Stockholm Archipelego

[europe4fun]

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but... when you sail out of Stockholm (enroute to Helsinki) do you sail through the Archipelego?

 

On a cruise a few years back the passage through the archipelego was noted on the itinerary. Since it isn't noted on the Marco Polo sailing, I'm unsure we go through it?

 

It was a most beautiful journey and just would like to know if I can look forward to it again on this trip. We set sail out of Stockholm at 5pm but since it stays light so late, it should be a beautiful time to sit on a deck chair and take it all in.

 

P.S. If there is no way out of Stockholm other than through the archipelego, please excuse my ignorance..... as I started out, I realize this 'may' be a stupid question :rolleyes:

[Guest LetMeGo]

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but... when you sail out of Stockholm (enroute to Helsinki) do you sail through the Archipelego?

 

Hi!

 

I'm not really an expert on the matter (since the usual ferries I travel on go to the centre of the city), but it does seem like some of the bigger cruise ships miss the archipelago.:(

 

As far as I've understood, this map shows the different routes to Stockholm harbour, and it looks like the route to Nynäshamn steers clear of the archipelago.

[Al_Frescoe]

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but... when you sail out of Stockholm (enroute to Helsinki) do you sail through the Archipelego?

 

On a cruise a few years back the passage through the archipelego was noted on the itinerary. Since it isn't noted on the Marco Polo sailing, I'm unsure we go through it?

 

The Marco Polo does ndeed go through the Stockholm archipelago.

 

Enjoy the view.

 

Al

[Guest LetMeGo]

The Marco Polo does ndeed go through the Stockholm archipelago.

 

Hello neighbour!:D

 

I was wondering... In relation to that map I linked to.

Isn't Nynäshamn (where the Marco Polo is apparently based) located on the south side of the town, outside the archipelago? Does it go back through just to amuse the tourists?:cool:

[Steamboatin]

We just did on the Celebrity Constellation when we sailed into and out of Stockholm via the archipelago.

 

The Stockholm archipelago was the best view from the ship on the entire 14 day cruise. It is a do not miss view.

 

In my opinion the cruise into the city is better in the morning because you have the rising sun to your benefit as well as no other activity to distract you.

 

An example being we had early seating for the nightly dinner and in sailing from Stockholm we missed the best views because we were at dinner. Additionally as you sail away in the evening the sun light gets weaker as you sail towards the sea.

 

Thus, my recommendation would be for you to get up early in the morning and be top side stern at around 5 a.m. and just relax, enjoy breakfast and the beautiful view of the Stockholm archipelago.

[daju22]

We just did on the Celebrity Constellation when we sailed into and out of Stockholm via the archipelago.

 

The Stockholm archipelago was the best view from the ship on the entire 14 day cruise. It is a do not miss view.

 

In my opinion the cruise into the city is better in the morning because you have the rising sun to your benefit as well as no other activity to distract you.

 

An example being we had early seating for the nightly dinner and in sailing from Stockholm we missed the best views because we were at dinner. Additionally as you sail away in the evening the sun light gets weaker as you sail towards the sea.

 

Thus, my recommendation would be for you to get up early in the morning and be top side stern at around 5 a.m. and just relax, enjoy breakfast and the beautiful view of the Stockholm archipelago.

 

Steambotin.....Thanks for the Celebrity info. We'll be on the Constellation at the end of Aug. Did you use the ships excursions or do it yourself? How about the Celebrity shuttles? Do you know the prices?

I appreciate your help.

Judy

[Steamboatin]

Hi DAJU22,

The ship local bus schuttles were available at only the 3 ports listed below:

Stockholm: $6 per person one way or $12 round trip (thus for wife and I a round trip would have been $24.)

Helsinki: $5 per person one way.

Copenhagen: $6 per person one way.

Except for St. Petersburg we took the Constellation's excursions as noted below:

Oslo, Norway

Shore Excursion Code: OS4A

Monday, May 22, 2006 starting at approximately 8:30 am

Description: Viking Heritage

Approximate Time: 5 Hours

Today we experienced the history and culture of the Viking people with a visit to the Viking Ship Museum, Open-Air Folk Museum, Vigeland Sculpture Park, and the Holmenkollen Ski Jump. Drove from the pier, pass the 13th century Akershus Fortress. Saw the Town Hall, inaugurated in 1950, just in time for Oslo’s 900th anniversary. We than drove past National Theater and Royal Residence before leaving the city center and traveling through the suburbs on our way to the peninsula of Bygdov, home today to many museums.

