Après avoir largement utilisé le forum pour préparer nos précédentes croisières , je me lance dans mon tout 1er compte rendu ... je détaillerai plus les escales que le bateau.
Mardi 26/06 : après avoir rendu notre voiture de location à Roissy , nous avons rejoint Le havre en bus Flixbus ( 60€ l'AR pour nous 3 ) , très pratique , arrivée à la gare routière du havre vers 15h30 , taxi vers le terminal (8€) , embarquement facile et rapide , nous étions sur le bateau vers 16h15 . Nous connaissions déjà l' Orchestra et le Musica , mais le Magnifica m'a paru plus propre , plus classe et plus neuf . Attention aux horaires des repas , 1er service à 17h45 et 2ème service à 20h15 ... au départ nous avions demandé le 1er service , on a été placé d'office au 2ème et heureusement ...
Mercredi 27/06 : en mer
Jeudi 28/06 : Leixoes/Porto . Nous sommes arrivés avec beaucoup d'avance .Normalement l'escale était prévue à14h00, le daily annonçait 12h00 et nous avons accosté à10h00 . Nous sommes descendus vers 10h30 , avons rejoint le métro tout proche , ligne A , arrêt Matoshinhos Sud . Un peu compliqué pour les billets , nous avons acheté la carte Andante chargée de 2 voyages ( 3.80€) pour l'AR vers le centre ville . Une carte par personne ( à priori pas de carte partagée à plusieurs ) . Les contrôles sont fréquents et les amendes salées ( selon les dires d'une dame sur le quai )... et à peine montés nous sommes contrôlés ... Environ 25 mn de trajet pour rejoindre le centre / arrêt Trindade. Nous nous sommes bien promenés et avons pu voir ce que nous avions prévu mais les 4h d'escale supplémentaires ont bien été utiles . Nos voisins de table ont utilisé le bus hop on hop off à la sortie du terminal ( 30€ pour2 adultes et 2 enfants) . Ils en ont été très contents sauf qu'au retour le bus les a laissés loin du terminal , pas du tout au même endroit qu'au départ , et comme ils étaient un peu juste ils se sont fait un peu peur !
Vendredi 29/06 : Lisbonne / Terminal de Santa Apolonia . Nous avions réservé la visite guidée de la ville avec Carlos Pires de Lisbonne Autrement ( 120€ pour nous 3 ). C'était parfait . la journée a été optimisée au maximum de sorte que nous avons eu un aperçu assez complet de la ville avec des explications ( historiques , politiques , économiques ...) vraiment intéressantes . Retour au bateau pile à l'heure à 16h30 , sous la pluie ...
Samedi 30/06 : Cadix . Très peu de distance entre le terminal et la vieille ville . Balade agréable , nous sommes montés à la Torre Tavira , vue magnifique et la chambre noire c'est sympa . Les magasins fermant entre 13h00 et 14h00 , nous sommes remontés sur le bateau vers 14h 30 , sous la pluie ...
Dimanche 01/07 : Malaga . Nous avions réservé de longue date l'excursion MSC à l'Alhambra ( l'excursion n'était plus disponible à bord ) . Nous avons partagé le bus avec des italiens et la visite guidée avec des allemands . Petit cafouillage à l'arrivée ( pour reconstituer les groupes justement , cela a pris presque 1h ...) . Très belle visite bien sûr .
Lundi 02/07 : en mer . Météo plus que mitigée , heureusement qu'il y avait les matchs pour occuper les fins de journée !
Mardi 03/07 : La Corogne. Alors là , 20°C et un bon petit crachin ... Nous sommes restés à la Corogne , nous avons rejoint la tour d'hercule par le bus n°5 à la sortie du terminal(1.30€ le trajet) . Attention les tickets pour la tour s'achètent tout en bas avant la montée vers la tour . Pas de possibilité d'acheter les tickets au bas de la tour . Du coup certaines personnes ont renoncé à la montée. Belle vue . Retour à pied à travers la ville . Balade et shopping sous une pluie fine ... A noter, à la sortie du terminal les taxis proposaient le tour de la ville pour 40 € et St Jacques de Compostelle pour 120€ ( pour 4 personnes maximum) .
