How much cash to take

Hello everyone

Hubby and I are leaving Thursday for our first cruise ...12 days in the South Pacific leaving from Sydney. We are wondering how much cash should we bring with us. Thanks

Hello everyone

 

Hubby and I are leaving Thursday for our first cruise ...12 days in the South Pacific leaving from Sydney. We are wondering how much cash should we bring with us. Thanks

That is very subjective since it depends on how much you'll spend on souvenirs and food in each port, whether you'll be taking taxi/tour in any of the ports, whether you'll gamble on the ship, whether you'll use cash to give extra tips.

Think of each of those categories and that should help you with a cash budget.

If you're headed to the Marquesas or Fiji, it's a great opportunity to get some ceremonial paddles or war implements. Though the better items are not cheap (figure about $200-300 for small ceremonial paddles), there are bargains to be found.

I don't know if it's still there. But there's a craft market in Suva (Fiji) where one stall offers the most accurate reproductions of museum pieces you'll ever find. I got a throwing club there (modeled after a famous piece in the local museum). The only way the average person could tell that it wasn't an original is that the inlays were cow bone instead of ivory.

Still not cheap but the bottom line lesson is to carry enough cash in case you do come across an unusual piece.

Less (and a credit card)

Or More.

Worst can happen is you bring some home.

If you really mean what will you spend, for us it ranges from about $8 to about $5,000. Really depends on what you get upto and what you buy.

I have always wanted a war club but getting it through customs is a real nightmare.

We always take a good amount of money not only for small purchase on land but should we need any in an emergency. Yes, I know there are ATM's.

How much really depends on you.

In our case for that trip a thousand to two thousand.

Keith

We take an average of $100.00 per day per person ,as stated above,you can always bring it home .

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Hello everyone

 

Hubby and I are leaving Thursday for our first cruise ...12 days in the South Pacific leaving from Sydney. We are wondering how much cash should we bring with us. Thanks

Since you have told us nothing about yourselves or what you have prepaid, any answers that we can give you are totally meaningless. My suggestion - bring more than you think that you might need. Nobody will force you to spend it all if you do not want to.,

DON

Since you have told us nothing about yourselves or what you have prepaid, any answers that we can give you are totally meaningless. My suggestion - bring more than you think that you might need. Nobody will force you to spend it all if you do not want to.,

 

DON

The old adage for travelling -

Double your money and halve your luggage,

may be appropriate.

Totally agree that more money is better than less!

If you can purchase Travelers Checks, they can be cashed at the Guest Services desk so you don't have to carry a wad of cash onboard. ATMs should be available, but with a fee.

Be sure to notify your credit card company and bank (if taking a debit card) that you are travelling.

Have a wonderful cruise - what an exciting destination.

We bring at lest $1500 for 1 week..more for a longer trip. Do we spend that much cash? Nope...but I like knowing I have immediate funds, and the bank will gladly let me redeposit it when we get home! Better to have more than you need, IMO! Large denominations are much easier to carry than wads of $20, and smaller bills.... ATM's are not my thing....stupid to pay fees to access your own funds!

We use a credit card (not the one we link to our ship account) on shore for larger purchases, if we have any of those...the card linked to our account never leaves the ship.

We bring at lest $1500 for 1 week..more for a longer trip. Do we spend that much cash? Nope...but I like knowing I have immediate funds, and the bank will gladly let me redeposit it when we get home! Better to have more than you need, IMO! Large denominations are much easier to carry than wads of $20, and smaller bills.... ATM's are not my thing....stupid to pay fees to access your own funds!

 

We use a credit card (not the one we link to our ship account) on shore for larger purchases, if we have any of those...the card linked to our account never leaves the ship.

Warning, not all venues are able to take larger bills regardless of whether they are in US$ or foreign currency. Nor will they all be able to take credit cards. Small, Pacific Islands may be even more restricted. Heck, even places in Cozumel are like that so go to the ports section here on CC and see if you can get a better description of what each port has as currency issues.

