My experience with Canadian money
in [Cruise Ship]
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From: Charles on 12 Jul 2010 13:41 Barbara Brown <babrown99(a)wowway.com> wrote: > I would never get a Capital One card after all the stuff that happened > with them. I'd rather pay a fee with another card if necessary. What stuff? I don't recall anything happening. I don't have their card, I have the Schwab card but Bill says it is no longer issued so I mentioned Capital One to save on the fee. Even if you don't get one of those it is best to make your purchases on a credit card or use an ATM PIN card to get cash. Course it is your choice to spend as much on fees and bad exchange rates if you wish. -- Charles
From: John Sisker on 12 Jul 2010 14:28 "Marcia" <Marcia(a)spamlessinlasvegas.org> wrote in message news:i1bpjj$sf2$1(a)news.eternal-september.org... > BikeRider50 wrote: >> On 7/10/2010 6:04 PM, Marcia wrote: >>> Stu wrote: >>>> On Sat, 10 Jul 2010 13:17:02 -0700, Marcia >>>> <Marcia(a)spamlessinlasvegas.org> wrote: >>>> >>>>> I thought this might help, unless things have changed a lot since the >>>>> last time I was in Canada. >>>>> >>>>> I returned to the States with over $12 in Canadian coins...including >>>>> several dollar coins...when I went to Calgary around 15 years ago. I >>>>> discovered at that time that I could convert paper money back to US >>>>> dollars but not coins. I brought the coins back to Victoria with me >>>>> this trip, used $7 to pay for the shuttle into town and some of the >>>>> rest to make up the difference paying for the few small things I >>>>> bought in town. Every place we went into took American money but only >>>>> gave change back in Canadian. By the time we were waiting in line to >>>>> board the shuttle back to the ship, I realized if I wanted to run in >>>>> and buy a drink, all I had at that point were 20 dollar bills. Had I >>>>> thought about it sooner, I would have made sure to bring lots of >>>>> singles with me! >>>>> >>>>> Marcia >>>> >>>> Our two monies are almost at par, so if you gave them American money, >>>> you'd expect to get Canadian back. Would you expect American change in >>>> Mexico, Spain or Italy? Singles are a good idea though. >>> >>> Just saying you can't exchange the change when you get back home, so I >>> wish I had some small bills with me to buy a drink with while waiting >>> for the shuttle bus back to the ship. I didn't want to end up with a lot >>> of Canadian money again that I can't use here. >>> >>> Marcia >> >> Don't you live in Las Vegas? Just about every casino in Las Vegas will >> accept or exchange foreign currency at the casino cage for US dollars or >> casino chips, which can then be exchanged for US dollars. >> > I didn't live here the last time I was up in Canada. I just posted my > original post as something to think about...bring some small bills...if > you were going to be in port in Canada. > > Marcia Hi Marica, This dialogue has produced quite a bit of feedback in regards to foreign money and exchange rates. While some gave very good and sound advice, this subject was of particular interest to us. While on our last cruise to Northern Europe & the Baltic's, naturally we had some concerns about all the foreign currency we would need. Obviously, we started out with US Dollars, but somewhere along the line, Pounds, Euros, and three different Krones (Norway, Sweden, Denmark) would come into play. While we started out with the intent to get just the right requirements for the countries involved, along with the best exchange rates, we quickly give up trying to play that game. On the other hand, we noticed that others did not, some exchanging one for another right on the ship itself, through a number of machines they had set up just for this purpose. Others, were more concerned about getting better exchange rates, so in each port, they were off the nearest bank they could find, just for this purpose. However, our premise was not so much to visit the banks when we were in a port the first time, but to actually see and experience the sights and culture. The bottom line is, we simply used a credit card for all our significant purchases no matter where we were and in all the countries, with some one and fives in US Dollars for any tipping. No one seems to turn that down, or even had any complains with us tipping in US Dollars. Now, we also know that there would be an extra service charge for using our credit card while overseas, but it was a lot more convenient to us than doing things any other way. Plus, it turned out that the service change was not really as bad as some portrayed it would be. One note about your ATM debit card. While we could have used that instead of our regular credit card, even our bank warned us not to. Use it for cash in US Dollars only if necessary. The reason is, a debit card is an instant transaction, the money is deducted from you account right away. On the other hand, if something is questionable about a charge on a credit card, at least there is a little time to question such a purchase, before you actually have to pay for it. Smooth sailing to all... John Sisker
