Je souhaiterais savoir s'il est possible de se rendre par ses propre moyens du Bateau vers le centre de Buénos Aires. Le Fortuna fera 2 jours d'escale dans cette ville et cette ville semble moins dangereuse que Rio alors si je peux éviter les excursions Costa...Vos conseils seront les beinvenus.
Bonjour,
En sortant du port prendre l'Av Ramos Mejia vers la gare des bus qu'on voit de la sortie du port continuer vers la gare des trains et prendre un taxi àce niveau moins cher qu'a la sortie du port.
Je vous donnes l'adresse d'un guide qui fait des visites individuelles pas cher, c'est un type génial qui sait renconter sa ville comme personne, passionnant.
Désolé de vous contredire, Rio n'est pas plus dangereuse que d'autres megapoles dans le monde, rester toujours prudent
et avoir un comportement correct est un passe partout universel, je me suis baladé plusieurs jours à Rio avec mon épouse sans problème de plus c'est une belle ville dans l'ensemble.
Voici l'email du guide n'hésitez pas à le contacter il est super:sergio.pollastri@gmail.com
bon voyage
Charly
le port est tres proche du centre ville
un bon marcheur peut visiter tout le centre a pied avec la possibilite du taxi pour rentrer
il n'y a pas vraiment de risque dans tous ces quartiers du centre tout comme rio
le seul conseil c'est de ne pas paraitre trop touriste. c'est a dire l'appareil photo discret et pas trop de tape a l'oeil.
je ne me suis jamais senti en insécurité en argentine.
a rio les favelas sont tres proches des beaux quartiers et il faut juste etre un peu plus vigilent.
ce qui veut dire le moins possible sur soi de voyant sinon il n'y a pas de probleme
bonne balade dans buenos aires
Merci à tous les deux pour ces infos très précieuses. A Rio, le bateau ne reste que quelques heures c'est pourquoi j'ai préféré prendre l'excursion Costa en réalité c'est plus la peur de rater le bateau que la peur des Brésiliens. J'ai déjà fait des excursions y compris à Brunei et franchement je suis là et dieu merci jamais de soucis.
Petite question, quand vous dites qu'on peut aller à pied en ville ça inclut le centre ville (palais présidentiel, parlement....) A votre avis il faut combien de temps de marche. Mais sinon y a t il une station de métro à proximité ?
http://www.urbanrail.net/am/buen/buenos-aires.htm
c'est ce que j'ai trouvé de plus clair comme plan du metro de buenos aires
allez aussi sur google earth pour avoir plus d'info comme les distances et une visualisation de la ville
le centre n'est pas "tres grand".en deux jours vous pouvez deja visiter un peu
C'est vrai que la maison rose: le palais présidentiel n'est pas loin du port et faisable à pied
Pour cela on remonte une rue piétonne tres animé:rue Florida si je me souviens bien.
Sinon il faut aussi visiter Bocca quartier haut en couleur et c'est vrai tres touristique et surtout ne pas quitter B.A.
sans goutter à cette viande de boeuf extraordinaire et une visite qui me revient aussi, extraordinaire, c'est le cimetière
de Recoleta: un père Lachaise latino-américain ou on apprend que Lévita Peron est entérrée à 18m de profondeur
sous une énorme dalle de béton pour qu'on ne pique pas le reste de sa dépouille, ça fait froid dans le dos cette histoire
En vous baladant vous reconnaitrez des immeubles Hausmanien carrément des rues entières ou on se croit à Paris....
Bref B.A. est une belle ville à visiter sans modération et en toute sérénité en adoptant une tenue responsable
Profitez bien
Charly
Vous pouvez également emprunter le bus city tour qui permet de visiter facilement les différents quartiers de BA, qui est une ville qui a beaucoup de charme.
Néanmoins, comme dans toutes les grandes villes, il faut se montrer prudent et se promener "léger"...
Sa proposition est très sympathique. Je l'ai contacté nous nous sommes entendus pour une visite de la ville mais pour le mode de règlement, petit problème...
Il demande un virement sur un compte bancaire en France à l'avance. Là nous avons dit que nous n'étions pas d'accord, que nous préférions un paiement en espèce sur place. Et depuis plus de nouvelles, plus de réponse...
Jamais de paiement d'avance. Je suis peut-être parano mais c'est pas très rassurant tout ça.Franchement BA semble aussi sure que Paris et puis il y a le métro et avec un ticket à un prix dérisoire.J'ai fait pas mal de recherche et le port est pratiquement en bout de ville; Donc avec un peu de marche et du métro ça devrait aller.
Je suis tres étonné de la demande de Sergio,
Il a l'habitude de faire confiance au gens et donc de ne pas demander d'accompte,
s'il fait ça c'est qu'il a du avoir des mésaventures avec des gens qui ne sont pas venu au rendez-vous.
