Pour la 1ère fois je vais effectuer une croisière avec mon ami. Notre choix s'est porté sur LA PERLE DES ANTILLES avec le COSTA LUMINOSA. Le départ est prévu le 30 mars prochain. Après avoir lu divers commentaires sur cette croisière, je ne sais plus quoi en penser. Devons nous réserver des visites avec Costa ? En dehors des nombreuses plages qu'y a t il à voir absolument au cours des escales ? Y a t il quelqu'un qui part faire ce voyage à cette date ? Merci à tous de me renseigner sur cette croisière sachant que le catamaran c'est pas mon truc !! hélas pour moi j'ai le mal de mer !!! Et sur le bateau.......
J'ai fait une croisière et des CR, si tu veux me lire, voici les liens..
N'oubliez pas de t inscrire dans le calendrier de titi.. et tu pourras regarder si des personnes font cette croisiere ou peut etre ds les semaines précédentes.
Perles des Antilles : tous les Cr : Synthèse des CR ici pleins de liens vers les compte rendu des gens qui sont partis la meme année que moi...
http://voyageforum.com/...post=3180372#3180372
Bonjour Friquette07,
Merci pour tous les renseignements communiqués. Après avoir pris connaissance de tous les commentaires sur la croisière "PERLE DES ANTILLES" je me suis décidée à prendre le forfait pour les boissons soit 19.50 € par personne et par jour. Je pense avoir fait le bon choix car rien qu'un verre de vin c'est 7 € !!!! et je crois que le minimum c'est 5 € rien que pour un jus de fruits !!!.
Hier en allant régler le solde de notre voyage nous avons eu l'agréable surprise d'apprendre que nous avions été surclassés, nous avons une mini-suite cabine 5307, est-ce que quelqu'un peu m'apporter des renseignements à ce sujet ? Est-on bien placé ?
Par contre je n'ai réservé aucune visite, nous verrons sur place, mais en fonction des différents commentaires je pense réserver la visite de la Guadeloupe le dernier jour ! ai-je raison ?
Je suis encore incertaine pour le reste, que me conseillez-vous comme visites avec COSTA, sachant que nous sommes plus intéressés par les visites que par la nage ou catamaran (j'ai le mal de mer !! oups !!!).
Tout vos conseils me sont précieux, merci à tout ceux qui voudront bien me répondre.
Y a-t-il des croisiéristes qui partent le 30 mars prochain ?
Au plaisir de vous lire !
Bonjour,
oui je suis matinale !! Au moment de la réservation nous n'avions pas arrêté une cabine exactement, l'agence nous avait prévenu qu'en procédant de cette manière nous pourrions peut être être surclassés, nous avions simplement précisé catégorie B1.
Peux tu m'indiquer comment faire pour savoir si d'autres personnes partent en même temps que nous c'est à dire départ le 30 mars de RCG à 13 h 30.
Merci et bonne journée
Peux tu m'indiquer comment faire pour savoir si d'autres personnes partent en même temps que nous c'est à dire départ le 30 mars de RCG à 13 h 30.
Merci et bonne journée
bonjour, nous aussi nous partons pour cette croisière le 30 mars prochain de paris a la même heure, je désespérais de ne voir partir personne ce jour là, je suis bien contente d'avoir vu votre discussion sur ce forum; nous sommes un couple de 39 et 36 ans avec 1 enfant de 10 ans, de Marseille c'est notre première croisière; nous aussi les catamarans c'est pas pour nous, on veut des plages, de l'exotisme... pour les excursions, on n'a rien réservé je pense qu'on va se débrouiller, au fait, nous avons la cabine 4358 avec balcon. voilà, peut être à plus tard ...
Bonjour, nous sommes un couple de 61 et 62 ans, "jeunes" retraités !! c'est notre première croisière également. Nous avons la cabine 5307, nous avions réservé une cabine avec balcon mais nous avons été surclassée et nous avons une mini-suite, je pense que la différence est la superficie (quelques mètres carrés de plus) !!
Nous essayerons de nous faire un petit coucou, et si vous ne trouver pas de couples correspondant à vos âges, peut-être que nous pourrons essayer de faire une sortie ensemble pour réduire les frais. A plus !
Compte rendu du voyage perle des antilles du 24 février 2012 sur le Costa Luminosa
VENDREDI 24 FEVRIER 2012
Une hotesse Costa nous accueille et nous guide dans les acheminements des valises
Depart d'Orly a 15h avec un vol Air France : tout le confort y est.Television individuelle, personnel serviable, repas agreable avec un petit punch local pour nous mettre dans le bain
Le vol se passe tres bien
Aterissage a l'heure prevue a savoir 18h40(heure locale)
A notre descente d'avion, nous sommes pris en charge par le personnel Costa qui nous guide jusqu'au car qui doit nous emmener au bateau(les valises sont acheminés directement a notre cabine, que du bonheur!!!)
