je rentre ce jour de la croisière au départ de San Juan Puerto Rico sur le Carnival Valor du 03 au 10 mars dernier avec des escales à St Thomas Iles Vierges, aux Barbades, à St Lucia, à St Kitts, et St Martin...tout celà en une semaine. En un mot c'était magnifique. Si je peux vous aider, ce sera avec plaisir 😉😉😉
D'autre part je profite de ce message pour passer un énorme coucou à nos amis Québecois mais aussi du nouveau Brunswick qui étaient cette semaine en "relâche" (😏) et donc présents en grand nombre sur la croisière: vous êtes super ne changez pas!!! Si nous repartons à la même période à l'avenir je regarderai avec attention à quelle date sera cette fameuse semaine pour pouvoir nous rapprocher à nouveau de nos cousins d'Amerique.
D'ailleurs en croyant revoir du monde la dernière soirée, je n'ai pu échanger mes coordonnées avec pas mal de famillles car il y a tellement de choses à faire sur le bateau que le temps passe à une vitesse... Donc si vous me reconnaissez, n'hésitez pas à me recontacter, nous étions les trois français Steph, Fred et Jules!
Salut, j'ai fait deux fois cette croisiere.
Selon moi et aussi d'autres personnes rencontrées lors de croisieres, c'est la plus belle croisiere dans les caraibes et de tres tres loin.
Selon moi, les croisieres au depart de la floride n'arrivent pas à la cheville de celle que tu as fait la semaine derniere.
en effet je confirme, cette croisière est la plus belle que l'on ai faite sur les caraïbes car visiter six iles en sept jours c'est vraiment fabuleux.
Les départs de Floride sont effectivement vraiment moins intéressants au niveau des escales.
A st-thomas, il ne faut pas non plus oublier magens bay qui se fait tres bien en taxi. Ou encore trunk bay dans l'ile voisine de st john's. Pour cette derniere, les gens y vont lors d'excursion.
Pour ste lucie, un taxi est selon moi recommandable et ne manque pas la souffriere et le bain de boue sulfureuse. Il y a auss la plage où a ete tourné dr doolittle.
Assez difficile de repondre pcq on avait pris le taxi pour toute l'avant midi. Cependant un aller-retour pour la souffriere doit etre assez court, cette ile etant relativement petite.
Quand tu as fait cette croisiere, il n'y a pas vraiment d'avantage a en prendre une au depar de la floride. Je peux comparer, les opinions de mes amis vont toutes dans le meme sens.
Efectivement les iles visiter seront très intéressante et nous n'avons qu'une journée en mer ce que j'aime beaucoup, je ne suis pas fan des journées sur le bateau....une seule permet de relaxer un peu c'est très correct...
Je serai moi aussi sur le Carnival Valor la semaine prochaine tout comme Natidou.
Comme ça sera ma première croisière et je ne sais pas du tout a quoi m'attendre, je suis bien contente d'avoir quelques points de repairs
J'ai pris bonne note de toute vos suggestions.
Est-ce que vous avez toujours pris un taxi à la sortie du bateau ou bien avez vous pris les excursions offertes sur le bateau.
Stephdjo pour les plages visité sur chaque îles , est-ce que vous y passiez toute la journée ou bien en visitiez plusieurs a chaque escale. La plage a St kitts vaut elle la peine pour la baignade. Merci encore!!
La journée type quand je fais ce genre de croisiere.
Je descends du navire aussitot accosté (dans cette croisiere, pas besoin d'attendre de monter sur le bateau navette, le navire accoste directement, ce qui est un tres net avantage), je prends le taxi et fait le tour des points d'intérets qui m'interessent. Je reviens diner sur le bateau prends mes choses et ressorts du navire pour prendre le taxi qui va me mener a la plus belle plage de l'endroit.
Il va sans dire aussi que je prends le deuxieme service pour le repas du soir. Cela donne encore plus de temps de profiter du soleil.
pour nous nous n'avons pas retenu les excursions car vraiment beaucoup plus chères alors que l'on peut se débrouiller seul avec les taxi.
