How much cash to bring?

Just need cash for tipping the staff, if you never leave the ship. If you order room service, $2 to $5 each time depending on how big a load you make the staff person carry to your room. We always tip our room steward, usually minimum $20 for the trip. As well, at least on RCI, it's traditional to tip the dining room wait staff for your table on the last night, probably $20 for the main server and the same or less for the assistant.

I go ashore at the ports, hire taxis, or take local excursions, and I always bring a $100 US bill. I keep this in my safe underwear place. It's just an insurance policy that makes me feel comfortable exploring on my own. If the bus breaks down, if the taxi doesn't show up for the return trip, I figure there is always a guy with a vehicle who will get me back to the ship on time for $100. Just my security blanket!

Hello! My friends and I are taking a 9 day RC cruise this summer to celebrate our 30th birthdays (first time cruisers). My husband and I tried to prepay as much in advance as we could: gratuities, taxes and port fees, an ultimate beverage package, 3 excursions etc.. How much would you recommend we take in cash? I've read some sites that said $500 and some said $100 per day but no one specified if they prepaid anything. Thanks so much!:)

One cannot answer this question reasonably without knowing your spending means/priorities. Looking for unusual original art endemic to the region you are visiting? In some cases, the positives of cash may outweigh the negatives (e.g., discounts get significantly better in the Greek Islands when you are using cash). In that case you may want to have several hundred dollars (or Euros or other acceptable notes) on hand.

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Everyone is different, but I always pre-pay for excursions and everything I can before I go on the cruise. I take around $300 cash, with a mixture of small bills. When I get off of the ship at a port, I usually take $100 cash and will use that for souvenirs and tips for excursions. I don't use my credit card at all, although I have it in case I need it. While on the ship, we rarely need cash. I always give a cash tip for room service. Since purchases on the ship are cashless, there is no need to carry much.

I tip cash to the porter at the pier and a small tip of maybe $5 to the shuttle bus driver. I put small bills of $1's and $5's in an envelope for room service tips (around $30..just in case). I take about $50 cash in small bills in Caribbean ports and my credit card is usually what I use for purchases whenever possible. There's always the ice cream or the soft drink that I can't live without and sometimes a cheap souvenir. I've only had one time when I wished I had carried more cash. When I leave the ship, I use a porter for the luggage and I tip. I use a shuttle to the airport (pre-paid) and I tip. When I arrive at the airport at home, I tip the shuttle driver that takes us to the offsite parking garage who loads and unloads our luggage. These are standard or us so we know to have the money available each time.

if I never leave the ship do I need cash ?

On board it depends on your attitude to tipping over and above the pre-paid gratuities and whether you might need cash for use in the casino; otherwise, you can pay for everything with your ship's card which eventually goes on your filed credit card.

In addition to on board cash requirement, you might need cash for miscellaneous expenses before and after the cruise.

So, if we do the dog sled ride or a sight seeing flight , tip the pilot and sled people ?

when having good time I try to show my appreciation for showing my better half a fun time :D

Best rule of thumb someone told me: Lay out all the clothes you intend to bring. Put half the clothes back, and take twice the money you estimated.

I always think this advise is silly. Sure, I could cut back on the clothes and probably be fine but I just don't get the connection. If people are asking for advise about clothes then give that advise. If it is about money then talk money. I just don't get the comparison. This is not an attack on you for your advise so please don't take it that way. I see it on CC all the time.

OP - I bring around $1000 in cash (or more) and 2 credit cards with high balances. Cash can be put back in the bank if you don't use it but if you DO need it - you need it now. The more in my group the more cash I take. We are traveling with our 4 grandkids and with all shore excursions paid for and everything else on the ship I can use my credit card, I am still bringing $2000 plus with me.

I use the money for individual tips. For example, say we are on a water excursion. Rather then me tip $20 for the group, I give each individual money. I realized that when I hand the operator the money they think that I"m a big tipper and the rest are stiffing them. So for each person I will hand them $1 or $2 dollars and they will hand it to the operator.

Also, on land some souvenirs will be a dollar or two. If you give them a $20 US bill you just might get back local money and what are you going to do with $18 Jamaican money? You might as well flush it down the toilet unless you plan on going back there soon. The same goes for credit cards. There are places I'm not too sure about using my card so prefer to pay cash.

I always think this advise is silly. Sure, I could cut back on the clothes and probably be fine but I just don't get the connection. If people are asking for advise about clothes then give that advise. If it is about money then talk money. I just don't get the comparison. This is not an attack on you for your advise so please don't take it that way. I see it on CC all the time.