Arivee au bateau, decouverte du bateau, de la cabine....le paradis
Exercice d'evacuation vers 22h30 et dodo bien merité apres une journée fatigante
SAMEDI 25 FEVRIER
Merci a Claude et Laurence pour notre rencontre des plus agreables
Nous avons donc loué un taxi pour 2 couples qui nous a couté 27.5€par personne et avons pris la direction de Francois pour visiter L habitation Clement (visite de la distillerie + visite de la maison coloniale pour 10€ l'entree)
Ensuite retour, a Fort de France pour visiter la ville
Comme il a déja ete indiqué sur le forum, le samedi apres midi tout est fermé
Il est tres facile de louer un taxi a la sortie du bateau
N'ayez pas peur de faire votre excursion soi meme, c'est tout a fait a la portée de chacun
Le bateau est a 15min du centre ville
DIMANCHE 26 FEVRIER
Toujours en compagnies de nos amis de voyage (qui se reconnaitront!!!!)nous avons pris un taxi pour visiter St Martin
Nous etions 6 personnes reunis dans le meme taxi( qui nous a couté 25$ par personne)
Nous avons visité le 2 partis de l'ile, tres differentes l'une de l'autre avec les commentaires de notre conducteur Alain qui nous a fait passe un super moment.
Nous sommes arretes a l'aeroport Juliana qui merite le coup d'oeil, sur differentes plages et sur un marché local
Pour information, c'est a St Martin que vous ferez les meilleures affaires pour l'achat de cigarettes (14.5$ la cartouche de cigarettes)
Retour a St Philipsburg, pour un tour du centre villeet de la plage
Le bateau est a 15min a pied du centre ville
LUNDI 27 FEVRIER
Nous avons pris une excursion Costa (farniente a Bayahibe)
L'ile a une mauvaise reputation , il est donc prudent de faire une excursion organiée
Beaucoup de personne se sont pleins du harcelement subit a la Romana (pas bien frequenté)
Pour notre part, nous n'avons pas été decu etant donne que nous avons pu profiter d'une plage privée avec touts les atouts de l'hotel (piscines, boisson, etc, ...)
MARDI 28 FEVRIER
Nous descendons en chaloupe pour rejoindre l ile Catalina
Tout est bien organisé(barbecue geant, transat)
Il y a foule sur la plage, si vous n'aimez pas trop cela, je vous conseille de faire une excursion car hormi la bronzette, il n'y a rien d 'autre a faire sur cette ile
Mais le paysage est grandiose, voir le bateau au loin , une merveille!!!!, je vous laisse imaginez la couleur de l'eau.........
MERCREDI 29 FEVRIER
La grande question!!!
Peut on faire l excursion Virgin Gorda par soi meme?
La reponse est OUI!!!!!!
Des l'arrivee du bateau, nous sommes les premiers a descendre pour rejoindre speedy's et là mauvaise surprise le bateau de 9h30 est deja parti , nous decidons de prendre le concurrent ferry's
Nous partons donc a 10h sur un vieu coucou (ou la securite me parait bien douteuse)
Nous avons payé 38$ par personne (ce prix comprend uniquement le bateau et le taxi mais en aucun cas le prix a l'entree du parc)
L'endroit est feerique, magique, PARADISIAQUE traversee ces rochers pour rejoindre la plage, un moment sportive mais plaisant!!!!
Moment de bronzette et de baignade pour profiter de ce moment
Depart vers 14h15 pour reprendre notre bateau
A FAIRE IMPERATIVEMENT
Pour information, les bateaux speedy's paraissent de meilleures qualite que son confrere
JEUDI 1 MARS
Nous avons choisi l'excursion costa nager avec les raies
Moment egalement magique!!!
Nous avons pris un bateau qui nous a emmener au large de l'ile pour arriver a l'enclos.Une drole de sensation lorsque les raies vous frolent, je vous conseille cette excursion, sensation garantie!!
De retour de l excursion, nous decidons de louer un taxi en compagnie d'un autre couple (rencontre sur ce forum cricri28170).
Nous partons donc sur l'une des 365 plages que compte l'ile pour 12.50$ par personne pour profitez une derniere fois de l'eau turquoise de la mer des caraibes
Le chauffeur nous a egalement arreter au bord de la route pour manger un plat local (un regal!!!! moment de fou rire avec crici 28170!!!!)
VENDREDI 02 MARS
Arrivée a 11h30 en Guadeloupe
Notre avion decolle a 15h, nous ne pouvons donc pas faire d'excursion
Nous profitons donc du marché local de Point a Pitre (tres colore) et ramenons donc quelques epices locales
Arrivee en France a 6h45 dur dur!!!!
