Allez, 3 semaines après le retour, je m’y mets. Bon, j’avais déjà commencé un compte rendu, mais j’ai été démotivée quand il s’est perdu dans le monde de Word (enregistrement du code, passage a la version 10, bla, bla, bla).
Croisiére : 5 cités Baltiques
Costa Luminosa, 4 au 11 juin
Départ Copenhague
Très bien au niveau du transfert. Hôtesse qui nous attend dans la salle de récupération des valises, le petit groupe de 4 passagers est escorté à l’extérieur. Bagages laissé a l’attention du personnel Costa et hop on rejoint un bus ou il y a 4 autres passagers et on part. Arrivée au pied (à la coque ? du Luminosa a 11:30).
Plein de temps avant le départ, je vais visiter Copenhague. Du port, on peut suivre une ligne bleue sur le sol qui conduit à une gare. Bon la machine à ticket était en panne, pas de guichet… mais bon pas de barrière, alors je monte. 2 stations.
A voir en ville la tour ronde, le jardin de Tivoli, Nyhavn et ses façades colorées, et pleins de bâtiments comme l’ancienne bourse.
5 juin en mer. 6 juin Tallinn. La navette coute 6€. Alternativement marche jusqu’en ville 10mn.
L’euro est accepté dans les commerces et j’ai pu retirer des euros au distributeur. On peut faire une promenade sympa dans la vielle ville pleine de charme.
7 juin Saint Petersbourg – Excursions Costa (puisque pas le choix) Visite de l’église Pierre et Paul (um, longue file et beaucoup de monde). Magasin d’état (les chocolats russes sont moyens). Repas. Visite du palais Youssef (intéressant). Promenade sur les canaux (intéressant). Arrêt photo Basilique (intéressant).
8 juin Helsinski - La navette coute7€ (ca monte, ca monte). Des bus locaux se garent juste à coté, mais je n’ai pas vu les tarifs.
Pas grand-chose à voir. Deux églises/cathédrales. Très belle station de train. Les chocolats finnois sont excellents.
Il y a 2 terminaux de croisière, un au centre ville, l’autre a 5 – 10 minutes en transport (25 -30 minutes a pied). Bien sur on a accosté à celui qui est le plus loin. Il m’a fallu un moment pour me rendre compte pourquoi je ne comprenais rien à la carte qu’on nous avait remis a bord. Je voulais prendre le ferry pour aller à Suomenlinna, mais le temps que je comprenne pour les 2 terminaux… Ca faisait trop juste.
9 juin Stockholm l’arrivée -et le départ- sont majestueux.
La navette coute 12€ (?!?! Pourquoi pas 50 pendant qu’on y est ?) La ville est à 15-20mn de marche (suivre la ligne bleue). Sinon on peut acheter un ticket de bus a la petite boutique juste en face du bateau (3.33€ pour une heure ou 9€ pour un ticket a la journée). Certains on pris des navettes pour une croisière fluviale, style Hop on hop off, départ juste a coté de bateau Costa pour 10€ seulement. A voir Le musée Vasa, comptez 11€ l’entrée (environ 5€ sur présentation d’une carte d’étudiant), la partie médiévale de la ville. Très belle ville.
10 juin en mer
11 juin Copenhague
J’ai le temps d’aller voir la petite sirène, qui est a l’autre terminal (30 minutes de marche) et de rentrer faire ma tournée de tous les jacuzzis et piscines avant le départ sur le dernier bus pour l’aéroport a 13h.
J’ai hésité avant de réserver une nouvelle croisière Costa, après la catastrophe que fut mon dernier voyage.P~#"!*¬/ Mais j’avais besoin de vraies vacances (rien que pour récupérer de mon stress) et j’ai trouvé un super offre. Ce séjour m’a prouvé que oui, Costa, ca peut être bien.
Le service a été vraiment impeccable a bord. Mon plan était d’éviter à tout prix d’avoir à aller à la réception. Mais bien sur, c’était sans compter sur le récemment diagnostiqué syndrome Pierre Richard qui semble m’atteindre des que je monte sur un bateau Costa. La 1ere nuit je me rends compte que mon matelas empeste la cigarette. Le rideau aussi. Le matin, ma peau aussi sens le tabac… je le signale à la réception. On envoie une personne assez rapidement qui constate le problème. Dans la journée ils font une « sanétisation » (je crois que ca consiste entre autres a beaucoup de febreze). Le soir il y a quand même résidu d’odeur. Donc le lendemain ils changent le matelas et m’installent en prime un petit appareil anti-odeur (jolies couleurs et fumée). J’avais aussi signalé que ma télécommande ne marchait plus. Ils l’ont changé rapidement. Et le matin je trouve 2 petits mots dans la boite a lettre qui me demandent de contacter la réception (un pour le matelas, un pour la télécommande)… ? Un moment j’ai craint qu’ils ne veuillent me dire que c’est moi qui ai cassé la télécommande. Mais non, ils voulaient juste s’excuser des désagréments et vérifier que tout était rentré dans l’ordre… Un bon point pour le Luminosa.
