Incidental expenses, how much money should I allow per day? (not including crew gratuities)

[LSauls7537]

It's been awhile since I cruised.  On a 28 day cruise, how much should I allow for incidentals?  Porters, bus drivers, extra tip at a bar etc?  All my shipboard tips are already paid.  I know if I'm in port and buy something, I will need cash for that (don't use CC for safety issues), I just don't have a clue about other things.  Thanks for your help and suggestions.

[memoak]

It just depends on what you like to do. How often you eat and drink in pots, what kind of excursions etc.  Each person would have to figure this for themselves. In my opinion  using a credit card is the safest way to go since if you are hacked you can get the charges reversed. If your pocket is picked then the money is gone

[beg3yrs]

@memoak has it right. Credit cards are MUCH safer than cash. That said, for us there are some on shore expenses where DW and I think cash is better and that's usually tips and very small purchases. Personally I carry about $80 in cash in various small bills, an ID and a credit card. I usually come back with around $60, my ID and maybe a few credit card receipts. Oh yeah, don't forget your medallion (but you won't cuz you can't get off the ship without it).

 

You won't need anything for porters except on embarkation and maybe disembarkation. We figure a couple of dollars per bag at embarkation and maybe $20 for the person who takes all our bags on one cart and whisks us through immigration.

 

Bus drivers on tours we give about $5 per person and the tour guide for a whole day gets $10 per person and half that for a half day. It's really up to you and of course how much you liked their services. It can vary with us too.

Edited September 15, 2023 by beg3yrs

[PacnGoNow]

1 hour ago, LSauls7537 said:

It's been awhile since I cruised.  On a 28 day cruise, how much should I allow for incidentals?  Porters, bus drivers, extra tip at a bar etc?  All my shipboard tips are already paid.  I know if I'm in port and buy something, I will need cash for that (don't use CC for safety issues), I just don't have a clue about other things.  Thanks for your help and suggestions.

I also agree with the others about CC being safer than cash.

 

We only take a small amount of cash for tips and the rest, we use our CC.  If you are worried about your CC, check with your bank and tell them you’d like a low credit line CC for traveling.  Say, $500 limit or so.  Then, if it was stolen, they can’t charge much. But, regardless you will be protected by the CC company against fraudulent charges.  If you lose cash, you’re out of luck.

 

 Depending in where you are going, in a port, we take a little more cash if visiting small villages or towns, who may only accept cash.

 

Just make a chart and estimate what you may need.

 

 

[WNCtourist]

It also depends on where you are cruising. Norway, for example, is cashless and you use a credit/debit card for purchases.

[voljeep]

the $20 we give to the porter at disembarkation is some of the best money we spend on a cruise out of PE.  'He' helps us get our bags, loads them on his cart, along with whatever else we carried off the ship. We get thru customs/immigration, and he takes the cart to our car in the adjacent parking garage at Terminal 2 and loads them in.

[LSauls7537]

GREAT suggestions.  I intend to use them, never thought about being robbed, my brain just went to being scammed in a port.  I am going to reduce my credit limit on a card and only use that one in port, brilliant thinking.  Such a great group of thinkers!

[Cruisemeister2002]

Every cruise I have ever been on I have taken cash. Maybe not the most sensible thing to do, but hey ho. Never had a problem. Obviously I take a cc with me and put the cash in the cabin safe and depending on the port of call I take what i think I will need. I don't think in 17 cruises and endless ports of call I have ever not had enough money on me and in 99 out of 100 I will take money back to the ship. As for onboard it really depends. Take for instance my next cruise where all drinks are prepaid and any excursions we on go on will be booked pre-cruise. So what I allow for each day will be less than previous cruises as drinks and coffee's are prepaid. The wife will probably want a handbag and I will no doubt get a bit of duty free. Think whatever that unless you have an endless supply of money it's necessary to budget. I'm not saying that x amount per day has to be strictly adhered to but you have to be sensible. No point having a great cruise only to get home staring at a chasm in your bank account.

[Steelers36]

7 minutes ago, LSauls7537 said:

GREAT suggestions.  I intend to use them, never thought about being robbed, my brain just went to being scammed in a port.  I am going to reduce my credit limit on a card and only use that one in port, brilliant thinking.  Such a great group of thinkers!

