How much cash should I bring on a liveaboard?

Budget $300–700 per person for a week: tips, Nitrox, park fees, drinks and rental. Many boats take cards, but some remote vessels are cash-only.

Even on boats that accept cards, cash is the safer plan. Card terminals depend on satellite or cellular connectivity, and in the places liveaboards go, that connection frequently fails. A realistic budget for a 7-night trip is $300 to $700 per person.

Where the money goes: crew gratuities are the biggest item, generally 5 to 15 percent of the trip price, so $150 to $350 on a typical charter. Nitrox is $100 to $200 for the week. Marine park and port fees range from $30 in Thailand to $200 or more in the Galápagos and Raja Ampat. Then alcohol, Wi-Fi, souvenirs and any rental gear.

Which currency: US dollars are accepted almost everywhere, euros widely in Egypt and the Mediterranean, and local currency is sometimes required for national park fees. Bring clean, undamaged notes in small denominations — torn or heavily marked dollar bills are routinely refused in Egypt and Indonesia.

Practical tip: split your cash between your cabin safe and your hand luggage, and take some of the crew tip in smaller notes so you can distribute it yourself if the boat does not pool gratuities. Airport ATMs at the embarkation city are usually your last reliable withdrawal point.