Bonjour à tous,
Je viens de parcourir un peu le forum et j'ai trouvé de nombreuses informations concernant notre futur voyage.
Nous partons pour notre voyage de noces le 10janvier, je n'ai pas trouvé d'autres personnes qui partaient à cette date, peut être est ce une période ou les bateaux sont loin d'être remplis...
Les escales prévues sont Katalon, Athènes, Izmir, Rhodes, Limassol, Alexandrie, et Rome.
Peut être aurez vous quelques conseils à nous donner concernant ce qu'il faut emporter, si l'on peut ramener beaucoup de souvenirs, la qualité des cabines sur le costa concordia (cabine exterieur avec balcon).
Si d'autres personnes font cette croisière à la même date, faites nous signes, c'est toujours bien de connaître quelqu'un en "univers étranger".
C'est notre première croisière, le choix a été vite fait concernant notre passion pour les visites, l'histoire, et le fait que nous ne connaissons que très peu de pays étrangers.
Pour ce qui est des tenues pour le dîner, faut-il obligatoirement porter une chemise et un pantalon tous les soirs? Cela demande une grande garde robe pour 11jours de croisière, en comptant les tenues pour visiter la journée.
Pour ce qui est des cabines, je suppose que les serviettes sont fournies et changer tous les jours, le personnel s'occupe t-il aussi du ménage et de faires les lits?
Sinon quelqu'un aurait-il des informations concernant les horaires à laquelle nous devons être à la gare de nices, nous allons certainement y aller en voiture, nous risquons d'être chargé au retour et serons content de trouver la voiture pour remonter tranquillement.
Le parking de la gare est-il sécurisé? onéreux?
pas besoin d'amener les serviettes. pour les faire changer il suffit de les laisser au sol. c'est expliquer dans la SDB. par contre amener les gants de toilette. gel douche et petites savonnettes fournies. séche cheveux fourni. (fixe au mur)
le ménage est fait tous les jours les lits aussi.
pour les tenues les shorts et tee shirt ne sont pas conseillés. mais si vous venez habillés comme ca vous mangerez quand même. lors de notre dernière croisière on a vu un homme avec le même polo toute la semaine, même pantalon, mêmes baskets. ca la fout mal quand même.
pour les diners de gala la tenue de soirée est conseillée. veste, chemise, cravate. mais bon je suis pas un adepte de la cravate et je l'ai mise uniquement à la soirée du commandant. pour les repas de midi au resto on peut y aller en tenue décontractée. même short en tee shirt.
pour la gare de nice je pense que c'est pareil que pour les départs de l'aéroport. nous on part de l'aéroport vers 12 h environ. ca sera indiqué sur le carnet de voyage avec les tickets.
pour le parking, prenez le parking conseillé par costa. je sais pas ou c'est par rapport à la gare. si je trouve des renseignements je vous le dis. (j'habite à 25 kms de nice)
Merci, du coup faudrait peut etre que je vois avec l'agence si on peut choisir l'aéroport plutot que la gare alors, pour prendre le bus, ca nous simplifierait la vie.
aie, ca pique!
Du coup j'ai appelé l'agence et je laisserais la voiture à l'aéroport, ca risque d'être le même tarif, mais ca devrait etre plus simple pour y aller.
11€ par jour pour les 5 premiers, 7€ par jour supplémentaire, cela en P8
P9: 50€ 5jours, 6€/jours apres
En fevrier ce sera notre 3ème croisiere costa, la même que vous. En avril dernier nous sommes partis sur le concordia, cabine exterieure pont 8. Les cabines sont très bien, spacieuses faites deux fois par jour (nous avions demandé à notre garcon de cabine de la faire seulement le matin ). le balcon est tres agreable pour prendre le petit dejeuner livré gratuitement dans la chambre a l'heure demandée. Cela permet d'echapper parfois au monde pendant un petit instant. il y a deux fauteuils et une table basse.
