J'aimerais avoir l'avis des personnes qui ont déjà fréquenté ces 2 types de navires ; je m'intéresse au bateau Horizon mais je crains de le trouver un peu "étriqué" et vieillot par rapport aux (nouveaux) bateaux Costa que je connais un peu.
Qu'en pensez-vous ?
Avis sur les cabines, l'ambiance, l'animation, les spectacles....
Voici mon avis, en effet les bateaux Costa sont plus récent et moderne, mais quel horreur, on a l'impression d'être sur des usine flottante, on ne fait que marcher dans les très longs couloirs et on ne croise jamais les mêmes personnes (j'ai tester 2 croisières sur ce type de bateau et je ne recommencerais plus jamais).
J'ai déjà fait 3 croisières sur horizon. C'est vrai que le bateau est plus petit et moins jeune, mais il y a de nombreux avantages : les clients, les animations, les spectacles sont en français. On mange très bien sur ce bateau (des bons petits plats français).
Ce que l'on a le plus apprécié (et surtout nos 3 enfants, des ados) c'est le "all inclusive". le fait que toutes les boissons sont incluses met de la convivialité autour des bars et il est donc très facile de faire des connaissances (en plus il n'y a pas la barrière de la langue).
Vous n'aurais pas la sensation d'être à l'étroit, la journée de toute façon vous êtes en escale et le soir il y a de nombreuses activités de proposés.
Pour les cabines, elles ont des dimensions standard comme sur les bateaux Costa, donc pas de soucis de ce coté là.
Travaillant chez TMR, je peux vous renseigner sur le bateau Horizon de Croisières de France que nous affrétons.
L’Horizon, entièrement redécoré et réaménagé en 2012, répond exactement aux besoins de nos clients, dans la pure tradition des croisières françaises : paquebot francophone (annonces, services animations, excursions…), bateau intime à taille humaine, peu de passagers à bord (721 cabines), une restauration de qualité (récompensée par le célèbre guide culinaire français « Gault & Millau »), une belle salle de Théâtre sur deux étages pour les spectacles organisés, les meilleurs services ( piscine, jacuzzis, spa, casino, discothèque, 3 restaurants…) et une formule en 100% tout-inclus comprenant les boissons à volonté, les repas à bord, les pourboires, taxes portuaires.
Cette formule Tout-Compris, très appréciée par nos croisiéristes, leur permet de profiter pleinement de leurs vacances, sans compter.
Les cabines à bord de l’Horizon, presque toutes vue mer, sont confortables, élégantes et bien équipées, et sont similaires à celles des bateaux d’autres compagnies.
Le standard des bateaux Costa, trop volumineux et impersonnel ne nous correspond pas et ne plaît pas à nos clients, ce qui explique notre choix pour l’Horizon.
En bref, c’est un bateau plus sympathique que les très gros bateaux, et non négligeable : tout est compris !
Bien évidemment, tout cela dépend des attentes de chacun,
En espérant avoir répondu à vos questions,
Merci d'avoir pris le temps de me répondre - J'avais gardé en mémoire une croisière effectuée sur un petit paquebot, il y a déjà quelques années, de feu la compagnie "Festival" qui m'avait laissé un mauvais souvenir (vétusté, espaces publics restreints, etc.) ; je vais peut-être revoir mon jugement à la lumière de vos informations.
Je pense que ça dépend de ce que vous recherchez.
Nous, nous apprécions de voyager avec Costa/MSC sur ces gros bateaux où il est tout à fait possible de trouver un coin tranquille.
Ne pas "tomber" toujours sur les mêmes personnes ne me dérangent pas, je ne suis pas là pour ça.
J'apprécie de faire des efforts et d'essayer de me faire comprendre en anglais et/ou en italien.
C'est un dépaysement qui compte pour moi et que je trouve enrichissant pour mes enfants aussi.
POur ce qui est des bons petits plats français, je les apprécie beaucoup 😛 mais là encore je préfère le dépaysement que m'offre ces autres compagnies.
Si je veux manger français, je n'ai qu'à aller dans un bon restaurant prés de chez moi.