Toutefois sachez que c'est la règle de payer un accompte quand on réserve un guide privé par internet
Il faut comprendre qu'ils doivent couvrir le risque que les gens ne viennent pas.
Je n'ai jamais eu de problème avec ce procédé.
Sergio est de plus quelqu'un de tres sérieu, il a été prof de sociologie à la Sorbonne
Enfin vous le voyez, je dis simplement que la visite de B.A. fut extraordinaire grâce à lui
En général c'est un accompte que demande les guides
Sergio peut-être a fait-il trop?
Deplus c'est sur que c'est une question de confiance réciproque
Nous, comme utilisateur on peut se faire quand même une bonne idée de la prestation proposé grâce à la représentation
que le professionnel donne de lui sur internet.
Bien-sur on trouve des brebis galeuse partout et heureusement c'est une infime minorité
Le problème est que justement sur internet il vaut mieux toujours rester très méfiant. Ce n'est pas un site (très facile à réaliser) qui peut donner confiance. Il rode des prédateurs de plus en plus, habiles, croyez moi.
C'est dommage pour cette visite de la ville...
Au risque de me répéter, je vous conseillerais de visiter par vous-même. De ce que j'ai lu sur BA ça ressemble à une ville européenne. Nous (mon épouse et nos 2 filles) on ne sort jamais la nuit. Donc si on doit visiter BA ce sera entre 08 h et 18 h. Je ne veux pas tenter le diable.Franchement à ce jour nous avons fait plein d'excusrion par nos propres moyens et jamais de soucis y compris dans les iles des caraibes (Ste Lucie, BVI...) Nous avions pris des taxis et nous sommes allés sur des plages désertes où il n'y avait pas un chat à part quelques locaux et 2 ou 3 touristes américains. Idem à Hong Kong Singapour ou Brunei. Pour cette dernière la ville était vraiment éloignée du port, mais pas de soucis.
Moi ma seule crainte c'est de rater le bateau, c'est pourquoi pour Rio ou pour la visite de Montevideo je passerai par Costa.
J'ai voulu apporter une réponse à une organisation de voyage je peux pas faire plus
si ça vous convient pas pas grave
A fire aussi à B.A. : Une milongas ce sont des bals de Tango extraordinaire
Par contre Montevideo peut ce faire sans guide ni excurcion
Le port est en bas de la vieille ville ou se trouve la partie la plus intéressante
En sortant du port un visitor center avec infos et plan.
Moi ma seule crainte c'est de rater le bateau, c'est pourquoi pour Rio ou pour la visite de Montevideo je passerai par Costa.
Pour Rio, à la sortie du terminal, vous avez des possibilités de circuits avec taxis trés bien organisés (si vous êtes à plusieurs, possibilité de van à 8 ).
Nous étions 6 (de mémoire, je crois 50 ou 60 $/P) et il nous a fait visiter Rio, en allant et nous arrêtant où nous voulions et nous a ramené au port à la fin de la journée.
Bonjour,
Vous n'avez pas à vous inquiéter, vous pouvez de façon très simple visiter BA par vos propres moyens.
Nous avons fait la transat BA - Nice, en avril dernier.
Personnellement je vous conseillerai de prendre un taxi du port jusqu'à la place Mayo et après avoir visité la Casa Rosa et la cathédrale, prendre le city tour, pour vue d'ensemble et s'arrêter (entre autre) au quartier de la Bocca.
Le bus passe toutes les 1/2h aux différents arrêts.
Nous gardons un excellent souvenir ce cette ville.
Bonne croisière
Je sais bien et je vous en suis bien reconnaissante car j'étais très contente de trouver vos infos.
De plus, super génial, je viens de recevoir à la seconde la réponse de Sergio que je n'attendais plus et il nous a donné RDV. Tout est pour le mieux dans le meilleur des mondes !!!
Nous allons donc faire une belle visite de la ville grace à vous, merci beaucoup!!! J'ai bien noté aussi vos infos pour Montévidéo que nous avons prévu de faire seuls.
Merci aussi à Latrousse44, effectivement nous avions prévu comme solution de repli de visiter seuls la ville.
Bonjour à tous,
Je suis Sergio, le guide à Buenos Aires dont certains de vous ont eu la gentillesse de parler. En ce qui concerne le commentaire de Catherine, sachez que nous nous sommes rencontrés il y a trois jours, et nous avons passé une superbe journée avec son mari et le couple qui les accompagnait. Ma demande de payement à l'avance sur mon compte en France est due à une simple question pratique : puisque je paye des impôts là-bas, un virement direct sur mon compte me permet d'économiser les frais faramineux des virements réguliers que je dois faire depuis Buenos Aires. C'est tout. Mais toujours, comme dans le cas de Catherine (j'espère qu'à son retour elle vous racontera son expérience avec moi), je reçois les visiteurs et ils me payent sur place.
