Using Travelers Checks

[tlharm]

I am new to cruising and want to use travelers checks for my onboard account. Do they just take them when I check in?

[cb at sea]

Travelers checks are just like cash....when you check in, you'll have to deposit some funds to your account...just sign the checks as normal...and they will apply that amount to your shipboard account. If you start running out of funds in the account, they'll call you and ask you to give them more. If you simply want to give them a credit card to "hold" the account, you can....nothing is CHARGED to the credit card until the cruise is over, so you could go and pay it off in traveler's checks on the last evening.

[sail7seas]

You can use your travelers checks to pay your shipboard account. They are becoming used a lot less and some stores/restaurants etc no longer accept them but ship's will accept them.

 

[Putterdude]

They are becoming harder to buy and even harder to cash but I have found them to be excellent for cruising. I always have $500 to $1000 as a cash reserve (as we once ran a little short on cash and I hate ATM fees). They a readily cashable at the purser's desk, they may ask to see your cruise card but that's about it.

[johneeo]

I am new to cruising and want to use travelers checks for my onboard account. Do they just take them when I check in?

 

Cash is king.

[fishywood]

FYI: Cunard no longer accepts Travellers Cheques onboard, either for payment on account or to purchase cash or foreign currency. Your only option to establish one's shipboard account is a revolving credit card or cash deposit--no prepaid gift cards (even those issued by MC/Visa/AmEx etal) or debit cards (which given the holds placed are foolish to use even if permitted). When Cunard made this change a year ago I openly speculated as to how soon the rest of the lines under Carnival's umbrella would follow suit; so far none yet. But I strongly suggest the OP call to confirm their acceptance shortly before sailing.

[navybankerteacher]

FYI: Cunard no longer accepts Travellers Cheques onboard, either for payment on account or to purchase cash or foreign currency. Your only option to establish one's shipboard account is a revolving credit card or cash deposit--no prepaid gift cards (even those issued by MC/Visa/AmEx etal) or debit cards (which given the holds placed are foolish to use even if permitted). When Cunard made this change a year ago I openly speculated as to how soon the rest of the lines under Carnival's umbrella would follow suit; so far none yet. But I strongly suggest the OP call to confirm their acceptance shortly before sailing.

Perhaps they made an exception for me in October, 2011 --- QM2 Southampton to New York - they cashed a travelers cheque with no qustions asked or comment.

[Ashland]

One of the best uses we have found for Travelers Checks (besides those mentioned) Was getting Travelers Checks in Euros to pay for our RomeInLimo private tour in Rome.;)

[Krazy Kruizers]

FYI: Cunard no longer accepts Travellers Cheques onboard, either for payment on account or to purchase cash or foreign currency. Your only option to establish one's shipboard account is a revolving credit card or cash deposit--no prepaid gift cards (even those issued by MC/Visa/AmEx etal) or debit cards (which given the holds placed are foolish to use even if permitted). When Cunard made this change a year ago I openly speculated as to how soon the rest of the lines under Carnival's umbrella would follow suit; so far none yet. But I strongly suggest the OP call to confirm their acceptance shortly before sailing.

 

That's not good.

Besides the tips that are prepaid or tips (Hotel Service Charge on HAL) that go onto your account -- we like to give extra tips to those whom we feel as earned them.

And we do tip the servers in the speciality restaurants.

Since we do long cruises -- like a recent 25 day cruise -- there is no way we are going to carry hundreds and hundreds of dollars in cash.

If all the cruise lines stop accepting travelrs checks -- then we will stop giving extra tips.

[klauer]

I would guess that only a very small percentage of passengers on 25 day or longer cruises use travelers checks instead of credit cards for cruise ship expenses.

[sail7seas]

That's not good.

 

Besides the tips that are prepaid or tips (Hotel Service Charge on HAL) that go onto your account -- we like to give extra tips to those whom we feel as earned them.

 

And we do tip the servers in the speciality restaurants.

 

Since we do long cruises -- like a recent 25 day cruise -- there is no way we are going to carry hundreds and hundreds of dollars in cash.

 

If all the cruise lines stop accepting travelrs checks -- then we will stop giving extra tips.

 

:confused: This confuses me. How can one travel without cash? Surely through all the years of travel, all of us develop our personal methods for safely carrying cash.

[johneeo]

Since we do long cruises -- like a recent 25 day cruise -- there is no way we are going to carry hundreds and hundreds of dollars in cash.

If all the cruise lines stop accepting travelrs checks -- then we will stop giving extra tips.

 

Wow!:eek:

 

Hundreds and hundreds of dollars for a long cruise?:rolleyes:

 

On a 7 day cruise I take thousands and thousands of dollars in cash.

[sail7seas]

 

Wow!:eek:

 

Hundreds and hundreds of dollars for a long cruise?:rolleyes:

 

On a 7 day cruise I take thousands and thousands of dollars in cash.

 

 

Keep in mind, one is only permitted to take $10,000 out of U.S. without declaring it.

 

[navybankerteacher]

I would guess that only a very small percentage of passengers on 25 day or longer cruises use travelers checks instead of credit card for cruise ship expenses.

 

How do you hand out a tip for room service or an extra tip to a room steward or dining room waiter for superior service with a credit card? Additionally, passengers on longer cruises will want cash for walking-around money - at least upon returning to US, if not in ports of call. Travelers checks are the safest and least expensive way of having necessary cash when needed

[cruisemom42]

Additionally, passengers on longer cruises will want cash for walking-around money - at least upon returning to US, if not in ports of call. Travelers checks are the safest and least expensive way of having necessary cash when needed

 

Actually, those on longer cruises are, I'd think, generally cruising outside the US area. If that's the case, getting local money from an ATM is less expensive. Even if there is an ATM fee charged, you generally end up better off than trying to get US dollars exchanged somewhere at a reasonable rate.

