Currency question

[WhiskeyPoet]

My fiancee and I will be going on the NCL Star's Baltic Capitals cruise in July, and I'm trying to figure out what local currencies to attain. Ports of call are Copenhagen, Warnemunde (Berlin), Tallinn, St Petersburg, Helsinki, and Stockholm.

 

Obviously the Ruble will be one of them, but does the Euro cover the others? Is it worth getting the Euro ahead of time if I can get a good rate between now and July?

 

Probably sounds like a pretty dumb question but I've never travelled abroad before, let alone to Europe. Thanks in advance!

[LHT28]

We usually get a small amount of each currency before we go

Copenhagen = Danish Krone

Germany = Euro

Tallin = Euro

SPB= USD/Rubles

Sweden =Swedish Krona

Finland = Euro

[LondonTowner]

We always have some Euros as we are often in the Eurozone. So, on our Baltic cruise didn't change any money. We got by with Euros and CC.

[Nami]

You can use euros only in euro-countries (Helsinki, Tallinn, Berlin). In Stockholm and Copenhagen they don't accept them. And please don't try to pay anything wit US dollars ;)

You can use credit cards almoust everywhere in Scandinavia, so maybe You don't need Danish and Sweedish kroner at all.

[John Bull]

You can use euros only in euro-countries (Helsinki, Tallinn, Berlin). In Stockholm and Copenhagen they don't accept them. And please don't try to pay anything wit US dollars ;)

You can use credit cards almoust everywhere in Scandinavia, so maybe You don't need Danish and Sweedish kroner at all.

 

Euros are certainly accepted in a wide range of tourist-orientated outlets in Stockholm & Copenhagen, though not on public transport other than ho-ho buses & ferries. Nor for most admission fees such as Vasa, but those places do accept plastic.

So, like Londontowner, the OP will get by with euros, though may pay a iittle extra for the privilege.

But the Euro is the king of the foreign currencies and yes, USD or GBP would be very problematic.

Like Number 28, I'd suggest getting as many Swedish & Danish kroner as you know you're going to spend, with plastic & euros as back-up.

 

I'm guessing the OP will be taking a tour in St Petersburg - without a pre-booked tour they'd need expensive & complicated visas. Pre-booked tours through the ship or direct with a local tour operator are visa-free - beware carefully-phrased cruise line literature gives the false impression that only tours booked through the ship are visa-free. Plenty of advice about that on this forum.

Ship-booked tours are charged to your on-board account.

Although pre-booking is essential (the e-mailed tour ticket allows entry through immigration without a visa), local operators don't seek front-money, you pay on the day. They accept plastic and a range of currencies. Since the tours are priced in USD and the OP is American, using USD - whether in plastic or hard-cash - keeps life simple.

Most (all?) tours include entrance fees & meals. Street vendors and the shops visitors are taken to all accept euros, probably USD as well.

So you can survive without roubles.

But drinks aren't included, and most of the restaurants used on tours accept only roubles, no foreign & no cards. So if you want something stronger than water with your lunch, you'll need roubles. We like to have some local currencies in our pockets, so we took enough roubles for the guide's tip. We dug into that money when we needed roubles, and made up the shortfall for the guide in other currency. Worked very well, no left-over roubles & we were even able to help out thirsty fellow-travellers.

 

Can't advise you whether to get currencies ahead or use a debit card in ATMs - we Brits get good exchange rates at home but I get the impression that's not the case in the US of A. Perhaps your fellow-Americans can advise.

 

Some cards have no foreign exchange fees. Again I don't know my stuff for Americans, but it might be worth getting one of those cards - certainly worth getting one if you get hooked on foreign travel.

 

Enjoy your trip, WhiskeyPoet - it's a diverse & interesting itinerary

 

JB :)

Edited January 29, 2014 by John Bull

[WhiskeyPoet]

John Bull, you made my day.

 

Not only did you answer even the subtexts of my original post but you went beyond that. You, sir, rock. Thank you so so much.

 

I particularly love the idea of taking the rubles for tipping and letting the wind blow as it goes. And yes, I'm sure your rates in Britain are far better than ours, lol.

