Hi everyone, A little feedback on our 12-day cruise in early November on the Lirica.





The Lirica is a human-sized ship with 2,500 passengers for an old-school cruise—no extra-charge themed restaurants or bars, but large lounge bars with plenty of seating. We had no trouble grabbing a drink. The meals are decent, the staff is always helpful, but the ship is starting to show its age, and the cabins aren’t exactly fresh anymore. The low point: the shows were the worst we’ve seen in eight cruises—barely up to camping standards.

Day 1 Boarding in Venice. Since the ship now departs from Marghera, there’s a transfer from the terminal to the ship by water shuttle. Day 2 At sea. Day 3 Katakolon We’ve already visited Olympia twice, so we did some shopping at the port and the only shopping street. Day 4 Heraklion Excursion with MSC to the Palace of Knossos and shopping. It’s a bit pricier than doing it on your own, but you get the guide’s explanations.





After visiting the palace, we explored Heraklion—a very lively city.

Day 5 Rhodes The ship docks just steps from the old town, a magnificent city surrounded by its ramparts.







Visit to the Palace of the Grand Masters.

Hi there, we’re taking this cruise from September 27 to October 4, 2025.

Could you share your experience on board—cabin, meals, etc.?

Are there any other members on this cruise between September 7 and October 4, 2025?

See you soon, Alexandre

Hello everyone,

I’ve wanted to take this Norway cruise for a very long time. The first time I booked it was in July 2020 with Azamara. Unfortunately, it was canceled, as everyone remembers. When I tried to book it again, the prices (already a bit high with Azamara) had simply doubled. So, since then, I’ve been keeping an eye out every year for any opportunities...

The last time we sailed with Princess was eleven years ago, and things didn’t go very well. I came back pretty unhappy with their service and quite disappointed. Despite the $600 they gave me as credit for a future cruise, I’d never set foot on one of their ships again.

But this time, the opportunity arose—a fantastic itinerary with lots of stops, a reasonable price for 16 nights (I’ll share the details in the conclusion), and a ship that’s not too big, so to speak, with only 3,000 passengers. I’m not expecting much from the cruise line this time and am boarding the ship with low expectations beyond the itinerary.

Princess has introduced an app to download before the cruise. It’s essential because online check-in is no longer available, and the agency doesn’t send a travel journal. Everything is done through the app. After completing the check-in on the app, we only know that we’ll need to pick up our key, the Medallion, at embarkation by following the blue line in the terminal and presenting our passport.



Up until our departure, the weather forecast for the coming week in Norway is disastrous—rain, rain, and more rain. It was pretty much the same two years ago before our Iceland cruise, and in the end, the weather turned out fine.

If you’re ready to embark on the Emerald Princess to discover this beautiful cruise and the stunning landscapes of Norway, let’s go!

Southampton - Sea day - Bergen - Olden - Åndalsnes - Sea day - Tromsø - Honningsvåg (North Cape) - Alta - Sea day - Molde - Trondheim - Two sea days - Edinburgh - Sea day - Southampton

Hello, we’re taking the Celestyal Journey in August. We’re used to cruises, but we don’t know this company or this ship. I know it’s not very big, but that fits our expectations better these days. If anyone has already been on this ship, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Thanks for your feedback!

