Cash on Hand when cruising

In speaking to a young lady from TX this morning who is planning her first cruise - honeymoon I might add - she did ask a question that has been asked before so a good one to put on here today.

The question was "How much cash should I bring on board?" Needless to say there is no definitive answer for this. The ships themselves are basically cashless and upon checking in you set up an onboard account with credit card or cash and then sign for drinks, purchases, etc on board during the cruise. The casinos will take cash (and take and take and take if you don't watch out) so I guess you need to figure how much you need for that if planning on spending time in the casino. Of course you can also charge money to your onboard account (there is a service fee in some casinos to do this) if you run out of cash. Again - caution and don't overdo it.

When in port you do need some cash for "chatchka's" (I have no idea how to spell that), drinks, etc. but we also recommend for anything purchased over $40-50, use a credit card. That is for your protection.

So how much cash does one need? Only you can figure it out. You should not carry a lot of cash in port anyway (safety) but only what you might need. You do have a safe in the stateroom to keep your money secure. Never flash money in port or even on the ship for that matter for your own safety. There are also ATM machines on the ship (fee usually $5.50 unless it is your bank and then a fee from your bank too. We normally see BankAtlantic on ships).

You need some cash but cash is available if you need more. Traveler Checks can also be cashed on board and of course that is another safe way to carry money.

Before you ask, we normally take $100 or less into port with us and of course have our budget for the casino but then we only take so much with us and leave the rest in the room safe each day. If we win (and we do on occasion) we just add that to the "stash".

So thank you Kati in TX for giving me a topic for today and congratulations to you and Zach on your upcoming wedding.

Smooth Seas and Blue Skies to you all.