Alla is no longer accepting payment in dollars

[dogs4fun]

I've heard from Alla as well. My Chase card will not guarantee that the payment will be accepted even though I told them I would be in Russia, so that card is out. My bank card has already been compromised by someone that was using it for taxi's in Russia so I got a new card a year or so ago. I'm not real sure my bank will be pleased either. My only other option is to cancel through Alla and rebook through Viator where you pay online ahead of time. I'm leaning more towards that.

Well, I would contact Alla first - a previous post by Trixie21 said that SPB tours offered an exception in her case. I am certain that if it is legal for SPB to offer an exception then it is legal for all companies to offer the exception. If it is not legal to offer an exception, I am certain that Alla can provide instructions for you to make payment for your tour prior to embarking on your cruise - same as paying via Viator.

 

No credit card will guarantee that payment will be accepted. That is why I always carry a back up.

 

TJ Travel will take payment online ahead of time. I wouldn't be that OCD though and pay ahead of time.

same here

[jiminyC_fan]

Well, I would contact Alla first - a previous post by Trixie21 said that SPB tours offered an exception in her case. I am certain that if it is legal for SPB to offer an exception then it is legal for all companies to offer the exception. If it is not legal to offer an exception, I am certain that Alla can provide instructions for you to make payment for your tour prior to embarking on your cruise - same as paying via Viator.

 

 

same here

 

Actually, I contacted them yesterday and waiting for a response.

[Trixie21]

I've heard from Alla as well. My Chase card will not guarantee that the payment will be accepted even though I told them I would be in Russia, so that card is out. My bank card has already been compromised by someone that was using it for taxi's in Russia so I got a new card a year or so ago. I'm not real sure my bank will be pleased either. My only other option is to cancel through Alla and rebook through Viator where you pay online ahead of time. I'm leaning more towards that.

 

 

Just to let you know that SPB now offer the facility to pay online ahead of time And the transaction will be processed in US Dollars. If paying by card in Russia the transaction will be processed in roubles.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[jiminyC_fan]

Just to let you know that SPB now offer the facility to pay online ahead of time And the transaction will be processed in US Dollars. If paying by card in Russia the transaction will be processed in roubles.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

Thank you. I know Alla is now working on the same thing.

[TravelingAPor]

Do you really want to pay in full ahead of your SPB tour? If there is a problem with US & Russian relations, NCL can skip the port. Just saying....

[jiminyC_fan]

Good question. Will have to look into their cancellation policy.

[janmcn]

Have just talked with Chase about my Chase Sapphire card and there SHOULD be NO problem in Russia using it...they didn't see any warnings about any use there. So, I plan to pay Alla with my cc. It sounds like cash (dollars, euros, etc.) should be OK for tips.

[Tiger Cruiser]

Just got an e-mail from TJ Travel in regard to our upcoming St. Petersburg tour later in May.....

Dear Friends,

 

We would like to inform you about the change in the payment procedure. We are no longer able to accept payment in foreign cash (US dollars, Canadian dollars, Euros, GBP etc) other than cash in Rubles.

 

We apologize for this late notice, however, we will do our best to make the payment process for you as easier as possible. If you have already prepared some cash for your payment, your guide will help you to exchange it into Rubles according to the best exchange rate available in St. Petersburg on the day of payment. If you would like, you can certainly exchange your foreign currency on board the ship or at home, but the exchange rate might be not so favourable. So please do not worry, we will help you to exchange the money here in St. Petersburg.

 

We would like to remind you that credit card payment is also available and from now on we accept not only VISA and MASTER CARD but also AMERICAN EXPRESS (AMEX)

 

To summarize, there are three methods of payment

 

 

1. You pay us in Rubles in St. Peterburg upon your arrival (either on the second or the third day of your tour). If you bring foreign cash with you, this is absolutely okay! Your guide will help you to exchange your money on the spot.
   
