cash advance from ship or ATM?

[crazy4cruisn]

We will be on the Rotterdam to South America. I called to ask about an onboard ATM and was told that the front desk was the ATM, that $1000 per day was the limit charged against your credit card for 3 percent. I am wondering if the credit card company would then charge you another cash advance and charge you from that time on. Anyone have any experience with this. I thought it would save time from having to hunt an ATM and maybe having difficulty using it.

[Jemima]

We cash traveler's checks onboard and this has worked well for us. We find we don't spend much actual cash on a cruise. We use a credit card on shore since that usually gets a better or fairer exchange rate. Following these procedures we really don't spend much cash in ports - just for very inexpensive items or places where we are not comfortable using the credit card.

[lougee1043]

that $1000 per day was the limit charged against your credit card for 3 percent. I am wondering if the credit card company would then charge you another cash advance and charge you from that time on. Anyone have any experience with this. I thought it would save time from having to hunt an ATM and maybe having difficulty using it.

 

the 3% is a hal service charge and yes the credit card company would charge you interest on the cash advance---- have you looked into the possibility of using a debit card to take out cash already in your checking account just like you would do at the atm

[Krazy Kruizers]

Take travelor checks. Our AAA doesn't charge a fee to get them.

[crazy4cruisn]

Thanks for the good ideas. Does the ship take the debit cards no fee? I wonder what is the limit? Also, is there a fee for cashing the travelers checks onboard? We will probably need about $1000 for various private guides in each port.

[SDHALFAN]

Thanks for the good ideas. Does the ship take the debit cards no fee? I wonder what is the limit? Also, is there a fee for cashing the travelers checks onboard? We will probably need about $1000 for various private guides in each port.

 

Sorry that I am neither KK or Lougee but I do know for a fact that there is no charge for cashing Travelers' Checks at the Front Office - I do it all the time, however that is in U.S. dollars.

 

We were on the ms Ryndam back in 2001 for 34 days - San Diego to Rio - and never once did we need "foreign" currency, our U.S. dollars or credit cards were willingly accepted everywhere. Just be warned that if you are going to the Falkland Islands that they will take your U.S. dollars but will give you the change in Falkland Islands' currency which you cannot spend anywhere on earth other than the Falkland Islands, but hey it's a wonderful souvenir - I am the only one in my circle of friends who has a few coins from the Falkland Islands.

 

Have a wonderful cruise - you are going to love the Rotterdam and South America.

 

Valerie:)

[seniormiss]

the 3% is a hal service charge and yes the credit card company would charge you interest on the cash advance---- have you looked into the possibility of using a debit card to take out cash already in your checking account just like you would do at the atm

 

I am under the impression that the credit card company will not charge you as getting a cash advance, which is much higher than just a regular charge...I think I had read that somewhere else.

[Schplinky]

It would not be a cash advance, since HAL is not a bank. When we get cash at the casino on RCL, it is simply added to our room account (there is no 3% fee for this on RCL) and our credit card treats it as a normal purchase.

 

Avoid the shipboard ATMs like the plague. Their fees are exhorbitant and are on top of what your own bank might charge you.

[RuthC]

Avoid the shipboard ATMs like the plague.

And that's easy to do on HAL---there are no ATM's on this line.

Some other lines do have them, though, so the advice is good on those.

[Schplinky]

And that's easy to do on HAL---there are no ATM's on this line.

Some other lines do have them, though, so the advice is good on those.

 

Thanks! I didn't know that. On RCL, the fee to use the ATM is $6 while you can get a cash advance charged to your room with no fee in the casino for free. I have no idea why people would ever use the ATM.

[crazy4cruisn]

So can they find out if you actually use it in the casino or use to for something off the ship? I used it one time to pay end of cruise gratuities when they were done in envelopes with cash.

[GeriatricNurse]

And that's easy to do on HAL---there are no ATM's on this line.

Some other lines do have them, though, so the advice is good on those.

 

 

:) There was an ATM on the Celebrity Millennium on our Eastern Caribbean cruise last April. It was situated in the Atrium adjacent to the Shore Excursion desk! Quite convenient! Of Course, DW & I did NOT use them!