Hambourg, hôtel la veille à l'aéroport, ensuite bus Kielus jusqu'a Kiel (aurais-je un moyen de transport pour aller jusqu'au port) j'ai lu qu'il y avait 20 minutes à pied en longeant le canal (y-a-til des taxis ?)
J'aimerai me joindre à d'autres personnes pour faire les excursions (très chères chez Costa)
Tous renseignements sur cette croisière seront les bienvenus
bonjour nous sommes un couple d'age mur qui participe a cette croisiere et nous cherchons d'autre passagers pour l'excursion de saint petersbourg si c possible et bon marché, nous vous informons des prix que nous avons obtenu pour negocier
cordiallement
Je suis aussi "d'âge mûr" et me joindrais volontiers à d'autre personnes pour faire des excursions moins chères, mais en ce qui concerne St Pétersbourg est-ce que ce sera possible de les faire individuellement en ayant un visa collectif accordé à Coste ?
J'arrive la veille (prudente) et loge à Hambourg dans un hôtel près de l'aéroport
bonjour nous sommes un couple d'age mur qui participe a cette croisiere et nous cherchons d'autre passagers pour l'excursion de saint petersbourg si c possible et bon marché, nous vous informons des prix que nous avons obtenu pour negocier
cordiallement
Bonjour
Nous sommes aussi d âge mûr, nous serons sur le costa pacifica du 30/04/2014 et nous voudrions participer à l excursion de st petersbourg .
En vous remerciant
En définitive, j'ai choisi un hôtel à Kiel pour palier les éventuelles difficultés du bus Kielius (réserver ou pas réserver)
Je regrette de ne pas avoir fait faire de visa individuel, car je vais être obligée de faire les excusions de Costa (chères !)
Ce sera ma 9 ème croisière depuis noël 2011 : 5 MSC, 1 ROYAL C, 1 COISIEUROPE, 2 COSTA et je compte continuer si la tête et les jambes me le permettent !!!
bonjour madame
nous avon participer a une excursion de 2 jours effectuée par une agence locale avec dejeuner le 1er jour a 265 dollars mais c en anglais car nous n'avons pas trouvé des participants français. la guide nous a promis de changer juste la langue du guide si elle parvienne , lle ou nous k a former un groupe de 11ou12 a ce prix.
si ça vous convins veuillez rejoindre a nous
bonjour
nous avons reservé avec une agence locale 2 jours un programme standard a 265 dollas avec dejeuner le 1er jour mais c en anglais car nous n'avons pas trouvé de participants français si ça vous interesse nous essayons de faire un groupe de 11 ou 12 a ce prix c moins cher que costa. qu'en pensez vous bien sur ça va etre avec un guide français ds ce cas
bonjour
vous etes seule? combien de personne participerons avec nous ?
pour le rencontre je vais vous donner le numero de notre cabine dés que nous le recevons si non qd tu sera inscrite avec ce groupe tu recevras tout les coordonnés et ou nous allons rejoindre notre guide
bonjour
je vais vous donner les coordonnés d'OLGA qui s'occupe de la reservation elle va demander qq renseignement de vous pour preparer le visa alors contactez la et vs recevrez la reponse tjolga@gmail.com
bonjour
avec plaisir avec vous nous serons 5 je te passe l'e mail d4olga pour quelques reseignement et elle vous reponds tout de suite tjolga@gmail.com. je vais l'informer tout de suite
a bientot
bonsoir
j'ai parlé avec elle pour un groupe francophone elle m'a repondu que pour nous groupe de 5 jusqu'a mt c a 229euro et si on trouve d'autre ça diminu, alors j'ai lancé un autre appel et j'attends encore. si vs avez de passagers qui veulent se rejoindre a nous ça sera mieux pour le prix
a bientot
bonsoir
j'ai parlé avec elle pour un groupe francophone elle m'a repondu que pour nous groupe de 5 jusqu'a mt c a 229euro et si on trouve d'autre ça diminu, alors j'ai lancé un autre appel et j'attends encore. si vs avez de passagers qui veulent se rejoindre a nous ça sera mieux pour le prix
a bientot
bonsoir
le prix c pour 2 jours avec dejeuner le 1er jour, pour un groupe privé de 5 personnes .il peut etre moins si d'autres passagers se rejoignent a nous
Programme standard de 2 jours (groupe prive)
Jour 1
08.00am rendez-vous a la sortie du bateau (veuillez noter svp que l’heure du debut du
programme depend de l’heure d’arrivee du bateau)
Tour de ville
qui prévoit le passage par les plus beaux quartiers historiques de la ville
aussi bien que les arrêts photos devant les monuments les plus remarquables.
