Multiple countries money currency question

[Bonhomme1]

We are booked for our first ever cruise in August 2018. We will be doing the Scandinavia and Russia cruise on the Regal Princess. In all the countries that we will be visiting the currency is different. We will be leaving from Berlin where it is the EURO as it is in Estonia. However, the currency is different for Russia, Finland, Sweden and so forth. Other than in St-Petersburg, Russia where we have taken the cruise line excursion, we will be visiting the different cities on our own. To those of you who have done this cruise before, do you bring the country's currency with you. If I visit a museum or eat in a restaurant, I will pay with my credit card. I am asking the question more for if I take a city bus, tram, or taxi or even if I just want to buy a coffee or bottle of water. Should I have that currency on me or do they accept the EURO?

 

As it is many different countries, I feel that it is a lot of different currencies to have to get. I've heard that they will accept the EURO but am having a hard time believing this.

 

Thanks to all who will take the time to answer.

[eclue]

You can use a credit card for almost everything in the Scandinavian countries - have some euros as that will be your main currency....In Russia, for private excursions, can use a credit card or pay in US dollars.....can always get currency of the local country from an ATM in small amounts as needed.

eclue:cool:

[paul929207]

You can use a credit card for almost everything in the Scandinavian countries - have some euros as that will be your main currency....In Russia, for private excursions, can use a credit card or pay in US dollars.....can always get currency of the local country from an ATM in small amounts as needed.

eclue:cool:

In Scandinavia, you will need a 4 digit pin to use a credit card.

[san diego sue]

August we were in Sweden,Norway, and used our credit card. Didn't need a pin. No problem in Iceland either.

[FritzG]

We sailed this itinerary in 2016, and we took currency for each country. We don't always feel comfortable using a credit card especially with street vendors so we like to carry some cash. Our local bank had all of the currencies we needed except for rubles which we got from AAA. We had quite a pile of cash, and we were glad to get onboard the ship where we could stash it in the safe. Our main credit cards don't have pin numbers except for cash advances, so we felt more comfortable carrying cash in case our card was not accepted.

[cr8tiv1]

Did this voyage a long time ago, but technology was the same. I would go to an ATM and cash out x number of currency for the day. My bank did not charge a conversion fee. When the voyage was over, I left all of the "extra" currency with my room steward (his additional tip). I was able to judge pretty well and there wasn't much left over.

 

But...It allowed the crew to use local currency when they were able to get off the ship. They may not make each port on each voyage. I understand they sometimes work it so that they get the port every other/third visit.

 

I did charge as often as I could. Really didn't buy very much. I always carried some American Dollars for small vendor purchases. Not sure they are welcomed anymore.

[flcruiser3]

You can get an debit card from a bank that doesn’t charge conversion or ATM fees and reimburses you fees from other banks for withdrawals. I have both Schwab and Capital One 360. I never pay any fees when I travel abroad and I always use them to withdrawal local currency.

 

 

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[redrightreturning]

We are booked for our first ever cruise in August 2018. We will be doing the Scandinavia and Russia cruise on the Regal Princess. In all the countries that we will be visiting the currency is different. We will be leaving from Berlin where it is the EURO as it is in Estonia. However, the currency is different for Russia, Finland, Sweden and so forth. Other than in St-Petersburg, Russia where we have taken the cruise line excursion, we will be visiting the different cities on our own. To those of you who have done this cruise before, do you bring the country's currency with you. If I visit a museum or eat in a restaurant, I will pay with my credit card. I am asking the question more for if I take a city bus, tram, or taxi or even if I just want to buy a coffee or bottle of water. Should I have that currency on me or do they accept the EURO?

 

 

 

As it is many different countries, I feel that it is a lot of different currencies to have to get. I've heard that they will accept the EURO but am having a hard time believing this.

 

 

 

Thanks to all who will take the time to answer.

 

 

 

Finland is Euro

 

 

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[susancruzs]

I did this cruise in 2016 and did not take various currencies with me. I did take Euros, because several countries on this itinerary use Euros. I did not need a pin # to use my credit card. Scandinavia countries use their credit cards for everything, even small amounts, a cup of coffee, bottle of water, etc.!

 

It is a matter of preference but for me too much of a bother to deal with different currencies of several countries for a short visit.

[Micahs Grandad]

When we did this last July we had a number of private tours who we either had to pay in advance or pay in local currency.

 

Ordered various currencies thru our local bank and still have some leftovers which we hope to use somewhere along the line.

[LeeW]

Most places will take dollars, euros or pounds. The Princess excursion in St Petersburg goes to an "official" store where everything was priced in those, plus could use credit card. Museums like Hermitage are the same. Even the street vendors took dollars, although they need to be in good condition.

 

We did get currency for Norway, Netherlands and Sweden but really didn't need it. Euros worked everywhere.