Le Garçon de cabine John Paul était excellent. Ultra-rapide et très agréable.
Je suis passée au point Costa Club, car je voulais savoir s’il pouvait retrouver ma 1ere croisière (celle dont je ne me souviens plus trop de l’année). Avant même de m’en rendre compte me voila inscrite (1ere croisière pas retrouvée). Je suis en Aquamarine et le lendemain corbeille de fruits, nécessaire de toilette et peignoir Costa dans ma chambre. Autre bon point pour le Luminosa.
L’hôtesse des voyageurs anglophone Rebekah me rappelait Mary Poppins. Ayant acheté mon billet du Royaume Uni, je faisais parti de son groupe. Elle passait souvent au diner, échanger quelques mots avec ses passagers. Elle a organisé des repas, thés et autres réunions pour les anglophones. Au top. J’ai aussi apprécié Stéphanie, l’hôtesse francophone. Très sympa. Elles méritent tout plein de bons points.
Ici on a droit au petit journal quotidien.
En négatif, j’ai trouvé les photographes particulièrement désagréables. Je ne fais jamais les photos, mais je refuse toujours poliment et avec le sourire. Sur le Pacifica, pas de problèmes, mais sur le Luminosa ils vous font savoir qu’ils ne sont pas contents. 🏴☠️
Cat
2003 Costa Romantica Antilles :O
2011 Avr Costa Pacifica Méd :~( - Juin Costa Luminosa -:^) - Nov Hurtigruten MS Trollfjord -:")
Dec Costa Favolosa - Dubai :-D
2012 Juin MSC Opera Norvége :-) - Sep MSC Magnifica Méd : } - Oct Cunard Queen Victoria Brugge : ]
oui c'est vrai , mais en meme temps , je pensais que le detecteur de fumée servait à "vous arroser" et je pensais bien qu en cas de détection de fumée il agissait ;
bon perso en 2009 je fumais discrétos dans la salle de bains quelques taf dans la douche qui partait avec l aération; mais jamais voulu essayer direct en cabine à cause du bidule
au plafond de peur qu il se mette en route 🏴☠️
Pour les photos, des qu'il (ou elle) approche, , je lui fais signe et lui glisse à l'oreille:"pas de photos, ce n'est pas ma femme!", il (ou elle), part immédiatement!
ça fait bien rire mon épouse, en plus.
Ecoutez Bruno et Madisson, je crois qu'il faut qu'on en est le couer net. Chaleur, fumée ? La prochaine fois que l'un d'entre vous part il devra faire l'expérience, histoire qu'on soit sur de ce qui déclenche les sprinklers.
Et aussi qu'on en sache plus sur les conséquences avec l'équipage.
😎😉
Pour les photos, des qu'il (ou elle) approche, , je lui fais signe et lui glisse à l'oreille:"pas de photos, ce n'est pas ma femme!", il (ou elle), part immédiatement!
ça fait bien rire mon épouse, en plus.
hi hi hi
Bien joué.
2003 Costa Romantica Antilles :O
2011 Avr Costa Pacifica Méd :~( - Juin Costa Luminosa -:^) - Nov Hurtigruten MS Trollfjord -:")
Dec Costa Favolosa - Dubai :-D
2012 Juin MSC Opera Norvége :-) - Sep MSC Magnifica Méd : } - Oct Cunard Queen Victoria Brugge : ]
Ce n'est pas mieux sur les balcons 😕 en plus c'est interdit et le voisin recoit la fumee en plein dans le nez 🙁 ca ne vous derange pas qu'on soit non fumeurs 😉 car nous la fumée nous dérange🙁
Mais en fait c'est quoi la politique sur les bateaux concernant la cigarette dans les chambres?
Je ne me souviens pas avoir vu de signe disant aux gens de ne pas fumer en cabine. A moins que je ne sois tellement habituée a voir les logos que je ne fais même pas attention.
2003 Costa Romantica Antilles :O
2011 Avr Costa Pacifica Méd :~( - Juin Costa Luminosa -:^) - Nov Hurtigruten MS Trollfjord -:")
Dec Costa Favolosa - Dubai :-D
2012 Juin MSC Opera Norvége :-) - Sep MSC Magnifica Méd : } - Oct Cunard Queen Victoria Brugge : ]
Il y a des zones fumeurs sur les bateaux à respecter, c'est aussi une question de sécurité, fumer sur les balcons est interdit, car avec le vent cela peut transmettre le feu, et le plus à craindre àbord d'un bateau c'est le feu 🙁 il y a a bord des derniers bateaux MSC des salons fumeurs entièrement fermés et bien ventilés et cela ne dérange pas les autres passagers, en principe au casino c'est zone fumeurs 🙁 nous le traversons en apnée ou n'hésitons pas à monter au pont supérieur afin de pouvoir réspirer et redescendre ensuite plus loin après le casino.
