but you just never know.

Got to thinking can you load let's just say 100.00 on your sea pass card go to a machine in that casino

Play a couple of spins and then cash it out? I just hate paying 5% for my own money.

[bEwAbG]

Your existing bank may have agreements with certain ATM networks for no-fee withdrawals, so you could ask them about it and then research your no-fee options for any ports stops you'll have.

 

Setting up a no-fee account with a different bank is the best way to go. I use Schwab, and they reimburse up to a certain amount per month ($11, I think) for any ATM I want to use. The fee comes out at the time I retrieve cash, but I get all fees credited back to my account once a month. Schwab does not charge you a fee at all, so the only fee you "pay" is the one the owner of the ATM charges, and that's the one that gets reimbursed. I was using another bank + Schwab for a bit because they don't accept cash deposits. However, once I realized I had not needed to do a cash deposit in years, I dropped the other bank altogether. There are other banks that offer similar products, so shop around. I went with Schwab because even though I had to open a brokerage account (which I use), they did not require me to maintain a minimum balance in the checking account product.

[ghstudio]

Your existing bank may have agreements with certain ATM networks for no-fee withdrawals, so you could ask them about it and then research your no-fee options for any ports stops you'll have.

 

Setting up a no-fee account with a different bank is the best way to go. I use Schwab, and they reimburse up to a certain amount per month ($11, I think) for any ATM I want to use. The fee comes out at the time I retrieve cash, but I get all fees credited back to my account once a month. Schwab does not charge you a fee at all, so the only fee you "pay" is the one the owner of the ATM charges, and that's the one that gets reimbursed. I was using another bank + Schwab for a bit because they don't accept cash deposits. However, once I realized I had not needed to do a cash deposit in years, I dropped the other bank altogether. There are other banks that offer similar products, so shop around. I went with Schwab because even though I had to open a brokerage account (which I use), they did not require me to maintain a minimum balance in the checking account product.

 

Schwab bank has no limit on ATM rebates.. Additionally, their bank card has no foreign transaction fee and it is a debit card so you aren't doing any sort of cash advance when you go to an ATM. It's a great card to carry when travelling. Note: we are talking about the Schwab BANK card...not the amex cards also offered by Schwab.

[Jim_Iain]

The ATM fee on Celebrity in January was $6.50 per transaction.

 

Like Schwab, I just opened an account with First Republic. They rebate virtually all ATM fees world wide. They do require a minimum balance of $3,500 to prevent monthly charge. This was offset with an offer of a $500 rebate to deposit $15,000 and keep it there for 3 months.

[Shadow9612]

This was offset with an offer of a $500 rebate to deposit $15,000 and keep it there for 3 months.

That's a nice return on investment!!

[bEwAbG]

Schwab bank has no limit on ATM rebates.. Additionally, their bank card has no foreign transaction fee and it is a debit card so you aren't doing any sort of cash advance when you go to an ATM. It's a great card to carry when travelling. Note: we are talking about the Schwab BANK card...not the amex cards also offered by Schwab.

 

 

Learned something new! I've never run into spending more than what I thought was the ATM fee limit in all that time. I was more focused on the minimum balance requirements at the time because I only wanted to move a small amount of cash to try them out (my privately-owned bank had been bought out by one of the big players and turned pretty terrible within a matter or months). I have been very pleased with their service over the years and do not hesitate recommending them to anyone.

 

The bigger point, of course, is that there are lots of similar accounts on the market these days, so best to research which one is the best fit for your circumstances.

[zanderblue]

thanks to everyone for all of the suggestions.

I typically take the amount of money that I think I'm going to spend but you just never know.

Got to thinking can you load let's just say 100.00 on your sea pass card go to a machine in that casino

Play a couple of spins and then cash it out? I just hate paying 5% for my own money.

 

It may not be that simple to add funds to your sea pass! See my experience on Equinox recently.

 

“On Equinox in April on Carribean cruise, I had problems.

Went to cashier and asked for $100 to be added to my sea pass and was refused. They told me initially they couldn’t do it because I had no OBC. Then went on to suggest that I played cash in the slots. Crazy thought in what is meant to be a cashless environment.......

Eventually, talked to guest relations desk and got nowhere, so asked for GR director to get involved. A lovely lady called Julie called back and promised to get to the bottom of it. I had a call from Casino manager shortly there after, who resolved the issue. I got no explanation as to why I had been initially refused.

Next night at cashier, I had credit added and my folio was immediately debited, in fact my credit card had the money authorised same day. The cashier did add that she was correct in refusing previous evening and that adding credit to my sea pass was a one off at the direction of the casino manager..........”