Can you break a fifty, please?

[CruiserByHeart]

Just wondering if it is possible to break a large dollar bill into singles anywhere in the ship? Usually when we exchange money we're only able to get large denominations, but we need singles for paying out tips to our room steward and for room service... and we won't visit the US until a week into our Transatlantic cruise...

What's your experience?

[CEOofVacation]

I was able to do so at the casino desk.

[Northern Aurora]

We have done so at Guest Relations.

[eandj]

Yes, you can do it at the desk. Do it the first day or two and you should have no trouble.

[phoenix_dream]

Yes, do it early. Later in the cruise we have asked for breaking smaller bills (like a $20) and they would not do it for us. (yes, that was really the case, and yes we were very unhappy about it)

[2theship]

Definitely do it early. We've also been turned by both the casino and Guest Relations when asking just to break a $10.

[wendyam76]

I've always done it at guest relations. I'm usually asking for $5 dollar bills and maybe 5 1's but never been refused. I always explain it is for tips.

[RickT]

Can't you obtain small bills of U.S currency through a local bank? Maybe things are different in Denmark but I've always been able to order small denominations of whatever currency I have needed.

[cb at sea]

Yes indeed....both the casino AND customer service can break large bills. It's not easy to travel with WADS of ones...so just bring your larger bills..and break them down. Of course, you will have some smaller (not wads, tho!) before you get on the ship, I'm sure!

[jerryboston]

Casinos have more cash than banks do

 

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[CruiserByHeart]

Thank you, everyone!

 

Of course I'll try to ask the bank for smaller denominations, but Denmark is rapidly moving towards a non-cash society and most banks don't handle cash at all...

For some reason I hadn't thought of asking the casino cage to break the bills, but either there or guest relations make sense ;-)

[warmwinds]

Just wondering if it is possible to break a large dollar bill into singles anywhere in the ship? Usually when we exchange money we're only able to get large denominations, but we need singles for paying out tips to our room steward and for room service... and we won't visit the US until a week into our Transatlantic cruise...

What's your experience?

 

Why do you need singles to tip your room steward? Aren't your gratuities pre-paid? And if they aren't, I hope you leave him more than a dollar...

[CruiserByHeart]

Why do you need singles to tip your room steward? Aren't your gratuities pre-paid? And if they aren't, I hope you leave him more than a dollar...

Yup, gratuities are covered, but room service for breakfast is more than likely for most mornings :-) And asking them to break a large bill seems inappropriate ;-)

[2theship]

We mostly needed singles for room service and for the Elite cocktail hour. When we got turned down by both Guest Services and the casino to break a larger bill, we found a new tactic. We'd go to the casino and play a bit. We made sure that we stopped at a point that required that they give us singles when we cashed out. For instance, we'd be sure to finish with something like $49 or $14, so we'd get four singles with each cash out. It became more of a game than the actual gambling: "I'm winning!", followed by "it doesn't matter, you've got the right amount to get some singles!"

[warmwinds]

Yup, gratuities are covered, but room service for breakfast is more than likely for most mornings :-) And asking them to break a large bill seems inappropriate ;-)

 

Whew, ok, when you said "room steward" I got worried (not that it's any of my business)...:o

[jasm8449]

We're from Canada and don't always have enough USD singles when boarding in a non-US port. We use singles for room service tips but also at Bacio. As Elite Plus our coffee drinks and teas are complimentary so we always tip $1 per drink.

 

 

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[phoenix_dream]

Trust me, it is possible to be turned down for breaking smaller bills (including $10). It's happened to us. Most likely to happen later in a cruise, particularly a longer one. I like the casino idea. I usually play a little bit anyway. I will remember to cash out at odd numbers to help with my singles stash. We use the bills for things like room service, extra tips here and there at the Martini Bar, on shore for taxis/tours, and things like that. We bring some with us every time but often run out.

[chamima]

Trust me, it is possible to be turned down for breaking smaller bills (including $10). It's happened to us. Most likely to happen later in a cruise, particularly a longer one. I like the casino idea. I usually play a little bit anyway. I will remember to cash out at odd numbers to help with my singles stash. We use the bills for things like room service, extra tips here and there at the Martini Bar, on shore for taxis/tours, and things like that. We bring some with us every time but often run out.

 

 

This is actually a sore point with me.

We sail both Celebrity and Princess.

It's NEVER a problem with Princess and ALWAYS a problem with Celebrity.

On Celebrity I usually have to go to Guest Relations with a $10 or $20 every other day or so to get singles.

On Princess I can get as many as I need in one trip.

There's no way that Guest relations doesn't know at this point what passengers will be requesting and could plan ahead.

[mafig]

I always bring singles with me .... so much so that my wallet is bulging at the start of the cruise, but I've also asked at Guest Relations also.