Souhaitant faire une croisière en Méditerranée cet été sans être importunée par le hordes d'enfants sauvages des bateaux Costa, j'avais jeté mon dévolu sur une croisière plus tranquille sur un bateau de la Holland America. J'ai donc pris contact avec l'agence US en ligne Vacations to go, qui m'a fait savoir que HAL lui avait interdit de vendre quelque croisière que ce soit à des Français, sauf s'ils résidaient aux USA ou au Canada. Pour mon malheur, j'habite en France...!
Naïvement je pensais qu'à l'heure de la mondialisation, tout le monde pouvait acheter tout n'importe où. Il est à noter que j'ai déjà acheté des croisières chez HAL, mais par l'intermédiaire de voyagistes européens qui sont loin de pratiquer les tarifs affichés en ligne par les voyagistes américains. Je me suis donc fait avoir une fois, et je trouve que cela suffit.
J'ai interrogé d'autre voyagistes américains, dont j'attends les réponses. Bonne journée.
Bonjour,
C'est vrai, lorsque l'on passe par des agences en ligne américaines, certaines compagnies américaines (HAL faisant partie du groupe Carnival) ne sont accessibles qu'aux résidents américains. Cela n'a donc rien à voir avec le fait que vous soyez français. C'est le même sort pour toute personne ne résidant pas aux USA. En effet, les prix sont souvent meilleurs marchés pour des compagnies qui leur appartiennent lorsqu'ils les réservent sur des sites de chez eux (d'où aussi peut-être le fait qu'ils soient souvent majoritaires à bord de compagnies non européennes, ou d'origine européenne, je pense à Costa).
Voilà ce que je sais en gros, maintenant je ne pourrais pas rentrer dans les détails ...
Néanmoins, rien ne vous empêche de réserver votre croisière HAL via un site français, bien que les prix soient souvent revus à la hausse.
Je ne suis pas étonné de cette façon de faire. J'ai exactement le même cas pour les croisières Costa .
Hormis la première croisière, j'ai reservé mes croisières en Allemagne, un cout généralement 30% inférieure en periode de congés scolaires.
Costa interdit ces reservations aux non residents Allemands ou Autrichiens.
Mon agence a eu la bonne idée de me faire habiter en Allemagne pour pouvoir reserver. (Je rectifie cette adresse quand le reçoit le carnet de bord)
C'est vrai , c'est très nul quand on parle de mondialisation. La politique tarifaire n'est pas la même pour tout les pays.
Les différences de prix peuvent être enormes!!!
Comme suite à la réponse de Vacations To Go, j'ai eu une autre réponse de Cruise Deals, après m'avoir donné le prix de la croisière que je voulais faire, avec tous les détails pour le versement des fonds, j'ai reçu un 2d mail me disant qu'après avoir téléphoné à HAL, je ne pouvais pas moi, Française habitant en France acheter cette croisière, sauf si je pouvais justifier d'une adresse aux USA ou au Canada. Non contente de ces réponses, j'ai fait un mail à une société hollandaise Zeetours, qui m'avait déjà vendu une croisière HAL, il m'a été donné le prix de cette croisière dans la catégorie demandée, mais il a été ajouté que je ne pouvais acheter cette croisière que si j'avais une adresse en Hollande.
J'ai fini par faire un Mail circonstancié à Direction de la Concurrence et de la Consommation, je verrai bien leur réponse, car HAL est quand même une compagnie américano-néerlandaise.
Bonne journée.
En fait j'ai eu le même problème : je reçois un e-mail d'une "amie " américaine qui est travel agent et qui me propose une croisière sur Xcruise, je lui réponds que pour moi c'est OK, prix hyper intéressant, et quand elle s'est renseignée, prix valable uniquement pour les résidants outre-altantique
😉😉😉 J'avais dit que si , cette année, il ne pleuvait pas à Amsterdam, je changerais la photo de mon avatar, chose dite, chose faite, photo prise à Cadiz le 17 mai 😉😉😉
Vous souhaitez une réponse, ou plus exactement une explication à "sauvages". Très bien. D'abord "tu fait" s'écrit avec un -s ! Et il n'est pas dans mes habitudes de tutoyer des gens que je ne connais pas.