Mercredi 04/07 : en mer.
Jeudi 05/07 : Amsterdam . Notre escale préférée . Temps magnifique . Arrivée normalement prévue à 15h00 , nous avons accosté à 10h00 et avons pu descendre dés midi ! Nous avons tout fait à pied ( mais nombreux tram et bateau hop on hop off prés de la gare) . Nous avons d'abord pris le ferry gratuit ( face à la gare) pour rejoindre l'attraction "This is Holland" (expérience de vol en 5D au dessus de la Hollande) . Nous avons adoré. Ensuite nous avons visité le musée "Ons Lieve Heer op Solder " ( Le bon Dieu dans le grenier ) dans le quartier Rouge .Vraiment intéressant et quelle surprise de découvrir cette église dans le grenier . Même notre fils de 12 ans a aimé ... L'audioguide est efficace et inclus dans le tarif d'entrée . Ensuite nous avons continué notre promenade vers le marché aux fleurs et le Béguinage . Nous sommes remontés sur le bateau vers 20h00 pour déposer nos achats et finalement nous sommes redescendus manger à l'extérieur.
Vendredi 06/07 :en mer .
Samedi 07/07 : Hambourg / Terminal d'Altona. J'avais très envie d'aller à Lubeck en train mais finalement nous sommes restés à Hambourg et nous ne l'avons pas regretté . Nous avons décidé de prendre le métro/ SBahn . Nous avons rejoint la gare d'Altona à pied ( compter quand même 30mn de marche mais quartier agréable ). Évidemment nous aurions pu prendre le bus 111 à la sortie du terminal , dans un sens il va à la gare d'Altona et dans l'autre sens vers le centre ville . Donc à la gare d'Altona nous avons pris le SBahn 1 jusqu'à la Hauptbahnof . De là nous avons rejoint la Mairie , en chemin visite de l'église St Petri , puis direction l'incontournable Miniatur Wunderland (compter au moins 1h30 de visite mais nos voisins de table y sont resté 4h !) . Très bien mais beaucoup de monde . Ensuite visite du musée automobile Prototyp ( modèles rares essentiellement de marque Porsche) . Belle promenade dans le quartier de Hafencity et la zone des Entrepôts ( Speicherstadt ) puis église St Michaelis et le Repperbahn où nous avons pris à nouveau le SBahn1 et le bus 111 pour le retour au terminal .
Dimanche 08/07 : en mer , beau temps , formalités d'immigration en vue de notre arrivée en Grande Bretagne .
Lundi 09/07 : Southampton . J'avais réservé depuis longtemps l'excursion MSC à Windsor , nous avions déjà les tickets et finalement elle a été annulée la veille faute de participants en français ... restait éventuellement en Allemand et Italien ...Nous avons préféré annuler . Du coup il a fallu se réorganiser sans avoir rien préparé . Finalement , nous avons partagé un taxi direction Londres avec nos voisins de table ( 300 livres , nous étions 7 ) .Arrivée à Londres un peu avant11h00 . Nous avons eu la très mauvaise idée de prendre le bus hop on op off : à éviter absolument , cher et ne sert à rien à cause du trafic intense ! Nous sommes finalement descendus du bus et avons tout fait ( enfin ce que l'on a pu avec le temps qu'il nous restait !!) à pied ...90 livres de perdues ...Sinon en chemin nous sommes tombés sur une exposition (gratuite) d'avions de la R.A.F. ( le lendemain c'était la commémoration des 100 ans de la R.A.F.) . Les 2 hommes et les 2 garçons étaient très contents!. Départ de Londres à16h00 et retour au terminal à 18h30. A noter qu'il y a une navette gratuite à la sortie du terminal vers le centre de Southampton . Ce n'est pas une navette MSC et ce n'est pas vraiment bien signalé non plus .Nos autres voisins de table l'ont utilisée mais l'ont découverte totalement par hasard .
Mardi 10/07 : Le Havre . Descente du bateau à 8h45 , nous étions à la gare à 9H15 . Taxi (10€) partagé avec un couple américain . Puis retour vers Roissy en bus .