[PacnGoNow]

44 minutes ago, LSauls7537 said:

GREAT suggestions.  I intend to use them, never thought about being robbed, my brain just went to being scammed in a port.  I am going to reduce my credit limit on a card and only use that one in port, brilliant thinking.  Such a great group of thinkers!

Unfortunately, there are pickpockets, especially watch out in Italy and Spain.  Just use a jacket which has an inside zippered pocket, money belt or wallet bag that goes under your jacket or clothes for cash/CC and/or ID.

We’ve talked to people on the ship and heard stories at GS about pickpockets. Sad.  Just pays to be smart and prepared.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

 

[skynight]

You did not mention where you are going. You will have to figure out how much you will need to spend at the ports. This can vary depending on your itinerary.

On board you need very little cash. On board additional tipping is totally up to you. Here is what I do. 

I always provide an extra cash gratuity to the cabin steward at the end of the cruise. It is usually $3 to $4 per day.

I seldom provide tips to bar servers. I don't carry cash around on board. Some people do carry $1 bills around with them to tip bar tenders.

If you use room service you may want to keep some $1 bills around. But room service is no longer free. It is included with the plus & premier fares.  

If you use the casino, bring cash, as much as you are willing to lose. 

I use cash for taxis in the U.S..

If you take tours bring along cash to tip the guide. Depending on the length of the tour maybe $10/$20 per person.

Anything you purchase on board in the shops, specialty dining, bingo, etc. will go directly to your on board account. At the end of the cruise any positive balance will be charged to your credit card on file. Other than the casino you can not use cash on board to purchase anything. You can pay off on board account balances at passenger services with cash.

At the pier on embarkation I tip the luggage handlers usually $5/suitcase. Probably similar if you use a porter on disembarkation to bring your suitcase to the curbside. I just wheel mine. Very easy.

If you are visiting U.S. ports, including Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands or are turning around at a U.S. port as a b2b, you can always pick up extra cash at an ATM.     

[capriccio]

3 hours ago, WNCtourist said:

It also depends on where you are cruising. Norway, for example, is cashless and you use a credit/debit card for purchases.

Same for Australia and New Zealand.  Last spring we spent 1 week in New Zealand and 5 weeks in Australia (including a 4 week cruise) and the only cash we had was $100 AUD and really could have gotten along without that.

[DCThunder]

17 minutes ago, skynight said:

I seldom provide tips to bar servers. I don't carry cash around on board. Some people do carry $1 bills around with them to tip bar tenders.

I like to patronize a particular bar for a pre-dinner cocktail and make it a point to get to know the bartender(s).  I often will sit at the bar to chat with them.  On my most recent 28 day cruise, my travel companion and I gave the bartenders $20 each after the first 14 days and then another $20 each at the end.  We got outstanding service!  😉

[theloo]

I brought cash for tips, but not enough!  I wanted to tip some MDR waiters, so they got some of the tips that I had planned for my room steward.  So, consider all the people you might want to tip and how hard it might be to get cash at sea.

Edited September 15, 2023 by theloo

[jennmaybe]

We use cash in ports.  Lots of folks do.  We’ve had our card compromised on vacation before and it was a total nightmare.  😰
 

Also, it is very easy to rack up $$$ on your card if you are not diligent enough to keep up with your spending and you’re on a budget.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[memoak]

2 hours ago, theloo said:

I brought cash for tips, but not enough!  I wanted to tip some MDR waiters, so they got some of the tips that I had planned for my room steward.  So, consider all the people you might want to tip and how hard it might be to get cash at sea.

There is an ATM in the casino. It does have a fee however 

[theloo]

43 minutes ago, memoak said:

There is an ATM in the casino. It does have a fee however 

Good to know.  I never go to the casino.  I'm sure most people know this, but I didn't know that I couldn't use refundable OBC for extra gratuities.

[Tranquility Base]

8 hours ago, WNCtourist said:

It also depends on where you are cruising. Norway, for example, is cashless and you use a credit/debit card for purchases.

 

5 hours ago, capriccio said:

Same for Australia and New Zealand.  Last spring we spent 1 week in New Zealand and 5 weeks in Australia (including a 4 week cruise) and the only cash we had was $100 AUD and really could have gotten along without that.

