Bonjour,
J'aimerais savoir qui peut me conseiller sur l'habillement de soirée (pour femmes) pour les souper du capitaine. C'est ma premiere croisière. De plus, est-ce que ça bouge beaucoup (le bateau) pour avoir le mal de mer.
Merci de me revenir
J'ai fait deux croisières avec Carnival en deux ans. J'aimerais savoir sur quel navire partez-vous, quel est votre itinéraire et quels sont vos dates.
Mes deux expériences m'ont permis de conclure que l'habillement reste simple. Bien sûr, vous verrez des robes à paillettes et des tuxédos, mais ce n'est pas la majorité. En général, vous retrouverez de petites robes sobres ou des tailleurs chics pour la femme, et pour l'homme bien sûr un veston cravate. Mon conjoint a porté un veston de couleur gris-bleu avec un pantalon noir un peu plus chic et quand à moi une petite robe noire toute simple. Vous n'avez pas à vous inquiéter pour ces deux soirées, ce n'est plus ce que c'était autrefois. J'ai voyagé sur le Victory l'an passé et aucun malaise car la mer était plutôt calme. Cette année ce fut tout autrement. La zone située entre Miami et Cuba fut assez agitée cette année et nous en avons subi les conséquences, c'est à dire une journée en partant et une autre en revenant. En prenant des anti-nausées et en mangeant, nous avons réglé le problème. Soyez sans crainte, cette situation est assez exceptionnelle et n'a durée que quelques heures seulement. Notre voyage a été merveilleux. Nous avons déjà hâte à la prochaine croisière.
Merci croisiblue.
Comme je voyage seule et que c'est mon premier, j'aimerais que tout ce passe bien. J'y vais avec des amis. Nous serons sur le Carnival Miracle. Nous allons au Panama-Costa Rica et Belize. J'ai bien hâte. Où êtes-vous allé en croisière. J'espère que j'aurai autant la piqûre croisière que celle des tout inclus.
Ma première fut sur le Carnival Victory, dans les caraïbes de l'ouest (Cozumel - Mexique, Grand Caymans - Iles Caymans et Ocho Rios - Jamaïque) et la deuxième sur le Carnival Triumph, dans les caraïbes de l'est (San Juan - Puerto Rico, St-Thomas et St-Martin). Je projète partir à l'hiver 2011 pour ma prochaine croisière. J'aimerais partir de San Juan - Puerto Rico, et ainsi faire les caraïbes du sud (Tobago, Barbades, Curaçao etc.) mais malheureusement Carnival n'offre pas encore cette itinéraire. Je regarde donc pour Celebrity ou Norwegian Cruises lines et cette fois-ci pour un séjour de 10 jours au moins.
Je suis persuadée que vous passerez un agréable séjour tant en mer que sur terre et comme la plupart des membres de ce forum, vous n'aurez qu'une seule chose en tête en revenant, c'est de réserver votre prochaine croisière.
J'ai deux croisières à mon actif, les deux sur le Fascination (mars et juillet 2009).
Pour les soirées du Capitaine, il y en a de toute les sortes, du tuxedo au jean propre avec veston sport. L'important est d'éviter les tenues trop "décontractées", les shorts, les t-shirt.
Pour ce qui est des mouvements du bâteau, rien de notabl lors de nos croisières.
Nous avons attrapés la piqure et sommes en train de préparer notre prochaine pour la relâche 2010.
Npus avons regardés plusieurs navires (Pride, Valor, Liberty, Inspiration) et notre choix s'est arrêté sur le Dream, de Port Canaveral.
Vous avez fait un excellent choix quant au navire choisi car il sortira des chantiers au début de l'automne pour son voyage inaugural en Europe(septembre ou octobre). Un navire d'une toute nouvelle classe. Vous avez dû sans doute voir quelques photos, il est tout à fait splendide. Avez-vous choisi une cabine avec balcon ?