En conclusion une très belle croisière ! La seule fausse note , l'annulation de l'excursion à Windsor et cette histoire de bus à arrêts multiples à Londres ...
N'hésitez pas si vous avez des questions !
Bonjour ,
Non , nous n’avions pas réservé de taxi . Il y en avait plusieurs à la gare du Havre le jour de l’embarquement. Et les taxis du Havre sont particulièrement sympathiques , en tout cas les 2 sur lesquels nous sommes tombés !
Je suis revenue hier de cette croisière. Pour une fois, je ferai un compte-rendu assez court, enfin plus court que d’habitude, car c’est une croisière qui ne…
Nous revenons de croisière sur le tout dernier fleuron de MSC le MAGNIFICA au départ de Venise le 17.04 vers Istambul qui porte légitimement son nom. En effet,…
De retour de croisière sur le Magnifica. Nous étions en suite ambiance Aurea. Notre parcours était le suivant: Le 30 Gènes Le 31 Barcelone Le 1er en mer Le 2…
Tout juste de retour de croisière, du 11 au 22 août sur le MSC magnifica, je tenais à vous faire partager mon impression... Cela devait être un "voyage de…
Nous avions décidé de partir deux jours plus tôt, en faisant une halte à Berlin, afin de profiter de cette croisière pour découvrir cette ville. Départ de Nice…
Nous recherchons un groupe de personne disponible pour partager une excursion en direction de la route des trolls.
Nous avons contacté un prestataire local
Qui nous propose un tarif de :
- 6325 nok pour 4 personnes
- 6874 nok pour 5 à 8 personnes
N hésitez pas à nous contacter pour échanger sur le sujet
Bons préparatifs à tous !
Hi there,
Here’s the 2027 cruise schedule.
It’s a great way to get ideas and maybe even meet up with other members!
2 essential rules:
1) Never "quote" the schedule when replying—this avoids any confusion.
2) Follow this format:
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
REMINDER Despite my requests, few people follow the requested format. Cruises that stray too far from it won’t be listed anymore—sorry about that. IMPORTANT Please respect the templates!
PLEASE COPY AND PASTE THE FORMAT BELOW AND REPLACE WITH YOUR DETAILS IF YOU’RE HAVING TROUBLE
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
It takes time to fix mistakes, so THANKS TO EVERYONE for your help!
YOUR TURN 😉
NUMBER OF 2027 CRUISES: 1
JANUARY
14/01 - poupou10 / AZAMARA JOURNEY / 74 days / South America Tour / Miami
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
We just returned from a cruise from 08/13/26 to 08/20/26 on the MSC ORCHESTRA with stops in Tarragona, Valencia, Livorno, Civitavecchia, Genoa, and back to Marseille.
The ship was fully booked. Deck chairs were already occupied by beach towels early in the morning, and there were only 1 or 2 people in the pools... However, on the day the Italians disembarked, there were very few towels on the deck chairs.
We found the Italians less talkative.
We had a balcony cabin on deck 9, starboard side. The cabin was spacious, but the sofa was facing the desk, making it a pain to watch TV (neck strain guaranteed). So, we changed the sofa’s orientation to face the TV (we put it back in place on disembarkation day).
There were 325 French speakers on board, and a lot of staff from Mauritius, which made communication easier.
No annoying announcements about bingo, etc.—a nice change from COSTA.
For dinner, we were at the first sitting at 7:45 PM, at a table for 6. On the first night, we were two "gray-haired" couples at the table. The second night, two young women joined us but asked to change tables after seeing us...
The show for our dinner time was at 10:15 PM and ended around 11:00 PM. We found that a bit late for us. The shows were varied and of good quality.
The restaurant menus offered plenty of choices, but at the buffet at lunchtime, there were a lot of dishes with quite a few carbs. Afternoon tea from 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM included some great pastries, among other things.
We had an issue with the air conditioning and bad odors in the cabin one afternoon. I reported the problem to the reception, and staff along with our cabin steward came to check the cabin. The issue was resolved that same afternoon.
Two days later, we were surprised to find a bag with items inside: 2 MSC mugs and 2 MSC thermos flasks that keep drinks hot or cold for 10 hours. It was a gift from customer service following the bad odors in our cabin. We weren’t expecting this at all and thanked MSC’s customer service.
