Nous partons du 16 au 23 octobre 2015 de Savone pour la croisière "Fleurs de la Méditerranée" sur le Favolosa, avec nos deux enfants de 3 et 5 ans.
Certains d'entre vous seront aussi sur le bateau à ce moment là par hasard?? 🙂
Ce sera notre 3ème croisière Costa mais 1ère fois au départ de Savone (et sur le Favolosa!), d'où mes quelques petites questions :
- le départ du bateau étant prévu à 16h30, à quelle heure au plus tôt nous conseillez-vous d'arriver afin d'attendre le moins possible pour l'embarquement et le stationnement de la voiture au parking ?
- Doit-on régler le parking en début ou en fin de croisière ?
- Savez-vous également si le buffet sera ouvert à midi sur le bateau ? Comme ça je m'organiserai en fonction pour le repas des enfants... ;)
Enfin, pour ceux et celles qui ont déjà effectué cette croisière, je suis preneuse de toutes infos et bons plans, aussi bien concernant l'organisation sur le bateau qu'au niveau des escales...
A quelle heure est-il préférable d'aller au buffet le midi pour éviter la foire d'empoigne? Sur le Luminosa, nous y allions vers 11h45, quand on pouvait... J'imagine que ce doit être pareil sur le Favolosa!
Enfin, dernière petite question (de mon mari qui s'inquiète par rapport à la coupe du monde de rugby... 😐) : y a -t-il par hasard la chaîne TF1 dans la cabine?
Je sais, ça fait beaucoup de questions, désolée... 😉
Pour votre arrivée à bord, sachez que quelle que soit l'heure vous aurez toujours un buffet pour vous restaurer. Maintenant si c'est pile à l'heure du repas et qu'il y a de l'attente pour les formalités d'embarquement... il faut penser à prendre un petit quelque chose avant d'arriver au buffet.
Concernant le Costa Favolosa, j'ai mis plein de photos sur cette page : http://bit.ly/EscaleCroisiereCostaFavolosa et mon retour d'expérience à bord. Vous trouverez également un exemple de journal de bord.
Ce qui est certain c'est que c'est un bon choix de bateau pour vos enfants car il y a un petit parc aquatique très sympa ou les parents peuvent jouer avec leurs enfants.
Pour vos autres questions, je ne m'avancerai pas car c'est vraiment propre à chacun. Personnellement j'arrive toujours bien à l'avance pour éviter les différents aléas : panne d'auto, se repérer en arrivant...
Côté coupe du monde, pendant la coupe du monde de foot il y avait des rediffusions dans différents salons du bateau (pas partout histoire qu'il y en ai pour tous les goûts). En général les événements sportifs sont l'occasion d'animer les salons donc la compagnie ne néglige pas cette aspect.
J'ai fait 5 croisières sur Costa et en ce qui concerne la télé, dans la cabine, il n'y a que France 24 et TV 5 monde, plus d'autres chaines non françaises.
Par contre, je ne sais plus en quelle année, un match de foot avait été retransmis dans l'un des bars du bateau, car c'était un match important - pour ceux qui aiment !
Bon voyage.
Si le chemin est difficile, le difficile est le chemin.
Bonsoir Isabelle, nous faisons la même croisière que vous , nos enfants ont 14, 11 et 5 ans.
Avez vs déjà regardé ce que vs allez faire pendant les escales ?
Ce sera notre 9 ème croisière, nous avons l'habitude de faire tt soi même à part pour Rome , on hésite encore.
A bientôt
Sandrine
Costa Méditerranéa Médit.11/11, Costa Atlantica Mer Egée Galilée 09/12, Costa Luminosa Perle Antilles 03/13, MSC Splendida Médit.09/13, Costa Magica Iles Grecques 10/13, MSC Lirica Dubai 02/14, MSC Preziosa Turquie 10/14, MSC Divina Miami 03/15, à venir Costa Favolosa Medit.10/15
J'ai fait 5 croisières sur Costa et en ce qui concerne la télé, dans la cabine, il n'y a que France 24 et TV 5 monde, plus d'autres chaines non françaises.
