Hey Catherine,
I get your disappointment—what a welcome! They try to scam you everywhere, and the filth in the room, the state of the sheets... it's just unbelievable 😕
Hey Catherine,
Yeah, unbelievable. I was expecting something different in the Seychelles, and this is just the beginning… 😛
The negative comments are well hidden—only the best ones are on the first page. I wasn’t familiar with this system; I’ll pay closer attention now, Booking, thanks.
I totally agree with you—the contrast between Doha and Victoria is striking; there’s really no comparison.
That said, after a couple of days, you start to get used to it. When you first arrive, it looks grimy, but then you adjust.
As for the hotel room, I saw it was not only basic but also dirty—that’s just unacceptable. You were right to leave a negative review on Booking.
Taxis are another issue—they try to scam tourists.
I’m happy to tip when I’m satisfied, but I don’t like being pressured. And if the price changes afterward, that’s not right.
As for renting a car, I’d even say it’s unacceptable. You did the right thing by standing your ground.
Anyway, when I go to the Seychelles, I never rent a car because driving on the left isn’t my thing, and I’m afraid I’d mess up. Every time, I hire a driver for the day. But even that costs between 150 and 200 € per day, so you have to wonder if it’s worth it.
Food is another overpriced thing in the Seychelles. Even takeaways (what we’d call fast food or street vendors) aren’t just mediocre—they’re also ridiculously expensive. It’s just crazy!
Hope the rest of the trip goes better!
Rough start in the Seychelles 😕
Hope the rest gets better 😉
Mahé is definitely the island I liked the least out of the 3 we visited (and I much preferred the south over the north), but we still met open and welcoming Seychellois people everywhere (including the car rental folks 😏... though we didn’t take any taxis). You really had bad luck 🏴☠️.
The negative comments are well hidden; the others are the best on the first page. I wasn’t aware of this system—I’ll look more carefully next time, Booking. Thanks.
Not really great, this hotel—everything’s off 😉
Hi Michel,
For me too, this was a chance to find out where the negative comments were hidden. I won’t forget to check them in the future. 😏
Every time, I always hire a driver for the day. But even that costs between 150 and 200 € per day, so you have to wonder if it’s worth it.
The tourism business is a real goldmine for them—they’re really taking advantage of it. The price of a day’s driver makes my hair stand on end when you see the local standard of living.
Food is another ridiculously overpriced thing in the Seychelles. Even takeaways (what we call fast food or street vendors) aren’t just mostly mediocre—they’re also way overpriced. It’s just crazy!
Our Indian takeaway was really good and very affordable—usually less than 10 € for two. We’d just order one dish to share because the portions were so huge. But we checked out a lot of others that, just at first glance, didn’t look appetizing at all—way too heavy and greasy, and they didn’t tempt us in the slightest. We were lucky to find this one.
Rough start in the Seychelles 😕
Hope the rest gets better 😉
Mahé is definitely the island I liked the least out of the 3 we visited (and I much preferred the south to the north), but we still met open and welcoming Seychellois people (including car rental agents ... though we didn’t take any taxis). You really had bad luck 🏴☠️.
Hi Muriel,
Yes, with a bit of patience, things will get better. But not right away.
This start to the trip wasn’t exactly a walk in the park—I was expecting something very different from the Seychelles.
This morning, there’s a different receptionist at the front desk, and this one is much more attentive than the last. We tell him about our car rental troubles, and he suggests another rental company that doesn’t require a credit card imprint. He calls them, and half an hour later, it’s all settled—we’ve got a car for three days at 50 € per day, all taxes included. But the guy prefers cash, and we don’t have euros. He’s flexible, though, and accepts dollars.
But here come the disappointments. The roads are really narrow—I’d read about that—and on top of that, they’re lined with deep ditches or sidewalks that are easy to hit if you’re not used to driving on the left. Let’s just say driving here is *not* a walk in the park!!!
