Travellers Cheques

[marylovestotravel]

I haven't used travellers cheques when travelling for a long time now because of difficulties getting them cashed. Does anyone know if Oceania would cash a $US travellers cheque without charge? I need cash to pay for tours and don't like carrying large amounts of cash around.

 

Thanks

 

Mia

[tropicalkerry2002]

Yes, they will. I just cashed $1000 worth on board. No fee.

They are harder to find now...my bank had to order them in, but so much easier than carrying a wad of bills when travelling.

[StanandJim]

I haven't used travellers cheques when travelling for a long time now because of difficulties getting them cashed. Does anyone know if Oceania would cash a $US travellers cheque without charge? I need cash to pay for tours and don't like carrying large amounts of cash around.

 

Thanks

 

Mia

 

I think that we have to be careful with this question because Oceania ships wander the World, and there are different monetary needs in different areas.

 

For example, it is true that the front desk will cash a Travelers check, but the funds will be disbursed only in the Currency which Oceania uses, i.e. US Dollars.

 

Also, use of the phrase "large amounts" troubles me, as the ships will not typically lay in huge amounts of dollars, particularly if the local currency is something different.

 

In short, the front desk cashes travelers checks as a convenience only, not as a Bank would. It's fine for small amounts, occasionally.

[Flatbush Flyer]

Use ATMs

[Hawaiidan]

Use ATMs

 

The wise thing is as Flatbush just said use an ATM and get cash in local currency that you need...

If you cash on the ship you checks, there will not be a charge to cash the check but you will be charged a hefty commission for the currency its self !

 

With the ATM no commission for the money and get it at best bankers rate..... may have a small fee but nothing like at an exchange

 

Leave the checks at home, no merchant likes them and as you mentioned hard to cash....

[canuck.qc]

I haven't used travellers cheques when travelling for a long time now because of difficulties getting them cashed. Does anyone know if Oceania would cash a $US travellers cheque without charge? I need cash to pay for tours and don't like carrying large amounts of cash around.

 

Thanks

 

Mia

 

We use ATMs. Take out cash as we go. Most ports have plenty available.

I prepare envelopes with the name of the tour company and amount.

We ask the guide to stop at a safe ATM at the end of the tour and sometimes take out enough for the following tour. Easy and no large amounts of cash.

[tropicalkerry2002]

AGAIN:

 

IF you buy your checks in US dollars, and you want to CASH them into US dollars to pay foreign guides who want US dollars, as in Brazil, or some tours in French Polynesia where I am now, YES Oceania will cash them with no fee.

I am on 2 segments of the almost over world cruise, and they didn't bat an eye at $1000 US.

Edited June 3, 2016 by tropicalkerry2002

[marylovestotravel]

Thanks to everyone for their answers. I'm afraid I'm one of those people who don't like to carry cash. For me, most of the time, there is no need as I have my handy-dandy credit cards :). The exception is when we are travelling and, as many others, I have come to rely on ATM's. They are a very convenient way to get local currency and now that some duty free shops accept all currencies, there is an easy way to unload leftover money. (I'm sure the rates are murderous though!) As tropicalkerry has said, some tour guides want to be paid in US dollars and that is why I need a safe way to "carry cash."

 

Mia

[Mura]

For guides who want to be paid in U.S. dollars then cashing in traveler's checks on the ship will work, but as Stan suggested, the ship may not have "lots" on hand at any one time.

 

I am an ATM person, too, when we need local cash. On those occasions when we had a number of guides who wanted dollars (as when we did the Black Sea cruise in 2012), we just brought the dollars and then put them in the safe. It wasn't as if we were carrying a lot of cash much of the time (although yes, we had a lot of cash on hand from the time we left the house until the time we boarded the ship). But you have to do what makes you comfortable.

 

A warning: In many countries banks want pristine bills, so that is also something to consider. No torn or worn bills wanted. I was surprised when I went into my local Chase bank to get new bills and they didn't have any!

 

Mura

[Pet Nit Noy]

A warning: In many countries banks want pristine bills, so that is also something to consider. No torn or worn bills wanted. I was surprised when I went into my local Chase bank to get new bills and they didn't have any!

 

My local bank -- also Chase -- gave us useful information some time ago when we needed crisp, new US dollars. The Bureau of Printing and Engraving prints all the bills it expects to need for the next year toward the end of the current year. Apparently, there is high demand in the US for clean new bills for holiday presents. That means your local bank ought to have crisp bills on hand in December -- March. Cruisers may want to consider this fact even though their cruise may not take place until later in the year.

 

Mura did not add whether or not Chase was able to order clean, new bills and I can't answer that question either. Our bank actually had the money we needed the same visit when we learned the schedule for printing new money. However, ever since, we've gotten our crisp, new bills well before our cruise. Fortunately, there aren't too many destinations where US bills are requested/required so we don't routinely have new money sitting in our safe deposit box.

Edited June 4, 2016 by Pet Nit Noy

[sitraveler]

Oceania's reception deck seems to only have new bills. I've accused them of printing them on board, but they have denied it.

[Mura]

Mura did not add whether or not Chase was able to order clean, new bills and I can't answer that question either. Our bank actually had the money we needed the same visit when we learned the schedule for printing new money. However, ever since, we've gotten our crisp, new bills well before our cruise. Fortunately, there aren't too many destinations where US bills are requested/required so we don't routinely have new money sitting in our safe deposit box.

 

That's interesting about the availability of nice new money at the end of the year. In our case we were traveling in August so that wouldn't have helped us. Well, it might have had I known this information six months earlier! As I recall I didn't have time to ask them to order crisp bills so I managed with what I had. At least what they had wasn't torn, etc., and none of our guides objected.

 

Mura