Prevue March/April 2013 - (Page 20)

sea shores CRUISING SWEDEN & BEYOND Book cool programs at sea from eight hours to eight days. Few people realize that Stockholm is the only capital city in Europe located on numerous islands surrounded by an archipelago stretching for tens of thousands of islands. Naturally this makes it one of Europe’s most spectacular cruising destinations for groups, whether you’re booking an 8-hour day trip or 8-day itinerary to St. Petersburg, Russia. The experience is more accessible than ever for West Coast U.S. attendees, because Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) is launching direct service six times weekly from San Francisco to Copenhagen on April 8. This is the first direct flight to Scandinavia from the West, and SAS operates many quick flights from Copenhagen to Stockholm. We spoke with Pauline Risbecker Kim from Risbecker International DMC in Sweden to learn more about group cruise opportunities. Prevue: Pauline, tell us about your cruise programs. Pauline Risbecker Kim: Even though the archipelago includes 30,000 islands, it doesn’t take that long to see a lot of things. We can do overnight cruises or a shorter cruise during the day. What I would suggest is to go to one of the abandoned fortresses on a steam ship. It’s a true experience of the Swedish culture…. The maximum amount of people per group would be about 100 overnight and 300 for a day trip. Where do groups visit for the overnight cruise? Where do the longer cruises go? Sandhamn is an island in the archipelago towards Finland. It translates as “Sand Harbor.” There are very nice hotels on the island with fantastic views of the archipelago and the marina. Do you host a significant amount of U.S. groups? Yes, we host many U.S. groups. The nature experience is very unique in this area. That’s what they like the most because of the beautiful landscape and the different wildlife they see on the cruise…. For Stockholm, they say that it’s a beautiful, safe city that is easy to get around and partake in many activities involving nature. They want to live here! You get the best of the both worlds in Stockholm. It’s a great cultural experience with wonderful restaurants and high quality accommodations, but you can also enjoy the wildlife of Sweden. You start in Stockholm and then travel out through the archipelago and to Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Riga and Tallinn. That’s the most popular trip for U.S. groups because it gives them a true impression of Scandinavia. [And] they’re always blown away by the many things they see in St. Petersburg. And Stockholm’s new ABBA Museum opens in May? Yes, and it’s going to be really interactive. For instance, there is a red phone inside that only the original members of ABBA have the phone number to. That way, if it rings, you can talk to a band member! It’s going to be really cool. visitsweden.com; risbecker.se “That’s the most popular trip because it gives them a true impression of Scandinavia.” 20 | prevue magazine http://www.visitsweden.com http://www.risbecker.se

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Prevue March/April 2013

Planner's Pick: Miami
Fresh Meets: Renaissance Hotels
Bureau Buzz: Austin
Good Business: Washington, DC
Sea Shores: Cruising Sweden
Feelin' Good About Incentives
Special Section: California
On Location: JW Marriott Desert Springs
Caribbean & The Bahamas
On Location: U.S. Virgin Islands
On Location: Aruba
On Location: Omni Amelia Island
The South: Best of Golf & Spa
On Location: Fairmont Scottsdale
On Location: W Singapore
Austria
Ireland
On Location: Mexico City
On Location: Starwood Los Cabos
On Location: Universal Orlando
On Location: Villas of Grand Cypress, Orlando
Check Out: Alpina Gstaad, Switzerland
Club Med

Prevue March/April 2013