Par contre, je ne sais plus en quelle année, un match de foot avait été retransmis dans l'un des bars du bateau, car c'était un match important - pour ceux qui aiment !
Bon voyage.
Merci pour l'info! Il ne reste plus pour mon mari qu'à prier pour que son match soit diffusé dans un des bars!! 😉
Ah bein c'est sympa que l'on parte en même temps! On va pouvoir s'échanger les bons plans!! Vous partez de Savone le 16 aussi, ou de Marseille le 17?
Nous, nous partons de Savone. Habitant à toulon, on aurait nettement préféré Marseille mais comme on passe par une agence italienne qui nous fait de super prix, tant pis, on fait l'effort de faire un peu de route! 😉
Pour les escales, on a commencé à étudier la question, oui. Tout comme vous on ne prend pas les excursions Costa. Pour Barcelone, on pensait faire le parc guell le matin avec les enfants. Puis l'après-midi les laisser au squok club et retourner tous les deux avec mon mari voir la Sagrada familia (de l'extérieur), les Ramblas, et le stade Camp Nou (monsieur veut le voir...).
Pour la Valette, apparemment à pied depuis le bateau c'est très facile mais faut que j'approfondisse la question quand même! Pareil pour Cagliari, on fera une petite ballade (pas trop d'idées pour cette escale). Et pour Rome, lors de notre précédente croisière, on n'y était pas allé à cause des enfants qu'on ne voulait pas laisser une journée entière au club. Et les emmener avec nous aurait été trop pénible pour eux... Pour cette fois ci encore on s'interroge. Dommage que le trajet soit si long entre civitavecchia et Rome!
Enfin on verra...
Bonsoir Isabelle, nous partons également de Savone, comme nous avons réservé dans une agence allemande, les departs se faisaient uniquement de Savone, nous avons eu un super tarif aussi ! Nous sommes de la Lorraine, nous ferons le trajet en voiture, on a l'habitude ! Ce serait sympa de se voir pour un apéro, histoire de faire connaissance !
Pour les excursions voil7ce que nous avons l'intention de faire :
- Marseille : les calanques de Cassis au départ du port de Marseille, il y a un parcours le matin à 9h30 et au retour prendre le petit train jusqu'à la bonne mère
- Barcelone : on connait un peu dc on voudrait faire le téléphérique de Montjuic et les Ramblas si on a le temps, il me semblait que l'escale était courte juste le matin , faut que je reverifie !
- Cagliari : prendre un bus et aller jusqu'à la plage et au retour faire le centre qui est apparemment sympa
- Malte : bus touristique et aller jusqu'à Mdina, apparemment une beauté et au retour faire la ville et voir la vue depuis les jardins de ???
- Civitavecchia : je suis en contact avec un guide privé qui vkendrait nous chercher au bateau et ns ramène , c'est un circuit en mini bus avec plein de belles choses à voir, l'avantage c'est qu'il s' arrete tt proche des monuments, le mini bus comprend 16 places , le tarif peut aller de 60 € à 42 € si le bus est complet,
Voilà un peu ce qu'on a trouvé.
Sinon je pense que notre petit de 5 ans ira de temps en temps au Squok Club, j'ai vu qu'il y a un endroit sympa pour les enfants avec bateau pirate et chateau et piscine spécialement pour eux !
Si vs avez des idées d'excursions !
Après la croisière nous avons réservé 2 nuits près des 5 terres pour les visiter, vs connaissez ?
A très bientôt alors,
Sandrine
Costa Méditerranéa Médit.11/11, Costa Atlantica Mer Egée Galilée 09/12, Costa Luminosa Perle Antilles 03/13, MSC Splendida Médit.09/13, Costa Magica Iles Grecques 10/13, MSC Lirica Dubai 02/14, MSC Preziosa Turquie 10/14, MSC Divina Miami 03/15, à venir Costa Favolosa Medit.10/15
J'ai eu une panne d'ordi ces derniers jours, d'où le retard de ma réponse. 😉
Votre programme d'excursions est vraiment bien!
