Dollar Coins ? $2 Bills ?

[Kalos Orisate]

It's been a while since I cruised in the Caribbean. Do people on the Islands and on ship appreciate small tips in USA "golden" dollar coins or $2 bills ? Or, would this be insulting ? (I hesitate to ask about 50 cent pieces...).

 

I suppose Canadian $2 coins would be completely out of the question...

[Nitemare]

If you want to be remembered as the weird guy or gal with the strange money, go ahead. They can always swap it onboard ship for "regular" money. If their ship stays in the Caribbean or Europe for extended terms, they might have trouble using a $2 bill or Golden dollar at the shops they visit on land.

[lougee1043]

why would you want to weigh yourself down carrying coin----give paper cash- the crew works hrd enough without having to run around exchanging coin for paper--- a lot of people post about things that they are going to give the crew bu the reality is that most of the crew support families back home and its easiest for them to deal with paper cash

[Tedder]

I take $2.00 bills just to cut down on what I have in my pockets.I don't think there is an issue with them being able to spend or exchange a US bill.I wouldn't want to carry coins do to the weight though.

[Ta421sBtrHalf]

I used to date a guy who always left a $2.00 bill for a tip when we went for coffee or the local place for breakfast, and everyone in the restaraunt called him the $2.00 guy. They still call me $2.00 guy's girlfriend even though it has been years since we dated and I have been with my DH for 4 years. I know here it is rememberd, but for better or worse I don't know.

[CoachTerry14]

If you want to be remembered as the weird guy or gal with the strange money, go ahead. They can always swap it onboard ship for "regular" money. If their ship stays in the Caribbean or Europe for extended terms, they might have trouble using a $2 bill or Golden dollar at the shops they visit on land.

 

I have never heard or read of anyone having any problems spending the $2 bills. I use them all the time on cruises!

[cruzincurt]

Why do you use $2 bills on a cruise when you don't use them at home?

[CoachTerry14]

http://taco.com/reb/2bill.html

[bUU]

I definitely prefer carrying paper money to coinage. $2 bills worked great. Saves space in the wallet too!

[Kalos Orisate]

Why do you use $2 bills on a cruise when you don't use them at home?

I haven't lived in the States for a few years. When I did, I always tried to use $2 bills.

 

I see the Mint botched introduction of a $1 coin again. They should do it the away Canada's Mint did: First - design a good-looking $1 coin... then stop production of the $1 bill - at least for a couple of years. People would never go back to paper $1 bills once they found out how much more useful $1 coins are. The USA $2 bill should be the lowest donomination of circulating paper currency. According to government estimates, the USA would save more than $500 million dollars per year if paper dollars were eliminated.

 

 

ps: Should also get rid of the one cent coin, and instead start circulating the 50 cent piece.

[Nitemare]

I have never heard or read of anyone having any problems spending the $2 bills. I use them all the time on cruises!

 

Do you go into the same shops and cafes in the ports that the crew goes into, Chris? I'm sure the tourist shops are familiar with dollar coins and $2 bills, but maybe not the places off the beaten track.

[cruzincurt]

"People would never go back to paper $1 bills once they found out how much more useful $1 coins are."

 

Really,? I'd rather have $10 in paper bills in my pocket than 10 heavy coins. But then again, I'm not one of those people who charge their $2.95 coffee on a credit card. So maybe the demise of the $1.00 paper bill is really being caused by people charging $1.07 for their two hamburgers at McDonalds or $0.50 at the toll booth. A lot of people don't seem to carry ANY cash.

 

Just the other day, I got stuck for 5 minutes behind someone charging their $0.50 toll to a credit card. And people wonder why their identities get stolen when they spread their credit card around everywhere, especially for such trival amounts.

[bUU]

In line with that logic, I'd rather have $10 in $2 bills in my wallet than $10 in $1 bills.

[Kalos Orisate]

"People would never go back to paper $1 bills once they found out how much more useful $1 coins are."

Really,? I'd rather have $10 in paper bills in my pocket than 10 heavy coins. But then again, I'm not one of those people who charge their $2.95 coffee on a credit card.

