bonsoir, alors je lance ce cr!
que j'espère affiner aux fil des jours avec bien sur l'aide des participants à cette croisière.
pour rappel : nous avions réservé en deux parties : du 17 au 27 miami miami : en cabine premium la 7265.
puis pour la transat la suite panorama 6417.
L'impression d'ensemble de cette croisière est vraiment bonne. je dois faire partie des bisounours surement.
Bien sur certaines choses ne sont pas toujours parfaites mais dans l'ensemble même en ayant réservé longtemps avant , n'ayant pas payé de prix tarifs flash je continue à penser que le rapport qualité prix reste vraiment bien.
Certaines choses ont peut être baissées.. d'autres supprimées. Personnellement elles ne m'ont pas manquées.
Je reviendrai juste une seconde sur quelque chose que j'avais lu avant le départ concernant les distributeurs d'eau et qui m'avait interpellé.
Il y a 24h sur 24h (en tous cas au moins jusque minuit ) de l'eau du café et des thés et infusions au pont 9 en libre service. Toutes la journée à plusieurs points , et le soir tard nous montions prendre notre tisane et remplir notre bouteille d'eau pour la nuit vers 23h après le restaurant 2e service et cela était toujours disponible mais uniquement à l'avant.
Je pense que c'est important de le souligner.
Le restaurant:nous avons bien mangé!
nul cantine ou flunch!
ok pas de foie gras ou de langouste.. mais de la diversité , du choix des bons produits.
certains plats trop petit? vous en demandez deux.. on avait tous prix le plie!
quelque chose qui ne vous plait pas? nos deux adorables serveurs nous proposaient autre chose!
Nous avons mangé au 2e service: nous avions au départ demandé une table pour 6 (avec nos amis Joelle et Bernard (joecel sur le forum) au pont 3
nous nous sommes finalement retrouvé au pont 2 à une table de 8.
nous avons pu sur demande de Joelle et Bernard déménager au pont 3 et rejoindre nos futures nouveaux amis Monique et Henri (du forum aussi) super belle rencontre!
Donc pour clore la restauration , franchement il faut être difficile (voir très difficile pour ne pas y trouver son bonheur )
Nous avons pris forfait eau et vin (plus cher en dollars qu'en euros!)
l'arnaque cette histoire de dollars , j'y reviendrai!
pour finir pour le moment je vais parler de nos cabines. les escales c'est pour demain sauf si Joelle aura commencer par là!
Cabine premium balcon:
cabine en longueur : taille correct . Très bonne literie. placard ok.
et bonne surprise avec le balcon . il est plus large!
notre cabinière aurora a été très bien.
suite panorama:
plus grande bien sure! plus de rangements . Salle de bains avec baignoire. et un magnifique balcon d'angle immense..rien de comparable avec tout ce que j'avais déjà fait : fauteils + tables , deux vrais chaises longues et deux fauteuils inclinable. les jours de mer.. plus de luttes aux transats sur le pont..
alors j'ai beaucoup entendu qu'en suite chez costa on est un passager lambda.. peut être ..mais non!
le petit déjeuner plus varié
repas pouvait être servis en cabine (mon mari ayant été malade cela nous a bien servi!)
ticket prioritaire pour les chaloupes.
notre majordome et notre cabinier très bien aussi.
La partie caraibes a surtout été plage et shopping je détaillerai demain les escales.
mais voilà sur "le feu" mes très bonnes impressions sur la croisières.
et que dire des belles rencontres de diverses forumeurs d'ici ou là! !
Juste avant de parler de notre premier jour sur le luminosa , je voudrais dire que nous avions passé 5 jours avant en Floride.
Nous sommes arrivés le 12 mars à miami : nous avons passé deux jours à miami beach au sorrento villa (commentaire posté sur tripadivisor pour ceux que cela interresse), puis location de voiture pour aller à key west à courtney place (idem pour l'avis) puis 2 jours à key largo pour faire du snorkelling et repos au bay cove motel (idem pour l'avis).
Nous avons apprécié ces jours d'indépendances et le plaisir de découvrir la Floride à notre rythme et de façon peut être plus authentique/
Nous rendons donc la voiture ce 17 mars mais d'abord nous passons au port pour poser les valises : au final superflu car "la navette" d'avis qui nous reconduira au port fut "notre voiture"..
bon pas grave nous voulions assurer..vu notre chargement de bagage..Bon effectivement j'avais prévu beaucoup trop large.. en produit de toilette et en crème solaire..mais bon c'était mon premier ausis long voyage..J'essayerai d'en prendre de la graine pour la prochaine..
