Hong Kong making room for big ships

By Tom Stieghorst

Hong Kong is nearly ready to roll out the welcome mat for large cruise ships, hoping to become the gateway for an increasingly wealthy area of China.

Crews are putting the final touches on a new, $1 billion terminal that will be able to accommodate the largest cruise ships afloat.

Nearly a quarter-mile long, the terminal will open its first half in June, anticipating 37,000 passengers on 16 ships in the first 10 months of operation. By mid-2014, the second half of the terminal will open.

Tourism officials are already selling the city as a new and improved port.

“Hong Kong is fully geared up to provide cruises of all sizes,” said James Tien, chairman of the Hong Kong Tourism Board.

For years, Hong Kong has been an appealing but limited destination for ships.
The city has a great harbor, shopping and cultural treasures, and unlike most of its Asian neighbors, the former British colony is comfortable for English speakers.

Cruise itinerary planners say it is on a select list that includes Istanbul, Venice and St. Petersburg, Russia, where ships overnight in port to let passengers explore.

“I think it speaks to the appeal of Hong Kong,” said Bruce Krumrine, vice president for shore operations at Princess Cruises, which plans two full days in Hong Kong on its 2013 World Cruise.

But Krumrine and others agree that its existing cruise terminal has handicapped Hong Kong. It can handle just two ships of about 50,000 gross tons each. At peak times, a shortage of berth space gives cruise lines heartburn.

“Royal has had to homeport at anchor in Hong Kong occasionally,” said John Tercek, vice president for commercial development for Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. “This is a real problem for us.”

Recognizing the issue, Hong Kong officials in 2008 put out bids for a new facility on the site of the city’s former international airport, Kai Tak.

Closed in 1998, the airport’s main runway extends 10,000 feet into Victoria Harbor, creating a natural pier. Hong Kong officials retained renowned British architect Norman Foster to design the terminal, which has a dramatically long profile.

The terminal itself is 1,181 feet long, with berthing space of 2,788 feet, giving it the ability to accommodate two Oasis-class cruise ships, each 1,186 feet long.

Plans call for five passenger bridges and 100 check-in stations, along with customs facilities able to process about 3,000 passengers an hour, officials said. A landscaped park will occupy the third story of the terminal, offering elevated views of Victoria Harbor and the Hong Kong skyline.

With the debut of the new terminal and renovations planned for the old Ocean Terminal, Hong Kong will be able to handle four ships at once, leapfrogging cities such as Singapore and Shanghai, which also have new facilities.
Cruise lines currently treat Hong Kong as a seasonal homeport as they migrate from north Asia to Southeast Asia during the winter.

Malaysia-based Star Cruises is the only line with a year-round presence. Its 1,081-passenger Star Pisces does one-night cruises to nowhere at prices ranging from $150 to $970.

With its large international airport (also designed by Foster), Hong Kong has the airlift to be a starting and departure point, and not just a port of call, for cruise ships.

“The ability to turn around big ships in Hong Kong is something we’ve been waiting on for a long, long time,” Krumrine said.

But lately, an even bigger opportunity has popped up on the radar screens of U.S.-based cruise executives. Cruise lines, particularly Royal Caribbean and Costa, are increasingly putting ships in Asia to sell to Asians.

“The exciting part of our industry is the local potential,” said Tercek.

Hong Kong officials estimate there are potentially 50 million middle-class Chinese in the Pearl River Delta provinces of China who would see Hong Kong as the closest cruise port.

Chinese officials last year granted permits for Chinese residents sailing through Hong Kong to cruise beyond Taiwan to Japan, an attractive route, cruise executives said.

One potential stumbling block for the Kai Tak terminal is its location away from the center of Hong Kong. Jeff Bent, director of cruise projects for Worldwide Flight Services, said that can be overcome by developing water transport options.

A ferry operating from the tip of the Kai Tak pier would cut transit time to Hong Kong island’s Central district in half, Bent said.

