Cash or Credit Card in the Caribbean

[Snuckles]

Flying out for my cruise tomorrow and trying to determine how much cash to bring. For those of you who have taken many cruises or Caribbean veterans, how should I pay for my excursions, gifts, taxi, food, etc there? Should I feel comfortable whipping my credit card out to pay for most things? Should I take a bundle of cash for port activites?

 

Cozumel, Belize, Roatan are my ports.

 

Thanks for any advice you can provide.

[Cruisin 4 Ever]

I would only pay cash in any of those ports. A lot of places wouldn't take credit cards anyway, depending on where you go once at the port. Do you have excursions booked?

In Cozumel you can pay for a taxi right out front for about $60 for 3 hours and it will take you around the island. We went to a beach for about an hour and swam and laid on the beach and then he drove us to two other incredible beaches just to look at the ocean and enjoy the gorgeous view. After that he took us to the downtown area on a tequila tour. It was only a couple bucks and it was really interesting and a lot of fun. Even there is I were to buy tequila I would pay cash.

We did Carnival's cave tubing excursion. We thought it was great. Since you pay that on your sail and sign card, you wouldn't need cash. If you don't choose one with lunch then you would need to take about $10 per person to buy lunch after tubing. It's really good - beans rice and chicken, authentic, Belize lunch. There's nothing really to spend money on other than a few souvenirs and gain, cash

In Honduras we just stayed in port at the beach. We took the Magical flying chair across to the beach. I still would just pay cash, even though I think most of it is run by Carnival anyway. You probably only need to take three or four hundred in cash.

[GeorgiaMomof4]

Really depends on who and how you booked your excursions and what you are doing.

 

If we set up an excursion on our own and they don't require prepayment, we normally pay in cash.

 

You may also want to consider getting some smaller bills - ones and fives for tips - room service,

porter, taxi drivers, etc.

 

We also at times tip our room steward and wait staff a little extra at the end of the cruise if they

have done an exceptional job so we take cash for those.

 

Sometimes there are additional charges associated with a debit or credit card when it's used

out of the country as well.

 

I'm a planner and I always look at what I'm doing in a port and try to figure out how much I

think I'll need and go to the bank and get change. Then I use small envelopes and go ahead

and put that cash in those and label them so they are ready for me to grab out of the safe and

put with my backpack for port days. Of course we always have some extra as well, just in case.

 

Are you sailing on the Magic this Saturday by any chance?

[Out of Iowa]

I also say you should plan to spend cash in ports. It could save you from serious credit-card-fraud repair hassles later!

[Snuckles]

I'm all set on selecting/reserving excursions none are through Carnival so I'm aware of my balances. Just wanted to know if I should feel comfortable whipping out a credit card. I really like the idea of taking envelops for each day with appropriate $ in it with a little extra for the unexpected. Hmmm, okay, I guess I need tally everything up and go to the actual bank today :) I'd already planned to go as I needed those $1s for the ship.

 

We are leaving on the Freedom from Galveston on Saturday but hear that we'll be in many ports with Magic :)

 

For those that are curious our excursions are

 

Cozumel - Paradise Beach

Belize - Cave Tubing & Zip Lining

Roatan - Snorkel tour (including a sunken ship) with Lobster lunch on private island. We will also see the sloths and monkeys. Transportation to and from port included all through Bay Island Adventures.

[Havingfun2010]

I use my credit card world wide. Never worry about fraud. Most fraud I have encountered was based in the USA anyway. Cash can be stolen. As a rule of thumb, I always have cash on me. For small items, I pay cash, larger items, I pay credit. Always need it for taxi's. Also need it for a cold beer, while I watch tourist buy things, in Mexico, that was made in China, and also readily available in the USA at the beach and having big happy grins they just bought their souveniers.

[firemanbobswife]

Cash. I don’t carry a lot on me, just enough to get me around. I don’t buy anything expensive off the ship so I don’t need a CC. I’ve been there, done that, have the T-shirt and crap from the ports already.

[Nevada Jen]

I took 500 cash for 2 people on a 4 day cruise. 100 in ones. 100 in fives. One hundred in tens and the rest in 20s. I ended up with too many ones. Next time I will take an extra 50 in tens instead. Most of the singles ended up being for drinks on school which I used my S&S card. I will take the same for my 8 day cruise

[JaxsMama]

We use credit cards at restaurants and places we feel comfortable. Fraud can happen anywhere. Just know if your card charges foreign transaction fees.

 

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[lcpagejr]

Never had a problem using my CC at stores/shops/restaurants in Carribbean. Never had fraud either. Word of advise...call your CC company before leaving and tell them the islands you will be visiting also mention Florida. Many times if they see charges outside your normal purchasing area they will flag and decline the purchase for your protection

[Jenn1974]

If you plan to use your credit card make sure you contact your banks and let them know you plan to travel out of the country. Otherwise your card may be shut off.

