Currency for Baltic Cruise - How Many

We are taking a Baltic cruise next year. (Southampton, Copenhagen, Gdansk, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Stockholm, Tallinn and Bruges) How many different currencies do we need to carry on our trip? We will do a pre-cruise in Southampton. So (GBP) and (Euros) for some of the other countries. Any large purchases will be on our credit cards. Will euros be accepted or do we need to get zioty and kroner etc?

We didn't have trouble using credit cards with the chip and pin. When I called to put a travel alert on my credit card, Chase recommended bringing rubles because they had some concerns that the political instability could lead to trouble for their credit card processing. We didn't have any trouble using our credit card in St. Petersburg, but if things are still a bit unsettled next summer I would recommend that travelers consider bringing at least rubles to the Baltics. If you are ordering currency, please be smarter than me and don't do it last minute - PNC bank actually could not fill the order I placed for rubles, and I had to run to Chase two days before we left. Thankfully, they send currency overnight so we were fine but your bank may have trouble obtaining rubles so please be prepared.

Please note that although dollars are accepted in most places, the local banks may refuse torn or extremely worn bills. So please bring currency in very good condition with you on your trip.

Before we left last year we ordered pounds (we spent 3 days in London and Dover before sailing) and Euros ahead of time. We talked to our guide in St. Petersburg and decided we didn't need rubles - but that was before sanctions. The shops at the port in St. Petersburg had pricing in dollars, Euros and rubles. In Copenhagen, we stopped at a cafe that took Euros without a problem.

We do not have a chip and pin credit card, but it wasn't a problem. We used it easily wherever we went. Do call your bank ahead of time to let them know you're traveling so they don't put a fraud alert on your card. (Honestly, we had that happen - in Seattle and Miami. Now we call ahead whenever we travel outside our state.)

We didn't have trouble using credit cards with the chip and pin. When I called to put a travel alert on my credit card, Chase recommended bringing rubles because they had some concerns that the political instability could lead to trouble for their credit card processing. We didn't have any trouble using our credit card in St. Petersburg, but if things are still a bit unsettled next summer I would recommend that travelers consider bringing at least rubles to the Baltics. If you are ordering currency, please be smarter than me and don't do it last minute - PNC bank actually could not fill the order I placed for rubles, and I had to run to Chase two days before we left. Thankfully, they send currency overnight so we were fine but your bank may have trouble obtaining rubles so please be prepared.

 

Please note that although dollars are accepted in most places, the local banks may refuse torn or extremely worn bills. So please bring currency in very good condition with you on your trip.

I wouldn't fancy trying US Dollars in Denmark or Sweden. Countries with strong currencies tend not to need to accept cash from foreign countries far away - do many shops in Texas accept Euros? Some shops, with an eye to tourism, may accept dollars, but credit cards will certainly be more use.

In Russia, the chances are street traders will prefer anything but roubles, but I wouldn't trust them with a credit card. Official outlets will probably insist on roubles, and I don't think I'd trust them with a credit card either..

We pre bought money for England, Demark and Sweden, and we also had euros for those countries that accept them. We didn't take a lot, maybe $50 worth. Many people suggest that you just hit an ATM when you arrive and get whatever money you feel you might need. We just like to go prepared and didn't want to be burdened looking for an ATM, instead of seeing the sights.

We never used any Rubles as everything from our tour with SPB Tours was included in the price. When we did purchase something, we used US Dollars at one of the street vendors, and we charged a couple of other purchases.

To each his own.

Cheers

Len

Not knowing how much of the local currency's we would need or the kind..we easily changed a small amount at the guest services (RCI) each night before getting into the various ports. This worked out well for us.

In St Petersburg our private guide paid for everything where we needed Rubles and we settled in cash at the end of our 2 day tour.

We are taking a Baltic cruise next year. (Southampton, Copenhagen, Gdansk, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Stockholm, Tallinn and Bruges) How many different currencies do we need to carry on our trip? We will do a pre-cruise in Southampton. So (GBP) and (Euros) for some of the other countries. Any large purchases will be on our credit cards. Will euros be accepted or do we need to get zioty and kroner etc?

Some places in Stockholm might accept Euros but there is no guarantee.

As already said a credit/debit/bank card is widely accepted although as well there might be places that does not accept card payment.

Thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions.

You really do not need any cash, Scandinavia even has parking meters and waiter's trays with card readers. ATMs and any reputable shop in Russia only accepts Rubles, anything else for retail is illegal as it is on most countries because taxes are hard to calculate in foreign currencies. I would not bring Rubles here at all, the exchange rate is in such flux that you will probably lose money when you find that Rubles are weaker when you get here than what any bank would charge. Right now the Ruble is 52 to the dollar so to lock in a good price for a tour be sure to pay now, the Ruble might be a lot stronger next summer. If you pay now, tell the tour operate you want last year's price, in Rubles which should be the same cost for them in Rubles but with same save you 40% or more in dollars.

I strongly advise against depending on getting deals from street vendors. They are not deals at all and when dealing with one, your risk of being hit by pickpockets goes up dramatically, like 3000%. Many of them just want to distract you by talking with you showing you post cards or small items while a second or third has just gotten your wallet and passport so you can't return to the ship and your cruise is over.

Go to shops that Russians go to, not the ultra high cost souvenir.

Most guides, who are independent contractors who work for most companies depending on who calls that day, have commission and kickback deals with the souvenir shops, usually $5 per person just to bring you to that shop and then 10-20% of the purchase price if you buy something.

I was out with a friend who happens to be licensed as a guide but does not work in it any more, walking around taking photos of her and realized I had no cash with me so she suggested we stop by the souvenir shop nearby and she had me act like a tourist. Being a licensed guide she went up the counter and asked for her delivery payment and was paid enough for lunch for the both of us, just for bringing in a tourist. That was 10 years ago and I am sure the payments are much higher now because of the competition between the two companies that own the 200 shops.

If your guide also insists that she take you to a specific cafe for lunch, and she makes excuses for not going someplace you would like, you can be assured 100% she is getting a kickback personally. I have heard them say the restaurant the visitors wanted to go to was unsafe or had bad food to justify going to a worse place with less appealing menu that just happens to pay guides to bring tourists. Decent restaurants, 90% of the 7,000 in the city center are quite good, but they do not depend on tourist, because tourists are only around 4 months of the year. They appeal to locals who are very outgoing and social so spend a lot in restaurants. The good restaurants do not have to bribe guides to bring visitors, they are full with or without visitors being around.

I go to a lot of restaurants since I am not a great cook and must say the food, innovative dishes and quality of service has gotten really good over the last 15 years even in small out of the way cafes. Almost everyone in the city has traveled to Europe and other regions so know and expect a higher level of food quality and preparation than usual visitors care about.

SPBSTAN

Thanks for taking the time to reply to my question. Your comment are very much appreciated. I will keep theme in mind when I visit your city.

Kevin

We are going on a baltic cruise this summer. We will be docking in Copenhagen and Stockholm. We won't be taking any organized tours in these ports. Do we need to get Danish and Sweedish kroner before arriving. I have a Capitol One debit card that works very well in Europe. I would think we could either get native currency thru an ATM or use euros.

Any input will be appreciated. Thank you; Doug

Also, what about Tallin?

Also, what about Tallin?

According to the port guide on the cruise Tallinn uses Euros. Doug