Ensuite "sauvages" signifie ; non domestiqué, que la présence d'action humaine n'a pas marqué, autrement dit, sans éducation.
Quand je parle "de hordes d'enfants sauvages", il s'agit d'enfants groupés en bandes qui vont et qui viennent, qui s'installent , même là où ils ne devraient pas être et qui apportent un désordre indescriptible et un vacarme fait de cris insupportables, et ce, quand ils ne viennent pas se battre pratiquement sur vos pieds, le tout évidemment sans que leurs parents interviennent, étant donné que lesdits parents sont sur le bateau pour se reposer, donc laissent la bride sur le cou à leurs précieux rejetons qui sont de plus en plus mal élevés au cours des années qui passent. Je ne parlerai pas des ascenseurs et autres joyeusetés. comme les cavalcades dans les coursives à des heures indues.
Pourquoi les autres passagers doivent-ils subir les désagréments causés par ces gamins , les parents laxistes s'en moquent complètement, et deviennent hystériques quand on ose leur faire une réflexion concernant leur progéniture.
Est-ce que cette explication vous a suffi et a calmé votre indignation , pour vous extrèmement hors de cause, je suppose, car comment puis-je me permettre de telles remarques concernant vos chères têtes blondes ...!
Bonjour 🙂
la faute d'orthographe je ne vois pas le rapport🤪
inutile d'être aussi vindicatif, on discute, je suis calme, et pas super indigné
j'ai déjà vu ce type d'enfants insupportables maintes fois, mais il y en a, ce n'est pas le cas
et c'est ce que je pensais cela vient plutôt des parents que des enfants,
concernant le lien que je vous ai laissé, vous avez essayé?
juste une petite info. sur les forums, le tutoiement est de rigueur.c'est comme ca partout. après si cela vous choque pas de soucis. on va employer le vouvoiement. par contre pour les fautes d'ortographe, j'ai vu bien pire. certains emploie carrément le language SMS qui est souvent incompréhensible pour les nous les "vieux" 😛 rien de bien méchant et c'est dommage de se disputer pour si peu. non ? on est la pour s'entraider pas pour se disputer pour des broutilles...
pour les enfants, le mien ayant 27 ans, je ne voyage plus avec lui et j'évite les vacances scolaires pour réserver mes croisières sauf en cas d'obligation. oui c'est vrai que pas mal d'enfants sont de nos jours des "enfants rois" c'est comme ca et on n'y peut rien. je suis d'accord avec vous ! pas mal d'enfants sont mal éduqués et impolis mais faut pas non plus tous les mettre dans le même sac. et puis pas mal d'adultes auraient aussi bien besoin de cours d'éducation. et pas que sur les bateaux...
j'espère que je ne vous ai pas choqué d'être intervenu pour donner mon avis.
Salut bruno🙂
oui tout va bien à part une petite sciatique.😕
tu viens d'expliquer exactement ce que je pense, à Jancha (avec qui j'ai déjà discuté par le passé)
qui d'habitude ne réagit pas comme ça, j'ai préféré laisser tomber.
mais tu as dit ce que je pense en tout point même plus.
je suis un peu connu sur le forum, comme toi, alors cette réaction je ne l'ai pas comprise
comme tu l'as dit il ne faut pas mettre tout dans le même sac (les italiens, les enfants, les musulmans etc)
c'est ce que je voulais dire.
Et puis j'ai répondu à la question de départ en donnant un lien, qui lui n'a pas été commenté🤪
Je vous prie de m'excuser si j'ai été un peu vive concernant les enfants, mais mon mari et moi avons été plus ou moins gênés par une famille ayant 3 enfants dans une seule cabine, laquelle cabine était à côté de la nôtre, et ce durant 24 jours sans pouvoir changer la cabine.
Autre expérience, sur le Costa Victoria, durant les vacances d'été, où alors là c'était la débandade la plus totale, dans les piscines, les saunas, les hammams le restaurant même où les serveurs devaient déployer des trésors d'ingéniosité pour pouvoir servir les tables sans être bousculés par des gamins qui chahutaient , la plupart du temps sous le regard des parents inertes.
