Fouremco

That's my experience too. Once upon a time, back when travellers' cheques were starting to disappear from the tourism scene, your credit card was automatically charged in the local currency. It's only been in recent years that the option to pay in your home currency has been offered. Starting in 2025, Ontario students must complete a new financial literacy graduation requirement as part of their Grade 10 math course to demonstrate practical skills and proficient application of knowledge in financial literacy skills. One can only hope that they include an adequate segment on the use of credit cards.

Not just in Europe. It's always better to be charged in the local currency, no matter where you are.

Yes, I use the EQ card for similar reasons. I usually know well in advance when I'll need USD cash. That's why I was thinking of placing it with EQ, but having them transfer it to my local bank when I need to access the cash.

Correction. Visa rate is 1.3692.

EQ allows you to transfer funds to/from your USD account from/to a similar account at another bank. Have you considered opening and EQ USD account and transferring funds from your TD USD account? You could transfer it back later when you needed to make a withdrawal. Assuming that TD also allows such transfers.

That's very interesting. Mastercard's conversion rate today is 1.3672 and Visa's rate is 1.3672. So if you used a CAD credit card with no forex fee to buy something in USD, it would cost lest than if you were to use a TD USD card and then deposit CAD to you USD account to cover the amount. I don't know if this is typical or not, but I suspect it is.

What exchange rate does TD use when you place CAD funds into the USD account? I'm wondering how it compares to a purchase made in USD using a CAD credit card that charges no conversion fee.

Your best bet is to post on your Roll Call:

@Sprocket, this Porter link seems quite clear: https://www.flyporter.com/en-ca/travel-information/at-the-airport/connecting-flights

Prior to my retirement, the Toronto connection for a YOW-YYZ-CDG flight was deemed by Air Canada to have sufficient time, but there was a delay leaving Ottawa. As a result, I had to run, yes RUN, from my domestic arrivals gate to my international departures gate. The gate personnel were closing the door to the jetway as I drew near, realized that I was the missing passenger, and held it for me. Today, I'm perfectly mobile, but would never make that flight. Needless to say, my checked luggage did not make the flight, but caught up to me at my hotel the following day. Just as I arrive a minimum of a day early for cruises, just in case, in those days I'd arrive a day of two early for business meetings. Consequently, I didn't have to attend the first day of the international gathering wearing my travel jeans and golf shirt.

We use a big box TA, and the perks work out to about 10% of the booking fee. They charge the same fare as HAL, so with the 10% perks, we're well ahead of the game.

You might want to repost on the Silversea forum, with additional information as to the specific cruise. There have been a number of threads there talking about different cancellations and the compensation being offered.

An interesting article for those who are considering a card with no forex fees but are otherwise happy with their existing credit cards. I have both the EQ and Wealthsimple cards and use them exclusively now for foreign purchases. https://secure.campaigner.com/csb/Public/show/e7a4-2thp4q--16zvoi-7qf1pdm6

I normally book with a big box travel agency, but I'll occasionally book with the cruise line and then transfer the booking. For example, we have a HAL cruise in October that I booked directly online with HAL when a particularly sought after cabin became available. I grabbed it right away rather than risking someone else snagging it while I phoned the TA. I then transferred the booking to the TA. The price and all other aspects of the booking remained the same, but by transferring it to the TA, we gained $925 shop card, as well as earning 2% cash-back. Typically, perks from the TA amount to 8-10% of the booking costs. While this TA doesn't deal with all cruise lines, it does handle the majority of mainstream lines such as HAL, Celebrity, RCI, etc..

We had the same, and I still recall the name, SHerwood, although I no longer remember the numbers. It looked like SH1-2345.

The mini-bar provides a revenue stream for HAL, so it's unlikely that they'll stop stocking them. As for charges, while the contents may vary from time to time and from ship to ship, they are fixed for any given cruise. We've been in our cabin when a beverage service employee has come to check the contents and he had a printed sheet listing the items and the number of each item, and a place to indicate any refills made. Any charges would be based on the latter. One potential drawback to this system occurs on turn-around day if the beverage services employee is unable to check the mini-bar before the new occupants arrive. If the new passengers help themselves to a bottle or two before the check is made, the former occupants could be charged for them. That might explain some of the mystery mini-bar charges that seem to crop up regularly.

On the Rocks Premium Cocktails. https://www.otrcocktails.com

Every device in the Samsung range has a hybrid SIM tray. Hybrid SIM trays have one SIM card slot and a second slot that can take a second SIM or a microSD card. This gives you the flexibility to choose whether you would rather use your phone with dual SIMs or have extra storage.

I've lived in Quebec City and in Halifax, and agree with the preceding recommendations. The only thing that appears to be missing from the list of essentials is some rain gear. If you have a waterproof and windproof rain jacket, it can serve double duty, acting as an outer layer over a sweater should you run into some cooler weather. We've taken an Alaska cruise in the third week of September, and our packing list for that cruise would be ideal for your cruise.

Yes, there's probably a better chance that a UK card will work in the EU/EEA than an EU/EEA card working in the UK. In the end, it all depends on the mobile carrier and the SIM card purchased. As you say, you have to shop around.

A SIM card purchased in an EU country will not work seamlessly in the UK now that it has left the European Union. Similarly, for European countries that have never become members of the EU, like Switzerland, Turkey, Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, etc., using an EU/EEA SIM card will likely incur roaming charges set by the mobile operator.

When traveling abroad and making calls to local numbers within that country, you do not need any international dialing codes - just dial the number as you would if you were a local resident. The international codes are only required when calling a different country from where you are physically located.

Having rented a clamshell for our first couple of stops at HMC, we changed tactics and, like you, take a leisurely stroll past the masses and sit in the shade of the trees. So much more relaxing.

Welcome to Cruise Critic and to the Canadian Cruisers forum. While you might receive a few replies here, you would probably get far more information if you were to post this question on the Viking forum.

While a POS terminal and the underlying computer systems may recognize your card as having been issued in Canada, what determines the currency of the charge is the input at the POS. So, as example, if you are using a normal Canadian CAD credit card, guest services will let you choose to be charged in USD or CAD. If you choose USD, the conversion will be made by your financial institute. Alternatively, you could ask guest services to charge you in CAD, in which case the conversion from USD to CAD is made at their end of the transaction and the charge is already in CAD when it hits your financial institute. In most cases, it's best to have the conversion done by your financial institute. When using a Canadian USD card, the same applies. Normally, you would simply have the charge made in USD and that will be the currency of the charge reaching your financial institute. The computer system isn't going to change the currency of the transaction simply because the card was issued in Canada.