Yet another credit card question

[Oregonian]

I know this topic has been discussed ad nauseum, but I have two more questions about credit card use:

 

1. Do the ferries between Tahiti and Moorea take plastic?

 

2. I've gotten the drift that Visa cards work in ATMs but that Master Card debit cards are at best problematic. Does anybody have experience with Master Card credit cards with ATMs, hotels, restaurants, etc.?

 

Ira

[travelgirl913]

Just back from Tahiti and I have to say this was the only destination I went to that I have ever carried so much cash with me and boy was I happy we did. Actually we could have used more. We had heard about the problems with ATM there too. The ATM's there would not take our bank card and we tried several different banks. I didn't try the one on the ship though. Maybe that is set up better for American cards.

 

The ship said they could give only cash advances off of credit cards. Forget that at those interest rates & fees. I was told prior to leaving by Princess they would cash personal checks up to $250 per person per day. We brought some blank checks and in the end did need some extra money since EVERY excursion we booked on our own only took cash. Then the purser's desk said they haven't cashed checks in 3 years on any Princess ship!!?? We were thrown for a loop. Thankfully we held onto our last $100 and then we were then only able to shop in Papeete the last day with people who took credit cards. Which isn't everyone. But most pearl shops will and that is what we were shopping for the last day.

 

 

 

Another thing you can do is send yourself casino credits as gifts before you leave for no fee. Then once on the ship they gave us cash and we could do as we pleased with it. That way you don't have to carry all the cash with you on the flight and such.

 

 

 

I'm sorry I don't know if the ferry took credit cards but it wasn't much money for them anyway. ($10 each way per person.) None of the taxi drivers we had took credit cards. We didn't even find one excursion company that would take them everyone wanted cash. We were able to use credit cards at the airport to get some snacks for the ride home, but had to spend a $30 minimum.

 

 

Hope that helps,

Judith

[land lover]

So Judith...is a hundred dollars a day enough..or should we take more?..we are leaving this Monday, there are 2 of us. L:) ri

 

We are doing some excurisons with the ship..

[travelgirl913]

So Judith...is a hundred dollars a day enough..or should we take more?..we are leaving this Monday, there are 2 of us. L:) ri

 

We are doing some excurisons with the ship..

 

It's a tough call depends on what you plan to do. To give you an idea we stopped at a hotel on Bora Bora for drinks, 3 drinks were $48.00. Same thing at Bloody Mary's. Even in Papette a beer was $12.00. A can of stinkin beer was $12.00 each. LOL That was just at a cafe not even a hotel or anything.

 

If you are going to rent cars you can use credit cards, but I advise to reserve them ahead of time. It seemed the Radisson ship was in port with us at a few different stops and everything was sold out everywhere. Especially Bora Bora becuase they get there in the morning and we didn't get there until 12 noon.

 

T-shirts were $20- $30 each which I thought was high. Pareos $10- $20. Most of the stands were cash only. Taxis added up too. $100 does go quickly there.

 

I hope to have the rest of my review written soon. I'm still only up to Huahine. But things should go quicker now since I have the ship descriptions out of the way.

 

Hope that helps,

Judith

 

P.S.- You could always do what I did with the casino credits for back up money up until the day you leave. Then if you don't use them they will get applied as on-board credit. Or you can just cash them in and take the cash home.

[land lover]

I guess we'll be drinking alot on those tours that include drinks:) ....I am taking quite a few travelers checks for x-tra cash and seldom purchase t-shirts...etc. so I think we'll be okay.....I usually put an emergency $100.TC in each suitcase but,wasn't planning to on this trip until reading your post...I hate that feeling of being dependant on a credit/cash card...and I would eat crow before taking a cash advance:D

 

Hope you finish your review before we go.....I have enjoyed it very much so far, I like your writing style......L:) ri

[travelgirl913]

Thanks Lori. I posted some more just a few minutes ago. I'm sorry it is taking so long. Other than catching up on work we are also remoldeling our entire house. I had the kitchen appliances delivered yesterday and just so much going on. I'm up early becuase today we are putting up a new wall & doorway. Oh the fun of sheet rocking, taping & spackling. This house is only 12 years old and I can't imagine what it would have been like if we went with the orginal house we were going to buy that was 100 years old. I think I would have jumped out the window by now. LOL

 

I hope to get some breaks later and do more writing.