Pour ce qui est des tenues, pas de souci à se faire, les gens s'habillent mais sans plus. Le soir un polo ou chemise avec un jean, pas besoin de cravate pour ceux qui n'aiment pas ça.par contre prevoir gilet ou petit pull car parfois la clim est mise un peu fort. Les soirées de gala, les robes longues ne sont pas très répandues et les hommes mettent une veste avec ou sans cravate. Si vous ne voulez ps emmener trop d'affaires, un pantalon noir avec deux ou trois hauts differents et vous aurez vos tenues pour les deux ou trois soirées, sauf si vous voulez vraiment vous habiller.Pour le reste de la journée tee shirt, pantacourt, short, l'ambiance est decontractée.
Sur le bateau, quelques boutiques avec des articles à tous les prix.
voila quelques petites informations. vous allez passer des vacances très agréables, le personnel est au petit soin et très gentil. Par contre maitriser l'anglais n'est pas superflu. Le francais est très peu parlé.
Merci beaucoup pour toutes ces informations.
Pour ce qui est de l'anglais, ca risque d'être marrant alors, je prend des cours en ce moment car mon niveau n'est pas terrible, mais bon, je pense qu'on arrivera bien à se débrouiller, surtout que je parle un peu italien également.
Est ce que la présence aux soirées de gala est obligatoire, ne peut-on pas manger tranquillement dans un autre endroit?
Est-ce chère si l'on souhaite diner dans sa cabine, enfin bien sur si cela est possible.
Ce sont des boutiques de vêtements? Y a t-il des endroits pour les fumeurs, je veu dire, peut-être ne peut on pas fumer sur les ponts exterieurs? Je suppose que sur les balcons des cabines cela ne gêne pas non plus.
Bonjour,
nous avons fait cette croisière l'année dernière sur le même bateau, dans une cabine extérieure avec balcon mais au mois de mars...
J'ai fait un blog : sst.travelblog.fr
Allez y jeter un coup d'oeil pour avoir des infos.
Il est super important de bien préparer une croisière pour ne pas perdre de temps sur place(ca passe tellement vite!!!!)et essayer d'économiser sur certaines choses(comme les excursions)car tout est très cher....
A dispo pour infos...et bon voyage!!!!
pour fumer ca dépends des bateaux. c'est interdit sur les blacons... risque de retour de cendres sur le mobilier.
la présence au resto, gala ou pas, n'est pas obligatoire. la tables est réservée pour la durée du voyage. pour manger tranquille le soir il faut choisir le resto à la carte dispo sur les bateaux récents iniquement et payant en sus. la cafétéria est fermée le soir et à midi c'est bondé donc pas tranquille. le resto reste l'endroit le plus tranquille.
diner dans la cabine je crois que c'est réservé aux détenteurs de la carte pearl. sinon je sais pas si en payant c'est possible.
pour les boutiques il y a de tout, maroquinerie, souvenirs, parfum, gadgets, bijouterie...
Pour ce qui est de se faire comprendre, il n'y a pas de problème on y arrive toujours. Pour des demandes un peu particulières c'est vrai que c'est mieux de parler un peu anglais mais pas besoin d'être bilingue.
Pour les soirées de gala rien d'obligatoire mais ça se résume à un cocktail dans la salle de spectacle et un repas amélioré tout en sachant que les repas des autres jours sont de la même qualité. Mais on n'est pas obligé d'allé au cocktail on peut aller directement au restaurant.
Pour ce qui est de diner dans les cabines, je crois que cela est réservé aux clients des suites ou aux détenteurs de la carte pearl. seule la pizzeria reste ouverte me semble t il jusqu'à 21 heures. Une autre solution le restaurant à la carte avec réservation. Il faut rajouter entre 20 et 25 euros par personne. Restaurant plus petit mais moins de monde.
Pour les fumeurs il y a les ponts extérieurs et aussi je crois autour de la piscine une des salles au premier étage; à confirmer! sur les balcons aucune certitude mais certains le font car on sent la fumée quand on se trouve sur les balcons.
Effectivement il y a des boutiques de vetements, mais aussi une galerie d art, des bijoux, sacs, parfums, souvenirs du bateau....etc
Si vous avez d autres questions sur d'autres sujets, n'hesitez pas.
