Bravo ! (bon, ne le répète à personne, mais je suis déprimé, je ne dors plus, je ne mange plus, mes cheveux sont devenus blancs, je n'ai plus de goût à rien, et j'ai une "poupée Thibaud" que je suis en train de transpercer d'épingles, mais je sais pas si ça marche... 😎😎😎 😉 )
Cela étant, ce ne serait pas dramatique, d'autant que cet itinéraire là, je le connais par coeur, mais c'est mon côté "geek"... 😉😊
Cela dit, et sans entrer dans des détails comptables (je n'en parle moi-même jamais), c'est une *préservation* avec versement d'acompte, que tu as faite, ou une "pré-réservation", c'est à dire sans contrat ferme ni versement d'acompte ? (comme j'ai, "malgré moi", puisque mon agence me l'a faite d'office, pour la croisière TDM...)
Le vrai problème, c'est que s'il n'y en a plus qu'une de libre, il va être difficile de faire des appels d'offres avec "blocage de cabine"... 😎 😇
Cela étant, c'est assez spectaculaire de remarquer que MSC aurait déjà des tas de réservations pour le Divina encore à l'état de carcasse, alors que le Favolosa, si on en croit le blog Costa, aurait eu des annulations de commande sur son inaugurale pour cause de suppression de l'escale israëlienne... 😐
oui tu a raison ,
a l agence elle ma dit que c était la 1 foi quelle vendait une croisière 13 mois avant et sur un bateau pas fini d être construis
elle m'a quand même dit que j était le 1 a avoir réserver en yacht club😛
j'ai eu charlotte aujourd'hui et je lui a demandé des renseignements sur le bapteme du divina et elle n'a aucune nouvelle , elle ne connais pas la date et ni si les clients peuvent y assister, je te conseille de les rappeller vite pour cette croisiere 😕
perso je pense que le depart aura certainement lieu le lendemain du bapteme, le bateau ne va pas rester a quai
bonjour mel2melmars (christophe), comment as tu fait pour reserver une croisiere msc 2012 ? nul part on n'en voie encore la couleur, si tu as plus d'infos , je t'en remerci d'avance 😉
bonjour cricri,
j ai la chance d habiter près de aix en Provence ou msc a lancer son premier partenariat avec une agence alpilles voyages, qui doit avoir certain avantage
MSC lance son réseau d'agences spécialisées dans les croisières
Les paquebots MSC Fantasia et MSC Splendida
crédits : MSC CROISIERES
01/04/2011
La compagnie italo-suisse annonce la mise en place d'un réseau d'agences spécialistes de la croisière. La première a été inaugurée le 29 mars à Aix-en-Provence et deux autres doivent ouvrir prochainement à Nice et Marseille. Cette initiative est menée par MSC en partenariat avec le réseau indépendant Alpilles Voyages, leader dans la région PACA. Elle va permettre à la compagnie de compléter son réseau d'agences partenaires par une distribution plus directe auprès de sa clientèle. « Cette nouvelle initiative de MSC Croisières illustre une fois de plus sa volonté forte d'innover. Elle l'a déjà fait par le passé avec notamment le concept de MSC Yacht Club pour ce qui est du produit ou plus récemment avec le partenariat signé avec le Sofitel Marseille Vieux Port, ou alors avec le film « La croisière » qui sortira en salle le 20 avril prochain. En étant l'initiateur d'un nouveau modèle de distribution avec ce modèle d'agence Enseigne, la compagnie confirme son rôle moteur sur ce marché en pleine expansion » explique Erminio Eschena, directeur général de MSC Croisières France, Belgique et Luxembourg.
Une initiative nationale
Du côté d'Alpilles Voyages, on se dit également très satisfait de l'opération. « Aujourd'hui, Marseille est considérée comme la capitale méditerranéenne de la croisière. Pour le réseau Alpilles, méditerranéen dans l'âme, il nous a semblé naturel d'être présent, avec une implication forte, sur ce secteur en pleine ascension, pour offrir notre proximité et notre expertise au travers des agences croisières Alpilles-MSC Passe-Port », commente Philippe Beissier, président du réseau.
Outre une enseigne et un dispositif vitrines spécifiques, les conseillers voyages des agences MSC Passe-Port bénéficieront d'une formation poussée aux produits de la compagnie, à l'outil BtoB et à la vente de croisières. De plus, ils se verront proposer des « éductours » en priorité et l'agence disposera d'outils commerciaux de type PLV (cubes, totems, brochures variées...) sans oublier une maquette de navire, invitation au rêve avant l'embarquement.