Salut à vous tous, aimants de Buenos Aires, et je vous attends pour vous raconter cette ville merveilleuse.
Cordialement, Sergio Buenos Aires
www.sergiobuenosaires.com
Chers Kate et Jean-Charles,
Je suis heureux d'avoir de vos nouvelles sur ce forum (que je viens de découvrir grâce à Catherine!).
Merci pour tout ce que vous avez dit en ma « défense ». Je viens de répondre à Catherine à propos de ma demande de payement à l'avance : le dépôt sur mon compte en France m'évite les énormes frais de virement international que je dois faire depuis Buenos Aires pour payer mes impôts en France. Mais aussi, il m'est arrivé à deux reprises de bloquer mon agenda sur une certaine date à la demande d'un visiteur qui, la veille, annule la visite et me laisse cette journée-là sans travailler. Donc, il me faudra trouver un moyen plus équitable : peut-être demander un acompte du 50% comme vous le suggérez (pratique très courante, d'ailleurs). Enfin, je vais réfléchir. Je garde un respectueux souvenir d'un couple qui pour des raisons familiales n'a pas pu faire le voyage au dernier moment et ils m'ont fait quand même le virement. Dans ce cas, je m'engage toujours à leur fournir le service dès qu'ils viendront à Buenos Aires où, même, à des personnes proches à eux.
Je partage avec vous la conviction que nous pouvons tous vivre dans la solidarité et le respect mutuel dans un cadre d'échange enrichissant, à condition d'imbiber nos attitudes quotidiennes de deux éléments indispensables : la joie et l'honnêteté.
Merci encore pour recommander mes services.
Très cordialement.
Sergio.
Cher Sergio,
Quel plaisir d'avoir de vos nouvelles, nous gardons de notre visite de B.A. avec vous un souvenir inoubliable
Nous avons énormément appréciés votre façon de raconter votre ville votre pays.
Chaque fois que sur un forum quelqu'un cherche un tuyau sur B.A. sans hésiter je parle de vous.
Peut-être comme vous avez des attaches en France aurions-nous le plaisir de vous rencontrer ici.
Notre fille vivant à Paris nous nous y rendons régulièrement.
Pour finir un scoop: nous projetons une croisière en Amérique du Sud de B.A. à Valparaiso au Chili...
Ce sera je pense pour 2014 car si vous regardez mon profil sur ce forum, cette année et l'an prochain sont déjâ booké!
Je vous tiendrais au courant et bien sur nous ne manquerons pas de passer à nouveau 1 journée avec vous.
Au plaisir cher ami
Kate et Charly
Je voudrais savoir si quelqu 'un est dejà allé aux chutes alors qu il etait en escale de croisière à bueno aires nous arrivons au port à 8h avec le temps…
J'envisage d'aller avec mes filles en croisière argentine nous arriverons par bateau au terminal QUINQUELA MARTIN. Ce terminal est-il éloigné du centre ville…
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
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
Hello everyone,
It’s with immense sadness that I learned this morning of the passing of our friend Nathalie (nadu). Many of us knew her through this forum, which she loved so much. She enjoyed reading your travel stories, joining discussions, sharing her cruise reviews, and offering valuable advice—always with kindness, gentleness, and discretion.
For me, Nathalie was so much more than just a cruise enthusiast. She was a friend, a deeply kind person who was always there to listen, despite the many health challenges she faced with tremendous courage. We corresponded regularly, and sometimes we had the chance to visit each other’s homes or attend the cruise show together with our respective husbands.
We shared a common dream: when we both retired, we had planned to finally go on a cruise together. Life had other plans, and that trip will forever remain a journey we never had the chance to take. That thought weighs heavily on my heart today.
I’ll remember her as a gentle, generous woman who was always ready to help others. Her presence on this forum will leave a huge void, just as her friendship has in my life.
I send my sincerest thoughts to her husband, her family, and all those who had the chance to know her.
Fair winds, Nathalie. I like to think you’re now sailing on an infinitely calm sea, under an eternally blue sky. You’ll remain in our thoughts and hearts every time we talk about cruises or set off on a new journey.
Rest in peace, Nathalie.
For those who’d like to send a message of comfort and sympathy to her husband, you can send me a PM, and I’ll pass it along.
THANK YOU
Hello everyone,
So happy to be back on this Forum!
We’re heading off on another cruise—our 7th—after a 5-year break...
We’ll be leaving from Venice on April 26th with stops in Kotor, Mykonos, Santorini, and Ancona.
Could you help me plan the stops by sharing tips, tricks, and advice?
For those who already know me, you know we prefer not to take the cruise line’s excursions but instead organize everything ourselves.
Thanks in advance to everyone, and looking forward to chatting with you all!
