How to handle money on SAS

My basic strategy for money on SAS is redundancy. I have seen so many mishaps and calamities around money over the years that I have become a firm believer in several backup types of funds. I enjoy my trip that much more if I'm not stressing about money. Feel free to think I'm being overly cautious but, in that case, I hope you are extremely resourceful - and have lots of friends who'll bail you out!

I bring two credit cards, my ATM/debit card, $25-50 in the currencies of each country on the itinerary, $200 in the cleanest, crispest one dollar bills my bank can find and a significant amount of cash that goes straight from my money belt to the safe in my cabin.

Credit Cards: You will need one credit card for your shipboard account. You actually can pay that bill in cash about once a month during the voyage but obviously that's a hassle. For students, please ensure that your parents or someone at home has legal access to that account so snafus can be worked out by someone with constant access to a land line, i.e. not you. You can set it up to pay the bill online or automatically from a checking account that has PLENTY of funds when you leave. This account is the one that will be charged for all your SAS trips as well as the bills on board such as the laundry, snack bar, spa, etc. It does add up! Also let your credit card issuer know exactly which countries you will be visiting when - otherwise, in the interest of safety, they are quick to cancel your account after the first use somewhere unusual. I keep one credit card with me when I go off ship, carrying it always in my money belt along with my passport and the majority of my cash for that port - I only ever have small amounts of cash in my pocket or purse because pickpocketing is very common. I never use a card except for in very nice places like good hotels, restaurants and shops, never in street markets or stalls. I carry it mostly for emergencies like if I should get stuck somewhere. Mine has a chip which is becoming more and more important abroad; there are places that won't take a credit card without the chip. When I do use it, I never let it out of my sight when they are doing the charge - don't ever let someone take your credit card to a back office or anywhere else out of sight because it is just too easy to copy. Some places still use a carbon or other paper system so make sure you destroy the copies since they will have your number on them. It's impossible to be too careful with your credit card. Every voyage a number of people have theirs scammed or stolen with very inconvenient to disastrous results. So given that s**t happens, I keep a backup credit card in my safe in my cabin so I know I'm covered for the rest of the voyage if something bad happens.

ATM/debit Card: ATM cards are the cheapest way to get foreign currency so I strongly recommend bringing one. I still would have 2 other credit cards but one may be enough if one is your debit card. Be VERY careful about using ATM machines. Not only are you very vulnerable as you leave the machine (people WILL be watching), but the machines themselves have many types of scams in them like false fronts that steal your card or more sophisticated electronic ways to steal your number and PIN. Be extremely cautious about which machine you pick, the ones in banks are the very best. It's worth walking out of your way to find a bank. Always use your other hand to cover the keyboard as you punch in your PIN, remembering those people who will be watching. Don't ever use a machine anywhere at all sketchy or dark. Always go in pairs at least, with one person standing as lookout while you have your back turned at the machine. Don't ever use a machine that looks at all weird - check it out and if there is anything about it that looks like it might have a fake front, for instance, walk away quickly! Put your money away quickly and don't walk away from the ATM still fumbling with it. You probably think all this is overly cautious but I personally know of people who have been ripped off by all these situations. Someone can clean out your account in a heartbeat and then you are SOL for sure. Unless, of course, you've followed my advice about redundancy ;).

Foreign Currency: You can also order them from a national bank with a local bank, a source that can take about 2 weeks so do it ahead. I get about $25-50 in currency from each country on the itinerary, or each one that is available which doesn't include Viet Nam for instance. The exchange rate and fees are a little bit expensive but I think they are totally worth it. When the ship docks in each port, getting local currency is foremost on everyone's agenda - you can't buy a bottle of water, get a cab, etc. without local money. Often, however, you're tearing off on an SAS or independent trip, it's taken a while longer than anticipated to clear immigration so you're late, and finding an ATM can be a challenge and a nuisance. If you have some money already you're way ahead of the game. Also lines at ATMs close to the port can be very long when we first dock as 700 or so passengers head off the ship. If I have like $50 of each currency, that may be all I spend in that country or it at least gets me started. After that is gone, I use an ATM or exchange my American currency only at banks and my hotel - banks have better rates but the hotel is often quite convenient.

American Cash: I bring lots of one dollar bills because they are great to use in markets in many countries, especially Viet Nam. Locals strongly prefer newish ones because their exchange people won't take beat up currency. Vendors might give you a better deal if you have small American bills. Our currency is just so much more reliable than most local currencies so people are happy to have it some places. In other places, they can look at you like You're in my country now what makes you think you can use your money? You'll learn what is appropriate where. I also bring lots of $20 and $100 bills and put them in my safe. This is my ultimate back up plan if I get robbed, as I did the last time I was in Viet Nam. No matter what, I have enough cash for most uses back on the ship so I can stress about all this money stuff a lot less. Honestly, I usually come home with most of it - and then just don't need to go to the ATM at home for months! Other then using it to exchange for local currency when ATM's aren't handy, I also use it on the ship to pay people for various things like arrangements they may have made for a trip we went on together and they just put it all on their credit card - I can pay them back. Same with a restaurant meal when it's a hassle to ask for separate checks.
Then there's tipping. This deserves a post of it's own but basically you will have an amount (I think it's about $300) charged with your tuition that is for tips for the crew. A lot of people wish to tip special people something extra. I usually tip my cabin steward a couple of times along the way, and once again at the end. Not huge amounts but just something to let them know I appreciate what they do for me everyday. I keep up with which ports they're going to be able to get off the ship, it rotates, and sometimes give them a little spending money before we dock. It's also a good reason to have currency ahead of time. On one voyage, for instance, I knew my Jamaican cabin stewardess was looking forward to getting her hair done in Cape Town so I gave her some Rand for that. Just to finish the tipping subject, it's entirely optional, but at the end of the voyage, many people give cash to their cabin steward and any of the dining room staff they've gotten attached to, and it is always much appreciated. These folks work very hard, 24/7, for months at a time without a day off and most send money home to large extended families where they are the primary, if not only, wage earner.

Budgeting: Especially for students, a budget is very helpful. Some students set an amount they want to spend in each port and put that money in envelopes in their safe. The shopping opportunities, heck, many opportunities, in each port are amazing and your spending can quickly get out of hand if you're not careful. Take a look at what you're thinking of doing in each country and make a guesstimate for what you might spend, then add a little extra. Be realistic about the gifts and souvenirs you want to buy, as well as what kinds of accommodations and restaurants you prefer. Hostels, street food, local buses and small trinkets are great fun, but less so if you're going that route because you're down to your last $20.

Again, take all this with a grain of salt and your own habits and preferences in mind. This plan works for me and I've never gotten into a hassle about money on the voyage. Take from it what's workable for you but do make enough plans for handling money so that you can be as stress-free as your budget will allow on this trip of a lifetime.