On Board Account- How much money to take for Onboard and How much GBP convert NK

[jf256]

Hey,

 

I was hoping someone could help me. This is the first cruise I have ever taken as an adult. I went on a princess cruise as a young teenager but obviously did not have any of the stresses of currency, on board accounts etc at that age.

 

I am going on the Navigator of the Seas, Norwegian Fjords Cruise, Royal Caribbean. I am from the UK.

 

1) On Board Accounts:

 

On Royal Caribbean, you can pay for On Board Purchases with Cash. This seems like a good option as I have never had a credit card and hate not being able to pay in cash. However; I do not want to have vast amounts of cash in my stateroom. I know that it is unlikely that anything will get stolen but it is always a possibility and it may also get lost.

 

Can you put say $600 dollars on a master account behind the counter at the start of the cruise and both of us just spend off of that? That should be enough to cover us as we intend to buy a drinks package and book the two excursions we intend taking before boarding. We are thinking of eating in 3 special restaurants... and my boyfriend is a Ice Cream Lover (ben and jerrys - I cannot partake due to an egg allergy) so I think 300pp would be good enough to start off on. We also have $50 On Board Credit to start us off!

 

If it is not enough would we be able to go to guest services and pay the bill at the end of each day or every couple of days? I have heard that you can check your account on the television so that should help keep spending in check.

 

2) As extra I was thinking of getting a pre paid credit card - US dollars from the post office and just loading that with about $200 and a 0% foreign transaction credit card - for emergencies.

 

3) How much Norwegian Kroner would I need per day? As mentioned I do have an egg allergy so I do not think we would be eating a lot of food off the ship (with the exception of Bergen Fish Market...yummy) . I am an absolute history buff and will need to go to a few museums. I am planning on booking 2 half day excursions which leaves plenty of time for sight seeing, and we will probably get a few gifts and souvenirs and hopefully a charm for my bracelet.

 

I know this a lot for one post but if anyone has any input I would be extremely grateful. :)

[Clarea]

Yes, you can opt for a cash account. Royal will let you charge up to $500 before they ask you to pay it down. You can also add money up front if you like, but it's not necessary. You can go to Guest Services as many times as you like and give them money. They like it when you give them money.

 

Another option if you don't want to take cash is to give yourself on board credit (OBC). You do this pre-cruise by calling: 01932 834 243 or freephone: 0800 0182020. Any OBC you don't use is refundable by visiting Guest Services on the last day. Note that this OBC will be in USD, so you don't want to get much more than you think you will need.

 

Sorry, but I cannot help with the Kroner part of the question.

Edited February 28, 2016 by clarea

[cb at sea]

If you're paying in cash, then bring plenty or pay it in advance. If it's just for "incidentals" on land, then you can bring enough for cabs, snacks, souvenirs, etc...

You don't actually use cash on the ship...everything is charged to your cabin! There is a safe in your cabin...keep your valuables in there! Larger bills are easier to carry...not so bulky. The ship will break down large bills for you.

We seldom travel without at least $1500....we don't usually spend that much ,but it's nice to know it's there!

Edited February 28, 2016 by cb at sea

[jf256]

Thank you for getting back so quickly. I am always in such a panic mode when it comes down to holidays. I'm sure its because of my allergy, but you have really put my mind at rest, I have heard some horror stories about on board accounts and it is good to know that we can just put some money down and top up as and when we need to. I'd hate to have a massive bill at the end, couldn't think of a worse way to ruin a holiday :) thanks again!!

[Clarea]

Thank you for getting back so quickly. I am always in such a panic mode when it comes down to holidays. I'm sure its because of my allergy, but you have really put my mind at rest, I have heard some horror stories about on board accounts and it is good to know that we can just put some money down and top up as and when we need to. I'd hate to have a massive bill at the end, couldn't think of a worse way to ruin a holiday :) thanks again!!

Glad to have helped, and Bon Voyage!:)

[John Bull]

If you choose to take cash, yes you can pay it all in at the start to save the worry of looking after it.

At the end of the cruise you get back what's un-spent, but some cruise lines give you back cash & some it's done in some other way which may not be so convenient for you. I don't know how that works with RCI, if you don't get a definitive answer to that here, ask on the RCI forum.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=-1&f=83

Or mebbe Clarea can clarify.

 

The big problem with cash for non-Americans is that ship's exchange rates are truly appalling so you need to give them USD rather than sterling etc.

You'll lose out on exchange costs by getting USD anywhere (Sainsbury, M&S, Post Office, etc) but if you have no future need of USD you'll have the double-whammy of changing back unspent dollars.

 

A credit card really is absolutely the way to go, despite your reservations.