Just bring credit/debit card for ATMs to local currencies. Several currencies down there.They were more interested in getting their own currencies than other areas of world.

Less (and a credit card)

 

Or More.

 

Worst can happen is you bring some home.

 

If you really mean what will you spend, for us it ranges from about $8 to about $5,000. Really depends on what you get upto and what you buy.

This is my exact answer. Mr Gut we must definitely meet on a ship one day. I'll buy the first, you buy the second, I'll buy the third, you buy the forth and we keep going until we can't remember who's turn it is :D.

Money is an incredible thing. If you don't use it you can put it back in the bank or just keep it. It never goes bad or out of style. I never travel with less than $1000 even if I am only flying up to Vancouver to spend a week at my mother's house.

Warning, not all venues are able to take larger bills regardless of whether they are in US$ or foreign currency. Nor will they all be able to take credit cards. Small, Pacific Islands may be even more restricted. Heck, even places in Cozumel are like that so go to the ports section here on CC and see if you can get a better description of what each port has as currency issues.

That is why you have a Purser's Desk. To change your $100 to smaller amounts. I have never traveled where they didn't take my US dollars. Well, in Europe we got Euros. Credit cards work fine or they figure out a way to take your cash. A true miracle if ever this was one.

Not my experience in Cozumel folks, sorry. As an island they don't always have reliable internet connection so don't always do credit cards. Yes, in Cozumel many of the vendors will take US$ but the change they give you will be in local currency. My husband is Spanish so there wasn't a language barrier and he actually got us some very good deals because he could converse fluently. In fact we didn't have a problem at all in the Caribbean except that is where we learned about international fees for credit cards (only happened twice but that was enough).

Now our UK cruise the situation is different. They don't take US$ over there. It is arrogant to assume that is going to happen everywhere you go. The exchange rate on board cruise ships is notoriously bad as well. And don't necessarily plan on the cruise ship being able to break your large bills or even exchange to the currency you want. If everyone on the ship thought like that there is definitely no way it is going to happen.

Now Hawaii ... you can probably get away with a credit card 99.9% of the time. If you are talking about a US protectorate you can probably get away with using US$ if not necessarily a credit card. However, if you are visiting other sovereign nations, make sure and do your research well in advance.

Example ... St. Peter Port on Guernsey is one of the ports on our upcoming UK cruise. Guernsey actually has their own currency even though it is English ... so while some places do accept the British pound sterling, not all do, and the change you are given back will be in the Guernsey pound sterling. Add to this that weather easily disrupts electricity there and so not all vendors on shore bother with credit cards. Then we have to have Euros in Ireland, Northern Ireland, and France and then GBPs in England, Scotland, and Wales. That's a lot of different currencies in a relatively small geographic area.

So again, I caution people to check each individual port. Don't assume. Check with people that have actually visited that specific port. If a restaurant and/or store here in the US doesn't take Canadian money ... won't even accept Canadian pennies ... don't assume that some other country is going to automatically make a way to accept US dollars. There is no logic in that thinking.

Warning, not all venues are able to take larger bills regardless of whether they are in US$ or foreign currency. Nor will they all be able to take credit cards. Small, Pacific Islands may be even more restricted. Heck, even places in Cozumel are like that so go to the ports section here on CC and see if you can get a better description of what each port has as currency issues.

A few cautions.

1. Many merchants will not accept worn bills or bills with tears or ink markings on them.

2. $100 and $50 bills are frequently rejected just because they are likely to wipe out a merchant's US$ change fund.

3. US Dollar ($1) coins are seldom accepted anywhere. Same for $2 bills.

4. If a merchant does accept larger bills, they will give change in local currency, usually at seriously deficient exchange rates.

5. Changing US dollars into local currency at the Pursers office on board ship is usually a serious loser vis a' vis exchange rates.