We visited the Viking Ship Museum with its excellent examples of the Viking periods daring initiative and shipbuilding artisanship. Than we next visited the Viking Ship Museum and the Norwegian Folk Museum with its vast permanent exhibition showing the way town and country people used to live in bygone days. During the walk through parts of the open-air museum that consisted of 150 buildings that included one of Norway’s unique stave churches.

We continued on to Vigeland Sculpture Park which is Norway’s most visited attraction where we saw the fantastic sculptures in bronze, granite and iron. Later we drove to the Holmenkollen ski jump. There we also viewed a nearby fjord and the City of Oslo before returning to the cruise ship.

Stockholm, Sweden

Shore Excursion Code: WS1A

Description: Stockholm & Vasa Museum

Event Time: 24-May-2006 10:45:00 AM

Approximate Time: 3 Hours

Today we traveled to the city districts of Sodermalm, Gamla Stan, Norrmalm, Ostermalm, and Djurgarden, each with its own special character. Our tour began with a short drive to Fjallgatan for a panoramic view of the city. We passed by Gamla Stan, the enchanting, medieval Old Town, passing the Royal Palace over looking Stockholm’s inner harbor. We proceeded past the Royal Dramatic Theatre along Strandvagen to the island of Djurgarden. We than toured the island, regarded as Stockholm’s outdoor recreation center with Grona Lund Tivoli, Skansen open air Museum and extensive park lands beyond.

While on the island we visited the Swedish warship, Vasa, once considered as one of the worlds largest and the pride of mighty Swedish navy. The present Museum was built around the 17th century warship, which sank in Stockholm’s inner harbor on her maiden voyage in 1628. Its discovery in 1956 and subsequent salvage in 1961 is one of the most important events in marine archaeology. Painstakingly restored to its original magnificence, the Vasa represents an authentic piece of living history.

We continued our tour through Diplomatic Town to Ostermalm which is a fashionable neighborhood of stately apartment buildings to Hamngatan and Sergels Torg, the focal point of modern Stockholm. Proceeded south past the Royal Opera, the Parliament Building and via the narrow canal at Slussen cross to Sodermalm, the large island of Stockholm’s south side, containing a number of small closely integrated neighborhoods en route back to the cruise ship.

Helsinki, Finland

Shore Excursion Code: HE1A

Description: City of Helsinki

Event Time: 25-May-2006 10:00:00 AM

Approximate Time: 3 Hours

On this tour we experienced an overview of the city of Helsinki and some of its major highlights. From the pier we passed the Helsinki Shipyard before continuing toward the heart of the city along the costal road. We passed Embassy Park and the colorful open air market before we arrived in the neoclassical Senate Square. Perched above the square’s wide steps, we saw the domed Lutheran Cathedral. Designed by Carl Ludvig Engel, the square was surrounded by the University, State Council Building and Cathedral. We continued onto Mannerheim Street, the main thoroughfare of the city where we saw the Parliament House, National Museum and the Finlandia Hall. The Finlandia Hall was designed by the famous architect Alvar Aalto, this unique marble structure is the concert and convention center of Helsinki.

We than traveled to visit Temppeliaukio, one of Europe’s most unusual modern churches as it is carved out solid rock, and topped with a copper dome, the Rock Church is a Helsinki landmark. Due to its magnificent acoustical qualities the church is also used as a concert hall.

We than traveled to the Olympic Stadium, site of the 1952 Olympic Games for a photo stop. In front of the Stadium we saw the famous statue of the “Flying Finn” Paavo Nurmi. Our tour than went to Sibelius Park, where we saw the unique stainless steel monument erected for the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. Following the conclusion of the tour we rode back to the cruise ship.

St. Petersburg, Russia

Russian Independent Tour Company: Red October

http://www.redoctober.spb.ru or email: rols@redoctober.spb.ru

Description: City of St. Petersburg, Country Palaces, and Boat Tour on local rivers.

Event Times: 26 & 27-May-2006, 7:30 a.m. first day, 7:00 p.m. boat tour, and 8:00 a.m. second day.

Approximate Times: 16 Hours first day and 8 hours second day.

Tours for two days were taken with a Russian private tour group known as Red October. The first day in St. Petersburg we toured various historic sites by van. On the evening of the first day we enjoyed a canal boat ride through the Moika River and canal system of St. Petersburg while enjoying a special dinner aboard the canal boat and listening to special entertainment. The second day was another day of historic touring with Red October prior to joining our cruise ship for a late afternoon sail a way from the city.

