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

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.....

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 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 I’ll go ahead and restart the cruise calendar for 2025 for now. It can give people ideas and might help members meet up!

Two essential rules: don’t “quote” the calendar when replying—this’ll avoid any confusion and if you can, list your cruise in this example format: enter the month first, then date /username / SHIP / number of days / destination / departure port

FEBRUARY

14/02- poupou10 / CELEBRITY INFINITY /11 days / Greece Turkey Cyprus / Piraeus (Athens) AUGUST 01/08- poupou10 / REGAL PRINCESS /13 days / British Isles / Southampton YOUR TURN 😉 NUMBER OF CRUISES 2025: 2 JANUARY FEBRUARY 14/02- poupou10 / CELEBRITY INFINITY /11 days / Greece Turkey Cyprus / Piraeus (Athens) MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST 01/08- poupou10 / REGAL PRINCESS /13 days / British Isles / Southampton SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER

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 there, We’re setting off from Hong Kong on a cruise on January 2, 2026. We’re looking for other passengers to share ideas for taxi excursions or other activities. Thanks! Isabelle and Max 04700 Oraison

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

Hello,

My husband, our two teens, and I are going on a cruise on the COSTA Esmeralda at the beginning of July. We’re thinking of exploring the ports on our own. Do any of you have recent experiences or tips to share? Are there shuttles between the port and the city center? Are they free? Looking forward to hearing from you.

Good evening, cruise friends! I’m planning my Japan cruise with Costa.

Is it more worthwhile to book excursions before departure? With MSC, yes, because you save 15%, but what about with Costa?

For those who’ve already done this cruise, do you have any tips or recommendations, please? We’re staying 1.5 days before and 3 days after in Hong Kong. Thanks in advance! Chantal Ports of call: Hong Kong - Keelung (Taiwan) - Japan (Naha - Kagoshima - Tokyo - Kobe - Nagasaki) - Busan (South Korea) - Hong Kong

Hi, I’m going on a solo cruise from Marseille to Hamburg—13 nights, 4 days at sea on the Costa Favalosa. The stops are Genoa, Barcelona, Málaga, Cádiz, Porto, A Coruña, Le Havre, and Hamburg. I’ve booked a Costa excursion for Porto and Hamburg that ends at the airport. I plan to explore the other stops on my own (I’ve already visited Barcelona and Málaga). The stops should be pretty easy to do solo, but I’d love any tips on A Coruña. I’d also like to know if there’s a shuttle to get out of the port in Le Havre or go into the city center. Looking forward to exchanging ideas with others who might be doing this route! Best, Varoise

Hello, Looking forward to a beautiful transatlantic crossing on December 6th. Anyone from the forum going?

Hi there,

We’re boarding a Costa cruise on the Deliziosa next weekend at 11:30 AM. Our flight lands at 10 AM at Trieste Airport. Unfortunately, there’s no train before 11 AM, so we’ll arrive around noon, later than the time indicated on the boarding pass. Could you confirm that we can easily arrive 30 minutes later? I imagine there must be quite a wait to board.

Thanks so much!

Hi there, I’m traveling on a transatlantic cruise from Rio to Barcelona from March 16 to 31, 2026. My partner only drinks water, and I’m looking for another couple in the same situation so we can optimize a drinks package that isn’t worth it if one of us doesn’t consume anything (Costa). Thanks for your feedback, Daniel

Hi there, we’re going on a cruise and I’d like to know what time the shows are at the theater so we can pick our dinner times. Thanks for your help

Hi, We need to cancel a cruise we had planned for June 2026. We were surprised by the amount of the cancellation fees, which until now were 50 € per person more than 60 days before departure. The agency we asked to handle the cancellation informed us that, since 17/05/25 and the new general terms and conditions of sale, the cancellation fees more than 60 days before departure amount to 100 € per person. Mum49

Hi, I’m looking for information about the cruise currently running from May 29 to June 10, 2025, around Iceland. The ship didn’t make the scheduled stops—it skipped 2 and stayed a full day off the port of Reykjavik. The cruise seems to have been completely disrupted. Could anyone tell me the reasons? We were planning to go soon, but this situation is making us think twice. Thanks!

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, can you eat in the evening at the Costa Smeralda’s cafeteria, or do you have to dine at the restaurant? Thanks for your reply.

Looking for reviews and suggestions for this Costa Serena cruise with the flight from Paris CDG to Hong Kong. Thanks!

