How much Money to set aside for spending on boat...

[gumball711]

Hi I need to transfer funds into my Debit Credit Card account before the cruise. I want to use this so we have everything right out of our checking account at the end of the cruise. I don't want to owe money using a regular credit card when we get home. We haven't scedueled excrussions yet we plan on scedualling them when we get abourd the ship since we have 6 and 3 year old. What would you recommend amount to be safe to put onto our Debit Card. Inluding enough for tipping and such. We will be doing the Holloween Western Creabean Cruise leaving October 25, 2003 trying to pack and make plans as we type lol.... P.>s one of my sons Birth Certificates doen't have a raised seal is this going to be a problem? luv tina

 

[jgalecpa]

We are very free with spending on vacation, and average about $125-$150/day including the excursions (which we do only 1-2 per cruise) but excluding tips.

We, too, are four total. If you take 125 * 7 = 875 + about $300 for tipping, that gets you about $1,200 (which works out to $42/person/day).

But that's just us.

It does not include spending on shore.

As to the raised seal, I am not an expert but I believe that is must be an official birth certificate, not necessarily one with a raised seal. It can't be the hospital type by=ut the dept of vital records type that lists mother and father.

Hope this helps

Jim

 

[aprilgail2]

I think between me, my mom and my 3 year old we spent around 750-1000 on the 4-day cruise last year.

 

[gonna go cruising]

Birth Cerificate should be fine as long as it is certified. If it is just what you get when you leave the hospital, I dont think that is enough.

Link to tipping calculator:
http://www.members.aol.com/cruisetip/

Have a great time!

 

[gumball711]

My husband loves your fish and asked where you caught him. I was guessing about $1500 although we didn't book any excrussions yet since my hubby says we ought to wait until we gett ot he ports of Cozemel and where ever else our cruse is taking us. Do you agree? let me know and thanks tina :

 

[aprilgail2]

Originally posted by gumball711
although we didn't book any excrussions yet since my hubby says we ought to wait until we gett ot he ports of Cozemel and where ever else our cruse is taking us. Do you agree? let me know and thanks :

Some of the more popular excursions sell out well before you get to each port...if you really want to do something I wouldn't wait on it!

 

[Verandah Man]

On our cruise this past August we had 2 cabins for the 6 of us
(5-adults 1-DD 12). With excursions, onboard spending, and tips, we spent $2,000, I was just looking at the receipt last night. We didn't spend that much off the ship. I think the figure Jim gave you of $1,200 should be a good amount to put aside.

 

[jgalecpa]

Tina

My husband loves your fish and asked where you caught him.

Thanx!

I caught her in the Chesapeake Bay, near the mouth of the Choptank River. She had recently laid her eggs, so while she was long she wassn't as heavy as I might think (39", 24 lbs). Smothered in Crab Imperial made with crabs we catch off our dock, she's quite tasty, too.

I was guessing about $1500 although we didn't book any excrussions yet since my hubby says we ought to wait until we gett ot he ports of Cozemel and where ever else our cruse is taking us. Do you agree? let me know and thanks tina

$1,500 should be plenty, depending on one's alcohol consumption. Ours is quite moderate. On a cruise I might have an average of two beers a day and DW might have 4 drinks total.


BUT, I agree with Aprilgail, don't wait to book excursions.

Jim

 

[goodstarr]

$1500 is a good amount, but just in case you want to book another cruise while on board, you may want to take enough for a deposit (correct me if I'm wrong but you do need to pay a deposit to book one). If you plan on doing an excursion at every port except CC, with the age of your children, you'd probably spend about $400-$500. Tips:$300 (if you give what is recommended on Disney's website). If you drink alcohol, $150-$200 (about 2 drinks per day per adult-one on deck, one at dinner?). Pictures of those two kiddies (if you are like most people and get choked up at every shot the photographer took): $150. Spa anyone? - $100-$150 (depending on what you like). And those" not to be forgotten "souvenirs that we all must have: $300. If you're trying to stay within a budget, here are some tips:
don't do an excursion in every port. Your kiddies are too young to miss them. Being in the kids club is probably just as exciting as that $200 stingray/submarine/snorkel excursion. Also, try to get the 2-for-1 drink specials everyday, maybe even the wine package. Pictures:don't buy all of them! You are going to take plenty of your own, I'm sure. Pix of the whole family (expecially on a formal night) are must haves. Take your own picture every time the photographer takes one. Souvenirs: you're on your own with those. I have stopped getting stuff from every port and stick with stuff that shows what ship I was on (shirt, photo album) Plus, I only buy for those of us on the ship and whoever is caring for the pets. But, if you have mucho money to spend, disregard everything I just said and send some my way

 