On the first day the tour started at 7:30 a.m. at the pier. The group of 38 passengers boarded two minivans owned by the Red October tours of St. Petersburg, Russia. We than drove through the City of St. Petersburg and drove by St. Nicholas’s Church, Theatre Square with Marinsky Theatre, St. Isaac’s Square, majestic St. Isaac Cathedral, the bridge of the ‘Bronze Horseman’ which is the most famous monument to Peter the Great, Shmidt Bridge, Vasilievsky Island with Arts Academy, Menshikov Palace, Kunstkamera, ‘Streka’ with Stock Exchange and Rostral Columns and with the most beautiful view of Neva Embankments Winter Palace and other buildings of the Hermitage Museum, Twelve Colleges, palace Pridge, Palace Square with Winter palace and Alexander Column, Admiralty, Nevsky Avenue which is the central street of the city, Smolny Cathedral and Smolny Institute. “Field of Mars”, we drove by the Savior on the Spilled Blood Cathedral, Trotsky Bridge, Peter’s the Great Cabin and the Cruiser Aurora.

We than made an inside visit of Peter and Paul Fortress which is where the city was founded in May of 1703. Inside of the Fortress we visited the Peter and Paul Cathedral which was built during the period of 1712 and 1733. It is the burial place of the Romanov family.

This was followed by a stop at the Red October’s Shop where we paid for our tours and did some souvenir shopping.

From there we drove to the Yusupovs’ Palace on the Moika River embankment. The Palace is one of four the Yusupovs’ had in St. Petersburg. The Yusupovs’ family was one of the richest families in Russia in the XIX Century. The Yusupovs’ were related by marriage to the Romanov's. The last owner of the palace Felix Yusupov was married to Irina, niece of Nicholas II. Yusupovs were famous Maecenas and their theater was the most popular of the private theaters in St. Petersburg.

Inside the Yusupovs’ Palace we saw very unique musical instruments in the gala rooms and the living rooms of the Palace. The Palace had its own Golden Theater which was a copy of the Bolshoi of Moscow. The most famous actors, dancers and singers considered it an honor to perform on this stage. Performers such as bass Fiodor Shaliapin and world famous Anna Pavlova among others performed here. We than visited the cellar where in December 1916 Felix Yusupov, Grand Duke Dmitry and other monarchists and conspirators murdered Grigory Rasputin the morose and mysterious figure in Russian history.

Following the tour of the Palace we boarded the minivan and ate a box lunch while we drove the 30 km or 19 miles west of St. Petersburg to Peterhof. There we visited the ‘Russian Versailles’ the official Summer Residence of the Russian Tsars. We had a leisure stroll through the ‘Lower Park’ with its 150 fountains, cascades and various pavilions and palaces. The facility was adorned with gold leaf on many of the garden items. Within the Summer Residence we toured the Monplaisir Palace which is built on the very coast of the Baltic Sea. The Monplaisir Palace was the favorite of Peter I and the Palace is preserved in the memory of the greatest of the Russian Tsars and illustrating his private life style. Following the tour we than drove back to the pier where we once again went through Russian Customs prior to boarding the Constellation for a rest break.

Later that evening we once again went through Russian Customs and boarded a Red October minivan for a White Nights folklore ride and dinner on a river tour boat on the Moika River and Neva River of St. Petersburg. We toured the waterways of St. Petersburg for approximately two and a half hours while enjoying Russian entertainers performing, singing and dancing to Russian folk music while dressed in Russian style folk dress. The Russian dinner consisted of an appetizer, Salmon fish baked in foil with cooked vegetables, a vegetable salad, white wine and a shot of vodka. We arrived back at the Constellation after 11:00 p.m. after once again clearing Russian Customs. It was still twilight upon our return to the ship at that late hour of night.

On the second day of our visit to St. Petersburg the city was celebrating its 303 birthday with a massive parade. In the parade there were numerous military marching units, military bands, citizen based bands, marching groups and decorated truck floats. Overhead to blimps flew with each carrying a huge flag below them. One blimp carried in display the Russian flag and the other the flag of St. Petersburg.