I’ve never been so scared in a car in my life—it’s awful, enough to make your stomach turn.
There’s practically nowhere to park, and the few spots that do exist are almost always private. And watch out for fines, the rental guy warned us.
We head toward Beau Vallon, but it’s impossible to stop—there’s nowhere to park, no way to pull over.
We keep driving along the coast toward the north of the island. But it’s so ugly! And still no way to stop.
I’d planned some hikes, but nothing is marked, and there’s nowhere to park anywhere.
When we finally do manage to park, we have to start by climbing over a barrier of trash or garbage bins just to get to the beach. And without the sun, the colors are dull.
After the trash, a little bit of nature.
What’s the Seychelles’ reputation based on? We’ll find out, I guess. For now, I’m really doubting it.
In the early afternoon, back in Victoria, we can do some shopping at the market for a light meal—sun-ripened tomatoes, mangoes, and mini bananas. Everything is delicious, at least that’s a positive.
During the hottest hours, we stay cool. At 4 PM, we head out to stretch our legs with a walk around town. It’s rush hour. Traffic and pollution are at their worst. The big public transport buses spew huge clouds of awful black smoke every time they start up. And when they’re not honking at us to get out of the way—even though we’re on the sidewalk—well, that’s just great.
The rain decides to show up just as we step outside. It’s light and not really bothersome. Most shops have already pulled down their shutters—it seems a lot of them close early, except for the handy little neighborhood stores run by Pakistanis or Indians.
We walk to the Hindu temple, which looks a little sad in the rain.
Next to the temple, there’s a friendly takeaway that’ll make our evening with some fruit.
A drop of rain was forecast for 7 PM on our app, but instead, a downpour hits us. It’s the rainy season, after all. Luckily, we’re already back inside and don’t have to go out to a restaurant like we’d originally planned.
Your review doesn’t exactly paint a dreamy picture—between the north coast, the rental car hassles, the driving, the parking, and the rain. But I’m sure the best is yet to come, I hope! 😊
Hey, I find your rental car situation worrying.
A rental company asking for cash and not taking a credit card imprint?
Are you sure it was an official rental company and that you were insured? Because that would’ve been my biggest concern in case of an accident...
Well, the Seychelles aren’t exactly dreamy anymore...
Hello
From what I’ve read, the Seychelles don’t quite live up to the "authentic tropical atmosphere" they’re usually hyped up to be in brochures... Unless some kind of curse hit the expedition cruise
Your report isn’t exactly dreamy—between the north coast, the car rental hassles, the driving, the parking, and the rain. But I’m sure the best is yet to come, fingers crossed! 🤞
Hi Jérôme,
Getting around the Seychelles by road is a nightmare, and everyone there seems to know it—and just laughs it off. Thankfully, the best *is* still to come, or this trip would’ve been a total disaster.
Hey, I find your rental car situation worrying.
A rental company that asks for cash and doesn’t take a credit card imprint?
Are you sure it was an official rental company and that you were insured? Because that would’ve been my biggest concern in case of an accident...
Well, the Seychelles aren’t exactly dreamy anymore...
Hey Nathalie,
Of course not—I wasn’t sure it was an official rental company, even though the hotel assured me and presented it as such. As for the insurance I asked about, I was flat-out told it didn’t exist in the Seychelles and that I wouldn’t find any. In fact, my pre-departure research on car rentals showed just how complicated and rarely satisfying the process is there.
We had a contract and a 1,500 € deductible, and the lack of full coverage insurance was a huge part of my stress on the road.
Hi there,
From what I’ve read, the Seychelles don’t live up to the "authentic tropical vibe" they’re usually hyped up for in brochures… Unless some kind of curse hit this expedition cruise
Hi Jean-Michel,
For now, the expedition cruise hasn’t started yet. We’re still on land. And yeah, I’ve noticed the same thing—the Seychelles in the brochures don’t match reality at all.