Nous avons eu l'occasion de visiter des passerelles de commandement et on peut voir sur le pupitre différents signaux si il est détecté de la fumée dans une cabine une lumière rouge s'allume et la sécurité doit intervenir immédiatement.
Malgré les consignes de sécurité il est dommage de constater que parfois celles ci sont peu respectées 😕 nous sentons sur les balcons des odeurs de cigarette, par contre une cabine qui sentirait la cigarette à notre arrivée ferait aussitot l'objet d'une réclamation de notre part et nous exigerions immédiatement le changement de cabine. C'est une odeur que nous ne supportons pas 🏴☠️ il n'y a jamais eu aucun fumeur dans ma famille et nous sommes intransigeants sur ce point, nous sommes beaucoup plus concilliants sur la présentation d'une assiette ou une erreur dans le service à table que sur la cigarette😛 mais je respecte les gouts de chacun dans la mesure ou cela n'incommode pas les autres passagers😄
En fait ma cabine ne sentait pas du tout la cigarette quand je suis entrée. Ils avaient du bien aérer. Moi non plus je n'aime pas cette odeur. Mais je ne l'ai eu qu'en me couchant et à cette heure tardive je n'ai pas voulu aller a la réception.
Quand le garçon de cabine a fait sa 1ére "sanétisation" c'est l'odeur du produit qui était insupportable. A m'en rendre malade. J'avais ouvert la porte de la cabine pour aérer et c'est là que mon voisin s'est mis sur le balcon pour fumer.
🏴☠️
lol
Enfin tout s'est vite arrangé et ca m'a permis de voir comment ils gérent les problémes sur le Luminosa (bien).
2003 Costa Romantica Antilles :O
2011 Avr Costa Pacifica Méd :~( - Juin Costa Luminosa -:^) - Nov Hurtigruten MS Trollfjord -:")
Dec Costa Favolosa - Dubai :-D
2012 Juin MSC Opera Norvége :-) - Sep MSC Magnifica Méd : } - Oct Cunard Queen Victoria Brugge : ]
En fait je ne connais pas du tout les pratiques a bord de bateaux Costa 😄 je ne connais que celles de MSC. et fumer sur les balcons y est formellement interdit😉 et cela malgrè que ce soit en plein air uniquement pour des raisons de sécurité.
sur ma dernière croisière costa, j'avais un balcon pour la 1ere fois. il n'y avait pas de cendrier sur le balcon. mais j'ai pu lire quelque part que pour fumer sur le balcon, il fallait demander un cendrier au cabinier.
ce qui est interdit, c'est de jeter les mégôts par dessus bord. pas de fumer...
quand à fumer en cabine, j'ai toujours pensé que c'était interdit. mais je suis plus sur de rien. des gens fument en cabine, donc je suppose que c'est autorisé.
mais vu l'odeur tenace et désagréable du tabac, ca dervrait l'être.
je suis un petit fumeur et fumer uniquement dans les endroits autorisé ne me pose pas de problème. je peux très bien différé ma cogarette pour aller la ou il faut pour pas géner. mon épouse est non fumeuse et ne supporte pas la cigarette et se chargerai de me rappeler à l'ordre en cas d'oubli des régles de respect des autres.
chez moi, je ne fume presque pas et sinon, c'est balcon. 😉
Chez MSC il me semble bien qu'il est interdit de fumer sur les balcons mais n'étant pas concernés sauf quand on en prend plein les narines😠 j'avoue n'y avoir prété qu'une attention furtive 😄 mais il me semble qu'il y a sur les portes fenêtres qui donnent sur le balcon le panneau rond rouge avec la cigarette barrée.
Voila je viens de trouver la confirmation de la réglementation en ce qui concerne les zones fumeurs et non fumeurs chez MSC
Cela est strictement interdit sur le balcons et on comprend très bien qu'un mégot qui tombe sur un pont inférieur, ou ses cendres embrasées peuvent mettre le feu.
Ne jamais oublier que les plus gros risques a bord d'un bateau sont les incendies.
Voici le compte-rendu de notre transat Santos/Venise du 19 mars au 09 avril 2012. Vol TAM au départ de Roissy le dimanche 18. A 330 récent. Ecrans individuels…
Croisières › République Dominicaine / Italie · 18 replies
Nous venons de rentrer de ce long séjour à bord du costa mediterranea qui nous a ammenés de Savone le 5 décembre dernier à punta cana le 21 décembre.Soit plus…
Voilà ça y est nous sommes rentrés hier. Nous avons été enchantés de cette croisière. Quelques problèmes d'organisation Costa n'ont pas réussi à nous gâcher le…
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,
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 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
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,
I'm looking at a cruise in the north.