On the second day we departed the Constellation and Russian Customs at approximately 8:00 a.m. and proceeded to once again tour parts of St. Petersburg. We departed the harbor area and headed to Tsarskoye Selo. We rode for 25 km or 15 mile drive south of St. Petersburg. Tsarskoye Selo was the official residence of the Russian Tsars. Upon arrival we visited the Catherine Palace. It was built by Peter I for his wife Catherine I and later re-built and enlarged for their daughter Empress Elizabeth by Italian architect F. B. Rastrelli. The striking luxury of the interior decoration of the palace was created and crafted by the best artists of XVIII and XIX centuries. We toured the interior of the palace with the highlight being the Amber Room with its walls paneled with amber. During WWII it was completely destroyed and lost. It has since been restored to its original beauty and opulence. Following the tour of the palace we toured the beautiful Catherine Park with its many gardens, pavilions, marble statures, statues, ponds, canals and smaller palaces along with its unique outer wall of living quarters and workshops which make up the outer wall. We enjoyed a box lunch on the drive back to St. Petersburg.

Once back in St. Petersburg we visited the inside of the Savior on the Spilled Blood Cathedral that was built in 1907 as memorial church to honor Russian Emperor Alexander II who was murdered on the spot by a bomb blast from the terrorists. The Cathedral is a sample of the ‘Russian Style’ architecture and decorative art of the edge of the XIX-XX centuries. The exterior and interior of the cathedral has over 7,000 square meters of beautiful mosaic attire that was created by the most famous Russian artists of the epoch. At the Cathedral we purchased a book that details the Cathedral beauty in detail. We later purchased a beautiful photograph of the Cathedral.

From the Cathedral we drove to the massive Hermitage Arts Museum were we toured for approximately three hours. The museum was contained within the gala halls and rooms of the former Winter Palace. The highlight of the museum visit was the Gold Room which housed hundreds of solid gold objects with many covered in beautiful gems. Some gold items had several hundred beautiful gems set into the golden object. We than saw halls lined with statures of the Roman and of the Russian era. There was room after room of fine world class art collections by west European Masters’ such as Rembrandt, Rubens, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, El Greco, Murillo, Van Dyck, Monet and other famous French impressionists and art of the XX century. Following this tour of the museum we walked over a mile to our minivan tour vehicle because of the massive crowd of people who had attended and participated in the St. Petersburg 303 birthday parade which ended near the museum. After a hectic drive back to the harbor we barely made it back to Russian Customs on the pier and barely boarded the Constellation minutes before it sailed from the port.

Tallinn, Estonia

Shore Excursion Code: TL7A

Description: Best of Tallinn with Concert & Lunch

Event Time: 28-May-2006 08:30:00 AM

Approximate Time: 6 Hour

Today we boarded our motor coach at the pier and drove for an all day tour. We started with a visit to the Song Festival Ground where a short stop was made to provide us with an impression of the Song Festivals that are held on the grounds every five years. We continued to Pirita which is located on a beautiful beachside location of the yachting complex built for the 1980 Olympic Games. It is also where we saw the 16th century ruins of St. Bridget’s Covent. A short time later we drove to Tallinn’s Upper Town area where we passed ancient walls, tower gateways and disembarked the coach at Tall Hermann Tower. We walked up Toompea Hill to Palace Square to view the baroque Toompea Castle which is now the residence of the Estonian Parliament. We than visited the Russian Orthodox Alexander Nevski Cathedral. Now in Tallinn we walked along the city’s medieval cobblestone streets. We than visited the gothic St. Mary’s Cathedral with its beautiful dome. We proceeded to the scenic viewpoint over the Lower Town rooftops, where there was allotted a limited time for shopping in the small shops. We than walked to the scenic viewpoint over the Lower Town rooftops where there was allowed a limited time for shopping in the small shops. We than descended Sort Leg Street to the Lower Town for an independent visit to the Town Hall Square and view the exterior of the gothic Town Hall. In this square at one of Tallinn’s typical Old Town restaurants we were served lunch. A special visit was made to the historic Dominican Monastery that was accompanied by concert of medieval music in the courtyard. We continued to walk along Catherine’s Passage where more shopping and browsing opportunities at the local craft workshops that sold glass, leather, millinery and ceramic wares. Following the shopping we boarded the coach for the ride back to our cruise ship.