The terminal will be run by a partnership, whose principal owner is Worldwide Flight Services, a Paris-based ground handler operating in more than 120 airports.

Minority partners include Royal Caribbean (20%) and Shun Tak (20%), a Hong Kong conglomerate founded by gaming tycoon Stanley Ho. 

Engine fire leaves Carnival cruise ship powerless

By Phil Davies

Carnival Cruise Lines ship Carnival Triumph was left powerless 150 miles off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico after an engine room fire.

The 3,143 passengers were remaining in the ship’s public areas and open decks. They were being provided with food and refreshments.

The ship’s automatic fire extinguishing systems activated and the blaze was contained to the aft engine room before being extinguished.

No casualties or injuries to guests or crew have been reported, Carnival said.

“The vessel is currently without propulsion and the ship is operating on emergency generator power,” the cruise line said on Sunday night.

All appropriate authorities including the US Coast Guard have been notified

“The ship's technical crew is continuing to assess the damage and attempting to restore power. In the meantime, a tugboat is being dispatched to the ship's location in the event it is needed,” a company statement said.

The vessel, with 1,086 crew on board, was on a four-day cruise from Galveston in Texas. The next cruise due to depart on Monday has been cancelled.

Passengers on the ship are being offered a full refund inclusive of gratuities and any transportation expenses.

Passengers on the cancelled sailing are being given the option of cancelling and receiving a full refund or waiting for further information to determine if a shortened, partial voyage may be possible.

In an updated statement Carnival said a tugboat had been called out to tow Carnival Triumph to the nearest port at Progreso in Mexico. It is due to arrive on Wednesday afternoon when passengers will be flown back to the US.

Another Carnival ship, Carnival Elation, was sent to transfer additional food and drink to the powerless vessel.

Carnival said: “We have contacted the designated emergency contacts for all guests presently on board Carnival Triumph.”

The next two voyages of Carnival Triumph, due to depart today (Monday) and February 16 have now been cancelled.

Carnival said: “Guests scheduled to sail on either of those voyages will receive a full refund, reimbursement for non-refundable travel expenses and a 25% discount on a future three to five-day cruise.”

Harry Potter cruise could be magical

Harry Potter cruise could be magical

A new wizard-themed ocean offering is on its way

As if by magic, a new Harry Potter cruise package designed for fans of all things Hogwarts will soon be hitting US shores.

It may have been well over a year since the final film in the Harry Potter series hit cinema screens and even longer since the last book was published, but it would appear that the marketing machine behind everyone's favourite wizard is showing little signs of slowing down.

The latest addition to the ever-expanding range of Harry Potter-themed experiences is a new five-night cruise aboard the Golden Princess liner.

Setting off from Los Angeles on November 27th, the package is currently priced at £415 per person, with the deal including food, accommodation and on-board entertainment.

Whimsic Alley is organising the cruise trip, with company founder Stan Goldin promising that fans will be left spellbound…so to speak.

"For the entire time they’re with us, they become students at a wizarding academy, subject to the challenges and ordeals inherent in that experience," he said.

The cruise is the latest movie-themed voyage to hit the high seas, following in the footsteps of such bizarre additions as the recent Saw film franchise cruise.

Five dead on Canary Islands cruise ship

La PalFootage shot from the cruise ship showed the lifeboat in the water

Five crew members have died after a lifeboat they were in fell from a cruise ship docked in the port of Santa Cruz de la Palma in the Canary Islands.

The accident happened on the Majesty, operated by UK-based Thomson Cruises, during a routine safety drill.

Those killed include three Indonesians, a Filipino and a Ghanaian. Three people were also hurt as the boat reportedly fell more than 20m into the sea.

The MS Thomson Majesty is believed to sail under a Maltese flag.

About 2,000 people were on board the cruise ship when the accident occurred around 12:00 GMT on Sunday, local media say.

Two of those injured are said to be Greek, and a third Filipino.

The UK Foreign Office said it was aware of the incident and was "urgently looking into it".

No passengers were involved, local reports say.

