Currency Information

Austria                  EURO

Belgium                EURO

Bulgaria                LEV

China*                   RENMINBI (RMB)

Czech Republic     KORUNA

France                   EURO

Germany               EURO

Hungary                FORINT

Netherlands          EURO

Romania               LEI

Russia                   RUBLE

Serbia                   DINAR

Slovakia                KORUNA

Switzerland          SWISS FRANC

Tibet*                    RENMINBI (RMB)

Ukraine                 HRYWNA

*Basic unit is the Yuan

Purchasing Items & Currency Exchange

Many locations will accept traveller’s cheques or credit cards, but for incidentals and in smaller shops you will need local currency. Because tourism is relatively new in Eastern Europe, facilities for exchanging Pounds or Euro into local currency are more limited and shops are less likely to accept Pounds, Euro or Traveller’s Cheques than elsewhere in Europe.

China travellers should bring most of your funds in Traveller’s Cheques; when exchanging Traveller’s Cheques at hotels and exchange bureaux, you will receive only Chinese currency.  U.S. Dollars are valued in China, and you may wish to bring a small supply of one or five dollar notes for incidental tipping along the way.

ATMs: These machines dispense local currency for internationally accepted ATM cards and/or Credit Cards. Usually conveniently located in large European cities, they’re limited in smaller towns and especially in Eastern Europe, China (where queues are long and there is a 3% service fee), Russia, Ukraine and Baltic countries. Confirm with your bank prior to departure that your ATM / Credit Card and PIN number will work abroad.

Changing Cash or Travellers Cheques: For a fee, you can exchange cash or Traveller’s Cheques at hotels, banks, and exchange bureaux. You can also exchange currency onboard your ship for some local currencies for a fee; however, by law, ships cannot exchange cash or Traveller’s Cheques for certain Eastern European currencies, or at all in Russia, Ukraine or China.

Credit Cards:  Eurocard, MasterCard, Visa and American Express cards are accepted in all countries in major shops, restaurants and hotels as well as to settle your shipboard account.  Diners Club cards are accepted in Russia. If you do not travel overseas and use your credit card abroad on a regular basis, your credit card company may refuse to honour your credit card while you are on your trip, especially for charges made in Russia, Ukraine, China or Eastern Europe.  Notify your credit card companies that you plan to use your card(s) on your trip before you depart. Credit card and Travellers Cheque companies accept reverse-charge calls to report lost or stolen cards or cheques; inquire directly to obtain these phone numbers.

Currency Onboard Ship & Your Onboard Account

All onboard purchases are billed with a guest check and added to your personal shipboard account. At the end of your trip, you may pay in cash (in Europe: U.S. Dollars / Euro / Swiss Francs / Pounds Sterling; in China: RMB;   in Russia: Rubles;  in Ukraine: Hryvnya), or by credit card; your bill will be converted at the current exchange rate.  We regret that the ship cannot accept Traveller’s Cheques for payment of your shipboard account.  Purchases on Chinese ships will appear on your credit card statement as “CQ New Century Cruise.” Review your shipboard bill upon checkout to ensure you don’t have questions about your charges later when you receive your statement.

Onboard Currencies