Warnemunde/Berlin, Germany

Shore Excursion Code: WA1A

Description: Berlin - A 20th Century Experience of Berlin

Event Time: 30-May-2006 07:50:00 AM

Approximate Time: 12 Hours and 30 Minutes

In Warnemunde we boarded a train for a 3 hour train ride to Berlin. During the train ride the hosts handed out breakfast snacks, coffee, and informational material to prepare us for what we were going to see in Berlin. Upon arrival in Berlin we disembarked the train and walked with our guide to our motor coach. Berlin is a city that has seen incredible changes over the last decade and this provided us with an opportunity to experience some of the fascinating history of this impressive metropolis. From this point we began a comprehensive coach tour through several highlights of the capital that included photo stops at the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie and the famous East Side Gallery. Some of the other highlights were the stop at the War Memorial for the victims of the War and Dictatorship and the Templehof Airlift Memorial that included the names of the pilots that died during the Airlift. After a short drive we enjoyed lunch in a deluxe hotel in the center of Berlin.

Following lunch we drove pass Schoeneberg Town Hall where President Kennedy made his famous “Ich bin ein Berlin speech. We than visited the Allied Museum that focused on the Allied occupation of Berlin from 1945 until 1994. Some of the highlights included details of the historic Berlin Airlift, the original booth of Check Point Charlie, and a border watchtower.

Before returning to the train we made a brief stop at the famous Kurfustendamm where we strolled and did some shopping. Once on board of our train we were served a light dinner snack and returned to the cruise vessel with a new understanding of this amazing city.

Copenhagen, Denmark

Shore Excursion Code: CP4A

Description: Copenhagen Harbor Tour

Event Time: 31-May-2006 02:15:00 PM

Approximate Time: 2 Hours

 

We boarded an inner harbor cruise boat to enjoy the 850 years of Danish history as we glided along the waterways of what was once the capital of Scandinavia. We passed through the pier area for a short transfer to Gammel Strand a former fish market. Here we boarded our canal boat for this scenic tour. This was followed by a cruise past Christinansburg Castle, the Old Stock Exchange and the picturesque canal area of Nyhaven. We enjoyed the cruising through the narrow canals of old Charistianshaven while passing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and many of the city’s quaint houseboats before the canals open up to Copenhagen harbor. We passed the Royal Library’s new building The Black Diamond and had time to take some photographs of Hans Christian Andersen’s Little Mermaid. We than sailed through the city’s scenic canals before our tour ended at the Old Fish Market. Here we walked back to our cruise ship after a brief personal visit to the area.

Helsingborg, Sweden

Shore Excursion Code: HI1A

Description: City of Helsingborg

Event Time: 01-Jun-2006 09:15:00 AM

Approximate Time: 3 Hours

NOTE: DO NOT TAKE A SHIP TOUR AT THIS PORT. IT IS A SMALL TOWN THAT HAS NOTHING REALLY TO OFFER. ALL TOURS ARE POOR. WALK IN CITY IS EASY SO DO IT YOURSELF AND SAVE YOUR MONEY!

At the pier we boarded a motor coach for a drive to Sofiero Castle. It was the summer residence of the late King Gustav VI Adolf. There we took a short walk with our guide through the flowering gardens and park. We returned to the city through the Palsjo Forest with its beech trees. We than circled through old fashioned neighborhoods before finally arriving at the city’s most famous landmark, Kaman Tower for a photo stop. Than we drove to St. Marias Church which is one of the remaining buildings that dates back to the Middle Ages. Our final stop was a Ramlosa Springs to taste the famous mineral water produced by the alkaline spring in the park. During our walk we enjoyed the sounds of the classical music played by the Ramlosa Sextet.

Dover, England

After disembarkation from the cruise ship Constellation we found our luggage and boarded a motor coach for the ride to Gatwick Airport in London.

[Al_Frescoe]

Hello neighbour!:D

 

I was wondering... In relation to that map I linked to.

Isn't Nynäshamn (where the Marco Polo is apparently based) located on the south side of the town, outside the archipelago? Does it go back through just to amuse the tourists?:cool:

 

Hej Tero,

 

That map was not clear at all on my system, so I can't really comment on those routes. But, to my knowledge the Marco Polo does not dock at Nynäshamn (1 hour from Stockholm). The Marco Polo is a rather small ship and usually docks somewhere here in Stockholm. It would be a shame if the MP suddenly started using Nynäshamn.

 

Regards,

 

Al

[Guest LetMeGo]

Hej Tero,

 

That map was not clear at all on my system, so I can't really comment on those routes. But, to my knowledge the Marco Polo does not dock at Nynäshamn (1 hour from Stockholm). The Marco Polo is a rather small ship and usually docks somewhere here in Stockholm. It would be a shame if the MP suddenly started using Nynäshamn.

