Cash on the NCL Epic

[WellMax81]

Hi,

 

Apologies if this question has been asked in a previous post..

 

I'm getting ready for my cruise next month Epic Western Med and I was thinking, do I need to take any dollars (cash) for the ship? I understand the ships currency is in US$ -I'm taking Euros for the excursions - but was going to just charge everything on the ship to my onboard account. How does it work?

 

thanks in advance!

 

Anthony x

[BurtonRiderT6]

Well I normally bring cash because I like to gamble and you need cash to gamble. Otherwise they charge you a percentage to withdraw cash at the casino, but it comes from your on-board account. So I normally bring cash for that and since I've only gone to the poor countries in the Caribbean I would bring a lot of smaller bills for purchasing goods. I don't think you will have that problem in the Med. We would also use the smaller bills to tip the servers in the casino when they'd bring us a drink.

[ColinIllinois]

I used very little cash on the Epic other than a few dollars to tip the room service folks.

[Guindalf]

You will be given a card when you board and that will be linked to a credit card. It will open your stateroom door as well as being a charge card for everything on board like drinks, excursions, specialty restaurants, shop purchases, etc. The DSC (Daily Service Charge) will be added to your account and then the whole balance is charged to your credit card at the end of the trip (a hold is placed on an estimated amount when the credit card is swiped at embarkation).

 

The only cash you need is for gambling and you can get that on board for a charge of 3% using your key card if you want (or you can use cash). Tipping for drinks is unnecessary as a 15% gratuity is added to every drink order, but you can feel free to add more if you wish - or even tip using gaming chips.

 

The only place your Euros will be of use is, as you state, on land in the ports of call.

[BurtonRiderT6]

Tipping for drinks is unnecessary as a 15% gratuity is added to every drink order, but you can feel free to add more if you wish - or even tip using gaming chips.

 

If you don't pay for the drinks in the casino then it's common courtesy to throw a few bucks to the staff for a drink.

[Guindalf]

If you don't pay for the drinks in the casino then it's common courtesy to throw a few bucks to the staff for a drink.

 

Absolutely, but you're on a cruise ship, not Vegas! Drinks are, for the most part, charged.

[blindrid]

Absolutely, but you're on a cruise ship, not Vegas! Drinks are, for the most part, charged.

 

With a relatively few exceptions, you are correct. That and I don't think one should tip with casino chips anywhere other than the casino. As you point out, it aint' Vegas

[BurtonRiderT6]

Absolutely, but you're on a cruise ship, not Vegas! Drinks are, for the most part, charged.

 

With a relatively few exceptions, you are correct. That and I don't think one should tip with casino chips anywhere other than the casino. As you point out, it aint' Vegas

 

If you're a gambler and book with Harrah's then you will be treated to free drinks in the casino, just like a land based casino.

[WellMax81]

Thanks everyone for the responses. I'll just take euros as I'm not planning on gambling - I'll leave that up to my partner (I'll be in the gym then!)

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Keith.W]

I took some cash, and used some to tip room service and cabin stuart, and then paid some of my on board account before i departed the ship on the last night.

[Single Cruiser]

The only cash I used onboard were small notes for my requests at howl at the moon. Just wrap your request around a dollar bill :)

[blindrid]

If you're a gambler and book with Harrah's then you will be treated to free drinks in the casino, just like a land based casino.

 

Exactly, that was one of the exceptions I was thinking of.

 

AND I noticed a few posts later that "Stuart" is back :).

[netchells]

Hi Wellmax81, We will be taking dollars as well as Euros - we always like to leave a tip for our room steward at the end of the cruise :-)

 

Nicola

[SuiteCruiser]

I know the OP isn't planning on gambling, just FYI to the others. On European routes NCL waives the 3% fee in the casino since it is difficult for Europeans to get US cash.

 

I hope they'll do the same on my TA :)

[Sauer-kraut]

On the European voyages you can tip 'extra' in U.S. Dollars or in Euros. So no need to go out and get dollars, you can wrap your Howl at the Moon request around a Euro coin and it will be fine.

 

The room steward and room service waiters can be given Euros as extra gratuity as well. :)