Fantasia from Barbados Feb 2018 - € or $?

This will be our 1st ever cruise and we are travelling from the UK board the Fantasia from Barbados in Feb 2018 for the 14 day itinerary to and from Barbados in the YC.

I am confused as to whether the onboard account will be in euros or dollars and also should we wish to tip any staff do we need euros or dollars in currency? I know I will need dollars for off the ship. Any guidance on this would be appreciated.

Also from my understanding as YC guests is it correct that all drinks throughout the ship including the ones marked with an asterisk are included for YC guests?

thanks for any advice, being a brand new cruiser it seems like a minefield to know what to bring and what's included or not😄

The on board account will be in dollars. Gratuities are included but if you wish to tip anyone in addition, it would also be dollars.

All of the drinks, excluding those marked with 2 x** are included throughout the ship.

In the online brochure, the prices for drinks packages on Grand Voyage cruises departing from Barbados are the rates charged when the currency onboard is in Euros which leads me to believe that it'll be Euros onboard. For example: the basic all-inclusive package is quoted as *€26. The price for this package if US$ was the currency would be *€43 as the all-inclusve drinks packages are more expensive on $ currency cruises.

*These rates have since changed - I'm using them for illustrative purposes only to support my reasoning. The price is irrelevant here as you're in YC. This gives you the Deluxe (premium) drinks package which will include everything on the bar menus around the ship except, as CruisingFox said, items with 2 asterisks as they are "Super Premium" items and aren't included in any packages.

Gratuities aren't included - they're added to your onboard account daily. They're €10 pppd. If you do want to give extra tips you can use either $ or € - they'll be happy with either. But Euros would probably be better as they're heading to Europe. However, the crew are able to exchange currencies onboard so whatever is more convenient for you.

The Barbados to Barbados cruises don't show as Grand Voyages just Caribbean sailings like those departing Miami, hence I presumed dollars. Absolutely wouldn't dispute anything you say Bea but that doesn't follow the pattern other sailings. Anomalies seem to be the norm now....

The Barbados to Barbados cruises don't show as Grand Voyages just Caribbean sailings like those departing Miami, hence I presumed dollars. Absolutely wouldn't dispute anything you say Bea but that doesn't follow the pattern other sailings. Anomalies seem to be the norm now....

Geez - my bad, CF! :o I misread the post and assumed it was the repo from Barbados. I'm a bit under the weather today - that's my excuse, anyway. Apologies to both you and the OP! :)

You may be right. If so, the gratuities will be $12.50 pppd according to the brochure. However, looking at the itinerary, there are no US ports of call. It wouldn't surprise me if it's Euros onboard.

Lucy, if you log on to the website and go to "My Bookings" and check the price of the drinks packages - the prices will give an indication of what currency is onboard for the reason I outlined earlier. Great itinerary!

thanks for the replies, I am glad to see that there are differences in interpretations by seasoned cruisers as I thought I was being a bit dim for not quite understanding and to put it down to being a first timer!! It might be that we'll take a mixture of currencies but decide nearer the time depending on exchange rates or if I can get a difinitive answer from here or from MSC themselves.

Lucy, you may have missed my previous post as we were posting at the same time.

Check out the drinks prices. If the all-inclusive is named "All-Inclusive Restaurant & Bar Drinks Package" then the currency onboard will be Euros. If it's named "All-Inclusive Classic" then the currency will be US$.

Hope you feel better Bea, perhaps you need a holiday :D

Sorry if I was confusing regarding ,'included' gratuities, I meant it as the OP didn't need additional cash for tips unless they wanted to tip a specific individual.

Hope you feel better Bea, perhaps you need a holiday :D

28 days to go, CF ;p

This will be our 1st ever cruise and we are travelling from the UK board the Fantasia from Barbados in Feb 2018 for the 14 day itinerary to and from Barbados in the YC.

I am confused as to whether the onboard account will be in euros or dollars and also should we wish to tip any staff do we need euros or dollars in currency? I know I will need dollars for off the ship. Any guidance on this would be appreciated.

 

Also from my understanding as YC guests is it correct that all drinks throughout the ship including the ones marked with an asterisk are included for YC guests?

 

thanks for any advice, being a brand new cruiser it seems like a minefield to know what to bring and what's included or not😄

Geez - my bad, CF! :o I misread the post and assumed it was the repo from Barbados. I'm a bit under the weather today - that's my excuse, anyway. Apologies to both you and the OP! :)

You may be right. If so, the gratuities will be $12.50 pppd according to the brochure. However, looking at the itinerary, there are no US ports of call. It wouldn't surprise me if it's Euros onboard.

 

Lucy, if you log on to the website and go to "My Bookings" and check the price of the drinks packages - the prices will give an indication of what currency is onboard for the reason I outlined earlier. Great itinerary!

That's the itinerary of the first 14 days of my 28 day cruise last year which included the eastbound TA as the 2nd of the B2B.

The currency was indeed EUROS as it is described as an ANTILLES cruise

This makes life easier for everybody on board as 4 ports of call Guadeloupe and Martinique ( twice each) are departments of France and use the EURO as their currency.

that will also affect the daily service charge which will be 10 Euro pppn

See the Top Left hand box on this grid

Pete

thank you skier52, I think the concensus is for euros and re-looking at the table you posted and the drinks package being priced in euros that's what I'm sticking with (I think). If anyone else is doing the same cruise before February, any confirmation would be useful, thanks.