On notera que le concept de MSC est présenté comme « national » et non pas uniquement régional. Il ne serait donc pas étonnant que la compagnie développe cette initiative dans d'autres régions françaises.
ok je comprend mieux , j'ai regardé sur leur site on ne voi pas encore de depart pour 2012, j'ai vu qu'il y a deux agences a toulon , j'irai y faire un saut😉
je ne connaissai pas ces agences .
bonjour PAP ,
quand n est il de pour la croisière inaugural du divina
a tu reussi a obtenir la deuxieme yc3 😉
aucune nouvelle de Azur... 😕🏴☠️
Pas de nouvelles, bonnes nouvelles ??? 🤪
je rappelle à Thibaud que ma demande comporte à la fois Marseille Venise SUIVIE de la première Venise-Venise... 😇
et que, comme pour la pub pour une marque anisée bien connue, c'est "Une YC3 sinon rien" (ou bien sûr 😉 une YC4 si ça existe... qui aurait un jaccuzzi privatif -- Mme PAP adorerait... 😛 -- sur une véranda + grand balcon, comme les grandes suites Samsara des Fa volosa/scinosa )
Mais bon, je n'y crois plus trop... sans que cela me rende pour autant ni triste ni mécontent... après tout, cet itinéraire, on le connaît par coeur... 😇
C'est l'occasion qui aurait fait le larron, c'est tout...😐
On va très vite réfléchir à d'autres programmes 2012... Mais bon, ce qui est dommage, c 'est que ça nous aurait permis de faire connaissance... 😉
D'autant que le seule croisière inaugurale que j'aie jamais faite, sur l'European Vision début juillet 2001 au départ de Marseille, ce fut une véritable catastrophe organisationnelle... Les personnels n'étaient ensemble que depuis trois jours... 🤪 Et Dieu sait pourtant que FESTIVAL était au top en termes d'organisation... d'habitude... 😕
et que, comme pour la pub pour une marque anisée bien connue, c'est "Une YC3 sinon rien" (ou bien sûr 😉 une YC4 si ça existe... qui aurait un jaccuzzi privatif -- Mme PAP adorerait... 😛 -- sur une véranda + grand balcon, comme les grandes suites Samsara des Fa volosa/scinosa )
est pourquoi pas dans les yc3 d apres se que j ai compris elle devrait etre agrandi,
par contre pour l organisation si je me base sur mer et marine qui a fait l inaugural du splendida
Reportage : A la découverte du paquebot MSC Splendida
ca a lair d avoir marcher avec quelque petit probleme mais rien de méchant(ses surtout pour me rassurer😛)
Là je vous répondais 😉 directement 😛 mais souvent il est vrai je réponds au groupe quand rien n'est vraiment perso ou au message qui est le dernier en ligne
Mais toujours rien de la part d'Azur concernant la Divina.
En ce qui nous concerne autrement au niveau des réservations c'est calme plat en Mai (le 21)nous partons en séjour une semaine à Grasse et je pense pour les croisières ce sera après l'été, d'autant plus qu'en été les circuits MSC sont de 8 jours 7 nuits et nous trouvons que c'est trop de fatigue on préfére attendre les croisières de 12 jours a l'automne.
j'ai demandé a charlotte de nous prevenir si elle a des infos sur le bapteme du divina , mais elle m'a dit de voir directement avec le msc club .
je m'en occuperai a mon retour de ma prochaine croisiere.
j'ai eu affaire a elle car j'ai reservé la mini croisiere de l'horizon de croisiere de france, ça tombe pile pour le week end de l'ascension , du 16 au 20 mai 2012.
ça me donnera l'occasion de tester ce croisieriste et sa formule all inclusive. mes beaux parents sont interressés egalement et on va en parler a deux couples d'amis qui n'ont jamais fait de croisiere.
voila notre carnet de voyage est rempli jusqu'a l'ete 2012 car en juillet 2012 nous reserverons une maison en alsace , ma femme y ayant vecu pendant 10 ans elle veux revoir son village d'enfance .
ah ben si je trouve je crierai ICEBERG DROIT DEVANT , je pense que j'aurai une petite chance de finir mon sejour chez les fous 🤪😄😄😄
a mais je demanderai un rapatriement sanitaire pierrefeu est a 5 kms de chez moi , c'est mieux pour les visites 😉
Programme complet jusqu'en 2012, voila de quoi voir défiler agréablement toute une année en attendant les départs à venir😉
Sur le site MSC on ne trouve rien concernant encore la Divina peut être faut il les contacter directement par téléphone, normalement Thibaud d'Azur doit nous tenir au courant je lui ai demandé de nous bloquer une cabine pour le Baptême et inauguration, je pense qu'il n'a sans doute pas encore de réponse de MSC.
L'horizon est je crois le remplacant du bleu de France ?