Thomson Cruises said in a statement that it was "aware of an incident involving the ship's crew on board Thomson Majesty, in La Palma, Canary Islands this afternoon".

"We are working closely with the ship owners and managers, Louis Cruises, to determine exactly what has happened and provide assistance to those affected," the statement added.

All of our thoughts and prays are with the crews family and loved ones, and the remaining crew who will be devastated by this accident. All Thomson's  Cruise ships should be safety checked before any sailings, and the ship owners Louis Cruise need to step up to the plate and compensate the family of the crew members, and pay for some needed repairs and up-dates. 

Rusting cruise ship 21st century makeover

Rusting cruise ship 21st century makeover

A clapped out cruiser has been given a vivid revamp

The disused wreck of the Duke of Lancaster cruise liner has been given a 21st century makeover by a group of aspiring street artists.

First grounded in the Dee Estuary in Flintshire, North Wales back in 1979, the liner has spent much of the last three decades developing into something of an eyesore for the local community.

But a group of graffiti artists recently took action, as the Metro reports, transforming the liner into a vibrant outdoor art gallery adorned with a series of Banksy-inspired images.

Street artists from Britain, Russia, Latvia and Hungary have all worked on the imaginative project, with eight different images created across the 18m high 14m wide rusting canvass.

Now motorists travelling the A548 coastal road between Flint and Prestatyn can enjoy the imaginative project first hand.

Speaking to the news provider, regular visitor Ian Cameron said: "I’m not a big fan of graffiti but I love what these chaps have done. They’ve really pushed the boat out!"

The world of art and cruises collided again last year, when Peter Max unveiled his vivid hull design for the new Norwegian Breakaway cruise liner.

Tui puts contingency plans in place for Dreamliner

By Phil Davies

Tui Travel has no plans to cancel its order for 13 Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

But the travel group is having to make contingency plans in case deliveries are delayed following trouble with batteries on 787s flown by Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways

Chief executive Peter Long said: "Our view is that this is the right airplane for us and we do not intend to change our order for the aircraft.

"We wait to see that these short-term issues are resolved with the regulatory authorities ... but we don't have visibility around how long that will take."

He spoke ahead of the US Federal Aviation Administration granting Boeing the go-ahead to carry out 787 test flights.

Tui hopes to introduce the aircraft in May and plans to operate the aircraft on long-haul routes from Manchester, Gatwick, Glasgow and East Midlands to destinations including Florida, Mexico, Barbados, Cuba, Kenya and Thailand.

Long said: "Our priority is running our own programme and we will have to determine whether this is going to happen in May. We are building contingency plans because we have to."

Regulators around the world grounded the new generation 787 in mid-January after a battery fire in Boston and a second incident involving a battery on a flight in Japan.

The FAA said the test flights will help collect data about battery performance "while the aircraft is airborne".

A Boeing spokesman said the information will "support the continuing investigations into the cause of the recent 787 battery incidents".

"We are confident that the 787 is safe to operate for this flight test activity," he added.

The FAA said it had asked Boeing to conduct extensive pre-flight testing and inspections and that the flights would be conducted "in defined airspace over unpopulated areas".

But the US National Transportation Safety Board said tests carried out by Boeing on Dreamliner batteries, when they were first certified, missed the high risk of fire.

The tests underestimated the frequency of "smoke events" in the lithium ion batteries.

NTSB chairman Deborah Hersman said that Boeing's safety checks suggested that a smoke event would occur less than once every 10 million flight hours.

However, 787s have only clocked up 100,000 hours of flight-time since entering commercial services, and have experienced two battery fires.

Hersman said that "the failure rate was higher than predicted as part of the certification process and the possibility that a short circuit in a single cell could propagate to adjacent cells and result in smoke and fire must be reconsidered".

Dreamliner probe could take weeks

By Phil Davies

It may take "weeks" to complete an investigation into battery problems that hit two Boeing 787 Dreamliners, according to the US National Transportation Safety Board.

