Stockholm

Few ports offer an approach as beautiful as Stockholm’s. The ship navigates an archipelago of 24,000 islands stretching 80km east of the city, combining rocky seabird-only outcrops with islets whose stylish wooden summer homes. Wake early to enjoy it.

Stockholm’s two principal cruise terminals are Frihamnen and Stadsgarden. Some ships anchor at Nynashamn, while smaller may ships dock directly at Skeppsbron by old town.

Stadsgarden: dock in the city center, only steps or 10 to 20 minutes from the historic sights of Gamla stan (Old Town), elegant stores and a wealth of cultural treasures. Ships sometimes anchor here and use tenders.

Frihamnen: about half of Stockholm’s annual cruise liners call here. Its large modern cruise passenger terminal lets Stockholm handle several so called turnarounds: cruises departing from Stockholm, for which passengers travel to the city by train, air or car before boarding the cruise liner.

The Old Town is too far to walk. From Frihamnen, take direct bus number 76 or number 1 to Gamla Stan, or vice versa, except on Sundays. Find the bus stop at the small brown building with the large "i" on its roof. Buy tickets from the attendant in that building, in a machine at the stop, or on the bus. Only credit cards are accepted, and when buying on the bus, each ticket must be purchased with separate credit cards. You can also buy the Stockholm Card ().

Bus 76 stops at the royal palace, while Bus 1 reaches Stureplan, a short stroll from Gamla Stan. Both busses run roughly every 10 minutes, are wheelchair friendly, and a return ticket costs 72 Kroner.

At the new terminal, Stockholm Pass and bus tickets are also available for purchase.

Shuttles, often provided for around 12 Euro per person, drop passengers at the Opera House opposite the Royal Palace. Note: they can become very busy on their return, and waiting lines may form.

Central Stockholm can be reached from Stockholm Arlanda Airport by a comfortable 40-minute taxi ride or by an express train taking a mere 20 minutes to the city center.

For walkers, painted blue & green ground lines lead to different places. The blue route goes to Slussen, while the green line eventually reaches the bus stop but may be a steep climb for some people. Leave the port, turn left and walk 50 meters to find the bus transport hub, called Londonviadutken.

Nynashamn: trains to Stockholm run twice an hour and take just over an hour.

Take along a printable map.

Use the cruise calendar for this port. Choose Cruise ship and Expected in port.

Stockholm’s beauty is legendary. Despite a flourishing business life, this modern capital has retained its natural splendor and history. The Old Town’s narrow streets and medieval buildings, founded in the 13th century, sit comfortably alongside the modern harbor, port facilities, cruise ships, cafes, hotels and office blocks.

Both terminals have hop on/off buses operated by Open Top Tours.

Hop on/off sightseeing boats are also available from the Stadsgarden berth.

The Stockholm Pass offers free entry to 75 attractions and museums, public-transport travel, sightseeing by boat, and various other bonuses. Choose a card lasting 24, 48 or 72 hours; it becomes valid only when first stamped with the time and date of use. Each adult card allows the purchase of three child cards. It provides unlimited metro, commuter-train and bus travel, while entry is valid once per attraction. Stockholm’s metro is one of the world’s most beautiful, with art all over, and is worth a ride.

Whatever transport you use, be at the Royal Palace court at noon to see the spectacular changing of the guards; on Sundays and holidays it is an hour later. Bus 76 from Frihammen stops here. Note: a different armed-forces regiment or part of the military performs the change each day, sometimes spectacularly and sometimes rather less so.

Ride the Sky View Gondola at Golpie. Running outside the building on a track, the gondala gives a 360 view over stockholm. When booking, avoid third party ticket sellers: they sell the ticket but not a time slot.

The well-known 3Arena serves as both football stadium and entertainment arena. If your stop is overnight, it may feature an international act, so check the schedule.

A shopper's paradise, Stockholm is world famous for design and crystal, but offers far more: exclusive fashion stores with the latest trends, souvenirs and handicrafts. Non European Union visitors can easily claim a local sales-tax (VAT) refund on purchases.

Sweden’s national currency is the Swedish krona (SEK, plural kronor). About 1 USD equals 5.91 SEK, 1 EUR equals 9.43 SEK, and 1 GBP equals 12.28 SEK.

Major credit cards work in automatic teller machines. Stores, bars and restaurants generally accept all major credit cards, though sometimes there is a SEK 5 fee or a minimum purchase of between 50 - 100 SEK.

Swedish is Sweden’s national language. People, particularly those under 70, also tend to speak English very well; an estimated 89% of Swedes can speak it.

In a fire, medical or criminal emergency, the phone number to dial is 112.

Wifi is unavailable at the quays, but many town cafes and restaurants have free wifi. Free wifi is also provided on every hop on/off bus.

Standard Swedish shopping hours run Monday to Friday 0900-1600 and Saturday 0900-1400. Many Stockholm stores, however, open longer and also on Sunday.