For excursions, MSC always offers port-to-city-center transfers for 14 € per adult in Valencia and Tarragona, and 12 € per child. In Livorno, it was 10 € per adult and 7 € per child.
In Civitavecchia, there was a shuttle to the train station for 6 €.
On the MSC for Me app, there were "promotions" on certain excursions.
We really enjoyed this cruise, but we couldn’t revisit some stops (Tarragona and Valencia) on our own because it was too hot.
Great evening: Mum49
I'm considering a cruise on the Hurtigruten Coastal Express from Bergen to Kirkenes and back to Bergen over 11 days in mid-March 2027.
Has anyone already done this trip?
I think it’s a great way to discover the Norwegian coast with the chance to see magnificent northern lights, but isn’t the trip a bit *too* long?
There are about thirty stops, but most last only a few minutes, with just one daily stop of over 2 hours, which gives a quick glimpse of a few towns but doesn’t allow for a full excursion.
Is the supplement for an outside cabin with a porthole (800 € for 2!) really worth it?
It’s more pleasant than an inside cabin, but do you spend enough time in your cabin to make the most of it?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this journey.
Best regards.
We're leaving on August 25th for a Danube cruise from Vienna to Bucharest. The travel agency refuses to postpone this cruise despite navigation changes due to the exceptional drought, which include bus transfers that don’t interest us.
Have you had any experiences with this that you’d like to share?
Hi there!
I’m going on a cruise with MSC on the World Europa this coming October.
Stops: Genoa, Naples, Messina, Malta.
Has anyone visited Mount Etna and Pompeii?
Could you share some tips for each of these stops?
I’d like to explore on my own without booking the ship’s excursions.
Thanks for your advice!
hi there
Here’s the cruise schedule for 2026.
It’s a great way to get ideas and maybe even meet up with other members.
2 essential rules:
1) never "quote" the calendar when replying—this’ll avoid any confusion
2) follow the format below
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
REMINDER Despite my requests, few people follow the requested format. Cruises that stray too far from it won’t be listed anymore—sorry!PLEASE respect the templates!
COPY AND PASTE THE FORMAT BELOW AND REPLACE WITH YOUR DETAILS IF YOU’RE STRUGGLING
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
It takes time to fix mistakes, so THANKS TO EVERYONE for your help!
YOUR TURN 😉
NUMBER OF CRUISES 2026:
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
Just back from our first cruise on the Renaissance, and I’d like to share a few thoughts about life on board. Our feelings are mixed—we wanted a change after several MSC cruises, but the value for money on this repositioning cruise left us torn.
After taking advantage of successive promotions, we finally secured a well-located balcony cabin for 2600 € (almost 50% off the brochure rate). Given the amenities and the ship’s age, this now feels like the absolute maximum we’d pay for that period.
Overall, we were happy with our vacation on board, but a few details—when added up—left us with a somewhat mixed impression.
The pros:
- Ship size
- Reasonable noise levels, except in the restaurants (aside from the covered pool area)
- Spacious balcony cabin (20 + 5 m²) with plenty of storage and a bathtub with jets
- Understated, tasteful decor
- French language spoken on board
- Friendly staff for the most part
- 100% French-speaking clientele
- Decent food with French dishes (even with an Indian chef)
- Tables for two available (though the ship was full, so no changes possible)
- Some high-quality shows, thanks to an excellent English-speaking troupe
- Interesting lectures (especially on history and cetaceans)
The cons:
- Unreliable air conditioning in common areas (you’d go from a freezing lounge to a hot one, as if the system only worked in certain spaces at certain times)
- Aging ship with a few glitches (noises, AC, toilet flushes, lights) reported at reception (luckily, our only issue was the bathroom door not closing...)
- Industrial, thawed-out bread and pastries (a letdown for a ship with a French image)
- Limited fruit selection (often just apples and watermelon/melon) and not much variety in vegetables
- Worn, sometimes stained restaurant towels
We’re not ruling out another cruise on the Renaissance—their itineraries are unique—but only at a very competitive price.
Hi everyone ...