C'est pourquoi nous ne voulons plus faire de croisière l'été sur les bateaux Costa, ou sur les bateaux où les enfants sont pris gratuitement, car il y a assez d'autres compagnies pour pouvoir choisir.
Passés un certain âge nous nous sommes aperçu que de temps en temps nous devenions des "vieux c..." ! Ainsi va la vie.
De plus, cette année tout va de travers, car nous n'avons pas pu faire la Transat de Pâques que nous faisons chaque année, car mon mari s'est fait voler tous ses papiers à Miami, la veille du départ de la croisière, c'est pourquoi, cet été nous souhaitons faire une croisière tranquille.
Bonne journée.
Quand nous avons fait notre première croisière en Europe, c'était sur le magnifique Costa Fortuna. Nous avons été tellement importunés par tous les enfants sur cette croisière que nous avons bani Costa. Mes amis me disent que les enfants voyagent gratuitement sur Costa. Est-ce vrai ? Maintenant nous privilégions Princess et Celebrity's. Par contre, notre dernière croisière cet hiver, il y avait 700 jeunes sur le bateau (Princess Ruby) dans les caraibes et ça c'est très bien passé. On ne peut pas toujours prévoir les congés scolaires puisqu'aux États Unis et au Canada ils sont répartis sur presque deux mois, autant dire tout l'hiver.
Bonne fin de journée
Plus la croisière est courte, plus il y a de risques qu'il y ait beaucoup d'enfants.
J'avais oublié pour le lien qui a très bien marché, merci.
D'après cette compagnie il n'y aurait aucun problème pour acheter une croisière HAL , mais évidemment beaucoup plus chère que la même proposée aux Américains, Canadiens et Hollandais.
Donc, étant donné cette discrimination, au lieu d'aller chez Hal, je me tournerai vers une autre compagnie plus correcte. Peut-être que, lorsque les effets de la crise se seront installés durablement et que les bateaux commenceront à se vider, la compagnie HAL sera moins regardante sur la nationalité de ses clients. Mais en attendant, je vais aller chez la concurrence, plus compréhensive.
Bonne journée.
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.
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 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 there
Here’s the cruise schedule for 2026.
It’s a great way to get ideas and maybe even meet up with other members.
2 essential rules:
1) never "quote" the calendar when replying—this’ll avoid any confusion
2) follow the format below
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
REMINDER Despite my requests, few people follow the requested format. Cruises that stray too far from it won’t be listed anymore—sorry!PLEASE respect the templates!
COPY AND PASTE THE FORMAT BELOW AND REPLACE WITH YOUR DETAILS IF YOU’RE STRUGGLING
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
It takes time to fix mistakes, so THANKS TO EVERYONE for your help!
YOUR TURN 😉
NUMBER OF CRUISES 2026:
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
Hi everyone, we're going on a week-long cruise and I have a question: can we travel by train and on a cruise with small refrigerated injectable syringes?
Do we need to complete any formalities?
And how should we store them?
Thanks in advance for your feedback.
I'm considering a cruise on the Hurtigruten Coastal Express from Bergen to Kirkenes and back to Bergen over 11 days in mid-March 2027.
Has anyone already done this trip?
I think it’s a great way to discover the Norwegian coast with the chance to see magnificent northern lights, but isn’t the trip a bit *too* long?
There are about thirty stops, but most last only a few minutes, with just one daily stop of over 2 hours, which gives a quick glimpse of a few towns but doesn’t allow for a full excursion.
Is the supplement for an outside cabin with a porthole (800 € for 2!) really worth it?
It’s more pleasant than an inside cabin, but do you spend enough time in your cabin to make the most of it?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this journey.
Best regards.
Hi everyone! I’m used to sailing on a sailboat with two or three people—it’s amazing. But I’d love to try the experience of a cruise. Just to clarify, I’ll be going alone. My first question: are there other solo travelers on these cruises, or is it mostly couples and families?
For a first cruise, I’d prefer a short one (maximum 8 days). Do those exist? And on the smallest boat possible. I live in Marseille, so a departure from Marseille would work, but I’m open to other ports too. If you have a cruise line to recommend and a destination you’ve enjoyed, or if you’ve had a great experience on a more intimate-sized ship, I’d love to hear about it!
We 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
