Traveling next March on the Dream. Need lots of cash ?

how much cash does one need to take? I want to have plenty yet not have tons of cash on us in case it’s lost or stolen. How much do you take for a 7 day cruise ? I am normally a debit card user

Not much really, only need cash for incidental tips, and any purchases you'd want to make in port. You can use a card in most port shops I've been to, but that seems risky to me. I'd rather have cash than take the risk of my credit card number being stolen, then not knowing for days or a week later because I'm in the middle of the ocean.

It helps to have cash for the casino but is not necessary. Everything onboard is billed to your S&S card.

how much cash does one need to take? I want to have plenty yet not have tons of cash on us in case it’s lost or stolen. How much do you take for a 7 day cruise ? I am normally a debit card user

Depends upon where we are going. If private excursion generally pay in cash at end of tour so will bring for that.

Restaurants typically are CC. On board expenses are put on our CC as well

We use credit cards for everything, it's all about the mileage. Debit cards offer little protection. I take cash for tipping, taxis, casino, shore trips, and beers ashore. I take a thousand dollars for a week.

for 7 days for us 2 i take a thousand dollars. I prepay for our tips and any excursions we might be doing. I always set up a cash account and have extra for port days.

How much you need to bring will depend on multiple factors...

1. How are you paying for port parking or airport/hotel to pier (and return) transport?
   
2. Will you need to tip any shuttle drivers, hotel personnel, sky caps, taxi drivers, restaurant staff pre or post cruise?
   
3. Do you have on board credit? Have you purchased cruise cash or Carnival gift cards? These can cut down on the need of cash to fund your (family's) Sail & Sign account(s).
   
4. Did your booking include your prepaid hotel/restaurant services auto-gratuities? If not these are $12.95 per person per day of the cruise ($13.95 if in a suite).
   
5. Did you prepay for your excursions? If not any ship board purchase of tours will come off of the S&S account, and if doing private or buying at the dock most vendors want cash. Also offering a cash tip for the guides &/or driver is common, regardless of whom the tour is purchased from.
   
6. Did you pre-order your beverage package(s) or in cabin delivered beverages? Just remember Cheers when ordered on board is $5 more per person per day, and though liquor bottles and 1/2 cases of water are the same price from room service as the advance online order, sodas and juices are at the bar menu price.
   
7. If paying for drinks as you go, have you researched what your prefered beverage will cost you each order? Water, soda, and juices are $1.95 plus a 15% auto-gratuity, beers start at about $4.95 + auto-grat for a can/bottle, shots of house liquor and glasses of house wine are around $6.50+ auto-grat, frozen adult drinks are about $8+auto-grat, premium martinis are $12.95+ auto-grat.
   
8. Did you make and pay for spa appointments or pre-purchase cloud 9 passes? If not and you know you will be using these services then you need funding on your S&S, and if not using a credit card or having OBC, cruise cash, or Carnival gift cards you would need to deposit cash to your account.
   
9. Do you have plans to eat at any of the specialty restaurants or upcharge dining? Even when the reservations are made online payment will be due on board after the meal is ordered.
   
10. Are kids traveling with you or are you a bit of a gamer or gambler? You might want funds on their/your S&S account to cover play at the arcade, or cash for the casino.
    
11. Are you going to be buying souvenirs, photo, duty-free liquor, or snacks while on board or in port? On board purchases of these require you to have sufficient funds on your S&S account, while in port many times you can not use a debt/credit card for small purchases.
    

There are a lot more "what-if" types of financial questions I could ask but I think there is enough listed to get you thinking about what you should budget for on the ship, in ports, and before and after the cruise.

My advice is to have a variety of funding sources available to be prepared, but not using your debit card once outside of your home country. Debit cards, generally, do not have the same fraud and consumer protections (unless your bank offers them) as a credit card does. On board and in foreign ports you might get hit with staggering out of network ATM or cash advance fees, and possibly, worst yet, a handful of local currency.

My advice is do not use your debit card in ports or to cover your sail and sign account.

Because when they convert dollars to Mexican currency your cost may be much more than you thought.

And because there will be a hold put on your bank account for the sign and sail account and it could cause you many problems.

Thanks for all the info ! I will prepay for as much as possible and take 1k cash I guess. Been in fence of cheers package but think we will just go ahead and get it so we don’t have to think about spending money in drinks or anything. Will use credit card also instead of debit and just pay it off after. That is good advice. My bank does offer same protection as credit card in it by would rather not have my money tied up if something happens. Thanks again for the advice

I was surprised to learn that a lot of places in the Caribbean didn't take AMEX cards. Luckily I also have a VISA card.

Thanks for all the info ! I will prepay for as much as possible and take 1k cash I guess. Been in fence of cheers package but think we will just go ahead and get it so we don’t have to think about spending money in drinks or anything. Will use credit card also instead of debit and just pay it off after. That is good advice. My bank does offer same protection as credit card in it by would rather not have my money tied up if something happens. Thanks again for the advice

We have only taken over 1K in cash recently when we did the Southern Caribbean and all the shore excursions wanted to be paid in US cash. For everything else, there is master card...or in my case venture card. I will take the rewards any day.

We don't buy Cheers or pictures or bingo, and so our charges on the ship ends up being alcohol and tips. We are usually around $700 or less for a 7 day cruise at the end. We also don't tend to buy stuff in ports, except some t-shirts for the kids and those go on the venture card too. Make sure your card does not charge foreign transaction fees!