A battery on a Japan Airlines 787 caught fire, while a malfunction forced an All Nippon Airways Dreamliner to make an emergency landing last month.

The incidents led to the grounding all 50 of the 787s in use. The NTSB said that the battery being used in the 787s may not necessarily be unsafe.

NTSB head Deborah Hersman said: "I would not want to categorically say that these batteries are not safe.

"Any new technology, any new design, there are going to be some inherent risks. The important thing is to mitigate them."

She added that the NTSB was "running through the macro level to the microscopic level on this battery". "But I think we are probably weeks away from being able to tell people here's what exactly happened and what needs to change."

A Boeing spokesman told the BBC the firm was "choosing not to comment on Ms Hersman's remarks as the matter was under active investigation".

Meanwhile, Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said problems with the 787 had done nothing to alter the airline’s orders and options for 50 Dreamliners.

He told broadcaster ABC in Australia: "We believe that Boeing are a great airline manufacturing company, they're a great engineering company and they will fix this problem eventually.

"They're still producing the aircraft, so the production line hasn't stopped. They have stopped delivering aircraft to customers.

"Our aircraft are due to arrive, the first one in August. We haven't been advised of any delay at this stage."

Tui reduces losses and grows share in Q1

By Phil Davies

Tui Travel’s underlying operating loss was cut by 15% in the three months to December as the group’s ‘unique’ holidays continue to drive increases in UK market share.

The operating loss reduced by £16 million to £93 million to give an underlying first quarter operating loss of £116 million.

Issuing first quarter results for the period ending December 31, Tui Travel reported “significant” continued growth in UK cumulative market share with summer 2013 up 4% and the key January booking period up 2%, gaining on the 7% increase in the same period last year.

Unique holiday bookings in the UK, Nordics and Germany increased by 15%, 10% and 6% year-on-year respectively for summer 2013.

Direct distribution sales in the UK for summer 2013 grew to 90% from 89% with online sales accounting for 37%, up by 1% over the same period a year earlier.

Tui claims its accommodation wholesaler business “continues to build a global leadership position” with total transaction value up by 9% for this summer, driven by Latin America and Asia where TTV is up by 23%.

The group reported strong current trading with winter 2012/13 83% sold with higher margins and average selling prices in key source markets.

Summer 2013 bookings in the UK and Nordics are up 9% and 10% respectively with margins ahead of the prior year in key source markets.

Chief executive Peter Long said: “We are pleased to report that our strong trading momentum has continued with particularly encouraging growth in the UK and Nordics.

“Our leading position in the UK has further benefited from increased market share as a result of higher demand for our unique holidays. Across all our key markets demand for the overseas holiday remains strong, despite the overall economic environment.

"We are confident that our customer focused strategy is driving performance and based on current trading we expect to be towards the top end of our roadmap guidance of 7 to 10% underlying operating profit growth for the 2013 financial year.”

Tui said: "Positive trading momentum continues for summer, with a third of mainstream summer holidays sold to date.

"Customer demand for our unique holidays has allowed us to increase capacity in the UK, Nordics and Germany. In the UK we have again increased our market share year on year as a result of increased demand for our unique holidays."

Tui Travel will issue a pre-close trading update on March 27.

Transformation plan starting to have impact, says Cook

By Lee Hayhurst

Thomas Cook said its business transformation plans were starting to have an impact as it announced higher margins in its first quarter to December.

The travel operator and retailer saw  revenues of £1,724 million in the three months to the end of December. And it achieved gross margin of 21.9%, up 1.3 percentage points over the comparable period last year, it said in a trading update.

The group said plans to achieve annual savings of £100 million over the next two years to 2015 were on track and a further £60 million of savings had been identifed.

Harriet Green, group chief executive, said she was particularly pleased with Cook’s UK performance.

“As we continue to strengthen Thomas Cook and determine our profitable growth strategy for the future, the power of our brand remains key to the transformation.