 

Now Hawaii ... you can probably get away with a credit card 99.9% of the time. If you are talking about a US protectorate you can probably get away with using US$ if not necessarily a credit card. However, if you are visiting other sovereign nations, make sure and do your research well in advance.

 

Example ... St. Peter Port on Guernsey is one of the ports on our upcoming UK cruise. Guernsey actually has their own currency even though it is English ... so while some places do accept the British pound sterling, not all do, and the change you are given back will be in the Guernsey pound sterling. Add to this that weather easily disrupts electricity there and so not all vendors on shore bother with credit cards. Then we have to have Euros in Ireland, Northern Ireland, and France and then GBPs in England, Scotland, and Wales. That's a lot of different currencies in a relatively small geographic area.

 

So again, I caution people to check each individual port. Don't assume. Check with people that have actually visited that specific port. If a restaurant and/or store here in the US doesn't take Canadian money ... won't even accept Canadian pennies ... don't assume that some other country is going to automatically make a way to accept US dollars. There is no logic in that thinking.

The currency in Northern Ireland is GBP (Sterling) as we are part of the UK. Some towns near the border with the Republic of Ireland will accept Euros.

The currency in Northern Ireland is GBP (Sterling) as we are part of the UK. Some towns near the border with the Republic of Ireland will accept Euros.

Thank you ... so Londonderry will be GBP. We were told that Cork and Dublin will be euros. Should have differentiated and made sure about Northern Ireland as they are sovereign. My apologies.

Thank you ... so Londonderry will be GBP. We were told that Cork and Dublin will be euros. Should have differentiated and made sure about Northern Ireland as they are sovereign. My apologies.

Yes, Londonderry will be GBP and Dublin & Cork Euros:) I'm originally from Dublin, moved to Northern Ireland when I got married!

I see you are doing the British Isles cruise in July. Enjoy and make sure you bring an umbrella!!

Mary

Yes, Londonderry will be GBP and Dublin & Cork Euros:) I'm originally from Dublin, moved to Northern Ireland when I got married! Are you intending to visit?

Cruise ship stops in Belfast but we are taking an excursion to Londonderry.

Cruise ship stops in Belfast but we are taking an excursion to Londonderry.

Enjoy, I edited my post, but you had replied before I saved it.

Remember for some it is Londonderry and others it is just Derry, saying the wrong one to the wrong person may cause offence, :eek:

So it is best to just say it is an interesting place and disregard the name.

Warning, not all venues are able to take larger bills regardless of whether they are in US$ or foreign currency. Nor will they all be able to take credit cards. Small, Pacific Islands may be even more restricted. Heck, even places in Cozumel are like that so go to the ports section here on CC and see if you can get a better description of what each port has as currency issues.

 

This is why you get smaller denominations on board.

 

Not my experience in Cozumel folks, sorry. As an island they don't always have reliable internet connection so don't always do credit cards. Yes, in Cozumel many of the vendors will take US$ but the change they give you will be in local currency.

 

They most certainly will take US dollars. You have to simply ask for US dollars in change. If they don't have it then you are free to move on.

 

Now Hawaii ... last time I checked Hawaii was a state in the US so US money IS their currency.

 

So again, I caution people to check each individual port. Don't assume. Check with people that have actually visited that specific port. If a restaurant and/or store here in the US doesn't take Canadian money ... won't even accept Canadian pennies ... don't assume that some other country is going to automatically make a way to accept US dollars. There is no logic in that thinking.

Of course they won't accept Canadian pennies. They are obsolete. Even if the US did accept Canadian money, coins are often not acceptable.

The question from the OP was "how much cash to take", not denominations or from what country. Some of the people that answered the OPs question are world travelers. Their response was based on their experience. No one says that money had to be in US dollars. Of course when you are in GB to take GB currency, Europe, Euros. It doesn't change the fact of how much cash you bring.

A lot of countries (islands) will take USD but as mentioned do not be surprised if the exchange rate is crap and the change is in the local currency.