How much money to bring?

[goodtimes247]

Dumb questions, but would like to know how much money does average cruiser bring with them? I'm not big in gambling, just buy a few souveniers here and there prob. would 50 bucks a day rule be pretty safe?

[blindrid]

That's totally dependent on you. I would think that is enough but still would provide a backup plan whether it be a cash advance on a cc or ATM availability just in case. Everything on the ship is cashless so it would be spending money in port as I normally put any major purchases on cc's.

[goodtimes247]

Thanks blindrid. does anyone know how much they charge for atm on the ship?

[JanineM]

It depends on SO much! Do you drink? If so, you can expect to spend anywhere from $5 to $7 per drink (including gratuity). Do you drink sodas? They are about $1.75 plus gratuity. Do you plan to buy a soda card? That's usually about $6 per day.

 

Then there are the photos, which are often nice to purchase. They run about $10 to $20, depending on the size.

 

There are the souvenirs - either onboard the ship, or onshore. Plus specialty dinners (depending on the ship - $20 per person or more), plus cash for room service tips, plus plus plus plus ...

 

We aren't big drinkers but we do have a few drinks over the week, and I usually buy the allowable amount in the duty free store, and we eat in the specialty restaurant at least once and always get a couple of pictures. Between the two of us we usually spend about $100 per day, plus excursions.

 

Don't know how much this helps. Oh, for cash you might want to check out whether or not you can get cash on your account from the casino. They don't charge a fee. I think the ATM fee is about $2.50, plus whatever your bank charges for out of network service. If you're going ashore you may be able to find your local bank somewhere.

[Kudos2Fly]

If you are talking about being on shore. For a 4-5 day cruise we take about $300 dollars cash we us for places that don't take c.c..

 

But on the ship we pay with our c.c. as for what we spend on board. That depends on how many days we are on board. But we have never spent more then $500-$1000 on a 7 day cruise much less on 4-5 days cruises.

[KC_fn]

goodtimes247, there are no dumb questions. Ask away!

 

Our budget was $25 per person per day. Any money not spent carried over from day to day, so there was incentive not to blow the whole wad each day. We also budgeted for a special jewelry shopping expedition in St. Thomas (a tradition), but that was separate.

 

As you probably guessed, we don't gamble, drink, or visit the spa, and we stay out of the on-board stores. Our daily budget went mainly for smoothies, specialty coffees, Johnny Rockets, and some arcade time for my DD. And we had a wonderful time. :)

 

In port, we take $50 cash in small bills for the two of us (though we rarely spend it all), and of course a credit card.

[CGBCruiser]

I think it's about $5 per transaction for the ATM's on board...at least if I remember correctly that's about what it was on RCI.

[odblnt]

You know the old saying. You should always bring half as much clothes and twice as much cash as you think you need. :rolleyes:

 

Pete

 

I know this doesn't answer your question, but I couldn't resist.

[cruise_lover]

My sister and I spent a little over $500 for our first cruise. This was only for our ship board account - photos, specialty restaurant, souvenirs from the ship, automatic tips, 2 glasses of wine for each of us and 2 soft drinks throughout the 7 day cruise. This did not include the money we spent on shore or at the casino. If you can afford it, bring between $700.00 - $1000 and hope that you bring home home.

[Name game]

For a 7 or 8 night cruise my sign and sail account usually runs about $500-$600. That's for tips, drinks, shopping on board (not big things), pictures, etc... It adds up quickly. As for cash, you will spend more than you think. I am not a big gambler but I bring about $100 to lose which goes really fast. There is bingo, casino, etc... There is cash tipping (i.e. porters, room service, extra tips for people, etc...). On the islands I like to bring cash for little things. It really adds up. I also need the cash for ground transportation to and from airports and piers. I bring around $700 - $800 cash or travelers checks and usually have some left over when I get home. I would rather be safe than sorry.

 

Regarding the ATM on the ship, don't rely on it. I've seen it run out of money towards the end of the cruise.

[C-Ked]

This also depends on where you're going -- some ports of call are much more expensive, as a general proposition, than others, so that will have a huge impact on your budget. Not to mention the cost of shore excursions, if you're including that in your cash budget -- we ended up paying cash for excursions we picked up at the pier (which were much much less expensive than the ship's excursions).

[Fredr]

Hello,

 

This is not a dumb question and after 19 cruises I can tell you frankly my dear, you have asked a very good question.