“We have seen stronger operating performances in our major markets - the UK, Germany and the Nordics. I am particularly pleased with the improved performance in the UK as the benefits of the turnaround plan are reflected in its operating results.

“Our business transformation is firmly on track. We have further strengthened our leadership team and the pace at which we are driving change gives me confidence that together we will achieve our near term objectives and much more.

“The business has generated higher gross margins than we did last year and this will remain an area of focus for us through the financial year.

“Our cost-out initiatives and improved cash management will be important contributing factors to the Group’s future performance and continue to receive strong focus in all parts of the business.

“Although global economic conditions and consumer confidence remain challenged, our business transformation is firmly on track.”

Cook said its Business Transformation programme was “firmly on track” to deliver on its three key elements:

• building an effective organisation: high quality executives, bringing a wealth of experience, appointed to the Thomas Cook leadership team;
• addressing costs and cash management: on track to execute announced £100m of cost reductions with a further £60m identified;
• profitable growth strategy: undertaken rigorous, and independently verified, market and customer research, to ensure strategy and future resource allocation is based on extensive and fact based information.

Cook said higher gross margins and lower overhead costs were reflected in the Group’s improved underlying operating which saw losses of £70 million compared to £93 million in 2012

It reported lower net debt of £1,559m, which had been reduced by £86m year on year and higher liquidity headroom of £290m, up £72m over the prior year due to improved cash management disciplines

In a statement it said: “Winter and Summer bookings are robust, in-line with expectations as our strategy of improved capacity management results in higher sale prices and improved margins."

Cook also revealed the completion of the first phase of “one of the largest customer surveys undertaken in the sector” involving nearly 18,000 consumers from the UK, Sweden and Germany. The survey results have been combined with in-house data from Cook’s 23 million annual customers.

“The results, along with a profitability analysis of the industry by internal and external experts, will be used to shape our business model and future strategy, as well as accelerating our web transformation to create a web centre of excellence with channel ownership in each of our market segments,” the group said.

Royal Caribbean ships named Quantum and Anthem of the Seas

By Tom Stieghorst

Royal Caribbean said it has named the two ships being built under the Project Sunshine program.

The ships will be called Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas. They will debut in the fall of 2014 and the spring of 2015, respectively.

Going forward, the ships will be known as the Quantum class.

The two ship names were among those filed on Nov. 2 with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Royal Caribbean said that with the release of the names, the first piece of steel has been cut at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, where both ships will be built. 

Norwegian to deploy two ships in Europe in winter 2014-15

By Tom Stieghorst

Norwegian Cruise Line said it will keep two ships in Europe in the winter of 2014-15.

Norwegian Jade will sail 7- and 10-day cruises in the eastern Mediterranean and an 11-day western Med itinerary.

Norwegian Spirit will offer 12-day Grand Mediterranean cruises and 10-day Canary Islands and Morocco itineraries.

The cruises are now on sale. 

The task of expanding cruising globally

By Tom Stieghorst

The biggest challenge for the cruise industry over the next decade may be the cultural one.

As cruise lines peer into the future, their prospects more than ever depend on countries where cruising is unfamiliar as a vacation option. The good news is that few people outside of North America have been on a cruise, meaning there's plenty of potential for growth. But in many countries it's still too early to tell if cruising is going to be a long-term hit with vacationers.

Cruising is largely an Anglo-American vacation. When the number of people who have cruised is measured against total population in various countries, the top four markets are the U.S., the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada. In all of these countries, more than 2% of the population has cruised.

Germans also appear to love to cruise.  Some of Carnival Corp.’s best performing ships sail for German brands.  The number of cruisers from Germany could overtake the total from the U.K. within five years, CLIA President Christine Duffy recently forecast.

Next comes Italy, home to Costa Cruises and MSC Cruises, but it produces only 4% of the world's passengers, notes a report from Stivel Nicholas analyst Steven Wieczynski. By comparison, according to Stivel Nicholas, Germany accounts for 6% of global passengers, and North America accounts for 75%.