Total of 16 days on the ship with the advantage of one day at sea and one day in port, so time to rest in between. NORWEGIAN JOY: 1-Food not as good as on Costa and MSC (fewer dish choices or repetitive meals, no region-specific meals, meats are good but desserts are really not good at all, no real exotic fruits despite the regions you visit, and even the other fruits like melon and pineapple aren’t ripe). No need to dress up for evening meals: freestyle, so don’t bring too many evening outfits. 2-No fixed time or place for meals: queues every time in the restaurants, tables assigned based on your group size, so it’s hard to interact with other passengers. 3-Passengers mostly American: shows cater to their taste, fewer musical-style performances in the theater compared to Costa and MSC. 4-Excursions are very expensive and always in English. Americans still leave huge tips for the guides. ITINERARY: 1-Miami departure port (airport: 3-hour queue for passport control!) 2-2 days at sea, then Cartagena in Colombia: definitely don’t take the Pirates excursion (it’s terrible, even for kids—they make you run all over the city for their lame "show"!). You can even stay at the port where there’s a beautiful park called "Oasis" with lovely birds... and a café. Otherwise, while visiting the city, buy t-shirts ($10 USD—the best quality and markets of all the regions visited) or taste ripe exotic fruits you’ll never find on the ship ($3). 3-Colon/Panama: several interesting excursions to the locks (old and new). They use highways, so you don’t see much of the country. Crossing from the Atlantic to the Pacific via the canal and the lake: not much view of cities during the passage, just a few islands and greenery on the lake. 4-Puntarenas/Costa Rica: We took the coffee plantation tour, which lets you drive through villages and see more of the country. 5-Guatemala: Highly recommended excursion to Antigua: a very pretty old town with a human scale, lots of women trying to sell you all sorts of things but always with a smile and full of color. Enjoy bargaining—it’s a real connection with the locals. 6-Acapulco/Mexico: a big city that reminds you a bit of Rio/Brazil. Beaches right near the port if you want to swim, as well as little shops selling everything. The famous cliff divers: it’s crowded, so it’s hard to find a good spot to really see them jump. Lots of police and heavily armed military, so probably best not to take risks venturing alone into the poorer neighborhoods like favelas in the hills. 7-Vallarta/Mexico: a gem, a small and very pleasant seaside resort with a lovely promenade, lots of colors, statues, souvenirs, and cafés.... 8-Cabo San Lucas/Mexico: The ship stays at sea; you go ashore by small boats from the port. Lots of shops, restaurants, etc., right at the port if you don’t want to take an excursion. It’s quite chilly early in the morning on these small boats, so bring a jacket. 9-Los Angeles: disembarkation—another 3-hour queue for passport control. If you have a flight right after, be careful: either ask for disabled assistance on the ship (they have a fast exit) or hire paid porters who also get you out quickly.

Hi there,

To celebrate an anniversary, we’re dreaming of a truly amazing luxury cruise where we’d be pampered.

We’ve already traveled in the Yacht Club on MSC. It was fantastic, especially since it was in the fjords.

But do you have any other cruise lines to recommend?

Hello everyone,

If you'd like, I invite you to join me for a week-long cruise to northern Greece, visiting ports that are often less crowded with cruise ships.

Itinerary: Athens, Skiathos, Volos, Thessaloniki, Kavala, Limnos, Hydra, Athens

Hi everyone,

It was totally by chance that I found this cruise while chatting with Alfred in November 2024. It wasn’t planned, but the price was attractive—one of those "great deals" from Ponant that I love and that don’t exist anymore. Since everyone’s wondering, here’s the answer without waiting for the end of the story: after my various loyalty discounts, I paid **3,250 € per person** for 8 nights/9 days on the expedition cruise *The Essentials of the Seychelles*.

Expedition cruises are by far our favorites. The outings are done by Zodiac with the ship’s naturalist guides, everything’s included, and there’s no need to add any excursions or prepare anything.

We’re liking long flights less and less, so to break up the trip, we decided to stop over in Doha for four days on the way there and one day on the way back.

I’m happy to share the good and not-so-good moments, the great surprises, and the disappointments of this trip with you.

Hi there A few photos from the Explora Journey—the ship is stunning, and I can confirm the dining is on par with Michelin-starred restaurants. Plus, you get to choose between several restaurants where everything is included, even drinks and champagne!

Hi everyone, just wanted to say how happy I am to be back on this forum—it really helped me out on my previous trips. I’ve missed it these past few years, so thanks for bringing it back to life! Long live Voyage Forum! We’re boarding the MSC World Europa next month. I’d love to hear any tips or see photos from anyone who’s already been on this ship. We’ll be in cabin 14135 if anyone’s been in the same one. Thanks in advance! Seb

Hi Has anyone sailed with the French company CFC? What do you think? Haven’t seen many reviews about this company.