Je viens de regarder un peu, et à priori, pour les pays visités, nous pouvons payer en euros sans le moindre problème.
Après je suppose qu'il vaut mieux retirer avant de partir le budget que l'on souhaite pour toutes les escales.
Combien faut-il à votre avis, environ?
Il n'est pas possible de retirer de l'argent sur le bateau gratuitement?
Sinon j'ai vu qu'il est obligatoire de payer un VISA pour la journée en Egypte, de 15$ ou 15€, quelqu'un peut-il me le confirmer, en sachant que nous allons faire l'excursion qui va durer toute la journée. Ce visa peut il être fait sur le bateau avant de débarquer?
Enfin, pour ce qui est des vaccins, faut-il en faire certains, ou cela est-il inutile, vu la courte durée de l'escale en Egypte.
Merci d'avance
Ps : si des personnes font cette croisière en même temps que nous, faites nous signes ;)
Effectivement, dans le mesure où payer beaucoup plus cher que la norme ne vous pose pas de problème, vous pouvez payer en tant que touriste de croisière en euros tant en Egypte qu'en Turquie. Vous vous inetrdisez juste toute négociation et toute incartade dans la vie réelle du pays.
A mon avis votre agence doit prendre en charge le visa égyptien, non ? Il n'est pas déjà facturé ?
Il n'y a rien de spécial comme vaccin à prévoir pour l'Egypte, dussiez-vous y rester plus qu'une journée.
Le seul problème étant, que nous ne savons pas du tout combien nous allons dépenser dans chacun de ses pays, et vu les frais de change, je me demandais si cela valait vraiment le coup, surtout que même les prix en euros sont négociables.
Sinon, autre petite question, y a t-il des limites à ce que nous souhaitons ramener d'excursions, car nous aimerions bien ramener une shisha de Turquie ou d'Egypte (surement de Turquie car nous auront plus de temps pour visiter et aller au souk). Mon frère m'a également demandé de lui en ramener une.
Rajouter à cela différents souvenirs d'autres pays, cela risque d'être encombrant.
"surtout que même les prix en euros sont négociables. "
Non, pas vraiment.
Disons que comme c'est d'emblée 10 fois le prix vous avez l'impression de faire une affaire à 5 fois le prix...
Enfin bon, une seule journée et vous ne serez pas vraiment en liberté, vous pouvez le faire en euros.
"Sinon, autre petite question, y a t-il des limites à ce que nous souhaitons ramener d'excursions, car nous aimerions bien ramener une shisha de Turquie ou d'Egypte (surement de Turquie car nous auront plus de temps pour visiter et aller au souk). Mon frère m'a également demandé de lui en ramener une."
Il n'y a aucun souk en Turquie mais des bazars. Les narguilés y sont chers dans l'ensemble, quasiment ce que vous paieriez en Europe si vous achetez juste en euros et rapidement ce qui se présente autour de vos visites.
Justement, en turquie, nous ne faisons pas d'excursions, et donc, nous allons avoir le temps de nous balader au bazar (merci pour la précision). Après libre à nous de négocier le prix à un/dixieme du prix annoncé en euros. Si les prix sont indiqués en euros, et en Nouvelle livre turque, sachant que le change est de 1€= 2 Nouvelle Livre Turque, à nous de montrer que nous ne sommes pas des pigeons, et au vendeur de faire la part des choses pour ne pas rater une vente, quitte à ce qu'il se fasse quand même une bonne marge, sans que l'on se fasse assassiner. Un narguile doit couter dans les 15, 20€ en turquie, d'après ce que j'ai pu lire sur d autres forums.
Les vendeurs parlent-ils français, ou doit on négocier en anglais?
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! 😉
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
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.
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 there,
I’m looking for an all-inclusive Nile cruise on a comfortable boat with as few passengers as possible.
Which tour operator can you recommend?
Thanks in advance.
I’m about to book the panoramic suite, and I’m not sure whether I should go for the one at the front of the ship or the one at the back. I’d really appreciate any feedback—anyone who’s already booked this kind of suite and can share the pros and cons?
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
