Nous avons un problème avec Costa. Nous avons commandé par l’intermédiaire de Webcroisière à Monaco la transat à destination des Antilles sur le Luminosa qui part le 26/11/2011de Savone.
Nous habitons près de Perpignan à 3 heures de train directe de Barcelone ville d’embarquement des Espagnols sur la même croisière. Le transfert par le train à Nice demande 7 heures deux changement et nous arrivons après l’heure de rendez vous. Par avion c’est la même chose il nous faut un hôtel à Paris et cela coute 10 fois plus cher Nous avons demandé d’embarquer à Barcelone le 27/11/2011, au lieu de Savone le 26/11/2011 sans bénéficier d’aucune réduction du prix, comme il est d’usage chez Costa. Notre agent nous a affirmé que cela ne poserait aucun problème et que le nécessaire avait été fait auprès de Costa.
Nous venons de remplir l’enregistrement électronique et nous constatons que chez Costa notre embarquement est toujours prévu le 26/11/2011. Nous sommes extrêmement inquiets à 4 semaines du départ. L'agence ne nous répond pas...
Quelqu'un s'est il trouvé dans le même cas ? comment cela s'est -il passé ?
Je vous remercie pour votre réponse.
bonsoir
Téléphone ici et dit que tu as un problème d'embarquement 01 55 47 55 00
tu donnes ton N° de référence croisière
ne dit pas que tu as passé par une agence, ils le verront sans doute.
titi
Bonjour,
Une autre solution pour être tranquilisé est d'appeler Costa et de leur poser la question comme si c'était une éventualité, et savoir si c'est possible, selon leur réponse il vous faudra harceler webcroisière (un truc est de faire un devis sur internet dans les 3 minutes ils vous rappellent). Si vous voulez je peux me renseigner auprès de mon agence Azur croisière, comme j'habite à Agde nous sommes souvent également devant de dilemne Nice ou Barcelone, mais comme le teoz Bordeaux Nice nous permet d'arriver la veille à Nice et que c'est moins simple d'aller à Barcelone en train, nous préférons le long voyage.
Si vous n'avez pas de réponse avant lundi matin je les appellerai.
Bon week end, avec je présume moins de pluie que nous, la ville ne va pas tarder à être isolée par la crue de l'Hérault🤪😕
pour ma part , j'habite à coté de bagnols sur ceze dans le gard et quand je pars de savonne , je prends une voiture de location , 60€ , et je la laisse à nice aeroport à 100m des cars de transfert costa ! c'est moins cher que le train ou au pire le meme prix et c'est efficasse ! ça m'est dèjà arrivé de faire la meme chose pour roissy !et la c'est beaucoup moins cher que le train ! et c'est pas en retard ou en grève !
pour finir , chez costa , ce qui est importatant ce sont vos dépenses à bord , alors ça m'etonnerait qu'il vous refuse à barcelonne
bonsoir,
Merci pour cette réponse rapide, mais je vais tomber sur qui ?
C'est le siège Costa à Rueil Malmaisons. Ils font ausssi de la vente de croisière
c'est le standard que je t'ai donné,
tu expliques ton problème succintement et la personne va te basculer sur quelqu'un d'autre
je crois que aujourd'hui samedi ça fonctionne
merci pour commentaire sur blog 😉😉😉
titi
Bonjour et merci de me répondre, surtout dans ces circonstances, Il pleut depuis une semaine ici, j'ai un torrent de montagne qui passe dans la propriété, pour le moment il n'a pas trop grossi, car la terre a bien absorbé. J'espère que vous n'aurez pas de dégats.
En ce qui concerne ma question je veux bien que vous ayez l'avis de votre agence. Mon agence me dit qu'il n'y a pas de problème, il est possible que je leur casse les pieds car ils ne me répondent plus. Mais l'enregistrement électronique me fait douter qu'ils aient vraiment informé Costa.
Merci encore
à +
Merci beaucoup pour ces réponses, je vais tenter ma chance cette après midi ou lundi au plus tard de toutes les façons je vous tiendrai au courant, c'est l'intérêt du forum...
à +
Bonjour,
Je viens d'appeler mon agence Azur croisières, vraiment super comme agence. Sandra m'a dit qu'elle avait déjà eu l'occasion de le faire, cela ne pose aucun problème, à partir du moment où la compagnie de croisière a été informée que vous embarquerez à Barcelone au lieu de Savone. Le billet de croisière reste édité au départ de Savone puisque vous avez réservé de Savone, mais vous montez sur le bateau à Barcelone. (Toujours possible de rattraper le bateau si on rate le départ d'une escale)
Donc je pense que le principal est d'avoir l'assurance (éventuellement écrit ou mail) que Web croisières a bien fait le nécessaire et vous serez tranquille.