Hi everyone, I’m leaving at the end of March 2026 with 8 friends to celebrate an event on the MSC World Europa. I’ve been cruising for over 20 years with all kinds of companies and under many skies, but I’ve never traveled on a ship this size (6,800 people), and some specific info about this ship would be really helpful. So, to those who’ve been on this boat before—thanks in advance! SHOWS: Is it true that you have to book the evening show?... Just to secure a spot, or is it an internal rule? THE SPA: Are the saunas and hammams mixed-gender? Are there several of them? Which pools are available? SPORTS: Are there any “spaces” where ball sports like volleyball or basketball can be played? Finally, is the management of passengers flexible and friendly, or quite strict? Thanks! Happy cruising. Francis.

😉Hi there, A few months ago, CFC put the EN VOGUE experience on sale, departing from Dunkirk. I booked this package to test the boat and onboard services for myself. I’d read a lot of reviews mentioning numerous issues on board, so I wanted to see for myself what it was really like…

Okay, I’ll stop rambling… The package included boarding at 6 PM on Friday, dinner, a show, an overnight stay, and breakfast. We chose an interior cabin for this experience—since the boat wasn’t leaving the dock, we didn’t see the point in paying more… All in all, it cost 130 € per person. My mom joined us; she got the same cabin for 130 € with no single occupancy supplement.

We’d checked in online to board faster. We took the train to DUNKIRK, then a taxi to the shuttle pavilion—7 € for the ride. When we arrived at the pavilion, we were told to wait because there was a connection issue with check-in. Great start… After about ten minutes, we were finally allowed to proceed. At the counter, they said they didn’t have our cabin cards and no record of our check-in… Very odd. With no solution, they put us on the bus and said we’d sort it out at reception. Perfect. We went through security, and they confiscated our water bottles—never seen that before! Then they said my mom had a corkscrew in her bag, so they searched it… but there was no corkscrew. Total amateur hour… They eventually dropped it.

We got on the bus for a ten-minute ride… We boarded the ship with a crew member and headed to reception. Turns out, we weren’t the only ones in this situation. The nightmare began… Only two staff members were handling all the issues, and everything seemed complicated. They told my mom her cabin had been given to someone else 😲. That was the last straw…

It took forever—they had to redo the entire check-in. Finally, they told my mom her cabin was good to go; they’d mixed her up with someone else… After a solid half-hour, we could finally head to our cabin.

I’m determined to test everything: the pool, jacuzzi, show, restaurant, spa, etc… TO BE CONTINUED

The destination is Le Havre.... Are there any members?

Hi Has anyone taken the CFC recently?

Thoughts?

Thanks

Hi everyone,

We were offered a visit to the Renaissance by the new CFC cruise line through Croisiland. After reading all the reviews—some very harsh, others glowing—I wanted to form my own opinion without having to book a full cruise to test it out. This visit to the ship at the port of Le Havre for 49 € per person came at the perfect time, even if I’m a bit put off by having to pay for a ship tour. That’s not how it usually works with other cruise lines, as far as I know.

The Renaissance is a former Holland America Line ship, built in 1993 and renovated in 2023. We’re familiar with this style of ship since we took a long cruise in Polynesia in 2014 on one of its sister ships, the MS Statendam. We remember it as a charming small ship with a lovely pool terrace at the very back.

Off we went this morning for a relaxing day on a ship—always a nice change!

The Pont de Normandie is the last elegant structure you see before entering the vast and rather smelly port area of Le Havre.



The area around the port where the Renaissance is docked is total chaos—cars everywhere and only a handful of taxis. We were supposed to have a reserved parking spot in front of the terminal (we’d even given them our car model and license plate), but we were denied entry. There’s no paved public parking, so we left the car on a vacant lot.



CFC was officially acquired by the British cruise line Ambassador Cruise Line in January 2025. Ambassador Cruise Line, launched in 2010, already owns two ships of the same type and age. They wasted no time repainting the funnel in their new colors.



The line of passengers disembarking and waiting for taxis is endless... and taxis are trickling in. Is this the aftermath of yesterday’s strike, or is this the norm in this port? Either way, I feel bad for the poor travelers waiting—it’s going to be a long haul. Many are leaving on foot, dragging their suitcases. Compared to the port of Marseille, this is pretty dismal.



Forty spots were available for this visit organized by Croisiland, but we ran into a good hundred people at the meet-up. A group from the AVF (Accueil des Villes Françaises) of Le Havre will be joining us. Our Croisiland group consists of twelve people, if I counted right.

