Currency - any need to bring USD?

[cruisecat3]

Hello all:

 

I am doing a Baltic Cruise in a few weeks and have a question about currency. Most of the guides and boards I've consulted say not to bother getting any local currency in advance of your trip, because credit cards are relatively widely accepted, and also, ATM's are a good choice for local currency as the rates are competitive. But I'm wondering if I need some USD as well. The reason I ask is that the CC port synopses often mention that the shuttles into town from the ports are a $5-10 USD. I don't know if this means they actually take USD only or ...?

 

Because I'm Canadian, I wouldn't normally carry any USD on me, so I thought I'd ask. It will be a hassle enough with three kinds of kroner, the euro, the ruble, and the pound sterling, I'm really not keen on adding yet another currency if I don't need to.

 

Anyone know? Thanks in advance!

[Bet & Peg]

We're just home from the July 3rd Baltic Cruise. I checked our daily papers and the prices are listed in Euros and USD. I think the shuttle buses were run by people/company from the country we were in so they took that country's currency. They may also take USD but I'm not sure about that.

 

Have a great trip - hope the heat wave is over when you cruise!!

[cruisecat3]

Thanks Peg! That helps.

 

Yes, I've been watching the weather and was shocked at the temperatures! I'm hoping it cools off to a more amicable temperature ... especially since I understand SPB can be quite humid.

 

Thanks again for your reply!

[Keith1010]

I would bring USA dollars for any cash tips you want to give out on the ship.

 

While I am a big believer in using an ATM card to exchange money, you should also bring cash just in case something goes wrong and your ATM card becomes deactivated.

 

Keith

[hansolosmom]

We just got back from the Baltics - the only "foreign" currency we had were Euro & British pounds & we were fine. I think the only time we used USD's were when we exchanged them for more pounds in Dover. All of the countries took Euro but not necessarily USD. We found in Russia they would take USD, Euro or Rubles.

 

I hope it cools down for you too - they were breaking hundred year old heat records during our trip!

[cruisecat3]

@Keith: That's a good point. I had registered for pre-paid gratuities but you're quite right, USD are handy for tipping. Thanks for the reminder.

 

@Hansolosmom: Thanks for the info. I didn't realize that the Euro was widely accepted in the Baltics (outside of Finland, where I understand it is the official currency). Sounds like I can get away with the fewer currency exchanges than I had anticipated. That's great news.

 

Thank you both for your replies! (fingers crossed that it will cool down soon...)

[Giantfan13]

There is really no need to take US dollars. yes, it's good to have a few dollars in reserve, but that's what debit cards are for. You can hit an ATM almost anytime, anywhere, and get whatever currency you choose.

 

Cheers

 

Len

[arizonaperson]

I am starting off in Copenhagen,going to Stockholm,Helsinki,Oslo,Tallinn, & Gdansk, St. Petersburg.

For local transportation just off the ship and I am not into town yet,where there is a handy ATM.

For those that have experienced this, is it mandatory to use local currency or are credit cards accepted to purchase a ticket for local buses,water boats,subways, etc.?

As far as cafes & shops most take credit cards. I am not concerned with that.

Just trying to see once I get off the ship in the first port, what currency can I use to hop on the local bus or transportation without first having to get to an ATM to use my debit card to get local currency.

[Dayenu]

If you are using the cruise ship shuttles to/from airports, your credit card will be charged for cruise expenses, just added to your statement. No need to bring cash for that. Maybe just as a backup in case your ATM doesn't work?

[arizonaperson]

If you are using the cruise ship shuttles to/from airports, your credit card will be charged for cruise expenses, just added to your statement. No need to bring cash for that. Maybe just as a backup in case your ATM doesn't work?

 

I don't really want to use the ship's transport. I want to do local transportation.(bus,train,tram,etc.) Anyone know the "current" currency accepted by buses,etc for the cities I asked about? Thanks in advance.

[Giantfan13]

If I am not mistaken, most taxi's take credit cards, but not so with local buses. Several cities even require exact change to board.

If it is not too much trouble, I would try and get some local currency before you leave, like from a local bank or money exchange. You will not need a lot, jsut something to get by on until you can find an ATM

 

Cheers

 

Len

[zzandyy]

You will also need local currency to use the restrooms in most of the cities you are going to. We found we took too much USD. Credit cards work most everywhere and we used local currency for transportation. Have a great trip. Sandy

[EOS-User]

I don't really want to use the ship's transport. I want to do local transportation.(bus,train,tram,etc.) Anyone know the "current" currency accepted by buses,etc for the cities I asked about? Thanks in advance.

 

Copenhagen = Danish Kroner

Stockholm = Swedish Kroner

Helsinki (Finland) = €uros

Oslo = Norwegian Kroner

Tallinn = Estonian Kroner

Gdansk (Poland) = €uros

St. Petersburg = Roubles

 

In general no public transport (buses, trams, trains etc.) will accept anything other than local currency, and many require exact change for the trip; and some even require a pre-purchased ticket before boarding... Dependant on how much you'll be using local public transport, you should also review the option of getting 'day passes'...