Pour l'instant nous restons fidèles à MSC mais en ce moment les croisières sont de 8 jours et cela durant toute la période estivale, nous attendrons donc la rentrée afin de repartir en croisière sur des périodes de 12 jours.
et oui le programe est rempli pur 2011 et 2012 , mais pour l'instant je ne peu faire que 2 voyages par ans et le budget est seré , ça ira mieux quand la maison sera payé 😉
je suis satisfait de msc mais je veux voir a quoi ressemble une croisiere a la française et l'horizon qui est effectivement le remplaçant du bleu de france , me convient tres bien , il est a taille humaine et plus moderne que son frere ainé, la formule all inclusive permet de consommer sans compter c'est un sacré plus. et la au moins les serveurs n'ont pas la pression pour vendre 😉
de plus cette croisiere tombe pile pour le week end de l'ascension , c'est un bon moyen pour decouvrir cette compagnie a un prix tres competitif.
ah ça me fait chaud au coeur , qu'es ce que vous etes sympas 😇
je vais demander une suite royale pour tous vous inviter , on boiera des coktails et on se mettra le film " croisiere" en boucle 🤪😏😏😏
A 8H30 nous y étions également mais sommes repartis vers 10H 30 étant donné le monde qu'il y avait 🙁 même le long de la promenade le long de la plage cote Six Fours oû nous habitons, il fallait se frayer un passage 😮 les gens semblaient venir du parking a l'opposé tout au bout de la plage celui de l'esplanade du marché était fermé pour cause plus de place.
Ca promet pour cet été😕 nous allons éviter le marché le mercredi si cela persiste après la fin des congés scolaires de Paques.
Cet aprèm il y a également du monde sur la plage et beaucoup de promeneurs, en été nous sortons très tôt le matin et rentrons vite fait pour rester au calme dans le jardin dans la verdure.
N'arrivant pas a comprendre ce qui se passait au niveau des réservations 2012 à bord de la Divina (baptême et croisière inaugurale) j'ai envoyé directement un Mail a la direction MSC à paris et voici la réponde reçue à l'instant :
Bonjour monsieur,
Nous n'avons pas encore ouvert les ventes.
Il faudrait attendre quelques mois.
Nous espérons vous accueillir prochainement à bord de nos navires.
Bien cordialement
MSC Croisières
bonjour, 🙂
moi je leur est envoyer un mail en leur disant que j avais réserver sur le divina est que je voudrais savoir quand nous aurions les plan et les première image il mon juste répondu :
Pour l'instant, le navire étant encore en construction aux chantiers de St Nazaire, nous ne disposons pas de photos.
Le MSC Divina sera un navire de la série Fantasia, vous pouvez regarder des photos des suites MSC Yacht Club des MSC Fantasia et MSC Splendida.Nous vous souhaitons une excellente croisière
car attendre quelques moi sa nous donnerais les premier réservation en juillet ces un peut abuser non 😠
J'avoue que je ne sais plus quoi penser, a part le fait que pour l'instant MSC n'enregistre aucune réservation le bateau est encore vide juste une coque à St Nazaire donc je ne vois pas non plus comment ils pourraient déjà mettre des plans en ligne, car souvent au moment de mettre les cabines en places j'imagine qu'il y a des modifs.
Ce qui est d'autant plus surprenant c'est qu'Alpilles s'engage a donner des réservations et N° de cabines 🙁
Si ca se trouve les réservations ne serons ouvertes qu'en début d'année 2012 car la première croisière n'a lieu que fin Mai.
Dans l'attente, patientons 😄 nous finirons bien par savoir ce qu'il en est et de toutes les façons ce n'est pas bien grave, disons que nous sommes juste un peu impatients 😉
Apéro du diner de gala (du congrès) dans 30 minutes... je me dépêche...
le bateau est encore vide juste une coque à St Nazaire donc je ne vois pas non plus comment ils pourraient déjà mettre des plans en ligne, car souvent au moment de mettre les cabines en places j'imagine qu'il y a des modifs.
Ben le Fascinosa ne doit pas en être plus loin, et les plans sont sur le catalogue Costa 2012 paru il y a un (deux ?) mois...
Quelqu'un peut il m'expliquer pourquoi les croisières 3J/2N offrent deux options pour la deuxième jornée soit diner et loger sur le bateau soit sur l'ile de…
Dilemme:j'ai des options sur les cabines:7341,5295,61... pensez-vous? nous sommes interresses par les suites a l'arrierre du bateau car nous avons l'impression…
J'en ai eu confirmation auprès de Croisifrance - Louis Cruise!!!!! L'eau, qui est un élément vital pour l'homme, n'est pas incluse dans le prix!!!!! Donc c'est…
Nous partons prochainement en croisière sur le Brillance of the seas (compagnie Royal Caribbean) et on nous a proposé l'option "My Time Dinig". Est-ce que…
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 ...
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!
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!
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.
Les paquebots MSC Fantasia et MSC Splendida
crédits : MSC CROISIERES
Hi there,
I'm looking at a cruise in the north.