Always call the bank and let them know when you are going out of the country snd the details as much as is practical.
Contact your bank from each port where possible. Update your itinerary. Also use where safe the internet to check on accounts. Ask them what steps you can take to forestall problems.
Carry enough cash to get you checked in to a country and to their banks. ATM fees are ATM fees. Some high some low. In some cases you can get a stated daily limit with a credit card and a passport.
Debit cards count as checks just like paper. Use them internationally you pay the same fee per tranaction. Credit Cards you don't. At least on the US end. But credit cards can protect against fraud, failure to deliver goods, items hat don't work etc.
For ongoing bills set up a special account with the bank. Same with credit card loans or regular loans. Autopay the minimum in each case, more if you want. Then when you get somewhere hook up and make the major payment tranfers.
Banks and especially the fly by night card companies like Orchard, Providian and Capitol One will stop or block your card...just to get you to call in to see if you want a credit increase or a new product. Haven't found this out with major banks be they BA in the US or WestPac of Australia.
While on the subject of shady outfits be careful with Capitol One especially. It's pure hell to pay off and close out a credit account. Their trick is to not close the account, charge an annualor other fee then start with the fines and interest.
Cap One has only one thing in your wallet and that's their fingers. Kinda like Cingular or ATT or whatever they are calling themselves these days.
Get a real card from a real bank.
Legitimate credit cards are generally on the side of the consumer as most businesses know. Give them a fairly valid complaint they will reverse the charges and investigate.
Case in point when Cingular started raiding former customers accounts BankAmerica blocked them.
If at all possible have someone monitor things for you during absences. and replenish that on-hand cash before departing to the next port.
Slightly off subject be careful of where you send packages. Two times now I've had Canada customs go postal. The latest is a $55 customs fee on a $5 item markd 'gift.' Besides sending things to Canada is prohibitively expensive. That item, an audio cassette was $20 something UPS or $40 plus post office from Florida. The choices were addressee pays C$55 duty or I pay it plus cost of return for a total of $139. Someone's getting rich up there.
In the Pacific most stop by American Samoa with it's US Postal system connection. This works well most of the time although things often go astray. Ensure the package is sent to you by air not ground. Ground is in short supply between Samoa and the US mainland. Yep I've seen that happen. Another reason to purchase with a credit card that can have the charges reversed for non-delivery.
Funnily enough the packages I sent to the US so far from places around theworld were delivered faster from the remote countries than the one's on direct jet routes.
Not all of this will apply to everyone in all situations.
Just some off the top of my head recollections of things to be aware of...
Michael D