Hi there, we’ve done about forty cruises with Costa, MSC, Croisières de France (which no longer exists), 1 with Ponant, and 1 with CFC in October 2023.
Last year, we discovered CFC’s renaissance and really enjoyed it. There were 480 passengers, so it was nothing like Costa or MSC. We’ve fallen out with Costa—they have no respect for their customers. It’s chaotic, noisy everywhere, not to mention the behavior of thousands of passengers. With MSC, we’re treated better, we keep our loyalty points, and we’re often upgraded. The food is much better on CFC: at the buffet, there was always a cheese buffet and an ice cream station. The meat was always well-cooked, unlike on Costa or MSC. That said, things may have changed at CFC since then. There are also self-service laundry machines available...
We’ve booked the cruise from December 22 to January 5 on the *Renaissance*. We’re boarding the *Renaissance* this Sunday, November 3, until November 11 for a Mediterranean cruise. We’ll see if the standards have improved since last year...
Hi Alain,
During my cruise in September, passengers who had already traveled last year with the Renaissance said it was nothing like before.
Since CFC couldn’t fill the ship, they had to lower the prices, but the "standard" has dropped a lot according to them.
I think you’ll be lucky if the ship isn’t full in November.
Either way, have a great upcoming cruise.
Best regards.
Hello,
October 2023, 15-day Greek Islands cruise
Inside cabin 5035 solo, spacious and comfortable, complimentary amenities.
The ship was cozy and welcoming, with lovely staff.
Deck chairs with towels provided, plus a small table for our drinks.
Library with a great selection, and a game room with plenty of options too.
For meals, I rank this at the top of all my cruises (54), whether in the buffet or the restaurant.
The downsides:
Only every other hot tub was working, and the temperature wasn’t well regulated. The party vibe was a bit light for my taste.
I tried and loved this cruise—it’s a bit pricier, but the positives far outweigh the negatives!
Hello,
I’m planning to do the British Isles cruise from April 30 to May 11 with CFC (I live north of Strasbourg). The somewhat negative reviews are making me hesitate a bit. Do you think it’s worth getting the drinks package? So far, I’ve done most of my cruises with MSC or Costa.
Thanks, and have a good evening!
Josiane
Hello,
I’m planning to do the cruise from April 30 to May 11 around the British Isles with CFC (I live north of Strasbourg). The somewhat negative reviews are making me hesitate a bit. Do you think it’s worth getting the drink package? So far, I’ve done most of my cruises with MSC or Costa.
Thanks, and have a good evening,
Josiane
Hello,
I find the drink package (CFC Forfait Plus: 35 € at booking, 40 € on board) quite expensive.
Since you’re familiar with MSC or Costa, the drink prices are pretty much the same.
So, you know what you consume—it’s easy to calculate whether 35 € is worth it for you or not.
Best regards
Hi everyone, here’s my review after our Iberian cruise:
We got back today and weren’t disappointed. I was worried after reading some comments, but we found everything we loved—the calm atmosphere (only 650 of us), impeccable service, and the great lunch buffet with the cheese platter and ice cream station. The only changes: the ice cream was lower quality than last year (strawberry, chocolate, lemon vanilla, raspberry, mango, and pistachio yesterday), but still good.
The coffee from the automatic machines also wasn’t as good—tasted like Nescafé powder—but that’s a minor detail.
For dinner at Vatel, portions were indeed smaller than last year, but more than enough for one evening, especially since you can have two starters or two mains, plus extra sides (mashed potatoes, spinach, veggies). The cheese selection is still more varied than on Costa or MSC. Some sauces weren’t homemade (sometimes gelatinous, like industrial sauces), but nothing major. Overall, we ate very well—varied and tasty dishes, elaborate desserts, definitely better than MSC or Costa. No lobster or Black Angus beef this year, but the meat was still excellent.
We had a small issue with the AC in our cabin, but reception fixed it quickly and upgraded us to another cabin.
Note: no wait at reception.
For drinks, I think they’re overpriced: aperitifs at 9 €, cocktails at 11–12 €. The drink package pays for itself fast if you want two aperitifs and two cocktails per day each, but it’s a big budget hit.
Good to know: still or sparkling water is unlimited at the dispensers on Deck 11, and carafes of water are served at Vatel restaurant.
The cherry on top? This cruise had a comedy theme, with Titoff, Sandrine Alexi, Élie Seimoun, Maxime, Denise, Bernard Mabille, and the *Journal des Agités* team on board. High-quality shows every day—amazing!
We had an excellent cruise. CFC still delivers on its promises, and the value for money is great.
