How much money should you take on a Caribbean cruise?

Most guests bring $50-$120 cash per day to spend during the cruise. You will have many opportunities to purchase duty free goods, take exciting shore excursions, buy local souvenirs, play your chance in the casino, or enjoy some pampering in the spa.



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We recommend bringing around $100-200 in cash with you on a port day. This should provide enough money for transportation, food, and small souvenirs in port.

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According to data provided by the cruise industry (CLIA: Cruise Line Industry Association), the average cruise duration is seven days and the average cost is around $1700. Cruise lines charge between $800 and $8,000 for a 7-night Caribbean trip in a balcony stateroom.

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December. From mid-December it's peak season (and peak prices) in the Caribbean although you might find some deals at the start of the month. Some resorts try to tempt vacationers with deals ahead of the busy Christmas rush. Weather-wise it's warm and dry with little chance of any thunderstorms.

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As a general rule, plan to have $50 to $100 each day in the local currency. Also, you may want to bring an extra $20 a day for tipping crew members. Make sure to include smaller bills for tips. Fifty to a hundred dollars a day should be enough to cover small purchases, tips and snacks at each port.

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7-8 Daytime Outfits On your 7 day cruise, you'll need a casual daytime outfit for each day, plus at least one backup outfit in case you get wet.

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We recommend paying for on shore purchases that are over $10 with a credit card to reduce the amount of cash you need to carry when off-ship and for a good record of your purchase, and use pocket change or local currency for the rest.

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ATMs are typically available on board cruise ships belonging to major cruise lines like Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Celebrity, Holland America, Princess (& many others). However, most charge considerably higher fees for use in addition to any charges assessed by your bank.

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To help you plan, we suggest you limit your luggage to a maximum of one bag per person if you're travelling on a cruise of 3-5 nights, and to no more than two bags per person, for cruises of 6 days or longer.

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To help you plan, we suggest you limit your luggage to a maximum of one bag per person if you're travelling on a cruise of 3-5 nights, and to no more than two bags per person, for cruises of 6 days or longer.

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Even though twice-daily stateroom cleaning has long been the standard in the cruise industry, how often you like your cruise ship stateroom cleaned by your cabin steward is a matter of personal preference. Some cruisers love the pampered feeling of a stateroom that is always clean -- when done by someone else.

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Jeans and baseball caps are not allowed in the restaurants for dinner. On informal nights, jackets (ties optional) for men are recommended, while women can opt for dresses or pantsuits. Tuxedos, dinner jackets or dark suits for men and gowns or cocktail dresses for women are suggested for formal nights.

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Your cruise fare always includes food for breakfast, lunch and dinner on a cruise ship. However, not all venues that offer food will be free. The main dining room and cruise ship buffet will always be included in your cruise fare, though a few specialty items might cost extra.

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Onboard Spending (~$85-$120 per day) We dove into detail about spending on a cruise ship before. Cruise lines also break down how much cruise passengers spend in their financial reports. On average across cruise lines, the amount comes out to between $85-120 per person, per day.

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On most cruise ships, crew gratuities, shore excursions, spa treatments, casino play, internet and purchases in the onboard shops will all be additional costs.

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There aren't any hard-and-fast guidelines for this type of tip since it's contingent on your experience, but $25 to $40 on behalf of a couple roughly works out to an extra $2 to $3 per person, per day, for a seven-night cruise.

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Almost all Caribbean destinations accept U.S. credit or debit cards. If you're planning to use your credit cards, you'll want to check with each credit card company to determine the international exchange fee for each card.

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Spending anything after embarkation is up to you, as the only things not included on any cruise line would be shopping, souvenirs, spa treatments and casino gambling. For these things, you'll need to bring some additional money.

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