“While passenger counts from the other major European markets, including Italy, Spain and France, continue to grow, overall market penetration remains subdued,” he wrote in a recent report.

In Asia, many Japanese travel abroad, but relatively few go cruising. Although Princess Cruises is taking another stab at developing the market in Japan, some cruise executives say the idea of a cruise hasn’t taken root in that country.

At a recent cruise conference in Hong Kong, Carnival Asia CEO Pier Luigi Foschi said the penetration rate for cruises in Japan is 0.08%, compared with about 3.4% in the U.S. In China, it is even lower, at 0.04%. 

To their credit, Carnival and other cruise companies are investing significant sums to experiment in Asia to figure out what kind of cruise might appeal to residents there.

The potential for gaining even a small part of the 80 million Chinese who traveled abroad last year is too tempting for the cruise lines to pass up. The challenge will be creating a cruise for the non-Anglo world that translates well into the local vacation culture.

Dreamliner problems force Japan Airlines route postponement

By Phil Davies

Japan Airlines (Jal) has been forced to postpone the launch of Helsinki-Tokyo flights due to the ongoing worldwide grounding of Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

The four-times-a-week service was due to start on February 25 but has been put on hold “in view of necessary adjustments to Jal's international routes utilising the Boeing 787 aircraft” since the US Federal Aviation Authority imposed the grounding following an emergency landing by an All Nippon Airways 787 on January 16.

Jal said: “The rescheduled date of opening of Jal's Narita-Helsinki service will be announced at a later time and customers with confirmed reservations on concerned flights will be informed about alternative options.

“Jal apologises to all customers and related parties for the inconvenience and concerns caused as a result of recent issues with the 787 fleet.”

Cruise lines “slash” prices for February

By Lee Hayhurst

Cruise lines are slashing prices in a bid to boost sales after what is understood to have been a disappointing January.

A series of agents and third parties including cruise.co.uk, Cruise 1st and Travelzoo have gone out today with e-alerts claiming prices have been “slashed”.

Operators had hoped to increase prices this year during the key early year wave booking period but Travel Weekly understands business has been slower than hoped.

While Travelzoo is advertising savings on a range of cruises worldwide, the more aggressive discounts and added-value deals are available on ex-UK Southampton sailings.

Cruise.co.uk sent an alert to its database today entitled “Southampton prices slashed”, indicating the lines had given up trying to drive higher prices.

Cruise 1st’s press release claims to have “slashed” Royal Caribbean prices sailing from the UK, with prices from £599 for seven nights in a balcony cabin, plus onboard spend.

The Travelzoo ‘newsflash’ is headlined: “Cruise Prices Slashed for Wave Season, Save up to 54%”.

Seamus Conlon, cruise.co.uk managing director, said: "The cruise lines have introduced new cheaper prices with restrictive conditions in order to boost sales."

Carnival UK sales director Giles Hawke denied the move was a reaction to poor sales in January. "As we often do, we have a small amount of residual stock left on some early season cruises.

“For 2013 so far, we're happy with our rate of sale and our yield. The prices we're now putting into the market are not significantly different to what we had in the market last year.

“The new cheaper prices carry different terms and conditions so consumers can chose to have flexibility at the higher fare or pay in full with lower flexibility for the lower fare."

Carnival’s P&O Cruises and Cunard brands introduced a new pricing structure this year in which early booking Vantage Fares were meant to offer the best value and late Getaway Fares, while possibly cheaper, offered less flexibility.

Most of the major lines have cut commission to travel agents in the last year, Carnival the most aggressively to just 5%, from up to 15%.

Today Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises, which are paying 10%, unveiled “double incentives for agents and enticing new offers for customers”.

Royal Caribbean’s ‘Going, Going, Gone’ campaign is offering 3,000 14-night cruises at £999 per person, and 1,000 six to eight night cruises at £599 per person, from Southampton.

A Royal Caribbean announcement said agents will receive a £20 Lifestyle voucher for every 2013 booking made in February on cruises sailing from Southampton.

