Hi everyone!

I’d like to book my first cruise! I noticed a great deal on MSC US with premium drinks and Wi-Fi for the same price as in France! Do you know if there’s an issue with booking since you’re supposed to be a US resident, but it’s just a check?

Hello everyone,

If you'd like, I invite you to join me for a week-long cruise to northern Greece, visiting ports that are often less crowded with cruise ships.

Itinerary: Athens, Skiathos, Volos, Thessaloniki, Kavala, Limnos, Hydra, Athens

Hello everyone,

I’ve wanted to take this Norway cruise for a very long time. The first time I booked it was in July 2020 with Azamara. Unfortunately, it was canceled, as everyone remembers. When I tried to book it again, the prices (already a bit high with Azamara) had simply doubled. So, since then, I’ve been keeping an eye out every year for any opportunities...

The last time we sailed with Princess was eleven years ago, and things didn’t go very well. I came back pretty unhappy with their service and quite disappointed. Despite the $600 they gave me as credit for a future cruise, I’d never set foot on one of their ships again.

But this time, the opportunity arose—a fantastic itinerary with lots of stops, a reasonable price for 16 nights (I’ll share the details in the conclusion), and a ship that’s not too big, so to speak, with only 3,000 passengers. I’m not expecting much from the cruise line this time and am boarding the ship with low expectations beyond the itinerary.

Princess has introduced an app to download before the cruise. It’s essential because online check-in is no longer available, and the agency doesn’t send a travel journal. Everything is done through the app. After completing the check-in on the app, we only know that we’ll need to pick up our key, the Medallion, at embarkation by following the blue line in the terminal and presenting our passport.



Up until our departure, the weather forecast for the coming week in Norway is disastrous—rain, rain, and more rain. It was pretty much the same two years ago before our Iceland cruise, and in the end, the weather turned out fine.

If you’re ready to embark on the Emerald Princess to discover this beautiful cruise and the stunning landscapes of Norway, let’s go!

Southampton - Sea day - Bergen - Olden - Åndalsnes - Sea day - Tromsø - Honningsvåg (North Cape) - Alta - Sea day - Molde - Trondheim - Two sea days - Edinburgh - Sea day - Southampton

Hello, My current dream for a potential (last?) big trip during our winter of 2026 is mentioned in the title. I’m particularly interested in the ship "Exploris One" (17 nights on board in January-February 2026), operated by the French company EXPLORIS (founded by former Ponant team members), and it seems to be a fully French-speaking experience with a maximum of 120 passengers. The most competitive offer I’ve found so far is through "Croisierenet.com".

So far, we’ve only sailed and landed as far as Cape Horn (with Australis), but beyond the Antarctic Peninsula itself, it’s especially South Georgia and the richness of its wildlife colonies that appeal to me the most (and the least appealing part, of course, is the price! 🤪)

For those of you who’ve sailed along and set foot on these lands—were you truly won over and did you feel, in plain terms, that "you got your money’s worth"? If by any chance you know Exploris, what can you say about it? Same for the reliability and seriousness of Croisierenet.

Given the sums involved, is it wise to wait a few more months before deciding, hoping for bigger discounts as the departure date approaches, while counting on cabin availability in my preferred category? Currently, Exploris is offering discounts of -35% off the listed catalog prices for 2025 cruises and only -25% for 2026... On the other hand, could international flights from Paris to Buenos Aires become more expensive in the meantime? (But it seems the clientele for these cruises is marginal for this international flight, and January-February also appears to be significantly cheaper than November, especially for direct round-trip flights with Air France.)

Thanks for your feedback and any other wise advice! 😉

Hi everyone,

It was totally by chance that I found this cruise while chatting with Alfred in November 2024. It wasn’t planned, but the price was attractive—one of those "great deals" from Ponant that I love and that don’t exist anymore. Since everyone’s wondering, here’s the answer without waiting for the end of the story: after my various loyalty discounts, I paid **3,250 € per person** for 8 nights/9 days on the expedition cruise *The Essentials of the Seychelles*.