Je confirme aussi ce qui a été dit plus haut pour les autres plages qui ont été citées, Magens Bay, etc... On avait eu la chance de faire Magens Bay dans le passé, c'était tout aussi beau. Donc les plages que nous avons faites ont été vraiment super, mais les conseils de nos amis du forum sont tout aussi valables.
Pour les Pitons, c'est vrai que toutes les personnes avec qui on a pu parler le soir ont été conquises, c'est vraiment à faire aussi. Peut être que ce serait la seule exception pour prendre une excursion avec Carnival, maintenant si c'est pour aller à la plage, débrouillez vous avec les taxis vous ferez des économies pour les mêmes prestations.
A St Kitts, on a vraiment trouvé Pigeon magnifique, l'eau était d'une transparence incroyable et le sable, wow, la vue aussi le panorama étaient parfaits . On nous avait dit que cette escale n'était pas super pour la plage, mais franchement (pour ne parler que de la plage où nous avons eu la chance d'aller) c'était une très belle journée, donc je vous recommande +++
Enfin oui on a passé nos journées à la plage, on y était tellement bien à chaque fois qu'on s'est dit qu'il ne valait pas le coup de changer. Ma femme est rentrée une ou deux fois une heure avant moi pour le shopping, quant à mon fils et moi nous nous sommes transformés en véritable hommes poisson, toute la journée dans l'eau (je pense qu'elle était à chaque fois à 27_28° minimum!!!).
-pour le depart montreal-san juan le vol est le samedi matin ou le vendredi?
-quelle compagnie se rende a san juan?
-Et quel compagnie l offre en forfait?
merci
Nous avions pris air canada, pas en forfait.
Je ne me souviens pas de quelle journée, c'était selon moi un samedi, la croisiere quiitait un dimance à ce moment.
Pour commencer notre départ de Montréal devait être à 9:30 hrs mais nous sommes parti à 11:00 hrs , il y a eu un retard causé par l'aréoport de San juan.
Comme c'était notre première croisière , nous n'avons pas de point de comparaison.
Mais j'ai adoré le Carnival Valor. Le bateau était en tout temps super propre, notre cabine avec balcon au 8 e étages était parfaite de bonne dimension , j'ai vraiment aimé avoir un balcon.
Tout le personnel est attentionné. Dès la 2 e journée , ils connaissaient déjà nos noms.
Nous avions choisi Your time dining pour les repas a la salle a mangé, car je n'aime pas être trop encadré c'était une formule gagnante pour nous.
La nourriture Mium mium , autant pour le diner au buffet que le soir en salle a manger.
Nous avons aussi acheté le programme Cheers pour toute les boissons à bord et si jamais .
je fait une autre croisière je reprendrais ce forfait.
Si vous avez des questions précises n'hésité pas je ferai de mon mieux pour y répondre
Le valor est un superbe bateau. Il est la version du destiny je crois.
Vous savez, j'ai fait deux fois cette croisiere et c'est la plus belle dans les caraibes.
Vous ferez un superbe voyage.
Il y a un seul probleme avec cette croisiere, si vous en faites une autre dans les caraibes, vous allez toujours comparer et forcement elle sera moins belle que celle au depart de san juan.
Nous l'avons fait et ce commentaire était généralisé.
Mais, entre vous et moi, c'est un heureux "problème".
Comme premiere croisieres j ai fait perles des antilles et c a été merveilleux et inoubliable, la deuxieme en partance de fort lauderdale était différente(coz, roatan, cayman et jamaique) et bien aimer aussi.je n ai pu faire de comparaison parce que trop différent et une premiere reste toujours la plus belle.Et la 3ieme sera bien différente aussi et c est c a qui fait qu on en veut encore...lol.probablement celle-ci pour 2014
Je ferai cette croisiere le mois prochain.
Je prends note que vous avez achete le forfait CHEERS
Comment ca fonctionne? Quel en est le prix?
Merci de bien vouloir me repondre
Pour commencer notre départ de Montréal devait être à 9:30 hrs mais nous sommes parti à 11:00 hrs , il y a eu un retard causé par l'aréoport de San juan.
Comme c'était notre première croisière , nous n'avons pas de point de comparaison.
