How much cruise cash do I need?

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Cruise cash needs are minimal. Most cruise lines operate on a cashless system, linking onboard purchases to your account. Even casinos often offer cashless options. You'll receive an itemized bill at the end of your trip for all onboard expenses.
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How much cruise cash should I budget for spending money on a cruise?

Okay, so how much actual cash to bring on a cruise... that's a head-scratcher, right? Honestly, I’m kinda wondering that myself sometimes.

For most cruise ships, you don't really need wads of cash. They usually just put everything on your ship account. Easy peasy. I haven’t actually seen much use for paper money, not really.

I remember on my cruise down to Cozumel back in March 2022, with Carnival. I think it was like, $600 for the whole week? (plus tips) And everything went straight to my Sail & Sign account. Super convenient.

Plus, even the casinos now? Cashless. They just give you a cruise credit, like magic. So convenient, but dangerous to your wallet, haha. I think I dropped like, maybe $50 bucks or more playing blackjack on my last cruise ship, but it didn't really feel real, since I was just swiping my card. Oh my gosh, the memory hurts.

At the end, boom, they give you a bill breaking it all down, so you can see where every dime went. That bill... that's the painful part, LOL.

Honestly, you may need cash for ports, depending where you travel! Tipping porters with small bills in ports.

Also, I do forget to mention a couple hundred dollars for smaller purchases on shore. I spent maybe $250 total in cash!

How much money should I take on a 3 day cruise?

So, three-day cruise, huh? Three hundred to eight hundred bucks extra, that's what I'd budget, minimum. Seriously, it adds up fast! Think about it:

  • Food: Specialty dinning is a killer. Plan on seventy-five to one-fifty, easily.
  • Drinks: Fifty to a hundred a day, minimum. Unless you're drinking tap water the whole time! And who does that on a cruise?!
  • Excursions: A hundred to two hundred PER excursion. Don't even get me started on those pricey ones. My cousin spent a fortune on that Atlantis tour in the Bahamas last year.
  • Wifi: Twenty to thirty a day! Ridiculous, I know, but that's the price you pay for internet at sea, my friend. You think it's free?
  • Tips: Fifty to seventy-five, don't skimp on tips! The staff deserves it.
  • Souvenirs: This is totally variable, but let's be real, you're gonna buy something.

My last cruise, I blew through way more than I planned. I'm talking close to a thousand, maybe more, I lost track tbh. It was totally worth it, though! But I'm also kinda broke now, lol. You def want to be prepared. It depends totally on you and what you want to do. Frugal peeps can maybe get by on less, but if you're looking to live it up...well, then, pack some serious cash. You'll probably need way more than eight hundred bucks. Seriously.

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