Expedition cruises are by far our favorites. The outings are done by Zodiac with the ship’s naturalist guides, everything’s included, and there’s no need to add any excursions or prepare anything.

We’re liking long flights less and less, so to break up the trip, we decided to stop over in Doha for four days on the way there and one day on the way back.

I’m happy to share the good and not-so-good moments, the great surprises, and the disappointments of this trip with you.

Hi there, Here’s a little recap of my cruise on the CELEBRITY INFINITY from February 14th to 23rd. Itinerary: Athens / Thessaloniki / Thessaloniki / Kusadasi / AT SEA / Cyprus / AT SEA / Rhodes / Heraklion / Athens / Athens Since the cruise ended on Monday, we had to leave the ship on Sunday to go back to work on Monday 😕 Bring on retirement! This was our 34th cruise, and the price was around 1,300 € per person for AQUACLASS. Just to remind you, AQUACLASS includes spa access, a cabin with a hydro-massage shower, and a dedicated restaurant. For once, I have to say we didn’t get a good deal—prices dropped two months before departure, and we could’ve had AQUACLASS in a guaranteed cabin for 1,000 € per person. So, I think for January/February cruises, it’s better to book last-minute. We arrived in Piraeus on the 12th in the evening. The hotel was great—"Phidias Piraeus Hotel"—close to the center, with a spacious room (upgraded by Booking to a junior suite). The breakfast was decent, and the price was 125 € for two nights, all included. The cherry on top? The hotel offers free shuttles to the cruise ship on departure day—really awesome! We’d never visited Piraeus before, and it was a lovely surprise. Not only was the weather gorgeous, but the walk was really pleasant—the port, the beach, the little streets. It was way nicer than I’d imagined! TO BE CONTINUED: BOARDING 😉

Hi everyone, I’d love to hear from your experience—does having just a carry-on bag actually save time during boarding and disembarking? Thanks in advance! Muriel

hi, I’m going on a cruise on the Costa TOSCANA in October, and I’ll be celebrating my birthday there. I wanted to make it special and try ARCHIPELAGO for the first time. And also go back to Teppanyaki (I really like their menu and the atmosphere). I see there’s a package for 3 culinary experiences at 88 €. According to the description, you can go to the specialty restaurants 3 times. That price seems really low to me, since Archipelago alone costs around 55 €... and with this package, you could go 3 times? Plus, there’s another package next to it: 1 Archipelago and 1 Teppanyaki (without specifying the menu) for 80 €. Has anyone already tried the 3-experience package? What did you think? Thanks for your feedback

Good evening, cruise friends! I’m planning my Japan cruise with Costa.

Is it more worthwhile to book excursions before departure? With MSC, yes, because you save 15%, but what about with Costa?

For those who’ve already done this cruise, do you have any tips or recommendations, please? We’re staying 1.5 days before and 3 days after in Hong Kong. Thanks in advance! Chantal Ports of call: Hong Kong - Keelung (Taiwan) - Japan (Naha - Kagoshima - Tokyo - Kobe - Nagasaki) - Busan (South Korea) - Hong Kong

Hi there! Here’s a quick review of my cruise on the REGAL PRINCESS. This was my 35th cruise and my second on the REGAL PRINCESS, which I first discovered in 2017 during a Caribbean cruise. A few months ago, we received an email from PRINCESS changing the itinerary—DUBLIN and EDINBURGH were replaced by two Scottish islands. We were a little disappointed, but since we’d never sailed around the UK, we didn’t really know any of the ports anyway. The itinerary was: SOUTHAMPTON AT SEA KIRKWALL INVERGORDON AT SEA STORNOWAY GLASGOW BELFAST AT SEA CORK AT SEA PORTLAND LE HAVRE SOUTHAMPTON

A 13-day/12-night cruise for 1350 € per person in a guaranteed deluxe balcony cabin. PRINCESS assigned us a balcony cabin on deck 8 with a large balcony. We ended up happy with our cabin, even though we’d initially preferred a higher deck. I’ll admit I hesitated to choose this cruise because of the weather—I love sunshine and good weather—but the desire to discover new ports won out, especially with the promise of heading to Corsica afterward to soak up some sun again 😉

On PRINCESS, as Catherine mentioned, there’s no card—everyone has a medallion! I loved this system, which unlocks your cabin door as you approach. It’s really well thought out!

