I have never been on a cruise, and I'm going to book one, Do I need lots of spending money on a cruise?

Question

Do I need money for different restaurants and things? What all will I need to buy. How much money should I take for a 3 day cruise to the bahamas

Answer 1

I know thats the first question you ever ask to do a budget of how much you really need puttogether including ticket, shore excursions, onboard expenses. It all depends.

As other said, onboard expense mostly are covered in your sign-sail card linked to Credit card but still they are expense. I tried to avoid spending in those cards and used cash most of the time to avoid big credit card bill at the end of the trip.

You can carry cash with change of $10, $5,$1 for tipping and buying drinks, buying gifts in shores, paying in the shores for restaurants and taxis. Check out http://www.firsttimecruising.com which has full list for you.

Answer 2

The ship will be essentially cashless, no cash needed for anything on the ship.  When you arrive at the port to check-in they will set up a cruise account in your name (and for each passenger in your cabin)  When you get in line to go to a window to have your passport and other paperwork checked and to give your credit card so they can set up your on board cruise account. All transactions on ship are cashless. Everything you buy on ship goes on the cruise account established for you at checkin. You will need cash for things you buy OFF THE SHIP in the Bahamas, unless you use your credit card, but no cash on ship except to gamble in the casino.

Regardless of which cruise line or ship you go on, the things that are included are pretty much the same. The price of your cruise includes your cabin, all meals (including breakfast, lunch dinner, snacks and free room service)(you do pay to eat in the specialty restaurants), all shows and entertainment, and free use of all facilities on ship. The things that you will have to pay for are:

GRATUITIES: They will amount to about $10 per person in your cabin per day; about $70 each for a 7 day cruise. When you check in at the pier they will set up an on-board charge account for you to cover any and everything you may buy on ship. They will issue you a "cruise card"  which will also serve as your room key and pass to get on and off the ship. At the end of the cruise they will add the gratuity to your tab and you can pay with a credit card or cash, your choice.

ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND SOFT DRINKS: Coffee, tea, milk, juice, and lemonade and punch will be provided FREE but you must pay for soft drinks AND alcoholic beverages and they will add a 15% gratuity to each drink and soft drink order.

PHOTOGRAPHS: The cruise line will take plenty of photographs of you all over the ship, in the dining room, and as you exit the ship in ports. These will cost a lot, like $15 to $20 for most.

TOURS/EXCURSIONS: You are not required to book any tours and can get off and on in the ports as much as you want. But the cruise line will offer a lot of tours and these are expensive. These are listed on your cruise line web site and you can reserve them well before the cruise and pay for them also. If you are going to the Caribbean, most places you can get a tour or taxi on the pier for a much lower price than on the ship.

SOUVENIRS: Anything you buy on ship from a gift shop or duty free shop goes on your on board account. Things that you buy on shore you pay cash or credit card for.

CASINO: If you plan to gamble on ship you will need cash for that.

OTHER: Most cruise lines have what they call "specialty" restaurants where there is a gratuity/service charge. All other food on board is free and its not really necessary to budget for food; you cannot eat all of the FREE FOOD that will be available.

SPA SERVICES: If you want/need to have your hair done, get a massage or wrap, or any services from the spa, you will have to pay for them. Spa services are not the same as the gym which is FREE. Spa stuff cost big bucks.

INTERNET: The ship will have internet cafe and maybe WiFi hotspots, but the there is a fee for internet access and it is very expensive (like about $50 to $60 an hour). Skip the ship's internet service and just look for an internet cafe in your port stops. You can usually get internet service in the ports for $5 to $7 an hour.

You cabin will likely have a minibar with soft drinks and munchies; you have to pay for them (but there is free room service 24/7).

For a 3 day cruises about $100 should be enough and if you need more you can go to the ship's casino cage (where they make change) and give them your cruise card and ask for cash on your account.  OR, the ship will have an ATM and you can also find one in the Bahamas.