   
2. You are welcome to pay by Credit Card. We accept VISA, MASTER CARD and AMEX. .If you decide to pay by credit card the amount for the tour will be charged in rubles according to the exchange rate of our Central bank on the day of payment. No transaction fee is taken. Debit cards are accepted as well.
    
   
   
3. You can make an advanced payment through our website. Please, contact us for more details.
   
   

Please, note that tips can be given to your guide/driver in either currency (US dollars, Euro, Rubles etc) and are not mandatory.

We are sorry for any inconvenience caused and hope for your understanding.

Warm Regards,

 

TJ Travel Team

[mara93]

We're touring with Alla in Jun & have yet to receive an email. I'll have to shoot them an email, I told everyone in my group we could pay cash.

[jiminyC_fan]

Latinhunny, Alla is working on an online payment system and perhaps it is planned to be up and running by then.

 

Ok, I called two banks. Both have it on record that we are traveling. Both said that Russia will NOT be a problem. I was told differently in the beginning when I notified them of our travels. Chase has an international number on the backside of their card. They said to call it if there is a problem that arises. Stopped at the bank. We can get Rubles but if we end up not going to Russia for whatever reason they can't buy them back from us so we would have to take that as a loss. Too much money to gamble for us.

[LondonTowner]

I am sure when we did a tour with Alla a couple of years ago we paid in roubles on our CC. As we have a couple with no foreign transaction fees there wasn't a problem.

[edenrayne]

Good question. Will have to look into their cancellation policy.

 

 

I booked with Viator and their policy is: If the ship does not come into port for any reason you will be refunded

the cost of your tour.

[LadyShiva]

Where are you people actually getting rubles? Most currency exchanges have stopped carrying them.

[LondonTowner]

I booked with Viator and their policy is: If the ship does not come into port for any reason you will be refunded

the cost of your tour.

Viatour don't operate any tours. They are a third party reseller. When we went with Alla we didn't pay until the second day, anyway.

[LondonTowner]

Where are you people actually getting rubles? Most currency exchanges have stopped carrying them.

We didn't get ny roubles and didn't need them.

[cruisinwmom]

I received the same notication today from TJ Tours that was posted above.

[oa47]

We didn't get ny roubles and didn't need them.

 

We bought ours online from John Lewis currency two weeks ago.

[Travelanni]

We bought ours online from John Lewis currency two weeks ago.

 

I have been following this thread with interest and wonder if someone could please explain to me why people carry large amounts of foreign cash, often obtained at very poor exchange rates, from their own country to destinations overseas when payment can be made with a credit card just about everywhere for anything.

I have been travelling the world (44 countries at the last count) for the past 27 years with 3 'holiday' credit cards carried in different locations in my luggage, one of which is left on the ship or in the hotel when I go out, and one debit card for use in ATMs to obtain small amounts of cash in each country I visit. To save the hassle of changing numbers etc. if a card must be cancelled for any reason I have a 'home' card for everyday business and it is left at home when I travel.

This method has served me well. I always have a small amount of local cash for ticket machines, toilets etc. and have never had a problem with card acceptance. The only time I have had my details stolen and the card mis-used to the tune of several hundred dollars was in the USA of all places. This was picked up by the bank, my card cancelled and, of course, the bank took the loss. Due to my method of different 'holiday' and 'home' cards I did not have to inform anyone of number changes.

I would have thought that carrying large amounts of cash does not make for a stress-free holiday. I know it would stress me right out! If your cash is lost or stolen you have no redress, the loss is yours. Even if you have insurance you would probably have to prove that you were not careless. With cards the responsibility for loss of money through mis-use of the card is taken entirely by the bank who often pick up the problem before you do. (Which is why you should inform the bank if you, personally, will be using your card overseas.)

So I am curious to know what are the advantages of taking foreign cash from home instead of using a credit card? I am always willing to learn if there is a better way to do things.

I can see the point of the Russian authorities insisting that cash payments are made in their own currency. This is the stance taken by most developed countries (eg. UK, USA, Australia, European Union) and we would never think to question it. Personally, I think it is impolite for visitors to any country to expect local vendors to take currency other than their own. When in Rome.etc........

