😛heureusement qu'on peut encore blaguer et rigoler, y a pas encore de taxes là dessus ... et en plus c'est bon pour la santé !!
biz
Steph😉
2005 Costa Fortuna/2008 Costa Magica/2009 NCL GEM-MSC splendida/2010 Costa Magica-NCL JADE/2011 Costa Pacifica-Costa Magica/2012 Costa Serena-RCI Grandeur OTS/2013-MSC Splendida
😛quoi qu'il arrive à 17 ans on a forcément envie d'autre chose que ses parents, cqfd...
2005 Costa Fortuna/2008 Costa Magica/2009 NCL GEM-MSC splendida/2010 Costa Magica-NCL JADE/2011 Costa Pacifica-Costa Magica/2012 Costa Serena-RCI Grandeur OTS/2013-MSC Splendida
en stand-by. il y en aura une en 2010 car ca sera nos 30 ans de mariage. on vient de climatiser l'appartement et ca revient cher. on pensait aller dans les fjords mais ca revient plus cher à cause l'avion. alors on verra début 2010 lorque l'on aura nos dates de congés. on sera en congés en octobre 2009 et si je trouve une méga promo de dernière minute, on verra pour partir à cette date. peu importe la destination si c'est interessant au point de vue tarif.
Bonjour,
Moi, je défend le Bleu de France car c'est un bon bateau avec une autre ambiance que les Costa qui n'ont rien d'autre que leur luxe clinquant. Cela m'ennuyerait beaucoup qu'il ne reste pas "FRANCAIS". C'est mon avis et je respecte l'avis des autres, biensur.
Dommage que les Français en règle générale ne soit pas trop "croisières". Ils ont peur de s'ennuyer sur un bateau et qu'il n'y ait rien à faire. Je crois que si le BDF a des problèmes c'est aussi à cause de çà. Les Italiens et Espagnol sont beaucoup "croisières" mais évidemment, ils ne vont pas venir sur un bateau 100% Francophone.
Allez, sans rancune et quelques photos quand même.
Cordialement.
Pascale
Votre point de vue est out à fait honorable et respectable. Je vous dirais même que l'on ne peut comparer le BDF à un navire Costa. Chaque compagnie à sa façon de faire et les croisièristes apprécient telle ou telle compagnie.
C'est vrai que le BDF est apparu, certains anciens croisièristes ont cru à un retour de la France dans un programme soutenu de croisière. Il ne faut surtout pas oublier que nous avons été largement compétitif par rapport aux Italiens. D'ailleurs, je suis bien placé pour l'avoir vécu durant de nombreuses années sachant que les italiens ont carrément adapté leur programme sur le notre qui devenait défaillant car nous ne pouvions tenir dans le temps.
C'était une époque et aujourd'hui on retrouve ce type de produit tout compris (sauf les excursions) sur le BDF et le CM2. Je suis sûr qu'avec de la volonté, de la bonne gestion et un peu moins de syndicats, la France retrouverait la première place au podium des croisières.
Franchement, nous avions rien à envier aux autres.
Je suis de prêt l'évolution des croisières au départ de Marseille. Cela n'avance pas beaucoup car quand on voit que les italiens cherchent à faire un Palais des croisières avec des rotations plus soutenues par leurs compagnies, l'esprit de développement est quand même ralenti car on marche sur des œufs en permanence.
Le Havre, Saint Nazaire sont des ports qui ont une activité économique plus soutenue que le port de Marseille et malgré le potentiel évalué pour celui-ci, nos penseurs diplômés avancent qu'au coup par coup. Il y a quand même de grosses possibilités à ouvrir notamment dans ce domaine des perspectives intéressantes pour la marine marchande voir de croisière.
QUE PENSEZ-VOUS DU QUESTIONNAIRE QUE L'ON VOUS REMETS AVANT LA FIN DE LA CROISIÈRE ?
Est-il efficace, avez-vous le sentiment qu'il fait bouger ou améliore les choses ?