 

I think we're definitely going to be looking into the free exchange rates on the card. I've heard rumors that the USAA card (of which my fiancee is a member) offers that, so I think we'd like to avoid having as much cash as possible (can't lose what you don't hold).

 

Thank you all for you input! Euros, Krones, Rubles, and a good credit card it is!

[movc]

Your magnetic stripe credit card may not be readily accepted in Europe. There is a recent thread if you scroll down.

[milolii]

Your magnetic stripe credit card may not be readily accepted in Europe. There is a recent thread if you scroll down.

 

Yes and isn't the USSA credit union card card the one that does have the chip and pin? That is what I understood from the other thread.

 

OP do not know where u are, but Wells Fargo offers good exchange rate, no fee if you have an account. They usually have £s and €s, might have to order other currencies. We find it helpful to take some local currency. I spent a lot of time and money to get to the country I am visiting. I can exchange money at home on my lunch hour. I don't have time to look for or visit an ATM. To me, that time spend makes the exchange rate very high. Just a thought.

 

 

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[4774Papa]

We did a land tour/river cruise of Russia in 2011 and used ATMs to get Rubles. I am not sure that you need Rubles on excursions to STP. You may be able to use dollars or credit cards to get you by.

If you have a private tour in STP, I suggest emailing your company and asking them if you will need Rubles. We ate in restaurants and used our credit cards (no chips).

[WhiskeyPoet]

Thanks again guys.

 

We don't have a Wells Fargo account, but we do have USAA, so we're leaning towards getting their chip/pin card anyway. That might just be the easiest route. I know with my credit union I can get decent rates, just nothing free, but if we get the card and there's no fees at the ATMs we might just make it our "first stop" at each port.

 

We will definitely be emailing our STP tour group once we know which one we're going with (waiting to find out if anyone in our Roll Call will be willing to join up for a private tour to spread the funds a bit more).

[RJ2002]

We were on the Star for the Baltic Capitals cruise this past year. You are in store for a great experience.

 

I will share our experience on currency. We spent some pre-cruise time in Eurozone countries, and then also had one night pre- and post-cruise in Copenhagen. We did pull Euro's upon arrival at an ATM, and used them occasionally. However, the vast majority of our spend was via credit cards. In Copenhagen, we were able to do everything, including the Metro, on credit cards. We were prepared to ATM krones if needed, but didn't have to. In St Petersburg, we used credit cards for our souvenir purchases, and USD for the tips to our guides (we used SPB Tours).

 

It is really so easy to obtain local currency via ATM's in Europe that, IMO, it is really not necessary to exchange USD for foreign currencies before leaving. However, you should do what you are comfortable with, especially since this is your first trip overseas.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[WhiskeyPoet]

Thanks RJ! We're planning on using SPB as well, I think. At least that's the current lean. We're likely going to be spending one full day before and two days after the cruise in Copenhagen. Any chance you used the City Pass? it seems like a pretty good deal.

[RJ2002]

Thanks RJ! We're planning on using SPB as well, I think. At least that's the current lean. We're likely going to be spending one full day before and two days after the cruise in Copenhagen. Any chance you used the City Pass? it seems like a pretty good deal.

 

No we did not get the City Pass, nor the Copenhagen Card - which includes both transportation and admission to attractions. However, we had been to Copenhagen previously so that influenced our decision.

 

I would recommend you do some research online and "do the math" to see if either one makes sense for your situation. Since you will be in Copenhagen for at least a couple of nights, you won't want to miss going to Tivoli Gardens. It is especially pretty at night.

 

Have fun planning your trip - that is half the fun IMO!

[WhiskeyPoet]

Have fun planning your trip - that is half the fun IMO!

 

Couldn't agree more! Really focusing on three things right now: flights, hotels, StP tour. I think those are the bulk of our non-ship-related expenses. I'm REALLY looking forward to getting into the DIY excursions for the other ports.

