Cruise West Russia- Rubles?

[tsd1]

Has anyone cruised to Russia on any cruise ship? I understand using dollars is supposes to be illegal. How do you get rubles?

Sheila

[Rossie]

Has anyone cruised to Russia on any cruise ship? I understand using dollars is supposes to be illegal. How do you get rubles?

Sheila

 

Sheila

We were there last year with Cruise West. A nice young lady from one of the local banks came on board and changed dollars into roubles. Prior to sailing she changed your left-over roubles back into dollars at a rate which meant a loss to you of about 50%. We just changed a small amount and spent it all.

(The scenery was spectacular though).

 

Rossie.

[tsd1]

Thanks so much for the information Rossie! Are there many shops to buy things? We are so looking forward to the cruise. We're doing the southbound route.

[Rossie]

Thanks so much for the information Rossie! Are there many shops to buy things? We are so looking forward to the cruise. We're doing the southbound route.

 

Sheila

 

When you say you're doing the southbound route I take it that that means you are on the Bering Sea cruise. We were on the Ring of Fire - Alaska to Japan. Our port of call in Russia was Petropavlovsk. On the Bering Sea cruise you go to Provideniya which is a smaller town by far. My comment about the lady from the bank may not apply there. Even in Petropavlovsk we didn't get a chance to see many shops, we did get a short time in the local market which had some locally made souvenirs; most of the time was spent on a guided tour of the town and surroundings.

 

Sorry I can't help any further. Hope that you enjoy your trip as much as we did ours.

 

Rossie

[tsd1]

Thanks, Rossie. From what I've read about Provideniya you are correct, mostly just a tour of the abandon cold war barracks and some cultural displays and shows by the residents, which is fine with us.

 

Can you tell me any more about the Spirit of Oceanus? Food? Toiletries? Stabilizers? ;)

[zogrand]

We were in Russia for 2 weeks in September. We brought dollars with us and got about $320 in rubles at the ATM in the airport. We never needed any other money. Most small shops took dollars and larger ones took credit cards. Even though we brought enough dollars to give tips on the boat, we ended up using left over rubles instead so we never had to worry about changing money back. Individuals seem very happy to have American dollars. We were told to bring newer bills in good condition and I tried to do that but no one seemed to examine my money too closely. One guide did ask us to change all the one's she received from individuals into larger bills. She said it costs her more to change a bunch of one's than one twenty.

[Rossie]

Thanks, Rossie. From what I've read about Provideniya you are correct, mostly just a tour of the abandon cold war barracks and some cultural displays and shows by the residents, which is fine with us.

 

Can you tell me any more about the Spirit of Oceanus? Food? Toiletries? Stabilizers? ;)

 

Hi again Sheila

 

We found the food on board to be of excellent quality. There was a choice of at least two dishes per course at lunch and dinner, plus a vegetarian dish and salad. Breakfast was available as a served meal in the dining room, or as an early buffet on the deck; a nice option if the weather is good. The meals are served at one sitting, and there is open seating so that you don't sit with the same people at every meal unless you specifically request to do so.

 

Toiletries supplied were what you find in the average decent hotel - shampoo, shower gel, moisturiser, tissues, bath-robes.

 

The Spirit of Oceanus is a small ship and does have stabilizers but it will move about in heavy seas. We encountered some rough seas for a couple of days in the north Pacific which resulted in us having to have sandwiches for dinner on two occasions. The Bering sea in summer shouldn't be too bad though (hopefully!).

 

Enjoy your trip, you will be going to places that few tourists get to see, and seeing some amazing wildlife. The sea otters are a sight that I will never forget.

 

We will be going with Cruise West again in December to Costa Rica/ Panama, and hope to sail on the Oceanus again in 2009 in the south Pacific.

 

Rossie.