Mais j'ai adoré le Carnival Valor. Le bateau était en tout temps super propre, notre cabine avec balcon au 8 e étages était parfaite de bonne dimension , j'ai vraiment aimé avoir un balcon.
Tout le personnel est attentionné. Dès la 2 e journée , ils connaissaient déjà nos noms.
Nous avions choisi Your time dining pour les repas a la salle a mangé, car je n'aime pas être trop encadré c'était une formule gagnante pour nous.
La nourriture Mium mium , autant pour le diner au buffet que le soir en salle a manger.
Nous avons aussi acheté le programme Cheers pour toute les boissons à bord et si jamais .
je fait une autre croisière je reprendrais ce forfait.
Si vous avez des questions précises n'hésité pas je ferai de mon mieux pour y répondre
Bonjour,
le forfait cheers coûte $42.95 + 15% de pourboire . Si je ne me trompe le total était de $48. par jour par personne.
Si vous êtes 2 dans la cabine les 2 doivent prendre le forfait.
Si vous faites la même croisière que nous je vous suggère d'acheter le forfait le lendemain matin soit la 2e journée. Alors vous ne paierez que pour 6 jours.
Pour nous cela a valu vraiment la peine. Nous savions déjà le coût pour notre séjour et on ne s'est pas privée pour le vin, les apéros ainsi que les digestifs. Moi j'ai pris tout les drinks of the day à la piscine et mon conjoint de la bière tout les jours.
Vous avez droit a toute les boissons et vins au verre de $10. et moins vous allez voir qu'il y a vraiment un bon choix pour les vins...
C'est certain que si on fait un autre croisière j'achète ce forfait.
Si jamais vous aviez l'intention d'essayer le steak house , si vous réservé pour la prèmière soirée de votre arrivée vous avez une bouteille de vin gratuite avec votre repas, c'est ce que l'on a fait , et le steak house vaut vraiment la peine.
Puisque nous avions une bouteille de vin avec notre premier repas nous avons acheté le forfait seulement le lendemain matin pour le programme cheers.
Si vous avez d'autre questions n'hésitez pas ou si ce n'était pas clair....
Je vous souhaites une excellente croisière
Nous regardons pour faire cette croisière l'an prochain, j'aimerais savoir à partir de qu'elle heure on embarque sur le bateau? E
Disney Magic janvier 2010, NCL Gem Février 2011
Carnival Dream janvier 2012, Carnival Ecstasy octobre 2012, Carnival Liberty janvier 2013, Carnival Glory janvier 2014, Carnival Valor janvier 2015,
Disney Magic janvier 2010, NCL Gem Février 2011
Carnival Dream janvier 2012, Carnival Ecstasy octobre 2012, Carnival Liberty janvier 2013, Carnival Glory janvier 2014, Carnival Valor janvier 2015,
Bonjour, nous partons pour Venise d’ici peu. Nous avons un hôtel à Mestre et nous aimerions savoir quel bus peut nous rendre de l’hôtel de Mestre au Port de Marghera. Merci.
Hi,
We’ll be visiting Barcelona for the first time on our upcoming cruise.
I was wondering if it’s better to book a taxi in advance to get from the train station to the cruise terminal, since there’ll be four of us. Are there enough taxis around that we won’t have to wait too long?
For the return trip, same question—are there enough taxis, since we have a flight to catch? Though I doubt we’ll know in advance which terminal we’ll dock at.
I came across this site below—has anyone heard of it?
https://taxibarcelona.taxi/fr/
Hi there,
Here’s the 2027 cruise schedule.
It’s a great way to get ideas and maybe even meet up with other members!
2 essential rules:
1) Never "quote" the schedule when replying—this avoids any confusion.
2) Follow this format:
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
REMINDER Despite my requests, few people follow the requested format. Cruises that stray too far from it won’t be listed anymore—sorry about that. IMPORTANT Please respect the templates!
PLEASE COPY AND PASTE THE FORMAT BELOW AND REPLACE WITH YOUR DETAILS IF YOU’RE HAVING TROUBLE
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
It takes time to fix mistakes, so THANKS TO EVERYONE for your help!
