Bring lots of 1 dollar bills

[MrPete]

What about room sevice. How do you put this on your S&S account?

 

?:D

 

On the receipt they bring with the meal. You put it right on there.

[Safetyal]

Small bills such as 1's and 5's are good for your excursions as well. In some countries it can be challenging for them to make change in US currency. So having exact change can help.

[gtalum]

On the receipt they bring with the meal. You put it right on there.

 

I was going to ask the same thing, so I'll have to check that out. I've never noticed that before. I hate scrounging for a couple of $1's in the morning when they deliver breakfast and I forgot to get them ready the night before (which is like every time). :D

[OCruisers]

I was thinking ...

 

Since just about everyone tips a couple of bucks for room service, plus maybe the bar wait staff, plus other various things on the boat ... maybe it might be a good idea to bring a bunch of 1 dollar bills.

 

Maybe I'm wrong, but changing 20 or 100 dollar bills on the boat just to get some 1 dollar bills may be a real pain.

 

Any truth to this?

 

We've never had any problems getting 20 and 100 dollar bills "changed down" at the purser's desk (customer service).

 

Having 5 dollar bills is good as well.

 

LuLu

~~~~

[buffyblue]

Tips should work out well for "them", not you.

 

But realize even in the US, $2 bills are still thought of as counterfeit, and worse outside the US. This is why they became the money of choice in the subculture of insertion into g-strings.

 

We had no problems at all using them in all the islands. In fact, I have used them in other countries for a while now. We spread them equally. LOL It worked out well for us as I would never tip someone $1.00 for two people.

[lylone]

We just use $20 bills to buy things a month or two before our trip to have the change. It's convenient to have that "Mexican bankroll" even if we are not going to Mexico this time. It is especially good for buying trinkets from the locals.

[MrPete]

We had no problems at all using them in all the islands. In fact, I have used them in other countries for a while now. We spread them equally. LOL It worked out well for us as I would never tip someone $1.00 for two people.

 

They would "love" you even more for a fiver.

[JGoof1]

Cash tips on board are generally only for room service. If you want to tip others, it's a lot easier and more convenient if you tip on your S&S card. If you tip your steward or waiters more than they get automatically, it's going to be more than a dollar here and a dollar there.

 

I'm with Mr. Pete, most of my cash tips are for the porters and on the excursions.

 

We always make a friend who serves drinks in the casino on the first night. A five or ten $ tip that night gets you better service all week long. It can get expensive waiting at a slot machine for your "free" drinks.

[ShakyBeef]

We take about $100 in singles, as well as more cash in a mix of denominations. And we usually use all those 'ones' and sometimes need to break a larger bil to get more.

 

Yes, we know there is already a 15% tip on the drink receipts. And yes, we do get better pours and what would be considered the equivalent of buybacks, as well. But I won't go into it because I don't want to "rat out" any of our excellent drink servers or bartenders to the Carnival corp. employees that read these boards.;)

 

Of course tipping and the amount tipped is a personal choice. DH and I happen to be big tippers. It doesn't make us any better or worse than small tippers or nontippers. It is just our choice.

 

As others have mentioned, singles can come into use as soon as you leave the house, and are sometimes needed in ports as well as luggage porters, room service, drink servers, bartenders, etc.

 

Oh, and FYI: the Sail & Sign Kiosks do not change down to singles -they only go as low as fives (or at least that is true of the kiosks on the Pride).

[BenjiRodney]

I always tip extra and even more when ordering the free VIFP drink.

[StevenCruz]

We've never had any problems getting 20 and 100 dollar bills "changed down" at the purser's desk (customer service).

 

Having 5 dollar bills is good as well.

 

LuLu

~~~~

 

I second this. I generally try to save up as many $1's as possible 30-days prior to cruising. But you can simply got to Guest Services when you embark the ship, or any time during the cruise, and they will give you 20 $1's for a $20. I've done this multiple times throughout my last cruise.

[GrandmaCat43]

We always tip our room steward, waiter and and bar service attendants. I bring envelopes from home and hand them out on last night. Although, I don't think I've ever tipped anyone $1.

[StevenCruz]

We always tip our room steward, waiter and and bar service attendants. I bring envelopes from home and hand them out on last night. Although, I don't think I've ever tipped anyone $1.

 

 

For me, I always tip $1-bill/drink, in addition to the gratuity added to the S&S card.

For Room Service, it's generally $3-$5, depending on what was ordered.

For Room Steward at the end of Cruise, it's generally $40-$60, depending on the individual (and if i haven't lost all my cash at the casino on the last night).

[Caribbean_Dreamer37]

I was thinking about this a few days ago, since we'll be tipping for transportation to/from the airports and on the islands. I'm thinking of bringing at least $50 in ones and fives, just so we don't have to worry about change.

