Question for past Baltic cruisers

[Billybob7]

when purchasing small items in the local markets or kiosks, what kind of currency was accepted for these purchases? Could you use a credit card or American dollars? For example, if we want to buy a knick knack on the street in St. Petersburg, do we need Rubles or will they take U.S. Dollars or a credit card?

Thank you.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

You need local currency.

We went in 2010 off the Disney a magic and we are going again at the end of July.

Russia you need their local currency the ruble for small purchases as you say. You can get these in advance but you cannot take currency back out of Russia bar a small sum.

The big tourist places such as the Hermitage will take Euros and cards but apart from that for snacks, soda post cards have local currency. It is quite cheap there.

Tourist shopping places such as where tour guides will take you will take Euros and cards, the terminal duty free shop at St Petersburg will take anything. Dollars is not a good idea bar in the main tourist places.

Whilst some places take cards in Russia due to high levels of fraud I would not suggest it.

If your on a private tour your guide will tell you what's safe and what's not safe.

We got coke, postcards and ice cream in places like Catherine's palace and the Peteroff where we had a meal but paid in cash.

Now on my private tour over two days we have the odd thing to pay in $ like the Faberge Museum, and the fountain park at Peteroff , but 90% is local currency and do take that for small purchases.

Now for the Russian Matryoshka nesting dolls they are expensive and the places that sell them will take credit cards.

Direct from Anastasia Travel: As for the Rubles, For lunches I allow about 700-1000 Rubles per person per day, as not all the cafes accept cards. Souvenirs you can buy using your card or USD or Euros - they are usually accepted by Large tourist souvenir shops.

Keep some change for restrooms some charge or gave a person there that you tip.

Denmark it's the kroner, Euros ok, and cards are good.
Sweden its Swedish kroner, euros ok cards fine.
Finland Euros and cards ok, the same as Estonia.

Finally for Dover cruises it's the £ pound sterling and cards accepted.

 

[Flossbolna]

When I was in Helsinki (not on a cruise, just a land vacation) there was a lovely market down at the harbour that had really nice stands with crafts. I purchased some Christmas ornaments there. And at least the stall where I bought from only accepted cash. I think as a rule of thumb, the smaller the establishment, the less unlikely they accept credit cards. Since you mention knick knack in the streets, I would say these are typical places that would require cash.

@DISNEY FANTASY already gave you excellent information regarding the different currencies, I just want to point out that Estonia also has the Euro (as far as I know, some Baltic cruises stop in Tallin). And that even though Denmark and Sweden both have kroner, those are two distinct currencies (just like Canadian Dollars and US Dollars).

I am not absolutely sure, but I could imagine that a number of establishments that cater for tourists (like souvenir stalls) in Denmark and Sweden might take Euros as well. They might give you the change in kroner though and the exchange rate would not be good for you.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Yes posted above in Tallinn they accept Euros, and yes whilst the odd place may take $ they will go by a favourable rare to them and give you change in local currency and basically you loose out.

The ship has currency exchange but at a corporate rate so isn't very good, it's best to buy before you go, or use ATMs in Europe.

I have notes in each currency now for our 12 nights.



Now this is Copenhagen where the cruises that " call" at Copenhagen dock, not where the cruises that start/ finish in Copenhagen dock. You will see the tourist shop there to the right, it was priced in Danish kroner and Euros, you could pay with cards, it most likely would she $ due to its position, but the exchange rate poor.

This is the cruise terminal in St Petersburg.



In it there is a duty free shop, ( ship side of border control) where you could walk off and purchase things they will take everything, but in the city it's only the big tourist places that will accept different payment methods.

 

[Flossbolna]

I have notes in each currency now for our 12 nights.

I have gotten so used to being able to travel to so many different places and just use my own currency since we got the Euro that I am finding it really strange that I had to get Danish AND Norwegian kroner for my Norway cruise... The Baltic cruises are even worse! 5 different currencies during one cruise!

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

I have gotten so used to being able to travel to so many different places and just use my own currency since we got the Euro that I am finding it really strange that I had to get Danish AND Norwegian kroner for my Norway cruise... The Baltic cruises are even worse! 5 different currencies during one cruise!

Yes, agree, it's different to say Caribbean and Bahamas there the $ is king and wherever you go they take it, it is a major currency, I have my notes now I will take credit cards but wary of using cards in Russia due to frauds cloning etc.

Tourists will be targets.

Never let your cards out of your sight, and if on a private tour go where the guide says it's safe only.

The notes are all quite different so Danish and Swedish kroner are easy to differentiate, we have the odd place quoted on our St Petersburg two day tour where we pay in $ and I think was their currency has devalued a lot they see the benefits of being paid in $ in major tourist places but you need bank accounts with international divisions and small market or snack places may not do that for a cruise summer trade only.

 

[ImprovGal]

When I sailed the Baltic, I did a foreign currency order from my bank with token amounts of each of the various currencies, allowing for tour guide tips, snacks or meals, and souvenirs. The Russian ruble is the only currency restricted on what you can take out of the country. I used that one as a souvenir budget challenge. For the remaining currencies, if I had any leftover bills, I went to guest services and simply applied them towards my stateroom account. Yes, the exchange rate isn't that favorable, but since I had included the original currency purchase in my budget, any credit it gave me towards my onboard account was a bonus.

 

[Flossbolna]

Yes, agree, it's different to say Caribbean and Bahamas there the $ is king and wherever you go they take it, it is a major currency, I have my notes now I will take credit cards but wary of using cards in Russia due to frauds cloning etc.

Tourists will be targets.

That is a good reminder!

Also: Everyone should make sure that when they used ATMs that they hold something over their hand while typing in the PIN code, so that no one and especially no camera can see the PIN code. The ATMs in highly frequented tourist areas are always prime targets for skimming. Best use an ATM inside a bank, those are usually less likely to be manipulated.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

When I sailed the Baltic, I did a foreign currency order from my bank with token amounts of each of the various currencies, allowing for tour guide tips, snacks or meals, and souvenirs. The Russian ruble is the only currency restricted on what you can take out of the country. I used that one as a souvenir budget challenge. For the remaining currencies, if I had any leftover bills, I went to guest services and simply applied them towards my stateroom account. Yes, the exchange rate isn't that favorable, but since I had included the original currency purchase in my budget, any credit it gave me towards my onboard account was a bonus.

We tend to hit the last tourist shop hard and use up the currency, so it's extra T Shirts and tourist tat.