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 there, Is it possible to help me choose between two MSC cruises to Norway? The first one: departs from Copenhagen, then Hellesylt, Nordfjordeid, Flåm, and finally Kiel. The second one: departs from Warnemünde, then Sandnes, Bergen, Kristiansand, and finally Hamburg. Note that the price difference is 150 €, with the first one being more expensive. Cheers,

Hello, I’m going on an MSC Norway cruise in May, and I’m a bit lost when it comes to choosing excursions 😅 Here’s my itinerary: Hamburg, Ålesund, Honningsvåg, Tromsø, Trondheim, Molde Fjord, Bergen, Hamburg. I’m looking for advice and opinions: must-see places, and is it possible to organize excursions independently from the cruise line (there are 4 of us)? All your experiences would be super helpful 😊 Thanks in advance

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 everyone, After several cruises with Italian companies (MSC and Costa), we want to try something different. We’ve roughly selected the same itinerary (the Greek islands, Croatia) and we’re torn between three ships: the Voyager of the Seas, the NCL Breakaway, and the Celebrity Ascent. In your opinion, which one should we choose? Note that we’ll either be in an interior or ocean-view cabin at best, since balconies are way too expensive for our budget. We’re also looking for activities for our teens (13 and 15 years old)—shows, entertainment—and most importantly, something that sets these ships apart from MSC and Costa. Thanks in advance!

Hello, We’ll be sailing on the Renaissance with CFC to southern Norway from July 4 to 11, 2026, departing from Dunkirk (the cruise was booked through "Planète Croisière"). When entering some personal details or pre-selecting options on the CFC website, I’m wondering about the "optional" categories for drinks and WiFi. I’m actually a bit surprised by these extra charges, as we weren’t used to them on other cruises (Australis in Patagonia; Hurtigruten’s Coastal Express in Norway and Alaska; Rivages du Monde in the Arctic or on the Douro River; a Nile river cruise in Egypt), where we sometimes had access to basic drinks at meals and free WiFi when near land. Anyway, for those who’ve already taken a CFC cruise on the Renaissance, could you share some advice? Specifically about the most basic drink package, called "Fraîcheur" (238 € for two), which doesn’t seem to be described anywhere. The "Premium" package seems excessive (490 € for two for the week) for light drinkers. As for WiFi, it’s 10 € per day per person. While I find that price acceptable for parking our car in Dunkirk, it feels overpriced here (especially since it was free on the Nordlys "Coastal Express" just 3 or 4 years ago). So, I’d love to hear from experienced cruisers who’ve been on this ship! Looking forward to seeing the excursion prices, which should be available soon! 😐

Thanks in advance!

Hi there, I'm looking at a cruise in the north.

Which one do you think is more interesting? Thanks

Hi there,

Based on your experience, do you have any advice to help me choose the right balcony cabin on the Lyrial for the Southern Loop expedition? I’d like one that’s well-placed for easy access to both outdoor and indoor decks for photos (e.g., a standard cabin, not a suite).

For example, would you prefer starboard or port side? Deck 4 or 5? The first cabin from the front or does it not matter?

Thanks for your help!

Good evening,

After my first trip to the Land of the Rising Sun with a very classic itinerary (Osaka / Tokyo) in April 2024, I’m revisiting my original idea: a cruise that would let me explore other parts of the country. The options are pretty limited since I’m restricted to school holidays. After some quick research on cruise sales sites, it seems Princess Cruises might be the best fit (dates + itinerary). I’ve only sailed with Costa before, so I have a few questions before deciding whether to go ahead with this idea: - Is Princess really upscale? Is there a dress code? - My English is pretty basic—will that be an issue? - For a cruise in Asia, what kind of food is served on board: the same as on other cruises worldwide, or specifically Asian? - What’s the average age of passengers? - Any other specifics I should know?

Thanks so much for your answers.

Nicko Cruise notified me today about an 8 €/night/person fuel surcharge for my river cruise in July 2026. On their website, they also list 10 €/night/person for ocean cruises.

Hi Has anyone taken the CFC recently?

Thoughts?

Thanks

Hello,

We’re heading to Vietnam next March and would love to do a cruise in Lan Ha Bay, which seems like a more preserved and less touristy alternative to Halong Bay. However, there are so many different companies out there, and we’d really appreciate your advice and firsthand experiences to help us make the right choice.

We’re looking for a 3-day, 2-night cruise on a small-capacity boat to avoid overly large groups.

A big thank you to anyone who takes the time to share their recommendations to help us with our search!

Have a great day! 🙂

Hi everyone, As you can see, it says "guaranteed ocean view" on the booking. And here’s the result: a tiny cabin with the view completely blocked. I paid for a porthole, and when I went to see the MSC receptionist, they told me it was impossible to change cabins. Yet later, I found out that someone in an inside cabin was upgraded to an ocean-view porthole—good for them, but I feel like they really messed with me. I’m so disappointed; I’d saved up for this. And I’m furious that they don’t care at all about my dissatisfaction. I’m thinking about contacting a mediator to see if they can help. Do you have any advice? Thanks in advance.

Hi,

We’re planning a Mediterranean cruise with either MSC or Costa—any recommendations on which to choose? Could you share the pros and cons of each?

We’re 2 adults and 1 young adult (18). Thanks for your feedback! Val

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 ...

