Pas étonnant le norovirus, vu l'état de saleté du self, de la vaisselle et des couverts sur le Jewal OTS lors d'une de mes croisieres. Plus jamais sur un bateau de cette compagnie.
Bonne journée.
J'arrive du Freedom OTS (hier) et tout était très propre, autant au buffet qu'à la salle à manger principale.
Il y avait du purell partout et ils encourageaient les passagers à en mettre régulièrement.
France, Autriche, Alberta, NY (5x), Boston, Chicago, Maritimes, Disney, 2 croisières dans les Caraïbes, Varadero(Sirenis La Salina), Cayo Santa Maria(Playa), Holguin(Playa Pesquero), Riu Bambu (Punta Cana)...
et un jour je verrai l'ouest USA!!!
La croisière de rêve a tourné court pour les passagers de l'Explorer of the Seas.
Ce paquebot de la compagnie Royal Caribbean était parti le 21 janvier du New Jersey (USA) pour un tour des Caraïbes de dix jours. Mais le voyage va se terminer à Porto Rico, après à peine une semaine. Atteintes de diarrhée, de migraines et de nausée, près de 300 personnes ont été isolées à bord du navire.
Le nombre de malades pourrait être plus important mais il semble que beaucoup de passagers indisposés ne se seraient pas déclarés, de peur de passer le reste de leurs vacances en quarantaine. D’après NBC, sur les 3050 passagers du bâtiment, 564 ont souffert des symptômes d’une gastro-entérite. Les membres de l’équipage n’ont pas été épargnés: 47 des 1165 employés ont été intoxiqués.
Vacanciers dédommagés
La compagnie a annoncé qu’elle allait procéder à une désinfection générale du bateau lors d’une escale à Porto Rico. Les passagers qui voyaient l’épidémie empirer de jour en jour sont soulagés. Un dédommagement a également été promis par Royal Caribbean. «Les problèmes occasionnés par la vague de maladie signifie que nous n'avons pas été en mesure d'offrir à nos invités les vacances qu'ils espéraient», a commenté la compagnie dans un communiqué qui se voulait rassurant.
Une enquête a été ouverte sur l’origine de la contamination, probablement due à un norovirus. Ce type de problème sanitaire n’est pas rare, à bord des bateaux de croisière. Toutefois, le nombre de passagers contaminés a rarement été aussi élevé.
J'ai fait une croisière sur le Serenade of the Seas avec Royal et tout était d'une propreté impeccable. Je retourne en croisière dans quelques jours et sans hésitation je pars encore avec Royal Carribean.
Je pense que ces choses peuvent malheureusement arriver partout où la proximité de plusieurs personnes est présente comme ça arrive aussi dans les tout inclus de n'importe quelle chaine.
Ce qui devait être un magnifique voyage aux Caraïbes a tourné au cauchemar pour au moins 700 passagers. La compagnie a accosté hier à New York avec un nombre de malades record.
C'est sans doute la première fois qu'autant de passagers étaient ravis de devoir écourter leurs vacances. Car pour au moins 700 d'entre eux, la croisière fut un cauchemar.
Partis le 21 janvier de Bayonne, à New York, les quelque 4200 passagers dont mille membres d'équipage devaient naviguer vers les Caraïbes pour un voyage idyllique de dix jours sur l'«Explorer of the Seas». Mais l'épidémie de gastro-entérite s'est propagée à bord à une allure record. Des centaines de gens se sont retrouvés malades, passant leur temps à vomir et aller aux toilettes, à cause d'une diarrhée carabinée. Certains en voyage de noces, d'autres en famille, beaucoup ont dû rester enfermés trois jours en cabine faute de pouvoir se déplacer sur les ponts.
Rabais sur la prochaine réservation
A leur arrivée, jeudi à New York, des centaines de passagers ont témoigné des odeurs et accablé la compagnie pour ces vacances gâchées. La Royal Caribbean a offert de rembourser 50% du voyage et d'offrir une réduction de moitié prix sur toute future réservation. Mais certains ont d'ores et déjà fait savoir qu'ils n'avaient pas l'intention de remonter sur un bateau de croisière, si luxueux soit-il.