We’re planning to do the 83-day Cunard cruise ...
departing from Southampton on January 10, 2027 aboard the Queen Anne ...
has anyone done it ... or have any info ... or tips ...
for example ... deck and cabin choices ... drink packages ... excursions ... etc.
... anything good to know about this ship???
Thanks everyone ...
Hi everyone! I’m used to sailing on a sailboat with two or three people—it’s amazing. But I’d love to try the experience of a cruise. Just to clarify, I’ll be going alone. My first question: are there other solo travelers on these cruises, or is it mostly couples and families?
For a first cruise, I’d prefer a short one (maximum 8 days). Do those exist? And on the smallest boat possible. I live in Marseille, so a departure from Marseille would work, but I’m open to other ports too. If you have a cruise line to recommend and a destination you’ve enjoyed, or if you’ve had a great experience on a more intimate-sized ship, I’d love to hear about it!
I discovered solo cruises last year, and it was a wonderful experience. Since then, I’ve decided to do one every year, usually between October and March, departing from Marseille or Le Havre.
I travel alone, but I enjoy sharing certain moments with other travelers: having meals together, attending shows, enjoying the evening entertainment, grabbing a drink, or going on a few excursions. Of course, everyone keeps their freedom—the goal is simply to have a good time in a friendly atmosphere.
For the end of this year, I don’t have a cruise planned yet. However, I’m already booked on the MSC Magnifica from October 29 to November 3, 2027, departing from Marseille with an itinerary to Spain and Italy.
If you often travel solo or if you’re on this cruise, I’d love to chat with you before departure. Looking forward to meeting you! 🚢😊
Hello!
After a lot of hesitation between different cruise lines (Explora, Oceania, YC, HAL, NCL) and several destinations like Norway, Ireland, and Iceland,
I finally chose NCL’s Star for Iceland.
I had already looked at this itinerary when I went to Scotland in April with CFC, but it was really expensive.
You should know that CFC often offers last-minute deals 45 days before departure (the point when you can no longer cancel or modify).
So, I got a great opportunity and grabbed it.
Departure is on August 23rd.
If there’s one trip I’ve always wanted to take, it’s a long boat journey far from my daily routine—something like crossing the Atlantic. I first thought about traveling on a cargo ship or similar, as some of these boats used to accept individual passengers, but I’ve read that this has become very rare since COVID. Plus, the options that might work for me are way out of my budget, like Neoline, for example.
A cruise seems like the best solution for me, especially since what I really love is the idea of a long stay on a ship—making stops in different places, exploring them, the change of scenery, and a real break from the daily grind. I’ve never been on a cruise before, so I was thinking of doing a 21-day cruise between a port in mainland France (Marseille) and Pointe-à-Pitre. The departure port doesn’t really matter—Marseille, Le Havre, or even a nearby European city would work.
Since I want to travel solo, I’m really keen on cruises designed for solo travelers. MSC has one from Marseille to Pointe-à-Pitre, lasting 21 days, departing next November (so in a few months). The price is within my budget, just over 1800 €.
I see that other cruises with similar routes and durations are planned for next year, November 2027, but the prices are totally different—around 3500 €, which is clearly out of my budget.
So, my question is: do you think I should wait for a possible price drop for the 2027 cruises (if I understand correctly, prices are adjusted based on how full the ship is and how close the departure date is) or should I book the one in November 2026? I could easily take three weeks off this fall. Also, is it too late to book for November 2026? I’ve read that visas might be required for some stops.
For the rest—accommodation in Guadeloupe and the flight ticket back to France—it’s not a problem; I can sort that out pretty easily.
Hi everyone,
I’m staying in a suite on the Pacifica in October and I can’t find any details about the suite benefits beyond the elite restaurant, the butler, and the espresso machine.
What about breakfast and meals served free in the cabin, and the spa?
Costa’s been cutting back on perks for Gold members, and it seems like suites are next.
Thanks for your replies!
Hello,
We’re back from this cruise.
Boarding in Dunkirk: The doors opened around 12 PM. Since we were a bit early, I asked if my husband, who uses a walker, could wait inside instead of outside. I left him with the two suitcases and our two backpacks in the small hall while I parked the car in the reserved CFC parking lot for 10 € per day.