[mikel24m]

and nary a buyback.

 

Hey H8 havent seen you in awhile

 

you wouldnt want someone to get fired or arrested would you ?

 

Buybacks are also known as theft

 

Now unless jiggers are provided at the bars (I have never noticed) the bartender controls the amount of liquor you get (or dont get)

 

My extra tips usually work wonders.$1 per drink on top of auto tip and I never wait and my drinks always the way I prefer

[Caribbean_Dreamer37]

I second this. I generally try to save up as many $1's as possible 30-days prior to cruising. But you can simply got to Guest Services when you embark the ship, or any time during the cruise, and they will give you 20 $1's for a $20. I've done this multiple times throughout my last cruise.

 

We can get change at Guest Services?! This saves time from having to go to the bank the day before we leave home (our flight leaves at 8am). This is good to know.

[Caribbean_Dreamer37]

I'm assuming there's the possibility that a bartender who serves 'good' drinks can be tipped extra, and if they remember specific guests' preferences and keeps making those 'good' drinks, that makes it worth our while to tip more than the 15% we already have to pay for drinks.

[H82seaUgo]

Hey H8 havent seen you in awhile

 

you wouldnt want someone to get fired or arrested would you ?

 

Buybacks are also known as theft

 

Now unless jiggers are provided at the bars (I have never noticed) the bartender controls the amount of liquor you get (or dont get)

 

must be a lot of bartenders out on bail or parole in my parts then. and never noticed one jigger in any of my watering holes.

[CatgirlNC]

Another good reason to bring small bills, unrelated to tipping: When you go ashore to a foreign country, many places will accept US funds, but may very well give your change back in local currency. This happened to me in Playa del Carmen. I stopped in a store and bought a Coke, when all I had was a (US) twenty, and got back the equivalent of 18 or 19 dollars in Mexican currency. I ended up buying a necklace that I didn’t really need from a street vendor just to use up the money before getting back on the ship. In Nassau, we did bring smaller bills, so when we bought some things at a store, we ended up with just a few Bahamian coins as change. When we walked back through the building that leads to the pier, we dropped them in the jars of the musicians that were playing.

[skittl1321]

We can get change at Guest Services?! This saves time from having to go to the bank the day before we leave home (our flight leaves at 8am). This is good to know.

 

 

They sometimes have limits on how much change they will give. Often they will only change one $20 into smaller bills if the line is long, then you have to get back in line again if you want more.

 

 

We usually bring $25 in ones, $20 in fives, and then $200 in 20s. We've always come home with plenty of cash.

[kmc500]

Much too early! Had to get up & take the dog out.

 

The trick to avoiding lines at the purser's desk is to go at "off" times. If I need to go for some reason, I go in the evening when everyone is at shows, the casino, etc. It's always busy on the first day and the day/night before disembarkment.

 

I have a much more effective method of avoiding the lines at the pursers desk - don't go at all! On our ten cruises, I can remember only going once very early into our cruising life. I don't remember why we went, but it must have been painful as we have not been back! :)

 

Kevin C

[cruzinlisa]

I was thinking ...

 

Since just about everyone tips a couple of bucks for room service, plus maybe the bar wait staff, plus other various things on the boat ... maybe it might be a good idea to bring a bunch of 1 dollar bills.

 

Maybe I'm wrong, but changing 20 or 100 dollar bills on the boat just to get some 1 dollar bills may be a real pain.

 

Any truth to this?

 

I usually take some ones, but not too many. Mainly they are for room service and we do not get it that often.

 

I try to take plenty of $5 and $10 bills actually. They are good for taxi's, porters, etc. Plus, atleast with certain ports (Cozumel, Jamaica), it seems whatever you want to buy magically costs $5. Its like they collect those things. :D In port, I try to have smaller bills, especially for those places that barter, because its hard to barter on something when all you have is a $20 or more. Usually you tell them, sorry, I only have this much. Don't ask for change.

[lady_cruiser]

I was thinking ...

 

Since just about everyone tips a couple of bucks for room service, plus maybe the bar wait staff, plus other various things on the boat ... maybe it might be a good idea to bring a bunch of 1 dollar bills.

 

Maybe I'm wrong, but changing 20 or 100 dollar bills on the boat just to get some 1 dollar bills may be a real pain.

 

Any truth to this?

AHHH you must be new to cruising. Welcome to the wonderful world of cruising! As experienced cruisers will tell you, yes it is a good idea to bring plenty of dollar bills. Beside using them on the ship you will always need them to tip the taxi cab driver, bus driver (on your excursions) and your tour excursion host.

And then there is the guy on the beach who gets you a drink, brings you a towel, sets up your beach chair and opens that beach umbrealla.

Happy Cruising