Le Miami Herald raconte aujourd'hui l’enchaînement de décisions dramatiquement mauvaises qui ont conduit au décès d'un passager du Costa Luminosa, Tom Sheehan. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/coronavirus/article241556006.html
Le 7 ou le 8 mars, le Luminosa quitte Fort Everglades pour une traversée vers l'Espagne, la France et l'Italie comme point d'arrivée.
Trois jours après, le bateau fait escale à Porto Rico et débarque un couple Italien atteint par le coronavirus.
Le capitaine ne prévient pas les passagers et continue. L'escale à Antigua est annulée et le Luminosa entreprend la traversée de l'Atlantique en laissant les passagers totalement libres d'aller à la piscine, au restaurant, etc...
Le 15, le bateau fait escale aux Canaries pour déposer des passagers malades, mais s'oppose à ce que d'autres passagers descendent, malgré les demandes expresses de certains.
Le 19, le Luminosa accoste à Marseille pour y déposer 600 passagers. 75 personnes sont testées, parmi lesquelles 36 sont positives au coronavirus.
300 Américains et Canadiens sont regroupés sans mesure de distanciation, entassés dans des bus et , après des heures d'attente en pleine promiscuité, ils prennent un vol pour Atlanta, sans aucune mesure de protection, alors qu'il y a trois cas déclarés à bord. Pendant le voyage, plusieurs personnes perdent connaissance et sont secourues tant bien que mal par les autres passagers, qui interviennent au péril de leur vie.
A Atlanta, le centre de contrôle des maladies infectieuses se contente de prendre la température des passagers et les laisse se disperser dans l'aéroport, qui est un des plus fréquentés du monde.
Quelques jours après, Tom Sheehan se sent mal, est hospitalisé en urgence et décède quelques jours après, au terme d'une série d'erreurs épouvantables :
Le capitaine du Luminosa, a complètement ignoré les leçons qu'il aurait du tirer du drame du Diamond Princess, dont le déroulement était bien connu début mars.
Le même capitaine a négligé de prendre les mesures de confinement qui s'imposaient après quatre cas déclarés.
Costa a organisé le retour sans aucune précaution, augmentant les risques de contamination dans un vol se déroulant dans de mauvaises conditions.
Et, pour couronner le tout, les autorités Américaines laissent se disperser 300 personnes potentiellement porteuses.🙁🙁
Bonjour,
Je viens de prendre connaissance de votre commentaire sur le Luminosa, du moins la transcription d'un article d'un journal américain.
J'étais un des passagers et nous avons su par le Diary di Bordo que 2 passagers italiens avaient été débarqués à Porto Rico, par contre il a fallu plus de 3 jours avant que nous ayons les résultats des analyses envoyées à Atlanta.
Les spectacles et les animations ont été supprimées, des distributeurs de gel ont été mis aux paliers d'ascenseurs et à l'entrée des restaurants le personnel nous obligeait à nous désinfecter les mains. Les rampes, poignées de porte étaient constamment désinfectées. En outre, les passagers qui avaient des doutes sur leur état de santé pouvaient consulter le médecin de bord gratuitement.
Quelques jours avant Tenérife (le 15 mars) nous ne pouvions plus nous servir aux divers buffets, le personnel nous servait.
A partir du dimanche 16, 19 h 30, à Tenerife où le bateau a fait le plein de carburant, nous avons été confinés dans nos cabines. Le personnel n'y rentrait pas, une prise de température avait lieu chaque jour et nous pouvions entendre que les passagers du pont x sont priés de regagner leur cabine pour la prise de température. Cela veut dire que des passagers circulaient sur le bateau alors que les consignes de confinement devaient être appliquées par tous.
Qu'elle ne se plaignent pas si elles ont attrapé le virus !!!
Même si l'organisation de Costa laissait à désirer pour le débarquement des français : la majorité de ceux-ci n'a pu débarquer que le 20 mars !!!, les américains ont débarqué au compte goutte (60 personnes maxi en 2 heures). Trop trop long le débarquement.