[buddylover]

I use my credit card world wide. Never worry about fraud. Most fraud I have encountered was based in the USA anyway. Cash can be stolen. As a rule of thumb, I always have cash on me. For small items, I pay cash, larger items, I pay credit. Always need it for taxi's. Also need it for a cold beer, while I watch tourist buy things, in Mexico, that was made in China, and also readily available in the USA at the beach and having big happy grins they just bought their souveniers.

 

Ditto! This is exactly what we do too. Depends on where you are going, but to ports where they don't use USD (Mexico, Netherlands Antilles etc), I use a credit card that does not have conversion fees from their currency to USD (same as in Europe etc). You save $$ paying exactly what the currency conversion ends up being.

Also, depending on what you are purchasing, you have leverage using a credit card that you don't have with cash if something goes wrong with your purchase later. Safer on land with a credit card than a wad of cash that also can be unsafe/stolen....And how do you know how much cash you will need in advance ?? What if you see something that costs more than the cash you brought off the ship?? Or if the restaurant you go to is beyond your cash limit??

We have travelled world wide and a credit card with an RFID protecting wallet has never been unsafe for us! And actually, on a few occasions, having used a credit card helped us. But this all depends on where you are going and their 'native' currency if not USD!

[JTBCruiser]

I always take cash for excursions, I figure out exactly how much for each excursion, factor in a tip and then take extra for spending. I always take a credit card as a back up. Prior to leaving home, I notify each of my credit card companies (Citi & Discover) and give them my itinerary so they don't cancel my card while traveling. I prefer Discover as they don't charge me foreign transaction fees.

[OCruisers]

We use cash rather than credit card in ports of call. :)

[LostPuppy]

Flying out for my cruise tomorrow and trying to determine how much cash to bring. For those of you who have taken many cruises or Caribbean veterans, how should I pay for my excursions, gifts, taxi, food, etc there? Should I feel comfortable whipping my credit card out to pay for most things? Should I take a bundle of cash for port activites?

 

Cozumel, Belize, Roatan are my ports.

 

Thanks for any advice you can provide.

While you didn't specifically mention it, you may want to call your credit card company and tell them your travel plans.

 

One time my CC got locked when I made a $20 purchase in Miami. Needless to say, I now call before I travel and tell them where I'm going, although I generally avoid using my CC off the ship.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[ProgRockCruiser]

If you plan to use your credit card make sure you contact your banks and let them know you plan to travel out of the country. Otherwise your card may be shut off.

Here's a funny one for you:

 

I usually call my bank/CC company to let them know I am traveling internationally. Once I called, and they said, "Oh, you don't need to do that now, you travel enough we know what to look for." It is the not-quite local unusual transactions that they now flag, like buying a large amount of groceries in a nearby city, not my usual store locations.

 

I still call them, though. Just in case.

[cb at sea]

We always bring PLENTY of cash...you just never know when you might need it. We seldom spend much of it, but if you need it, you'll be happy to have it on hand!

[Joebucks]

The fears of using Credit are unfounded. I always use credit when I can. If there is fraud (which doesn't happen), the credit card company can cancel the charges and issue a new card.

 

This way, you also have access to more money, and aren't walking around the carribean with hundreds of dollars. Obviously, you need to bring some cash. Carrying more cash vs using a credit card is a far bigger liability. No debate.

[nealstuber]

I'm all set on selecting/reserving excursions none are through Carnival so I'm aware of my balances. Just wanted to know if I should feel comfortable whipping out a credit card. I really like the idea of taking envelops for each day with appropriate $ in it with a little extra for the unexpected. Hmmm, okay, I guess I need tally everything up and go to the actual bank today :) I'd already planned to go as I needed those $1s for the ship.

 

 

 

We are leaving on the Freedom from Galveston on Saturday but hear that we'll be in many ports with Magic :)

 

 

 

For those that are curious our excursions are

 

 

 

Cozumel - Paradise Beach

 

Belize - Cave Tubing & Zip Lining

 

Roatan - Snorkel tour (including a sunken ship) with Lobster lunch on private island. We will also see the sloths and monkeys. Transportation to and from port included all through Bay Island Adventures.

 

 

 

When we did the Cave tubing at Belize, the tour operator stopped at a shack in the jungle on the way back. They was cash bar and food, and an optional ATV tour. It was a ton of fun, but cash intensive.

 

 

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[Ashland]

Always...Cash...also no need to bring small bills with you as you travel....just get change for those larger bills once you get on the ship and then take smaller bills with you into ports.

[RWolver672]

We have an AMEX Skymiles card that we prefer to use. Some places won't take it so we take our VISA card too. AMEX doesn't require you to notify them if you are traveling. Our credit union does for the VISA. They not only want to know where you are going but also what days you will be there.

 

That works out fine for us. They notified us a couple of weeks ago that someone used our card in Ohio at Toys R Us to buy over $360 worth of merchandise and tried to buy $39 worth from Marshalls but was denied. Had to cancel cards, issue new ones, fill out paper work and now waiting to see if it gets taken off of our account.

 

It only takes a few minutes to notify your CC company but it's well worth the effort.