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how much foreign currency to take


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We are leaving on Navigator in two weeks. Since we are in a difference country almost everyday we weren't sure what to do about cash. We will be spending a night in both Copenhagan and Stockholm before and after and will use credit cards where possible but is it necessary to get each country's currency? Does anybody accept Euros or dollars - ie taxis, for tipping?

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Haven't cruised the Baltic for several years, but in the rest of Europe we've done just fine with credit cards and US cash. They generally have a money exchange aboard ship at each port as well and you can get Euros at the reception desk. Don't bother with travellers checks and don't take a lot of cash. You can get cash at reception on your credit card ship account. We generally take @ $500 cash with us on a 3 week cruise, if that's any indication for you.

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I have a related question. We are planning to cash US currency travelers checks on board to pay private tour guides in St. Petersburg. Does anyone know if there is a daily limit (per person, per cabin) as to the amount the purser's desk will cash?

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I sure wouldn't take much cash! I've found that the best way to get Euros (or sterling or whatever) is to go to an ATM machine, assuming you have something that a VISA check card to use. It gives you whatever amount of local currency you ask for and it comes out of your account at home with a better exchange rate than you'll get on the ship. I would assume these would not be hard to find in these countries, although I'm not really sure in Russia. Just check on the internet to see what their ATMs are actually called in each country so you'll know what to look for. They are NOT called ATM's, of course, as that is based on English "automated teller machines". Otherwise, use your credit card whenever you can. Again, the exchange rate is better this way and you don't get stuck with foreign currency you didn't need.

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We took $700 in Euros and $300 in Euro travelers checks which we ordered from our bank online. We notified our credit card company that we were traveling in Europe. The unused Euros we were able to have applied to our bill on the ship. We are elderly and didn't want to take the chance of trying to find an ATM and stand in line for it, or even find it empty.

We did see one on the way out of the airport in Venice, and just happened by one in Venice. Of course the ship had one. Never saw them in any other ports.

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Unless things have changed, and I doubt it, the ship is not allowed to exchange Russian Rubles. As far as independent tour guides I have used, some will take credit card payment (discouraged) and some will only take rubles. There is an ATM machine across from the Church of the spilled blood that is very convenient.

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