Traveler's Check Question

[davidwhittaker]

I have never used traveler's checks before, can anyone tell me about them?

 

I am guess I can just go to my bank and take out $XXX worth of traveler's checks? Do I then get something like a check book or is it more like currency?

 

I have read on Carnival's website that I can redeem them at the pursar's desk for cash?

 

How are they safer than carrying normal cash?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Dave

[shepp]

I have never used traveler's checks before, can anyone tell me about them?

 

I am guess I can just go to my bank and take out $XXX worth of traveler's checks? Do I then get something like a check book or is it more like currency?

 

I have read on Carnival's website that I can redeem them at the pursar's desk for cash?

 

How are they safer than carrying normal cash?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Dave

 

You buy them in set amounts, e.g, 5x$50, and usually pay a fee, typically 1% unless you have a deal with your bank or have an Amex card. They come loose in an envelope. You sign them upon purchase and countersign them when you use them. And as long as you retain a record of your checks, they're 100% safer than cash, totally refundable if lost or stolen.

[MamaParrotHead]

and fairly conveinent. We take the bulk of our spending money in TC, and cash them onboard. I'd feel super paranoid walking around with a wad of cash.:o

[SummerXU]

I think traveler's checks, although more secure than cash, are a royal pain in the you know what! I used them once, and will never bother with them again! I was 20 and went to Jamaica and my mother insisted I use them. I had a hard time finding places that would accept them...small family owned restaurants and even some larger venues I visited wouldn't take them. I'm very lucky I had alternative means of funding (cash, debit card, etc) or I would've been hurting.

 

I also tend to think traveler's checks are a generational thing. Growing up, that's all I heard my parents and their friends talk about, but I don't really know anyone my age that uses them or likes them.

 

Don't get me wrong, though. I'm definitely not recommending you walk around with a wad of cash either. You just have to be smart about it.

 

Just my opinion though...

[Cukester]

As everyone else said they are much safer than cash. You get a paper with all of the numbers of your travellers cheques as well. DO NOT KEEP THESE TOGETHER. If you loose your cheques you can call the number provided on the envelope, and you will need to supply the person on the phone with the numbers of your cheques you lost. If you keep these papers together, you are out of luck.

 

Also, travellers cheques never expire, so if you do not spend them all, you can keep them for a future trip.

Also make sure you do not sign them off until you are infront of the person you are making a purchase from.

 

I just came back from a cruise and used travellers cheques. They were really convenient, and I was not as paranoid to keep so much 'cash' on me. Most places accepted them, and as the two above said, you can change them for cash at the pursers desk.

[Loves_Dogs]

I have been on 3 cruises and have used Travelers Checks in nearly all the ports and have had absolutley no trouble. Everyone takes them.

 

 

You buy them in various amounts (I prefer $50s). There are 2 places for you to sign, you pre-sign one of the lines when you buy the checks. Then, when you go to cash the checks, you sign again on a line next to the one you signed. That way, they can see if the signatures match. You are supposed to show ID as well. So much safer than carrying cash. If you are a member of AAA they are free, just contact one of their offices.

[Ephraim]

Traveller's cheques come in denominations of 10, 20, 50 and 100 and in many different currencies including USD, CAD, GBP and EUR. They are sold with an upcharge of 1% (but there are often deals so you don't have to pay this. My bank includes them with the monthly fee, some Amex offices offer them for free if you have an Amex card). There are at least 3 different companies that issue them, American Express, Visa and Thomas Cook/MasterCard. They come in single or double signature. The double signature require one of the two signatures to cash.

 

They are separate cheques that you can keep in your wallet. You sign them to cash them. If stolen, you can have them replaced. They also have information on their websites on where you can cash them in foreign countries at no extra cost, though I've had little problem getting them cashed if need be.

 

There is also the new traveller's cheque card alternative. This is a debit card with your cash on it.It can used just like a credit card and like an ABM card but if stolen, you can get an emergency replacement. This is also issued by Amex, Visa and MasterCard.

[GoinCruisin]

I take TC's on every cruise, never had a problem... the pursers desk will cash them without a problem. I get them at my bank, they don't charge a fee... they are very convenient and when traveling out of the country, I feel much better carrying those than cash!!

[Alibaster McGillicutty]

I think traveler's checks, although more secure than cash, are a royal pain in the you know what! I used them once, and will never bother with them again! I was 20 and went to Jamaica and my mother insisted I use them. I had a hard time finding places that would accept them...small family owned restaurants and even some larger venues I visited wouldn't take them. I'm very lucky I had alternative means of funding (cash, debit card, etc) or I would've been hurting.

 

I also tend to think traveler's checks are a generational thing. Growing up, that's all I heard my parents and their friends talk about, but I don't really know anyone my age that uses them or likes them.

 

Don't get me wrong, though. I'm definitely not recommending you walk around with a wad of cash either. You just have to be smart about it.

 

Just my opinion though...

 

We run into the same thing. Nobody in the ports we stopped really wanted to mess with them. Maybe they would have if that's all we had but we had a mix of these and cash so it wasn't a big deal. I doubt we will carry many on our next one. Heck, the parking garage we used in N'awlins one year didn't even want to take them??? Maybe I'm just a suspicious looking person?

 

I would say they are safer than cash but just be prepared in case someone doesn't take them. I didn't, however, know that the purser's desk would exchange for cash.

[PelicanBill]

We have also run into trouble in our travels with traveller's checks.

 

- Places that won't take them at all

- cashiers with no experience, delays waiting for someone who will authorize it, long line of annoyed people behind us

- Places that don't want to take a $50 check for a $30 transaction becuase they dont' want to give you cash back

- Places that don't recognize a brand of traveller's check (has happened with Thomas Cook, AAA, and others!)

 

So we will take them only if we will be at a hotel, cruise ship or other place that will know them and exchange for cash easily. We'll take $50s only to make it quick an easy.. only have to exchange 1 or 2 at a time.

[love2vacation]

We have only used them on one cruise. (me)

DH just takes cash and Debit Card, I take some cash and Debit Card. I did not have a problem getting them cashed on the ship, but some places at port will not take them so just plan ahead a get some cash for street vendors, cafes, etc.

 

DH can get cash from his debit card in the casino without paying a fee, so we use this method as well. The money machines on board do charge a fee for withdrawals.

 

Go ahead and get them if you feel more comfortable with them and cash them on board for port stops.

 

Have a great trip!

[bubbles1209]

We have used them on both of our cruises so far, and feel they are safer, because if lost or stolen you can get your money back. Also, they don't expire, as mentioned earlier. We had some left from our last trip and are holding onto them for our next trip in June. You sign them up top when you first get them, then sign them in front of the person that is cashing it, that's it. They do let you use them in the casino, at least on Liberty we were able to use them with i.d. If you are worried about people in the different ports accepting/not accepting them, cash some out at the purser's desk before you go into port. Most ports we went to did accept them though, we've never had a problem.

[shepp]

I was 20 and went to Jamaica and my mother insisted I use them. I had a hard time finding places that would accept them...small family owned restaurants and even some larger venues I visited wouldn't take them. I'm very lucky I had alternative means of funding (cash, debit card, etc) or I would've been hurting.

 

On the other hand...(and this is depending how you travel - many posters here never do extended overland trips in developing countries, so YMMV...) I've been on vacation in Antigua, Guatemala when the entire town's ATM network went down for almost two days, and I sure was glad to have brought TCs. And when I was in Ecuador, I met a traveler who was the victim of an ATM scam, and his entire bank account had been drained. On the other hand, when I was robbed in Thailand, Amex had replacements in my hand within a day. I think the key is to have at least two sources of cash on hand.