We took the EUROSTAR from Lille to London, then a train from London to Southampton the day before. We stayed in a nice IHG hotel near the port.

EMBARKATION It’s Friday, August 1st. After a good breakfast and a quick check-out, we realize our UBER app isn’t working in England ;(. We have to go back to reception to ask for a taxi because, even though the hotel is close to the port, the ship is still over 2 km away—hardly ideal with luggage! The problem is that many hotel guests also requested taxis... so we wait a good 30 minutes before ours arrives! We get to the REGAL PRINCESS pretty quickly but are shocked to see a huge line outside!!! We hadn’t seen that in over a decade! Not the best start! 🙁



TO BE CONTINUED!

Hi everyone, As you can see, it says "guaranteed ocean view" on the booking. And here’s the result: a tiny cabin with the view completely blocked. I paid for a porthole, and when I went to see the MSC receptionist, they told me it was impossible to change cabins. Yet later, I found out that someone in an inside cabin was upgraded to an ocean-view porthole—good for them, but I feel like they really messed with me. I’m so disappointed; I’d saved up for this. And I’m furious that they don’t care at all about my dissatisfaction. I’m thinking about contacting a mediator to see if they can help. Do you have any advice? Thanks in advance.

Struggling to fill up

Explora Journey is the cherry on top, but I wish that cherry were a melon," Patrick Pourbaix diplomatically put it. Without revealing the fill rate, the France director of the company admitted: Explora Journeys' first ship, Explora I, is far from full.

around 5 percent of French passengers on board.

Hello,

My husband, our two teens, and I are going on a cruise on the COSTA Esmeralda at the beginning of July. We’re thinking of exploring the ports on our own. Do any of you have recent experiences or tips to share? Are there shuttles between the port and the city center? Are they free? Looking forward to hearing from you.

Hi there, I’m thinking about taking my first cruise. Has anyone ever booked with Destockage Croisière? I’ve been offered a Mediterranean cruise departing from Marseille for 1,200 € solo in an inside cabin. Does that sound like a fair price? The departure is in April 2026, so pretty soon. It’s with MSC, and the ship is the MSC World Europa 5*. Has anyone traveled on this ship before? If so, I’d love to hear about your experience. Also, if you have any tips to share, I’m all ears. And what about solo cruising in general? I get the feeling most people go as couples or families… will I still enjoy it without feeling too isolated? Are the dining tables shared, etc.? Thanks so much!

Hi everyone, Here’s a little story about what happened to me—I was supposed to go on a cruise on the CELEBRITY INFINITY on February 16th, but nothing went as planned 😕 We left for Athens on February 14th, had a good flight, and stayed at the same hotel as last year, the PHIDIAS PIRAEUS HOTEL, which we really liked. But this year, it was disappointing—no upgrade from BOOKING, so a smaller room and, above all, noisy because of a compressor sound.... Anyway, we arrived in the late afternoon, took a walk, and found a really nice restaurant in the pedestrian streets of Piraeus. The next day, the 15th, we maybe thought about going to the island of Aegina, but we got up a little too late, so we just went for a walk. We came back to the hotel for a break, then got ready for a massage I had booked online. I absentmindedly checked my phone… an email from CELEBRITY announcing the cancellation of the cruise!!! That’s a first for us—we were a little shocked by the news 😕 TO BE CONTINUED....

Hi there,

We usually travel as "backpackers," but this year we’re making an exception with a CFC cruise to Norway.