I was surprised to learn that a lot of places in the Caribbean didn't take AMEX cards. Luckily I also have a VISA card.

because of outrageous merchant fees, as a high as 5% in the Caribbean. it also takes for ever to get reimbursed. More and more places in the U.S. are dropping Amex as well.

how much cash does one need to take? I want to have plenty yet not have tons of cash on us in case it’s lost or stolen. How much do you take for a 7 day cruise ? I am normally a debit card user

You really don't need much cash at all. Mostly 5s and 1s for tips for room service or porters.

Everything else on board is charged to your S and S. You can even download money to your s and s card in the casino, no cash needed.

I bring about 100 cash, if you lose cash..its gone, if you lose a credit card, it can be replaced. I also don't spend much in ports.

Put a credit card down as your s and s and you are pretty much all set.

obviously you are not a gambler

I never bring a lot of cash. A VISA/Mastercard with with good rewards and no foreign transaction fees will cover almost everything. I never bring more than a few hundred for cash-specific things like taxis and certain vendors. I've never had my card info stolen in Mexico. Cash is more easily lost.

I was surprised to learn that a lot of places in the Caribbean didn't take AMEX cards. Luckily I also have a VISA card.

Yep took me by surprise too - only Visa or Master Card in most Caribbean shops, it seems.

obviously you are not a gambler[/quote

 

Who? Me?

 

I am certainly a gambler :) I don't bring the cash though, I download from my s and s at the slot machine. No fees and it goes right on my account. I usually gamble up to 100 dollars a day.

We do not spend much cash at all. Almost everything on ship goes on our S & S account (Autotips, etc). I enough cash to tip the pre- and post-cruise porters and shuttle drivers, and room service (which we rarely use) and to have on hand for the end of the cruise if we decide to tip wait staff or stewards beyond the autotips). For ports, the infrequent excursion is prepaid through ship or vendor. I research the port on these boards, and take enough cash for taxi or transit, tips for tour guides, admissions, a couple of drinks or snacks or an inexpensive souvenir I usually take ONE credit card ashore, just in case expenses are more than expected (my credit union issues prepaid cards with Visa logo for such purposes - if lost or stolen the loss is limited to the paid balance on the card).

That said, most cruises I take $50 in one-dollar bills, and $100 -$150 in fives and tens. On most cruises, much of this is left over at the end of the cruise.

Wow - we take very little cash with us. Maybe $200-300. And barely use that except for travel to and from home to port. There's ATM on ships, and yes you will pay a fee, but for me that's preferable than carrying so much cash. We prepay gratuities, prebook/prepay excursions, just use cash for drinks and tips and little shopping when in ports of call. You can purchase Carnival gift cards to load sign and sale account vs. cash or credit card. Also, if you need cash, go to casino and use a slot machine charge game to card. pull couple times (who knows you might get lucky).... then "cash out" your card.

Not much really, only need cash for incidental tips, and any purchases you'd want to make in port. You can use a card in most port shops I've been to, but that seems risky to me.

 

Question, why is using a credit card risky in port? If it is, than isn't it risky to use it in the USA? Credit cards is the safest, and most secure way to handle finances in a foreign country. It is protected from fraud. You have apps on your phone, that you can check every day. You can set up text alerts on many cards today, to text you for each transaction. Money is stolen, you are out of luck. Your credit card is stolen, you are protected from loss.

 

I'd rather have cash than take the risk of my credit card number being stolen, then not knowing for days or a week later because I'm in the middle of the ocean.

 

Worried about a $0.00 loss to you if your credit card is stolen, but you are not worried about cash being stolen, which is a complete loss? Note that if you have your data turned off on your phone, you can receive texts and phone calls. Don't answer the phone, and the incoming texts are only $0.10 or $0.00 for most carriers. Set up fraud alerts on your account, and have no worries.

 

It helps to have cash for the casino but is not necessary. Everything onboard is billed to your S&S card.

Just saying that if you are worried about that much, than why would you want to loose you money in the casino instead? I could loose a thousand dollars and not blink an eye over it, (but be upset). Just like I don't waste my money on making a donation to the casino.

how much cash does one need to take? I want to have plenty yet not have tons of cash on us in case it’s lost or stolen. How much do you take for a 7 day cruise ? I am normally a debit card user

My advice, hook your ship acct. up to a credit card with max points!

Its 'safer' then using a debt card, and you pay no interest if you pay it off in full when you come home. (safer cause cc's offer more protection)

Also, you get the bonus of points earned, and you look better to the credit bureau!

how much cash does one need to take? I want to have plenty yet not have tons of cash on us in case it’s lost or stolen. How much do you take for a 7 day cruise ? I am normally a debit card user

Like other's have said: It depends.

For a week's cruise out of a port to which we drive in a day, I take about $5 for the dock-side porter to collect our checked bags. Plus about $50 per day in $5s, $10s and $20s for shore trips were we might have lunch, need a cab, etc. If we have not pre-paid for any non-ship tours, we bring cash for that ONLY if they will not accept a credit card. If we fly into a port, I double the amount I think I'll need for porter tips, and ensure I have those in one and 5 dollar bills. Plus maybe $30 or so for incidentals while we (airline) travel. I can't think of any need for cash at all on the ship, that "Magic Kingdom" card will work quite nicely for everything from drinks to that diamond necklace your wife says is such a great deal....;)

Doug

$1,224.63 in cash, CC for everything else...have fun!

Thanks for all the info ! I will prepay for as much as possible and take 1k cash I guess. Been in fence of cheers package but think we will just go ahead and get it so we don’t have to think about spending money in drinks or anything. Will use credit card also instead of debit and just pay it off after. That is good advice. My bank does offer same protection as credit card in it by would rather not have my money tied up if something happens. Thanks again for the advice

Remember to notify your card companies that you will be traveling.

I only use cash.i prepay everything that can be prepaid.then.research what I'm going to do in Port.make a rough estimate then bring double.use a money belt.