On board money

Hi,As a complete newbie I'm trying to work out what money we have to take with us on our cruise this July.

We are sailing with RCI on an European cruise. We'll be taking Euros for the port days but do we need dollars as well for the ship or is everything taken care of using cards? I've pre-paid tips. Is everything else cash-less?

Thanks

The only place cash is used on the ship is the casino, everything else is charged to your room.

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Hi,As a complete newbie I'm trying to work out what money we have to take with us on our cruise this July.

We are sailing with RCI on an European cruise. We'll be taking Euros for the port days but do we need dollars as well for the ship or is everything taken care of using cards? I've pre-paid tips. Is everything else cash-less?

Thanks

You might want some cash for tips not covered by your prepaid gratuities, such as for room service, bar staff, etc.

You might want some cash for tips not covered by your prepaid gratuities, such as for room service, bar staff, etc.

Everything is charged to your cabin. EVERYTHING. NO need to carry cash around the ship. If you feel the need to tip more than they charge you, do it on the last evening, in cash, if you like. Keep your cash in the safe in your cabin.

Cash for on-board gratuities in excess of pre-paid gratuities is a very personal thing; however, many of us find that tips as a show of appreciation for something extra are always graciously accepted. On a 28 day B2B last fall, my wife was often greeted with a smile and cheery hello from probably one of the lowest crew members on board that was in charge of cleaning the glass and brass railings near the Cafe Al Baccio - after about 3 weeks of this, my wife thanked her for her fastidious work and friendliness and gave her a $5 tip which brought tears to the young woman's eyes. It's not necessary, but it is sincerely appreciated.

And if you happen to find that you are running low on Euros for port days, it's always nice to have some extra USD handy since in a pinch you can always use it for shore excursion gratuities.

If you're sailing on a ship which is home ported in Europe for the season, such as Independence OTS in Southampton, then you don't need to buy any $$ at all. If you want to give any extra tips, the crew are quite happy with ££ or €€.

If you're sailing on a ship which is home ported in Europe for the season, such as Independence OTS in Southampton, then you don't need to buy any $$ at all. If you want to give any extra tips, the crew are quite happy with ££ or €€.

Very true - crew are happy with any currency! However, nice thing about dollars - they are paper and easier to carry than a £1 coin, for example.

Very true - crew are happy with any currency! However, nice thing about dollars - they are paper and easier to carry than a £1 coin, for example.[/quote

:D

But... he'd have to use his £1 coins to buy $$ in the first place, and so would be spending more than a pound... ;) Unless you've a few $$ from another time.

UK folk are more likely to have some small euro change kicking about..it seems to end up in my jewellery box for some reason, along with old drachmas and pesetas (useless; must take to a charity shop), so ££ and €€ is the best way to go.

Oh.. and if anyone's been saving their £5 notes for another cruise... they're finishing next week (6th), and plastic notes are the legal tender after that...:eek: