Du 29 juin au 13 juillet 2013: croisiéresur le Néoromantica avec Costa Croisière
Il faut dire que nous serons en mer, unjour sur deux, il faut s'occuper, et ce bateau n'a pas de piscinecouverte, c'est un handicap, car nous aurons des températures allantde 17° A 7° au spitzberg, de plus le néoromantica a été relookérécemment et grave erreur !!! le théâtre a été supprimé auprofit d'un spa(payant) .Inutile de vous dire, que pour apprécierles spectacles du soir, il fallait arriver 30 mn avant .De plus le barau fond de la salle est bruyant. Quand aux activités a bord, si vousn'êtes pas joueur, ou n'apprécier pas les jeux de cartes il vousrestera la possibilité de monter un collier de perles ou un pliagede serviettes ou 1hr 30 de Verdi en film systématiquement a chaquefois que l'on est en mer.
Lundi 1er janvier : le bateau esta quai a Alesund. Alesund est entouré d'une multitudes d'îles, monexcursion m'emmènera sur l'île de Giske en passant par de nombreuxtunnels, la vue panoramique sur le Mt Aksla, le village de pêcheursd'Alnes et la visite du petit phare de bois puis sur l'Ile deGodoy, la petite église de marbre(1150) très belles sculptures debois a l'intérieur. De retour a Alesund, j'aurai le temps d'aller mepromener dans la ville et visiter le temple Luthérien reconstruit en1909 , après un terrible incendie de 1904:Je suis satisfaite de monexcursion.
Mercredi 3 juillet: 12° Nous accostonsa Honnigsvag:mon excursion le Cap Nord;Nous serons a quai avec leCostapacifica, qui est arrivé avant nous, et comme je vais vousl'expliquer, cela nous a causé quelques soucis de transport!!!Jesuis convoquée a 13h15 sur le quai afin de prendre le bus que nousattendrons pas moins de 50 mn, il n'y avait pas assez de bus, ilfallait attendre que ceux-ci reviennent il faut pas moins d'1H pourl'aller et le retour et a mon avis, Costa n'a pas prévu assez debus (Economie!!!économie !!!.Mais cela ne s'arrête pas acela!!!A 20mn de bus, nous nous arrêtons sur le bord de la route, voirun semblant de camp de la tribu Sami(10mn) c'est nul!!!Ensuite arrivésur l'immense plate-forme du Cap Nord, le guide nous annonce 1hr 20exactement sur le cite, c'est peu!!!j'ai couru, pour tout voir :le film panoramique a 180° ou il faut faire la queue !! lasalle de méditation, la très jolie minuscule chapelle, puis la photomémorable sur le promontoire du Cap, puis voir les7 médaillonssculptés par des enfants, puis un furtif passage a la boutique, j'aitout vu , je pense, mais en courant!!!C'est décevant vu le prix élevéde cette excursion !!!
Vendredi 5 juilllet:12 ° :mouillage dans la Baie de la Madeleine au Spitzberg:C'est un endroitprotégé ou nous avons l'autorisation de débarquer en chaloupe pourseulement 20mn, et oui !! 20 mn plus de temps pour débarquerque de temps pour rester sur une minuscule île rocailleuse ou la vuen'est pas plus belle que celle vue du pont du bateau, c'est justepour la photo!!car ne croyez pas que vous verrez des phoques ouautres animaux, non, c'est juste la beauté des glaciers, il n'y a quetrès peu de neige sur les cimes des montagnes!!Je suis trèsdéçue !!!
A15H : nous mouillerons àNy-Alesund : nous descendrons en chaloupe, c'est aussi un endroitprotégé, ou il y a un petit village réservé aux chercheurs etscientifiques. Nous aurons le droit de faire le tour du village, sansen dévier, ou nous ne verrons pas grand chose, car c'est l'été, l eschiens sont au chenil, les motos neige sont au garage, nous ne voyonspas âmes qui vivent. Nous verrons la célèbre petite poste etquelques oiseaux qui sont en pleines nidifications, c'est tout!!!Jesuis déçue et je me dit que je me suis trompée de croisière, en cequi concerne le spitzberg !!!