Happy cruising :)

Anni

[dogs4fun]

I have been following this thread with interest and wonder if someone could please explain to me why people carry large amounts of foreign cash, often obtained at very poor exchange rates, from their own country to destinations overseas when payment can be made with a credit card just about everywhere for anything.

I have been travelling the world (44 countries at the last count) for the past 27 years with 3 'holiday' credit cards carried in different locations in my luggage, one of which is left on the ship or in the hotel when I go out, and one debit card for use in ATMs to obtain small amounts of cash in each country I visit. To save the hassle of changing numbers etc. if a card must be cancelled for any reason I have a 'home' card for everyday business and it is left at home when I travel.

This method has served me well. I always have a small amount of local cash for ticket machines, toilets etc. and have never had a problem with card acceptance. The only time I have had my details stolen and the card mis-used to the tune of several hundred dollars was in the USA of all places. This was picked up by the bank, my card cancelled and, of course, the bank took the loss. Due to my method of different 'holiday' and 'home' cards I did not have to inform anyone of number changes.

I would have thought that carrying large amounts of cash does not make for a stress-free holiday. I know it would stress me right out! If your cash is lost or stolen you have no redress, the loss is yours. Even if you have insurance you would probably have to prove that you were not careless. With cards the responsibility for loss of money through mis-use of the card is taken entirely by the bank who often pick up the problem before you do. (Which is why you should inform the bank if you, personally, will be using your card overseas.)

So I am curious to know what are the advantages of taking foreign cash from home instead of using a credit card? I am always willing to learn if there is a better way to do things.

I can see the point of the Russian authorities insisting that cash payments are made in their own currency. This is the stance taken by most developed countries (eg. UK, USA, Australia, European Union) and we would never think to question it. Personally, I think it is impolite for visitors to any country to expect local vendors to take currency other than their own. When in Rome.etc........

Happy cruising :)

Anni

Bravo, Anni - well said!

[Tatka]

I don't think it is about respect or disrespect. Russian people will gladly take dollar (pretty stable currency). Ask me how I know. However it looks like at this moment government is trying to control laws more rigorously.

[LondonTowner]

Travelanni

 

I totally agree with you. We travel very often to the Eurozone, so always have Euros, but we only ever take €200-300 in cash maximum, but sometimes a lot less. We pay for almost everything with credit card these days.

 

In fact, in many European countries days you can't pay for public transport with cash. In London you can use contactless cards or a pre paid card.

 

We have CCs with no foreign transaction charges and tend only to use them abroad. It always works well for us.

[Pet Nit Noy]

I have been following this thread with interest and wonder if someone could please explain to me why people carry large amounts of foreign cash, often obtained at very poor exchange rates, from their own country to destinations overseas when payment can be made with a credit card just about everywhere for anything. ...

So I am curious to know what are the advantages of taking foreign cash from home instead of using a credit card?

 

As far as I'm concerned there are no advantages to converting USD to foreign currency at home and bringing it to the country you're visiting.

 

Until the most recent alerts from the St Petersburg tour companies, paying for tours in USD was unique situation. In that singular situation, there were very real reasons to carry large amounts of cash.

 

1. The St Petersburg tour companies did not provide a way of paying via credit card. No philosophical debates necessary; we simply weren't offered the opportunity to charge our tours.

 

2. Until mere days ago, for reasons not shared with their clients, the Russian tour companies were willing to deal with thousands of UDS cash daily. Visitors from the US did not have to ask/plead/wheedle/cajole St Petersburg tour companies to accept USD. The companies made a decision that is the way they would do business and they put that information on their web sites for everyone to see.

 

As an aside, despite the fact that St. Petersburg tour companies dealt in dollars, we all made visits to the bank anyway. It wasn't to convert USD to rubles. We were all getting crisp, uncirculated/lightly circulated USD to pay for our tours.

