Sweden (Nynashamn)
Trip Summary
Nynashamn was fourth port on our summer 11-day Scandinavia and Russia cruise my husband and I (and his family) took onboard the Regal Princess. Originally, my husband and I had booked the Stockholm by Rooftop & Gamla Stan tour, but the tour was cancelled due to not enough people signing up for it. The cruise line would not refund our money–instead, we had to choose a different excursion, and at this point, some of only spots left open were for the RIB Boat Adventure, so we signed up for that instead.
This would mean that we would not see Stockholm (it is an hour away from the cruise port) because the excursion left out of Nynashamn. I was a little disappointed that we couldn’t see the city and that our new excursion was more expensive and for a much shorter time frame (2.5 hours vs. 6 hours), but the day still ended up being a lot of fun and one of the better excursions we took through the ship.
This was also the first day the sun actually came out! The whole cruise had been cold and rainy which meant that good pictures were hard to come by and that we had to layer on our coats to keep warm even in the early summer. But imagine our delight when the skies cleared and gave us its beautiful (and very welcome) warmth!
Our tour group (a small one with only 12 people) met us near the cruise dock, and we were surprised to see bags and bags of clothing and equipment already out. The boat captain pointed to them and told us to suit up! As soon as we were all ready, we would head out on the boat!
In the bags were wind suits and as we pulled on the pants and jackets over our clothes, we couldn’t help but laugh, because they were extremely big so we felt like stuffed penguins every time we waddled around in our full gear.
Once the captain did a safety check and made sure everyone had on the right clothes, lifejackets, and goggles, he welcomed us all aboard. Most of the seats were in the back, but the boat would go very fast, he said, so make sure that you sit somewhere where you can hold onto something! Then he set a hand on a single bench in the front of the boat. The most turbulence is up here, he said. Only the brave can sit here!
My husband and I didn’t even need to say anything–we just smirked at each other and made a beeline for those seats! Luckily, no one else wanted them, and as the boat’s engine started up, we headed off to our destination–Oja Island.
I had never been on a RIB boat, so initially, I thought the gear was a bit excessive. Waddling around in oversized clothes, goggles, and lifejackets felt a bit much, but as soon as the boat reached full speed, I could see the reason why the gear was necessary! My husband and I really had to hold on to avoid being bumped out of our seats, and the air which was nice and warm only moments ago was cold now that the wind was whipping at us at top speed! The goggles that I had thought were ridiculous were actually protecting our faces from being wind-whipped, and even as we slowed down when approaching the island, I could feel my face pulsing from the ride. What an adventure!
Oja Island is gorgeous and as soon as we set foot on the island, we were mesmerized by Landsort Lighthouse.
The tour group was allowed to explore the entire lighthouse, so it was fun to explore inside and peek out through the windows.
We could also explore the island a bit, so we wandered around the streets and looked around the little shops.
Soon enough, though, it was time to go back to the boat for the journey back to Nynashamn. On the return trip, though, the ship’s captain took the boat through the archipelago, and that was pretty. Then, we set off at break-neck speed back to the port! This time, I happily donned my goggles and gear, because I knew the wind’s power was not to be questioned!
When we got back to the dock, we took off all our layers, packed them back in the bags, and bid our farewells. It was a fun trip, and tour gets good marks for its small group size, friendly captain, and beautiful itinerary. It is an expensive tour, though, and only lasts for a short time compared to all the other ship tours, so you don’t get as much for your money, so just know that if you decide to book.
Princess Cruise’s RIB Boat Adventure Tour: A-
We had a little bit of time left before everyone had to be back on the ship, so we wandered around Nynashamn a bit and found a cafe with wifi, so we sat at one of the outside tables, caught up on our emails, and enjoyed the glorious sun.
However, the gloriousness of the day wasn’t over when we got back on the ship. Late that night, we passed under the Oresund Bridge. My husband and I were actually asleep in our cabin (it was near eleven at night), and my father-in-law called us and told us to look outside on the balcony.
And there it was–the huge bridge that connected Sweden and Denmark–and the sun was still very much out so we could see how far the bridge stretched across the water. An amazing sight!
Favorite Experiences
The entire day (and night) were fun, but I think the moment of surprise when the RIB boat first hit top speed on its way to Oja Island was my favorite. The boat is a very small one, so I was not expecting it to go as fast as it did or the ride to be as perilous! But it was a fun time, and I am glad that my husband and I decided to sit up front because when we weren’t laughing at how hard we had to hold on in order not to be thrown off, we were enjoying the beautiful scenery before us.
What I Wish I Knew
I don’t think there is much we could have done differently. I do wish Princess Cruises gave us more warning that our tour would be cancelled because we did not have a lot of options left by that time. Had we known earlier, we could have looked into other tours, including those not offered by the cruise line.
I would have brought cooler clothes, too, because it got hot under the wind suits when you weren’t on the boat. Most of the tour group took off their wind suits on Oja Island but then had to carry all their equipment everywhere they went, so it became a bit of a hassle. So if it seems like a nice day when you go, wear something with short sleeves at least, because otherwise, you’ll be uncomfortable when walking around the island, hot and having to carry around all your gear.
There are lots of things to do, so if you think you will visit this port, be sure to visit this forum here and here and this information page here. It is a lovely place, and I am so glad we visited!
I also post reels and TikToks regularly of all the places I’ve reviewed on here, so if you want to see some videos of what to expect, check out my social media here:
TikTok: @touristyteacher
Instagram: @touristyteacher
Facebook: @touristyteacher
Happy travels!