 

Although it won't be the best rate, if all you need is a few dollars of local currency for public transport; you might as well buy on-board when you've decided what you want to do, and how much you're likely to need... It's always handy anyway to have some local for coffees etc. Not all the small bars will welcome 'currency'...

 

As an aside; unless you're going to the trouble of getting an independant Russian visa; you will be on an organised trip; either the ship's, or an independant operator, so Roubles aren't really a problem. Anything we bought when there, I paid for in US$ and got US$ change... In fact, I had to swap a $1 for some Roubles just as a souvenir !!! ($1 = 30 Roubles!)

 

FWIW; I bought c. $150 worth of local currency for each of our stops; and between transport, coffees & drinks, lunch and small souvenirs the wife wanted etc. we mostly used up all we had... (That covered 4 adults...) The few bits we had left went in the charity bin...

 

Hope that helps...

 

Cheers...

[sentosa25]

We did this cruise on Star Princess in June.

As we were staying for three days before our cruise we got Danish Kroner before we left home although there were ATM's at the airport. We used Kroner to pay for the train journey from the Airport.Going back from the ship to the Airport, we had Kroner left and used those

Locol buses use Kroner, you can use Credit Card in taxis but you must tell the driver first.

All shops etc take cards, but for small things you will need Kroner.Beware Copenhagen is expensive, we had two coffees and two cakes at a small coffee shop and it was £20.

We didnt take any other currency, just used our card.

At every port apart from Gdynia, there were hop- on- hop -off tour buses and they all accepted Euros, Sterling, Dollars and local currencies.

In St Petersberg, some shops will only take Roubles, but again its not a problem to use a card.We used the Metro and you needed Roubles to buy a token.

 

Hope this helps,

Sentosa25

[EOS-User]

At every port apart from Gdynia, there were hop- on- hop -off tour buses and they all accepted Euros, Sterling, Dollars and local currencies.

 

Just to clarify - yes, the 'Hop-on Hop-offs' will take plastic or major foreign-currencies, but they aren't 'public' transport; and all follow a fixed route... If you really want to be 'independant' (as we always do), try & avoid them and go for the local busses, trams & trains... It's always an experience!

[NJ Cruiserman]

Hello all:

 

I am doing a Baltic Cruise in a few weeks and have a question about currency. Most of the guides and boards I've consulted say not to bother getting any local currency in advance of your trip, because credit cards are relatively widely accepted, and also, ATM's are a good choice for local currency as the rates are competitive. But I'm wondering if I need some USD as well. The reason I ask is that the CC port synopses often mention that the shuttles into town from the ports are a $5-10 USD. I don't know if this means they actually take USD only or ...?

 

Because I'm Canadian, I wouldn't normally carry any USD on me, so I thought I'd ask. It will be a hassle enough with three kinds of kroner, the euro, the ruble, and the pound sterling, I'm really not keen on adding yet another currency if I don't need to.

 

Anyone know? Thanks in advance!

If you will be taking any private tours in Russia, they often request payment in $USD, and won't take any bills that are marked, torn or too wrinkled.

 

This was our experience in both Yalta and Odessa, Ukraine.

[bayjoens]

Cruisecat, we just got back from our Star Princess baltic cruise and I posted my notes on a new thread here. We took quite a bit of local currency, just a bit for most countries. We didn't take some for Gdansk because we had the same information that most cafes and gift stores took Euros and USD.

 

Next time, I would take a bit in each currency, more in Euros, because it would have been a lot easier. Gdansk was having a street fair and we wanted to buy a few food and souvenir items from the stalls and it was much more difficult to work out the Zlotsky/Euro/USD stuff. Also it is nice to have the small currency if you want to buy a cup of coffee or a pastry or use a bathroom. This would be especially difficult if you didn't have a guide to translate for you. In St Petersburg, our guide took us to a stall outside the Peterhoff gardens for a local pancakes and we needed rubles to pay.

 

As for USD, we took some and used it for gratuities or at places that took it so we could save our local currency for shops or cafes that didn't.

 

Buses need local currency but we bought transit passes with our credit card in Copenhagen and Gdansk. BTW, the Princess shuttles did not take cabin charges. You had to pay in cash either in local currency or USD.

[bludevil]

I had $25 USD worth of each local currency and I was glad I had it. It came in handy to buy that little something and I think the locals appreciated it. I exchanged for both local currencies and Euros before I left and I never had to worry about looking for an ATM at a market or something.

 

Credit cards were usable in many places, but make sure you get a PIN number before you leave. Thank goodness I read that tidbit on cruise critic. Some of my friends did not and they couldn't use their cards in a few places.

 

Have fun!

[bayjoens]

When we used our credit card, many asked if we had a PIN but we told them that we didn't, it was never a problem and they processed the charge without it. In fact one place asked, "PIN or signature?"