Celebrity Constellation Stockholm Excursion - Cruise Line Fans: Cruise Reviews and Chat From Real Cruisers

nu2sea · 06-11-2006, 08:22 PM

With a full eight hours in Stockholm, we could have toured independently, but as novices, we decided to play safe and use the ship’s tour.

Aware that Stockholm is a city on islands, we knew we wanted to get a boat ride in so we settled on Stockholm Beauty on Land & Water ($57 Adult $29 Child USD) 3 hours, approx.

This tour offered a bus ride and boat tour that would cover the city districts of Sodermalm, Normalm, Ostermalm and Djurgarden.

It was a beautiful spring day, clear blue skies and temps in the 60s. In a word, perfect! A stop at Riddarholmen provided our first photo opportunity and we took advantage of it. The area was visited by a bus load of school children anxious to climb on a statue and then have lunch. Nearby was the yacht Malardrottninger, built in 1924 and once owned by Betty Hutton. It is now a 60 room “floatel.” There is a restaurant on the top deck.

Next, we got a bus tour of the main parts of the city, including a drive-by of the renowned Ice Bar and a look at the main shopping district.

And then it was time for the boat ride. A lot of Stockholm can be seen from the water, and some of the views are better than any that can be had on land.

We were fortunate to come upon the daily parade of the guards on their way to the Royal Palace for the noon changing of the Guard. Then we cruised on past the Royal Opera and the Grand Hotel which flies the flags of the homes of its guests.

Our cruise gave us a good look at the Strandvagen, which is a waterfront boulevard lined with beautiful old buildings, providing some of the most exclusive addresses in the city. Along the water sat young Swedes enjoying the sun and a late lunch.

Next was the Diplomatstaden, home to diplomats from all over the world. The American Ambassador occupies a large house, right on the water.

Across the Djurgardsbrunnsviken from the diplomatic quarter is the Djurgarden with its museums, parklands and tivoli. First up was the Nautical Museum (Sjohistoriska Museet) looking strangely neglected. The Nordic Museum was a much more impressive structure.

But even that paled next to the Vasa Museum. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m a great respecter of history, but this ship sank on its maiden voyage in 1628. Rediscovered in 1956, it was salvaged in 1961 and got a museum. Apparently it is an impressive warship, once one of the world’s largest and the pride of the Swedish Navy. Too bad it couldn’t float.

After the boat ride we took a pass on the trip over to Djurgarden, where we actually could have toured the Vasa Museum and learned something about this remarkable ship, and opted instead for a walk through the Old Town.

The Gamla Stan includes the massive 18th century Royal Palace with 608 rooms. The other houses in the Old Town date from the 16th and 17th centuries and are on small winding streets. The main square, known as the Stortorget, is the hub of the Gamla Stan, one side of which is the Stock Exchange, now home to the Swedish Academy.

Browsing the shops we found a small linen store that provided gifts to take home for friends. Then it was a leisurely walk back to the Constellation along the Stadsgardsteden.

A single port day of eight hours is too short to learn much about a city, but it can provide an overview, which is what we got on this excursion. Stockholm was a favorite port stop, perhaps it was the weather, perhaps it was the clear pleasure that the Swedes take in their capital, but we want to go back someday and spend time exploring the many areas that Stockholm offers.

Photos from our day in Stockholm can be found in the Gallery, or by following this link: http://www.cruiselineforums.com/gall...ry.php?cat=802

Susan