 

Regards,

 

Al

Hejsan! :D

 

It wasn't the best of maps, but as far as I could tell it shows the ferry route to Turku and Helsinki going through the archipelago, and another shipping route from Nynäshamn to Visby. It doesn't really say which way the cruise ships go.:confused:

 

All the adverts I saw of Marco Polo say the port is Stockholm (Nynäshamn). Maybe they are switching over because Stockholm is their regular port of call? It is a shame, but that's the price of popularity... All the ships won't fit into the city.

 

Of course if the Celebrity Constellation goes through the archipelago on its way to Nynäshamn like Steamboatin mentioned, there's no reason why other ships wouldn't as well.:cool:

[north-bound]

The Ports of Stockholm site shows Marco Polo docking at Frihamnen in Stockholm on July 17 and August 12. So that means going through the Archipelago when entering and leaving.

 

The only cruise ships listed as docking in Nynäshamn this summer are Star Princess and P&O Aurora. They miss the Archipelago and they will have to tender and travel all the way to Stockholm and back.

[daju22]

Steamboatin,

I am amazed at the amount of culture and history you absorbed on your cruise!!

Thanks for posting all the excursions you took. I was thinking that the city tours would be great for overviews, but then you don't have much time to see individual sights.

 

We are with Denrus and hope we have a wonderful St. Petersburg experience as you did with RO. Sounds like you had a scary ending though!!

 

You should post this as a separate thread as many posters would be interested in your experiences.

 

Thanks for all your work and help,:)

Judy

[Al_Frescoe]

Hejsan! :D

 

It wasn't the best of maps, but as far as I could tell it shows the ferry route to Turku and Helsinki going through the archipelago, and another shipping route from Nynäshamn to Visby. It doesn't really say which way the cruise ships go.:confused:

 

All the adverts I saw of Marco Polo say the port is Stockholm (Nynäshamn). Maybe they are switching over because Stockholm is their regular port of call? It is a shame, but that's the price of popularity... All the ships won't fit into the city.

 

Of course if the Celebrity Constellation goes through the archipelago on its way to Nynäshamn like Steamboatin mentioned, there's no reason why other ships wouldn't as well.:cool:

The Constellation does not go to Nynäshamn, as the many lucky Connie Cruisers to Stockholm can tell you. :)

 

P&O and Princess (owned by the same company, what a coincidence) are the only mass market cruise lines that use Nynäshamn. Not only do their passengers miss the archipelago but they have to tender to the dock as well. I realize the Star Princess is a large ship, but I'm not sure that is the decisive factor here, but what is the excuse of the P&O ship? I can only venture a guess and I believe it boils down to money. They pay less to use Nynashamn and they sell a lot more excursions to their passengers.

 

Perhaps Mr. Lawerence could shed some more light on this once and for all? :)

 

Time for my discalimer: I have nothing whatsoever against Princess or P&O. It is merely their choice of ports for Stockholm that causes me to post on the subject.

 

Skåll

 

Al

[Guest LetMeGo]

The Constellation does not go to Nynäshamn, as the many lucky Connie Cruisers to Stockholm can tell you. :)

 

P&O and Princess (owned by the same company, what a coincidence) are the only mass market cruise lines that use Nynäshamn. Not only do their passengers miss the archipelago but they have to tender to the dock as well. I realize the Star Princess is a large ship, but I'm not sure that is the decisive factor here, but what is the excuse of the P&O ship? I can only venture a guess and I believe it boils down to money. They pay less to use Nynashamn and they sell a lot more excursions to their passengers.

 

Perhaps Mr. Lawerence could shed some more light on this once and for all? :)

 

Time for my discalimer: I have nothing whatsoever against Princess or P&O. It is merely their choice of ports for Stockholm that causes me to post on the subject.

 

Skåll

 

Al

 

I feel a bit silly now after all this duscussion and checking back and forth between all the websites... I think what first got me into this was the fact that the stockholmports webpage didn't list any cruise ships in the city, and only the two in Nynäshamn when I tried to view it in English. :D

 

It came up in another thread that perhaps some ships are too wide to navigate the course without azipod engines.:confused:

Or maybe there just wasn't any slots left in the city when P&O/Princess had decided on their routes.

 

Unfortunately my own guess would be that it's just to save a few $'s and push the excursions.

 

Either way, I think I'm just about done with this topic...:o