YOUR TURN 😉
NUMBER OF 2027 CRUISES: 1
JANUARY
14/01 - poupou10 / AZAMARA JOURNEY / 74 days / South America Tour / Miami
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
hi there
Here’s the cruise schedule for 2026.
It’s a great way to get ideas and maybe even meet up with other members.
2 essential rules:
1) never "quote" the calendar when replying—this’ll avoid any confusion
2) follow the format below
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
REMINDER Despite my requests, few people follow the requested format. Cruises that stray too far from it won’t be listed anymore—sorry!PLEASE respect the templates!
COPY AND PASTE THE FORMAT BELOW AND REPLACE WITH YOUR DETAILS IF YOU’RE STRUGGLING
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
It takes time to fix mistakes, so THANKS TO EVERYONE for your help!
YOUR TURN 😉
NUMBER OF CRUISES 2026:
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
Hi everyone, we're going on a week-long cruise and I have a question: can we travel by train and on a cruise with small refrigerated injectable syringes?
Do we need to complete any formalities?
And how should we store them?
Thanks in advance for your feedback.
I'm considering a cruise on the Hurtigruten Coastal Express from Bergen to Kirkenes and back to Bergen over 11 days in mid-March 2027.
Has anyone already done this trip?
I think it’s a great way to discover the Norwegian coast with the chance to see magnificent northern lights, but isn’t the trip a bit *too* long?
There are about thirty stops, but most last only a few minutes, with just one daily stop of over 2 hours, which gives a quick glimpse of a few towns but doesn’t allow for a full excursion.
Is the supplement for an outside cabin with a porthole (800 € for 2!) really worth it?
It’s more pleasant than an inside cabin, but do you spend enough time in your cabin to make the most of it?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this journey.
Best regards.
Hi everyone! I’m used to sailing on a sailboat with two or three people—it’s amazing. But I’d love to try the experience of a cruise. Just to clarify, I’ll be going alone. My first question: are there other solo travelers on these cruises, or is it mostly couples and families?
For a first cruise, I’d prefer a short one (maximum 8 days). Do those exist? And on the smallest boat possible. I live in Marseille, so a departure from Marseille would work, but I’m open to other ports too. If you have a cruise line to recommend and a destination you’ve enjoyed, or if you’ve had a great experience on a more intimate-sized ship, I’d love to hear about it!
We’re looking for a group of people available to share an excursion to the Trollstigen (Trolls’ Road).
We’ve contacted a local provider who’s offering us the following rates:
- 6,325 NOK for 4 people
- 6,874 NOK for 5 to 8 people
Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’d like to discuss!
Happy planning to everyone! !
We just returned from a cruise from 08/13/26 to 08/20/26 on the MSC ORCHESTRA with stops in Tarragona, Valencia, Livorno, Civitavecchia, Genoa, and back to Marseille.
The ship was fully booked. Deck chairs were already occupied by beach towels early in the morning, and there were only 1 or 2 people in the pools... However, on the day the Italians disembarked, there were very few towels on the deck chairs.
We found the Italians less talkative.
We had a balcony cabin on deck 9, starboard side. The cabin was spacious, but the sofa was facing the desk, making it a pain to watch TV (neck strain guaranteed). So, we changed the sofa’s orientation to face the TV (we put it back in place on disembarkation day).
There were 325 French speakers on board, and a lot of staff from Mauritius, which made communication easier.
No annoying announcements about bingo, etc.—a nice change from COSTA.
For dinner, we were at the first sitting at 7:45 PM, at a table for 6. On the first night, we were two "gray-haired" couples at the table. The second night, two young women joined us but asked to change tables after seeing us...
The show for our dinner time was at 10:15 PM and ended around 11:00 PM. We found that a bit late for us. The shows were varied and of good quality.
The restaurant menus offered plenty of choices, but at the buffet at lunchtime, there were a lot of dishes with quite a few carbs. Afternoon tea from 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM included some great pastries, among other things.
We had an issue with the air conditioning and bad odors in the cabin one afternoon. I reported the problem to the reception, and staff along with our cabin steward came to check the cabin. The issue was resolved that same afternoon.
