How much money would you take on a 7 Day cruise on Allure of the Seas?

[PhillyFinest27]

So how much money would you take on a huge ship like Allure of the Seas to have a truly good experience granted that they have a lot of things you have to pay for?

Me and my fiancée are thinking to take around $1200.00 for 7 days is that enough? We have already pre paid for specialty restaurants.

 

 

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[shipshape sam]

So how much money would you take on a huge ship like Allure of the Seas to have a truly good experience granted that they have a lot of things you have to pay for?

Me and my fiancée are thinking to take around $1200.00 for 7 days is that enough? We have already pre paid for specialty restaurants.

 

 

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Assuming you do not gamble, I would say that is way too much!

 

You will need tip money getting to port including airport porters, etc, and then at the ship port on embarkation day to tip the baggage porters there. Then some cash for the return trip home.

 

Absent gambling, we take about $400. We carry about $20 one dollar bills and the the rest in 5,10,20's for shore excursions. We tip room service usually $2 each time and as Crown & Anchor Diamond club members, tip the bar/wait staff usually $5 each night we attend.

 

I guess you could need cash for shore excursions that you just walk off the ship and book with a local vendor, but we have rarely done that. We book both ship sponsored and private excursions, but usually do this prior to sailing.

 

Other's may know more, but I cannot think of where else you need cash other than casino on ship.

 

For off ship, it is good to have, again small bills to buy from small vendors and tip people as needed. We use one of our credit cards for all our on shore purchases/excursions and keep another CC in our cabin safe for backup in case there becomes an issue.

 

I gamble/donate to ship,so I do bring a couple of hundred more dollars as my donation limit, but that is my personal limit.

 

We pay our folio via our credit card, so no need for cash there.

 

So we do spend $$$$, we just limit the cash needed.

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

Edited April 5, 2014 by shipshape sam

[Barb Nahoumi]

No cash is required for the ship itself, unless you want to slip extra tips to those whom you feel deserve it. Otherwise all ship expenses and purchases are attached to your key card. That total is transferred to the credit or debit card, you present at embarkation.

 

The only time that you might need cash would be in port.

[PhillyFinest27]

I know you have an onboard account. But we are doing the cash onboard account. So I was thinking of doing some gambling, drinking a nice bit since it is our honeymoon. So I guess taking maybe 800 would be enough. But I plan on treating her to a spa too so those things add up.

 

 

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[TryingCruising]

My personal opinion: I would never travel with that much cash. There's a safe on the ship, but I'd be a bit anxious of how much I'd lose if anything was misplaced at security line in airport (this happened to people in front of us!) or stolen or anything.

 

I use my credit card for my account on board. So I do not need any cash onboard with the exception to incabin room service. I also used cash for additional tipping at the end of the cruise.

 

We recently traveled with $50 in ones to cover tips for room service, porters, etc. I then had us each carry about $100-150 to have incase we needed it. This was used on taxis to/from airport and port and the additional tips referenced above. I didn't intend to spend much in the ports so this was plenty for us. We bought a local beer and had some cash when off ship. I think we spent about $10 in the casino on slots...just to have our chance to win. It ended quickly but that's about all the patience I have for gambling.

 

I hope that is helpful!

[centurycruiser]

We usually carry around $200 in cash for a 7 night cruise regardless of the ship. Most is for tips to staff, bar, waiters, porters, etc. Anyone who does something nice gets some cash. Some for small stuff in ports but, any purchases on the ship go on the sea pass card and any purchases in port on the credit card.

 

We don't have to worry about losing too much if anything bad happens.

[marci22]

Think about what you want to do in port, because that is probably where you will spend most of your money.

 

I usually bring too much but I like to have cash available. I have never worried about leaving it in the room safe. Once I had $1500 in there and forgot to lock it on a port day. I was gone all day and it was still there when I got back.

 

Set a limit for how much you will gamble, figure out how much the spa is, and you shouldn't have too many other unexpected expenses. Bring along lots of singles and 5s for use in port or for tipping.

[PhillyFinest27]

Ok. Great. Thank you all

 

 

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[cb at sea]

Actually, bring larger bills and break them down on the ship. Carrying wads of small bills is bulky...the ship will break them down for you. Larger bills are easy to carry!

[runner15km]

We take 500.00 in cash for a 7 night cruise. All purchases onboard go on your S & S card. Cash or CC is used at the ports.:)

Have no clue how the casino works.:confused:

[shipshape sam]

Actually, bring larger bills and break them down on the ship. Carrying wads of small bills is bulky...the ship will break them down for you. Larger bills are easy to carry!

 

Very true. May try that next time. Just have smaller bills for at least your trip to port and embarkation day till you get to pursers desk on ship.

 

Our gambling money is always $100's.

[Lionesss]

Our first couple cruise we took way to much money.....$2000-2500.

 

Now since we book and pay for all the excursions ahead of time and the gratuities are pre paid.............we only take about $1000.

 

We stay over night in FLL.

Pick up some of our personal items at the Publix

Will buy our two bottles of "bubbly" to carry on board

Dinner in FLL

Cab fairs

 

Then when we cruise

We have extra for individual "tip" money

At each Port we usually end up spending $100 for "souveniers", t-shirts and unusual stuff.

 

When we get home the left-over cash gets put away for the next vacation.