 

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i second this. i wanted to bring 9 shirts and 2 shorts on my 7 nite cruise. if i brought just 4 shirts and 1 shorts i feel id be really stinky :) most days are full days out and about on ship or shore and pretty sure no one wears the same shirts day after day at home so why do it on a cruise.

I always make sure I get $50 in $1 bills whenever I travel. Lots of people to tip - porters, shuttle drivers, waiters, etc. You go thru them quickly. Also, in ports, if you buy with American dollars, any change you get will be in the local currency. I've never spent even close to $100 per port, but YMMV.

 

Roz

If you end up with local currency it might be a thought to leave it for the room steward as extra tip money. they are likely to be able to use the local currency before you, unless you cruise often to the same countries

Do any of you guys carrying these large amounts of cash worry about it getting stolen or robbed ? I'm going to the Bahama's and I wouldn't feel comfortable carrying large amounts of cash with me. I really don't like carrying large amounts of cash around anywhere.

Do any of you guys carrying these large amounts of cash worry about it getting stolen or robbed ? I'm going to the Bahama's and I wouldn't feel comfortable carrying large amounts of cash with me. I really don't like carrying large amounts of cash around anywhere.

The more nervous or scared you look the more a thief will think you have something worth stealing. If you cling to your purse and open it an inch to get your cash out someone is more likely to think you have something worth hiding. If you act normal, they think "huh, maybe I should go after that guy". I used to manage to cash businesses, an apartment building and a storage unit. Lots of cash. My boss told me to hurry out so that no one would rob me. I said, how about I walk out at a normal rate and they won't know I just collected the rent and merely think me a tenant or visitor.

Do any of you guys carrying these large amounts of cash worry about it getting stolen or robbed ? I'm going to the Bahama's and I wouldn't feel comfortable carrying large amounts of cash with me. I really don't like carrying large amounts of cash around anywhere.

Not really. The most dangerous part of the cash-carrying trip, IMO, is the airport in Fort Lauderdale or Miami. After that, the envelopes of cash are in the hotel safe, tucked away on my person during the cab ride to the ship the next day, or in the ship's cabin safe. No need to carry very much ashore in the Bahamas or anyplace else, just what you might need. The camera I carry + my phone + my iPad total way value more than the cash I take on a trip, and I don't worry about those either. I am careful but not paranoid. If/when something is lost or stolen, it can be replaced and insurance is there to help.

Do any of you guys carrying these large amounts of cash worry about it getting stolen or robbed ? I'm going to the Bahama's and I wouldn't feel comfortable carrying large amounts of cash with me. I really don't like carrying large amounts of cash around anywhere.

Not really. Everyday you prob walk around w a smart phone which cost $600-$800 and u don't give it a second thought. When I'm in transit my cash is either hidden on my person or in my carry on which I don't let out of my sight. When I'm mid-trip the cash is in my room safe and I just carry the cash I need for the day with me.

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Everyone is different, but I always pre-pay for excursions and everything I can before I go on the cruise. I take around $300 cash, with a mixture of small bills. When I get off of the ship at a port, I usually take $100 cash and will use that for souvenirs and tips for excursions. I don't use my credit card at all, although I have it in case I need it. While on the ship, we rarely need cash. I always give a cash tip for room service. Since purchases on the ship are cashless, there is no need to carry much.

Perfect this is my plan ;)

You are always better off bringing more money with you just to be safe.

Sure there are ATM's at the ports but, then you have to start paying extra fees with foreign banks.

The day you embark you will need tip money for the porters who take your luggage, very important to tip these people, $5 minimum per bag.

You'll also want to give cash tips to your room steward, waiter and assistant waiter regardless if you did pre-paid tips or not. The pre-paid tips are pooled to the entire crew.

For a 9-day cruise I would usually bring $900 with me. If you come home with $300 that's great. But, you will always feel much more secure knowing you have it than you don't.

Jonathan

Hello! My friends and I are taking a 9 day RC cruise this summer to celebrate our 30th birthdays (first time cruisers). My husband and I tried to prepay as much in advance as we could: gratuities, taxes and port fees, an ultimate beverage package, 3 excursions etc.. How much would you recommend we take in cash? I've read some sites that said $500 and some said $100 per day but no one specified if they prepaid anything. Thanks so much!:)

The first time I cruised I took $500 for a 7 day cruise .

You are always better off bringing more money with you just to be safe.

 

 

 

Sure there are ATM's at the ports but, then you have to start paying extra fees with foreign banks.

 

 

 

The day you embark you will need tip money for the porters who take your luggage, very important to tip these people, $5 minimum per bag.

 

 

 

You'll also want to give cash tips to your room steward, waiter and assistant waiter regardless if you did pre-paid tips or not. The pre-paid tips are pooled to the entire crew.

