Nous ferons la croisière Venise, Anconna, Mykonos, Athène, Corfu et Dubrovnik. Notre vol Air Transat de Montréal arrivera à Venise le 11 juin vers midi et le bateau part à 18h00.
Avons-nous le temps de visiter Venise par nous-même (même pour quelques heures) ? A quelle distance se trouve le port par rapport à la ville ? La meilleure façon de s'y prendre ?
L'autre option est au retour : le bateau arrive à Venise à 9h00 et notre vol est en fin d'après midi. A quelle distance se trouve l'aéroport du port ?
Bonsoir
depuis aéroport, il y a des bus bleu, acheter un ticket dans le terminal à 4€, le bus en 30m sera à la Piazzela di roma, reste ensuite à pied ou "airtrain" à 1€ pour aller au port = 800m
retour idem
titi
Après avoir déposé les bagages au bateau, disons à 15 h, on pourrait envisager un minimum, aller prendre le vaporetto, descendre le Grand Canal jusqu'à la place Saint-Marc et retour, temps estimé maximum 1 h 30.
Je suis désolée mais vous n'aurez absolument pas le temps au risque de rater le bateau !
si le bateau part à 18h cela signifie que l'on peut embarquer jusque 17h maximum
en imaginant que votre avion n'ait aucun retard, il faut compter le temps de récuperer les valises puis de vous rendre a venise meme puis d'aller porter vos valises a l'embarquement
il sera largement le temps d'embarquer !!
vous ne verrez rien en 1h de temps
dommage que vous n'ayez pas prévu de dormir a venise avant ou apres la croisiere pour visiter ce petit bijou 😕
Isabelle, amoureuse des croisières:
COSTA, MSC, ROYAL CARIBBEAN, CELEBRITY, PRINCESS, NCL, HAL, PONANT, OCEANIA, AZAMARA
A VENIR
CELEBRITY EQUINOX 09/11/2026 Grèce Italie Malte
AZAMARA JOURNEY 14/01/2027 tour de l’Amérique du Sud
Je viens de vérifier sur Google Maps et il semble qu'on peut marcher entre Piazzela Roma et la Piazza San Marco. Il semble y avoir quelques km seulement. Possible de marcher ?
Oui, faut bien compter une heure, surtout s'il y a du monde qui t'empêche de marcher vite... C'est par contre très bien fléché : la preuve, même sans GPS, ni plan, je ne me suis pas perdu ! 😉
Après, la descente (ou la remontée) du Grand Canal, c'est vrai que c'est magnifique... A condition de pas trop regarder dans l'eau (et de ne pas vouloir le faire à la nage... 😎 ). Mais ça, ça remonte à 2004, il paraît que des efforts de propreté ont été faits...
Je viens de vérifier sur Google Maps et il semble qu'on peut marcher entre Piazzela Roma et la Piazza San Marco. Il semble y avoir quelques km seulement. Possible de marcher ?
Bonjour,
Ha ça pour marcher, tu peux, mais espérer le faire avant le départ, c'est pas recommandé, tu n'auras pas le temps, même en vaporetto, ce sera trop juste.
Dans ces conditions, tu en verras autant du navire, lors du départ.
Au retour, je ne pense pas que tu auras plus de temps.
A mon avis, Venise mérite plus qu'une visite en courant d'air.
Il faut le temps de s'en empreigner pour en profiter pleinement.
Bonne croisière quand même.
Pascal
"Ce qui est important, ce n'est pas d'arriver, mais d'aller vers..."
Saint Exupéry
Nous serons également sur ce bateau 'départ le 11 juin;
C'est notre 3eme croisiere mais c'est la premiere fois que je ne reserve pas d'excursion à l'avance; Il parait que l'on peut tout faire par nous même , on verra bien!
Nous comptons aussi faire les excursions par nous même. Cela a très bien fonctionné dans le passé. Peut-être pourrions-nous partager un taxi dans certains ports ? Nous sommes un couple dans la 'jeune' cinquantaine.
Si cela vous intéresse, laissez-le moi savoir et nous pourrions nous rencontrer sur le bateau.
Nous sommes également un couple de la 'jeune' cinquantaine et l'idée de partager un taxi peut être judicieuse!
Nous serons au pont 'tosca' cabine 90216 et au 2eme service;
Nous allons arriver en voiture car nous arrivons de Hte Savoie.