Y a t-il un interlocuteur privilégié afin d'écouter ou de prendre en compte les doléances des passagers ,
JC
pour la 1ere croisière, j'ai tout bon comme me l'avait demandé l'hotesse francophone !!! pour les 2 autres j'ai mis ce que je pensais que ce soit en posotif ou négatif. et pour le négatif, j'ai même envoyé un courrier écrit au responsable du service client de costa france.
mais je n'ai pas l'impression que les critiques négatives soient prisent en compte...
et à part l'hote (hotesse) francophone, je ne vois pas trop qui pourrait faire remonter plus haut nos critiques. à mon avis ils servent plutôt à régler les problèmes courants des passagers. je connais bien anne laure qui est sur le concordia actuellement, (connue sur le classica en 2008) et j'ai pu parler assez longuement lors d'une ses pauses diner au buffet. et d'aprés notre conversation, je n'ai pas eu l'impression que ces hotes francophones soient trés écoutés...
😉Merci Bruno pour tes remarques qui complètent les miennes.
J'ai cru comprendre lors de la croisière sur le Costa Victoria que l'hôte français (un peu trop jeune d'ailleurs) avait tendance à vouloir encadrer une équipe de scouts. Lors de ses interventions, nous avons noté beaucoup de lacunes notamment en culture générale.
Je savais bien qu'en rendant mon questionnaire en finale, pas grand chose ne serait pris en compte.
J'ai l'impression aussi que tout dépend de l'époque, du temps ou de la durée passée sur le navire pour le personnel, que le passager pourra apprécier l'ambiance du voyage.
Pour moi, le questionnaire est simplement un acte permettant à l'hôte ou à l'hôtesse de voir ce qui a péché dans son action à bord.
oui bizarre ce dernier bâteau, on dirait qu'on lui a coller un "aileron" de voiture tuning au derrière !!🤪
biz et bonne soirée
Steph😛
2005 Costa Fortuna/2008 Costa Magica/2009 NCL GEM-MSC splendida/2010 Costa Magica-NCL JADE/2011 Costa Pacifica-Costa Magica/2012 Costa Serena-RCI Grandeur OTS/2013-MSC Splendida
salut JC. moi il me plait ce bateau. certes l'arrière est trés haut avec cette espèce de passerelle tout en haut. on est passé tout en septembre 2008 à corfou. on était sur le classica et on se sentait tout petit.
pourtant il fait la même longueur que le concordia par exemple. j'ai fait les photos avec un téléphone portable et la qualité est plutot moyenne. en plus avec la brume de chaleur ca n'arrangeait rien. 😛
aujourd'hui a cannes il y avait trois paquebots dont le norvégian gem qui est la tous les samedi. il y avait aussi un royal carribean. il était énorme mais je ne sais pas lequel c'était. je n'ai pas pu descendre à cannes. je les aient vu depuis la colline qui domine cannes.
Sauf que le commandant ne pilote pas avec un casque....
Bien vu pour la comparaison, c'est l'impression que j'ai eu et il doit certainement un frangin de ce type. Je vais chercher le pourquoi de cette configuration....
😉Comme promis, voici pour Stéphanie et Bruno, ce que l'ont aperçoit lorsqu'on se trouve dans la partie supérieure arrière du GRAND PRINCESS et qui ressemble à un aileron tuning.
et oui le ncl gem tous les samedis à cannes voici une photo, c'était le 30 mai dernier(avant dernière escale) avant le retour à Barcelone woinnnn, débarquement en chaloupe (of course), c'était une première pour ns et ns avons trouvé ça sympa,
biz
Steph😛
2005 Costa Fortuna/2008 Costa Magica/2009 NCL GEM-MSC splendida/2010 Costa Magica-NCL JADE/2011 Costa Pacifica-Costa Magica/2012 Costa Serena-RCI Grandeur OTS/2013-MSC Splendida
tous les passagers embarquent à barcelone, qq uns sont montés à malte mais c'est tout, les frenchy sont très peu représentés, menu en français en insistant (ils sont sous la pile des autres langues...), pas de journal de bord en français, pas de représentant français lorsque ns avons fait cette croisière.