Samedi 6 juillet: 7° Nous sommes aquai à Longyerbyen. Nous ferons 1,5kms a pieds pour arriver dans lapetite ville que nous visiterons sans contrainte mais il n'y a rien avoir a part faire du shopping, par contre c'est de la que l'on peutatterrir en vue d'un autre voyage, cette fois plus près de la natureil y aussi quelques hôtels. Je suis de nouveau déçue !!!
Lundi 8 juillet: 7° Tomso sur la côtenorvégienne: mon excursion (le musée polaria et la cathédralearctique). Pour la visite du musée c'est intéressant, mais encoreune fois nous voyons un film panoramique a 255°? C'est trèsbeau, mais les animaux, j'aurai voulu les voir en vrai et nonempaillés ou en projection de film. Ensuite la visite de laCathédrale Arctique, c'est superbe, avec son somptueux vitrail de140m2 représentant le retour du Christ, ainsi que l'extérieur oul'architecture moderne représente la force de l'arctique. Jerecommande cette excursion.
Mercredi 10 juillet: 10°:cela fait 12jours que nous n''avons pas vu le soleil ou si peu, les montagnes onttoujours été dans des nuages bas, ce qui fait que sur les photos ona l'impression que les montagnes sont coupées. Nous sommes a quai àHellesylt ou je vais faire mon excursion de 3H dans les montagnes deFlo que je recommande a tout ceux qui aiment la nature car j'ai passéune journée exceptionnelle avec un grand soleil!
!Marcher entre cascades et lacs , lesvaches et les moutons, les cabanes de bergers, la végétation, le calme, les bruits de la nature, c'est magnifique!
Puis la descente vers le village deFlo, sublime vue sur le lac !Le bus nous attend nous irons mangerau restaurant au bord du lac de Stryn, puis après plusieurstunnels, dont le plus long 4200 m débouchera sur le lac de Djuppvath, c'est un paysage désertique ou nous prendrons une route en lacetpour arriver au belvédère de Dalsnibba a 1500 m d'altitude, vueplongeante et impressionnante sur le fjord de Geiranger et notrebateau. Plus bas, nous nous arrêterons aux gorges de Flydal. Quellebelle journée !!
Lorsque nous repartirons du fjord c'estmagique lorsque le bateau pivote sur lui même et ensuite je me suispostée à l'avant du bateau pour admirer le paysage des 110 kms quereprésente le fjorg, ou il faudra pas moins de 4H pour le parcourir, afin de retrouver la mer. Que c'est beau !!!!
Jeudi 11 juillet: 17 ° Très beautemps, nous sommes à Bergen à quai dans la ville:mon excursion(funiculaire et marche dans la fôret) Je ne regrette pas cetteexcursion, car prendre le funiculaire en solo on peut le faire, maisc'est la balade dans la foret au-dessus du promontoire qui m'aenchantée une foret très épaisse plusieurs lacs, une vue encoreplus haut à 500 m d'altitude.
Au retour dans la ville, ne manquezsurtout pas de passer par le marché aux poissons et faites-vousplaisir en dégustant une assiette de poisson ou crustacés, que vousaurez composé vous même, ou une délicieuse soupe de poissons ou desmoules. Pour ma part, j'ai choisi une très grosse brochette decoquille st jacques(4) un morceau de saumon fumé, salade et fritespour 30 euros avec une bière, c'est pas donné, c'est vrai, maisj'en garde un très bon souvenir et c'était délicieux !!!
Mon voyage s'achève a Amsterdam !!
Conclusion:les fjords avec Costa !!oui!!Le Spitzberg:non !!!
Bonsoir,
Nous sommes partis l'année dernière avec Costa jusqu'au Spitzberg et contrairement à vous nous avons adoré cet endroit, rien que la journée de traversée entre le Cap nord et le Spitzberg nous a paru magique car nous sentions un changement de température et avons passer la journée à guetter les dauphins qui ont suivis le bateau et les baleines que nous apercevions au loin!! et le soleil de minuit!!
La balade dans la baie près du glacier avec ses petits ( tout petit) icebergs!! superbe mais il faut dire que j'étais extrêmement bien placée dans la chaloupe, je n'ai pas loupé une miette du spectacle!! et sur terre nous avons bien rigolé avec les oiseaux qui s'en prenaient aux bonnets , nous avions l'impression d'être au bout du monde!!
