Nous rentrons de notre deuxième croisière avec MSC Orchestra et je souhaitais partager notre périple avec vous afin de vous donner quelques conseils qui m'ont, moi aussi, permis d'organiser ce beau voyage.
Donc direction la Norvège au départ de Copenhague.
Nous nous sommes rendus à Copenhague en voiture (avec des escales sur la route pour visiter notamment Lübeck en Allemagne).
Sur le port de Copenhague, un grand parking en libre service. Stationnement payant > 1 semaine 420 DKK. Attention, ce parking n'est pas surveillé mais nous n'avons rencontré aucun problème.
Check-in à 12h20 pour un départ à 18h.
Nous sommes montés sur le bateau vers 13h. Nous visiterons Copenhague à notre retour. Possibilité de se restaurer et de rejoindre nos cabines. Visite du bateau qui ressemble beaucoup au Poesia que nous avions pris lors de notre première croisière. Aussi beau l'un que l'autre.
Et c'est parti pour une semaine.
WARNEMUNDE :
Première escale de notre voyage.
Plus une escale de transit car beaucoup de passagers montent et descendent en Allemagne.
Ceci dit une très belle découverte. Warnemunde est une petite ville du bord de mer.
En descendant du bateau, un petit pont permet d'accéder directement au centre. Beaucoup de petits boutiques aussi bien pour faire du shopping que pour manger et goûter les spécialités telles que les saucisses Bratwurst.
Très appréciées par les enfants.
Visite de l'église et arrêt sur la superbe plage tout prêt du port. Temps magnifique et une eau pas si froide que ça.
STAVANGER :
Après une journée en mer nous arrivons en Norvège et notre arrêt à Stavanger.
Le bateau est amarré juste devant la vieille ville Gamle Stavanger que du coup vous ne pouvez pas rater.
De l'autre côté du port, vous trouverez la rue tout en couleur Ovre Holmegate où vous pouvez flâner tranquillement en passant par l'église et les ruelles piétonnes.
Notre escale n'étant pas très longue, la visite du rocher mythique Preikestolen n'était pas possible pour nous mais, sachez que des compagnies proposent les mêmes balades que MSC beaucoup moins cher. Elles se trouvent sur le port juste à votre gauche en descendant du bateau.
Du coup, pour nous, j'avais prévu de nous rendre à Sverd i Fjell (les épées sur les rochers) et pour cela de prendre le bus ligne 16. L'arrêt se trouve à côté du plan d'eau près du port de Vagen. Il faut descendre à Mandlaleiren.
Les bus sont très ponctuels aucun problème de ce côté là. Comptez environ 15 minutes pour vous rendre sur place. 30 euros pour 4 personnes aller/retour (attention à payer en couronnes). Le site est très beau.
Un peu frustré de devoir repartir si vite.
HELLESYLT/GEIRANGER :
L'arrêt à Hellesylt n'est possible que pour les personnes ayant pris les excursions au départ de cet endroit avec MSC.
Pour les autres direction Geiranger.
En arrivant au quai, il pleut 😐.
Un bras articulé permet aux passagers de descendre du bateau. Beaucoup de monde c'est un peu la cohue mais on finira par y arriver.
Nous mettons un pied à terre et le soleil apparait 😄.
J'avais prévu une randonnée avec les enfants donc direction Vesterasfjellet. Possibilité de prendre un plan des randonnées à l'office du tourisme.
Grimper sur la route vers le Fjord Center. Vous avez la possibilité de le faire par la passerelle qui longe la cascade mais beaucoup de monde ce matin là. Nous préférerons la faire au retour.
Après l'hôtel prendre à gauche le chemin direction Vesteras Gard.
Très belle randonnée qui monte dure mais réalisable même avec des enfants (qui d'ailleurs auront beaucoup moins de mal que les parents ... 🤪).
Un petit passage par la ferme avec la traversée d'un pâturage de moutons et de chèvres mais également de lamas 😉.
A l'arrivée une superbe vue sur le fjord et sur notre bateau de croisière.