Bonne journée
cordialement
Je vous remercie infiniment pour votre aide. Grace au Forum je suis moins stressée. L'enregistrement électronique m'a vraiment perturbée, et c'est la première fois que nous tentons cette procédure. Mon contrat avec l'agence précise bien et en rouge... le port d'embarquement à Barcelone, ils m'ont confirmé par mail que le nécessaire avait été fait, et PAP86 connait cette agence depuis longtemps, donc... je vous fait confiance et je leur fait confiance.
Si j'ai la connexion wifi sur le bateau vous aurez droit à une petite carte postale, c'est le moins !
Euh, mais vous débarquez toujours a Savone? Pas à Barcelone 1 jour plus tard?
Cat
2003 Costa Romantica Antilles :O
2011 Avr Costa Pacifica Méd :~( - Juin Costa Luminosa -:^) - Nov Hurtigruten MS Trollfjord -:")
Dec Costa Favolosa - Dubai :-D
2012 Juin MSC Opera Norvége :-) - Sep MSC Magnifica Méd : } - Oct Cunard Queen Victoria Brugge : ]
Faites une belle croisière, nous devrions faire les comptes rendus, à peu près à la même période😉, nous arrivons le 17 décembre à Roissy, jour de début des vacances scolaires, un peu chaud le retour à Agde🤪
bonjour, heureux de voir que le probléme est résolu
nous fesons aussi la transat, nous aurons peut etre le plaisir de se croiser a barcelone quand vous embarquerez
A+
2003 Costa Romantica Antilles :O
2011 Avr Costa Pacifica Méd :~( - Juin Costa Luminosa -:^) - Nov Hurtigruten MS Trollfjord -:")
Dec Costa Favolosa - Dubai :-D
2012 Juin MSC Opera Norvége :-) - Sep MSC Magnifica Méd : } - Oct Cunard Queen Victoria Brugge : ]
j'ai pu enfin joindre Costa aujourd'hui. Mon interlocutrice m'a fait savoir qu'étant donné que je suis passée par une agence, elle n'avait pas accès à mon dossier. Je lui ai dit que mon dossier de réservation portait la mention du port d'embarquement à Barcelone, et que j'avais un mail de confirmation que le nécessaire avait été fait. Elle m'a confirmé que dans ce cas il ne devait pas y avoir de problème et m'a donné un numéro de fax à l'agence pour le cas où... à 2 semaines et demi du départ j'attends le dossier de départ, nous verrons bien !
Je vous remercie pour votre aide et vos bons conseils.
bonjour,
Tant mieux, c'est rassurant d'avoir son dossier en ordre. Pour notre part cela nous a permis de savoir qu'en cas d'imprévu majeur, nous pourrions filer embarquer à Barcelone le lendemain, après bien sur avoir averti Costa🙂
Faites une belle croisière, nous départ dans 12 jours, nous sommes seuls inscrits sur le forum, nous rencontrerons donc d'autres français sur le bateau.
- l'embarquement à Barcelone s'est très bien passé : arrivés à la gare de Sants à Barcelone, nous avons pris un taxi pour le terminal D, Palacrocera. Dès l'arrêt du taxi un porteur s'est précipité sur les bagages qui ont été rapidement chargés sur le tapis roulant en direction sur bateau. Nous sommes montés au 1er niveau, à 15 heures il n'y avait pas de file d'attente, (avec la crise les Espagnols étaient peu nombreux sur le bateau) les formalités ont duré moins de 5 minutes. Nous avons déposés nos bagages à main à la cabine et sommes allés déjeuner à la Pizeria. Les gros bagages sont arrivés vers 17 heures à la cabine.
- la croisière s'est bien passée et globalement nous sommes contents de la prestation Costa, bateau neuf et confortable, entretien de la cabine impeccable, nourriture saine : pas de tourista signalée à bord, animation sympathique pendant toutes ces journées de navigation, une bonne troupe de danseur, deux concerts classiques intéressants, de même que le concert du ténor, un commandant attentif à ses passagers. Les excursions sont chères mais bien choisies bien organisées et sécurisées. Le service photo reste présent mais discret, un joli choix d'articles dans la galerie.