J'aimerais savoir si vous avez fait affaire avec une agence de voyage ? Avez-vous acheté la croisière seule ou bien un forfait vendu par un grossiste comme Vacances Transat par exemple. Étant donné que ce monstre des mers jette l'encre uniquement à Port Canaveral - Orlando, j'aimerais savoir également avec quelle compagnie aérienne partirez-vous, dans votre forfait avez-vous les transferts inclus de l'aéroport à votre hôtel et/ou au port ou bien allez-vous vous organiser par vous-même? Si je ne m'abuse, l'aéroport d'Orlando est assez loin du terminal de croisière. Si je pose toutes ces questions, c'est que mon agente de voyage m'avait mentionné l'an dernier que c'était plus compliquer et plus coûteux de partir d'Orlando que de Fort Lauderdale ou de Miami, l'aéroport étant plus rapproché.
À date, nous avons utilisés des cabines intérieures et sommes très satisfaits, quand nous voulons de l'air sur allons sur le pont ! La dernière fois nous avons choisi le pont Véranda pour la cabine, nous avions directement accès à l'extérieur via le couloir de la cabine (60 pieds).
J'ai toujours procédé par moi même (sans agent) pour mes voyages. Pour la croisière, j'achète directement sur le site de Carnival et utilise les "Early saver", soit les meilleurs prix disponibles. Pour les vols, Expédia. Je demeure à Victoriaville et souvent utilise l'aéroport de Boston (5 heures de route) plutot que Montréal ou Burlington, les économies sont appréciables (souvent plus de 300$ par billet). Par exemple, pour la relâche, l'avion Boston / Orlando, direct, 3 personnes est à 665$ ou (+- 222$ par personne, toutes les taxes incluses). Nous utiliserons ensuite la navette de Carnival pour se rendre au port (35$ / personne).
Pour ma prochaine croisière si je retiens Carnival comme choix, je vais moi aussi comparer les prix (agent de voyage -vs- site internet de Carnival). Cela semble très intéressant. Merci beaucoup pour ces informations.
Moi Je fais toujours affaire avec l'agence de voyage sears et je suiveille les prix sur les sites des compagnie. Mon agent de voyage me donne toujours le même prix que la compagnie. Pour ma derniere croisière j'ai fait revisé le prix à la baisse 3 fois et j'ai économisé en tout 450 $ par personne
En faisant affaire directement avec la compagnie Carnival, un PVP (pesonnal vacation planner) me fut assigné. Ce type m'informe constamment des développemens récnts et des aubaines, aussi, si le prix de ma croisière baisse, il ajuste automatiquement le prix ou m'offre un "upgrade de cabine ou un crédit à bord.
🙂 Merci beaucoup. Etant donné que j'aime beaucoup les voyages, sûrement que je vais aimer. L'essayer c'est adopter comme on dit. Je ne suis pas difficile. Avec de bons conseils, je me fais à l'idée que ce sera une croisière formidable. Est-ce que vous connaissez des sites que je pourrais visionner ce bateau à part évidemment le site de Carnival.
Je suis convaincue que vous aimerez votre voyage. Il y a beaucoup de sites sur internet pour regarder des photos de votre navire. Vous n'avez qu'à taper dans le moteur de recherche Google: Carnival Miracle photos, ou Carnival Miracle images et plusieurs sites vous apparaîtront. Vous pouvez regarder de petites vidéos que certains passagers ont placées sur You Tube. Encore une fois dans Google, vous tapez You tube Carnival Miracle et plusieurs vidéos vous apparaîtront. Je tiens toutefois à vous avertir que ces vidéos sont souvent les résultats de personnes qui ont fait la fête et cela peut laisser à désirer. Cela vous permet quand même de voir le navire.
N'hésitez pas à communiquer avec moi si vous désirez avoir d'autres informations.