Two days later, we were surprised to find a bag with items inside: 2 MSC mugs and 2 MSC thermos flasks that keep drinks hot or cold for 10 hours. It was a gift from customer service following the bad odors in our cabin. We weren’t expecting this at all and thanked MSC’s customer service.
For excursions, MSC always offers port-to-city-center transfers for 14 € per adult in Valencia and Tarragona, and 12 € per child. In Livorno, it was 10 € per adult and 7 € per child.
In Civitavecchia, there was a shuttle to the train station for 6 €.
On the MSC for Me app, there were "promotions" on certain excursions.
We really enjoyed this cruise, but we couldn’t revisit some stops (Tarragona and Valencia) on our own because it was too hot.
Great evening: Mum49
We're leaving on August 25th for a Danube cruise from Vienna to Bucharest. The travel agency refuses to postpone this cruise despite navigation changes due to the exceptional drought, which include bus transfers that don’t interest us.
Have you had any experiences with this that you’d like to share?
Hi there!
I’m going on a cruise with MSC on the World Europa this coming October.
Stops: Genoa, Naples, Messina, Malta.
Has anyone visited Mount Etna and Pompeii?
Could you share some tips for each of these stops?
I’d like to explore on my own without booking the ship’s excursions.
Thanks for your advice!
Just back from our first cruise on the Renaissance, and I’d like to share a few thoughts about life on board. Our feelings are mixed—we wanted a change after several MSC cruises, but the value for money on this repositioning cruise left us torn.
After taking advantage of successive promotions, we finally secured a well-located balcony cabin for 2600 € (almost 50% off the brochure rate). Given the amenities and the ship’s age, this now feels like the absolute maximum we’d pay for that period.
Overall, we were happy with our vacation on board, but a few details—when added up—left us with a somewhat mixed impression.
The pros:
- Ship size
- Reasonable noise levels, except in the restaurants (aside from the covered pool area)
- Spacious balcony cabin (20 + 5 m²) with plenty of storage and a bathtub with jets
- Understated, tasteful decor
- French language spoken on board
- Friendly staff for the most part
- 100% French-speaking clientele
- Decent food with French dishes (even with an Indian chef)
- Tables for two available (though the ship was full, so no changes possible)
- Some high-quality shows, thanks to an excellent English-speaking troupe
- Interesting lectures (especially on history and cetaceans)
The cons:
- Unreliable air conditioning in common areas (you’d go from a freezing lounge to a hot one, as if the system only worked in certain spaces at certain times)
- Aging ship with a few glitches (noises, AC, toilet flushes, lights) reported at reception (luckily, our only issue was the bathroom door not closing...)
- Industrial, thawed-out bread and pastries (a letdown for a ship with a French image)
- Limited fruit selection (often just apples and watermelon/melon) and not much variety in vegetables
- Worn, sometimes stained restaurant towels
We’re not ruling out another cruise on the Renaissance—their itineraries are unique—but only at a very competitive price.
Hi everyone ...
We’re planning to do the 83-day Cunard cruise ...
departing from Southampton on January 10, 2027 aboard the Queen Anne ...
has anyone done it ... or have any info ... or tips ...
for example ... deck and cabin choices ... drink packages ... excursions ... etc.
... anything good to know about this ship???
Thanks everyone ...
I discovered solo cruises last year, and it was a wonderful experience. Since then, I’ve decided to do one every year, usually between October and March, departing from Marseille or Le Havre.
I travel alone, but I enjoy sharing certain moments with other travelers: having meals together, attending shows, enjoying the evening entertainment, grabbing a drink, or going on a few excursions. Of course, everyone keeps their freedom—the goal is simply to have a good time in a friendly atmosphere.
For the end of this year, I don’t have a cruise planned yet. However, I’m already booked on the MSC Magnifica from October 29 to November 3, 2027, departing from Marseille with an itinerary to Spain and Italy.
If you often travel solo or if you’re on this cruise, I’d love to chat with you before departure. Looking forward to meeting you! 🚢😊
Hello!
