Do I Need to Bring Small Bills?

[CoppellCruiser21]

Hi everyone!

 

Do I need to plan on bringing lots of $1's and $5's onto the ship for extra tipping or will I be able to get change on the ship? 24 more days to go....!

 

Thanks in advance,

Debra

[firefly333]

Iv never heard of getting change from the desk, I bring a envelope for tips with mostly 1s, some 5s, and 10s. For the porter, the shuttle drivers, room services, whatever.

[trock]

Hi everyone!

 

Do I need to plan on bringing lots of $1's and $5's onto the ship for extra tipping or will I be able to get change on the ship? 24 more days to go....!

 

Thanks in advance,

Debra

 

Bring them.. You will need them to tip the porters and if you are using car service.. etc etc

[CanTex]

Before my cruise I just go to my bank and pick up a pack of 50 $1 bills and some other smaller bills. I use cash so infrequently (almost never) that I can't be bothered to save small bills (it would take me forever). But yes, you do need them on a cruise, especially if you use room service every day like I do.

[montekat]

You mainly need the extra small change for tips prior to getting onboard and sometimes on departure. You tip the porters $1 to $2 a bag to assist you with your luggage. You may tip the operators of excursions and sometimes the bar people (15% gratuity is automatically added to drinks from the bars but you can add more if you wish).

 

The $10 per day per person tips can be automatically added to your onboard acct. and you can always add more if you feel the service was deserving. The other places you may need cash is the casino and shopping in the ports, for taxi drivers, etc. You can change large bills for smaller ones at the casino, and cash Traveler's Cheques at the Purser's desk.

[Wennfred]

Bring at least 30 ones, 20 fives and 10 tens.... The ones are great for tipping.

 

 

Fred

[shadow_]

I brought a lot of ones and fives. The twenties i bring for souvenirs in the ports. I usually tip the waitress's and the bartenders on ship. I talked to one of the girls on the last cruise a lot, she was my regular drink waitress i guess you would say:p and she told me i was the first to tip her all day and that was late at night in the disco. I asked if she got the gratuity and she said hardly any of it. She said the waitresses get money depending on how many drinks get sold on the ship per day. But she was shocked at the tip and was sooooo grateful. I am thinking these people don't make much on the gratuity, the ship takes most it seems to me. I plan on tipping on my next cruise as well, i know some here would say screw that, that is what gratuity is for but i don't think they see much of it and also drinks around me in the clubs and bars are 7-10 bucks. They are 5-6 on the ship. But yeah to your question, yes bring small bills, got a little off topic there. :o

[afc08]

Hello,

Don't worry if you run out of small bills, you can always break your bigger bills at the ship's guest relations desk. Also, on most ships, there is an ATM, which I found very helpful, in case, I needed more dollars to break into smaller bills at the guest relations desk.

[Cotton]

The purser's desk will make change for you if you need some smaller bills.

 

I normally take around $20 in ones, for tipping porters at the pier, room service delivery, etc..

[scovarrubias22]

wow these are some great tips. I was thinking of taking about 200 to 250 in cash for tips and possible taxis.

[jessemon]

Hi everyone!

 

Do I need to plan on bringing lots of $1's and $5's onto the ship for extra tipping or will I be able to get change on the ship? 24 more days to go....!

 

Thanks in advance,

Debra

Nope....Bring $20s ...$50s....and $100s and just tip big......LOL.....J/K:D :D

 

I always take 50 ones and 20 fives.......;)

[VentureMan_2000]

There are staff that dance on the brass pole... on the stage... after 1:00 AM in the morning... and small bills work just fine for this. Actually, most are use to folks bouncing quarters on the stage from the seats... and they appreciate this as the jukebox requires three quarters for each song they pole dance to. However, some dances carry thier own boombox for lap dances.

 

 

But I digress... :p

 

I usually bring $500 in these denominations on a cruise:

 

$50 -- $1's

$250 -- $5's

$200 -- $10's

[cmecruise1962]

You want to have smaller bills in port so you can pay with exact change...I have had taxi drivers, bartenders etc, tell me they have no change when I try to pay for a $7 purchase with a $20 bill. Then I usually have another drink and leave the $20!