You register your card when you join the ship, you decline ship's offer to convert to sterling (those horrible exchange rates) and at the end of the cruise you don't have to sort out who owes who, you just leave your card issuer to settle the account. And that will be at a far better exchange rate that you can get from anywhere. Some cards - Halifax Clarity, Nationwide Flex, Post Office credit card & others - don't charge omission on foreign exchange, which makes them ideal for use on non-sterling ships and on spending ashore anywhere in the world. We have a couple of those cards which we use exclusively for travel. One of them is a Post Office credit card - same as you mention in point number two? If so, yes, get one. And use it, rather than faffing around with currencies or mickey-mouse cards.

And of course as long as you pay in full by the generous due date, there's no card costs or interest.

Get a credit card.

Even if you cut it up at the end of the cruise.

 

Pre-pay debit cards aren't popular. Not accepted by most cruise lines, car rental agencies, hotels, or other outlets which need a guarantee - because no money on a pre-pay card can be held as a guarantee, money is taken from it or not taken from it. If I've explained badly, get your bank to explain about "holds" on credit & debit cards.

If you have a credit card you have no need of a pre-pay card or cash reserves "for emergencies". That credit card is good for its maximum credit, and in any currency.

 

As for Norwegian kroner.

You're aware that Norway is the most expensive country in Europe?

More expensive than even Monaco or Switzerland.

You'll hear stories and read threads on Cruise Critic about smuggling alcohol onto ships, to avoid paying the high on-board prices.

Well, in Norway you might find it saves money if you smuggle alcohol OFF the ship :D

 

Can't help with how many kroner to get, to a large extent that depends whether you get a credit card - folk will use plastic even to buy two cups of coffee.

Some places accept euros, though they'll jack up their exchange rates.

USD & sterling are rarely acceptable.

You will definitely need kroner for public transport, and kroner or plastic for museums etc.

 

Two options for getting kroner:

 

Before you go, from the usual suspects - M&S, Tesco, Post Office, on-line etc.

The drawback is gauging how much you'll need.

Ignore (in the nicest possible way ;)) well-intentioned advice from Americans on Cruise Critic who say wait until you get to the port. Americans get lousy exchange rates from their banks, etc in the US, we Brits do rather better.

 

In port, from ATMs. Very easy, there's almost always instructions in English. Use your bank DEBIT card, to avoid interest & to minimise or eliminate charges.

If you have to, you can use your CREDIT card in an ATM but on cash withdrawals there'll be charges. And when you get home, don't wait for your card statement before clearing it - you are charged interest daily from the moment the cash comes out of the machine.

 

Best bet is probably to take as many kroner as you KNOW you'll spend, and top-up from ATMs as required.

 

With all cards, advise your card supplier of your cruise in order to avoid anti-fraud measures causing problems.

 

Hope this helps more than it confuses :rolleyes:

 

JB :)

[jf256]

Jon,

 

Thanks for the quick reply. It is nice to also get a British POV. After speaking to my mum on the phone, and reading your reply. I think that I am going to have to apply for the dreaded credit card (can only be good for the always ever-looming credit score anyway.) What she has suggested is having a credit card but bringing a couple of hundred dollars on board, as well. This way if we end up with a small bill at the end we can just settle in cash and be done with it. (We are getting the beverage pack and paying for excursions and gratuities in advance so fingers crossed it wont be too bad.)

 

I have done some research on the Post Office Card (what a way to spend a Sunday) and have noticed that they have an app that you can use to pay off your bill, so that is quite reassuring then I can keep an eye on my spending. My mum has also suggested getting an itemised bill every couple of days. When we went 10 years ago (I was only 13 so did not care as long as I got my ice-cream sundae fix) beverage packages were not available and she paid her drinks bill every evening at guest services, the actual bill itself apparently was not that bad, my sister and I did rack up a pretty nasty internet bill though... I remember I had to pay for it and did not get pocket money for almost 2 months.

 

Again thanks for your help, it is reassuring hearing the way other people deal with cruise ships, they are so confusing. :confused:

[John Bull]

I used to run a cash business. Always paid everything in cash, never borrowed a penny. You'd think I'd have a good credit rating. But the topsy-turvy way it works is that if you borrow money & pay it back when due you get a better credit rating than paying cash on the nail.

 

Ships' internet is expensive due to the costs of a signal at sea. And it's even more expensive than it looks because it's often very slow. If you use it, type out e-mails off-line. And remember to log out each time, or your airtime will evaporate.

We use free wifi ashore in hotspots, and in bars & cafes - you'll see the "free wifi" signs. But check that other customers are happily tapping away before you order a drink because signal is very variable. And remember even a coffee is expensive in Norway.

 

Do check the ports of call forums on Cruise Critic & elsewhere. You can often avoid expensive ship's excursions. That's the one big-ticket item where research can save you a lot of money.