The shuttle that was supposed to take people from the parking lot to the model pavilion was supposed to arrive in 5 minutes, but after 15 minutes, nothing. After waiting 15 minutes, I saw a man walking and asked if I could follow him. In 15 minutes, we arrived, and still no sign of the shuttle—it must have passed us. Arrived at the model pavilion.
My husband had already checked in the suitcases with the help of a CFC staff member. The remaining formalities were completed quickly. We were on board by 12:15 PM. Headed to the buffet on deck 11 and waited in a lounge to access our cabin.
At 2 PM, we discovered our balcony cabin on deck 9 at the rear: spacious with a large balcony compared to MSC/COSTA.
Since we were at the rear, cabin 9202, there was always an issue with elevator number 4: "priority."
Elevator number 2 stops at deck 10... and elevator number 3 was often out of order, leaving only number 1 for those with mobility issues to reach the buffet, especially for people who struggle with stairs. Note: only one child on board and lots of "gray hair."
DAY 2: At sea. Lots of activities offered.
Day 3: GOTHENBURG (Sweden). Sunny, 19°C at 11 AM.
Excursion booked with CFC: Gothenburg and Haga for all.
Interesting visit with a great guide. The HAGA district, in our opinion, is full of cobblestones and nothing special, not suitable for people using a cane or wheelchair. Elevator number 3 was out of order again.
Day 4: Copenhagen. 15°C in the morning, showers in the afternoon.
We didn’t book an excursion since we’d already stopped here with CFC in 2025, and based on advice from this forum, we took the hop-on/hop-off bus right in front of the ship. I still went to see the Little Mermaid again.
No TV, but the elevator was fixed.
DAY 5: At sea. Still no TV.
DAY 6: GDANSK (Poland). 15°C, rain all day.
There’s a shuttle to get to the city center.
We took the excursion: Panorama of Gdansk.
The guide left us at the entrance of the city center for 45 minutes, telling us what to visit. Meet-up for the rest of the tour at 3 PM. The bus left at 3:15 PM to cover 10 km to see St. Mary’s Cathedral. We arrived at 4:16 PM... The guide said there are often traffic jams in that direction. We had 10 minutes on site before heading to see the lighthouse and the Westerplatte monument, where we also had 10 minutes.
Many of us wondered why we didn’t do the tour in the opposite direction since they knew there would be traffic...
I went to reception to complain about the organization. The staff member read me the program: we were supposed to start with the lighthouse, then go to the cathedral and stay for 30 minutes before heading to the center of Gdansk for a short guided walk with some free time to buy souvenirs, etc.
The guide did the complete opposite of what was planned and didn’t even give us a guided tour—just dropped us off in the city...
DAY 7: Bornholm Island (Denmark). 14°C, a few sunny spells.
We saw in the excursions that there was a walking tour of RØNNE. So, like many others, we explored on our own. There was a small orchestra welcoming us at the port and two people with city maps. We took the shuttle to leave the port—it ran every 15 minutes. The tourist office was next to the "shuttle bus." A pleasant visit at our own pace.
DAY 8: KIEL (Germany). 18–23°C, nice weather.
We took the "Kiel for all" excursion. Great guide and interesting visits.
The port is in the city, and in 10 minutes, we were in the city center by following a blue line on the ground from the port. Elevator 3 was stuck again... and the TV was back.
DAY 9: At sea. Elevator 3 works.
DAY 10: At sea. Elevator 3 is out of order again...
DAY 11: Disembarkation in Dunkirk.
Cabins had to be vacated by 7:30 AM. Buffet open until 9 AM.
Elevator number 1 was "reserved," leaving only number 2, which doesn’t go up to deck 11... a problem for people with mobility issues who had to cross the entire deck 11 and try to use one of the four working elevators at the front, which were crowded.
My opinion: Interesting stops.
The onboard staff were always welcoming, smiling, and mostly French-speaking.
Evening shows were better than in March/April 2025—better singers, dancers, and presenters, and the costumes were improved.
I liked the "magician" shows less.