Small downside: the jacuzzis were poorly adjusted—the bubbles only lasted 40 seconds, then you had to wait 2 minutes for them to restart.
In short, CFC remains our favorite cruise line. We’re thrilled to spend the holidays on board and will definitely be back...
Hi Alain,
Thanks for the feedback.
Were there one or two dinner services in the evening? Was there an assigned table for the whole cruise?
Which cabin did you have? In September, we had a terrace cabin with air conditioning issues. In December, we’re going back with a balcony cabin.
Best regards
Good evening,
There were two sittings at 6:30 PM and 8:45 PM (and thus two shows at 7:30 PM and 9:30 PM).
We had chosen the first sitting and requested a table for six. When we arrived on the boat, we went to check in at the Vatel, and they assigned us a table for six at the first sitting for the week.
Our cabin (inside) was number 1037 (Deck 10). The air conditioning was very noisy, as were the neighboring cabins.
Good evening,
There were two sittings at 6:30 PM and 8:45 PM (and thus two shows at 7:30 PM and 9:30 PM).
We had chosen the first sitting and requested a table for six. When we arrived on the boat, we went to check in at the Vatel desk, and they assigned us a table for six at the first sitting for the week.
Our cabin (inside) was 1037 (Deck 10). The AC was very noisy, same for the neighboring cabins.
Thanks so much for this quick reply.
Sittings, table assignments, shows, Vatel check-in, etc.—it was the same for us this summer, but the ship was full (1,089 passengers). With half as many passengers, I thought there might only be one sitting, or even open seating like at lunch.
As for the AC, it wasn’t working at all. The temperature was just ambient throughout the cruise (and no option to change cabins). In late August/early September, the outside temperature was bearable, but in December, I hope we’ll have heating on Deck 9.
Have a good evening!
Hello.
My husband and I are leaving from Friday, November 22 to the 29th, 2024, on the Renaissance for the "Kings and Emperors" cruise. We’ve also sponsored some friends from Sète who will be joining us. We can’t wait to be back on this ship because our first experience last year was magical. I have wonderful memories of the ship—admittedly not brand new but tastefully decorated—the attentive staff, the peaceful and relaxed atmosphere throughout the trip, the buffet and restaurant menus worthy of top-rated restaurants, and the interesting lectures. The only downsides: the jacuzzi wasn’t working, and on the dance floor, there weren’t many fellow dancers like us who enjoy a festive evening.
This will be our 38th cruise, and I hope to experience the same magic as last year. We’ve traveled a lot with Costa, but this cruise line no longer meets our expectations. The noise and game announcements in every language have become unbearable, as well as the lack of consideration and carefree attitude of some passengers. The buffet lines where everyone crowds in, sometimes waiting up to 2 hours for dinner in a chaotic and uncomfortable atmosphere, make these moments too stressful—not to mention the poorly behaved kids jumping in jacuzzis that are clearly off-limits to them.
We’ll share our thoughts when we return to let you know how it went.
Hi Bergamote!
I’m in the middle of packing my suitcase since I might have to take the train to Marseille on the 20th—one day earlier—because the 21st is a strike day. Still, I’m hoping my trip will go ahead as planned.
This will be my second cruise with CFC.
See you soon on the boat, and at the panoramic view on the deck!
Laurence
We took a cruise on this ship in July, and it was almost perfect for us. Very quiet with few announcements on board—very rare and only in French. The cabins are in great condition and resemble those on Costa ships. The ship itself is old but well-maintained and very stable; we have no complaints. For dining, the food is good, and we can honestly say it’s among the best we’ve had on all the cruises we’ve taken. Life on board is nice, and many of the crew members speak French. The shows are high-quality, and the lounges are lively with music and Francophone singers. We really enjoyed this ship and are boarding it again in early December for a music-themed cruise. I can only recommend it.
Michel.
Hi Michel
Which cabin did you have? Many passengers are reporting issues with faulty air conditioning and water (toilets, showers, etc.) on social media.
Best regards
For your info, the Renaissance will be in dry dock in January to address these issues...
Good evening,
The Renaissance will indeed be in dry dock in January-February for renovation work. However, this is to equip the ship with a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system, which will significantly reduce nitrogen oxide emissions. This upgrade will allow the Renaissance to sail in areas with very strict environmental regulations, such as certain Norwegian fjords. In addition to the SCR installation, the Renaissance will also install a shore power connection system to reduce polluting emissions during port stops.
As for the renovation of public spaces and/or cabins, CFC hasn’t provided any details.
Unfortunately, I haven’t read anything concrete on that subject.