Je joins la procédure de débarquement fournie par Costa.
Je me devais de rétablir la vérité.
Cordialement.
La désinfection des mains au gel hydroalcoolique avant d'entrer au buffet est toujours obligatoire sur les compagnies américaines et le bateau est continuellement désinfecté, tout particulièrement les parties particulièrement fréquentées et touchées par les gens.
D'ailleurs, j'ai toujours été frappé par la différence entre les mesures d'hygiène prises à bord de navires américains et celles prises sur des navires européens. J'ai souvenir d'une croisière sur le Divina où le navire était plus que sale, pour ne pas dire franchement dégueulasse. Des verres renversés de la veille trainaient encore le matin à 9h à la piscine intérieure par exemple, et il n'était nullement question de lavage obligatoire des mains avant d'aller au buffet, ce qui est pourtant une mesure de bon sens quand 3000 passagers se croisent en un espace aussi réduit.
Bref, les mesures prises par Costa dans ce cas-ci sont de bon sens et il est hallucinant d'attendre d'avoir des cas de coronavirus à bord pour les imposer.
lors d'une croisiere en alaska sur norvegian impossible d'y échapper non plus
à l'entrée du self nous étions accueillis par tonitruant "Washi Washi " d'une personne nous vaporisant les mains ...
toujours le sourire toujours joyeuse !
je me rappelle qu'à la présentation du personnel, c'est elle qui a eu le plus d'applaudissements ... plus que le capitaine lui même !
Je suis entièrement d’accord avec vous. La propreté chez Costa n’a rien à voir avec les compagnies américaines et notamment NCL où il était impossible d’aller au buffet ou à la salle à manger sans passer par la personne qui nous aspergeait les mains de gel et on ne parlait pas du coronavirus...
Je peux vous apporter un peu de mon expérience car nous étions sur la première croisière du 24 février dans les Caraïbes qui revenait à Port Everglades pour enchaîner le 5 mars la transat dont vous parlez. Lors de la croisière du 24 février la Jamaïque a refusé le débarquement des italiens ce qui nous a inquiétés. Nous avons débarqué à Caïman Honduras Corzumel sans problème apparent. A ceci près et non des moindres est que 2 italiens ont été débarqués à Caimans atteints du coronavirus le 29 Fevrier. Un des deux est d’ailleurs décédé. C’est dire que le 5 mars au départ de la transat Costa n’avait rien dit et savait parfaitement. Pour notre part compte tenu de tout cela nous avons préféré débarque à Port Everglades et ne pas faire la transat. Nous avons du signer un papier sur lequel nous avons noté coronavirus comme raison de notre débarquement. Costa naturellement refuse de nous rembourser ou de nous faire un avoir. Sans compter les frais de retour, les frais d’hôtels à Venise et d’avion retour Venise Nantes. Je ne regrette pas d’être descendue car je suis diabétique compte tenu de ce que je pressentais et qui est arrivé. Dans ce cas précis Costa a clairement caché qu’il y avait déjà des cas de coronavirus sur le bateau ce qui n’est pas tolérable et particulièrement grave et a mis gravement en danger la santé des passagers. Nous n’en resterons pas la.
D'ailleurs, j'ai toujours été frappé par la différence entre les mesures d'hygiène prises à bord de navires américains et celles prises sur des navires européens. J'ai souvenir d'une croisière sur le Divina où le navire était plus que sale, pour ne pas dire franchement dégueulasse. Des verres renversés de la veille trainaient encore le matin à 9h à la piscine intérieure par exemple, et il n'était nullement question de lavage obligatoire des mains avant d'aller au buffet, ce qui est pourtant une mesure de bon sens quand 3000 passagers se croisent en un espace aussi réduit.
Bref, les mesures prises par Costa dans ce cas-ci sont de bon sens et il est hallucinant d'attendre d'avoir des cas de coronavirus à bord pour les imposer.