In addition, for any cruise booking made before February 28, agents will be entered into a daily prize draw to win one of five £100 Love to Shop vouchers.

Celebrity Cruises’ ‘123 Go!’ campaign allows customers to choose from one of three offers - free drinks worth up to $1400 per stateroom, free coach transfer or car parking in Southampton or $300 to spend onboard.

The offer is valid on all 2013 Celebrity Eclipse sailings departing from Southampton, in all stateroom categories, and also ends on February 28.

Agents will also receive a £20 Lifestyle voucher for every 2013 booking they make on Celebrity Eclipse sailings departing from the UK and sold in February.

In addition the Great Apple Giveaway has been extended until the end of February. Agents can win weekly giveaways of iPhone 5s and iPad minis, plus a grand prize of a stylish MacBook Air.

Welcome to Stockholm - the Capital of Scandinavia!

Welcome to Stockholm - the Capital of Scandinavia!   Stockholm, one of the most beautiful capitals in the world, is built on 14 islands connected by 57 bridges. The beautiful buildings, the greenery, the fresh air and the proximity to the water are distinctive traits of this city. The Royal National City Park, (the first National City Park in the world), is a green space that breathes for the city, and a constant presence in the crush of the city. With its 750 year history and rich cultural life, Stockholm offers a wide selection of world-class museums and attractions. Most of the city's attractions can be reached on foot, and there’s a good chance of experiencing a lot of things in a short time. Experience big-city life, the history of civilization and natural scenery, all in the course of the same day. Visit Stockholm City Hall. Climb the City Hall tower for a fantastic view of Stockholm. Don't miss Gamla Stan, Stockholm's oldest attraction and one of the best preserved medieval city centers in the world. Walk through small winding streets lined with stores full of handicrafts, antiques, art galleries and cafés. The Royal Palace and Stockholm Cathedral are also located in Gamla Stan. The green island of Djurgården is home to some of the city's most popular attractions. Visit the world-famous warship the Vasa, the world’s oldest open-air museum Skansen, or Astrid Lindgren’s Junibacken. And don't miss the chance to see Stockholm from the water. Naturally a city built on fourteen islands offers marvelous views over the water. There are many different sightseeing tours to choose from. And if fourteen islands aren’t enough, Stockholm offers a wonderful archipelago with 30,000 islands, islet rocks and skerries. Read our pick of the Top 10! The Stockholm Cruise Network has been specially created for cruise passengers staying here for short periods of 24 - 72 hours. Most cruise ships are able to dock right in the city center with historic sights, attractions and shopping areas all within easy reach. ABBA The Museum to open in 2013 Walk in. Dance out. That is the tagline of the new ABBA museum opening next spring. Björn Ulvaeus, member of the iconic 70's pop group ABBA, announced at a press conference that ABBA The Museum will open in April/May 2013. The new museum will be integrated with the previously announced Swedish Music Hall of Fame on the island of Djurgården, Stockholm. Take a look at a showcase video > Want to find out more? Order a brochure today >

The perfect day in Stockholm Royal Splendour How do you spend one perfect day in Stockholm during your cruise? Or two perfect days before or after? Read the Avid Cruiser's guide to Stockholm, with recommendations of eight hotels as well as what to see and do. Also why not explore the great benefits of the Stockholm card, including free admission to 80 museums and attractions. Read More The Swedish royal family is hotter than ever. Why not add a little royal splendor to your Stockholm visit? Take the boat out to beautiful Drottningholm Palace, discover armor and jewels at the Royal Armory, or view the art collection of “the painting prince”, Prince Eugen.   Read More Trade Shows in Stockholm this Spring  Stockholm Card highlights: Art & Design It’s that time of the year when we want to know what's fresh and new. That means there are plenty of fairs and trade shows to point out the trends of the new year. Here are some up-coming events!   Read More Maybe you’ve heard of Moderna Museet and the National Museum, but these attractions are only the tip of the iceberg. If you love contemporary art, photography, design and architecture you have come to the right place.   Read More