We're considering a new cruise soon and would like to try the Renaissance. The uniqueness of the promenade cabins appeals to us, but could anyone give us some insights on the following points: - Is the glass door sufficiently tinted to prevent outsiders from seeing into the cabin? - Is the soundproofing good enough to block out conversations on the promenade deck? Thanks in advance to anyone who can help!

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

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,

We’ve booked the CFC Viking Legends cruise (departing on 03/31/25), and the excursions have just been posted on the CFC website. What a disappointment... Stop in Copenhagen: 2 excursions offered, one of which includes +1.5 hours of walking Stop in Oslo: 2 excursions, one of which is a hike Stop in Sandnes (Stavanger): 2 excursions, one of which is a hike Lysekil (Sweden): 1 excursion, same as in Kristiansand and Zeebrugge.

We hesitated to book without knowing the excursions in advance, but the itinerary interested us. We were expecting more options for excursions... Since the ship leaves the day before from Zeebrugge, let’s hope there’s still space for the excursions. I’ll share our experience after we return from this first CFC discovery. MUM49

Over ten years ago, we took a cruise on the Costa ROMANTICA. Since then, we’ve never had the pleasure of finding another company for a cruise in the Indian Ocean with stops in Réunion, Mauritius, the Seychelles, and Madagascar. I recently discovered on this site that the German company AIDA offers the exact same cruise in December! But we don’t speak German and don’t know this company at all. Thanks if you can give us any insights about the ship *Stella* and the quality of their services

Hi everyone (and yes, ladies first 😎)

I was wondering, besides MSC and Costa, which cruise lines are your favorites? Which ones would you like to try?

For my part, I’ve tried Virgin… and how can I put it… it was one of the best cruises of my life! There are a lot of preconceptions about the company that honestly aren’t entirely justified (even if I’ll admit I’m their target audience!).

Anyway, if you’re interested, I’ll give you a little rundown 🙂

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 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!

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 everyone, I’m back from my 10-day cruise to Japan and South Korea and wanted to share my experience. Before leaving, I searched the forums but found very few firsthand accounts of this kind of trip.

Just so you know, a cruise isn’t some slow, easy trip—every port stop is an adventure!

We flew from Marseille with Lufthansa via Frankfurt, with a short 1.5-hour layover that was just enough, though we still had to sprint to make our connection. We’d booked seats with extra legroom, which was great—we were next to premium economy, so we had a good spot. The airline hadn’t sold all the premium seats and kept making announcements to attract takers, but no discounts!

After about 12 hours, we arrived at Tokyo Haneda feeling pretty wiped since we hadn’t slept. The time difference is 7 hours, so we landed in late morning in Japan. We took the free rail shuttle to central Tokyo. The entry process went smoothly thanks to the Japan web app. For the subway, we’d registered our Suica card, but we hadn’t anticipated how tricky transfers could be when stations don’t always have elevators—bit of a hassle, but still cheap! Navigating the subway is super easy, though. We’d bought a SIM card on Amazon beforehand, so everything was smooth.

We’d booked a room at the Grand Hazelmon Hotel, which is near the Imperial Palace. It’s a quiet business district in the evenings and well-connected by subway.

I’d opted for a half-room, so I was worried about space, but it was fine—no smaller than a London or Paris hotel room! Breakfast was included and really good.

We even had dinner there one night—dishes were around 9 € at a 4- or 5-star hotel, so we didn’t hold back.

In the afternoon, we visited the Imperial Palace. You can’t go inside, but it’s a green oasis—surprisingly peaceful despite Tokyo’s 36 million people—and very secure.

I’ll share more of my adventures later!

Hello,

We (a family of two adults and two kids) are going on our first cruise this August on the Costa Esmeralda. To make sure everything goes smoothly, I booked a suite. I have a few questions to prepare well and I’m definitely open to any tips.

I read that a restaurant is reserved, specifically the Bellavista. What confused me a bit is that I saw others mention the Panama. I’m pretty sure it’s the Bellavista, especially after checking the ship’s layout.

About this restaurant: - Is it accessible on embarkation day, say around 1:30 PM? - Same question for when we return from excursions around 1:30 PM

I’ve done my research otherwise, but I’m still open to any advice.

Thanks in advance to all cruisers who take the time to reply.

Hi everyone, I’m starting to look into small solo cruises, for now in November. It’s my first cruise, so I’m a bit nervous. Anyone potentially interested in 7 days in Italy, Tunisia, and Spain? If you’ve got any tips, I’d love to hear them. Looking forward to reading your replies

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 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

Hello,

As you may have read or heard—or I’m letting you know now—CFC is merging with Ambassador Cruise Line 😉

I’ve sailed with Ambassador twice already, and honestly, this merger makes total sense! Both companies offer the same type of service (with Ambassador’s English touch), and they generally have similar ships and target the same clientele.

To be honest, I think this is great news! I really hope Ambassador’s influence rubs off on CFC, especially in fixing all the issues I’ve had on Renaissance that I’ve never encountered on Ambassador (food quality, service, cabin problems, etc.).

Leading Ambassador are real cruise enthusiasts—passionate people with a clear marketing direction and a much more professional way of working with travel agents than CFC.

In short, I think this is fantastic news 🙂

Plus, Renaissance will be in the Caribbean next winter, so I assume European cruises will run on Ambience and Ambition. If English doesn’t scare you (too much), and you like the cozy ship vibe with great value for money, check out Ambassador—they’ve got some amazing itineraries! 😉

If you’d like more info on Ambassador, just ask 😉

What do you all think?

Here are a few photos of Ambience