Cruises

Hi, we're heading to Venice soon. We have a hotel in Mestre and we'd like to know which bus can take us from the Mestre hotel to Marghera Port. Thanks.

Hi everyone, I’m going on a Mediterranean cruise in November and I’m looking for some "tips" to visit the cities of Naples, Messina, and Valletta in Malta without booking the ship’s excursions, which are really expensive. Thanks so much for your advice and suggestions. We’re a group of 6 people. Looking forward to hearing from you... Best, M

PS: We’re also stopping in Genoa and Barcelona—even though we know these two cities, we’d still love any tips for visiting them! Thanks

Hello everyone, We’re a senior couple signed up for a 13-day cruise in Japan on the Princess Sapphire, departing from Yokohama on April 8, 2027. Are there any other French speakers on this forum who’ll be on this trip? Hoping for a reply...

Hi, I’m about to go on a cruise on the Costa Smeralda but I’ve never been on a cruise before. Could anyone share the à-la-carte drink menu? I’d like to know if the prices are excessive, since the MyDrinks drink packages, for example, cost 266 € per adult. Have a great day! 😉

Hi there, I’m looking into a Mediterranean cruise on the Splendida in YC.

I’d love to know if it’s a ship with a lot of triple and quadruple cabins in the Yacht Club. The thing is, I’m planning to depart from Malta, and either the cruise ends during the French school holidays in October with a departure from Marseille—which means there’s a risk of lots of kids on board—or the other option is a departure on October 30th, which might also have some French kids during the first part of the cruise.

I read that some ships in the Fantasia class have more triple or quadruple cabins than others, but I’m not sure if the Splendida is one of them.

If anyone has that info… PS: This isn’t about starting a debate on traveling with or without kids… I’d just like a quiet week, and that’s not always easy in a small space with lots of children around.

Hi there,

Has anyone here tried GigSky’s “Cruise + Land” eSIM during your cruise?

I’ve seen on various forums that they offer some great deals. For my part, I found a one-month plan (5 GB) for 78 €, whereas MSC charges 290 € on board.

Since we can’t afford to go completely offline (especially my wife—we need to stay in touch for several reasons), we absolutely need an internet plan.

Thanks in advance

Hi, QWhen a cruise ship stays overnight at port, can we spend the night off the ship? Thanks!

Hello, I’ll be on the Costa Serena from April 27 to May 4, 2027. Given that the excursions offered by Costa can sometimes be pricey, what would you recommend for the following stopovers? Cagliari. Tunis. Palermo. Marseille. Thanks for keeping in mind that we’re in our sixties and one member of our small group can’t handle very long walks (so no more than 6 km in a day). Thank you for your help.

Hi everyone, I’m going on a cruise at the end of January with MSC and I’m looking into the excursions I could do. I’d like to know if I can do the excursions on my own or if I absolutely have to go through MSC based on safety levels. We’ll be stopping in Montego Bay in Jamaica, Cartagena in Colombia, Puerto Limón in Costa Rica, Belize City, and Colón in Panama. Thanks! Emeline

Hello everyone! Just a little backstory—my username comes from the year I took my first cruise. Sixteen years and nine cruises later, I’m currently on my 10th, this time in the Yacht Club interior. I’m taking you along with me!

Left Marseille on Wednesday, October 21st. After train troubles (issues on the Paris-Marseille line), then getting lost at La Joliette—years ago, I’d taken the metro and the port bus, thinking I had to go left once near the port, but no, the little gate is on the right after the shopping center.

Wait, she took the metro and bus to the Yacht Club? Yep! After waiting 15 minutes for the shuttle, once the bus dropped us off, it was a 15-20 minute walk to the ship. Finally, we made it to the boarding dock. Headed toward the little Yacht Club flag, where a nice young woman checked our IDs and gave us luggage tags. She walked us through security (we got to skip the line). After that, we went to the Yacht Club lounge, where two butlers were waiting. They offered us drinks, and a third person arrived to check passports and handle registration. Then, they gave us a form to pick a complimentary bottle—I didn’t do it right away. I felt a little rushed by everyone. I’ll explain more later in my story. Today, we’re in Barcelona. A few photos to come in the meantime.