We’d like to explore the stops on our own so we can choose what we like at our own pace.

Do you have any experiences or great tips to share with us?

Our destinations: Stavanger, Bergen, Geiranger, Ålesund, Nordfjordeid, Flåm, Lyngdal

Thanks for your help

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.

Thanks everyone!

We’ve booked a 15-day cruise to the Marquesas and Society Islands on the PAUL GAUGUIN. Is it possible to get information about the excursions organized by Ponant? Can we do them ourselves or through a local agency? How do we organize these excursions from France?

Thanks so much!

Hi there, we’re planning a trip to Norway next June. Since my partner gets vertigo, renting a car is out of the question. So, we’re thinking of doing the Bergen to Kirkenes route by cruise—6 nights, 7 days—with either Hurtigruten or Havila. Is this journey as amazing as it sounds? Is one provider better than the other?

Basically, any tips would be super helpful.

Thanks.

Hello, We’re sailing on the Norwegian Viva from Lisbon to Galveston. From what I’ve read on the NCL site, there’s no formal night; is that correct? If so, that’ll lighten the suitcase! 😊 The ship stops in Cabo Rojo in the Dominican Republic, and I haven’t found much info on this stop—it seems to be recent. I’m thinking of just heading to the seaside near the ship, but if you’ve got another **bon plan**, I’m all ears. Same for La Romana: last time we went to Bayahibe Beach, so if you’ve got another idea... Thanks in advance!

Hello,

We’re heading to Vietnam next March and would love to do a cruise in Lan Ha Bay, which seems like a more preserved and less touristy alternative to Halong Bay. However, there are so many different companies out there, and we’d really appreciate your advice and firsthand experiences to help us make the right choice.

We’re looking for a 3-day, 2-night cruise on a small-capacity boat to avoid overly large groups.

A big thank you to anyone who takes the time to share their recommendations to help us with our search!

Have a great day! 🙂

Hi, we're going on a cruise to Norway departing from Dunkirk and sailing up the coast—can you share some ideas on what to visit? Thanks! Gigi

Hi there, I’d love to go on a Mediterranean cruise, but I’m a bit nervous about doing it solo. Thanks for your advice!

Hi there,

Has anyone here taken the cruise to the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia with the cruise line Aranui?

Hello! I’m going on my very first cruise in September 2025.

Departure from Civitavecchia—

Mykonos - Santorini - Kusadasi...

A few questions: Apart from Ephesus, Naples, and Pompeii, I’m pretty much heading into the unknown for Santorini and Mykonos. I’ve been following some of your posts about Santorini—thank you for those! What do you recommend for Mykonos? I’ll be spending 3 days in Rome before the cruise. At the end of the cruise, I don’t plan to return to Rome. Could you tell me what transport to take from Civitavecchia to Fiumicino Airport? Thanks so much! 🙂 Françoise

Hi, For my upcoming trip to Madagascar in November, I’d like to take a cruise on the Pangalanes Canal. We’ve been offered a 3-day, 2-night trip between Mananjary and Mahanoro. Has anyone done this? Are there too many hours on the boat? Is it worth it? They’re offering either a bivouac or a hotel—what do you think? Thanks for your feedback.

Does anyone know about cruises with the MS Rotterdam? Northern Europe cruise

Hi, We’d love to do a river cruise in Italy. We’ve never been on a cruise before and we’d like to combine a river cruise with excursions. Has anyone done this before? If so, any info or suggestions would be really helpful. Which ship and itinerary would be best? Thanks in advance for your help.

Ginout

Hi everyone, From March 31 to April 10, I took the Viking Lands cruise with CFC. Out of curiosity, I checked the Renaissance’s route yesterday and noticed it didn’t make the Sandnes/Stavanger stop that we had. Maybe the itinerary was planned that way? Best regards,

Hi Poupou, if you could add us to your awesome calendar: from September 10th to 20th, 2025 clown 83: CFC Renaissance/Kotor-Dubrovnik/departure and return port Marseille