En cas de pluie attention le chemin est glissant. Comptez bien 3 heures l'aller/retour en prenant le temps de respirer.
Retour au bateau par la passerelle qui longe la cascade. Les nuages reviennent.
Ne pas rater la vue depuis le bateau lors du passage dans ce fjord magnifique et ces superbes cascades notamment la cascade des 7 sœurs à droite du bateau.
Une super journée.
FLAM :
Au vu des prix exorbitants que propose MSC pour une excursion j'avais un peu anticipé et réservé de mon côté.
En s'y prenant un peu beaucoup à l'avance, j'ai eu la possibilité de réserver le Flamsbana directement sur le site
https://www.visitnorway.fr/destinations-norvege/region-ouest/sognefjord/flam/
mais seulement pour la montée. Vraiment sympa avec des paysages magnifiques.
Plus de places pour redescendre mais personnellement je ne vois pas l'intérêt de prendre le train en sens inverse. La vue est la même dans les deux sens 😉
J'avais lu sur le forum qu'on pouvait descendre en vélo en les louant directement à Myrdal. Ce que j'ai fait via le site www.caferallaren.no
350 NOK par vélo adulte ou enfant c'est le même prix.
Les vélos étaient bien là à nous attendre.
Attention avec des enfants les 2 premiers kilomètres sont difficiles.
Nous avons dû les descendre à pied en poussant les vélos. Beaucoup de graviers avec des lacets et des virages qui finissent dans le vide.
Prévoir 3h bien large pour éviter de rater le bateau 😎.
C'est la plus belle piste cyclable que je n'ai jamais faite.
A ne rater sous aucun prétexte. Nous sommes rentrés tous émerveillés. Une très belle escale avec 27 degrés.
COPENHAGUE :
Arrivée à Copenhague le samedi et fin de notre croisière. Nous avions pris une nuit à l'auberge DANHOSTEL pour nous permettre de visiter le ville tranquillement.
Copenhague est une ville magnifique jeune et animée.
Après avoir déposé nos valises à l'auberge, nous nous sommes dirigés vers TIVOLI à pied tout près.
Un très beau parc en plein centre. Les prix sont assez élevés mais nous sommes au Danemark normal.
Une bonne matinée pour faire le tour et quelques attractions avec les enfants.
Ensuite direction le quartier Nyhavn riche en cafés et restaurants typiques en passant devant la vieille Bourse le château de Rosenborg l'église Holmens ...
Beaucoup de travaux en ce mois de juillet mais facile de s'y déplacer.
Je vous conseille de louer des vélos 10 euros par jour. Copenhague possède plus de 350 kms de pistes cyclables très bien sécurisées.
Aussi vous avez la possibilité de louer de petits bateaux sans permis GOBOAT. A réserver sinon pas de places comme nous 🙁.
Une prochaine fois.
J'espère vous avoir donné quelques bons tuyaux.
Une très belle croisière dans ce Nord si loin d'être hostile.
Des paysages à couper le souffle.
Par contre des pays très chers (merci le bateau pour le tout compris à bord 😉)
Bonjour Silvi,
Un grand merci pour ce CR détaillé qui me donne d'autres idées à faire la prochaine fois que j'y retournerai (car, bien sûr, j'y retournerai !!!😉)
Bonjour
Merci pour ce retour très intéressant.
On va faire une croisière assez proche l’annee prochaine avec les mêmes escales sauf que nous partons de Kiel.
Pour l’escale à Copenhague, avec notre fille nous allons aller à Tivoli, billets d’entrée en poche. Pour prévoir le change pourriez vous me dire le budget à prévoir pour manger sur place et faire quelques attractions ?
Comment et où s’achètent les tickets pour les attractions ?
Merci d’avance
Bonjour Christophe,
Les tickets pour les attractions s'achètent sur des bornes directement à l'intérieur du parc.
Les tarifs sont dégressifs par rapport aux nombres d'attractions. 5 billets vous couteront moins cher en pourcentage qu'un seul.