 

I can see the point of the Russian authorities insisting that cash payments are made in their own currency. This is the stance taken by most developed countries (eg. UK, USA, Australia, European Union) and we would never think to question it. Personally, I think it is impolite for visitors to any country to expect local vendors to take currency other than their own. When in Rome.etc...

 

There's not a cruiser on this board who paid in USD to be rude; until recently that was the way business was done. Visiting St. Petersburg, the "when in Rome" concept meant paying in USD and that even applied to visitors from places other than the US. (There's a post on this thread about a UK cruiser who pro-actively converted GBP to USD and is now dealing with a changed financial landscape!)

Edited May 2, 2017 by Pet Nit Noy

[dogs4fun]

As far as I'm concerned there are no advantages to converting USD to foreign currency at home and bringing it to the country you're visiting.

 

Until the most recent alerts from the St Petersburg tour companies, paying for tours in USD was unique situation. In that singular situation, there were very real reasons to carry large amounts of cash.

 

1. The St Petersburg tour companies did not provide a way of paying via credit card. No philosophical debates necessary; we simply weren't offered the opportunity to charge our tours.

 

2. Until mere days ago, for reasons not shared with their clients, the Russian tour companies were willing to deal with thousands of UDS cash daily. Visitors from the US did not have to ask/plead/wheedle/cajole St Petersburg tour companies to accept USD. The companies made a decision that is the way they would do business and they put that information on their web sites for everyone to see.

 

Well, not quite correct.

I cannot speak to your experience with the specific tour company with whom you toured but I know from my own personal experience that what you state does not hold true for Alla Tours. With Alla, you previously had the choice of payment via credit card or payment via cash (rubles, USD, Euros, GB Pounds). Alla has been accepting credit card payments since my first visit to St. Petersburg back in 2011. I paid with my Visa in 2011 and it was cheerfully accepted - no added fees as my card does not carry a foreign transaction fee. I have been returning to St. Petersburg each year since 2011 and, each time, my credit card has been accepted by Alla. So, credit cards have always been accepted and it is my understanding from my correspondence with my Alla booking specialist, Anna, that the majority of cruise passengers have always opted to pay via credit card (everyone in my group paid via card).

What has changed is the option to pay via cash in currencies other than the Russian national currency - this is no longer available.

[sysy007]

I am travelling to St. Petersburg in May and was just notified by Alla that they will no longer be accepting payment in dollars and that they will only accept rubles or charge rubles to your credit card. I have posted their message below.

 

Are the other Russian tour services implementing this policy as well?

 

"Starting this tourist season, we have to make some changes to our payment policy. Due to some changes in the foreign exchange control and regulation, we can no longer accept payment in foreign cash (USD, EUR, GBP etc.) here in St. Petersburg.

 

We understand this change in payment procedure may cause some inconvenience for you, however, this is beyond our control and we ask for your understanding.

 

To make payment easier for you, we are working on a new payment option, ONLINE PAYMENT, that will be available in our message system within few weeks.

 

Meanwhile, you are welcome to pay with a CREDIT CARD (Visa or Master Card) upon your arrival to St. Petersburg.

Please note that your total will be charged in RUSSIAN RUBLES. Alla Tours does not charge any fees for paying with credit card - these fees are imposed by Visa/MasterCard Europe and/or your bank.

We recommend you to call your bank and notify them that your card will be charged from Russia. This will help to guarantee a successful transaction with no delay.

 

Those of you, who will be arriving soon and who are planning on paying with cash, are welcome to pay in RUSSIAN RUBLES upon your arrival. Please note that the exact price in Rubles will depend on the exchange rate set by the Russian State Central Bank for the day of the payment.

Here are the ways to purchase Russian rubles:

1. You can order Russian rubles at your home bank. This way you will get a good exchange rate and, more importantly, you will not spend your time searching for ATM machines in order to get the local currency upon your arrival in St Petersburg. The last won’t be too complicated but will help to use your time for sightseeing only.

2. You will be able to exchange US Dollars to Rubles onboard your ship. However, they will have the least favorable exchange rate.

