How much cash should we bring?

[Cru1ser]

thanks

[sherryf]

We used very little cash last year. We were on Princess which is completely cashless onboard. (I assume most ships are the same these days.) Shopping in ports I used my credit card. The only thing I used cash for was tipping tour guides... and one coke out of a machine in Ketchikan because it was so dang hot that day!

[alpal1993]

We did 14 Night Cruise entirely Credit Card Free.Did 8 ports.Several ports were prebooked and paid in advance as well as our drink cards and wine card(20 cocktails 10 glasses of wine).We spent 800 on board including tips ,3 extra tours,a few photos and a few extra drinks including soda.Cash for Ports we brought 1400$ and came back with over 400.We paid about 300 for added tours and 4 tramway tickets 100.A couple of drinks in The Red Onion Red Dog and Salty Dawg Saloons(Is there a strange pattern going on here?)Tips and Souveineers.We also did send you luggage ahead 19pp and baggage charge for 3 suitcases out of our ship board account.Have a great time and enjoy yourselves.We certainly did.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

I plan on bringing about $500, which is probably much more than I need. I put everything I can on credit cards which are paid off at the end of every month. I like the rewards! Free money for cruises for me.:D

 

The cash I will likely use will be more for tips. So I will bring plenty of small bills, especially $1 & $5 bills. I go through the $1 bills quickly. I use them for porters ($2 per bag) and room service tips on board the ship ($1 per plate). $5 & $10 bills will be used more for tips to tour guides, depending on the price of the tour (roughly 15%). Onboard tips go on my credit card. I will have $20 bills for my room steward & waiter IF I have excellent service. On our last cruise we gave an extra tip to our wonderful waiter, while our room steward was average to below average, so for her we stuck with just the suggested amount that automatically was charged to our credit card.

 

I tend to use cash more in ports in the Caribbean & Mexico, but in Alaska I feel fine using my CCs. Any cash I have left over will go to paying off the credit cards.

[chipmaster]

As much as you are going to spend :D

 

IMHO I expect like in most US places CC is accept at almost every place even for the smallest purchases. Given the ports are totally touristy I think even more so.

 

I know I'm taking a private fishing tour where I need cash. Between that and tips is almost all the cash I'm budgeting. I would think in port for say an ice cream, bottled water or small snacks cash is best, but beyond that CC can/should over everything and on the ship everything is charged to your cruise account which hopefully is backed by CC at checkin.

 

Enjoy a cashless cruise ;)

 

thanks

[bmcc]

we brought $800 with us. Spent most of them with one independent operator. He prefers cash over credit card so he does not have to pay fee. We can also opt for credit card. If not for that excursion, we would have spent very little with cash

[mountainhouse]

No more than I'd take on a weekend trip nearer home, unless you had tours you were paying in cash. Loads of ATMs everywhere.