Security clearance is done alphabetically, and we quickly board the ship. Now we’re getting to the heart of the matter.

To be continued...

Hi there, By sheer chance, a family housewarming in Brussels gave us the opportunity to depart from Zeebrugge for our first experience with CFC, allowing us to discover ports we didn’t know (which has become rare). After some questions before departure while browsing the forums, we discovered this company with great pleasure. Of course, luck may have played a particularly favorable part: dream weather, a sea as calm as a lake, and boarding and disembarking almost as if the ship were reserved just for us, since during our departure from Zeebrugge, only a small number of passengers were taking advantage of the unoccupied cabins from the previous cruise ending in Le Havre. As a result, we couldn’t get a suite, but our balcony cabin was very functional, with plenty of storage and a whirlpool bath we thoroughly enjoyed. Admittedly, the carpet was a bit worn, but it wasn’t a big deal. Having a large enough table allowed us to have breakfast in the cabin (our usual habit) in excellent conditions. The ship, a reasonable size, was pleasant, in great condition, and had many comfortable lounges. A large enclosed and heated space with a pool, jacuzzi, and deck chairs offered a calm atmosphere without intrusive activities (which is rare). I won’t mention the entertainment since we barely participated, but I think there was plenty of choice, including a "special bridge" activity. The restaurant had a lovely setting, with quick service and particularly attentive staff, reminding us of cruises from the past. The food was good quality and well-presented, though portions were quite small—something big eaters might regret. We loved the charm of an old-fashioned theater with comfortable seats and a table for drinks. The shows were fairly high quality, though opinions may vary. They catered mainly to a French-speaking audience, which is quite rare, and featured a live orchestra. The excursions seemed reasonably priced for what they offered, but we didn’t participate since we prefer organizing things ourselves. To sum up, we were pleasantly surprised by this "old little ship" with a mostly French-speaking, very attentive staff, all in a great atmosphere.

Hi there, Here’s a little recap of my cruise on the CELEBRITY INFINITY from February 14th to 23rd. Itinerary: Athens / Thessaloniki / Thessaloniki / Kusadasi / AT SEA / Cyprus / AT SEA / Rhodes / Heraklion / Athens / Athens Since the cruise ended on Monday, we had to leave the ship on Sunday to go back to work on Monday 😕 Bring on retirement! This was our 34th cruise, and the price was around 1,300 € per person for AQUACLASS. Just to remind you, AQUACLASS includes spa access, a cabin with a hydro-massage shower, and a dedicated restaurant. For once, I have to say we didn’t get a good deal—prices dropped two months before departure, and we could’ve had AQUACLASS in a guaranteed cabin for 1,000 € per person. So, I think for January/February cruises, it’s better to book last-minute. We arrived in Piraeus on the 12th in the evening. The hotel was great—"Phidias Piraeus Hotel"—close to the center, with a spacious room (upgraded by Booking to a junior suite). The breakfast was decent, and the price was 125 € for two nights, all included. The cherry on top? The hotel offers free shuttles to the cruise ship on departure day—really awesome! We’d never visited Piraeus before, and it was a lovely surprise. Not only was the weather gorgeous, but the walk was really pleasant—the port, the beach, the little streets. It was way nicer than I’d imagined! TO BE CONTINUED: BOARDING 😉

I’ve finally gotten around to writing a review of our transatlantic cruise on the Costa Fortuna. We’ve always loved cruises, especially transatlantic ones. In recent years, we were MSC customers (Diamond card). But this year, we decided to return to Costa, though there was one downside: we lost all the points from our old Costa card (I think we were "Gold"). Still, since we’re former customers, the company generously gave us 1 point and the bronze card. It’s better than nothing.

Our departure nearly went wrong. The ship was leaving Marseille on Friday, December 22 at 2:00 PM, and we were told to be at the port by 10:30 AM. This unusual departure time meant we had to travel to Marseille the day before (since we live in the Paris area). So, we booked a flight from Orly to Marseille on the 21st at 5:15 PM. But December 21 was a particularly rough day in France with a big snowstorm. And as everyone knows, planes and trains don’t handle snow very well. At Orly, in the waiting area, everyone was anxious as the minutes ticked by. The departure time kept getting pushed back in 15-minute increments. They eventually let us board the plane with no guarantees. Once inside, the captain announced we were waiting for a takeoff slot. About an hour later, he said the plane needed de-icing and the wait could be long since airport staff were overwhelmed. Miraculously, after what felt like forever, the de-icing truck finally arrived, and we took off—over two hours late. When we landed in Marseille, the terminal was practically empty. Luckily, our hotel wasn’t too far away.