Il est dommage d'utiliser une catastrophe sanitaire, comme celle-ci pour faire des comparaisons parfaitement subjectives entre les compagnies de croisières.
Depuis des années, il y a des distributeurs de gel à l'entrée des restaurants et du personnel avec des sprays hydroalcooliques à l'entrée des buffets chez MSC.
Je suis entièrement d’accord avec vous. J’ai fait la croisière dans les Caraïbes le 24 février ou deux italiens ont été débarqués aux caimans le 29/2 atteints du coronavirus. L’un des deux est mort. La veille les italiens n’ont pas pu débarquer en Jamaïque. Aucune mesure de propreté sur le bateau et le fait que 67 italiens montent pour la transat nous ont conduit à renoncer à faire la transat et à débarquer le 5 mars. À Porto Rico deux autres italiens atteints du coronavirus ont été débarqués et deux autres aux Canaries. Costa a délibérément pris des risques et en connaissance de cause, c’est condamnable. Costa refuse de nous faire un avoir ou de nous rembourser mais personnellement je ne regrette pas d’être descendue vu la croisière cauchemardesque que des amis ont vécue. Je pense également au personnel atteint notamment Andrea puisque un nombre important de passagers et de membres d’équipage ont été testés positif.
Mais je ne compte pas en rester là vis à vis de Costa.
Je suis d’accord avec Ideepass
Il n’est pas question de dénigrer mais de constater. Sur le bateau Luminosa personne ne se passait du gel sauf nous alors que l’on était sur le bateau et qu’il y avait des cas de coronavirus. Il n’y avait aucune incitation. Pour avoir fait un tour du monde sur le Luminosa je peux vous dire que tout le monde est malade et les mesures de propreté sont inexistantes. Je confirme que les compagnies américaines sont beaucoup plus strictes notamment NCL ce que d’autres participants au forum confirment. Avez vous déjà effectué une croisière sur ces bateaux ?
Bonjour
Je confirme NCL RCI très à cheval sur le lavage des mains, PRINCESS un peu moins il me semble, en octobre sur le fantasia c’était beaucoup moins appliqué
Norvégian Gém NCL, Horizon CDF, musica MSC, Allure of the seas RCI, sérénade of the seas RCI, Symphony of the seas RCI, Régal PRINCESS, Fantasia MSC, seaside MSC, explorer of the seas RCI
Je confirme que les compagnies américaines sont beaucoup plus strictes notamment NCL ce que d’autres participants au forum confirment. Avez vous déjà effectué une croisière sur ces bateaux ?
Bonsoir,
Bien entendu que j'ai déjà effectué des croisières sur des compagnies américaines (Celebrity et Royal Caribean). Une petite dizaine de croisières sur chacune de ces compagnies.
Vous parlez du Costa Luminosa mais, à ce que je sache, Costa est aussi une compagnie américaine.
NCL, je ne peux pas vous en parler, je n'ai jamais voyagé avec eux.
Bonsoir
Costa n’est pas une compagnie américaine mais italienne si vous êtes montés sur leurs bateaux vous avez du vous en apercevoir. La société mère est américaine CARNIVAL mais chaque marque est indépendante comme c’est le cas de Cunard (anglaise) Holland America (hollandaise) aida (allemande) chacune est indépendante et garde sa spécificité mais fait partie du groupe carnival.
Bonsoir
Costa n’est pas une compagnie américaine mais italienne si vous êtes montés sur leurs bateaux vous avez du vous en apercevoir. La société mère est américaine CARNIVAL mais chaque marque est indépendante comme c’est le cas de Cunard (anglaise) Holland America (hollandaise) aida (allemande) chacune est indépendante et garde sa spécificité mais fait partie du groupe carnival.
Bon on ne va pas continuer ce sujet qui n'honore pas la mémoire de ceux à qui ce thread est dédié.