CONCLUSION
Voyage a faire absolument de part sa diversité
Profiter, profiter et profiter............
CONSEILS
Vous pouvez faire vous meme les excursions
Ne pas prendre de forfait eau sur le bateau: il est tres facile de remplir ses bouteilles au buffet du bateau
Se regrouper pour les excursions facilitent la negociation des taxis et rend plus agreables la visite
REMERCIEMENT
Merci a toutes les personnes du Forum qui nous ont aidé a preparer ce superbe voyage
Nous tenions donc aussi a apporter notre piece a l edifice
Un grand merci a chato2012 pour les excursions faites ensemble (des supers moments partages avec eux, avec notamment notre serveur prefere du restaurant taurus)
et un merci aussi a cricri28170
Bonjour Barbarsel !
Merci pour ce CR alléchant, j'ai décidé de ne réserver aucune excursion, nous verrons sur place.
Une petite question un peu bête : à l'arrivée à l'aéroport doit-on prendre nos bagages et les remettre à Costa, ou ne pas s'en occuper sachant que Costa s'en charge jusqu'à notre cabine ?
Pour l'excursion Costa nager avec les raies est-il nécessaire de bien savoir nager sachant que j'ai cru lire que nous avions pied partout !!!
J'espère que pour nous, nous aurons comme vous la chance de rencontrer un couple avec qui nous pourrons faire ensemble des excursions😏
J'ai préparé mon carnet de voyage qui est presque complet grâce à tous les renseignements que j'ai piochés sur ce Forum, merci à tous !😉
Vous n'avez rien a faire.Vous enregistrez vos bagages à l'aeroport ensuite Costa se charge de l'acheminement de votre valise jusqu a votre cabine.
Pour l excursion avec les rais, vous avez effectivement pied, il n'est pas necessaire de savoir nager sinon vous pouvez aussi rester sur le ponton pour les observer mais je vous conseille tout de meme de rentrer dans l'enclos!!!sensation garantie
Je n'est qu'un mot a vous dire profitez profiter et profiter, c'est un depaysement total
Encore 3 semaines à attendre !! je suis impatience de partir et j'espère que cette première croisière me laissera des souvenirs impérissables ! Aujourd'hui mon carnet de croisière étant presque bouclé je pense plus à prévoir ce que je vais emmener dans mes valises et là c'est pas gagné !!!😎
Moi qui suis sujette au mal de mer, il semblerait qu'il faut que je me munisse de médicaments !
bonne journée
Carmen
Bonjour carmen,
Moi c'est encore 3 jours à attendre ! j'ai commencé à préparer les valises. Tout est étalé sur le lit de la chambre d'amis.
Moi aussi je suis sujette au mal de mer et le mal de l'air🤪. C'est notre 1ere croisière alors pour le bateau j'ai l'espoir de ne pas trop le ressentir.
Sur les conseils de ma fille j'ai acheté à la pharmacie des bracelets anti nausées(points d'acupression) Il parait que c'est révolutionnaire ! Je te dirai à mon retour. Sinon : coculine. Bonne journée
Bonjour Sachalo,
Merci pour l'info sur les bracelets anti nausées, je vais attendre ton retour avant en faire l'acquisition, néanmoins je vais acheter quand même de la coculine et j'espère que tu me diras ce qu'il en est 😎 et surtout j'attends tes impressions par rapport à cette croisière car, comme toi c'est notre première croisière également.
As-tu réservé des sorties avec COSTA ?
Je te souhaite un super voyage, bonne journée Carmen
Je ne manquerai pas de faire un CR à mon retour. Pour les excursions nous avons réservé Hors piste découverte des traditions république dominicaine à la Romana car d'après les forumeurs la ville n'est pas trés sure en y allant seuls. Et comme notre avion décollera après 19h30 nous prendrons l'excursion en guadeloupe. cela évitera les heures d'attente à l'aéroport, mais je vais la réserver sur le bateau au cas où il y aurait un changement d'horaires (conseil de l'hotesse costa) Nous avons pris également le "all inclusive" pour les boissons. Pour virgin gorda (à ne pas manquer parait il) nous la ferons par speedy. A part celà comme nous ne sommes pas du tout "plage" nous comptons découvrir les autres escales en marchant le plus possible (on adore !)
Cordialement,
martine
Pour les boissons nous avons aussi pris le "hall inclusive", j'attends ton retour pour le hors piste à la Romana et Virgin gorda car ces deux sorties avaient retenu mon attention. Malheureusement je regrette de ne pas pouvoir prendre l'excursion en guadeloupe, notre avion décolle à 18 h 30 !
Cordialement Carmen
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