très bonne expérience, sur ncl le freestyle est de mise, très décontracté pas de contrainte horaire pour les repas, le soir on va au resto souhaité quand on en a envie, si resto plein : un genre de "pager" vous est remis et lorsque la table est prête, le truc se met à clignoter et vibrer, et la seule fois ou on a attendu c'était moins de 10 mn, la clientèle américaine est calme (ça change des latins...) qq espagnols, vraiment très sympa...
j'ai pas vraiment fait de cr (je suis une feignasse...)
si autres questions, je reste dispo
je t'exp en mp lien pour photos perso
biz
Steph😏
2005 Costa Fortuna/2008 Costa Magica/2009 NCL GEM-MSC splendida/2010 Costa Magica-NCL JADE/2011 Costa Pacifica-Costa Magica/2012 Costa Serena-RCI Grandeur OTS/2013-MSC Splendida
😉J'en ai encore et cela fera un bel album sur ce paquebot.
LA DERNIÈRE PHOTO FERA CERTAINEMENT PLAISIR A CES MESSIEURS !!!!!😛😛😛
Pour votre information sur ce navire :
Le Grand Princess est un navire de croisière appartenant à la société Princess Cruises. Mis en service le 26 mai 1998, il s'agit du premier navire de la classe "Grande classe" de Princess Cruises, ses sister ship, son le Star Princess et le Golden Princess. Il est durant un an le plus grand navire au monde par son tonnage.
Le paquebot a été construit dans les chantiers Fincantieri Cantieri Navali Italiani de Monfalcone sous le numéro de coque 5 956. Ayant coûté 450 millions de dollars, il est le navire le plus cher et le plus grand jamais construit lors de sa mise en service (ce record est désormais entre les mains du Freedom of the Seas et devrait passer fin 2009 à l’Oasis of the Seas
La décoration intérieure du Grand Princess est différente de celle de ses sister-ship. Les boiseries y sont plus sombres, et la décoration s'inspire plutôt de la classe des Sun. La disposition des cabines diffère également au niveau des salles de bains et gardes robes. Le cinéma en plein air Movies under the Star a été rajouté durant une refonte ultérieure.
Le navire est équipé de deux théâtres et d'une grande salle de spectacle. Durant sa saison inaugurale, il accueillit les performances d'artistes tels que Lorna Luft, Al Marino, Red Buttons et Rita Moreno.
Reste à connaitre quelqu'un qui a voyagé sur celui-ci et qu pourra nous en dire plus.....
😉 Voici encore un paquebot qui a eu un problème pour accoster à cause du vent :
le COSTA CONCORDIA ...... Tu le connais celui-là, Bruno !!!!
Huit jours après le MSC Splendida, le paquebot Costa Concordia a été contraint, le 18 juillet, d'être dérouté vers la rade de Toulon. Le navire de 115.000 tonneaux et 1500 cabines n'a, en effet, pas pu accoster à Marseille, encore une fois à cause d'un vent trop fort. Contrairement à sa concurrente une semaine plus tôt, la compagnie italienne avait décidé avec 24 heures d'avance de débarquer ses passagers à La Seyne-sur-Mer. Tout était donc prêt pour recevoir le flot des vacanciers. Navettes gratuites, taxis, autocars... tous les véhicules étant munis d'affiches en plusieurs langues pour permettre aux passagers de connaître les destinations mises en place. Un service d'ordre était également à l'œuvre sur le quai, avec distribution de prospectus d'informations. En somme, un débarquement serein, qui contrastait avec celui du Splendida, une semaine plus tôt (le navire avait d'abord tenté sa chance devant Marseille avant de rejoindre la Seyne.