Je vous indique qu’une class action a été lancée à Miami par un cabinet d’avocats américains. Je m’y suis inscrit. C’est très simple et rapide. Aucun fonds n’est demandé car les Américains se paient sur le résultat contrairement à la France.
Je serai le 24 avril 2020 à Aqaba, escale de croisière. Ayant déjà visité Petra et le wadi Rum au cours de voyages antérieurs je souhaiterais une escapade sur…
Si MSC, Costa ou encore Ponant ont repris une certaine activité, d'autres compagnies semblent quant à elles attendre l'année prochaine pour relancer leurs…
Le gouvernement Américain vient d'adopter un plan de soutien à l'économie de 3000 milliards de dollars. Ce plan ne profitera pas aux compagnies de croisière,…
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!
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
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.
If there’s one trip I’ve always wanted to take, it’s a long boat journey far from my daily routine—something like crossing the Atlantic. I first thought about traveling on a cargo ship or similar, as some of these boats used to accept individual passengers, but I’ve read that this has become very rare since COVID. Plus, the options that might work for me are way out of my budget, like Neoline, for example.
A cruise seems like the best solution for me, especially since what I really love is the idea of a long stay on a ship—making stops in different places, exploring them, the change of scenery, and a real break from the daily grind. I’ve never been on a cruise before, so I was thinking of doing a 21-day cruise between a port in mainland France (Marseille) and Pointe-à-Pitre. The departure port doesn’t really matter—Marseille, Le Havre, or even a nearby European city would work.
Since I want to travel solo, I’m really keen on cruises designed for solo travelers. MSC has one from Marseille to Pointe-à-Pitre, lasting 21 days, departing next November (so in a few months). The price is within my budget, just over 1800 €.
I see that other cruises with similar routes and durations are planned for next year, November 2027, but the prices are totally different—around 3500 €, which is clearly out of my budget.
So, my question is: do you think I should wait for a possible price drop for the 2027 cruises (if I understand correctly, prices are adjusted based on how full the ship is and how close the departure date is) or should I book the one in November 2026? I could easily take three weeks off this fall. Also, is it too late to book for November 2026? I’ve read that visas might be required for some stops.
For the rest—accommodation in Guadeloupe and the flight ticket back to France—it’s not a problem; I can sort that out pretty easily.
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 ...
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!
We’re doing the next CFC cruise in Norway and we’re looking for the excursion program and their prices.
For those who’ve done this cruise before, could you share this info with us?
I know the company doesn’t release it until 8 weeks before departure. I like to plan ahead and avoid any unpleasant surprises.
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
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
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.
Hi there, The day before boarding the Costa Favolosa for the Norwegian Fjords cruise departing from Hamburg, I'd like to book a hotel. Which one would be the most convenient location-wise relative to the port?
Thanks in advance for your reply.
Hello,
We’ll be sailing on the Renaissance with CFC to southern Norway from July 4 to 11, 2026, departing from Dunkirk (the cruise was booked through "Planète Croisière").
When entering some personal details or pre-selecting options on the CFC website, I’m wondering about the "optional" categories for drinks and WiFi.
I’m actually a bit surprised by these extra charges, as we weren’t used to them on other cruises (Australis in Patagonia; Hurtigruten’s Coastal Express in Norway and Alaska; Rivages du Monde in the Arctic or on the Douro River; a Nile river cruise in Egypt), where we sometimes had access to basic drinks at meals and free WiFi when near land.
Anyway, for those who’ve already taken a CFC cruise on the Renaissance, could you share some advice? Specifically about the most basic drink package, called "Fraîcheur" (238 € for two), which doesn’t seem to be described anywhere. The "Premium" package seems excessive (490 € for two for the week) for light drinkers.
As for WiFi, it’s 10 € per day per person. While I find that price acceptable for parking our car in Dunkirk, it feels overpriced here (especially since it was free on the Nordlys "Coastal Express" just 3 or 4 years ago).
So, I’d love to hear from experienced cruisers who’ve been on this ship!