Ceci n'est que mon avis et il en faut pour tous les gouts et toutes les attentes.
bonjour. vous avez le droit de venir sur un forum pour "vendre" vos bateaux ?
personnellement j'ai testé votre horizon. et bien je dis non. plus jamais. bateau rénové à la va vite. clim défectueuse en cabine pont 5, cabine bruyante, boules quiès obligatoire, odeurs nauséabondes dans les parties cummunes, cabines vieillotes et pas rénovées, problème d'eau sanitaires sur les cabines des ponts supérieurs,
faut comparer ce qui est comparable. l'horizon n'est en rien comparable à costa ou msc. et encore moins avec les compagnies américaines.
bon, je suppose que la rénovation continue et c'est améliorée depuis juin 2012 ou j'étais parti...
enfin, vous avez bien vendu votre sauce. 😏 mais quand je lis votre commentaire sur les cabines, j'ai envie de pouffer de rire...
Évidement cela dépend de ce que l'on recherche, pour moi me perdre au milieu de 3000 passagers italiens bruyant, non merci.
Je ne pense pas qu'on parte en croisière pour chercher un dépaysement, ou pour pratiquer une langue étrangère, mais c'est plutôt pour trouver une ambiance, faire des connaissances, et oui aussi faire de bon petit repas ( ce qui, si on est honnête n'est vraiment pas le cas sur ces gros bateaux).
A lire ocean0654 le bateau es "pourri", il n'est juste pas neuve effectivement (mais ben rénové) , pour ma part, j'ai n'ai eu aucun des problèmes que vous citez.
En tout cas, moi, je repart sur Horizon cette année, et mes 3 enfants n'attendent que ça.
Mais il est vrai que tout le monde n’apprécie pas forcement les petites structures, heureusement il y en a pour tout les gouts.
Veuillez m'excuser d'avoir donné mon avis en donnant ma vision des choses (possibilité de parler d'autres langues, dépaysement etc...)
Il me semble que c'est le but d'un forum sinon à quoi ça sert de poser des questions.
🤪
Veuillez m'excuser d'avoir donné mon avis en donnant ma vision des choses (possibilité de parler d'autres langues, dépaysement etc...)
Il me semble que c'est le but d'un forum sinon à quoi ça sert de poser des questions.
🤪
Ne vous excusez pas Virginie1978...Nous sommes tous là pour partager nos experiences !!!
Je suis du même avis que vous...J'aime entendre parler toutes les langues, cela fait partie du dépaysement, des vacances.
je relate juste un vécu, une expérience. mais ca me choque qu'un commercial vienne vendre sa came en disant des choses fausses. quand je lis que les cabines sont superbes, j'ai failli m'éttouffer de rire.
mais chère Christine, si ce type de bateau vous plait, pas de souci. chacun va ou il préfére. 😉 je rappelle quand même que ce bateau a été arrêté uniquement 3 semaines pour faire la rénovation. c'est impossible en si peu de temps de faire du bon boulot. CDF a été trop pressé de remettre en service l'horizon. gros sous obligent. mais moi, j'ai vu le résultat car j'ai été à bord quelques semaines après la remise en service. rien a dire sur les espaces publics qui été bien refait dans l'ensemble, c'est surtout les cabines qui étaient vieillotes et bruyantes. quand à la climatisation des espaces public, on transpirait au casino, et 3 mn plus tard on mettait le pull au théâtre.
quant aux odeurs, il y a eu manifestement un problème d'évacuation d'eau usées lors de ma présence à bord.
et puis tout le bateau en all inclusive, ca fait du monde dans les bars. et pour se faire servir, c'était pas toujours simple avec les piliers de bar. sinon rien à dire sur les repas qui étaient bons.
un forum, ca sert à s'exprimer. si je suis intervenu comme ca, c'est suite au message du commercial TMR. qui soit dit en passant casse costa... sinon, à chacun de faire son propre jugement.
Je vois que vous avez déjà effectué une croisière sur le bateau HORIZON avec 3 ados, comment ça se passe est ce qu'ils ne s'ennuient pas trop, y a t-il des animations pour eux, la piscine est-elle suffisante pour le nombre de passager et les services sont-ils bien ?
Merci de me répondre, car je suis un peu inquiète car nous allons peut être faire une croisière au mois d'août en famille avec 2 dos et je crains qu'ils s'ennuient
Je suis aussi très surpris que vous veniez vendre votre seul bateau d'une filiale américaine qui en réalité n a rien de français!
