How Much Cash and other money matters?

[sweet_successes]

Hi everyone

 

 

Will be heading off soon for a 13 night cruise aboard the Star and would like to know how much cash should I take on board? Can I exchange money straight from my credit card into island currency? Is there a place to exchange cash onboard (both into and out of Aussie $)? Is there anything that you need cash for onboard?

 

 

Also planning on having $ 2500 spending money - will this be enough?

 

Thanks

 

Rach

[chaz cruiser]

Hi Rach,

 

You must be getting very excited about now!!! Have you started packing yet?? Spending money is a very personal thing and really depends on each individual person. I think there have been several threads where people provide some relevant cost info (i.e. drinks, photos, souvenirs, spa treatments, casino, bingo, fitness classes, Steakhouse etc) which may help you to work out a budget. It really does depend on whether you are a gambler, drinker, photo hog, spa junkie..... I could go on but I am sure you get the idea!

 

I find that I take between $1,200 and $1,400 for a 10 night cruise and tend to spend most of it. The more I take the more I spend to be honest. I remember reading somewhere once that Carnival have a specific amount they target every passenger to spend. I can't remember but I think it about $100 per day.

 

I find that my spending money is also affected by how large a group and who I am travelling with... The more people with me the less gifts I buy to take back but I think I end up spending more on them while they are on the boat anyway!:rolleyes:

 

From my experience on the Star in January you could not use money off your cruise card to get the local currency if you were paying by credit card. The only option was to get the money out at the casino (costs about 4.5% in fees) and then go down to the pursers and change it.

 

You do need a small amount of cash for some of the activities (Sea Horse Racing $2 bets about 10 races across the cruise! is one of them). Also if you plan on using the casino this is all cash as well. As per above you can take cash off your cruise card but you need photo ID and they will charge you a transaction fee.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Cheers,

Chaz:)

[sweet_successes]

Thanks for the info Chaz, its helped heaps.

 

Yes I have started packing - hubbys gear is packed mostly and hardly any of mine is - he is beginning to think I'm not going, but as I dress smart casual for work I am planning on taking the clothes I generally wear to work so can't pack my gear until the weekend before we leave home. The only issue I now have is that we are flying Virgin Blue to Brisbane 3 days before the cruise and they have a 20 kg weight limit :( but then we fly Qantas the rest of the time and they have a 32kg weight limit - I don't think I can get all of our gear in for under 40 kgs!! Thinking of finding a lone traveller and loading them up too LOL.;)

 

I worked out today that I now only have 15 work days left and 2 of them are travel days for my going to work at a school 600 kms away - if I can get through due to flooded roads!! I am getting soooo excited - really champing at the bit for the tickets but found out today that they were sent to the TA on the 24th so they should arrive when I am away next week and I've told hubby he can't open them until I'm home!!!:D

 

 

 

Rach

[karmac]

Packing already? Boy, you are organised. I didn't pack (for 5 of us) until about 3 days before. I started collecting $1-00 & $2-00 coins a while before we went thinking the kids would need them for the video arcade. I WAS WRONG!! So we ended up using those coins for horse racing, & donations on the islands. They certainly won't go astray.

 

Karen

[howsthis]

Funny question but am wondering what is the least someone has spent for a 10 - 12 day cruise??

[howsthis]

Funny question but am wondering what is the least someone has spent for a 10 - 12 day cruise?? Spending money each day that is.

[karmac]

In 11 nights we spent about $3000 (family of 5 don't forget). However, we spent about half of that in Vila. DH bought a wacth, kids got MP3 players etc etc. We didn't scrimp at all, never stopping to think about what we were spending. We didn't do any tours though.

 

Karen

[the kids and me]

When the kids use the video arcade do they need cash or a cruise card or are they free??

Stewart

[aussiedisneyfan]

The only issue I now have is that we are flying Virgin Blue to Brisbane 3 days before the cruise and they have a 20 kg weight limit :( but then we fly Qantas the rest of the time and they have a 32kg weight limit - I don't think I can get all of our gear in for under 40 kgs!!

 

Sweet Successes. With Virgin if you are happy to you can pay excess. Our friend that travelled with us took 2 suitcases at 15kg each (my goodness) and she paid $10 for the 10kg she was over. They may even waive it. I remember flying back from Sydney and all I was thinking was it had to be under 32kg, completely forgot about the 20 and rocked up and was confronted with the 20 and was like oh dear but they said don't worry. Am used to travelling with family and not by myself.

[Skyrules]

Funny question but am wondering what is the least someone has spent for a 10 - 12 day cruise?? Spending money each day that is.

 

We spent about $1000 each on our 12 night cruise, a bit less than we'd budgeted for, but we still had a good time. Our biggest expenses were our shore tours, duty free and buying all the photo's etc.

 

My general rule of thumb has been to allow $100 per adult per day. We saved a bit on this cruise because there were less cocktails to drink - they'd taken alot of the ones we liked off, and we didn't do as much duty free shopping in Vila as we'd expected to.

 

Kym

[chaz cruiser]

bump for Tina

[Tinalou]

Thanks Chaz, much appreciated. :)

 

How much are these photos everyone is speaking so fondly of? And how big are they? :confused:

[aussiedisneyfan]

Darn it they sytem crashed with my longwinded post.

 

Anyway, I think it was $25 for an 8x10" portrait (all formal nights and fancy dress) and either $12 or $16 for a smaller one, 5x7"? The pricing on the Star was slightly different to the Sun. They seemed to print the smaller photos on larger paper with fancy borders etc and charge a little more.