10.30-11.00am Voyage à Péterhof en hydroglisseur
11.00-12.30am Ballade guidee dans le Parc des fontaines a Peterhof ( les Jardins Inferieur
et Superieur )
12.30-1.30pm Déjeuner a la russe (option)
1.30-2.30 pm Voyage à Tsarskoe Sélo
2.30-4.00pm Visite guidee au Palais Catherine avec le Cabinet d’Ambre
4.00-5.00pm Retour en ville. Visite du metro et du marche fermier
5.00 pm Retour à bord du bateau
ou
programme optionnel des sorties de soir ( théâtre/ spectacle
folklorique/ballade sur les canaux et riviers)
Jour 2
9.00 am Rencontre à la descente du bateau.
Paiement du programme. Shopping
9.30-12.30am Visite guidee au Musée de l’Ermitage (entree avant l'ouverture officielle
du musee)
12.30-1.30pm Déjeuner a la russe (option)
1.30-2.00 pm Visite guidee dans l’Eglise Saint-Sauveur sur la Sang Verse
2.15-3.00pm Visite guidee dans la Cathedrale Saint-Isaak
3.00 – 3.30pm Vie quotidienne de la ville
4.00 Retour à bord du bateau
Personnes 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Prix en $$ p/p 560 340 290 280 270 240 230 220
Prix inclut:
- Billets d’entree dans tous les musees du programme, voyage en hydroglisseur a Peterhof
Services du guide pendant deux jours dans les limites du programme
Services du chauffeur pendant deux jours dans les limites du programme. Voiture (Mercedes)/minivan avec air/C
Photo/ video dans les musees
Visite du metro
Prix n’inclut pas:
- Cout des dejeuners
Veuillez noter s’il vous plait:
Si vous voyagez avec les enfants ages moins de 7 ans le tour est gratuit pour eux.
Enfants/Etudiants ages de 7-21 ans recoivent la remise de 35 euros sur le cout total du programme. Les etudiants doivent etre munis de la carte ISIC pour pouvoir la presenter. Remise sera impossible sans cette carte.
Veuillez nous prevenir d'avance au cas ou il y a des enfants/etudiants dans le groupe pour la raison de la reservation des billets
Pourboirs pour guides et chauffeurs ne sont pas inclus dans le cout du tour mais ca reste toujours a votre disposition.
bonjour et bonne fete a vous de meme
arrivée a 8h c l'affaire de la croiiere et l'agence collabore avec eux ils savent qd on arrive et qd on doit quitter. c leur job, si non le programme est bien fait et il nous fait eviter le visa , le deplacement puisque le trjet port centre ville est long, on n'a pas le choix puisque c le temps qui ns presse et aussi le fait de comuniquer avec les gens ailleurs pour se deplacer..
bonne journée
J'ai la réponse d'Olga, c'est dommage que nous ne puissions pas avoir les commentaires en français, elle dit aussi que le prix n'est pas fonction du nombre de participants (toujours moins cher que Costa !)
Avant que je m'engage, confirmez-moi qu'il s'agit bien de la demande que vous avez faite !
bonjour,
nous avons reçu la réponse nous aussi de Olga,
nous avons compris que étant 5 personnes le guide sera francophone car franchement faire 2 jours en anglais sans vraiment en profiter ce n'est pas intéressant pour nous d'autant plus que 2 jours avec costa coutent 240 euros c'est à dire le même prix.
nous allons confirmer auprès de olga que c'est bien en français.
si oui, nous nous inscrirons demain.
cordialement
bonsoir
nous aussi nous sommes intéressé que se sera en français mais puisque ns avons raté bcq de groupe ns etions obligé de participer pour ne pas rester au bateau a st petersburg
Bonsoir,
C est vrai que l avantage nous serons moins nombreux, nous nous inscrirons dès que nous aurons la confirmation que le guide est francophone.
Cordialement
bonjour madame,
nous vous remercions de nous avoir prévenus, néanmoins, nous trouvons que le tarif reste plus cher que costa et certaines visites nous intéressent moins.
bonne croisière.
bonjour,
nous sommes désolés nous serons pas dans le groupe, nous trouvons que le tarif en ajoutant les pourboires est plus cher que celui de costa. en plus certaines visites nous intéressent moins.
bonne croisière.
bonsoir
c a quel prix avec costa? je n'ai pas d'idée mais tt le monde parle des prix très élevés, quel est leur programme pour les deux jours.
a ce que je connais que nous ne pouvons pas être seul a st petersburg ss avoir de visa est ce que les guides de costa ns accompagnerons tt la journée. si c mieux ns aussi ns sommes intéressés de changer avec eux
a bientot
bonsoir
si vous opter pour cette excursion ns serons ensemble, mm avec des anglais . nous n'avons pas besoin du guide pour explication ms l'essentiel que ns ne serons pas perdu ces 2 jours
Bonsoir,
Pour les tarifs et descriptifs pas détaillés vous allez sur le site de Costa croisieres/navires/costa pacifica/departs/capitales nordiques vous choisissez notre croisière du30/04/ et sur la même page vous trouverez la rubrique excursions et vous cliquez sur celle que vous voudrez.