Nous sommes sur le pont Othello je crois, cabine 80532. Nous serons au premier service.
Au plaisir de vous rencontrer sur le bateau. Si vous connaissez assez le bateau, nous pourrions faire connaissance à un endroit en particulier. Des idées ?
Je ne connais pas du tout ce bateau, peut être a un bar , dimanche vers 18H.
j'ai vu qu'il y avait au pont 6 (travalta) un bar qui se nommait Orpheus; Nous nous mettrons le plus pres possible du bar ; Peut être arriverons nous a nous retrouver?
Veronique
J'espère que vous avez fait bon voyage sur le Victoria !
Moi j'embarque pour la même croisière que vous le 25 juin prochain.
Nous arrivons à l'aéroport de Venise à 8h10. D'après nos documents Costa, nous pouvons embarquer sur le bateau à partir de 14h. J'aurai aimé savoir si vous aviez pu déposer les valises plus tôt au port afin de ne pas se promener avec les bagages pour faire un tour rapide de la ville ? A quelle heure avez-vous pu embarquer sur le bateau ?
Avez-vous des conseils à me donner sur les excursions à faire par soi même où à réserver via Costa car je comptais faire les réservations une fois à bord.
Je vous remercie d'avance pour vos judicieux conseils & réponse.
Bonjour
Nous sommes en effet rentrés hier soir de cette superbe croisiere.
Je ne peux vous renseigner sur le transfert aeroport - bateau car nous sommes arrivés en voiture.
Nous n'avons fait aucune excursion Costa , nous sommes débrouillés par nous même;
Ancone: Montés a pied a la cathédrale et pris le bus navette
Athenes: Bus hopp on, hopp off pris a la descente du bateau qui nous a amené a l'acropole et visite de la plaka qui est juste a coté. Possibilité également de prendre le métro.
Mykonos :Visite a pied
Corfou: Bus costa a 6 euros pris a la sortie du port pour le centre ville.
Ensuite partage d'un taxi avec un autre couple 50 euros pour aller visiter la maison de Sissi qui est a 12 kms.
Dubrovnik : Sortie tres tôt , visite des remparts a l'arrivée pour éviter la foule et ensuite visite de la ville.
J'espére que vous passerez une aussi belle croisiere que nous.
Croisière Costa Victoria – petit compte rendu et suggestions.
Nos destinations étaient Venise, Ancona, Athènes, Mykonos, Corfou, Dubrovnik, Venise. Athènes et Mykonos ont été interchangés à cause d’une manif à Athènes le mercredi.
Notre avion est arrivé à Venise à 12h30. Une fois rendus au port, nous sommes immédiatement montés à bord du bateau après un peu de confusion au port. Il n’y a pas beaucoup d’information mais on s’est débrouillés en demandant de l’aide sur place.
Nous n’avons pas pris les tours offerts à bord. Nous les trouvions assez chers et n'avons pas l'habitude de tours organisés.
Ancona est une jolie ville et on peut faire presque tout à pied.
Athènes – Au Pirée, en sortant du terminal nous avons trouvé un bus à deux étages pour 20 E. Comme Véro l’a expliqué dans son commentaire, on peut arrêter quand on veut et reprendre le bus. Il y a deux trajets, nous avons pris le plus court qui va à l’Acropole. L’entrée sur le site est 12 E. De l’Acropole, on peut marcher à la Plaka, le marché d’Athènes, en 15 minutes. Puis on reprend le bus pour le port. Tout est bien organisé avec le hop in - hop out.
Mykonos – Des petits bateaux nous amènent du Costa Victoria au port en quelques minutes. Nous avons marché vers les hauteurs de la ville où les vues sont superbes puis nous avons pris un taxi (10 E) pour aller à Paradise Beach, à environ 11 km de Mykonos. Baignade et soleil, il faisait très beau. Au retour, nous avons marché dans la ville et mangé de pieuvre rôtie (délicieuse !) dans le petit Venise, une petite section de Mykonos.