[FritzG]

Most places will take dollars, euros or pounds. The Princess excursion in St Petersburg goes to an "official" store where everything was priced in those, plus could use credit card. Museums like Hermitage are the same. Even the street vendors took dollars, although they need to be in good condition.

 

We did get currency for Norway, Netherlands and Sweden but really didn't need it. Euros worked everywhere.

 

That is true, but the exchange rate is not good. We were able to get all of the currencies we needed so it was easy to do. We’d rather carry the local currency than spend port time finding an atm.

[majortom10]

Most places will take dollars, euros or pounds. The Princess excursion in St Petersburg goes to an "official" store where everything was priced in those, plus could use credit card. Museums like Hermitage are the same. Even the street vendors took dollars, although they need to be in good condition.

 

We did get currency for Norway, Netherlands and Sweden but really didn't need it. Euros worked everywhere.

 

The Netherlands currencuy is the Euro anyway so you wouldnt have had a problem.

[Globehoppers]

In Russia it is illegal to use foreign currency to purchase goods and services. With the current atmosphere, be very circumspect using anything except officially obtained Roubles.

[caribill]

In Russia it is illegal to use foreign currency to purchase goods and services. With the current atmosphere, be very circumspect using anything except officially obtained Roubles.

 

In one Russian port the street vendors near the pier only accepted US $. Not only did they not accept rubles, they did not have any to give as change.

[Globehoppers]

In one Russian port the street vendors near the pier only accepted US $. Not only did they not accept rubles, they did not have any to give as change.

 

You will always locals willing to do that. The "illegal" street markets in Moscow accepted foreign currency in the early 1990s for some of the antiquities they were selling. In today's confrontational environment (murder of the expat in UK and diplomatic expulsions), being arrested for using something other than Rubles is something you really don't want to experience. Its breaking Russia law and there will be little the embassy can do to help. Plus, some of those "vendors" are likely security people themselves.

[Expat Cruise]

US Dollars or Euros and then use your ATM Card to withdraw local currency in the ports, a few hundred value ($US). Spend what you need go to the next port and exchange out if need to that currency or ATM again. I use no less than six currencies here in Asia a year, using this system and never had a problem. Always have emergency back up funds just in case (Dollars or Euros) But only a couple of issues in 20 years.

 

One important thing inform your bank and credit cars what counties you will be in and have the security fraud department phone numbers in case your card is flagged and blocked. It is really a bad feeling to put your card in a ATM airport machine, have thousands in your account and to see cannot process this transaction.

[Globehoppers]

You will always locals willing to do that. The "illegal" street markets in Moscow accepted foreign currency in the early 1990s for some of the antiquities they were selling. In today's confrontational environment (murder of the expat in UK and diplomatic expulsions), being arrested for using something other than Rubles is something you really don't want to experience. Its breaking Russia law and there will be little the embassy can do to help. Plus, some of those "vendors" are likely security people themselves.

 

Just to reinforce, its also illegal to exchange foreign currency for Rubles on the "street." Only official exchange is legal. Visiting a Warsaw Pact country in 1987 I was approached in a park with an offer, in English, to exchange local currency for USD. I responded in French, saying "no." Ten minutes later I was approached by a different individual who also wanted to change currency, this time speaking French!

[Hlitner]

Sometimes when I read this type of thread I wonder if a few of the posters have recently been to these countries...or at least the same countries that we recently visited :). Our most recent Baltic cruise was about 18 months ago so perhaps we are also out of date :).

 

So here is how we handle this type of itinerary. We always carry some Euros when anywhere in Europe (we get them out of an ATM using 1 of our debit cards that has no fees). As to St Petersburg, we simply booked a private tour (with TJ Tours) which was paid (the 2nd day of our 2 day tour) in US Dollars or a major credit card (your tour company will tell you how they want to be paid....when you book). We had lunch in downtown St Petersburg (at a nice cafe on Nevsky Prospekt) which was paid for with one of our major credit cards (nearly all the restaurants in STP accept MC and Visa). For shopping, all the stores we visited would accept MC, Visa or US Dollars...so we never needed any Rubles.

 

Finland and Sweden are both working hard to eliminate most cash from their culture. Just about everyone uses MC or Visa for everything...even if its buying a cup of coffee at Starbucks :). One day we walked into a musuem in Stockholm and were shocked to find that the lockers (where DW had to lock her purse) would only work with a Sweedish coin. We went to the visitor desk to get change and they simply handed us a coin (and asked that we return it) which was needed to activate the lock (you get the coin back when you later open the locker). The Guest Relations person laughed and told us even the locals seldom carried coins. You might consider that DW and I are very independent travelers and do not use tours outside of Russia. But we still found little use for local currency outside of Norway.

 

The one country where we have found some need for local currency is Norway....and we use local ATMs to get some Kroner.

 

Hank