How Much Cash?

My husband and I are taking a 7 day Carnival cruise, just the two of us. How much cash is recommended to take on a 7 day cruise for 2?

Thank You :)

It depends on a lot of factors. Are you using a credit or debit card to set up your sail and sign account? If not, you will need cash for that. Depending on the ports and excursions, you may need cash for them. You may need cash for the casino too if you like to play table games. Give us some more details and we can help you better. You may need lots of cash or very little.

My husband and I are taking a 7 day Carnival cruise, just the two of us. How much cash is recommended to take on a 7 day cruise for 2?

 

Thank You :)

Lots of different factors ... we're taking $650 (3 of us, 2 adults, 15 y/o son). We have $320 OBC, and will be putting a CC on account, and gratuities are pre-paid. Our cash is for transportation from Airport (FLL to Miami), any and all tipping (not prepaid gratuities, but cash stuff like porters, room service, in the islands). All of our excursions are prepaid, so cash on Islands is for souvies, food, etc. We really plan not to spend nearly that much with so many things pre-paid. :)

My wife and I went on a 12 day repo and we took $500 and came home with a small bit. This was only for taxis, tips etc. I had separate known cash for my excursions.

My rule of thumb you only will need half the clothes you think you will need and twice the money:o

It also depends if this is your first cruise.

Pictures are 22. bucks EACH

I prepaid tips-- which is now 12.00pp per night

My last cruise my sign and sail final bill was 5.50 (because i wanted to try a milkshake)

we do not drink and rare do we gamble.

but everything else was prepaid.

you cant go wrong with budgeting 100pp per night for spending etc.

We usually take $1000 and usually return with more than half or a lot more depending on how lucky we are in the casino. Most of our spending is in ports on food, drink and souvenirs. Rest is for additional gratuity and casino. Our S&S is linked to our credit card so those don't factor into the cash.

My rule of thumb you only will need half the clothes you think you will need and twice the money:o

Same here. We usually book independent tours when we arrive at the ports, know where we want to go and see, so need cash for that. There's always some shopping ashore and incidentals. Always come home with cash but have never run out.

The most cash we have ever spent was on an 18 night TA. We spent about $400. Everything else went on the S&S, which was linked to a credit card. Now I will admit, we are very frugal, but large amounts of cash in hand are an invitation to spend too much.

The S&S account is linked to the CC, so we use that for all our onboard spending, and save the cash for port purchases, etc. We don't drink that much, but enjoy going to the casino on the ship and at home. The casinos on the ship are tighter than the ones on land, so we don't play or lose as much. Our average onboard bill has been around $600.00 total including the onboard gratuity, and we budget $600-$1000 for our cash starting from when we leave the house, and return, and we often bring back most of it. Our first cruise we got overexcited about the photos, and bought about $600 worth:eek: After that, we purchased a good camera and take our own. We usually don't decide on excursions until we get on the ship. Our upcoming cruise will be a repeat itinerary from several years ago, so it'll be more of a relaxing cruise, except for the ports with the Mayan ruins, which we'll try to see one that we haven't before. After spending more money on souvenirs over the years than we spent on ourselves during our trips, we resolved not to buy souvenirs anymore except for a magnet for the fridge from places we haven't visited. No more lugging t-shirts, keychains, koozies, hats, shot glasses or mugs from every port for everybody from family to neighbors to the dog poop scooper service.

I usually budget $100 per port, which will cover lunch and some souvenirs. If we have booked a private excursion, that is additional.

Before we leave, I parcel out the $ into labeled envelopes, one for each port and excursion, plus one for room service tips, filled with just ones.

we always take $1000, we would rather bring some back than not have enough.

I bring $1000 for a family of 5. I dont like to use CC in ports. Cash only. I always have money left over (even after a few nights in the casino:rolleyes: ) The last night I will go down and pay off some of what is on my S&S card so it doesn't all show up on the CC when we get back. I would rather have too much than not enough. We only take 1 vacation a year and if I want to do something I (we) can.

