Are $2 bills appreciated for tips?

[Hoppy2cruise]

On 3/12/2023 at 4:05 PM, ShillyShally said:

Yeah I don’t use a local one though know mine has an agreement I can still use most. I could always use it to pay my on board bill!

We have used our Navy Federal Union checking account for 50 years yet have rarely lived near one so I have used a bank local to us to exchange larger bills for ones and fives before every cruise.  They have never refused and I feel confident they would also exchange $2 bills without question.  You might stop into your local bank with a few of your $2 bills to ask if they would exchange them.

[Charles4515]

1 hour ago, poocher said:

ATM card nor have I ever encountered a need for either.

An ATM card is the best way to get foreign currency when traveling. My bank charges no fees, no foreign transaction fees and I get the best exchange rate when I am traveling abroad. 

[poocher]

1 hour ago, Blur said:

By the sound of things bank tellers are perfect cases for automation replacement sadly so in the not so distant future (10 years?) even local banks will mostly be automated for getting cash and will require a card or other identification.  I am mid 40s and I think I go into a bank maybe once a year and use an ATM maybe once a month if that.

 

Unless you run a business and make lots of deposits in cash?  Every time I went into my local bank it was like a ghost town and you can tell the tellers were concerned about the lack of foot traffic.

 

Even more so now with some of these smaller banks gone over night with what's going on.

Well I am pushing 68 so I expect to be dead or in a home in 10 years!😁

[Blur]

6 minutes ago, poocher said:

Well I am pushing 68 so I expect to be dead or in a home in 10 years!😁

I hope otherwise and you get to enjoy many long years of cruising!  Also depending on your location (older population) you may be perfectly ok to continue as you do!  😋

[Charles4515]

1 hour ago, Blur said:

Even more so now with some of these smaller banks gone over night with what's going on.

There are 9 banks whithin a few blocks from my home. Three are national but 6 I never heard of before. Someone must be using those banks. 

[NotPayinExtra]

11 minutes ago, poocher said:

Well I am pushing 68 so I expect to be dead or in a home in 10 years!😁

Yes! 

[Cruise5life]

On 3/12/2023 at 8:49 AM, ShillyShally said:

My late mother loved $2 bills and I inherited about $400+ in them when she passed and I have carried them on trips and forget to use them, for tips or for spending, lol! So now I want to make an effort to unload them, but would they be appreciated as tips for drinks or a few for other service? I can convert them to standard bills if they’d just be received as a nuisance. Would love to know any experience from others who have used them?

Make sure you check the bills.   Some older 2.00 are worth way more than just 2.00.   
 

https://fox8.com/news/2-or-more-how-rarely-seen-bills-could-be-worth-beyond-their-printed-value/

[Blur]

6 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

There are 9 banks whithin a few blocks from my home. Three are national but 6 I never heard of before. Someone must be using those banks. 

Never said banks were going to disappear just saying need for tellers have drastically gone down since the ATM and it's only going to get worse.  I would guess they would still need people for loans and taking large deposits but even that is iffy?

 

Also the recent news of smaller banks taking risks in bad investments or even just bad appearance causing mass withdrawals causing banks to fail... Crazy to watch

[Cruise5life]

And who ever said the 2.00 isn’t being printed anymore is incorrect.    They are printed as needed.    
 

https://www.quora.com/Are-2-bills-still-being-printed-in-the-US

[ShillyShally]

1 hour ago, Cruise5life said:

Make sure you check the bills.   Some older 2.00 are worth way more than just 2.00.   
 

https://fox8.com/news/2-or-more-how-rarely-seen-bills-could-be-worth-beyond-their-printed-value/

Will definitely do this first but not expecting much! Now the ones the kids or I got many years ago that we of course spent as many years ago were likely the valuable ones 🙂

[billslowsky]

4 hours ago, shellunderwater said:

You know something......these folks work hard to give passengers a great vacation experience.  Just give them tips in normal US currency (ok, that very regional, I know).  Not the $2 bill that isn't even really used in the US.  I know its legal currency, but give these folks a break and just give them 2 1$ bills.  Or every 2 or 3, give them a $5.  Or write up the tip on a drink slip.  

 

Same goes for other currencies if they have a funky, barely used bank note.  

 

This shouldn't be grandma giving the little grands something unique.

 

(stepping down off the soapbox)....

 

Let the thrashing begin.

Many crew workers successfully support households thousands of miles away,  The "hardship" of $2 bills isn't a major hurdle.  Give the crew members some credit, they aren't helpless waifs.

[Blur]

5 minutes ago, billslowsky said:

Many crew workers successfully support households thousands of miles away,  The "hardship" of $2 bills isn't a major hurdle.  Give the crew members some credit, they aren't helpless waifs.

True and I can hide wet towels all over my cabin and they can easily take care of it but why potentially make their lives more annoying when it's something we have to go out of our way to do?  (Eg go get bills that are not common).   😋

 

Without going to a bank how many $2 bills do you run into day to day... I'd say for most people it's 0 lol.

