Pre Paid Currency Card

[BenMurphy]

Hi All

 

A simple question for you!

We are from the U.K. As we will be travelling before we join our cruise in Alaska we are going to buy a pre paid card, that is load some USD onto it and use it while we are away.

We have a number of reasons for doing this : security as we don't want to carry cash and.........the main reason: If I buy before we go I can fix the rate.

We have a referendum while we away and depending on the outcome the markets will go haywire!!

I know we will not have an earth shattering amount of money and we could win or loose,but that's not the question.

I have a credit card that does not make a charge for overseas transactions so that's a back up and the one I will submit when we board.

 

My question is: If we have a balance on the card will we be able to use it to pay off any balance on our shipboard account? It works just like a credit card and has all Master Card logo and chip on it.

 

Thanks in advance

regards,

Josie

[jo-b]

Don't know the answer Josie but you could try calling Oceania UK number 0345 505 1920

[Tansy Mews]

Another suggestion. If you can get low cost or no cost US traveller's cheques, Oceania will cash them at no cost. You could use them to pay off your bar bill or we used them to get cash so that we could pay cash for tours in destinations where the USD was the required currency. At our Canadian bank, we aren't charged anything extra for them (based on our bank account). BTW, there is a limit per day for cashing them - several hundred dollars.

 

Frances

Toronto, Canada

[babysteps]

Should work - but you might need to plan some extra steps.

 

The evening (afternoon?) before you disembark, if you have $ remaining on your prepaid card, go down to the front desk and ask to pay your bill with the prepaid card - if all goes as planned, this will not be your entire bill, just whatever the balance of your card is. I do not know if the front desk will be able to check the card balance, so you might want to have that info available for them (that is "could you put $37.42 of my bill on this card please").

 

Ask the desk, but I am assuming that the balance of your bill would then go on whatever card you swiped at check in (your no-transaction-charge card).

 

Plan "B" could be a shopping spree at your departure airport, if that's in the US

[SellaVee]

Josie, I haven't used a USD card but I have preloaded one with Euros for a trip to Italy and we used it exactly like a credit card. We've also previously settled our onboard account with a mixture of leftover US dollars and credit card so my guess is that it would work, but I haven't tried it.

[kitty9]

We were told by Oceania that they will not accept any of those pre paid cards, like those here in the US we call Visa gift cards. We were told that any card we use must have your name embossed on it. If you get a pre-loaded card from your bank, some will have your name embossed on the card, but you need to find out if your bank does this.

[SellaVee]

We were told by Oceania that they will not accept any of those pre paid cards, like those here in the US we call Visa gift cards. We were told that any card we use must have your name embossed on it. If you get a pre-loaded card from your bank, some will have your name embossed on the card, but you need to find out if your bank does this.

 

The currency card I used was from FairFX. I checked their website and they are secure chip and pin Mastercards with the cardholder's name on it in the usual way.

 

Seems like the best bet is to ask Oceania.

[BenMurphy]

Hi

 

trying to talk to Oceania is like trying to talk to the fairies!

 

The front desk have been very helpful in the past and have taken €uro and other currencies from me as credit against our bill. Poor exchange rates mind you,but I had no need for them.

 

Anyway plan is to buy a Fair FX card and load some US on to it and buy some readies too!

 

it's not exactly a mountain of money,but we're travelling from the UK via Chicago, Empire Builder and Seattle before joining Regatta.

And as you say.......................there's always the airport for any left overs.

 

thanks for all the help

best regards,

josie