How much to take?!

[MM051510]

My husband and I are going on a western Caribbean cruise at the end of July. Jamaica, Cozumel, & Grand Cayman. 7 days on the Carnival Dream.

 

I'm trying to figure out how much money to bring!

 

Drinkers - myself, not him. I'm not a "boozer" either. Taking two bottles of wine with us. Maybe a drink during the day on ship. Drinks on port at beach! We don't drink soda either.

 

Casino- we both like the casino. However, I don't plan on being there 24/7. Never spent more than $100 at a time in a casino.

 

Excursions- we're trying to do taxis and our own thing. Shopping, beach, snorkeling. Not a group or through the ship trip!

 

So basically, I'm wondering what I need to take.

 

I was thinking $1000 - $1500 in total. How much should be cash? What kind of denominations? Do I use a credit card or my bank card for my sail and sign card?

 

Confused...

[cb at sea]

That's about what we usually bring....assuming you'll be using a credit card for your onboard charges/account... We almost always bring money home again!

 

Bring large denominations, as it's much easier to carry than wads of small bills. We bring all hundreds, with about $100-150 in smaller bills...twenties, tens, a few ones. The ship can break down the larger bills on the ship, as needed.

 

Use a CREDIT CARD for your onboard account...debit cards incur long holds on your funds that can affect your spending AFTER the cruise! Plus, a debit offers NO protections at all.

 

Get a guidebook on your ports....lots of info about what to do and HOW to do it on your own!

[Keith1010]

I think cb at sea has given you solid advice.

 

When you board the ship put your money in the safe with other valuables and take only a small portion of it in port.

 

Keith

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Do I use a credit card or my bank card for my sail and sign card? Yes a credit card is great for that ..

[peymas]

Has anyone ever had anything stolen out of the safe? Don't know how easy/hard this would be. I don't want to carry money with me, but nervous about leaving it in the room also.

[gerryl12]

Has anyone ever had anything stolen out of the safe? Don't know how easy/hard this would be. I don't want to carry money with me, but nervous about leaving it in the room also.

 

I think the safes are very secure, but there are no guarantees. I always trust the safe in the room. Of course I don't put millions of dollars in it either nor would I.

[panoramaofthepast]

Casino - I set myself a daily limit [$50]. If I lose it, I walk. If I double it, I walk. I usually break more or less even with that philosophy. I just consider it entertainment money and budget accordingly!

[SJP0tato]

I think the safes are very secure, but there are no guarantees. I always trust the safe in the room. Of course I don't put millions of dollars in it either nor would I.

 

They're better than leaving your money/valuables lying on the counter.

But for true security they're not the greatest: Someone in our party last cruise forgot their combo, the steward was able to help them reset the code and open it within about 5 minutes (it's probably a regular occurrence).

 

Think of it as more "out of sight, out of mind" than a true secure place to store items.

[MM051510]

I recently spoke to my carnival PVP and she was mentioning paying cash for my sail and sign card. Has anyone ever done this?

[aubreyc1988]

It depends on if you plan to use a Credit Card or debit card for your onboard account.

 

Personally, I would charge as much as you can to your onboard account so you can pay it off with a credit card/debit card. Not only do you get purchase protection, if you have a credit card, you can get points which can equal money back!

 

For in ports, use cash. Make sure if you dont bring $1 bills, to have them before to go to port for things like cab tips and such. These people often say they dont have change so you will be inclined to over tip. We always run out of $1 bills! If you are going to a place that uses a different currency, get some of that currency before you get on the ship! In St. Maarten, half of the island is using Euros. And they charge a hefty conversion fee! So we learned the hard way and are getting some Euros before our next trip!

 

Anyhow, just remember that having a lot of cash on hand is risky. Try to figure out what you can pay for with a Credit Card or debit card and calculate the amount you will need for cash. You should only need cash for things like taxis/tips/ports of call.

 

just my opinion

[aubreyc1988]

I recently spoke to my carnival PVP and she was mentioning paying cash for my sail and sign card. Has anyone ever done this?

 

You can do a number of things

 

I know people who before a cruise add cash to their sail and sign which works like onboard credit...its a good saving technique and helps curb spending. I don't do this, but i think its a smart idea! :)

 

Also, at the end of your cruise, they will send a bill to your room, nd you can always go down to guest relations to pay it off in cash :)

[GTO-Girl]

We always set up our onboard account with a credit card, then on the morning of the last full day onboard (a lot less crowded then), we go down and pay off our account in cash.

 

Anything small amount we charge on the last evening we just let it go on our credit card.

 

Just easier for us than trying to set up a cash account......

[Troyer5]

It depends on if you plan to use a Credit Card or debit card for your onboard account.

 

Personally, I would charge as much as you can to your onboard account so you can pay it off with a credit card/debit card. Not only do you get purchase protection, if you have a credit card, you can get points which can equal money back!

 

For in ports, use cash. Make sure if you dont bring $1 bills, to have them before to go to port for things like cab tips and such. These people often say they dont have change so you will be inclined to over tip. We always run out of $1 bills! If you are going to a place that uses a different currency, get some of that currency before you get on the ship! In St. Maarten, half of the island is using Euros. And they charge a hefty conversion fee! So we learned the hard way and are getting some Euros before our next trip!

 

Anyhow, just remember that having a lot of cash on hand is risky. Try to figure out what you can pay for with a Credit Card or debit card and calculate the amount you will need for cash. You should only need cash for things like taxis/tips/ports of call.

 

just my opinion

Which part of the island,the Dutch side or the French side?

[aubreyc1988]

Which part of the island,the Dutch side or the French side?

 

French. We got charged a hefty conversion fee for lunch so after that I didn't buy anything on that side of the island

 

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[Troyer5]

French. We got charged a hefty conversion fee for lunch so after that I didn't buy anything on that side of the island

 

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Thanks! Now I know to avoid that part of the island.:rolleyes:Doug

[aubreyc1988]

Thanks! Now I know to avoid that part of the island.:rolleyes:Doug

 

I definitely wouldn't avoid it...food was fab and definitely quaint. I would just get some euros before you go. But whatever you decide, st martin is great!

 

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