Attention certaines attractions nécessitent 2 voir 3 billets.
En terme de budget je ne peux pas trop vous dire.
Il faut savoir qu'à Copenhague l'argent liquide n'est pas très utilisé voir complètement banni de certains quartiers. Seul la carte bleue est autorisée pour les paiements (vive le sans contact) et ce même pour une glace.
Donc peut être prévoir un minimum et voir directement sur place.
De plus, sachez que les frais bancaires sont moins importants en payant directement que en retirant de l'argent sur un distributeur.
N'hésitez pas et bonne croisière.
Silvi
Je vous remercie pour ce compte rendu si détaillé et si riche en informations.
J'ai une petite question par rapport à la réservation du train : lorsqu'on réserve le train en ligne, est-ce que c'est pour des horaires bien précis ?
Théoriquement, notre bateau est censé accosté à flam a 07h00 et repartir à 17h00 mais il risque d'accuser du retard et de notre côté, on ne sais pas quand est-ce nous allons pouvoir sortir du bateau surtout avec la foule.
Une deuxième question : si on ne réserve que l'aller, est-ce qu'on peut faire le retour à pied ? Sinon est-ce qu'il y a d'autres alternatives pour le retour autre que le vélo ?
Bonjour,
La réservation du train se fait en ligne pour des horaires bien précises.
En effet, vous remarquerez que les croisiéristes réservent souvent tous les créneaux horaires à l'arrivée du bateau.
Donc c'est complet pour les trains de 8h à 11h environ.
Nous avions pu réserver le créneau de midi au moment ou les groupes étaient déjà partis mais bien 4 mois avant le départ du bateau.
Par contre, il n'y avait aucune possibilité de réserver le retour pour les mêmes raisons que le départ.
Nous voulions de toute façon faire la descente en vélo donc pour nous cela n'a posé aucun problème.
Vous pouvez bien sûr descendre à pied par la piste cyclable par contre sachez qu'en vélo il nous a fallu plus de 2h.
Ce que vous pouvez faire c'est de descendre au premier arrêt du train sans aller jusqu'au terminus.
Il sera plus simple après de prévoir un retour à pied.
Si vous n'avez pas réservé le retour en train il vous sera impossible de monter dedans.
Je ne sais pas si il existe d'autres alternatives car je n’ai vu ni taxis ni bus.
En espérant que cela vous aidera.
Bonne croisière à vous
Silvi
Je recherche des personnes qui partent du 25/07 au 01/08 sur l'orchestra de copenhague? nous partons mon mari et moi, notre fille reste avec ses grands…
Chers compagnons de voyage bonjour, Le 10 août, nous embarquons à Hambourg sur le MSC Orchestra Direction Ecosse, Island et Groenland Retour à Hambourg le 31…
Je cherche des personnes qui ont fait la croisiere au départ d'Hambourg vers les fjords norvégiens, afin de partager leur expérience. Merci pour vos réponses
étant COSTA addict) nous voilà prêts à réserver une croisière sur l'orchestra en juillet 2019 pour visiter l’Islande avec MSC (pour la seconde fois sur MSC)…
Je dois faire cette croisière le 18 juin 2015. Je connais déjà BARI et DUBROVNIK mais KATAKOLON, MYKONOS et le pyrée me sont inconnus. J'ai l'habitude…
Bonjour,
Nous partirons pour la première fois de Barcelone lors de notre prochaine croisière.
Je me demandais s'il était mieux de réserver d'avance un taxi pour aller de la gare au terminal de croisière, sachant que nous serons 4. Les taxis sont-ils suffisamment nombreux pour ne pas trop attendre ?
Pour le retour, même chose, sont-ils assez nombreux, car nous avons un avion à prendre. Par contre, je doute fort que nous sachions à l'avance à quel terminal nous accosterons.
Je suis tombée sur le site ci-dessous, est-ce que quelqu'un connaît ?
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
Bonjour à tous,
Hi there,
I'm looking at a cruise in the north.