What's Best? Travelers Cheques, money, credit card?

wrote:

I've been reading this group for awhile and getting ready for my first
cruise. Im not sure how much money to take and is it best to use travelers
cheques. I'll be going to the Western Caribbean.

We take both cash and travelers checks, plus of course our credit
card. Mostly we cash our travelers checks at the pursers deck, so we
have more cash for small items or for use in the casino. If we make a
large purchase such as jewelry, we prefer to use our credit card. The
only word of warning there is to make sure that the credit card is
charge in dollars, not the local currency. We only had a problem with
an exchange fee one time in Mexico, no problems the rest of the time.

sue

wrote:
I've been reading this group for awhile and getting ready for my
first cruise. Im not sure how much money to take and is it best
to use travelers cheques. I'll be going to the Western Caribbean.

I don't carry TC's when traveling abroad or cruising. IME, TC's
are passé and you only need a modest amount of cash becuz:
1. On-board nearly everything (other than your donations to the
casino and bingo) will be charged to your room account.
2. In cruise ports, nearly all merchants accept CC's, which gets
you the best exchange rate, even if a conversion fee is added.
3. If you want local currency, you're best rate is at a local bank's
ATM using a debit or check card (not a CC w/interest & cash
advance fees), even if a bank fee is charged.
4. Average joes won't need more than $40 cash per port, if that
much (easy enuff to carry), unless you make a purchase where
TC's wouldn't be welcome anyway.
Our major cash outlay is at the parking garage (many of which
now take credit cards). Just my 2 cents. =R=

Sue and Kevin Mullen wrote:
wrote:

I've been reading this group for awhile and getting ready for my first
cruise. Im not sure how much money to take and is it best to use travelers
cheques. I'll be going to the Western Caribbean.

We take both cash and travelers checks, plus of course our credit
card. Mostly we cash our travelers checks at the pursers deck, so we
have more cash for small items or for use in the casino. If we make a
large purchase such as jewelry, we prefer to use our credit card. The
only word of warning there is to make sure that the credit card is
charge in dollars, not the local currency. We only had a problem with
an exchange fee one time in Mexico, no problems the rest of the time.

I try to charge everything possible on a charge card, but check before
you go to see if they have an extra currency conversion fee. Many of
them do. They even charged me the free for conversion from Bahamian
$$ to US $$, which was totally (IMHO) unjustified.

Also warn them that you are going to be traveling, because not only
did they charge the fee, but I had to go to the cardiologists office
and OK the charge which was for the ICU.

I can't tell you what amount you need.

grandma Rosalie

"What would someone with a single-digit IQ know about the statement of a
general principle with a couple of special illustrations before answering
specifics about the Western Caribbean?"

I don't know BOBo, I don't know anyone with a single digit IQ.

I do know that your answer about the exchange rate in Cozumel turned into
YOUR experience in Tahiti.

Two words, BOBo....MORE BOB LING BULL ****

This is NOT about you and your 10,000 cruises and 50,000 dives, and 3
Billion FF miles.

It is about answering a poster's question, and and I just pointed out that
you are incapable of doing that.

You are a self declared and proven asshole, BOBo. Live with it.

wrote in message
...
I've been reading this group for awhile and getting ready for my first
cruise. Im not sure how much money to take and is it best to use
travelers cheques. I'll be going to the Western Caribbean.

Harry,
You did not say which ship or cruise line you are taking..not that it's not
all that important in answering you..We always figure about what we might
spend each day and multiply it by number of cruise days...That varies with
each of us and since I do not know you, I don't know your budget limit or
spending habits..Remember that everything, including your tips and shore
excursions that you book with the cruise line, are put on your shipboard
account; all except casino, bingo money and small tips for room service..If
you are going on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, or NCL, they allow you to put
your casino charges on your shipboard account, too.

We use our credit card to pay our final shipboard bill. Always take plenty
of $1.bills for tipping..We usually take at least 20+ and break larger bills
at the casino or front desk when we need more. Always have enough fives and
tens for baggage
handlers, taxis, etc..Otherwise we carry $50 or $100. bills to make it
easier on the wear and tear of our wallets...Once we are in our stateroom,
we put all the money in the safe along with our passports, valuables,
airline tickets, etc. In the Western Caribbean, they accept US Dollars and
credit cards..We always take our Visa in case they do not accept
Discover..We were surprised that some of the Caribbean Islands now accept
Discover, so I always try it first and fall back on Visa if they don't.
Be sure to check your charges before you sign any credit card purchase.

There is really no place that I can remember that will not take US Dollars
in the Western Caribbean. We have taken 20+ Caribbean cruises and the only
time I got money from one of the islands was when I purchased it as
souvenirs for our grandchildren...To me it is not worth it..Better if you
have small bills that cover the amount of your purchase and use them.
Otherwise, you will usually get their money as your change. There are times
when I saw that they had US Bills in their till and I would ask for them as
my change, if I had any coming to me.

If you feel uncomfortable carrying a large amount of money, either take
travelers checks or use your ATM card..We used our ATM card in Europe and
the Mediterranean and would have in the Caribbean had it been necessary.
Hope this helps!

--Jean

Deward wrote:
"What would someone with a single-digit IQ know about the statement of a
general principle with a couple of special illustrations before answering
specifics about the Western Caribbean?"

I don't know BOBo, I don't know anyone with a single digit IQ.

