Spending money

[jackieb]

How much does everyone usually charge to the sign & sail card, and how much spending money do you take. We're preparing for our cruise and trying to budget our spending?

[beenie weenie]

I guess it depends on how long the cruise is, keep in mind your tips will likely show up there, and any alcohol, speciality restaurants, photos, shore excursions, bingo, etc...

I think the least amount we've ever gotten away with was $450 and the most was about $1100, but that was 14 days long and on NCL, so we ate at all of the speciality restaurants, some twice! This was for our family of four.

[jackieb]

Our Cruise is 7 days, I was hoping that $1,500. would be enough. I've got 3 excursions booked around $334.00, plus the $10. per day for tips x's 2. So that would leave about $1,000.00 for drinks and spending, so I guess that should be enough?

[hombre]

i generally cruise solo. usually, i take about 100.00 in ones for tips to room service,, porters, tour and cab drivers, etc. almost always i come home with many ones left over; this would be for a two week cruise. then i take about 500.00 in small bills for the casino and maybe a meal or drinks ashore; also, i usually have money left. AND i keep all cash in the stateroom safe; never lying around. and any purchase over about 50.00 i put on my charge card. as for the ship charges, i count on the service fee(tip) at 10.00 per day, the automatic tip for any bar drinks (as well as the drinks themselves, of course), small on-board shopping expenses (you know, a mug,, a t shirt or two, and a hat, etc.). i also count on room-service scotch and soda packages. for 14 days, i'll not be surprised at a bill of around 1000.00. i sail on HAL. i am not extravagant, but i save up so i won't have to feel guilty about every little thing i buy. it is a vacation. so, for a 14 day voyage i'll count on about 1600.00 on top of the basic expenses. hope this helps. hombre

[brad813]

I am planning to take $800-$1000 over and above tips for my spending money. Alot of this is based on spending limits that customs has, and I will likely also spend a bit of time in the casino on board. I am also prepaying my shore excursions, so if you plan to book these on board keep a budget in mind for these as well.

[colorcrazie]

So much depends on what you like to do. I don't gamble, get sick if I drink, so don't have to budget for either. My weakness is handcrafts, so I try to budget for those. Usually in cash, since some of the best are not shops and have no way to take a credit card. We also have seen most of the islands so many times that there is no interest in taking tours. But, give me an itinerary with new ports and I have to get serious about saving up for those tours. We usually have on board charges around $500, including tips. The rest varies too much to generalize. ALthough this year, we're doing our 3rd cruise in less than 12 months, so are seriously cutting back on all costs, especially shore spending.
Marty

[jackieb]

Thats about what I thought to spend, I thought to be safe I would take about $1,300, extra after my excursions & tips. Just wanted to see if people thought that would be enough for me and my DH

[fireba11]

We pre-pay our gratuities and shore excursions so that they don't end up on the sail and sign card.

We normally spend about 1000.00 for the DW and myself on a 7 day cruise.