You shouldn't be carrying more than ~$4 in coins in your pocket anyway. Canada is a good test for $1 coins - with cash-carrying habits similar to American practice. People here would laugh at the idea of reintroducing $1 paper bills. $1 coins are just right for a lot of things - vending machines, newspapers, small tips. No need in Canada for ridiculous vending machine mechanisms for reading $1 bills - they never work reliably.

[cruzincurt]

I would be fine if they stopped the $1 bills competely and went to coins, but pick one or the other. If you don't have bill readers on the vending machines, how do you exchange a $5 bill if you don't have a $1 coin?

[CastorFache]

Some machines have bill readers, but if you don't have change, someone else usually does... or you go into a store and ask them for change.

 

 

The change machine bill-reader in the laundry/snack room where my friend went to university was reeeally picky. They finally just set up an ironing board in front of it, because it would only take perfectly flat bills.

[LARGIN]

Why do you use $2 bills on a cruise when you don't use them at home?

Lots of the crew think it is a good luck bill.. :)

[MrsPete]

I believe McDonalds charges 1.07 for two burgers so that the cashier is FORCED to open the register drawer and give the customer change. The .07 will not make the customer say, "this burger is too expensive", but it will remove an opportunity for the cashier to put the dollar in his pocket instead of in the drawer. Okay, I think McD's has cameras on its registers now, but you get the idea -- the concept can be generalized to many other businesses.

 

We've always used the golden dollar bills because they're a rarity. Almost everyone comments and seems pleased. I agree that they could weigh you down if you're out walking around with a pocketful, but most of our one and two dollar tips go to room service so they're not being lugged around the ship. We have a little container full of the coins, which we usually keep in the top drawer. Everyone in the family knows to reach in there if they order room service.

[cruzincurt]

So you end up with $0.93 in change to put in your pocket. Three quarters, a nickle, a dime and 3 pennies. For the same reason, $0.50 coins are not in general use.

 

I wouldn't expect someone to not be pleased getting a tip. But you had to lug that pile of $1.00 coins onto the ship from home.

 

Reminds me of people I know that save quarters for the slot machines, then lug a jar full onto the ship....but the machines take tokens!

 

So what I do is take my $20 bill to the purser or casino and change it into $1.00 bills for those room service tips. Come to think of it, I could probably get some of those $2 bills the crew is trying to get rid of.

 

But what ever, keep on tipping!

[moonvine]

"People would never go back to paper $1 bills once they found out how much more useful $1 coins are."

 

Really,? I'd rather have $10 in paper bills in my pocket than 10 heavy coins. But then again, I'm not one of those people who charge their $2.95 coffee on a credit card. So maybe the demise of the $1.00 paper bill is really being caused by people charging $1.07 for their two hamburgers at McDonalds or $0.50 at the toll booth. A lot of people don't seem to carry ANY cash.

 

Just the other day, I got stuck for 5 minutes behind someone charging their $0.50 toll to a credit card. And people wonder why their identities get stolen when they spread their credit card around everywhere, especially for such trival amounts.

I don't carry any cash at all (though if I had to deal with tolls I would carry cash for that purpose, or more likely buy a toll pass). Identity theft doesn't typically happen from having a credit card number stolen - you need social security numbers to steal someone's identity - and if my credit or debit cards get stolen my liability is limited to $50 - by the way I have been using a debit card for at least the last 10 years and it has never been stolen. And I get free airline miles on everything I buy.

[Kalos Orisate]

If there's anyone on the Norwegian Dawn's Dec 19 sailing who could do me a favor by bringing on board extra $2 bills, and 50 cent pieces, which I would buy, please contact me. (I'm an Canada, so I can't get them myself).

[Kalos Orisate]

Post-script...

 

Couldn't obtain $2 bills or coins before my 12/19 cruise. The first stop however was St Thomas, where the Post Office in downtown Charlotte Amalie dispenses $1 Golden Dollars from the postage vending machine. ie insert a $20 bill and buy a small package of stamps for post cards - get ~17 golden dollars as change.

 

The golden dollars were popular and appreciated as tips on-board ship and on island stops.