Hi everyone, I’m new to this forum and I’m going on a Costa cruise in three weeks with my family (there’ll be 14 of us in total). The planned stops are: Barcelona, Palma, Ibiza, Palermo, Rome, and Savona. Given the high cost of the excursions offered by Costa, I’m looking for tips and great deals. In your opinion, what are the best excursions to do at these stops? Which sites shouldn’t be missed? Thanks in advance for your recommendations.

SANDRINE🙂

Hi everyone, I’m heading off in May with Costa on the Deliziosa and I’ve got a quick question. Are the excursions cheaper if I book in advance on the website (since I’ve never done it before), or are they the same price if I get them on the ship? Thanks in advance for your answers.

Hi everyone,

Can anyone give me some info about this Spa Access day? We traveled with Costa until 2017, and back then, spa access wasn’t just for a day—it was for the entire cruise if you were staying in a suite... Times change, I guess. When I check MY COSTA, under Thermal Space Access Day appointments, it’s possible to book every day, even at sea, but with payment required on the site. Do we need to book this day on board if we want to take advantage of the free day? Or do we book it on the site and the freebie is applied automatically? Are sea days included in this case? Since 2017, we’ve been traveling with MSC YC, but this time, we’re going as a family with kids and grandkids, so the YC is a bit too much of a luxury and not really suitable for 3 kids.

Thanks for any feedback!

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

Hello,

We had booked a sea-view cabin through a Costa advisor in October 2023 for a departure on 13/10/24 on the Costa Favolosa, with a cruise lasting until 22/10/24. When we saw the cabin, what a disappointment: only one stool, no armchair or sofa like we were used to with Costa. The sea view wasn’t great because of a film on the porthole, and the cabin faced the crew promenade. The space between the wall and the edge of the bed was about 30 cm... not easy for getting into bed. We immediately asked to change cabins. After two days, the answer was that no cabins were available. We spent our days in the lounges because there wasn’t enough room for two people to sit—one had to sit on the stool and the other on the bed... Two days before disembarking in Marseille, reception offered us a sea-view cabin on deck 2. We asked to see it: what a difference—space, a sofa, an armchair, a stool, and a real sea view. Unfortunately, with only two days left before disembarking, it was difficult for us "seniors (85 and 73 years old)" to pack our suitcases and bags, unpack them in the new cabin, deal with the walker, and then repack two days later for disembarkation. We filed a complaint with Costa’s customer service, which responded quickly: "You found the cabin small. Please note that our cabins meet standards and are allocated accordingly. It is indeed possible to change cabins if the ship’s occupancy allows it. We offered you this change, which you later declined." In the end, they offered a "commercial discount as an exceptional gesture for booking a future cruise." This cabin 9201 is for one person, not two. The onboard staff were always as friendly and smiling as ever. There were long lines to access the buffets, so it was better to go to the restaurant at lunchtime when we didn’t have excursions. The shows were varied, and the indoor pool was very chilly. We won’t be sailing with Costa again. We’ve booked with MSC for 2025, but after reading some reviews... Mum49

Hi, is anyone joining the transatlantic cruise on the Costa Fortuna from November 22 to December 12, from Marseille to Fort-de-France? I’m traveling solo, so if you’re in the same boat, feel free to reach out!

I’d love to get some tips for DIY excursions during our cruise. The scheduled stops are Marseille, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Palermo, Rome, and Savona. Thanks in advance!

If you're traveling on the Costa Diadema from October 17th to 28th, 2026 to Lisbon, we can meet up for a drink. Share our cruising experiences, an excursion, a table...

hi, I’m going on a cruise on the Costa TOSCANA in October, and I’ll be celebrating my birthday there. I wanted to make it special and try ARCHIPELAGO for the first time. And also go back to Teppanyaki (I really like their menu and the atmosphere). I see there’s a package for 3 culinary experiences at 88 €. According to the description, you can go to the specialty restaurants 3 times. That price seems really low to me, since Archipelago alone costs around 55 €... and with this package, you could go 3 times? Plus, there’s another package next to it: 1 Archipelago and 1 Teppanyaki (without specifying the menu) for 80 €. Has anyone already tried the 3-experience package? What did you think? Thanks for your feedback

I'm considering boarding the Costa Serena in Sydney in November 2026 for the Sydney/Santiago de Chile cruise and continuing on to Buenos Aires before finishing in Rio... Anyone else going to be there??? I'd love to connect with you all 😎