Casino/currency questions on Navigator in Baltics

My DH and I are soon setting off on our first RSSC cruise to the Baltics. Being from the UK I am getting some currency for the ports and will use ATMs where necessary. My bank does not charge me for foreign currency, either bought in advance or when using an ATM abroad.

So my question is how do you pay for casino gambling? Is it US dollars even if we are in Europe? Do you put chips etc on your shipboard account - and if you do that do they charge a fee of any kind. Since my bank account is charge free regardless of currency am I better taking cash with me. Also, in Russia, despite the fact that we are English is there any benefit in taking US dollars (again I can get them charge free) - do they have a "better bargaining rate" if you know what I mean?

Thanks for any help - I have searched but can't seem to find the specific answers I want!

Sazzle99

I'm from the UK too and will be cruising on the Navigator in August. In answer to some of your questions.

I don't use the casino but the currency will be US Dollars, even in the Baltic,

I don't know if you can charge your chips to your room account.

Bear in mind that unless you tell RSSC that you are going to settle your on-board account in cash then your credit card will be debited. This will usually incur a charge by your credit card issuer of somewhere in the region of 2.5-2.75% (as it will be treated by your card issuer as an overseas purchase) plus whatever they make on the exchange rate. The only card that I know of where this (2.5%) can be avoided is the Nationwide Credit Card (although there are probably others), you still have the exchange rate spread but this is not normally an issue as the rate wil usually still be better than you would get from your bank if purchasing currency over the counter.

In Russia, depending on what and where you are buying, they will normally expect US Dollars or Euro's. They'll sometimes take Sterling if pushed but you'd be better off with small denoimination US$ bills.

Hope this helps.

Thanks! We will be settling the bill on board by card. I use Egg - it just does a straight conversion without charge when abroad (no 2% extra) so that's no problem. I just wondered if chips were treated as a cash advance.

I think I have read elsewhere that you can get dollars as a charge on your on board account from reception - with no fee, but a $400 dollar limit. Anyone know if that is so?