3. You can use ATM machines in the port and on your tour route. So you will definitely have a chance to get some rubles if needed.

 

We are sorry for any inconvenience caused and hope on your understanding.

 

Please feel free to contact us if you have question or concerns. We will be happy to help. "

 

May be there is a knock off Alla tour company. I booked with www.alla-tour.com for June. I don't believe the above info.

[Bostonjetset]

I have been following this thread with interest and wonder if someone could please explain to me why people carry large amounts of foreign cash, often obtained at very poor exchange rates, from their own country to destinations overseas when payment can be made with a credit card just about everywhere for anything.

I have been travelling the world (44 countries at the last count) for the past 27 years with 3 'holiday' credit cards carried in different locations in my luggage, one of which is left on the ship or in the hotel when I go out, and one debit card for use in ATMs to obtain small amounts of cash in each country I visit. To save the hassle of changing numbers etc. if a card must be cancelled for any reason I have a 'home' card for everyday business and it is left at home when I travel.

This method has served me well. I always have a small amount of local cash for ticket machines, toilets etc. and have never had a problem with card acceptance. The only time I have had my details stolen and the card mis-used to the tune of several hundred dollars was in the USA of all places. This was picked up by the bank, my card cancelled and, of course, the bank took the loss. Due to my method of different 'holiday' and 'home' cards I did not have to inform anyone of number changes.

I would have thought that carrying large amounts of cash does not make for a stress-free holiday. I know it would stress me right out! If your cash is lost or stolen you have no redress, the loss is yours. Even if you have insurance you would probably have to prove that you were not careless. With cards the responsibility for loss of money through mis-use of the card is taken entirely by the bank who often pick up the problem before you do. (Which is why you should inform the bank if you, personally, will be using your card overseas.)

So I am curious to know what are the advantages of taking foreign cash from home instead of using a credit card? I am always willing to learn if there is a better way to do things.

I can see the point of the Russian authorities insisting that cash payments are made in their own currency. This is the stance taken by most developed countries (eg. UK, USA, Australia, European Union) and we would never think to question it. Personally, I think it is impolite for visitors to any country to expect local vendors to take currency other than their own. When in Rome.etc........

Happy cruising :)

Anni

 

 

Well, not quite correct.

I cannot speak to your experience with the specific tour company with whom you toured but I know from my own personal experience that what you state does not hold true for Alla Tours. With Alla, you previously had the choice of payment via credit card or payment via cash (rubles, USD, Euros, GB Pounds). Alla has been accepting credit card payments since my first visit to St. Petersburg back in 2011. I paid with my Visa in 2011 and it was cheerfully accepted - no added fees as my card does not carry a foreign transaction fee. I have been returning to St. Petersburg each year since 2011 and, each time, my credit card has been accepted by Alla. So, credit cards have always been accepted and it is my understanding from my correspondence with my Alla booking specialist, Anna, that the majority of cruise passengers have always opted to pay via credit card (everyone in my group paid via card).

What has changed is the option to pay via cash in currencies other than the Russian national currency - this is no longer available.

 

As PetNitNoy stated, I don't think anyone was trying to use their home currency to be rude. Rather, this was the encouraged form of payment by the tour companies in St. Petersburg. I also try to use credit cards whenever possible when traveling [along with obtaining some local cash via an ATM from where ever I am visiting] but St Petersburg is a unique situation. All of the tours are priced in USD and that was touted as a method of accepted payments. We are booked with Alla and it seems up until recently they preferred USD [in crisp, like-new notes]. They did offer us to pay via credit card though only once upon arrival in Russia [not in advance] but they stated several times on their website and via emails that the cost may be different from the quoted price if we choose to pay via credit card due to daily exchange differences. They made a point to mention that if you want to be certain of paying the exact amount quoted for the tour than you should plan on paying in USD cash upon arrival. Perhaps using a credit card will result in a small savings for us [as we have no foreign trans fees] or perhaps we will end up paying more due to the exchange rate on the day we are there? Who knows.