We later found out that passengers who took the train were even less lucky—trains were canceled. Later, at our table, we met a neighbor who had boarded in Malaga by plane because his Paris-Marseille train had turned back. He’d incurred extra costs, lost two days of the cruise, and had quite a bit of stress.

The next day in Marseille, our boarding went smoothly. We were surprised by the large number of passengers. We later learned that 1,300 people had boarded in Marseille. Since the ship wasn’t full (between 2,300 and 2,500 passengers), the French were in the majority (a rare occurrence). We noticed during the cruise that the French are just as loud as the Italians. The only upside? At least we could understand what was being said.

More to come later.....

Hi everyone,

As promised, here’s my review of the cruise I took from the 5th to the 19th on the MSC Virtuosa.

As you know, I had initially booked a cruise with Mein Schiff departing from Dubai (from Dubai to Cape Town). It was a 22-day cruise. Due to the issues in the Persian Gulf, my cruise was canceled by Mein Schiff.

So, we started looking for a Plan B because we really wanted to go. Especially my wife, who had just had a minor procedure and needed some rest. Since she had already taken time off, she was determined to travel. However, we were looking for an affordable Plan B since we weren’t sure when Mein Schiff or the airline would reimburse us.

While browsing online, I found a 15-day cruise departing from Pointe-à-Pitre (including flights, transfers, the cruise, and drinks) for a price of 1,200 € in a Fantastica balcony cabin. We thought, *Why not?*

I should mention that I’m not usually a big fan of MSC. My last experience with them was post-Covid (I took two cruises, one in 2021 and another in 2022), and it was honestly a disaster. We didn’t want to repeat that, but after talking to Catherine, who told me she was very happy with a short Christmas cruise, we decided to give it a try.

I have to say, I was left speechless. Honestly, the cruise was absolutely perfect. There’s nothing to complain about (or just a few minor details). In terms of service and food, I felt like I was on a premium cruise line. I’d even say MSC has nothing to envy from some of those companies. While premium lines like Holland, Celebrity, and Royal are cutting back on services, I think MSC has made huge improvements. Seriously, I wasn’t expecting this at all. You’ll see what I mean as we chat more.

I won’t do a full review like I usually do because there weren’t many stops: 1. We boarded in Pointe-à-Pitre 2. We stopped in Saint-Martin 3. Then it was a direct crossing to the Azores...

This cruise was really about relaxing, even if it’s not the kind of trip we usually take.

First off, I’m not a big fan of "flight and cruise" packages. I asked if we could leave two days early, but they said it wasn’t possible. We had to take the flight, then the bus, and board the ship directly.

It’s not really my thing, but given the price we paid and since we really wanted to relax, we thought, *Why not?*

Here’s the itinerary:

Boarding in Pointe-à-Pitre Saint-Martin Five days at sea The Azores Four days at sea Hamburg One day at sea Le Havre



But as I mentioned, it wasn’t about the itinerary. It was really about taking a break and unwinding. Honestly, I came back thrilled.

Departure and boarding details to come

Hi everyone, Okay, here I go—I haven’t done a cruise review in ages, and even longer since I’ve posted one on this forum. So, this is kinda your fault, Catherine, if I’m getting back into it... I just hope I haven’t lost my touch!

It’s a transatlantic cruise, so there are a lot of sea days. That means this review will mostly focus on the ship, especially the "Haven" section, which doesn’t get much coverage on this forum. There’ll definitely be some comparisons with MSC’s Yacht Club, since they’re direct competitors.

This will be my third cruise with NCL—a company I really love—but my first in The Haven.

My two previous cruises were on smaller ships: the NCL Sun for the Chilean fjords and the NCL Spirit in February 2025 in Asia, departing from Taiwan and arriving in Korea. I *loved* the Spirit.