Answer 3

Also, depending on the cruise line, most ships have ATMs....but with significant fees.  So my family brought $300 cash and the rest of the spending money in traveler's checks. We didn't use it on the ship - we used it in ports.

Answer 4

expect to pay for various tips.  Most cruise lines put the tips on your sail / sign card,  some however do not.  Budget for $10 a day pp for the standard tips.  Also, expect to tip the baggage porter and room service if you use it.  You may end up eating while on the island, so budget for food, cab etc. It's easy to get caught up on buying unneccessary stuff while on the boat so budget for trinkets, t-shirts etc.

Answer 5

unless you plan on buying a lot of alcoholic or soda, or doing the whole casino thing, there really isn't much spending on the ship.  my husband and i ended up only having to pay in total about $350 for the 2 of us.  that included a few special drinks, and an excursion (we went snorkeling off the ship, and that costs extra).  we also rented scooters to explore our island, but that had nothing to do with the extras on the ship.

all your food should be included, whether its the buffet or a nice restaurant.

Answer 6

Yup - you're on board account will be linked to a credit card (to cover excursions, drinks etc) you'll want to bring cash for shopping on your excursions also...

Answer 7

When going on a cruise mind you that you will not use any cash on the ship.  they will have you give them your credit card and they will give it back to you with a room key.  That room key is what you will use to get into your room and buy stuff with.  Make sure you have it with you at all times.  It also gets you on and off the ship.  Take about 500 for a 3 day cruise that is plenty.

Make sure you have your passport as they now are required for cruise travel by most if not all cruise lines.

Answer 8

Cruises are more "inclusive" than most vacations -- the ticket price covers meals, your room and entertainment.

That said, cruises give you a few ways to spend money...

    * Tipping / Gratuities. In general, budget in $10-$15 per person, per day for gratuities for your waiters, cabin stewards, etc. You won't need to leave this on the dinner table each night; it's usually handled on the last night of the cruise. Indeed, many cruises now automate the process so you don't have to worry about bringing large amounts of cash onboard.

    * Bar drinks. Alcohol, soda and specialty coffees (lattes, frappes, etc.) are not included. Prices are comparable to those on land. (If you're used to New York or Los Angeles prices, you may be pleasantly surprised.)

    * Excursions. You can always get off at the ports and look around on your own. However, many people like to join organized excursions for tours or outdoor activities like snorkeling or parasailing. These can be booked through the cruise line or through third-party vendors.

    * The Spa / Beauty Salon. If you like, you can have a massage, haircut, or personal training session onboard. Prices are similar to high-end spas in major cities.

    * "Specialty" Dining. While food in the main dining room(s) is always included, many ships now offer alternative dining venues for an additional charge. For example, many Carnival ships now offer diner at their Supper Clubs for $30 per person. The experience is more intimate, and the menu was designed by Michelin-starred chef Georges Blanc. NCL's larger ships have numerous restaurants and charge for most of them.

There's an explanation of cruise ticket prices as part of the "introduction to cruising" that may help: http://www.cruisesavvy.com/savvyguide/in...

Answer 9

Most of your food should be free, it is on Carnival fun ships anyway. If you plan to drink alcohol plan to have alot of money for that. Also when you arrive in the Bahamas they will likely rise their prices for everything on the islands while the ship is there.

Answer 10

If you book a cruise about a week before the cruise, you can find LOTS of deals on them and they're really good! I recommend going on a Carnival one, you can got to this website:

http://www.americasvacationcenter.com/Cr...

I read about a 7 day cruise for 429$!!! Go on it and im sure youll find lots of good deals.

Good luck on finding a cruise and have a good one !

Answer 11

Most cruise ships put all your expenditures that you make while on the ship on your credit card, so except for shore excursions, you don't need money on the ship. How much you spend on shore excursions such as shopping or renting say snorkel equipment is all up to you.