 

I hear you about credit card advances. I would never do it either.

 

More info on shopping:

 

Raiatea had some really nice handmade pearl necklaces, shell necklaces, and mother of pearl necklaces carved into different shapes all for $10. We got my mother-in law one in the shape of a cross with a pearl. This is one of the only places you dock and the shops are all right there set up very nicely in grass huts.

 

I found a fantastic place to buy pearls in Tahiti. I checked out every island and I thought this place had the best deals by far. The Pearl Market is located a few blocks from the ship. It is three floors with the bottom floor being top dollar perfect pearls, 2nd floor being pearls still too expensive for me, and the third being reasonable priced pearls if you are willing to do a little work for them. Here they have bins of pearls priced from $8 - $300 per pearl and you pick the bin that is in your price range. You get a table, a velvet thing you can sort through the pearls on and a device to measure the pearl size. They also serve you drinks and are very nice & helpful. Once you pick your lose pearls you can take them home to be set or can pick a setting there and watch them make your jewlery. I had two perfect green pearls I found set in white gold hanging earings. Only cost about $130. I also found a larger matching pearl and had that set into a heart shaped cage pendant $75. It turned out so nice!! It does take some time to find matching pearls but I had so much fun doing it that after a while I went back and bought a few more loose black pearls to have set at home. I absolutley love my pearl earings & pendant I had made. The green brings out my green eyes so nicely.

 

 

What excursions do you have planned?

 

Hope to post more on my review soon,

Judith

[kootz]

Is the Pearl Market also on Raiatea? Sounds like a great place

[land lover]

Just read your 2nd review...throughly enjoyed it...... went to that thread before this...sounds like you have got your hands full with the remodeling.......I am procastinating still have so much to do before we leave...but as you can see by my being on the boards I don't want to do it........ If you have time before Mon., please answer my post on your review thread.. I asked about formal night and any other last minute tidbits of advice I would appreciate.................L:) ri

 

The pearl info is great, but need claification on what Island it is on..I'm thinking Papatee, Tahiti from your post..is that correct?

[travelgirl913]

Oops sorry The Pearl Market is in Papeete. Close to the open air Market. The sign out side says REV almost looks like REY and says Pearl Market as well. The place is air conditioned too!!

 

 

Here's the information from my Authenticity Certificate:

 

Tahitiu Pearl Market Pearllery

25 rue colette BP 33396

98713 papeete, Tahiti

(689)-54-30-60

[maygoddess]

Hithere...quick question if you know the answer..do you recall if the ship will take traveler's checks and exchange for francs? Woudl there be any difference in exchange rate in comparison to doing cash advance off credit cards? I am assuming we would pay a cash advance rate to our cc company if we did this.

 

Also curious about the cash gift in casino money we could do. Do we just call Princess ahead of time and ask to do this with our credit card? Do we then go onto the ship and can we ask them to convert the casino dollars to francs..or do we ask for it in cash and then go and convert to francs? This is our first cruise and have no idea how this works.

 

Of course we waited until the last minute to think about money..we leave next Tuesday! :-/

[Bob100]

Does anyone know if the Belevedere in Papeete accepts credit cards and/or US dollars? About how much would you expect dinner to cost US?

[travelgirl913]

Hithere...quick question if you know the answer..do you recall if the ship will take traveler's checks and exchange for francs? Woudl there be any difference in exchange rate in comparison to doing cash advance off credit cards? I am assuming we would pay a cash advance rate to our cc company if we did this.