Corfou – Le port organise des navettes gratuites du bateau au Terminal mais c’est, à mon avis, inutile puisqu’on peut s’y rendre en marchant 5 minutes. Costa avait aussi arrangé des bus pour se rendre à la ville pour 6 E par personne. Nous avons choisi de faire autrement. En sortant du Terminal, nous avons marché dans le parking, passé les bus et les taxis, et nous avons pris le bus de la ville à 1.5 E pour parcourir les 3 km entre le Terminal et la vieille ville. Le bus s’appelle ‘Cruise Port to Old Town’ ou quelque chose du genre. Prenez une carte de la ville dans le terminal. Nous avons marché dans la vieille ville et dans la partie plus moderne.
Nous avons fait une baignade près du Musée d’Archéologie, près du Vieux Fort. L’eau est claire et très propre. On peut visiter le vieux Fort mais nous ne l’avons pas fait.
Dubrovnik – Des petits bateaux nous amènent du bateau au port de Dubrovnik. Nous recommandons de faire la marche autour des remparts en arrivant, alors qu’il fait moins chaud. Le prix est de 10 E ou 70 Kunas. Ce n’est pas difficile. Il faut compter environ 90 min pour faire le tour mais c’est vraiment un must. Nous avons trouvé un petit bar, face à la mer, juste à l’extérieur des remparts, où on s’est baignés.
Venise – Nous avons fait une petite visite à Venise au retour, tel qu’expliqué ci-dessous, avec le Vaporetto.
Nous sommes arrivés à Venise vers 9h. Il est possible de mettre ses valises en consigne dans le terminal, au port, pour 4 E par valise. Le Vaporetto situé à 100 m. du terminal fait la navette du port à la Piazza San Marco aux 15 min. Il en coûte 15 E retour. La billetterie (petite cabine blanche) est à l’extérieur du terminal, près de l’édifice 103. Le trajet en tout prend environ 30 minutes. En arrivant à la Piazza San Marco nous n’avons pas vu de bureau d’information comme dans les autres villes alors je vous recommande d’apporter une carte de Venise.
Attention au désembarquement. La veille du départ, Costa remet aux passagers des collants de couleurs différentes pour les valises. Les passagers sortent du bateau entre 9h30 et 11h (des amis sont sortis vers midi). Les valises sont disponibles au terminal à différentes heures, selon la couleur du collant. Comme nous voulions aller à Venise, nous ne voulions pas attendre nos valises jusqu’à 10h45 comme notre collant le suggérait. J’ai demandé de changer de collants pour que nos valises sortent tôt et il n’y a pas eu de problème. Nous avons quitté le bateau à 9h30, récupéré nos valises, nous les avons mises en consigne et avons pris le Vaporetto de 10h. Nous sommes revenus au terminal vers 12h50, nous avons récupéré nos valises et avons pris un taxi pour l’aéroport avec un couple de Canadiens qui voulaient faire la même chose que nous. Nous avons payé 40 E pour nous rendre à l’aéroport. Amplement de temps pour notre vol de 16h30. Une courte visite à Venise mais elle valait la peine et c’est mieux qu’attendre des heures à l’aéroport.
Conseil Nous aimons bien commencer notre journée avec un bon café (café au lait, expresso, cappuccino, etc). Nous avons pris nos cafés à la chambre presque tous les matins. Plusieurs passagers pensaient que le service aux chambres n’était pas inclus, mais non, c’est gratuit !
J'espère que ces conseils vont vous aider. Bonne croisière !
Je vous remercie pour ces nombreux conseils !
J'en hâte d'être demain matin et de partir à la découverte de cette semaine de croisière qui s'annonce merveilleuse.
Encore merci à vous
Recherchons d'autres croisiéristes qui font la même croisière pour discuter du e visa pour le Sri Lanka et des excursions à faire en petits groupes. Pour les…
Nous partons avec 2 enfants de 10 et 13 ans. Quelqu'un a-t'il des infos pour aller vers Sirolo par ses propres moyens (escale Ancône)? Toute autre infos sur…
De retour de la croisière Buenos Aires-Savona sur le Costa Victoria, je voudrais vous faire part des désillusions provoquées par cette croisière, mais avant de…
Nous partirons avec nos deux filles (6 et 10 ans) sur le costa victoria du 25 au 30 avril: Nice / Savone, Naples, Malte, Corfou, Dubrovnik, Venise. Nous…
Bonjour, nous partons pour Venise d’ici peu. Nous avons un hôtel à Mestre et nous aimerions savoir quel bus peut nous rendre de l’hôtel de Mestre au Port de Marghera. Merci.
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 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 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
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 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!
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.