Just want to clarify for visitors to Aussie & NZ.

Those countries are NOT cashless.

Yes, you can get by with cards only.

However, if you wish to use cash you are able to do so almost everywhere.

 

[capriccio]

17 minutes ago, Tranquility Base said:

 

Just want to clarify for visitors to Aussie & NZ.

Those countries are NOT cashless.

Yes, you can get by with cards only.

However, if you wish to use cash you are able to do so almost everywhere.

We were surprised that in some cases (public transportation in Sydney) cash isn’t accepted.  We never found a case in our 6 weeks where a credit card was not accepted.

[Tranquility Base]

2 minutes ago, capriccio said:

  We never found a case in our 6 weeks where a credit card was not accepted.

Yes, I understand.

However, for the benefit of visitors, cash is generally accepted if you wish to use it.

Neither country is a cashless country.

One can generally choose between using card  OR cash.

 

[AZjohn]

4 hours ago, jennmaybe said:

We use cash in ports.  Lots of folks do.  We’ve had our card compromised on vacation before and it was a total nightmare.  😰
 

Also, it is very easy to rack up $$$ on your card if you are not diligent enough to keep up with your spending and you’re on a budget.

Enjoy your cruise!

 

Like you (and many others) we have over the years several cc’s that had fraudulent charges made on them. The great thing about cc’s are if there are fraudulent charges made on them the bank will take them off.

 

Yes, the first time it happen there was a feeling of being violated and other feelings too but, working with the bank we had the cc’s really helped made us feel better they locked the card right away and told us not to worry about the charges made). Sorry your experience was a nightmare.

 

A suggestion to help get around this while on vacation is carry another cc that you can start using while you lock the one that someone stole the number. We actually travel with 3 cc’s but, only use one unless it gets stolen.

 

And even on the ship (and world wide) we can use Wi-Fi calling on our cell phone to contact the bank right away (actually it’s usually the bank that calls our cell phone first).

 

Just a few suggestions.

Cheers

[LSauls7537]

14 hours ago, LSauls7537 said:

GREAT suggestions.  I intend to use them, never thought about being robbed, my brain just went to being scammed in a port.  I am going to reduce my credit limit on a card and only use that one in port, brilliant thinking.  Such a great group of thinkers!

For where I'm cruising, it's the Med and  Israel Grand Adventure on the Island from 11-23 to 12-21.  Yep, will be hitting both Spain and Italy, ending up in Ft.Lauderdale,  so this morning will hit Amazon for a cc protector.  Thanks to this group, also went to AARP and bought some Princess gift cards, so I'll need to carry less cash. (saved a few $ also).  I'm feeling a lot more comfortable now about being gone for 28 days and solo.  Skynight, your suggestions are spot on. Steelers 36 as well (what would I expect from a fellow Pennsylvanian?)

Keep posting if anyone has tips on how/what to pack for december temps.  (I already have clothes for the transatlantic, that was easy)  

 

[charliedalrymple]

7 hours ago, Tranquility Base said:

Just want to clarify for visitors to Aussie & NZ.

Those countries are NOT cashless.

Yes, you can get by with cards only.

However, if you wish to use cash you are able to do so almost everywhere.

 

Correct.  Also note that neither Australia or NZ has a culture of tipping, so you could get by with much less cash.

[Sn0cruiser]

If you’re travelling the med, then make sure to take small amount of euro coins to each port - a lot of the public bathrooms will charge you a small fee to enter.

[PacnGoNow]

On 9/15/2023 at 11:06 AM, LSauls7537 said:

It's been awhile since I cruised.  On a 28 day cruise, how much should I allow for incidentals?  Porters, bus drivers, extra tip at a bar etc?  All my shipboard tips are already paid.  I know if I'm in port and buy something, I will need cash for that (don't use CC for safety issues), I just don't have a clue about other things.  Thanks for your help and suggestions.

Forgot to mention a debit card.  If you need cash and use an ATM, you’ll need a debit.  We hit the ATM after arrival in Europe at a bank, if possible. The airport exchange rate is usually not very good. Just for a little cash in Euros.  Then, put the debit away in the ship safe.

 

Using a credit card for cash is very expensive.  If you don’t want to take your debit, you could get some Euros from your bank.  Some order them for you, doesn’t take long.