CASH, CHECK, OR CREDIT CARD?

Cash is always convenient but you can only carry so much. We found that bringing a bit of cash for anticipated expenses the first couple days then using the ATM later on works best. It gives you the going exchange rate which is usually better than the airport money changers. Check with your bank for ATM fees. Almost all credit unions do not charge a fee but most other banks do. Chase charges a lot for using a non-Chase ATM.

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RCCL will cash your personal check up to $200. The ATM machine on the ship charges $8/transaction. On a Mediterranean cruise it will give you Euros. If you need USD, you can get it from the casino cash machine but don’t wait till the last minute. Day before the cruise ended, we needed USD to pay for our private transfer in Rome but the cash machines were ‘out of service’. I think the cruise lines were on to us and prefer us to use their ATM.

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Travelers checks are becoming obsolete. First you have to pay to get them, then there’s the fact that fewer merchants are accepting them (due to fraud), and some banks/money changers either charge a fee or give you a lousy exchange rate.

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Credit cards are best if the merchant accepts it. We use Capital One because they’re very nice and don’t charge a transaction fee, plus they give us points – such a deal!

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