Quand à longyerbyen nous avons eu la chance de trouver une voiture à louer et nous sommes partis visiter , avec un super soleil c'était magnifique, nous avons même oublié le danger de l'ours!!
Nous avions également loué une voiture pour le Cap Nord ce qui nous a permi de flaner en route et de prendre le temps de visiter les environs ou il n'y avait quasiment aucuns touristes mis à part des routards!!
Comme quoi en fonction des sensibilités et des expériences sur le terrain le ressenti peut être totalement différent!!
Merci de m'avoir fait revivre ces moments magiques
Cordialement,
Nathalie
je me dit que je me suis trompée de croisière, en cequi concerne le spitzberg !!!
En Arctique et plus particulièrement dans le Haut Arctique que ce soit au Spitzberg ou au Groenland, les « gros » paquebots ne peuvent évidemment pas visiter et faire débarquer leurs passagers dans les endroits les plus intéressants à la découverte de la faune, de la flore et des Inuit au Groenland : à http://portlongyear.livecam360.com/flash/main.php puis bouton "time-lapse" choisir le 4 août puis bouton "create time-lapse" pour voir la différence de gabarit entre l'Expedition, l'Ocean Nova, l'Ortelius et un msc...
Regardez la carte des positions du Plancius ( le seul qui transmette ses positions parmi les navires que je suis) à http://www.sailwx.info/...tion.phtml?call=PBQK , les autres navires de ce gabarit visitant plus ou moins les mêmes lieux.
A Longyearbyen, Le musée est quand même très intéressant, à mon avis.
À quelques jours près, ça fait 10 ans que je débarquais pour la première fois au Spitzberg… très bons souvenirs.... extrait de mon carnet alors que nous quittons Magdalenefjorden "A peine la compote cannelle servie, hop, un ours en train de manger un renne sur la rive nord du fjord. L'ours est maigre, maigre comme un I et n'a vraiment pas l'air en bonne santé. Au bout de quelques temps, il laisse sa proie et disparaît derrière un repli de terrain une dizaine de mètres plus loin du rivage. Aussitôt les goëlands et autres oiseaux arrivent manger."
Bonjour,
Je suis bien d'accord que les croisières d'exploration qu'organise hurtigruten me font rêver , le seul problème est le budget, quand tu calcules celui ci pour une famille de 5, le choix est vite fait. L'avantage des gros navires c'est qu'ils nous permettent , financièrement, d'aller dans des endroits inaccessibles!!
Cordialement,
Bonsoir,
Je suppose que c'est le bateau sur lequel vous étiez le 6 juillet dernier : Vous parlez du "Néoromantica" alors qu'ici sur l'image c'est le "Romantica" qui est en escale à Longyearbyen le 6 juillet. Ce changement de nom est officiel ou officieux ? ou s'agit-il d'un "autre" Romantica ?
Puisque dans votre message vous écrivez :
par contre c'est de la que l'on peutatterrir en vue d'un autre voyage
je pense bien que si vous souhaitez assister un jour à de tels spectacles (les 3 autres photos), le même jour de surcroît - (ici le 19 juillet : les morses en matinée et l'ours et l'iceberg en soirée ) commencer votre prochain voyage à partir de Longyearbyen est sans aucun doute la bonne approche.
Cordialement
C'est bien le NeoRomantica qui est sur la photo que vous avez joint, mais les trois lettres Neo se trouvent au dessus et entre les mots Costa et Romantica dans l'arc de cercle que l'on aperçoit.
C'est qui ce Rieu ???? A un tel tarif 😛: un arnaqueur ou un type qui veut se faire de la pub - et surtout remplir son garde-manger- sur le dos de gogos du "politiquement correct" pour "sensibiliser " au réchauffement catastrophe avec montée des mers de cent -100- mètres- à fin du siècle par exemple non exhaustif !, sans oublier bien entendu ... "manifester sa solidarité " comme il est du commun devoir de la bonne pensée !!
Pouah ....
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
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 !
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.
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,
I'm looking at a cruise in the north.