 

You have a drinks package & no need to use premium dining options on the ship, so hopefully your on-board account will be quite low.

 

On our last cruise we had a drinks package, and the only item on our on-board account was a single purchase from ship's shop. :)

 

Have a good one

 

JB :)

[Clarea]

If you choose to take cash, yes you can pay it all in at the start to save the worry of looking after it.

At the end of the cruise you get back what's un-spent, but some cruise lines give you back cash & some it's done in some other way which may not be so convenient for you. I don't know how that works with RCI, if you don't get a definitive answer to that here, ask on the RCI forum.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=-1&f=83

Or mebbe Clarea can clarify....

Good information.

 

Royal will refund unspent funds in cash, when requested at Guest Services on the last day. They would refund to credit card if no request for cash was made. I don't know what they would do with unspent funds if not asked for a refund and no credit card was on file.

Edited February 28, 2016 by clarea

[newport dave]

Jon,

 

Thanks for the quick reply. It is nice to also get a British POV. After speaking to my mum on the phone, and reading your reply. I think that I am going to have to apply for the dreaded credit card (can only be good for the always ever-looming credit score anyway.) What she has suggested is having a credit card but bringing a couple of hundred dollars on board, as well. This way if we end up with a small bill at the end we can just settle in cash and be done with it. (We are getting the beverage pack and paying for excursions and gratuities in advance so fingers crossed it wont be too bad.)

 

I have done some research on the Post Office Card (what a way to spend a Sunday) and have noticed that they have an app that you can use to pay off your bill, so that is quite reassuring then I can keep an eye on my spending. My mum has also suggested getting an itemised bill every couple of days. When we went 10 years ago (I was only 13 so did not care as long as I got my ice-cream sundae fix) beverage packages were not available and she paid her drinks bill every evening at guest services, the actual bill itself apparently was not that bad, my sister and I did rack up a pretty nasty internet bill though... I remember I had to pay for it and did not get pocket money for almost 2 months.

 

Again thanks for your help, it is reassuring hearing the way other people deal with cruise ships, they are so confusing. :confused:

 

Look for a credit card that doesn't charge for foreign transactions. I have a Capital One card which doesn't charge, and I think there are a few others.

[MicCanberra]

28 degrees credit card and the citibank debit cards have no fees and reasonable conversion rates.

[Sauer-kraut]

Debit cards are really the wrong thing to use on a cruise. Too many holds that might not drop off when you actually need to use the card after the cruise.

[John Bull]

Debit cards are really the wrong thing to use on a cruise. Too many holds that might not drop off when you actually need to use the card after the cruise.

 

An example of the Chicagoan's advice................

 

You register a card on boarding the ship. What you spend won't be taken from your card account until the end of the cruise and in one lump sum.

Fine.

But the cruise line will put a daily "hold" on funds in your card account, the sum varies between cruise lines but doesn't take account of any pre-paid drinks packages, excursions, etc, it's just an arbitrary daily sum. This "hold" is to ensure that there's still enough money available to settle your on-board account at the end of your cruise.

That's understandable too.

But because of a truly lousy operation of that system between merchants & card suppliers, the "hold" isn't released until some time (usually 7 to 10 days) after your card has settled the on-board account. Disgraceful in this technological age, but it's the way it is.

Same happens with hotels, car rentals, etc etc. so clearly the fault lies with the card suppliers rather than the cruise lines.

Those holds never appear on statements, because the money is never actually taken - it's just held ("reserved", if you like)

Happens with both debit cards & credit cards, but is much more problematic with debit cards because the average Joe has less in his bank account than the unspent credit limit on his credit card.

So if Joe runs a low bank account he can find that he can't access those funds in his account, resulting in an inability to draw cash at ATMs and dishonoured cheques & regular rent etc payments out of his account.

 

Hence the Chicagoan's warning.

JB :)

Edited February 29, 2016 by John Bull

[Clarea]

An example of the Chicagoan's advice................

 

You register a card on boarding the ship. What you spend won't be taken from your card account until the end of the cruise and in one lump sum.

Fine.

But the cruise line will put a daily "hold" on funds in your card account, the sum varies between cruise lines but doesn't take account of any pre-paid drinks packages, excursions, etc, it's just an arbitrary daily sum. This "hold" is to ensure that there's still enough money available to settle your on-board account at the end of your cruise.

That's understandable too.

But because of a truly lousy operation of that system between merchants & card suppliers, the "hold" isn't released until some time (usually 7 to 10 days) after your card has settled the on-board account. Disgraceful in this technological age, but it's the way it is.

Same happens with hotels, car rentals, etc etc. so clearly the fault lies with the card suppliers rather than the cruise lines.