 

Also curious about the cash gift in casino money we could do. Do we just call Princess ahead of time and ask to do this with our credit card? Do we then go onto the ship and can we ask them to convert the casino dollars to francs..or do we ask for it in cash and then go and convert to francs? This is our first cruise and have no idea how this works.

 

Of course we waited until the last minute to think about money..we leave next Tuesday! :-/

 

Yes, the casino will cash traveler's checks then you can go to guest relations to get them changed into local money.

 

The thing I did with the casino credits you just call Princess' 800 # and order them. The credits will be delivered to your room on the 1st day. Then you can cash them in the casino, then go to guest relations for local currency. Same thing except you can use your credit card without a fee.

 

Have a fantastic trip!! You will love it there!!

[maygoddess]

Yes, the casino will cash traveler's checks then you can go to guest relations to get them changed into local money.

 

The thing I did with the casino credits you just call Princess' 800 # and order them. The credits will be delivered to your room on the 1st day. Then you can cash them in the casino, then go to guest relations for local currency. Same thing except you can use your credit card without a fee.

 

Have a fantastic trip!! You will love it there!!

 

 

Hi Travelgirl! I hope you read this before Monday night...we leave early Tuesday. I just called Princess to order teh casino credit but wanted to make sure with them that Ic ould indeed cash in the credit for cash..and NOT just chips. The rep had tocheck, but she was told that the casino credit was only good for chips and if I had leftover chips or credit, it could be cashed in at the end of the trip only..she then said perhaps this is just a "corporate policy" but not what actually happens on the ships...so I told her I would check and call back before we put a thousand or more down in casino credits and then it sits there for us only to gfamble with!

 

Can you explain exactly what you did and teh procedure..were you given chips each time you withdrew from your credit..or did they give you physical cash for you to then cash in for chips (or whatever you wanted to do with the cash)? You then walked the cash to guest relations and got the polynesian francs?

 

thanks for any clarification you can give me!

[travelgirl913]

Hi Travelgirl! I hope you read this before Monday night...we leave early Tuesday. I just called Princess to order teh casino credit but wanted to make sure with them that Ic ould indeed cash in the credit for cash..and NOT just chips. The rep had tocheck, but she was told that the casino credit was only good for chips and if I had leftover chips or credit, it could be cashed in at the end of the trip only..she then said perhaps this is just a "corporate policy" but not what actually happens on the ships...so I told her I would check and call back before we put a thousand or more down in casino credits and then it sits there for us only to gfamble with!

 

Can you explain exactly what you did and teh procedure..were you given chips each time you withdrew from your credit..or did they give you physical cash for you to then cash in for chips (or whatever you wanted to do with the cash)? You then walked the cash to guest relations and got the polynesian francs?

 

thanks for any clarification you can give me!

 

 

Hi,

 

I was told the same on the phone by Princess that is why I only did $500.00. Then once on the ship it was not the case. Sometime during the 1st day on the ship our casino credits were delivered. We brought them to the cashier at the casino and she gave us US money cash for them. Then if you like the front desk can change any money you have into local currency. The only problem I encountered was the front desk never sent the other half of the reciept to the casino so they had no record I was to get the money on their end. It took three days and a few visits to the front desk then finally they delivered the proper paper to the casino so I could get my money. I'm hoping that by now the front desk knows what to do with them. It really seemed though that they just overlooked delivering ours becuase I saw other slips waiting for pick up at the casino.

 

Have a wonderful trip!! I still need to finish my review on here. I just haven't had a chance to get back to it yet.

 

Judith

[maygoddess]

Thanks for the update..my DH was just too nervous about teh whole thing, so he ran down to the bank and got travelers checks shortly after I posted! Of course we had to pay for the TC fee AND a cash advance off a credit card..but now we know we have the money in hand without worrying that someone will hold our money "ransom" during the trip!

 

Thanks for your input!