Moi aussi je me base quand même sur les prix affichés sur le site de Carnival. Étant membre du CAA Québec, j'obtiens donc un rabais. Mon conjoint ayant plus de 55 ans et que nous somme à notre 2e croisière et plus avec Carnival, nous obtenons encore un autre rabais. Je dois avouer ce qui coûte cher c'est le transport par avion. Je demeure à Québec et comme nous voulons partir de Québec, cela coûte encore plus cher.
Tu as raison que c'est le transport qui coute cher. C'est pour cette raison que nous nous rendons toujours en floride en auto
On viens de réservé le Carnival Dream pour le 01 janvier 2011 et on a payé 680 $ en cabine intérieure et on a aussi réservé le Carnival Glory pour la relache 2011 et on a payé 658$ toujours en cabine intérieure . En se rendant en auto , ca nous permet d'en faire 2 par année à un bon prix.
L'an dernier nous somme partis de new york , ca faisait pas tres loin pour se rendre. C'est bien
L'idée est bonne de partir en auto, mais il faut prévoir au moins une semaine de plus de vacances et surtout aimer faire de longs trajets. Mais si cela vous permet de faire deux croisières, c'est même très bien.
La photo à gauche a été prise en avril dernier à San Juan, Puerto Rico. Nous étions sur le Carnival Triumph, c'est lui que l'on voit d'ailleurs. En passant, j'ai adoré cette ville, j'y retournerais. Au début, je n'étais pas chaude à l'idée d'une escale de soir, mais ce fut fantastique. Cela nous a permis de voir une ville sous un autre aspect et surtout toutes ces lumières des navires encréss au port, il y en avait trois dont le Solstice de Celebrity qui est majestueux et de toute beauté.
Bonjour
voulez vous que j'inscrive votre croisière à mon post débuté il y a 3 jours, c'est un succès, 1640 lecture et 133 réponses🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂
Vous me répondez si d'accord avec date de départ et nom du paquebots FACILE, je demande autorisation avant même si dans votre titre ou messsage, ces informations figurent déjà.
LE BUT: cela permet d'échanger avec d'autres membres , impressions, itinéraires, envies dans les escales, en fait d'échanger un maximum de choses avec d'autres membres sur la même croisière.
Dans ma discussion, regardez le msg N°126 (=mise à jour N°2)
Voici le lien
http://voyageforum.com/...croisieres_D3021955/
Comment faites-vous pour utiliser la navette de Carnival si vous ne réservez par les billets d'avion avec la compagnie ? Je regarde pour un départ de New York et je me demandais comment me rendre au port de Miami.
Je regarde pur un départ le 13 mars sur le carnival Glory et c'est vrai que les billets d'avion pour Miami sont EXORBITANTS !!! Sans indiscréditoin, comment cela vous coûte-t-il en voiture ?
Nous sommes une petite famille de Victoriaville avec un enfant de 7 ans. Nous avons réservé le Dream pour la semaine de relâche 2010, départ de Port Canaveral…
Nous partons de Fort Lauderdale le 28 février prochain sur le Carnival Freedom. Ce sera notre 1ière croisière... Que devons-nous savoir avant de partir?…
Nous venons de réserver une croisière pour le mois de février prochain soit du 7 au 15 sur le bateau Carnival Miracle en catégorie 4E et nous allons faire 4…
Nous prenons un peu de temps pour faire notre CR après une croisière dans les Caraïbes du 11 au 18 février 2012 sur le Carnival Dream, en espérant apporter…
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?
Bonjour
Je pars en croisière avec la compagnie MSC à bord du World Europa en octobre prochain.
Escale Gêne, Naples, Messine, Malte.
Avez vous fait le Volcan Etna et Pompéi?
Pouvez vous me donner des conseils dans chacune de ces étapes?
Je souhaite me déplacer par mes propres moyens sans prendre d'excursions du bateau
Merci pour vos réponses
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!
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! 😐
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Hi there,
I'm looking at a cruise in the north.
