LIVE from the Regal- 5.21.18! The Tale of 3 Princesses, the Baltic, and Suite Destiny

[red919]

Many thanks from yet another loyal follower who's been really enjoying your blog. I'll be doing the same itinerary in July and reading of your many adventures is making me all the more excited. :D

 

Cheers to you and may you enjoy the rest of your cruise. Looking forward to reading all about it!! :D:champagne-toast::hot-beverage:

 

 

ps....added the coffee cup as I remember you don't drink and love your awesome coffee ordering skills. :cool:

[Sparkklie]

Thank you so much for letting me enjoy your trip with you. I am somewhat new to cruising but with my youngest being 18 and graduating, I am ready to ramp up my cruising.

[azbirdmom]

Thank you so much, Coral!

 

Here is an interesting tidbit... Nancy is staying in the same cabin as P2 and me! We are leaving little items for her!

 

 

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Maybe you should leave some spare clothes for her. She still wasn't packed as of earlier today and she is leaving today!

[IECalCruiser]

The Tale of 3 Princesses is almost over with just one more sea day after Stockholm [emoji22]

 

 

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[Camelia-]

Many thanks from yet another loyal follower who's been really enjoying your blog. I'll be doing the same itinerary in July and reading of your many adventures is making me all the more excited. :D

 

Cheers to you and may you enjoy the rest of your cruise. Looking forward to reading all about it!! :D:champagne-toast::hot-beverage:

 

 

ps....added the coffee cup as I remember you don't drink and love your awesome coffee ordering skills. :cool:

 

Add me to the list of enthralled followers! It's so much fun to read about your adventures and I really appreciate the small details that you provided - they are so useful to know before you get there. Truthfully I've always preferred cruising in the other direction - Spain, France and Italy and the Baltic cruise has not been too high on my list for some reason but having read your blog I can tell you that it has definitely moved UP considerably! Thanks for that!!

[busterfla]

Following every post, enjoying and reliving the Baltic cruise from two years ago.

[PescadoAmarillo]

The Tale of 3 Princesses is almost over with just one more sea day after Stockholm [emoji22]

Well that’s sad to hear. Like everyone else, I’ve been avidly checking for updates at least twice a day. I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed someone else’s cruise quite so much!

[miagirl]

I've been so enjoying your posts as well. Our original plans for July fell through, thanks to my TA who blew final payment - I was on trial so am excused for missing it. I spent a desperate day trying to put everything back together, so with just a month I'm putting together our plans for our Baltic cruise, RT Dover to St. Petersburg. Thank you so much for blogging/posting!

 

p.s. Hi to J & G from Nan and Anthony :D

[EleanorNoway]

Hey Tracie! Just to let you know I'm following everyday with a smile on my face! Love your blog and descriptions! I found you here first time with your Singapore trip. My DH and family will be cruising 12 days Tokyo to Singapore in December. So I took copious notes on Singapore since we will be staying there for 4 days post cruise. Thank you so much for sharing your adventure with us! Safe travels!

E

[cdngrl]

i'm here too! i was away for a quick week to alaska and am catching up on your escapades. you are so much fun! i was in the baltics last summer and no way could i do a tour until 2:30 am and get up 3 hours later! i'd do a faceplant right in norman's lap!

edit: i did not mean for that sentence to sound dirty!

[TracieABD]

Hi friends.

I know I am a couple days behind. I am actually on the flight home now. I promise to play Stockholm and the last sea day, as I have plenty of time to write.

 

I will not sleep on the plane.

I will not sleep on the plane.

I will not sleep on the plane.

I will not sleep on the plane.

 

Anyone up for another cup of coffee???

 

Tracie Lynn. :)

 

 

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[JoRoy218]

Thoroughly enjoying all your posts and following Fungirl on FB. As a result, we are now planning a Baltic trip for next year. We were on the Regal for a New England cruise and loved her! Safe travels home.

[sawtooth]

Thanks Tracie for taking the time to share the fun.