From: peter on 12 Jul 2010 14:40 X-no-archive: yes On 7/12/10 7:41 PM, in article 8a12eoFfibU1(a)mid.individual.net, "Charles" <fort(a)his.com.remove.invalid> wrote: > Barbara Brown <babrown99(a)wowway.com> wrote: > >> I would never get a Capital One card after all the stuff that happened >> with them. I'd rather pay a fee with another card if necessary. > > What stuff? I don't recall anything happening. Charles was probably away on one of his many stacked cruises to the Caribbean when the government bought billions of dollars of Capital One preferred stock, which Capital One subsequently redeemed. Barbara may be concerned that that "stuff" might affect her credit. I have no idea why, but I would expect Charles, an irrational person himself, to immediately understand Barbara's logic. > Even if you don't get one of > those it is best to make your purchases on a credit card or use an ATM > PIN card to get cash. Course it is your choice to spend as much on fees > and bad exchange rates if you wish. Which is what she will do. >
From: Thumper on 12 Jul 2010 14:52 On Mon, 12 Jul 2010 10:50:18 -0500, Barbara Brown <babrown99(a)wowway.com> wrote: >On 7/11/2010 9:57 PM, Charles wrote: >> In article<0uvk36tkln6k29aa86rk69ch1fhqa41n5t(a)4ax.com>, >> <gmbeasley(a)mindspring.com> wrote: >> >>> I would not use a credit card as they charge from the day of >>> withdrawal even if you pay your balance off every month. The only way >>> I know of to avoid this is to put in money in advance so your credit >>> card is over paid. I just us a debit card which does not charge >>> interest on the withdrawal. I also do not use my bank's ATM card as >>> they charge a fee, and my debit card does not. >> >> I don't mean use your credit card to get a cash advance. Charge your >> purchases instead of using cash. Preferably using a Capital One or >> other card with no foreign transaction fee. Use your bank debit ATM >> card by PIN number to get any cash. >> >I would never get a Capital One card after all the stuff that happened >with them. I'd rather pay a fee with another card if necessary. > All of the big card companies raised my rates 2 years ago "just because we can" as they told me. My credit number was high and I never missed a payment. I canceled all my cards except the one from my credit union. Now I am again receiving offers every few weeks from all of them. The ones that send them in a postage paid envelope get a return with a big "Hell No" written across the offer. Alternatively I send back the empty envelope. It's my little way of screwing them back for the few pennies it costs. THumper
From: Tom K on 12 Jul 2010 18:38
On 7/12/10 2:28 PM, John Sisker wrote: > > This dialogue has produced quite a bit of feedback in regards to foreign > money and exchange rates. While some gave very good and sound advice, > this subject was of particular interest to us. While on our last cruise > to Northern Europe & the Baltic's, naturally we had some concerns about > all the foreign currency we would need. Obviously, we started out with > US Dollars, but somewhere along the line, Pounds, Euros, and three > different Krones (Norway, Sweden, Denmark) would come into play. While > we started out with the intent to get just the right requirements for > the countries involved, along with the best exchange rates, we quickly > give up trying to play that game. > That's where a local beer at the end of the day comes into play... Gets rid of all local currency... LOL let's see... in Copenhagen it was a Royal beer... expensive but outstanding... In Amsterdam... the sky's the limit... In Stockholm... I forget, but it was at the Hard Rock Cafe... In Tallin... it wasn't worth remembering... a little place in the middle of one of the pedestrian streets... should have picked another place... France has Kronenberg. Italy has Nostro Azzurro Belgium has Stella... Norway has Hansa (much better than Ringness IMO)... And Germany... just pick a place that's got a sign that says they're around since the 1500's (means they're doing something right) and you're in "heaven"... Ireland has an endless list of options... Now THAT'S how you get rid of local currency. And anyone who disagrees with my choices... we'll just have to go there and have a friendly competition... --Tom |