How much cash will we need

[Joeyb708]

Couldnt find a thread for this, so trying to make a list of how much cash i will need to bring on board. here's what i have so far.

 

-Tipping (predetermined waiter, asst waiter,etc)

-Porters

-Matzalan Frank ( do we tip him for the tour? also doing excursion in cabo thru the ship do we tip them also?)

-singles for room service

-do we tip the bus driver taking us to the aiport?

 

Anything else anyone can think of would be appreciated. Thank you in advance,

Joey B

[cb at sea]

You've about covered it....as far as the tour guide...if you get a great experience, a tip is in order. If not--no tip!

We have tipped the shuttle driver at times....other times, he's slipped away before we could tip....up to you.

Any taxis you may take aside from excursions......

[MorePlease]

This is always a hard question to answer. I hear porters are usually tipped $1 per bag and that's what I have stuck to. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong. If your tour operator did a great job, then yes you should tip them also. Tipping your airport bus driver? Meh. It's up to you. Think of the bus as a giant taxi. The driver loads your bags and takes you to your destination. Do you usaually tip your taxi driver? If yes, then tip your bus driver. Do you plan on buying anything ashore? Any t-shirts, trinkets or alcohol? Do you plan on taking any taxis while ashore? Would you be eating in any restaurants ashore?

 

I'm sorry to answer your question with more questions, but those may be some things to consider.

[WeLuvVacation]

DW & I usually bring about $ 300 - 500 in cash.

 

IF you run short you can use the ATM onboard, the fee is higher than on land, up to 5.50 the RCL web site says. If you are hitting a US port you can use the land based ATM or you can go to the casino and take some cash on your Sea Pass card (3% fee is charged or $ 3 per $100.)

 

They will cash a check. This is the policy.

 

A Guest may cash one check per cruise as follows:

 

• One unguaranteed check up to $200.00 USD.
  
• Only checks written in US dollars which are drawn against a US bank can be accepted.
  
• Guests can no longer cash a personal check at the Casino cash desk; they can only do this at the Guest Relations or Guest Services Desk.
  
• Guests can only cash one personal check per bank account per cruise
  

Hope this helps.

[lcguy]

DW & I usually bring about $ 300 - 500 in cash.

 

IF you run short you can use the ATM onboard, the fee is higher than on land, up to 5.50 the RCL web site says. If you are hitting a US port you can use the land based ATM or you can go to the casino and take some cash on your Sea Pass card (3% fee is charged or $ 3 per $100.)

 

They will cash a check. This is the policy.

 

A Guest may cash one check per cruise as follows:

 

• One unguaranteed check up to $200.00 USD.
  
• Only checks written in US dollars which are drawn against a US bank can be accepted.
  
• Guests can no longer cash a personal check at the Casino cash desk; they can only do this at the Guest Relations or Guest Services Desk.
  
• Guests can only cash one personal check per bank account per cruise
  

Hope this helps.

Good advice. Thanks.

 

As to the OP, it really depends on what you're doing and what you're buying.

 

For the porter, $1 per bag is totally standard.

Tours- your discretion totally.

Gratuities- I prefer the prepaid gratuities placed on your sea pass.

Room Service- After midnight, you will be charged $3.95 regardless.

 

Remember, as another poster mentioned, the ATM fees are steep on board. Also, if you use credit cards out of the country, count on foreign exchange fees as well.

 

Take more than you need, but not more than you can afford. Most of all, have a great time. :)

 

For a 7 night cruise, I'll take about $700-$1000.

[Desert Cruizers]

If we are on a 2 week cruise we bring at least $500, to cover our extra Tips to our Room Steward and Waiters etc, and our gambling. since we are not heavy gamblers we still bring some home.

[sealeggs]

Just empty your bank account and bring it along. Any money left over is gravy, and you could bring it back with you. This answer was tongue and cheek.

 

You didn't mention buying gifts and trinkets while in port. Lunch while in port. It is hard to determine what to tell you. Some people do not spend a dime while on their cruise and yet others spend money like it is water. As someone else already stated, they do have an ATM machine on board. Bring WHAT you would like to try and spend and if it isn't enough make a trip to said machine.

[SamFritz]

You've about covered it....as far as the tour guide...if you get a great experience, a tip is in order. If not--no tip!

We have tipped the shuttle driver at times....other times, he's slipped away before we could tip....up to you.

Any taxis you may take aside from excursions......

 

I've been flamed occassionally for this one, but it's been a while. Tour guides are almost always paid a very low, in some countries no, wage. It is assumed by their employers that they will be tipped. Here, in the US, I am paid minium wage by Grayline for my work as a tour guide as are all of my associates in all of the various companies that offer guided tours of Niagara Falls. Emily Post's Guide for Tipping Ettiquite says, "tour guides on day tours should be tipped 15% of the tour price." Unless your tour guide messes up badly, he or she really should be tipped.

 

I suppose that if you think fueling, cleaning, inspecting, and driving a bus, scheduling, and adjusting the schedule to address unexpected events or weather, while informing, entertaining, and insuring the safety of a group of 8 - 30 or more people is a minimum wage job, you could skip out on the tip, and rest comfortably knowing that the pimplefaced sophomre who served you a buger at McDonalds earns a higher hourly wage. I couldn't.

[cranejwr]

I tipped the bus driver and the tour guide. They both did a wonderful job. This was a 4 hour tour and we were entertained and the bus driver was very helpful. I tipped the driver of the bus to and from the airport. Bring lots of $1's. My friend and I shared in the tipping so we put $1's in the desk to use for the room service. I pre paid tips but also gave a bit more in the envelopes.

[bluegirlum]

We always have cash for stuff at the airport (food, magazines, etc.). If you are checking bags, that can probably be done with your credit card. Are you going to use a credit card at all? If I buy something like perfume or something in port, I use my cc, but the bf uses cash only in port for drinks, meals, anything else. I don't like to carry a ton of cash b/c I'm afraid of losing it, but he likes to be prepared. I would bring about $100 more than you think you'll need.

 

Have fun!

[Joeyb708]

Thank you all so much for your input, it gave me a lot to think about. I am a bartender and have been a server and a bartender for close to 20 years and I know how to tip in my business, but I always have trouble with things like tour guides, concierge, and such, you know is $5 to little and I come off cheap or is $20 too much. Also someone once brought up the question in my business "if the owner waits on you either behind the bar or as a food server, do you tip them?" and I have never known the answer to that question, so when I encounter it I just usually tip, thus my question about "M" Frank. And i will admit that it wasn't until I worked in a hotel that i learned about tipping the Maid in a hotel or the shuttle bus driver.

So thanks for all the tipping advice it really helped. I am compiling a list of things I will need cash for, and you all gave me more things to think about.

Looking forward to my first cruise, only four weeks away!

Joey B