Travel and Credit Cards

[Novice Senior]

I've been following the Canadian money discussion with interest and it prompted this bit of advice.

We were on a South American cruise last winter and an elderly lady was in tears as her Visa had been cancelled. Turns out she didn't first notify her card of her anticipated travels and so to protect her rejected charges in Chilean ports. Needless to say ship staff helped with calls to get it reinstated -- to pay her final cruise charges I assume.

We keep one credit card for travel and ALWAYS call to give them our plans a week or so in advance of our trip. On more exotic trips if we fear we might have to use it for emergency cash advances should ATMs fail us we prepay a thousand or two dollars, just in case to save horrendous interest charges.

We no longer rely on travellers' cheques for such emergencies.

Ruth

[LisaP]

Excellent advice, Ruth. We do the same before we travel. We also contact our bank, not only to alert them that the ATM card will be used overseas, but to get instruction on how to do so (some ATMs in Europe, for instance, limit PINs to 4 digits). Both the charge card companies and banks also give us phone numbers to use should we encounter any emergencies.

[Novice Senior]

Just some more 'worry wart' advice. Besides phone numbers for card companies we have a standing page of international numbers to call in case of lost or stolen cards, our own card numbers and numbers for our health travel insurance. Interesting our travel insurance requests we call before obtaining hospital care -- can't imagine requesting a doctor hold the emergency service until we call. Fortunately we've never been in that position.

We also carry two colour photocopies of our passports in different suitcases or bags. Our own children laughed until our son had everything stolen in Arizona on a business trip and had a horrible time getting credit and back into Canada. And to top it off, he had to phone us for our exact birthdates for the embassy checks. At least he remembered where we were born. Needless to say he now carries photocopies of everything.

Some friends simply scan such documents into their computers and mail it to their travel Email address. That's still risky by my standards.

We've come relatively late to cruising which seems to involve fewer risks. Hotel/cabin safes are still a novelty for us. Best travel deal around.

Ruth -- prepared for any eventualities