After a lot of hesitation between different cruise lines (Explora, Oceania, YC, HAL, NCL) and several destinations like Norway, Ireland, and Iceland,
I finally chose NCL’s Star for Iceland.
I had already looked at this itinerary when I went to Scotland in April with CFC, but it was really expensive.
You should know that CFC often offers last-minute deals 45 days before departure (the point when you can no longer cancel or modify).
So, I got a great opportunity and grabbed it.
Departure is on August 23rd.
Hi everyone,
I’m staying in a suite on the Pacifica in October and I can’t find any details about the suite benefits beyond the elite restaurant, the butler, and the espresso machine.
What about breakfast and meals served free in the cabin, and the spa?
Costa’s been cutting back on perks for Gold members, and it seems like suites are next.
Thanks for your replies!
Hello,
We’re back from this cruise.
Boarding in Dunkirk: The doors opened around 12 PM. Since we were a bit early, I asked if my husband, who uses a walker, could wait inside instead of outside. I left him with the two suitcases and our two backpacks in the small hall while I parked the car in the reserved CFC parking lot for 10 € per day.
The shuttle that was supposed to take people from the parking lot to the model pavilion was supposed to arrive in 5 minutes, but after 15 minutes, nothing. After waiting 15 minutes, I saw a man walking and asked if I could follow him. In 15 minutes, we arrived, and still no sign of the shuttle—it must have passed us. Arrived at the model pavilion.
My husband had already checked in the suitcases with the help of a CFC staff member. The remaining formalities were completed quickly. We were on board by 12:15 PM. Headed to the buffet on deck 11 and waited in a lounge to access our cabin.
At 2 PM, we discovered our balcony cabin on deck 9 at the rear: spacious with a large balcony compared to MSC/COSTA.
Since we were at the rear, cabin 9202, there was always an issue with elevator number 4: "priority."
Elevator number 2 stops at deck 10... and elevator number 3 was often out of order, leaving only number 1 for those with mobility issues to reach the buffet, especially for people who struggle with stairs. Note: only one child on board and lots of "gray hair."
DAY 2: At sea. Lots of activities offered.
Day 3: GOTHENBURG (Sweden). Sunny, 19°C at 11 AM.
Excursion booked with CFC: Gothenburg and Haga for all.
Interesting visit with a great guide. The HAGA district, in our opinion, is full of cobblestones and nothing special, not suitable for people using a cane or wheelchair. Elevator number 3 was out of order again.
Day 4: Copenhagen. 15°C in the morning, showers in the afternoon.
We didn’t book an excursion since we’d already stopped here with CFC in 2025, and based on advice from this forum, we took the hop-on/hop-off bus right in front of the ship. I still went to see the Little Mermaid again.
No TV, but the elevator was fixed.
DAY 5: At sea. Still no TV.
DAY 6: GDANSK (Poland). 15°C, rain all day.
There’s a shuttle to get to the city center.
We took the excursion: Panorama of Gdansk.
The guide left us at the entrance of the city center for 45 minutes, telling us what to visit. Meet-up for the rest of the tour at 3 PM. The bus left at 3:15 PM to cover 10 km to see St. Mary’s Cathedral. We arrived at 4:16 PM... The guide said there are often traffic jams in that direction. We had 10 minutes on site before heading to see the lighthouse and the Westerplatte monument, where we also had 10 minutes.
Many of us wondered why we didn’t do the tour in the opposite direction since they knew there would be traffic...
I went to reception to complain about the organization. The staff member read me the program: we were supposed to start with the lighthouse, then go to the cathedral and stay for 30 minutes before heading to the center of Gdansk for a short guided walk with some free time to buy souvenirs, etc.
The guide did the complete opposite of what was planned and didn’t even give us a guided tour—just dropped us off in the city...
DAY 7: Bornholm Island (Denmark). 14°C, a few sunny spells.
We saw in the excursions that there was a walking tour of RØNNE. So, like many others, we explored on our own. There was a small orchestra welcoming us at the port and two people with city maps. We took the shuttle to leave the port—it ran every 15 minutes. The tourist office was next to the "shuttle bus." A pleasant visit at our own pace.
