Cruising From Stockholm

Once you land in Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport, you have several choices to get yourself to the city center and your hotel. You can buy tickets using a credit card from the machines pictured above. Continue Reading »

E Street Band Meets The Grand, originally uploaded by Ralph Grizzle.

Clarence Clemons of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band getting into the car at Stockholm’s Grand Hotel, a popular hotel for pre- and post-cruise stays in Sweden’s capital. Springsteen performed in Stockholm for three nights.

On my first trip to Stockholm several years ago, I checked in at my hotel, obtained a key card and went happily trotting off to my room. I inserted the key, opened the door and observed, with some surprise, a young woman undressing.

She smiled and said, “I’ve been expecting you.”

What will Stockholm hotels think of next, I thought to myself.

She pointed to the television screen, where I could see my name, “Welcome to our hotel Mr. Grizzle.”

She explained that she had called reception only minutes earlier to request a late check out. Somewhere the lines of communications got crossed and she and I were double-booked – at least until she could leave. Obviously, this would not work, and so I apologized for barging in on her and returned to the front desk for another room.

I’ve returned to Stockholm many times, and I’ve stayed in a fair number of hotels. Not once since my first visit, however, has my room rate included a beautiful, scantily clad woman, but nonetheless, it never fails to impress me all that is included in a room rate. Continue Reading »