Deborah

[dickinson]

Thanks Tracie! Enjoyed everything so far and looking forward to the end. Safe travels.

[DebbieMacG]

Thanks for a great live review 😀we boarded Regal princess today and it was great to read about your adventures on the lead up to our own holiday! We’re just about to sail away now (late as we were waiting for some passengers) muster is done, we’re unpacked, sanctuary is booked and we are about to enjoy a lovely relaxing 11 nights.

[Mom33]

Just caught up on this delightful itinerary. Thanks for another witty and informational report Tracie..

 

 

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[clancy06]

Tracie just wanted to let you know how much we have enjoyed following your blog, We will be on the Regal 12 June sailing and are even more excited after following your adventure, hope you catch up on your sleep and are able to post about the last couple days of your cruise.

 

Margo

[TracieABD]

May 30, 2018

Stockholm, Sweden

Hi Honey... I’m home!!!

 

Hi Friends!

 

For anyone who has ever talked to me for more than 5 minutes, you will quickly learn that I am of Swedish descent. Seven of eight great grandparents are from Sweden (not sure about that pesky 1/8th....). I am really proud of this, as were my parents. Even though I have only visited Sweden, it really does feel a little like home. Growing up, we observed lots of Swedish customs and traditions. I have always had a “blue and yellow” room in my house. Currently, I have two. It is much less tacky than it sounds.... I swear!

 

With all of that said, this was one of the most disappointing ports for me- not because it was Sweden- but we because we only docked from 7 am to 2 pm- with a 1:30 pm all-aboard. There is good reason for this- if we were to stay longer, we would have had to port in Nynashamn- which is an hour away from Stockholm... So there is a trade-off, I guess. I wish we had a full day there tho. Also, nothing is really happening until 10 am.

 

Paige and I disembarked a bit before 8 am- and quickly purchased the HoHo option. There are two HoHo’s- a red and a green. They seemed to work in concert with one another. There are two modes of transportation- HoHo bus and HoHo boat. You can purchase either one or both. We purchased the twofer, but I should have really just purchased the boat- I never did use the bus option. The cost for the boat is 220 SEK, 320 SEK for the bus, and 450 SEK for both. We received a 10% discount because P2 is the HoHo queen! (Ummmmm.... that is not a moral indictment. I swear!) You can grab either HoHo just as you exit the ship.

 

The boat was not actually starting the 9 stop loop around the harbour until 10 am (See????), but it was running a ferry service to the Gamla Stan- which is Stockholm’s Old Town. We were dropped at the Royal Palace which is a rather plain but large building. It is no longer inhabited by the Royal family, so there was no invitation to breakfast or anything... There should have been- Paige and I are princesses after all!

 

We walked up a block to the Gamla Stan to window shop. I purchased a cup of coffee. If you do go in early, I would recommend the Swedish tradition of Fika (fee-ka), which is coffee and a pastry. It costs about 50 SEK ($5 US). I did not do it, as I could not settle down- but it is a lovely morning treat.

 

P2 had not been to Stockholm before so she and I parted ways- with her heading to the Vasa Museum and me staying in the Gamla Stan to shop. I power walked until 10 am when the shops began to open. I did find some wonderful purchases. A couple of textiles and a little ring. After I exhausted all of the options in the Gamla Stan, I walked east toward the Stroget (walking/shopping street). While the Gamla Stan hosts more touristy shops, the Stroget is where the locals shop- with Zara, H&M, Flying Tiger, etc.... I walked the entire Stroget- and then made my way back to where I was originally dropped by the HoHo boat. I “hopped on” and took the narrated loop around the harbour. The company provides headphones, and you plug them into the table- and select your language. There is a HoHo boat every 10 minutes.

 

My original plan was to visit Skansen which is accessible by HoHo boat, but there just was not enough time. Hence the disappointing part.