 

Sea Ya

[Stags14]

So how much money would you take on a huge ship like Allure of the Seas to have a truly good experience granted that they have a lot of things you have to pay for?

Me and my fiancée are thinking to take around $1200.00 for 7 days is that enough? We have already pre paid for specialty restaurants.

 

 

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I think that is a comfortable amount. Nothing to be nervous of.. toss it in the safe and take a $100 each or whatever you deem necessary out to port. If you take too little and end up having to use the ATM you're gonna get it right up the culo in charges.

[PhillyFinest27]

True. Yea I am going around 1000 put it on the S&S card and leave $100 cash and then if I need more I can dispense more money from my onboard account

 

 

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[vmt514]

If you don't use credit cards, remember they will take a debit card for your on board account. This way you aren't traveling with that much cash before you get on the ship. You can check your account as the week goes on so you can know if you are getting close to your limit. Also, book dinners, spa treatments when you board to get discounts. We prepay for a lot but still ended up with a tab around $500 2 years ago. We are not big drinkers, but it adds up.

Have a great honeymoon!

[PhillyFinest27]

Oh we are doing the cash onboard account. We loved that option rather then debit card because they don't withhold funds from your account and we don't have to wait 3 to 7 business days for things to clear. Loved the option of withdrawing money here and there if we needed it from our onboard account. At the end of the cruise if we had a surplus they just simply refunded our remaining money.

 

 

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[Ken at the beach]

Oh we are doing the cash onboard account. We loved that option rather then debit card because they don't withhold funds from your account and we don't have to wait 3 to 7 business days for things to clear. Loved the option of withdrawing money here and there if we needed it from our onboard account. At the end of the cruise if we had a surplus they just simply refunded our remaining money.

 

 

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If you are doing the cash account RCI will allow you to charge up to $500 before asking you to pay down the balance.

[marci22]

Very true. May try that next time. Just have smaller bills for at least your trip to port and embarkation day till you get to pursers desk on ship.

 

Our gambling money is always $100's.

 

In my experience they send you to the casino to break them down. There is a machine that breaks $100. Then you have to take the $20s and $10s and insert them to break them down further. I think it's easier to carry $100 or so in small bills in a ziplock, stick it in the safe when I get there, and take out what I need when I will be in port or tipping for drinks.

 

It's not like I'm carrying 500 singles around in my back pocket.

Edited April 5, 2014 by marci22

[PhillyFinest27]

Oh that's great!! New information. Even though I wouldn't allow to charge up that much but that's good to know thanks!

 

 

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[PhillyFinest27]

I totally agree I am not going to carry around 1,000 ones lol. I would carry about 10 $100 bills that's not a lot, as soon as I checkin that's going right into my account

 

 

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[BND]

I usually take around $500 with us (any length cruise) and I always come back with cash. On Allure, I put some of it down on our account towards the end of the cruise so we ended up with only an $18 charge on our cc. I spend no more than $15 or so a day on penny slots and usually not even that much since I play my winnings. This last trip I came home with almost $400 but we didn't put anything on our onboard account which was only about $130. We usually book future cruises so we get obc. We're also D so we only bought 3 bottles of wine for dinner and 1 drink/day each at most. This last trip we had $150 obc too. So, the fact is, it varies from person to person. You need to decide for yourself, but personally $1200 is a lot.

[hansolosmom]

I think you should be good with that for your account especially if you've already pre-paid for restaurants. Our first cruise we spent about $1000 between drinks, bingo, spa etc. We've pre-purchased our drink packages for our upcoming cruise, so I don't expect we'll spend more than $200 on board this time.

 

Also if out haven't pre-paid your tips, those will be charged to your on-board account , so take that into consideration.

[reney313]

I have used my debit card for my onboard account and then take cash to put down. Typically, I'll put down $700 sometime during Day 1 after the line goes down and then on the last day when I see a short line, I'll go and pay the rest of it to zero. Whatever I charge that last night then will go on my debit card. This keeps them from putting holds on my card and I don't have to stand in that EXTREMELY long line that night or in the morning.

 

Using cash/debit works best for me and how I manage my money. I do use credit cards in port for fraud prevention, but I don't like a large onboard bill on my credit card. Just my personal preference, realizing everyone is different. On our last cruise, I didn't even hit the $500 because we had pre-booked/paid our excursions, prepaid gratuities with MTD, and purchased the Premium Beverage package online. The only thing we had on our Onboard Account were purchases in the gift shop and a few specialty restaurants. It was NICE :)

[peteukmcr]

I take the majority of USD in travellers cheques which I use to settle the Seapass account, even though I open it with a credit card. I just like to come home with very little on the credit card.

 

For our upcoming 14 night TA we've already prepaid gratuities, shore excursions, and wine package.

 

So my budget includes tuxedo rental, speciality restaurants, beverages, additional tips, donations to the casino :D, internet, snacks in ports, cab fare to pre cruise hotel and to port and also any incidentals. That comes to nearly $1,800 which is probably an over estimation, but I'd rather be over than under. This cruise is for a special occasion so I want to have a buffer if necessary. Anything I come home with goes into the safe, ready for the next one!

 

To be honest I normally budget $100 for the 2 of us per day, and that's about right from experience.

[PhillyFinest27]

A lot of different viewpoints nice! I think 1200.00 is good for me and soon to be wife since it's our honeymoon cruise.

 

 

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