Check Cashing

[TMLAalum]

Does Celebrity still allow the cashing of a $300 check onboard? On our first cruise with them to the Baltics in 2010, we took advantage of this policy to avoid bring a lot of cash with us, since our tour guide in SPB required payment in crisp US currency.

 

With our upcoming South America B2B we are discovering that many private tour companies also want payment in clean US bills. It would be wonderful if we can cash a check at Guest Relations to reduce the cash we carry.

 

Thanks!

[cruisestitch]

I believe the amount is $200

[cruzzzinma]

They are also two ATMs. One is by guest services and the other is in the casino.

[Husky61]

Who still writes checks?:D

[CruiseGal999]

Who still writes checks?:D

 

I know ... I told my neighbor I don't write checks. She looked at me and gasped and asked .... HOW do you pay any bills? Seriously? 2018 ... LOL :')

[cruisestitch]

Who still writes checks? People who don’t like to pay a six dollar fee for the ATM .

[CruiseGal999]

Who still writes checks? People who don’t like to pay a six dollar fee for the ATM .

 

Who pays ATM fees? Why? You buy a bottle of water at Walmart or any grocery store and get $100 cash back. As many times as you want. No fees.

[cruisestitch]

there's a $6 fee for using the onboard ATM

[Bob++]

It is a problem - not cashing cheques - but carrying cash. Especially if you are flying to join your ship. Our tour in St Petersburg will cost over $1500 plus tip, and I guess that is not unusual for a small group. If I was flying, I would be pretty uncomfortable carrying that amount of cash on me - fortunately, our Russian tour operator will take a CC so we only need cash for the tip.

[Peteymil]

Who still writes checks?:D

Although I pay my bills online, I frequent several small businesses that prefer being paid by check because they don’t want to pay the credit card company fees.

[jkgourmet]

$6 fee??? Open a small checking account with capital one. Get debit card from capital one. Never pay an ATM fee again.

 

They don't charge international fees on their credit cards either. Bonus: they have some of the best reward programs in the business.

[cruisestitch]

If in US, that works. But elsewhere?

[Chefaleslie]

When I see some one write a check I think 1 of 2 things. A) That person is old B) That check is going to BOUNCE. For real 2018....

[Wine-O]

When I see some one write a check I think 1 of 2 things. A) That person is old B) That check is going to BOUNCE. For real 2018....

 

When I travel to Europe, I usually take $3-400 just as emergency funds, and end up bringing most of it back. Since I don't need U.S. Dollars in Europe or on the ship, it's much easier to bring a check to get cash for extra tips than bring a fist full or dollars.

[TMLAalum]

When I see some one write a check I think 1 of 2 things. A) That person is old B) That check is going to BOUNCE. For real 2018....

 

So does Celebrity take ApplePay? We ARE old but scan checks we receive directly into our bank, use PayPal & ApplePay, refuse to have a debit card but rather a plain ol' ATM card, and utilize Autopay from our accounts for most bills. When possible we use credit cards to earn cash back or miles. And yes, we still write checks.

 

When I travel to Europe, I usually take $3-400 just as emergency funds, and end up bringing most of it back. Since I don't need U.S. Dollars in Europe or on the ship, it's much easier to bring a check to get cash for extra tips than bring a fist full or dollars.

 

Exactly.

[cb at sea]

I LOVE writing checks! And no...they do NOT "bounce"!! A check is simply the same as a debit card which I don't use.....I see no need! Most checks are run just like a debit card....it's really not an issue.

That said, carrying cash isn't a huge deal. Large bills are much easier to carry than wads of smaller denominations...and once on the ship, they can "break down" larger bills for you, if you need smaller denominations. You will have a safe to store your cash.

[cruisestitch]

They do not take ApplePay and remember that the OP’s objective is to get cash. Using ApplePay would be a cash advance on a credit card and would incur high fees.

[gfkcruiser]

You can cash a check for up to $200 one time only. We did it in May. Wanted to give extra tips in cash to wait staff and cabin attendant.

 

 

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[jkgourmet]

If in US, that works. But elsewhere?

 

Are you referring to my suggestion of a Capital One checking account and a Capital One Credit card to eliminate ALL ATM and international transaction fees? If so, yes, it works around the world. I haven't paid a foreign transaction fee on a credit card charge in year and years. I haven't paid a fee for an ATM in years, either (except once when I left my Capital One debit card home and had to use my regular, local checking account to get money from an out of state ATM).

 

 

I keep checks around the house to pay the monthly house cleaners, the occasional service provider and pay my quarterly estimated taxes. (I'd charge those too, except IRS charges a fee to use a credit card. I could also let them into my bank account to auto-withdraw the payments. No freaking way am I doing that!)

[TeeRick]

Use an ATM off the ship in port for a more reasonable fee. Or before you leave buy a pre-paid VISA debit card or credit card (like the traveler's checks in the old days) and use in an ATM if you don't want to use your personal debit card when you travel.

[oroszdb]

there's a $6 fee for using the onboard ATM

 

 

 

Who pays atm fees, my bank (Chase) refunds up to 3 a month [emoji4]

 

** note Chase only offers atm fee refunds on select checking accounts

 

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[2theship]

Large bills are much easier to carry than wads of smaller denominations...and once on the ship, they can "break down" larger bills for you, if you need smaller denominations. You will have a safe to store your cash.

It's not always easy to get the ship to "break down" large bills. We like to have singles to use at Elite happy hour and on other occasions. I tried to break a $10 or $20 bill at Guest Relations desk and the casino; I was turned down in both places. For the rest of the cruise, whenever we were at a machine in the casino and our balance was such that we'd get singles, we'd cash out so we could go to the cashier to get a few $1 bills.

[tymike]

When I see some one write a check I think 1 of 2 things. A) That person is old B) That check is going to BOUNCE. For real 2018....

 

Writing a check in for real 2018 gives a real record of paying a bill and an actual paper trail. Very helpful when your account gets hacked and all you have is 'virtual bill pay'.

 

I do both methods of bill pay but have gone to paper checks much more in the past few years due to NOT paying anything over the very hack-able internet. It costs a stamp and a moment to write stuff on the bill. Far less time than time than on being on hold/on the phone with the credit card company after a hack.

 

And not for nothing, I'm neither old and none of my checks will bounce. ;););)

[Silhouette2017]

Writing a check in for real 2018 gives a real record of paying a bill and an actual paper trail. Very helpful when your account gets hacked and all you have is 'virtual bill pay'.

 

I do both methods of bill pay but have gone to paper checks much more in the past few years due to NOT paying anything over the very hack-able internet. It costs a stamp and a moment to write stuff on the bill. Far less time than time than on being on hold/on the phone with the credit card company after a hack.

 

And not for nothing, I'm neither old and none of my checks will bounce. ;););)

Very interesting point of view. I’m in Europe and I’m 32 and I have never seen a check and never heard about internet banking here being hacked. I pay all my bills online and never ever carry cash.

[DaNana]

When I see some one write a check I think 1 of 2 things. A) That person is old B) That check is going to BOUNCE. For real 2018....

 

 

 

Wow! Old? My coworker is early 40’s and uses checks. Yes checks but perhaps you consider her old. Why would you think a bounced check any more than over drawn funds?

I have been married 50 years, have great grandchildren, still work. We use online to pay bills. I have a Venmo account and use it. We do have checks as sometimes we need them.

I do not pay to use an ATM. We do take cash to hand out extra tips as do our friends traveling with us.

 

 

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