Alright, let’s get started!

This trip was booked almost last-minute in early October for late November, after I had to cut short my August trip for medical reasons.

At first, when I looked at this cruise, I hadn’t specifically decided to go for The Haven. I wanted a relaxing cruise but still with destinations I hadn’t been to before. I kinda stumbled upon this one, and the itinerary appealed to me. I also found the balcony cabin price pretty good—around 2800 € for a balcony cabin (for two), all-inclusive package included. Not including flights, of course. In the end, we decided to try The Haven (obviously not the same price), but I think we got a great deal for the promised perks.

Itinerary: Departure from Lisbon, arrival in Galveston, Texas. Stops: St. Martin, St. Thomas, La Romana, Cabo Rojo, Falmouth in Jamaica.

Hi there! Here’s a quick review of my cruise on the REGAL PRINCESS. This was my 35th cruise and my second on the REGAL PRINCESS, which I first discovered in 2017 during a Caribbean cruise. A few months ago, we received an email from PRINCESS changing the itinerary—DUBLIN and EDINBURGH were replaced by two Scottish islands. We were a little disappointed, but since we’d never sailed around the UK, we didn’t really know any of the ports anyway. The itinerary was: SOUTHAMPTON AT SEA KIRKWALL INVERGORDON AT SEA STORNOWAY GLASGOW BELFAST AT SEA CORK AT SEA PORTLAND LE HAVRE SOUTHAMPTON

A 13-day/12-night cruise for 1350 € per person in a guaranteed deluxe balcony cabin. PRINCESS assigned us a balcony cabin on deck 8 with a large balcony. We ended up happy with our cabin, even though we’d initially preferred a higher deck. I’ll admit I hesitated to choose this cruise because of the weather—I love sunshine and good weather—but the desire to discover new ports won out, especially with the promise of heading to Corsica afterward to soak up some sun again 😉

On PRINCESS, as Catherine mentioned, there’s no card—everyone has a medallion! I loved this system, which unlocks your cabin door as you approach. It’s really well thought out!

We took the EUROSTAR from Lille to London, then a train from London to Southampton the day before. We stayed in a nice IHG hotel near the port.

EMBARKATION It’s Friday, August 1st. After a good breakfast and a quick check-out, we realize our UBER app isn’t working in England ;(. We have to go back to reception to ask for a taxi because, even though the hotel is close to the port, the ship is still over 2 km away—hardly ideal with luggage! The problem is that many hotel guests also requested taxis... so we wait a good 30 minutes before ours arrives! We get to the REGAL PRINCESS pretty quickly but are shocked to see a huge line outside!!! We hadn’t seen that in over a decade! Not the best start! 🙁



TO BE CONTINUED!

This isn’t a full review but a quick summary, since I’m short on time and won’t be able to do a proper one.

Our cruise started in Port Canaveral (Orlando), and there are no longer direct flights from Paris. So, we had to take a connecting flight with British Airways (code-share with American Airlines):

Paris / Miami / Orlando and the return Orlando / Philadelphia / Paris.

Three days before departure, I went on British Airways’ website to check in and buy exit-row seats so my wife could stretch her legs. That’s when I saw that one leg of the return flight (Philadelphia / Paris) had been canceled.

I called the airline, and they confirmed the flight was indeed canceled, and the agency I bought the ticket from had been informed back in September. But the agency never told me—or just forgot. So, I called GO Voyages, and it was the same old story: blah, blah, blah...

They offered me a flight with two connections, the last one in London (with an airport change at my expense—about 80 €). I refused because I’d bought a ticket with only one connection, and on top of that, there were taxi costs for the airport change.

After some back-and-forth, GO offered to refund the ticket—but in a month. So, I ended up buying two last-minute tickets at my own expense while waiting for the refund.

Never again with GO for flights—their customer service is terrible, and everything is outsourced....

The cruise I was disappointed with this cruise.

Isa was right—the service at Celebrity has really gone downhill.

The buffet was fine—everything was fresh and varied. But in the restaurants (especially the main one), the dishes were really basic (as the Canadians say) and simple (nothing like Princess).

The ship showed signs of wear and was even dirty in some places. I had to ask for our cabin to be redone when we arrived because the bathroom didn’t seem very clean.