[Ken076]

Bring with you extra singles and fives for tips for the curbside porter, room service (a couple bucks per delivery), for cab drivers on the ports, and for Tour guide and Bus Driver and Ferry Attendants (and bathroom attendants in Mexico!) on Excursions. Also for Maitre D' on final nite if you're so inclined. You might also bring extra cash to additionally tip Dining Room Waiters, Room Steward if you receive GREAT service and Want to tip extra. A 15% tip is automatically added to the price of soft drinks and alcohol drinks ordered anywhere on the ship. ATM and purser cash sometimes runs low toward the end of the cruise. Ken

[NCTribeFan]

Rather than carry wads of small bills. I take only what I'll need for taxi, tips, etc before I board.

 

I find it much easier to just take $50s or $100s, feed one into a slot machine, play a game, cash out, take the bucket-o-quarters to the cashier and request small bills. Take those to the cabin, put them in the safe. Repeat as needed throughout cruise for shore excursions and the night before disembarkation for what you'll need on the way home.

 

Space is at a premium. Why take bundles of small bills when you can easily convert a single large bill into many, many small ones?

 

Just exercise a little self control and don't put that $100 bill in the slot and play until it's gone! ;)

[Leo Jay]

Take plenty because the purser's desk may or may not have a line, and may or may not have them when you want them. I went there for quarters once, and they were out for the time being -- I guess the safe was locked or what have you.

:)

[zqvol]

I guess that I am the strange one. I never leave home with anything smaller than $20's but by the time, I buy a soda here, a book there, etc. I end up coming home with plenty of smaller bills.

 

Usually the only need that I have found for singles is to tip room service.

[kelz66]

Iv never heard of getting change from the desk, I bring a envelope for tips with mostly 1s, some 5s, and 10s. For the porter, the shuttle drivers, room services, whatever.

 

 

I have been able to get change from the pursers desk on a few occasions when I needed too.

 

;)

[As You Wish]

I would bring small bills with you, but if you need more and the line at the purser's desk is too long, the cashier at the casino will break your bills for you. You don't need to bring them a bucket of change for this, they've always been very willing to give me smaller bills for my 20's 50's or 100's.

[fabulousmindy]

Just exercise a little self control and don't put that $100 bill in the slot and play until it's gone! ;)

 

Easier said than done...

[Wennfred]

 

Just exercise a little self control and don't put that $100 bill in the slot and play until it's gone! ;)

 

I did just that and scored a jackpot of 1000.00 :D Onboard Paradise this past April.

 

 

Fred

[molme]

We like to take $2 bills for tipping . You should see the look we get from some of the ship's staff. You can get them at you bank.

[NCTribeFan]

I did just that and scored a jackpot of 1000.00 :D Onboard Paradise this past April.

 

 

Fred

 

See! Rather than just take my large bill to the cashier and ask for change, I prefer to play that one game of chance. Of course, it usually turns into "just one more spin" and then I end up with fewer bills.

 

But some day, I may actually win something! :)

[pryd]

For one of our anniversaries I made up a Money checkbook.

 

I got $100 in crisp ones and took them to Kinko's and had them glued on the top edge with a piece of cardboard the exact size as the $1 dollar bill, so they fit into a standard checkbook, then we just peel off as many as we need for tips and the rest are still in the "Account"

[G'ma]

Hi everyone!

 

Do I need to plan on bringing lots of $1's and $5's onto the ship for extra tipping or will I be able to get change on the ship? 24 more days to go....!

 

Thanks in advance,

Debra

 

You can usually get small bills at the Purser's desk. However, I always take them with me. I keep $1 bills on hand in the cabin for tipping room service, etc. Ashore, I carry nothing larger than a $20.00.

 

For normal gratuities, I just leave those on my S&S account as suggested. Anything additional I might want to tip (favorite bartender, add'l for room steward or waiter, etc), I put in an envelope - available at the Purser's - and hand it out.