Que vous veniez essayer de vendre un vieux bateau même s il est des année 90 et petit, je n'ai presque rien contre. Mis venir casser du Costa ce n'est pas digne d'une agence!
D'autre personne on décris ce navire exactement comme je le pensais sans même avoir été déçu et je sais très bien pourquoi je n'irai jamais sur ce navire!
Lorsqu'on voit la décoration des suites, cela fait vraiment vieux et pas digne de vrai suite qu'on trouve chez Costa ou Msc!
Alors j'ai pris ce bateau du temps de sa splendeur , c'était un celebrity Chandris. A l'époque , le Spa était révolutionnaire , martini bar et gastronomie américaine Mais il est sorti de la flotte celebrity pas pour rien quand même !
C'est gonflé de se faire sa pub ainsi et si vous aviez affréter un classe soltcice encore ...on pouvait comparer avec Costa qui est un bien meilleur produit que le votre !
N'est ce pas vous qui aviez déjà affrété ce vieux Costa allégra déjà s'il vous plaît ? J'ai bien dis costa non?
Nos 3 enfants ont passé de superbes vacances lors de nos croisières. L'avantage avec l'Horizon c'est que la clientèle est française et que de ce fait les enfants se font très rapidement des amis. Pendant la semaine, on ne les voit que pour manger et se changer. En fonction de leurs ages, il y a des clubs qui leurs propose diverses activités. Pour mes 2 grands (17 et 18 ans), ils passaient la soirée avec leurs copains et finissaient tous en boites (noter que s'il ont moins de 18 ans on ne leur sert pas d'alcool).
Ne vous inquiétez pas, ils vont s'éclater et apprécier...
Nous avons fait une croisière sur l'Horizon avec nos deux ados (13 et 16 ans) en avril dernier après avoir fait 4 croisières Costa avec eux aussi. Ils se sont autant amusés que sur costa, l'avantage était qu'il n'y avait pas la barrière de la langue. Sur Costa, ils se retrouvent souvent entre français. Il y a aussi une discothèque. Pour la piscine, ça n'était pas la saison, je ne peux pas vous dire. En ce qui concerne le all inclusive, nous avons trouvé ça super et nous en avons profité chaque soir.
N'exagérons pas tout de même, Cyrielle de TMR vous explique que COSTA ne correspond à l'attente de ses clients et c'est pour cela qu'ils ont fait le choix de l'Horizon. Elle explique simplement, pour répondre à la question qui a été posée.
"Venir casser du Costa", je trouve vos propos un peu excessif !
Restons zen, on parle de croisières et que de bons moments passé ou à venir ! A chacun son avis, certes, mais ne soyons pas agressif, cela ne sert à rien et chacun est capable de se faire son propre jugement, sans critiques incessantes sur ce bateau alors que certains y ont fait de très belles croisières !!!
Pascale
Le standard des bateaux Costa, trop volumineux et impersonnel ne nous correspond pas et ne plaît pas à nos clients, ce qui explique notre choix pour l’Horizon.
En effet comme d'autres sur ce forum, il faut comparer ce qui est comparable, je ne vois pas où est le problème de grandeur des bateaux costa, alors qu'il existe bien plus gros dans la maison mère de l'Horizon (ils ont commencé petit et grandisse au fur et à mesure, mais reste un bateau petit pour le moment...), car si je prend le Luminosa et le Delisioza qui sont plus petits que l'autre série à Carnival type Serena, il y a l'effet de foule seulement lors des changements de services, encore qu'il y a le choix de prendre le samsara pour éviter la foule et il y a largement assez de place.
Mais au moins chez Costa comme chez MSC, les cabines sont récentes et moderne agréable, non vieillot comme sait le cas sur le bateau Horizon ancien de Pullmantur. La cuisine chez costa est aussi très bonne mais un peu meilleure chez MSC en yacht club.
En effet on a le droit de s'exprimer encore que dans ce forum, je doute parfois. C'est pour cette raison que notre PAP a déserté de ce forum à force de...
Je rappelle que la publicité faite par une agence est interdit sur ce forum !
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.
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, 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 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
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?
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