 

When I reached the cruise ship, I had about a 50 meter walk to get on the ship. I headed directly to Alfredos for some salad and pasta- then returned to the room. Normally, I am really glad to get to the ship, but not this time. The best part of visiting Sweden is that people speak Swedish to me- like I am a native... Of course, I don’t speak Swedish, but this offers confirmation of my genetics!

 

After lunch, I hung out in the room with Paige until it was time for dinner... one of my favourite nights! Italian night!!! It is only fitting that it was Italian Night on the Swedish port day. Note there is NEVER a Swedish night... and there never should be... It should be noted that there are approximately 17,000,000 Italian restaurants to every one Swedish restaurant- for good reason. Swedish food is awful. Like really really awful. The eat stuff like lutefisk. Ewwww... this is fish that has been dried to the hardness of granite on the Moh’s scale. Then it is reconstituted by soaking it in lye. Yep. You heard me correctly... lye.... that stuff that burned a hole in Brad Pitt’s hand in Fight Club. The lye breaks down all of the protein in the fish and renders it a big old gelatinous mess. Yep- fish jello. Ewwwwwww. So, while I am very proud to be of Swedish descent- I am not in any way, shape, or form interested in the food.

 

After dinner, we just sort of packed it in for the day- and Paige actually began to pack... Packing is evil. Princess is evil... they lure you in with their wily ways- and just when you get comfortable- they throw you off the ship!

 

Both of us made it an early bed time- in preparation for our last sea day. You’ve got to be well rested for that stuff!

 

Anyone want a little extra Parmesan cheese for your Arribiata?

 

Tracie-Lynn :)

 

 

 

 

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[RetrieverBeliever]

Tracie, thank you so much for taking us all along on your journey. It has been a blast. I am on an August sailing, but we port in Nynashamn. All your information has been so greatly appreciated. I too share your Swedish Heritage with both of my grandparents on my father's side having been born there (mother's side Mayflower cruisers - John Alden/Priscilla Mullins - that's me). While my grandmother was a fabulous cook, I totally agree some of the food is just awful. When my grandmother would bring to the table some of those "Swedish treasurers", us younger generation would high tail it out of there. My dad on the other hand just loves the stuff! Thanks again for all your postings, and of course also following along with Paige on Facebook. Susan

[IECalCruiser]

But Tracie-Lynn, the positive of docking in Stockholm rather than Nynashamn is the opportunity to sail though the beautiful Stockholm Archipelago [emoji846][emoji846]

 

 

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[Cairn Mom]

I enjoyed following your adventures and reliving that cruise. Welcome back to the US.

 

 

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[Crzn-Life]

Truly enjoyed your posts. Brought back some wonderful memories of our Baltic cruises the first of which was also on the Regal. That was Regal 1 (with the dome) which we liked ever so much more than the current Regal.

[sunsetbeachgal]

I’m so sorry Stockholm was a short port time, but as wisely said by IEcalcruiser at least you got to sail through the beautiful archipelago. We did a second Baltic cruise a few years ago and found a cruise on Holland America that did an overnight with two full days in Stockholm. It was incredible to see everything we wanted at a relaxed pace. Hopefully you’ll get back there!!

 

 

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[caribill]

With all of that said, this was one of the most disappointing ports for me- not because it was Sweden- but we because we only docked from 7 am to 2 pm- with a 1:30 pm all-aboard. There is good reason for this- if we were to stay longer, we would have had to port in Nynashamn- which is an hour away from Stockholm... So there is a trade-off, I guess. I wish we had a full day there tho. Also, nothing is really happening until 10 am.

 

 

Several years ago when we docked in Stockholm, the ship was there from 10 AM until 5 PM, the same number of hours that you were there. Of course being there starting at 10 meant things were open when we disembarked.

 

Our previous day was at sea and the following day was at Helsinki if that makes a difference in the schedule for being in Stockholm.

[red919]

Hi Tracie,

 

Thanks again for your wonderful posts and glad to hear you made it home safely. :D

 

Please say they're not over as I'm still eagerly waiting to hear about your last sea day....:cool:

 

Thanks again!:D