Cash-Debit Cards or Travelers checks

I am going on a cruise for the 1st time. It is on Carnival and eastern
carribean. What type of "money" should I take with me?

"john" wrote in message
...
I am going on a cruise for the 1st time. It is on Carnival and eastern
carribean. What type of "money" should I take with me?




It's entirely up to your personal preference. For onboard expenses, a credit
or debit card is probably best. Although I've settled my account with cash a
couple of times (This last time on the Grand I had $50 OBC. When I closed my
account the night before I owed them a whopping $1.48! I pay my gratuities
in cash, though)

Another thing I like to do, especially if there are ship-sponsored
excursions we're planning, a few weeks before sailing I call and buy some
onboard credit for us. This is a good idea for me usually anyway. It lessens
the sticker shock on the last night. This time we're buying $400 for our NCL
cruise and none for our Grand Princess cruise. At least that's the plan. I
may decide OBC for the Grand would be a good idea too. We really don't have
a lot planned for that one though. But it's a good way to "save" for port
shopping too. The night before each port, just charge whatever cash you want
for shopping to your account at the Casino. They usually charge about 3-5%
for this. But it's good when we know we're traveling on a more limited
budget.

For ports, just go with your gut. I usually use cash and sometimes a debit
card. Depending on the port and the shop I'm buying from. I've gotten to
where I only take about $100 for each port in cash and make that enough. I
have a few jewelry plans next month, so I'm budgeting in a little more and
using our cards more than usual.grin

LES!

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What type of "money" should I take with me?

Cash and a couple of good credit cards. I wouldn't take a Discover card.
It is not common outside of the USA. MC/Visa or Amex will work.

We take one cc to use and a different cc to stash in the room safe for use
if we lose the first one. The only place where you might need cash onboard
is in the casino. Otherwise all onboard purchases happen with your cruise
ID card that is swiped as you buy something, or in the case of a drink, you
sign for it and it is charged to your account.

Travelers checks are becoming harder and harder to use 'easily'. I am sure
you can cash them onboard or at a bank in a port, but using them to pay for
an item at a shop....really iffy.

If you happen to be in a port where you absolutely need local currency, the
bank checkcard is great. Just whip up to an ATM, punch in all the #'s and
viola! out comes that amount in local currency, usually at the best
exchange rate. Many banks and checkcards are now charging up to a 3%
transaction fee for use in a foreign country.

What I do is call my credit card company before I leave and tell them that I
am going on a cruise, and to accept charges from where I am going.

The following is just me, but I allow the cruise line to charge me whatever
they charge for tips, because that allows me to carry that much less money.
--
DG in Cherry Hill, NJ

wrote in message
...
What type of "money" should I take with me?

Cash and a couple of good credit cards. I wouldn't take a Discover card.
It is not common outside of the USA. MC/Visa or Amex will work.

We take one cc to use and a different cc to stash in the room safe for use
if we lose the first one. The only place where you might need cash
onboard is in the casino. Otherwise all onboard purchases happen with
your cruise ID card that is swiped as you buy something, or in the case of
a drink, you sign for it and it is charged to your account.

Travelers checks are becoming harder and harder to use 'easily'. I am
sure you can cash them onboard or at a bank in a port, but using them to
pay for an item at a shop....really iffy.

If you happen to be in a port where you absolutely need local currency,
the bank checkcard is great. Just whip up to an ATM, punch in all the #'s
and viola! out comes that amount in local currency, usually at the best
exchange rate. Many banks and checkcards are now charging up to a 3%
transaction fee for use in a foreign country.

john wrote:

I am going on a cruise for the 1st time. It is on Carnival and eastern
carribean. What type of "money" should I take with me?



Travelers checks are a lot of trouble nowadays and aren't that much
safer than cash. If you cash them ashore, they may want to see your
passport first.

On the ship, I would just charge everything to my shipboard account
and pay with a credit or debit card. (I've never used a debit card so
I don't really know how that works.) We take one card that we use and
we copy the information on the card and keep it separate from the card
in case of loss.

We put all the extra cash and any additional cards in the safe. I do
the additional tips (over the amount that they will put on your
shipboard account) in cash. IOW - if they are charging $10/day for
service, and I think my cabin steward has been really nice, I will
give him cash. I make sure he knows that I have done the mandatory
tipping so that he doesn't have to turn the tip in to the tip pool.


grandma Rosalie

Rosalie, a debit card is simply an extension of your checkbook. The only
time I ever used mine was in Barcelona in order to get Euros, since had I
used my credit card the transaction would have been treated as a cash
advance, thus incurring heavy penalties.
--
DG in Cherry Hill, NJ

"Rosalie B." wrote in message
...
john wrote:

I am going on a cruise for the 1st time. It is on Carnival and eastern
carribean. What type of "money" should I take with me?



Travelers checks are a lot of trouble nowadays and aren't that much
safer than cash. If you cash them ashore, they may want to see your
passport first.

On the ship, I would just charge everything to my shipboard account
and pay with a credit or debit card. (I've never used a debit card so
I don't really know how that works.) We take one card that we use and
we copy the information on the card and keep it separate from the card
in case of loss.

We put all the extra cash and any additional cards in the safe. I do
the additional tips (over the amount that they will put on your
shipboard account) in cash. IOW - if they are charging $10/day for
service, and I think my cabin steward has been really nice, I will
give him cash. I make sure he knows that I have done the mandatory
tipping so that he doesn't have to turn the tip in to the tip pool.


grandma Rosalie

When you go on carnival be sure you make sure if you want a drink that
they serve you,on our cruise we had to get our own a lot of the time so
we refused to pay the 15% service charge on every drink,if we had to get
that one ourselves

(.a cruise lover.)

Take some cash, a credit card or two, and an ATM card.

--Tom

"john" wrote in message
...
I am going on a cruise for the 1st time. It is on Carnival and eastern
carribean. What type of "money" should I take with me?

In article , Surfer
E2468 wrote:

When you go on carnival be sure you make sure if you want a drink that
they serve you,on our cruise we had to get our own a lot of the time so
we refused to pay the 15% service charge on every drink,if we had to get
that one ourselves

You poured it yourself?

Are you saying you stiffed the bartender?

--
Charles

On 3/3/06 8:45 AM john "tweaked" on too much Starbucks said:
I am going on a cruise for the 1st time. It is on Carnival and
eastern carribean. What type of "money" should I take with me?


Most ports will accept VISA, Mastercard. Debit Cards are a real iffy
thing. ATM cards work in most Mexican Ports. You can withdraw local
funds against your bank account at these ATMS for a better exchange
rate. For incidentals, cab fare and the like good old dollars are just
fine. Travelers Checks are a real pain. You'll most likely have to
stand in line at a bank and pay a fee.

--
________
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Brian M. Kochera
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