Du jamais vu en vingt ans
A noter que selon le Centre de contrôle des maladies, c'est la première fois en vingt ans qu'on dénombre un si grand nombre de malades sur une même croisière. Des analyses sont en cours pour en savoir plus sur le norovirus responsable de cette gastro-entérite. En attendant le prochain départ, le paquebot est en voie de totale désinfection. Mais cela va-t-il rassurer les prochains voyageurs?(Le Matin)
Créé: 30.01.2014, 16h42
Il suffit d'une seule personne qui fut malade et que ce norovirus se soit propagé sur le bateau a une vitesse fulgurante .... C'est un peu la même chose lorsqu'il est question d'un virus même en avion cela peut arrivé , ce sont des endroits que l'on peut dire"clos"
C' est malheureux pour tout ceux et celles qui ont été importunées avec ce virus , un nombre record , des vacances
cauchemardesque , mais une fois que tout sera rétabli je n'aurais aucune crainte à refaire une autre croisière avec le même bateau du Royal Caribbean
Je part sur ce bateau le 1er mars et je le ferai sans crainte. RC est tout de même une Compagnie sérieuse et je suis sur qu'elle prendra tout les moyens pour éliminer cette situation qu'elle est la première à déplorer.
J' arrive d'un séjour à Cuba dans un 5* et j'ai vécu pendant 3 jours les malaises que les gens ont vécus sur L'Explorer.
La meilleur façon d'éviter ce genre de situation c'est de rester chez soi.... et encore là???
une année on était sur un vol PARIS/FORT DE FRANCE 8h35 de vol
eh bien je vous assure que c'était à la limite intenable
gastro entérite à bord - je ne sais par qui cela a commencé, c'était à peu près à mi -chemin
et les toilettes inaccessibles, les hôtesses et stewards n'en revenaient pas
je ne sais pas combien il y avait de personnes malades à bord, pour mon fils cela a commencé environ 1h avant l’atterrissage et moi ce fut le lendemain
la 2nde collation n'a bien pas été servie...
le germe peut être venu de l'extérieur et container tout le monde
j'ai lu ici aussi, une année on vol a été mis en quarantaine à MIAMI et il a fallu désinfecter tout, car trop d malades à bord
une autre fois ce fut un vol transatlantique et il ne restait plus de sachet pour les renvois et les toilettes n'en parlons pas
alors quand on demande aux passagers de se laver les mains à tous les coins, faut pas rouspéter, c'est aussi une manière de réduire ce genre de désagrément
cela ne doit pas gâcher vos projets de vacances, personne ne sait d'avance comment cela peut se passer
une passion : les voyages - découvrir ailleurs, côtoyer d'autres - la croisière, c'est aussi tout cela
COSTA - CIC - MSC - CARNIVAL - NORWEGIAN - ROYAL CARIBBEAN - PRINCESS CRUISES -
De ce temps-ci toute sortes de virus courent tout partout . encore plus lorsque c'est présent dans un endroit que je considère comme "Clos " Avions , bateaux et cela peu importe les CIE
Il faut avoir une bonne basse d'hygiène en partant et en tout premier lieu de BIEN SE LAVER LES MAINS partout où l'on va . Apporter avec nous un savon liquide désinfectant .ça aide un peu .. .
Vous avez raison .... Ce n' est pas un manque d'hygiène mais pas du tout ... il sufit d'une seule personne qui peut en contaminer plusieurs . 😕
Af388yul
La personne parle du Caribbean Princess qui est revenu propriété de Princess cruise (suis monté à bord à 2 reprises) et non de Royal Caribbean à ne pas confondre!
RCI 63, Princess 3, Cunard 2, Carnival 4, HA 1, Celebrity 4, Disney 1, CDF 2, Costa 1, NCL 4.
Caribbean Pruncess appartient à la compagnie Princess et non à Royal Caribbean.
She didn't mention that the virus was wreaking havoc during the prior cruise. ... Last night the Caribbean Princess cruise ship returned early to Houston, Texas ... à litre sur Internet!
RCI 63, Princess 3, Cunard 2, Carnival 4, HA 1, Celebrity 4, Disney 1, CDF 2, Costa 1, NCL 4.
Il y a les bateaux qui appartiennent aux différentes Compagnies telles que le Royal Caribbean Cruise, le Princess Cruise, le Celebritys 's Cruise , le Norwegian , le MSC et plus encore .. vous y retrouverez aussi des CIE de bateaux de luxe de la collection Uniworld Exprience, Avalone, Azamara Paul Gauguin, Queen Mary et autres
Aucun bateau n'est à l'abris de ces virus .. mais tout est pris en considération lorsqu'un problème survient Il est aussi de se rendre au port le plus proche ou encore de rebrousser chemin.