[gumball711]

Originally posted by goodstarr
$1500 is a good amount, but just in case you want to book another cruise while on board, you may want to take enough for a deposit (correct me if I'm wrong but you do need to pay a deposit to book one). If you plan on doing an excursion at every port except CC, with the age of your children, you'd probably spend about $400-$500. Tips:$300 (if you give what is recommended on Disney's website). If you drink alcohol, $150-$200 (about 2 drinks per day per adult-one on deck, one at dinner?). Pictures of those two kiddies (if you are like most people and get choked up at every shot the photographer took): $150. Spa anyone? - $100-$150 (depending on what you like). And those" not to be forgotten "souvenirs that we all must have: $300. If you're trying to stay within a budget, here are some tips:
don't do an excursion in every port. Your kiddies are too young to miss them. Being in the kids club is probably just as exciting as that $200 stingray/submarine/snorkel excursion. Also, try to get the 2-for-1 drink specials everyday, maybe even the wine package. Pictures:don't buy all of them! You are going to take plenty of your own, I'm sure. Pix of the whole family (expecially on a formal night) are must haves. Take your own picture every time the photographer takes one. Souvenirs: you're on your own with those. I have stopped getting stuff from every port and stick with stuff that shows what ship I was on (shirt, photo album) Plus, I only buy for those of us on the ship and whoever is caring for the pets. But, if you have mucho money to spend, disregard everything I just said and send some my way

All that advice is taken. Hubby will probably have adrinky or 2 but I am not a drinker and would rather not spend cash on it. we are going to bring a bottle of wine or 2 but we figure if we use it great if not we will leave it as a tip to our room server. I am so lookin forward to this and I have no idea where or what excrusions we should take leaving kiddies on boat sounds good to me but we were in most of the places MExico has to offer since BB (BEFORE CHILDREN) we were in Cancun quite often. Bahamas maybe different though since we havn't been there. I am happy sitting quietly on pool side or just walking and shoppping but hubby is the active one. Thanks for the advice any excrussions you all think we shouldn't pass up let us know. thanks luv tina

 

[goodstarr]

Gumball, did you see what excursions are offered for your cruise on the Disney cruise website yet? They offer a description of each excursion as well as prices. If you see something that you like, put the name of the excursion into the search slot at the bottom of the main DCL forum page and see what people have said about it.

 

[gumball711]

Hi Actually yes i have looked them over and there was't much of interest to me personally I love MExican ruins but I have been to them already and think the kids would be bored. I am a beachy type so I am interested in the Beach in Cozemel the PLAY OL SOL park one but thats it... am I boring or what...

 

[webray]

We (2 adults) put $1,000 in stateroom credits before we left for the cruise. With the help of this board and the other great websites we had totaled up what we knew we wanted to spend on spa, internet, etc. We ended up spending another 1,000 while on board...but, we tipped very generously, as we ended up with some with some really great castmembers.

We didn't do any excursions.

 

[jlp651]

I'm really glad you posted this...I'm still tetering on how much $$ to bring...I tallied up all the stuff we want to do and its looking like 1500-2000 for 2 adults...and that is with 3 days land 4 sea...I probably ball parked hi for land days but I dont want to miss out on anything!

 

[AKB]

How do you put credit on your stateroom account before your cruise? This sounds like something I would like to do.
Thanks, Kathy

 

[prymsu]

You can put down cash on your account once you are on board. I always try to do this, so i don't get a big shock on how big the bill is.

For instance, I try to factor in the tips, how much I will be spending for excursions, photos and drinks, and then put down at least this amount.

Then towards the end of the cruise, if i have more cash left than what i thought i would need, i try to go put it on the account. So far, i have always been lucky enough to have my credit card bill be 50 bucks or less for on board stuff.

 

[jlp651]

when you put money on ship board credit and then don't use all of it....

 

[prymsu]

I believe they issue you a check for the balance of what is left, but I am not 100 percent sure on this. I know this was the case on a different cruise line.

 

[Grumpy's Mom]

These are great suggestions - thanks to gumball711.

The only additional tip I would offer would be to use your Disney Visa or other rewards type credit card for your onboard spending, and set up an online transfer of funds out of your checking/savings or whatever account BEFORE YOU LEAVE FOR YOUR CRUISE for the amount you want to spend to be paid on your credit card the day you dock. This way, you get a little extra bonus from what you are spending (those Disney dollars add up quickly) and if you stay within your budget (not a concept well known in our home), you will owe nothing when you get home!!

 

[markey]

Through out the year I buy Disney Dollars when ever I get any extra money, Christmas, Birthday, work bonus, income tax etc. Then when I get on board I put it toward our account. This year I had $800 total and didn't even miss the money.