Thanks for all the input everyone! I should have given more information:

We do plan on hitting the casino, but we aren't gamblers at all we just go for fun and aren't very good

For the ports we have an excursion booked in Cozumel (La Casa En La Playa)

and in Belize we are doing the Jeep Excursion

That leaves Grand Cayman we are planning to head to 7 mile and relax

and Mahogany Bay we are thinking Monkey Lala ATV or zip lining

Our gratuities are prepaid and we are hooking the S&S up to a credit card so all of the onboard expenses are covered.

On the islands couldn't you use a cc in some of the shops? now ik that the little stands and what not are only cash but the more established shops?

I had a CC with a low limit on it that I hadnt used in some time that I used on my purchases on land. I told my CC company that I was going on the cruise (which you should do anyway). Using that smaller card I found it easier to keep track in the event there was anything fraudulent going on as its used was limited. And, being such a low limit, if someone DID get ahold of it, their shopping spree would be cut short as well!

Everything on the ship was attached to another card.

As I said in an above post, cash was limited to taxi fare, tips etc. I didnt find much use for cash at all. I budgeted for my excursions ahead of time and had the cash for them in separate envelopes in the safe and took whatever I needed on that day.

I preferred everything on a card that I could pay all at once when I returned home.

Thanks for all the input everyone! I should have given more information:

We do plan on hitting the casino, but we aren't gamblers at all we just go for fun and aren't very good

 

For the ports we have an excursion booked in Cozumel (La Casa En La Playa)

and in Belize we are doing the Jeep Excursion

 

That leaves Grand Cayman we are planning to head to 7 mile and relax

and Mahogany Bay we are thinking Monkey Lala ATV or zip lining

 

Our gratuities are prepaid and we are hooking the S&S up to a credit card so all of the onboard expenses are covered.

For any of the electronic games, you can use your S&S card. You can also get cash for table games this way (deposit $ into your player bank using a slot machine, cash out player bank at cage).

Are you using a CC or cash for the excursions? I always like to have some cash on me while in port for emergencies. Other than the cost of your excursions, it looks like you won't need much cash.

I usually take about $800 to $1,000. I don't end up spending that much but it's there if I need it in an emergency

I had a CC with a low limit on it that I hadnt used in some time that I used on my purchases on land. I told my CC company that I was going on the cruise (which you should do anyway). Using that smaller card I found it easier to keep track in the event there was anything fraudulent going on as its used was limited. And, being such a low limit, if someone DID get ahold of it, their shopping spree would be cut short as well!

 

Everything on the ship was attached to another card.

 

As I said in an above post, cash was limited to taxi fare, tips etc. I didnt find much use for cash at all. I budgeted for my excursions ahead of time and had the cash for them in separate envelopes in the safe and took whatever I needed on that day.

 

I preferred everything on a card that I could pay all at once when I returned home.

I understand why you would think the low limit credit card was a good thing. However in a real emergency you would need an exceptionally high limit card to pay your way back before your insurance paid you several weeks later

Also if you are a victim of credit card fraud you just report it and are only responsible for something like $50 anyway

I personally have 2 travel only credit cards

One has a $30000 limit

One has a $3000 limit

Used accordingly

Notice there is absolutely no mention at all of debit card use as I always use OPM (other people's money) first when traveling. Also I never give any entity access to my checking account be it travel/ grocery shopping/ restaurants. Nada! The only access any entity gets to my checking account is when I write them a check ( thru automatic bill pay at my bank if course) and the occasional ATM usage at my very secure indoor bank ATM

For the uninitiated OPM refers to credit card use not borrowing from my travel companions. Lol

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You may need cash for the casino too if you like to play table games.

Make sure that some of your cash is in the form of $1 and $5 bills. We tip the driver of the transfer vehicle, the porter at the pier, the room service staff, and those same people on the return trip.