 

The amount you spend will depend upon what you really want or need to purchase. Are you obligated for whatever reason to purchase gifts for your children, grandchildren, friends, co-workers, or the person who watches the house when you go traveling. If so then $50.00 per day is probably not enough. In each port and on the ship there will be sales on t shirts and everyone can use another t shirt.

 

However, $50.00 a day is reasonable if...

 

You do not go on any ship excursions but find interesting and fun things to do in each port. In La Paz Mexico, for example, my DW and I had a great time just walking around the city and we spent no money.

 

You can limit you alcohol/soft drink intake. This doesn't mean going without but just being careful as to what you consume. Drinks are expensive on cruise ships but some glasses of wine or some beers aren't going to blow your budget.

 

If you can stay out of the casino on a regular basis (playing a few slots is okay but sitting down at a black jack table is not advised). The spa treatments are very expensive

 

While most cruise ines have an automatic system for deducting gratuities, make absolutely sure that you pay your gratuties if your ship does not have such a system.

 

Remember, a cruise is not about spending money. It is travel by sea and all the wonderful aesthetics...the sunsets, the sunrises, the stars, long walks on deck, which do not cost any money.

 

If the cruise is 7 days and you have $50.00 per day to spend, consider pooling it and say we have $350 to spend because on some days you won't have to spend any money at all. Other days you will want to spend on something that you really want.

 

Hope that this helps.

 

Fred

[blindrid]

The OP's orignal question was how much CASH to bring, not how much her sign and sail account would be. Just a heads up, if the ATM doesn't work, you can sign for chips at the casino and cash them in at the window. The transaction fee is minimal there also.

 

I think on my last cruise, the ATM was $3.

[PrettyCruiser]

Bring as much as you can afford and you can always bring the leftover cash home. If you are concerned about carrying too much cash, bring some as travelers checks.

[KC_fn]

Remember, a cruise is not about spending money. It is travel by sea and all the wonderful aesthetics...the sunsets, the sunrises, the stars, long walks on deck, which do not cost any money.

 

 

Fred

 

Fred, every time I run into one of your posts, I think, "Why couldn't I have said it like that???" And once again, you've hit the nail on the head.

 

goodtimes247, the things you will remember about your cruise will likely be the things that cost little or no money. Sitting on the deck at sunset with someone you love, the feel of the beach sand between your toes, taking a nap whenever you feel like it, being treated like royalty by the dining room staff ... all cost-free, but priceless.

[goodtimes247]

Thanks everyone for all your insights. I think I know how much is enough to bring now. KC and Fred, you guys are right about the experience vs. spending, I think just thinking this way will help me save some money as well. :) Also Blindrid, great tip on the Casino chip thing in case the ATM does run out of money. Hopefully I won't have to resort to this. Thanks again everyone!

[Cathy8090]

from some of the replies it appears you can't charge the pictures? I wonder why not?

[CGBCruiser]

You do get to charge the pictures, and the drinks, and anything else you purchase onboard to your Sea Pass card. If you are trying to budget, just include those on the budget for your daily spending.

[Terpnut]

These days, we barely even use or need cash anymore. Our family of four uses less than $40 in total cash for a typical 7-day cruise. We just got off a Canada/NE cruise aboard Grandeur and spent maybe $40 in cash for 9 days!

 

The only thing I can think of that requires cash is tips for bellmen and occasional room service, and everything else goes on the credit card. And if we should need cash, definitely do NOT use the ATM--get it at the casino as it is interest and fee-free!

[KC_fn]

from some of the replies it appears you can't charge the pictures? I wonder why not?

 

Oh, you can charge them. You can charge almost everything. Therein lies the danger. ;)

 

I forgot to mention: I take a big ol' wad of cash on the cruise and keep it in the safe. Every couple of days, I take some of it down to Guest Relations and pay off the balance. This is just a good reminder that it's REAL money we're spending. Yea, it's a little bookkeeper-ish, but it works for me. And it's nice to not have a nasty surprise when my next credit card bill arrives.

[chasetf]

Dumb questions, but would like to know how much money does average cruiser bring with them? I'm not big in gambling, just buy a few souveniers here and there prob. would 50 bucks a day rule be pretty safe?

Do a budget.... that is what I do. Figure out what you need to spend, what you want to spend, and put in some windage. I find I can get pretty close.

 

What I spend is totally different that the folks in the next cabin. Gambling / drinking / dining / souviniers / tours / tips ..... they all differ for all of us.

[Terpnut]

As excursions can be a huge cost of any cruise, your specific itinerary and interests will also heavily impact your budget.