Hello,
We’re taking a cruise to Northern Europe with a stop in SOUTHAMPTON.
We’d like to visit the Stonehenge site.
Is it possible to get there on our own (my husband is a wheelchair user), since the MSC excursion to Salisbury is priced at 127 € per person?
There’s also a stop in Rotterdam, and it seems there’s a "miniature village to visit" nearby. Has anyone here been there, and if so, how did you get there?
Thanks so much for your tips. Mum49
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 there, a group of friends and I are going on a cruise at the end of June with CFC in Norway. I’d love to get some info on the different stops we’ll be making. Most of them are one-day stops (from around 10 AM to 8 PM on average). Here are the stops: Andalsnes, Trondheim, Honningsvåg, Alta, Hellesylt, Sandane, Austefjorden.
Thanks in advance to anyone who can share what there is to see or do in these places.
When I get back, I’ll post what we did—it might help others who come after us.
Also, does anyone know if the boat sticks to the arrival time in Dunkirk for catching tickets to head back south? We’ll plan a buffer just in case.
Hi there, The day before boarding the Costa Favolosa for the Norwegian Fjords cruise departing from Hamburg, I'd like to book a hotel. Which one would be the most convenient location-wise relative to the port?
Thanks in advance for your reply.
I’m looking to get in touch with someone who’s been on an Arctic Cruise aboard the ship POLARFRONT, operated by the French company "LATITUDE BLANCHE", for some info.
Hi there, I was wondering if anyone has ever taken a cruise with this PO Cruise company.
Would love to hear your thoughts!
They’ve got some great itineraries for Norway.
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! 😐
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
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!
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.
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.
We’re stopping over in Rovinj this coming May, and since we’ve already visited the main sights (port, church, etc.), is there a walk we can do on our own—no boat needed—that would fill a morning?
Thanks to anyone who knows the area…
My wife and I are going on a cruise on the MS Vesteralen on August 4th. The ship stays close to the coast to deliver mail and packages. My wife is a musician and is sensitive to the movement of the boat. Which deck and cabin should we choose?
Hi there,
So, I booked this cruise...
I know CFC gets a lot of criticism—
- And that it’s not really like the ships I usually take.
But the destination really interested me...
So, I’m giving it a try...
I’m going in with an open mind, thinking I got a good deal, so I’m not expecting the same experience as when I travel with Yacht Club or The Haven.
We’ll see... soon!
hi, we’re going on a cruise with MSC Virtuosa in the Caribbean. Has anyone done this cruise before and could give us some tips for excursions on the different islands? Thanks for your help
😉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
Hi,
We received a promotion from our CFC agency offering cruises at up to 40-100% off, and among other details: CFC organizes parking for departures from Dunkirk.
"Unattended parking located about 12 minutes away, fenced off with barriers, at a rate of 10 € per day. Drop off passengers and luggage at the Model Pavilion, and a CFC shuttle will take you from the parking lot to the Model Pavilion every 15-20 minutes. Same for disembarkation. You can book through your agency or on their website. No refunds if the booking is canceled; payment is due at reservation."
Have a great day,
Guylène
PS: Personally, we’d rather keep our vehicle in a free, supervised parking lot and take a taxi to the Model Pavilion.
Hi there,
In June we’re taking a cruise called "Pearls of the Baltic" on board Renaissance CFC Cruises—with stops in Kiel (Germany), Gdańsk (Poland), Rønne (Bornholm), Copenhagen (Denmark), and Gothenburg (Sweden).
This layover in Gothenburg doesn’t really inspire me—could you tell me what’s worth seeing? Are there locals offering excursions around the area by van right when you leave the port, like you often see on Caribbean cruises?
I saw there’s a hop-on hop-off bus, but I’m not sure if there’s a stop near the terminal.
What are your suggestions? Thanks in advance!
Best regards,
Hi! On June 10th, we’re heading off on a 10-day Baltic Sea cruise with CFC Cruises’ *Renaissance*. We’ll be stopping in Copenhagen, and we’re planning to take the City Sightseeing hop-on hop-off buses to explore the city with multiple stops. Could anyone tell me which quay cruise ships usually dock at and how to get from the quay to the nearest stop to board the tour bus? Thanks for your tips and suggestions!
Hi there,
I'm looking at a cruise in the north.
Hi there, I was wondering if anyone has ever taken a cruise with this PO Cruise company.
Would love to hear your thoughts!
They’ve got some great itineraries for Norway.
Hi there,
So, I booked this cruise...
I know CFC gets a lot of criticism—
- And that it’s not really like the ships I usually take.
But the destination really interested me...
So, I’m giving it a try...
I’m going in with an open mind, thinking I got a good deal, so I’m not expecting the same experience as when I travel with Yacht Club or The Haven.
We’ll see... soon!