 

I think we're definitely going to the Copenhagen Pass at least for one 24 hr period, if not just for the travel. We'll use it to get from the airport to the city (I've read the port is Langelinie..is that correct? Or should I be looking at different areas for hotels? lol.)

[RJ2002]

Couldn't agree more! Really focusing on three things right now: flights, hotels, StP tour. I think those are the bulk of our non-ship-related expenses. I'm REALLY looking forward to getting into the DIY excursions for the other ports.

 

I think we're definitely going to the Copenhagen Pass at least for one 24 hr period, if not just for the travel. We'll use it to get from the airport to the city (I've read the port is Langelinie..is that correct? Or should I be looking at different areas for hotels? lol.)

 

According to what I am seeing on the Copenhagen port website, the Star is using Oceankaj c330. There is a note on another website that this pier is further out than the other piers. I am not the expert, so perhaps you should also post on the other big thread ("Wonderful Copenhagen") that the gentlemen from Copenhagen maintains. I am not sure if there is a train that runs out to the pier you will be at.

 

With all that said, I don't know that I'd necessarily stay at a hotel near your pier. It is much more enjoyable to stay in the city center where you can easily walk to many attractions and restaurants. You can then take the train or a cab over to the pier when you embark, and the same when you return.

 

http://www.cmport.com/ships-in-port/cruise-ships/cruise-list-2014

 

We did DIY for all the ports except St Petersburg and Warnemunde. In Warnemunde, we'd been to Berlin before so we decided on SPB's Rostock/Schwerin day tour. It was very enjoyable.

Edited January 31, 2014 by RJ2002

[squadron]

We did a land tour/river cruise of Russia in 2011 and used ATMs to get Rubles. I am not sure that you need Rubles on excursions to STP. You may be able to use dollars or credit cards to get you by.

If you have a private tour in STP, I suggest emailing your company and asking them if you will need Rubles. We ate in restaurants and used our credit cards (no chips).

 

Are there ATMs in SPB in docking area(before customs?) and if so how many rubles is the minimum amt you can take out and would this be enough for drinks with lunch and maybe a trinket or two? To be more precise what is the average price of a beer for lunch or a soft drink on excursion?

[4774Papa]

Are there ATMs in SPB in docking area(before customs?) and if so how many rubles is the minimum amt you can take out and would this be enough for drinks with lunch and maybe a trinket or two? To be more precise what is the average price of a beer for lunch or a soft drink on excursion?

We were in SPB on a Vantage tour and stayed in hotels, so we never came through the cruise dock area. There was an ATM at our hotel. We saw other ATMs around the city, as well as money changing offices (where you could change dollars).

 

I would suggest that if you go on a private tour, ask your guide where to find an ATM. On ship's tour perhaps they can help as well.

 

 

I do remember our group going to a large shopping area that seemed to be designed for tourists and ATMs were there.

[dogs4fun]

Are there ATMs in SPB in docking area(before customs?) and if so how many rubles is the minimum amt you can take out and would this be enough for drinks with lunch and maybe a trinket or two? To be more precise what is the average price of a beer for lunch or a soft drink on excursion?

If you are docking at the Marine Façade (where the large cruise ships dock) there are ATMs where you can exchange to rubles. This is after you have cleared immigration, inside the terminal building. Sorry, but I don't have a clue as to the minimum withdrawal.

[NYCcruiser65]

Hi - this is a particularly helpful thread as I am also going on a NCL Baltic cruise in September 2014. Thanks for all of the tips!

 

Just curious how people have paid for cabs from the airport to their hotel in Copenhagen…. Do I need Danish Krone for that?

[LHT28]

Hi - this is a particularly helpful thread as I am also going on a NCL Baltic cruise in September 2014. Thanks for all of the tips!

 

Just curious how people have paid for cabs from the airport to their hotel in Copenhagen…. Do I need Danish Krone for that?

 

They do take credit cards

[yenta]

Do you need the chip for the taxi's??

[LHT28]

Do you need the chip for the taxi's??

 

I do not know if it is required ours have a chip so never gave it much thought

 

You could probably get cash at the airport if you cannot get any DKK before you leave home

 

Lyn