Best regards.
We had an air conditioning problem in our cabin, and at reception they told us that these issues would be resolved during the dry-dock period...
Hopefully that’s the case. On the other hand, I get why CFC says in the press that they’re going to become a truly eco-friendly ship, etc., etc.… and that it’s less exciting to say they’re going to fix the AC, repair water leaks, replace faulty toilets, and so on.
Hello Michel,
What cabin did you have? Many passengers report issues on social media with faulty air conditioning and water problems (toilets, showers, etc.).
Best regards
Good evening, we had a balcony cabin, number 9121, and honestly, no problems at all—nothing to report. It can happen, and it’s unpleasant. My daughter had the same issue with a clogged toilet on the Costa Diadema last week, but it was resolved quickly, of course.
We got some Black Friday deals with the CFC cruise line.
We booked an option for the "Vikings" cruise from March 31, 2025, to April 11, 2025.
We’re waiting to hear about your cruise experience and impressions since we don’t know this company—we’ve sailed with "Croisières de France" (which no longer exists), MSC, and Costa before.
Is there still self-service water available, and is the afternoon snack only served on sea days (as mentioned in the CFC brochure)?
Are the onboard laundromats convenient, or is it better to use dry cleaning?
Thanks for your feedback! Mum49
Hi, I'm currently looking into a cruise departing from Taipei with an arrival in Seoul. It really interests me, and I ve put a hold on it. However, it s a…
Hi there,
I’m looking into a Mediterranean cruise on the Splendida in YC.
I’d love to know if it’s a ship with a lot of triple and quadruple cabins in the Yacht Club.
The thing is, I’m planning to depart from Malta, and either the cruise ends during the French school holidays in October with a departure from Marseille—which means there’s a risk of lots of kids on board—or the other option is a departure on October 30th, which might also have some French kids during the first part of the cruise.
I read that some ships in the Fantasia class have more triple or quadruple cabins than others, but I’m not sure if the Splendida is one of them.
If anyone has that info…
PS: This isn’t about starting a debate on traveling with or without kids… I’d just like a quiet week, and that’s not always easy in a small space with lots of children around.
Hello, I’ll be on the Costa Serena from April 27 to May 4, 2027. Given that the excursions offered by Costa can sometimes be pricey, what would you recommend for the following stopovers?
Cagliari.
Tunis.
Palermo.
Marseille.
Thanks for keeping in mind that we’re in our sixties and one member of our small group can’t handle very long walks (so no more than 6 km in a day).
Thank you for your help.
Has anyone here tried GigSky’s “Cruise + Land” eSIM during your cruise?
I’ve seen on various forums that they offer some great deals. For my part, I found a one-month plan (5 GB) for 78 €, whereas MSC charges 290 € on board.
Since we can’t afford to go completely offline (especially my wife—we need to stay in touch for several reasons), we absolutely need an internet plan.
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, I’m about to go on a cruise on the Costa Smeralda but I’ve never been on a cruise before. Could anyone share the à-la-carte drink menu? I’d like to know if the prices are excessive, since the MyDrinks drink packages, for example, cost 266 € per adult.
Have a great day! 😉
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?
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,
I’m going on a Mediterranean cruise in November and I’m looking for some "tips" to visit the cities of Naples, Messina, and Valletta in Malta without booking the ship’s excursions, which are really expensive.
Thanks so much for your advice and suggestions. We’re a group of 6 people.
Looking forward to hearing from you...
Best,
M
PS: We’re also stopping in Genoa and Barcelona—even though we know these two cities, we’d still love any tips for visiting them!
Thanks
Hello everyone,
We’re a senior couple signed up for a 13-day cruise in Japan on the Princess Sapphire, departing from Yokohama on April 8, 2027.
Are there any other French speakers on this forum who’ll be on this trip?
Hoping for a reply...
Hi,
The MSC Magnifica has been refurbished and a Yacht Club class has been added. Could anyone share their impressions of cabin 14001, as the view is slightly obstructed? Is it really a "disadvantage" in terms of brightness? Thanks in advance
Hi, we're heading to Venice soon. We have a hotel in Mestre and we'd like to know which bus can take us from the Mestre hotel to Marghera Port. Thanks.
Hi everyone ...
We’re planning to do the 83-day Cunard cruise ...
departing from Southampton on January 10, 2027 aboard the Queen Anne ...
has anyone done it ... or have any info ... or tips ...
for example ... deck and cabin choices ... drink packages ... excursions ... etc.
... anything good to know about this ship???
Thanks everyone ...
Hi 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,
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 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
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!
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