Bonne soirée
Je me suis jointe à vous pour former un groupe de 5 et engagée auprès d'Olga.
Les tarifs Costa je les connaissais car ils m'avaient été envoyés par le croisiériste et avec des excursions à 119 et 134€ par exemple, on a vite atteint le montant que nous avons choisi.
Le problème pour moi c'est la langue car pour 3, le français n'est pas garanti !
bonsoir
ce matin j'ai envoyé un e mail a OLGA pour lui dire qu'il ns faut une solution pour la langue et elle a proposé cette nouvelle qui ns convient tous.
pour la soirée je crois qu'un spectacle pareil aura lieu ds le bateau donc ns n'allons pas prendre ce programme du soir
cordialement
Nous allons faire cette croisière au mois de juillet et nous allons prendre l excursion de 2jours a st petersbourg avec Olga tj travel pouvez nous dire vous ressenti
Dans quel pays faut il vraiment la monnaie du pays,
Peut on payer partout en euro,
Avez vous des info à nous communiquer pour les visites des villes que nous pouvons faire seul
J'ai beaucoup apprécié cette croisière, le bateau n'est pas un des plus beau et ma cabine (8201) était mal placée
tout à l'avant partiellement obstruée par un poste de pilotage avec des portes claquant très souvent, des WC constamment bouchés, mais ceci n'est qu'un détail.
Olga est parfaite ! nous n'étions que 3, donc très à l'aise. J'ai payé 249€ pour 2 jours avec 1 repas (médiocre) et une soirée folklorique où je n'ai malheureusement pas pu aller car entre le retour d'excursion et le départ pour la soirée il ne restait qu'un quart d'heure et j'étais trop fatiguée, dommage ...Saint-Pétersbourg est superbe, j'ai beaucoup aimé Peterof,
J'ai aimé Gdansk (Gdynia) j'ai regretté d'avoir pris l'excursion avec le chateau (109€) seule la ville m'a intéressée,
La vieille ville de Tallinn est intéressante (excursion Costa), Bornhorm aussi sur l'ile de Nexo en tournant sur la gauche nous avons traversé le village et un agréable endroit boisé avec un étang.retour en longeant la mer (plein d'oiseaux)
Il y a bien souvent des bus rouge à proximité des ports et toujours des taxis
On peut payer partout en euros.
Pour les personnes qui veulent partir la veille, l'hôtel B&B à Kiehl est très bien sortir à droite dans la gare il est à 100 mètres environ sur le même trottoir à droite.
Le lendemain, pour rejoindre le bateau c'est facile (mais fatigant !) on longe le quai, un taxi coûte 8€ on peut se grouper, toujours aussi pénible il faut 3 H d'attente pour les formalités !! pas la peine de se précipiter!
J'ai eu un problème avec KIELUS à Hambourg, il étaient complet, le supplémentaire complet aussi, il était tard, le chauffeur s'énervait, je suis retournée en taxi à la gare (30€) là au moins il y avait de la place !
Nous voici de retour d'une excellente croisière 2/6 au 12/6 départ de KIEL (ALLEMAGNE) durant laquelle nous avons bénéficié d'une météo exceptionnelle. Circuit…
Est ce que quelqu'un part pour la croisière du 09 au 20 juillet 2014 sur le Costa Pacifica? et pour ceux qui l'on déjà faite je prends tous les tuyaux sachant…
Nous envisageons une croisière « Capitales du nord » avec le Costa Pacifica le 20 juillet 2018. En voici le circuit: Stockholm – Helsinki – Saint-Pétersbourg –…
Qui sera sur le pacifica pour la croisière capitales de la baltique au départ de Kiehl le 1O aout prochain? quelles sont vos réflexions concernant les escales…
Bonjour à tous, on pars en croisière pour une semaine et j'ai une question, peut-on voyager en train et en croisière avec des petites seringues injectables conservables au frais?
Dois t-on faire des formalités?
Et comment conserver ?
Merci d'avance pour vos retours.
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!
Nous recherchons un groupe de personne disponible pour partager une excursion en direction de la route des trolls.
Nous avons contacté un prestataire local
Qui nous propose un tarif de :
- 6325 nok pour 4 personnes
- 6874 nok pour 5 à 8 personnes
N hésitez pas à nous contacter pour échanger sur le sujet
Bons préparatifs à tous !
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
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.