 

While using traveler's checks may be marginally safer, I can attest that when my debit card was stolen in Barcelona (and used as a credit card to access funds), the funds were restored to my account in less than 24 hours.

 

I haven't used traveler's checks when traveling since probably the late 1980s or maybe early 1990s.

[Putterdude]

I am surprised to learn of Cunard not accepting a TC but I have had no problem cashing them on Princess, HAL or Celebrity ships.

[sail7seas]

How do you hand out a tip for room service or an extra tip to a room steward or dining room waiter for superior service with a credit card? Additionally, passengers on longer cruises will want cash for walking-around money - at least upon returning to US, if not in ports of call. Travelers checks are the safest and least expensive way of having necessary cash when needed

 

 

That's the problem with them in recent years......

 

getting necessary cash when needed.

Few restaurants or stores will accept them anymore. They usually have to be cashed at a bank and they sometimes give a hard time if you don't have an account there.

 

Ship's do accept them but a great many places now refuse them and some have never seen them and have no idea what they are.

 

I carry a supply of them that accumulated through our years of travel. When we returned from trips, we never cashed those we had left and they added up over time. After 9-11, I decided to keep them in my carryon as emergency cash should we ever need fast cash above what we planned for our trip. I am getting ready to cash them in at our local bank as I can't depend upon them being accepted in an emergency.

 

I had this illusion if we were stranded in a disembarkation port after a cruise and planes were not flying such as after 9-11, with cash, we could hire a car and driver to drive us home. Neither of us care to drive that long distance so would want a driver.

 

 

[BlueRiband]

I am new to cruising and want to use travelers checks for my onboard account. Do they just take them when I check in?

 

Check with your specific cruise line. As others have mentioned, Cunard does no longer takes traveller's checks and that policy may also be in place for other lines under the Carnival umbrella.

 

Can I cash travellers cheques on board?

Travellers cheques are no longer accepted on board.

 

Can I pay my on board account with travellers cheques?

No. We are unable to accept travellers cheques on board.

 

If I am paying my on board account in cash' date=' how much money do I need to put up front?[/i']

You will need to have US$300 per person in your on-board account when you board the ship. If you have on-board credit already on your account when you embark, you will only need to top the amount up to US$300. For example, if you have US$50 in on-board credit you will only need to pay US$250 cash. Your account must always be in credit.

 

The maximum amount of cash that can be placed on your account at any one time is $9000 with the largest denomination note being $100. Any unused money will be refunded back to you at the end of the voyage. On board credit is non refundable.

 

In this age of plastic Traveller's Checks - and Gift Checks - are becoming harder to redeem. I've put purchases on my debit card and only carry cash for things like tips, small purchases, and cab fares.

[klauer]

If you are having room service a lot, I guess that tips would add up, but once a day would be around $50.00 or so for 25 days. The ships I've been on always allowed extra tips to be added to my cruise card (linked to my credit card). I have not seen cash tips given to a waiter after a meal, but maybe that is more common than I think.

[sail7seas]

Many of us choose to tip our cabin and dining stewards and perhaps a favorite bartender or someone else over and above the automatic tip that is added to our shipboard account. We always leave more with our stewards, asssuming they have taken good care of us as well as the Concierge. Those extra tips are always in cash at the end of the cruise.

[klauer]

I've put extra tips on my shipboard account for the room steward and waiter/assistant waiter -- I got a receipt that could be put into an envelope (I'm pretty sure that the employee also got a notification). For a cocktail server or bartender, I think you can write in an extra tip on the charge slip. If you prefer cash, that's great, but there is an alternative to buying and cashing traveler's checks for tipping purposes.

[sail7seas]

I've put extra tips on my shipboard account for the room steward and waiter/assistant waiter -- I got a receipt that could be put into an envelope (I'm pretty sure that the employee also got a notification). For a cocktail server or bartender, I think you can write in an extra tip on the charge slip. If you prefer cash, that's great, but there is an alternative to buying and cashing traveler's checks for tipping purposes.

 

 

That varies by cruise line.

We only sail HAL and they don't do that.

You cannot write in tips on bar tabs or the specialty restaurants on HAL slips.

[navybankerteacher]

I've put extra tips on my shipboard account for the room steward and waiter/assistant waiter -- I got a receipt that could be put into an envelope (I'm pretty sure that the employee also got a notification). For a cocktail server or bartender, I think you can write in an extra tip on the charge slip. If you prefer cash, that's great, but there is an alternative to buying and cashing traveler's checks for tipping purposes.

 

Are you sure you can specify a particulasr recipient to benefit from an increase in the auto-tip? It was my understanding that it all goes into the pool -- and that the only way to tip above and beyond is by handing it personally to the recipient.

[klauer]

No, I'm not sure...because I've also heard the opposite -- that cash tips are supposed to go into the tipping pool. I've always just done the gratuities the way the cruise line specified. I haven't been on HAL, but I have been on Regent (no tipping), Princess, RCCL and Celebrity.

[navybankerteacher]

No, I'm not sure...because I've also heard the opposite -- that cash tips are supposed to go into the tipping pool. I've always just done the gratuities the way the cruise line specified. I haven't been on HAL, but I have been on Regent (no tipping), Princess, RCCL and Celebrity.

 

Cash tips only have to go into the pool if the tipper has removed/reduced the auto-tip --