 

 

 

For a 9-day cruise I would usually bring $900 with me. If you come home with $300 that's great. But, you will always feel much more secure knowing you have it than you don't.

 

 

 

Jonathan

So much misinformation in a single post!

It's easy to avoid foreign bank transaction fees by using an ATM from a US bank that refunds ATM fees (of course, you will still be subject to currency conversion rates - but they are generally less when using ATMs than you would spend ordering cash at home.

While it is a personal decision, $5 per bag for a porter is a touch high (even in a port like San Francisco). Condé Nast Traveler (perhaps the premiere authority on world travel) recommends $1-2 per bag.

As for extra cash tips to stewards et al., do know that most cruise lines require employees to pool those tips as well.

As for how much to bring: again a personal matter. There is no correct answer here. All OP needs to know is that any shipboard charges will be placed on his/her bill and may be paid for by their credit card on file at the conclusion of the cruise. (And using the right credit card, will net you points, trip insurance, etc.)

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While it is a personal decision, $5 per bag for a porter is a touch high (even in a port like San Francisco). Condé Nast Traveler (perhaps the premiere authority on world travel) recommends $1-2 per bag.

 

I agree. $5 per bag is insane. I am not tipping $50 to $100 to a porter that takes my bags 20 feet to the bin. On the next cruise I am traveling with my 4 grandkids and that alone will give us 12 bags. $60? These guys are already paid an income. They aren't working for free.

 

As for extra cash tips to stewards et al., do know that most cruise lines require employees to pool those tips as well.

 

For most cruise lines, if you leave the auto tip on then any additional money handed to any crew member can be kept by that crew member. They turn it in, the supervisor checks to make sure the auto tips were left on, then it is returned to the crew member. It is NOT pooled. I do agree that they deserve an additional cash tip though.

 

 

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I agree with some of your comments.

I prepay everything possible but inevitably end up wanting to do more shopping than I expected. I never needed $100 a day though. Depends on your shopping habits and whether you didn't prepay something you were on the fence about (and may change your mind).

Cash is king as far as I'm concerned. My credit card stays in the safe for the duration. If you have to buy something on board ship, it can go on your room card (& go on your credit card anyway).

I'll only carry as much cash as needed for the day. Sometimes, we like to adventure out on our own. When we do, I usually say to myself: "if everything falls apart (i.e. get lost, tour guide quits, etc.), how much is a taxi going to cost to get us back to the ship?" -- so far it hasn't been necessary, but you don't want to be stranded across the island.

Above that, I'm not a big shopper, so I usually only take enough money to get some local food and/or drink.

Someone else on this thread said it is easier to haggle with cash. I would totally agree.

I'd say I normally budget $100 per day for the cruise, but I do usually come home with $300-$400. I bring a mix of 10's, 5's, and 1's. It's a drag when you want to buy that ice cold Coke, bottled in Belize, from a roadside shack. They don't take credit cards and all you have is a $20 (US). What to do with $18 worth of local currency in change? The driver gets a nice tip.

Keep your ears open -- on our first two cruises, we heard from other folks on the cruise about some private tours and had the best time, but we only could have done them if we had cash. Cash is king.

The catch is if you need money on board the ATM charges almost if not 5 dollar surcharge. We are going to 2 ports and we plan to take out 200 for cash. When we go to the beaches sometimes you have to rent the clam shells, other water equipment. In most cases I have seen more people taking cards. At some of the markets they only take cash.

Cash is king as far as I'm concerned. My credit card stays in the safe for the duration. If you have to buy something on board ship, it can go on your room card (& go on your credit card anyway).

 

I'll only carry as much cash as needed for the day. Sometimes, we like to adventure out on our own. When we do, I usually say to myself: "if everything falls apart (i.e. get lost, tour guide quits, etc.), how much is a taxi going to cost to get us back to the ship?" -- so far it hasn't been necessary, but you don't want to be stranded across the island.

 

Above that, I'm not a big shopper, so I usually only take enough money to get some local food and/or drink.

 

Someone else on this thread said it is easier to haggle with cash. I would totally agree.

 

I'd say I normally budget $100 per day for the cruise, but I do usually come home with $300-$400. I bring a mix of 10's, 5's, and 1's. It's a drag when you want to buy that ice cold Coke, bottled in Belize, from a roadside shack. They don't take credit cards and all you have is a $20 (US). What to do with $18 worth of local currency in change? The driver gets a nice tip.

 

Keep your ears open -- on our first two cruises, we heard from other folks on the cruise about some private tours and had the best time, but we only could have done them if we had cash. Cash is king.

I agree. I always take enough to get back to the ship. I always take money for small purchases. If it is really expensive I'd use my CC but otherwise I use cash.