How much spending money is enough to bring on a cruise?

[zoryana]

Sorry for so many questions. But I need to know what’s a good amount of cash to bring with us for tips and excursions as well?

 

 

Zoryana ❤️

[Keith1010]

Tips and excursions can be charged to your shipboard account.

 

Exceptions on tips might be for room service or tips to the ports when you arrived to the pier with your bags.

 

 

We stil bring a good amount of cash just in case and that could include just wanting to have cash on hand in case there was some type of emergency/event.

 

 

Keith

[cb at sea]

Tips are added to your shipboard account daily...so if you're using a credit card for your account, tips and anything else you buy on the ship will go to the credit card at the end of the cruise.

 

Excursions thru the ship are also charged to your account. Private excursions....depends how expensive they are, and if they require payment upon booking or if you can pay when you arrive in port.

 

Ashore, most places take credit cards, but some cash is good. We generally bring about $1500 for a week....(that includes our "gambling" money!)....what we don't spend, we put back in the bank when we get home! Better to have more than you need, than not enough!

[CruiserBruce]

I not sure how we are supposed to answer this question. We don't know how long your cruise is, where you are going, what your shopping and spending habits are, or anything else.

[trish1c]

Cash v, overall cost is a different Q.

 

I don't like to travel with cash which can be stolen or lost. For a 1 week cruise, DH & I usually have about $200 -- $300 in small bills with us.

 

Our overall spending varies depending on what we do. You know how much you drink, how many souvenirs you want etc. Add up the costs of the things you want to do & that will be your budget.

[mef_57]

Most things are added to your account. You can ask for an interim statement as often as you like, and some ships have it accessible electronically from your room tv.

You can calculate alot of expenses ahead of time by ising ship excursikns, or buying packages, and even prepay gratuities beforehand. It is the frivolous spending and port buying that adds up fast.

So how much, is what you have set as a budget. That being said, over on the First Timer board, I recently read a first time cruiser spends $1300 - 1500 on a 7 day cruise. Of course, you don't have to, but that is one of the problems of not paying a bill off at every transaction.

[pris993]

just enough to cover extra tips, taxis, spending money in port....

[Ashland]

We always bring more than we assume we'll need. Cash travels easily and can also return home with you. Better to have extra and not need it, than need it and not have it or having a problem accessing it. JMHO

[sanger727]

No one can answer this question without knowing you.

 

First - when you board the ship you will have to create an onboard account. This can be backed with a credit card or cash. But everything on the ship is charged to this account - no cash or credit cards are accepted onboard.

 

Second - most lines, including norwegian, have an auto gratuity program. You can pre-pay gratuities when you book or you can pay them on the ship, so this is the minimum you’ll need to bring if you don’t pre-pay.

 

After that, you can have a zero balance if you want or you can spend thousands. Alcoholic drinks, sodas, specialty coffee, and bottled water are all at extra cost. There is an alcohol drink package that may or may not be included when you book. But no one here knows how much of this you’ll want to spend on.

 

Excursions can cost $30-well over a hundred based on where you are going and what you want to do. So would help to know which itinerary you are looking at.

 

Then there are plenty other extra cost items you can choose to buy or not buy - photos, Internet, spa treatments, specialty dining, bingo, gambling, etc.

 

I would start by setting up a budget. Then you can find a cruise that fits in it and what you have leftover can set the budget for how much you want to spend on extras.

 

 

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[evandbob]

The more you bring, the more you spend. The less you bring, the more you will regret not having enough.

 

Seriously, cruise ships can get expensive, so figure out prior where you want to spend your $$$. Typical add-ons are photos, excursions (if not pre-ordered and paid for), casino, drinks, specialty restaurants, special ship activities like zip lines or other "rides", spa.or thermal suite extras, etc. Oh, let's not forget shopping either, whether in port or on the ship!

 

The usual wise guy adage is to bring 1/2 the clothes you think you need, and double the cash.

[SadieN]

Depends on lots of things—

Which cruise line, itinerary and ports

How many of you are there

Have you been there before

What you like to do

Are you a shopper or a drinker or gambler

What type of excursions

Where do you eat

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[pacruise804]

Sorry for so many questions. But I need to know what’s a good amount of cash to bring with us for tips and excursions as well?

 

 

Zoryana ❤️

 

As others have mentioned, it can vary a lot from cruiser to cruiser and cruise to cruise. Since you specified cash I will base my answer on what you may need cash for separate from your sign and sail card or items you would use your credit card for (excursions, larger off ship purchases) and some suggested minimum amounts.

 

Pre-boarding:

tolls if you don't have an e-z pass (and have tolls on your drive;))

if parking at the sea port, some have shorter lines for cash

$ for vending machines at airport/cruise port if you need a snack/drink (water fountains are fine for me and most places you can have sealed packaged food)

tip shuttle driver from airport/hotel $1 pp or $5 for a group

tip luggage handlers - usually $1-2 per bag or $5 total

 

On board:

casino - although you can have this applied to your sailing card (we don't use the casino, but what I've read)

tips above the daily gratuities

- some people say they tip their steward at the beginning and/or end, and also MDR staff (amounts vary, whatever you feel led)

- many tip bar staff $1 per drink and sometimes more - for a 7 day cruise with a 15 drink limit that would be $105 pp plus some do an extra flat amount before/after the cruise. I think this is excessive since drinks already have a gratuity included, but if you feel inclined more power to you:D

 

Excursions:

-driver tip $1-5 pp

-tour guide tip $5-10 pp

-small purchases - most cruise stops will take US$ but change will be given in local currency

 

Post cruise:

-luggage tip if someone assists you

-driver tip if any shuttle involved

-tolls if you don't have an e-z pass (and have tolls on your drive;))

 

That's all I can quickly think of.

[ldubs]

Cash v, overall cost is a different Q.

 

I don't like to travel with cash which can be stolen or lost. For a 1 week cruise, DH & I usually have about $200 -- $300 in small bills with us.

 

Our overall spending varies depending on what we do. You know how much you drink, how many souvenirs you want etc. Add up the costs of the things you want to do & that will be your budget.

 

x2. I would say this is fairly accurate for us too. Abt $250/week in smaller bills.