- des petits bémols : une météo pas terrible aux Antilles, grosse houle à Saint Martin, ciel généralement gris, on bronzait mieux sur le bateau pendant la traversée... Crise oblige : le commandant, bien qu'il s'en défende avait dû recevoir des consignes... nous avons déjà navigué sur le Luminosa... cette fois il roulait et tanguait pas mal et on bénéficiait d'une piscine à vague... les stabilisateurs augmentent la consommation de carburant ! Comme sur le Pacifica la préparation des diners laisse à désirer ex le dernier soir nous avons pris des pommes au four pour le dessert, c'est assez simple à faire... elles étaient froides parce que pas cuites et pas sucrées : ce doit être la gastronomie américaine ! mais il n'y a pas d'américains à bord leur croisière sont moins chères. Ne parlons pas des pizzas... un comble sur un bateau italien ! un épaisse pâte à pain avec une garniture étalée au pinceau. A part cela c'était varié et correct. Nous avons essayé le restaurant gastronomique : ambiance feutrée, service très classe...(la veste obligatoire pour les messieurs, une fois entré, elle peut être déposée sur le dossier de la chaise ?) içi aussi la cuisine n'est pas vraiment gastronomique, mais nettement supérieure au restaurant Taurus.
A signaler deux jours avant la fin de la croisière le petit déjeuner en cabine est devenu payant 5 euros par personne au prétexte que l'on pouvait commander des harengs fumés, des Beefsteaks... "made in USA" - limite légale en cours de contrat.
En résumé, Costa mérite d'être choisi pour une croisière, mais tous les anciens clients déplorent une baisse insensible mais régulière de la qualité et des services, et l'abandon progressif d'une ambiance à "l'Européenne".
Bon retour au bercail, donc tout le monde a subi la baisse de qualité effective au premier décembre date d'entrée en vigueur du catalogue 2012, même si nous en plus nous avons eu à supporter les brésiliens avinés.
Quand nous sommes passés à Barcelone j'ai pensé à vous d'autant plus que nous aurions gagné 2 jours en y embarquant et que notre excursion était annulée et je me suis dit "la prochaine fois nous embarquerons à Barcelone" mais comme il n'y aura pas de prochaine fois, par contre peut-être l'été prochain avec Celebrity.
Nous avions prévu notre croisière au mois de Juillet et vu que Madame ne travaillera finalement pas en juin, nous souhaiterions déplacer la date de notre…
Cela fait environ 3 semaines que j'ai réservé la croisière Perle de l'océan Indien sur le Costa Romantica pour le 19 décembre de cette année. cependant je…
Quel un pourrez t il m informé pour échanger des euros en dollars pour effectuer des petits achats sur l îles merci beaucoup bonne journée cordialement anny 63
Ayant réservée une cabine premium j'ai droit au forfait brindiamo. Or je voudrais le piu gusto. Je sais qu'on peut changer moyennant supplément. Ma question…
Lors de notre dernière croisière sur l'armonia en octobre dernier nous etions au premier service 17h45 ce qui nous convenait car il fait nuit tot, nous etions…
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
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!
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?
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! 🚢😊
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
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, The day before boarding the Costa Favolosa for the Norwegian Fjords cruise departing from Hamburg, I'd like to book a hotel. Which one would be the most convenient location-wise relative to the port?
Thanks in advance for your reply.
Hello,
We’ll be sailing on the Renaissance with CFC to southern Norway from July 4 to 11, 2026, departing from Dunkirk (the cruise was booked through "Planète Croisière").
When entering some personal details or pre-selecting options on the CFC website, I’m wondering about the "optional" categories for drinks and WiFi.
I’m actually a bit surprised by these extra charges, as we weren’t used to them on other cruises (Australis in Patagonia; Hurtigruten’s Coastal Express in Norway and Alaska; Rivages du Monde in the Arctic or on the Douro River; a Nile river cruise in Egypt), where we sometimes had access to basic drinks at meals and free WiFi when near land.
Anyway, for those who’ve already taken a CFC cruise on the Renaissance, could you share some advice? Specifically about the most basic drink package, called "Fraîcheur" (238 € for two), which doesn’t seem to be described anywhere. The "Premium" package seems excessive (490 € for two for the week) for light drinkers.
As for WiFi, it’s 10 € per day per person. While I find that price acceptable for parking our car in Dunkirk, it feels overpriced here (especially since it was free on the Nordlys "Coastal Express" just 3 or 4 years ago).
So, I’d love to hear from experienced cruisers who’ve been on this ship!
Looking forward to seeing the excursion prices, which should be available soon! 😐
Hi there,
I’m considering a cruise on this ship in the recently introduced Yacht Club category.
Have any forum members tried it?
What are your thoughts? Positive or negative? Which cabins should we go for—or avoid?
We’re already familiar with the Yacht Clubs on the Splendida, Fantasia, Preziosa, and Divina series.
We weren’t as keen on the one on the Seashore—we found it too big.
Thanks in advance for your feedback!
Best,
Claudine
Hi there,
I'm looking at a cruise in the north.