Those holds never appear on statements, because the money is never actually taken - it's just held ("reserved", if you like)

Happens with both debit cards & credit cards, but is much more problematic with debit cards because the average Joe has less in his bank account than the unspent credit limit on his credit card.

So if Joe runs a low bank account he can find that he can't access those funds in his account, resulting in an inability to draw cash at ATMs and dishonoured cheques & regular rent etc payments out of his account.

 

Hence the Chicagoan's warning.

JB :)

Good explanation, I always struggle trying to explain this concept without getting too technical.

[jf256]

Thanks to everyone who replied so quick, you have all put my mind to rest a little bit and I now know what I am going to do with regards to on board accounts..

 

One more thing if I may..

 

Has anyone used the outside company Cruising Excursions: So far I have only really looked into Royal Caribbean Excursions and was planning on using the hop on hop off buses because we thought they were brilliant in Rome, Milan and London and it is the same company.

 

However; Cruising Excursions look a lot cheaper than RC. There is one tour that is 4 hours long and does look like much more fun than the ones offered by RC. (Which are a bit rubbish for Stavenger tbh)

 

Any advice? Would they guarantee return to ship? It is 4 hours long which is quite a long cruise and does involve some travelling. I am a little concerned that if anything went wrong we would be stuck.

[John Bull]

Thanks to everyone who replied so quick, you have all put my mind to rest a little bit and I now know what I am going to do with regards to on board accounts..

 

One more thing if I may..

 

Has anyone used the outside company Cruising Excursions: So far I have only really looked into Royal Caribbean Excursions and was planning on using the hop on hop off buses because we thought they were brilliant in Rome, Milan and London and it is the same company.

 

However; Cruising Excursions look a lot cheaper than RC. There is one tour that is 4 hours long and does look like much more fun than the ones offered by RC. (Which are a bit rubbish for Stavenger tbh)

 

Any advice? Would they guarantee return to ship? It is 4 hours long which is quite a long cruise and does involve some travelling. I am a little concerned that if anything went wrong we would be stuck.

 

cruisingexcursions.com is a consolidator (booking agency), similar to Viator and City Discovery except that they specialise in cruise excursions. They have a get-you-back-in-time guarantee, I don't know how good that guarantee is. I think they also may give a full or nearly-full refund if your ship fails to make port - that happens sometimes due to weather, gremlins in the ship's oily bits, etc.

They don't organise tours, they sell on behalf of local tour operators so, other than their choice of tour operator, good/bad reviews of tours aren't a reflection on cruisingexcursions but a reflection on the individual operator. The thing to look for in independent reviews of them is how well they communicate & how they deal with problems / refunds.

Haven't used them, they're particularly strong in the UK and are actually used by some travel agents. Your money is safe with them, and - in theory at least - if things go wrong you're more likely to get redress from them than from a direct booking with a foreign tour operator.

 

Certainly they're usually cheaper than ship's tours, but not usually as cheap as boking direct with the operator.

A kinda half-way house between ship's tours & privately-booked tours.

 

The world-wide hop-on bus operator you mention must be Big Bus.

Hop on buses work in some places, not in others due to limited access to old parts of town. IMHO yes for London or Boston, but not for Bath or Florence. Or indeed for Rome! When you used the hop-on in Rome you were at a hotel in Rome? Cos on the very limited time that a cruiser has on a port-of-call visit they waste an awful lot of time and can't get close to places like Trevi Fountain or Spanish Steps.

 

Go on the northern Europe forum, quote your ports, and ask about hop-on buses. Like I said, they work in some places but not others.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=-1&f=192

And peruse that forum for folks' experience of DIY in the ports. Very often there's no need for any form of tour

 

JB :)

[Host Walt]

28 degrees credit card and the citibank debit cards have no fees and reasonable conversion rates.

I can't speak for Australia, UK, or other non-US banking rules, but here in the US if a credit card is stolen the issuing bank is on the hook for any bogus charges over $50.00 if the credit card holder follows the reporting rules.

 

A stolen debit card is far worse. Most banks do not indemnify their debit card holders for any fraudulent activity.

 

That's why having a credit card is a major security factor and makes all kind of day-to-day transactions whilst on vacation so much easier.

[MicCanberra]

I can't speak for Australia, UK, or other non-US banking rules, but here in the US if a credit card is stolen the issuing bank is on the hook for any bogus charges over $50.00 if the credit card holder follows the reporting rules.

 

A stolen debit card is far worse. Most banks do not indemnify their debit card holders for any fraudulent activity.

 

That's why having a credit card is a major security factor and makes all kind of day-to-day transactions whilst on vacation so much easier.

 

It is the same rules, the bank is liable, although the amount may be different.