Voici les dernières nouvelles en ce qui concerne le Princess
Mise à jour de l'enquête sur le Caribbean Princess
Cruise Line : Princess Cruise Lines
Navire de croisière : Princesse des Caraïbes
Dates de voyage : 25 Janvier-1er février 2014
Nombre de passagers qui ont signalé être malade pendant le voyage sur un nombre total de passagers à bord : 181 de 3102 (5,8 %)
Nombre de membres d'équipage qui ont signalé être malade pendant le voyage sur un nombre total d'équipage à bord : 11 de 1148 (0,96 %)
Symptômes prédominants : vomissement, diarrhée
Agent causal : Norovirus
Actions : En réponse à l'épidémie, Princess Cruise Lines et l'équipage à bord du navire a pris les mesures suivantes :Augmentation des procédures de nettoyage et de désinfection selon leur prévention de l'épidémie et le plan d'intervention, Faire des annonces à la fois informer les passagers à bord de l'éclosion et encourager le signalement de cas, Prélèvement d'échantillons de selles de malades passagers et l'équipage pour soumission au laboratoire des CDC. Échantillons testés avec test de norovirus rapide à bord du navire étaient positifs pour les norovirus. Les échantillons seront envoyés au laboratoire des CDC pour l'analyse confirmatoire, Faire plusieurs rapports quotidiens des cas de maladies gastro-intestinales de la VSP, Consulte les CDC sur les plans : Procédures de notification de passager et l'horaire d'embarquement différé prévu à Houston, au Texas le 1er février 2014, Les plans de débarquement pour cas actifs et des procédures de contrôle de l'infection terminal et le transport.Deux agents de santé environnementale de CDC Vessel Sanitation Program seront à bord du navire à Houston, TX le 31 janvier et 1er février 2014 pour mener une enquête épidémiologique, l'évaluation de la santé environnementale et évaluer les activités de la flambée et. Spécimens sont recueillies et seront envoyés au laboratoire de CDC pour l'essai.
A la lecture de plusieurs compte-rendus de croisière, je note avec une certaine inquiétude (car, je vais repartir avec Celebrity, avec qui j'ai déjà été confronté à cet incident, lors de ma dernière croisière) que ce genre de problème semble survenir le plus souvent chez Royalcarribbean ou Célebrity...
Hasard ou mauvaise organisation ?
Je ne tiens pas de statistiques, mais cela semble être beaucoup moins fréquent chez Costa ou MSC ?
Bonjour Si tu fais une recherche sur Internet tu verras que pratiquement toutes les compagnies de croisières fût atteintes par le Nirovirus au cours des 12 derniers mois dont Carnival, Costa , Celebrity, Cunard, MSC, Royal Caribbean etc. La différence est au niveau des médias, il s'agit qu'un passager à bord entre en communication avec les médias et c'est parti! La source officielle pour cette information et statistique est le CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC).
RCI 63, Princess 3, Cunard 2, Carnival 4, HA 1, Celebrity 4, Disney 1, CDF 2, Costa 1, NCL 4.
J'ai suivi votre conseil et je suis allé sur le site : http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/surv/gilist.htm,
le résultat est éloquent... et malheureusement confirme mes craintes... que certaines Cies sont plus particulièrement touchées et figurent en bonne place dans ce triste palmarès...
je rentre juste d'une croisiere dans la Caraibes avec Croisiere de France sur l'Horizon. on a pas eu de problème de ce type, mais à chaque fois qu'on rentrait sur la navire, ils nous mettaient du désinfectant sur les mains, et meme chose des qu'on rentrait au restaurant.
C'est comme ca sur tous les bateaux de croisières en fait pour plusieurs CIE et certains bateaux vous donne en plus une sorte de lingettes désinfectantes chaudes avant de renter dans les différents restaurants , buffets salle à dîner et autres. et ou encore dans les salles de toilettes désinfectants à votre porté ,
Sur l'Hurtigruten, du moins il y a 6 ans et ce doit être encore plus strict maintenant, on se désinfectait les mains à la montée à bord et à l'entrée du restaurant. Sur le 3-mâts Rembrandt van Rijn entre Upernavik et le Cap York au Groenland, un distributeur était disponible mais utilisé par très peu de passagers :(
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.
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 !
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 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
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.
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.
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,
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!