Looking forward to seeing the excursion prices, which should be available soon! 😐
Hi there,
I’m considering a cruise on this ship in the recently introduced Yacht Club category.
Have any forum members tried it?
What are your thoughts? Positive or negative? Which cabins should we go for—or avoid?
We’re already familiar with the Yacht Clubs on the Splendida, Fantasia, Preziosa, and Divina series.
We weren’t as keen on the one on the Seashore—we found it too big.
Thanks in advance for your feedback!
Best,
Claudine
We're considering a new cruise soon and would like to try the Renaissance.
The uniqueness of the promenade cabins appeals to us, but could anyone give us some insights on the following points:
- Is the glass door sufficiently tinted to prevent outsiders from seeing into the cabin?
- Is the soundproofing good enough to block out conversations on the promenade deck?
Thanks in advance to anyone who can help!
My husband, our two teens, and I are going on a cruise on the COSTA Esmeralda at the beginning of July. We’re thinking of exploring the ports on our own. Do any of you have recent experiences or tips to share? Are there shuttles between the port and the city center? Are they free? Looking forward to hearing from you.
As promised, here’s my review of the cruise I took from the 5th to the 19th on the MSC Virtuosa.
As you know, I had initially booked a cruise with Mein Schiff departing from Dubai (from Dubai to Cape Town). It was a 22-day cruise. Due to the issues in the Persian Gulf, my cruise was canceled by Mein Schiff.
So, we started looking for a Plan B because we really wanted to go. Especially my wife, who had just had a minor procedure and needed some rest. Since she had already taken time off, she was determined to travel. However, we were looking for an affordable Plan B since we weren’t sure when Mein Schiff or the airline would reimburse us.
While browsing online, I found a 15-day cruise departing from Pointe-à-Pitre (including flights, transfers, the cruise, and drinks) for a price of 1,200 € in a Fantastica balcony cabin. We thought, *Why not?*
I should mention that I’m not usually a big fan of MSC. My last experience with them was post-Covid (I took two cruises, one in 2021 and another in 2022), and it was honestly a disaster. We didn’t want to repeat that, but after talking to Catherine, who told me she was very happy with a short Christmas cruise, we decided to give it a try.
I have to say, I was left speechless. Honestly, the cruise was absolutely perfect. There’s nothing to complain about (or just a few minor details). In terms of service and food, I felt like I was on a premium cruise line. I’d even say MSC has nothing to envy from some of those companies. While premium lines like Holland, Celebrity, and Royal are cutting back on services, I think MSC has made huge improvements. Seriously, I wasn’t expecting this at all. You’ll see what I mean as we chat more.
I won’t do a full review like I usually do because there weren’t many stops:
1. We boarded in Pointe-à-Pitre
2. We stopped in Saint-Martin
3. Then it was a direct crossing to the Azores...
This cruise was really about relaxing, even if it’s not the kind of trip we usually take.
First off, I’m not a big fan of "flight and cruise" packages. I asked if we could leave two days early, but they said it wasn’t possible. We had to take the flight, then the bus, and board the ship directly.
It’s not really my thing, but given the price we paid and since we really wanted to relax, we thought, *Why not?*
Here’s the itinerary:
Boarding in Pointe-à-Pitre
Saint-Martin
Five days at sea
The Azores
Four days at sea
Hamburg
One day at sea
Le Havre
But as I mentioned, it wasn’t about the itinerary. It was really about taking a break and unwinding. Honestly, I came back thrilled.
We’re stopping over in Rovinj this coming May, and since we’ve already visited the main sights (port, church, etc.), is there a walk we can do on our own—no boat needed—that would fill a morning?
Thanks to anyone who knows the area…
My wife and I are going on a cruise on the MS Vesteralen on August 4th. The ship stays close to the coast to deliver mail and packages. My wife is a musician and is sensitive to the movement of the boat. Which deck and cabin should we choose?
Hi there,
I'm looking at a cruise in the north.