The "Elite Club" perks are fading fast—so much so that you don’t even feel like going (just a glass of sparkling wine and some mediocre appetizers). You have to fight to get another drink if you don’t like that sparkling wine...

Before, in Concierge Class, the bottle of sparkling wine was in a champagne bucket on the coffee table with ice. Now it’s just in the fridge.

The appetizers served in the cabin around 5 PM weren’t appetizing at all. The list goes on...

Luckily, I didn’t pay much for this cruise, or I would’ve really regretted it.

The ports of call (Key West, Nassau, Puerto Plata)

I’ve already stopped at these places before, so it was just beach time and sightseeing...

Still, I had a great week under the Caribbean sun, and it was a nice break.

I’d only cruise with Celebrity again if the price was right or there was a big promo.

See you soon for more adventures! Alfred

Hi everyone,

What a joy to be back here and pick up where we left off after all these months of hiatus.

I hope you’ll enjoy the story of this little trip around the Eastern Mediterranean. This cruise was the perfect way to satisfy our longing to return to Greece and Istanbul. The end of the season, until late November, is the best time to visit the Mediterranean in my opinion—when climate disruptions don’t get in the way.

Departing from Trieste, our stops were Katakolon, Piraeus, Kusadasi, Istanbul, Corfu, and Bari, before returning to Trieste and then Venice, where we planned a very short 24-hour stay.

We left home at 6:15 AM—our first cruise departure since moving to Normandy. What I miss most about living in the Gard is how close we were to Marseille Airport. No more hopping over to Marignane in an hour; now we have to plan for a three-hour trip to CDG, even under the best conditions on an early Sunday morning.

It was impossible to book a hotel night before our flight because, starting in April, the Ibis was priced at 450 € per night, and the Mercure was flirting with 800 €—breakfast not included, of course. 😏

I had a feeling there must’ve been a conference or something going on… Turns out, it was just the auto show. They simply adjusted the room prices to match the cost of the cars. 😛

Our flight took us to Venice, where we caught a FlixBus to Trieste. We arrived at Trieste’s train station in the afternoon and walked to our hotel in the city center.

After treating ourselves to an amazing pizza at a restaurant (Di Napoli Maestri Pizzaioli, Via Armando Diaz 10) for a very reasonable price, we enjoyed the mild evening temperature while exploring the stunning buildings of this charming city by night. These magnificent structures are a testament to the city’s past. Trieste became Austrian in 1382 due to its complicated relationship with Venice, and it wasn’t until 1918, at the end of World War I, that it became Italian again. The city’s lighting beautifully highlights the architecture of the buildings.

The terraces were lively, and the atmosphere was so warm and inviting that we wanted to stay out even longer.



But we’d been up since 4 AM, so we were happy to retreat to the quiet of our hotel, located in the pedestrian center just a few steps from the port (Urban Hotel Design—highly recommended).

More to come soon.

Hi there! Celebrity is venturing into river cruises and will have 5 boats built at the Saint-Nazaire shipyards. Mich74

Is it possible in Cinque Terre to do the village walk without getting off the small boats? Sea view. A bit limited by the stopover time on our cruise. Thanks for your reply.

Hi everyone, In a month, I’ll be on the *Renaissance* with Compagnie Française de Croisières. I’d just love to hear your thoughts on this ship—what you liked, what you liked less, etc. Thanks to all of you! Have a great day

Struggling to fill up

Explora Journey is the cherry on top, but I wish that cherry were a melon," Patrick Pourbaix diplomatically put it. Without revealing the fill rate, the France director of the company admitted: Explora Journeys' first ship, Explora I, is far from full.

around 5 percent of French passengers on board.

Hi, I'm looking into a cruise for May 2026. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the MSC Preziosa ship. Thanks, Diane

Hi there, I’m considering a cruise on this ship in the recently introduced Yacht Club category. Have any forum members tried it? What are your thoughts? Positive or negative? Which cabins should we go for—or avoid? We’re already familiar with the Yacht Clubs on the Splendida, Fantasia, Preziosa, and Divina series. We weren’t as keen on the one on the Seashore—we found it too big. Thanks in advance for your feedback! Best, Claudine