For next September, I rented a car on Mahé with Sixt, and insurance is included. On Praslin, though, it’s through my accommodation with insurance and credit card payment based on written confirmation. We’ll see how it goes! 🤷♀️
For next September, I rented a car in Mahé with Sixt, and the insurance is included. In Praslin, though, it’s through my accommodation with insurance and credit card payment as per written confirmation. We’ll see how it goes 🤷
I’d read some really bad reviews about Sixt, which is why I trusted the hotel instead. With the first rental company, the terms included insurance... until I arrived. 😕
Looking back, I wish I’d gone for public transport instead—they’re plentiful.
Hi Catherine,
What a series of adventures on this cruise. Let’s hope the rest goes better.
Thanks so much for the report.
It’ll be my turn to write one after the little cruise with CFC from April 11 to 16, departing from Dunkirk......
Guylène
Good evening Guylène,
This trip really hasn’t been a walk in the park, but the best is yet to come—even though I had my doubts at one point... 😉
I’ll be happy to read your trip report when you’re back. 😎
Driving on the left isn’t my thing at all, and they drive really badly in the Seychelles. So I’m not surprised you were scared.
A few years ago, I almost had an accident in Mauritius with a rental car, and since then, I don’t want to repeat the experience.
That’s why I prefer to hire a driver for the day to stay stress-free.
The drivers always tell me: « Victoria isn’t the Seychelles. » So, yeah, Victoria itself isn’t great—you’ve got to admit it.
But in the south, there are still some nice spots and beaches, like Anse la Mouche, Anse Soleil, Anse Takamaka, Police Bay...
I know you might visit them, so I’ll let you continue your report, but I agree—Victoria isn’t exactly exciting.
I’m staying positive that the rest will be much better, since there are some great places you’ll discover, whether in the south or on the other islands.
Hello everyone!
Just a little backstory—my username comes from the year I took my first cruise.
Sixteen years and nine cruises later, I’m currently on my 10th, this time in the Yacht Club interior.
I’m taking you along with me!
Left Marseille on Wednesday, October 21st.
After train troubles (issues on the Paris-Marseille line), then getting lost at La Joliette—years ago, I’d taken the metro and the port bus, thinking I had to go left once near the port, but no, the little gate is on the right after the shopping center.
Wait, she took the metro and bus to the Yacht Club?
Yep! After waiting 15 minutes for the shuttle, once the bus dropped us off, it was a 15-20 minute walk to the ship.
Finally, we made it to the boarding dock.
Headed toward the little Yacht Club flag, where a nice young woman checked our IDs and gave us luggage tags.
She walked us through security (we got to skip the line).
After that, we went to the Yacht Club lounge, where two butlers were waiting. They offered us drinks, and a third person arrived to check passports and handle registration. Then, they gave us a form to pick a complimentary bottle—I didn’t do it right away.
I felt a little rushed by everyone.
I’ll explain more later in my story.
Today, we’re in Barcelona.
A few photos to come in the meantime.
Hi everyone, I’m going on a cruise at the end of January with MSC and I’m looking into the excursions I could do. I’d like to know if I can do the excursions on my own or if I absolutely have to go through MSC based on safety levels.
We’ll be stopping in Montego Bay in Jamaica, Cartagena in Colombia, Puerto Limón in Costa Rica, Belize City, and Colón in Panama.
Thanks!
Emeline
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,
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.
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.
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.
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, 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.
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
A super classic trio: Praslin, La Digue, Mahé (Seychelles)
Mauritian Ti' Punch
Between Réunion and Nosy Bé
Mauritius: From One Lagoon to Another via the Southern Roads
A Few Days in Turkmenistan from Uzbekistan
Slovak travel journal
14 Days in Japan – September-October 2026
Trek in Norway: Jotunheimen and Dovrefjell, you’ll adapt to the rain...
Hi there,
I'm looking at a cruise in the north.