Plus facile d'accès, la rade de Toulon a accueilli, à cause du vent, plusieurs paquebots ces derniers mois. Ce fut le cas du Splendida, du Concordia, mais aussi du Fantasia ou encore du Sovereign. Assisté par les remorqueurs de la base navale, le Costa Concordia a, malgré un Mistral soufflant à plus de 100 km/h en rafales, pu entrer et sortir du port. Les images de Jean-Louis Venne montrent bien la gîte prise par le navire à sa sortie de la rade.
Bon, il a un peu de gite en virant mais si ça continue les compagnies vont être obligées de gérer de plus en plus ce genre de problème... et c'est pas bon pour les passagers...
😉On les voit les connaisseurs (Alexandre, Bruno...etc...)
Voici l'ADVENTURE OF THE SEAS......
Et là, je laisse votre imagination quant à la partie galerie composée de plusieurs magasins.
On se croirait dans une rue piétonnière et non pas sur un bateau. Cela plaît ou pas, c'est l'avenir des futurs paquebots ....
Ta croisière, tu veux vraiment la faire en novembre ?
Bon, tu devras mettre un maillot en laine sur le pont piscine !!!!
et des chaussettes aussi...
Mais bon, il y a la varappe...
Un peu de renseignements sur le navire :
Le « Norwegian Gem » appartient à la classe « Norwegian Star ». Construit en 2007 à Papenburg en Allemagne, il est identique en tout point au navire « Norwegian Pearl ». En plus de s'imposer comme l'un des plus grands navire du monde, il propose une multitude d'activités sportives et culturelles (Théâtre, cinéma, golf, volley-ball, Spa, Casino).
Il rejoint ainsi les 7 grands navires déjà en service comme le « Norwegian Sun ». La compagnie a réussi son projet de renouvellement et d'amélioration des capacités d'accueil de ses navires. Norwegian Cruise Line apparait comme l'une des sociétés les plus modernes du marché depuis 1999.
Merci à tous pour ce merveilleux topic bien rempli....vous avez bien bossé...et c'est vraiment agréable d'avoir plusieurs photos car sur la brochure de costa nous avons les pieces principales mais pas autant de détails..ça permet de visualiser facilement les vacances à venir..enfin ...c'est long quand meme d'attendre jusqu'en novembre...mais au moins on peut rever un peu.... 😉
merci encore à tous pour votre collaboration!
Merci pour votre petit mot bien sympathique et si vous avez besoin d'autres photos, faites moi signe.
C'est super de pouvoir donner un coup de main à des personnes qui vont découvrir le produit par la suite. J'ai feuilleté pratiquement tous les catalogues et il manque des souvent photos qui nous intéressent. Soit, elles sont trop petites ou parfois prises sous un angle différent.
Le forum est fait pour cela et en plus vous avez vu l'équipe !!!
je plaisante. pour le temps on fera avec comme en janvier. c'est un coup de bol. il fera surement frais ou froid mais le principal c'est d'avoir du soleil. à ce prix la je vais pas faire le difficille.
super tes photos avec la neige sur le pont. les autres aussi. complémentaires de miennes. bien beau bateau.
j'ai demandé pour embarquer et débarquer à cannes : négatif. faut faire le voyage mais 630 kms ce n'est pas trés loin. ou alors l'avion. mais faut voir le poids autorisé pour les bagages.🤪
Je réédite cet album qui avait plus et qui nous a permis de découvrir d'autres navires peu connu. Voici pour vous le 2° album qui comprendra de belles photos…
Quelques photos commentées supplémentaires dans mes albums pour vous donnez un aperçu de notre dernière croisière "Les Trésors de l'histoire":Italie, Grèce,…
Après avoir fait un album sur les cabines de paquebots, un album sur les paquebots de croisière (toujours en cours), pourquoi pas mettre maintenant sur…
Le plus dur a été de sélectionner juste quelques photos parmi 700 prises de vues. Elles me rappellent tant de bons souvenirs, et j'espère vous donneront un…
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.