[billslowsky]

Just now, Blur said:

True and I can hide wet towels all over my cabin and they can easily take care of it but why potentially make their lives more annoying when it's something we have to go out of our way to do?  (Eg go get bills that are not common).   😋

 

Without going to a bank how many $2 bills do you run into day to day... I'd say for most people it's 0 lol.

I don't believe that the crew are helpless and unable to cope with such a horrific burden.  

[Blur]

11 minutes ago, billslowsky said:

I don't believe that the crew are helpless and unable to cope with such a horrific burden.  

No one is saying the can't handle it.  It's about making their lives easier since they make our lives easier. 

 

Good example would be if they wanted to keep any cash earnings private from royal they would prefer denominations which didn't need to be changed via the purser on the ship

[billslowsky]

10 minutes ago, Blur said:

No one is saying the can't handle it.  It's about making their lives easier since they make our lives easier. 

 

Good example would be if they wanted to keep any cash earnings private from royal they would prefer denominations which didn't need to be changed via the purser on the ship

They "make our lives easier" because they get paid to do it.
 

Way overstating this insurmountable burden of using $2 bills. 

 

You must really believe these people can't manage their own lives without making it as simple as possible.  I believe they are capable adults.

[Blur]

3 minutes ago, billslowsky said:

They "make our lives easier" because they get paid to do it.
 

Way overstating this insurmountable burden of using $2 bills. 

 

You must really believe these people can't manage their own lives without making it as simple as possible.  I believe they are capable adults.

Repeat of my previous statement regarding the summary of the two sides.  no worries you do you!

 

Anti $2 - (selfless?) stop being annoying and just use common denominations... Like everyone else

 

Pro $2 - (selfish?) I do what I want and two dollars are easier to carry... You can't stop me!  Not a burden.  They can handle it!

 

Answer to OP: yes $2 is appreciated since it's better than $0 (period)

[HBE4]

I'm pretty sure that a multi-national crew dealing with multi-national passengers receiving tips in many different currencies can figure out how to "handle" a $2 bill.  And if they don't, I'm sure they know someone who does.

 

Sure, there are plenty of establishments that refuse to take a $2 bill. But there are plenty of those that still do. Back when I used to work in a store, we'd occasionally get a $2 bill. Most of the time couldn't give it back as change to the next customer and with no slot in the register to put,  it had to go to the bottom of the drawer, under the cash tray. Right next to the random $100 bill.  But we still took it & it was sent along with the rest of the bank deposits. No biggie.

 

No need to overthink it and no need to shame people on how they tip.

 

[time4u2go]

43 minutes ago, Blur said:

why potentially make their lives more annoying

Exactly.

[Cruise5life]

5 minutes ago, Blur said:

Repeat of my previous statement regarding the summary of the two sides.  no worries you do you!

 

Anti $2 - (selfless?) stop being annoying and just use common denominations... Like everyone else

 

Pro $2 - (selfish?) I do what I want and two dollars are easier to carry... You can't stop me!  Not a burden.  They can handle it!

 

Answer to OP: yes $2 is appreciated since it's better than $0 (period)

We get it.   You don’t like 2.00 bills.    
 

 

29 days at sea in January.   Ports listed.  
I spent 2.00 bill in every port without an issues at all.    
tipped on board all the time with 2.00 bills.     
event went to the casino cashier on NCL I was getting more smaller change and he pulls out stacks of 2.00 bills.

and said he keeps them for guests. As they like to tip with them.      

The crew can exchange them just like any other denomination.   It’s a simple task.   Just like when they send money home to family.    It spends the same way.      
 

 

[Cruise5life]

1 minute ago, time4u2go said:

Exactly.

Lol. They have to use the ships bank anyway.    So what’s exactly annoying ?    
 

[time4u2go]

1 minute ago, Cruise5life said:

Lol. They have to use the ships bank anyway.    So what’s exactly annoying ?    
 

They have to use it?  For what?

[time4u2go]

14 minutes ago, Blur said:

Repeat of my previous statement regarding the summary of the two sides.  no worries you do you!

 

Anti $2 - (selfless?) stop being annoying and just use common denominations... Like everyone else

 

Pro $2 - (selfish?) I do what I want and two dollars are easier to carry... You can't stop me!  Not a burden.  They can handle it!

 

Answer to OP: yes $2 is appreciated since it's better than $0 (period)

Still true.

[Blur]

26 minutes ago, Cruise5life said:

Lol. They have to use the ships bank anyway.    So what’s exactly annoying ?    
 

Any money going through ship bank is tracked.  Ever think they want to keep cash tips private?

[poocher]

2 hours ago, Cruise5life said:

And who ever said the 2.00 isn’t being printed anymore is incorrect.    They are printed as needed.    
 

https://www.quora.com/Are-2-bills-still-being-printed-in-the-US

And are rarely needed.

[Cruise5life]

7 minutes ago, Blur said:

Any money going through ship bank is tracked.  Ever think they want to keep cash tips private?

Lolol. Ok. This makes sense.  Lol.  Not.   
Seems like you have a lot of knowledge of ships banking.     So they exchange 20.00 in 2.00 bills and get a 20 back.    What the problem in tracking that ?   Lol. 
and pocket 200.00 in other cash.  🤷🤷🤷