There were three onboard lectures by a very cultured person, but they went off-topic and were too historical for my taste. I didn’t attend the other two; my husband went to the second but not the third.
For this cruise, there was a bridge theme, but we’re not players or interested.
We didn’t take a drink package on board—water, coffee, tea, and herbal teas were available.
We had a water leak in our cabin the night before disembarkation. We reported it, and after the technical staff came (with a translator who didn’t speak English), we were asked to leave the cabin for a while for repairs. We went to a lounge, and after 1.5 hours, I checked in at reception. The repair took longer than expected... we had to change cabins... not ideal the night before disembarkation. No balcony cabins were available, so we got an ocean-view cabin, 6075, with a bathtub (impossible for both of us to use). We packed our suitcases, took a shower in our cabin, and moved to the new one. Noise from chairs until 12:30 AM because the cabin was under a lounge, and constant ventilation noise in the hallway... sleep was hard to come by.
Disembarkation: Well organized. We were helped with transporting the two suitcases and bags to the waiting room while I took the shuttle to get the car.
Guylène
We’re taking an MSC cruise in May, and after the Cinque Terre, we’ll be stopping in Naples. We’d like to know if it’s possible to walk out of the port quickly and reach a nice area of Naples on foot (we’re two older people). While we’re at it, I’ll ask the same question for Palermo, since we’ll be there the next day. Thanks for your replies.
hi,
I’m leaving Hamburg for Iceland at the end of July. The boat arrives in Reykjavik on Tuesday, August 4th at 8 AM, and I’d like to book a day trip like the Golden Circle or Secret Lagoon… The sites like GetYourGuide and others list departures at 8 AM. If you’ve used these sites with the MSC Preziosa, could you let me know how to go about it?
Thanks! 😉
allyMB007
Hello everyone,
It’s with immense sadness that I learned this morning of the passing of our friend Nathalie (nadu). Many of us knew her through this forum, which she loved so much. She enjoyed reading your travel stories, joining discussions, sharing her cruise reviews, and offering valuable advice—always with kindness, gentleness, and discretion.
For me, Nathalie was so much more than just a cruise enthusiast. She was a friend, a deeply kind person who was always there to listen, despite the many health challenges she faced with tremendous courage. We corresponded regularly, and sometimes we had the chance to visit each other’s homes or attend the cruise show together with our respective husbands.
We shared a common dream: when we both retired, we had planned to finally go on a cruise together. Life had other plans, and that trip will forever remain a journey we never had the chance to take. That thought weighs heavily on my heart today.
I’ll remember her as a gentle, generous woman who was always ready to help others. Her presence on this forum will leave a huge void, just as her friendship has in my life.
I send my sincerest thoughts to her husband, her family, and all those who had the chance to know her.
Fair winds, Nathalie. I like to think you’re now sailing on an infinitely calm sea, under an eternally blue sky. You’ll remain in our thoughts and hearts every time we talk about cruises or set off on a new journey.
Rest in peace, Nathalie.
For those who’d like to send a message of comfort and sympathy to her husband, you can send me a PM, and I’ll pass it along.
THANK YOU
Hello everyone,
So happy to be back on this Forum!
We’re heading off on another cruise—our 7th—after a 5-year break...
We’ll be leaving from Venice on April 26th with stops in Kotor, Mykonos, Santorini, and Ancona.
Could you help me plan the stops by sharing tips, tricks, and advice?
For those who already know me, you know we prefer not to take the cruise line’s excursions but instead organize everything ourselves.
Thanks in advance to everyone, and looking forward to chatting with you all!
hi there, a group of friends and I are going on a cruise at the end of June with CFC in Norway. I’d love to get some info on the different stops we’ll be making. Most of them are one-day stops (from around 10 AM to 8 PM on average). Here are the stops: Andalsnes, Trondheim, Honningsvåg, Alta, Hellesylt, Sandane, Austefjorden.
Thanks in advance to anyone who can share what there is to see or do in these places.
When I get back, I’ll post what we did—it might help others who come after us.
Also, does anyone know if the boat sticks to the arrival time in Dunkirk for catching tickets to head back south? We’ll plan a buffer just in case.
Hi there,
I'm looking at a cruise in the north.