Pour Marseille, nous ne ferons rien de particulier à part un petit tour sur la Canebière et le port qui a fait l'objet de gros travaux d'embellissement ces dernières années. Nous irons rejoindre une amie qui habite sur place, ce sera l'occasion de la voir. C'est vrai qu'habitant Toulon, on connait bien Marseille du coup! ;)
Pour Barcelone, je ne connaissais pas du tout le téléphérique de Montjuic et ça a l'air super! C'est quelque chose que nous pourrons faire également avec les enfants (si nous avons le temps!) en plus du parc guell! Et si nous n'avons pas le temps de le faire cette fois, on se le gardera pour la prochaine croisière, comme vous!
Pour Cagliari, je pense qu'une petite promenade au Centre ira très bien! Et pour Malte, effectivement je pense que la Mdina sera à faire, en plus du Centre. C'est une escale que j'attends avec impatience d'ailleurs. Il parait que c'est superbe Malte!
Enfin, pour Rome, je pense que le mini bus est effectivement le moyen idéal et le plus rapide pour gagner du temps tout en voyant les sites essentiels de la ville. Je suis allée voir aussi le site qui propose ces allers-retours/visites depuis le bateau et c'est vraiment super comme système, car il vient nous chercher au bateau, c'est fantastique! Encore une fois je ne connaissais pas du tout et je trouve que c'est génial! Niveau horaires, cela nous ferait partir et rentrer vers quelle heure au bateau? Combien de temps dure le trajet Civitavechia-Rome avec ce mini-bus?
C'est vrai que c'est une escale où l'on hésite beaucoup avec mon mari à cause du trajet et des enfants... La dernière fois (fin avril), on était juste allé se balader un peu à Civitavecchia et il y avait une fête foraine à ce moment là près du port donc avec les enfants ça tombait bien et on a pu bien profiter pendant le reste de la journée du bateau qui était "vide" et ça aussi c'était chouette, surtout en fin de croisière! A voir donc, car vous avez quand même trouvé un super bon plan qui m’intéresse beaucoup! ;)
Pour l'apéro, ce sera évidemment avec plaisir!!
On comparera aussi nos tarifs de croisière entre votre agence allemande et la mienne, italienne. Si la votre est plus intéressante, on passera par elle la prochaine fois! Nous on en a eu pour 1290€ pour 4 en cabine balcon classic, pont 6.
A très bientôt Sandrine!!
Elodie (et non Isabelle... je sais pas pourquoi ce prénom ressort à chaque fois, c'est peut-être le site qui a "bugué" sur mon profil, je vais aller rectifier ça! 😎)
Je part début mai pour douze jours a bord du Costa favolosa au départ de Marseille via arrecif puis santa Cruz de Tenerife ensuite Funchal Malaga Civitavecchia…
J'aimerai échanger sur cette croisière car je ne connais pas du tout cette destination. Vos conseils et expériences sont les bienvenus et j'espère que des…
Hi,
We’ll be visiting Barcelona for the first time on our upcoming cruise.
I was wondering if it’s better to book a taxi in advance to get from the train station to the cruise terminal, since there’ll be four of us. Are there enough taxis around that we won’t have to wait too long?
For the return trip, same question—are there enough taxis, since we have a flight to catch? Though I doubt we’ll know in advance which terminal we’ll dock at.
I came across this site below—has anyone heard of it?
https://taxibarcelona.taxi/fr/
Hi everyone, we're going on a week-long cruise and I have a question: can we travel by train and on a cruise with small refrigerated injectable syringes?
Do we need to complete any formalities?
And how should we store them?
Thanks in advance for your feedback.
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.
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
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 looking for a group of people available to share an excursion to the Trollstigen (Trolls’ Road).
We’ve contacted a local provider who’s offering us the following rates:
- 6,325 NOK for 4 people
- 6,874 NOK for 5 to 8 people
Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’d like to discuss!
Happy planning to everyone! !
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
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 ...
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.
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
Hi there,
I'm looking at a cruise in the north.