DAY 8: KIEL (Germany). 18–23°C, nice weather.
We took the "Kiel for all" excursion. Great guide and interesting visits.
The port is in the city, and in 10 minutes, we were in the city center by following a blue line on the ground from the port. Elevator 3 was stuck again... and the TV was back.
DAY 9: At sea. Elevator 3 works.
DAY 10: At sea. Elevator 3 is out of order again...
DAY 11: Disembarkation in Dunkirk.
Cabins had to be vacated by 7:30 AM. Buffet open until 9 AM.
Elevator number 1 was "reserved," leaving only number 2, which doesn’t go up to deck 11... a problem for people with mobility issues who had to cross the entire deck 11 and try to use one of the four working elevators at the front, which were crowded.
My opinion: Interesting stops.
The onboard staff were always welcoming, smiling, and mostly French-speaking.
Evening shows were better than in March/April 2025—better singers, dancers, and presenters, and the costumes were improved.
I liked the "magician" shows less.
There were three onboard lectures by a very cultured person, but they went off-topic and were too historical for my taste. I didn’t attend the other two; my husband went to the second but not the third.
For this cruise, there was a bridge theme, but we’re not players or interested.
We didn’t take a drink package on board—water, coffee, tea, and herbal teas were available.
We had a water leak in our cabin the night before disembarkation. We reported it, and after the technical staff came (with a translator who didn’t speak English), we were asked to leave the cabin for a while for repairs. We went to a lounge, and after 1.5 hours, I checked in at reception. The repair took longer than expected... we had to change cabins... not ideal the night before disembarkation. No balcony cabins were available, so we got an ocean-view cabin, 6075, with a bathtub (impossible for both of us to use). We packed our suitcases, took a shower in our cabin, and moved to the new one. Noise from chairs until 12:30 AM because the cabin was under a lounge, and constant ventilation noise in the hallway... sleep was hard to come by.
Disembarkation: Well organized. We were helped with transporting the two suitcases and bags to the waiting room while I took the shuttle to get the car.
Guylène
We’re taking an MSC cruise in May, and after the Cinque Terre, we’ll be stopping in Naples. We’d like to know if it’s possible to walk out of the port quickly and reach a nice area of Naples on foot (we’re two older people). While we’re at it, I’ll ask the same question for Palermo, since we’ll be there the next day. Thanks for your replies.
hi,
I’m leaving Hamburg for Iceland at the end of July. The boat arrives in Reykjavik on Tuesday, August 4th at 8 AM, and I’d like to book a day trip like the Golden Circle or Secret Lagoon… The sites like GetYourGuide and others list departures at 8 AM. If you’ve used these sites with the MSC Preziosa, could you let me know how to go about it?
Thanks! 😉
allyMB007
Hello everyone,
It’s with immense sadness that I learned this morning of the passing of our friend Nathalie (nadu). Many of us knew her through this forum, which she loved so much. She enjoyed reading your travel stories, joining discussions, sharing her cruise reviews, and offering valuable advice—always with kindness, gentleness, and discretion.
For me, Nathalie was so much more than just a cruise enthusiast. She was a friend, a deeply kind person who was always there to listen, despite the many health challenges she faced with tremendous courage. We corresponded regularly, and sometimes we had the chance to visit each other’s homes or attend the cruise show together with our respective husbands.
We shared a common dream: when we both retired, we had planned to finally go on a cruise together. Life had other plans, and that trip will forever remain a journey we never had the chance to take. That thought weighs heavily on my heart today.
I’ll remember her as a gentle, generous woman who was always ready to help others. Her presence on this forum will leave a huge void, just as her friendship has in my life.
I send my sincerest thoughts to her husband, her family, and all those who had the chance to know her.
Fair winds, Nathalie. I like to think you’re now sailing on an infinitely calm sea, under an eternally blue sky. You’ll remain in our thoughts and hearts every time we talk about cruises or set off on a new journey.
Rest in peace, Nathalie.
For those who’d like to send a message of comfort and sympathy to her husband, you can send me a PM, and I’ll pass it along.
THANK YOU
Hi there,
I'm looking at a cruise in the north.