That could well be true, that you don't recognize your own IQ is
single-digit. It's quite apparent to everyone else.


This is NOT about you and your 10,000 cruises and 50,000 dives, and 3
Billion FF miles.

Not bad. You were off by only about 2 orders of magnitude in
those impertinent figures you cited.


It is about answering a poster's question, and and I just pointed out that
you are incapable of doing that.

My posts speak for themselves. They don't need any self-annointed
commentator who is a psychopath with a single-digit IQ.

So far in this thread, Deward is the ONLY poster who had absolutely
NOTHING to contribute to the SUBJECT.

All others did.

-- Bob.

Kurt Ullman wrote:
In article . com,
"Reef Fish" wrote:

But that's not the issue AT ALL. There are many ADVANTAGES
in using local currency (if you didn't know). The question
as I understood it was what's the BEST way to use currency
exchange among the use of credit card, TC, or cash (local
or foreign).

Name me a couple during the time you are going to be spending on
a cruise. I will grant you sometimes when you are going to be there
for a while, but for your garden variety cruise, which is what the
OP was discussing, ain't so.

Non sequitur.

and even
so, you obviously wouldn't want to change a whole bunch of money
into that currency for the 8 hours or so you are likely to be
floating around.

That's YOUR unwarrenty assumption.

Now do you know he'll NOT be travelling to Mexico or other
Caribbean countries in the near future, so that the money question
is not limited to only your assumed 8-hours.


Again, your unwarranted assumption is that he looking for
something because he is going back.

That's YOUR wrong assumption about my assumption. I did not assume,
but I did not rule out that fact that he may be going back in the
future, on cruises or non-cruise travel.


I would also bet a fair
amount of money that even in your scenario any money you save by all
this hooha on the exchange rate will be eaten up by the opportunity
costs of not even being able to get money market rates for the peso
between trips.

Why don't you name your "fair amount of money" and what bet you're
offering. You are just blowing hot air without any monetary or
factual backing!


The bottom line is that YOU could not offer ANY location in which
one of the three choices given in the subject (by the OP) is
always BEST.

You always argue with yourself like this? You are
assuming arguments that I wasn't making.

I was merely stating a simple FACT about YOUR inability to answer
the question of "best", which was MY advice to the OP that there
is NO "best" that is always applicable for the Western Caribbean
locations and how they may differ at various times.

-- Bob.

ANSWERED INLINE:
"Kurt Ullman" wrote in message newsMa4f.1888

If you are thinking about cash advances, do NOT use the credit
card (although debit might be okay). You usually get a fee, they
start charging you interest at high rates from get go instead of the
usual cycle, and if you aren;t real careful, they don't take it off
until you bitch (I used it once a few months ago, the CA was listed
on the bill, I paid the bill in its entirety, but cash advances are
only paid off if the rest of the bill is.

Never have done this, but sounds reasonable and not a wise thing to do.

So, if you use your card
again between the time the last cycle ends and the CCcompany gets
your check, the money you thought was going to pay off the CA
doesn't and the charges keep going up, but I digress-g).

Not true, if you pay your account in full before or on due date..there will
be no charge.


Also the casino cash machines (not ATMs but the other ones
at the casino) are also a VERY bad deal since they take a very high
rate off the top before you even get the money. I don't use them, so
I don't know if they are a cash advance, which makes them an even
worse deal.

Use ATM machines at a bank or bank kiosks and you will have a nominal
charge..
Do not use the ATM on the ship by the casino...I have never done it, but
have heard there is a hefty fee.


ATM, I don't use, although I just got my debit card, so I
would be interested in anyone's input. The major, especially on the
cruise ship would be how aggressive they are on the fees. Better to
get some in a port, if US$ are available through the ATMs.

I do not have a debit card, although they can be used in place of a check
and the amount is immediately deducted from your account when used. I carry
an ATM card which deducts the amount from my money market account if I need
to use it. It gives the best and most up to date rate of exchange when used
in a foreign country.

--Jean

I was merely stating a simple FACT about YOUR inability to answer
the question of "best", which was MY advice to the OP that there
is NO "best" that is always applicable for the Western Caribbean
locations and how they may differ at various times.

Actually I answered the question until you decided to make it in
an exercise in International Finance for no apparent reason other
than to impress us with your brilliance.
I said, after giving some pros and cons of various types, that
the best is whatever the person feels most comfortable with and the
rest is bull hockey.

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In article , "Jean
O'Boyle" wrote:

So, if you use your card
again between the time the last cycle ends and the CCcompany gets
your check, the money you thought was going to pay off the CA
doesn't and the charges keep going up, but I digress-g).

Not true, if you pay your account in full before or on due date..there will
be no charge.
That is not the way National City told me. The fact that I pay my
bill off every month in full was what REALLLY ticked me off when I
realized the cash advance fee was still there 6 month later.
When I called to chew on them, the above is what they told me
and why I had interest fees accruing on my account. It was only
$3.00 since I only advanced around $300, but still there after a
LONG time where I had always paid my bill off in full.

I do not have a debit card, although they can be used in place of a check
and the amount is immediately deducted from your account when used. I carry
an ATM card which deducts the amount from my money market account if I need
to use it. It gives the best and most up to date rate of exchange when used
in a foreign country.

The Debit card (at least through my bank) is the same thing,
different name.

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This mail is a natural product. The slight variations in spelling and
grammar enhance its individual character and beauty and in no way are to
be considered flaws or defects.