Nous voici donc dans le terminal:
il est 12h 30..mauvaise heure ..il y a foule.
Nous faisons la queue..J'essaye timidement de dire que je suis pearl que je pense avoir droit à une priorité..mais on me répond que non..la queue comme tout le monde..
Bon on fait la queue mais ça va quand même relativement vite. Dans l histoire je perd mon ticket d'embarquement ..on m'en redonnera un..meilleur..donc ça va!
Vers 13h30 nous pouvons embarquer . la ça va assez vite. formalité habituel :photo pour la carte et photo d'accueil (qui ne nous interresse pas).
On va directement à notre cabine : elle est prête mais notre future cabinière nous dit que non et que nous devons aller manger d'habord au buffet.Nous pouvons quand même déposer nos bagages à main et mettre dans le coffre ce que nous voulons.
La carte du restaurant est sur le lit : pont 2 .
Je vais zieuter dans la cabine d'à coté chez nos amis Bernard et Joelle .. nous avons la même table. Nous n'en n'étions pas sur car comme pour nous nous avions "deux croisieres" et eux une seule.. même si c'est la même :informatiquement notre conseillère de l'agence n'avait rien pu nous certifier.
mais tout semble ok..sauf le pont nous avions demandé le 3.. nous changerons quelques jours plus tard de table pour être avec Monique et Henri dont nous ferons connaissance plus tard.
Nous allons donc au buffet: correct.
puis je ressors pour aller à Bayside et faire la croisière de la visite "des milliardaires".
Au retour je tombe sur Joelle et Bernard qui arrive.. on se donne rdv pour le diner.
Premier diner correct nous sommes finalement à une table de 8 au pont 2. Pas vraiment ce que nous avions demandé .
mais on verra plus tard pour changer..
Tout le monde est fatigué on va se coucher .
On se donne rdv pour nassau.
On dort bien . la literie est confortable : meilleure de tous les hotels que nous avions fait en Floride et on commande le petit déjeuner en cabine pour le lendemain. (continental).
Bonjour,
Merci pour ce début de compte rendu, quelle chance d'avoir pu partir si longtemps 😉
Norvégian Gém NCL, Horizon CDF, musica MSC, Allure of the seas RCI, sérénade of the seas RCI, Symphony of the seas RCI, Régal PRINCESS, Fantasia MSC, seaside MSC, explorer of the seas RCI
Bonsoir
Je vais suivre avec intérêt ton compte rendu , d'autant qui j'ai réservé une croisière sur le Divina en janvier 2016 au départ de Miami , en Yacht Club .
Bon retour à terre
Cordialement Claudine
Je profiterai de tes deux croisières !
Du comte rendu de celle ci pour les Caraibes , puis de l 'autre pour le Divina , un peu plus tard . De plus j'aimerais bien faire une transatlantique dans les prochaines années .
Cordialement Claudine
Pour cette escale je n'ai pas pris d'excursion costa :le bateau arrive directement au centre de nassau.
Nous avons fait une petite balade dans nassau avec visite extérieur de la maison du gouverneur.
Ensuite cela sera les boutiques (mon ressenti pour cette escale et pour beaucoup de celle qui suivront..ce sont des escales "shopping" .Nous retrouverons tout au long de la croisière les mêmes boutiques de luxes :bijoux , vêtements de luxe etc etc)
Personnellement cela ne m'interresse pas.
Je finirai l'après midi à la plage qui coté ville n'a rien d'exceptionnelle mais la mer était chaude et belle mais beaucoup de jeunes qui "picolent" sur la plage et dans l'eau.
Néanmoins l'architecture des maisons est locale mais rien ne semble très authentique c'est touristique et surfait à l’extrême.
Cela reste mon sentiment toutefois.
19 mars :journée en mer
Nous avons rdv ce jour là avec des membres vf à la piscine du pont 9 à 11h.
Ce rdv sera un peu un fiasco..car peu sont venus ou peu nous ont trouvé!
Nous faisons cependant la rencontre de Manuella et de son papa ainsi que de Monique et Henri et je retrouve également bien sur Joelle et bernard.
De belles rencontres!
Nous changerons de table au diner ce soir là pour former la table de 6 au pont 3 que nous garderons jusqu'à la fin.
Comme d'habitude les jours de mer il y a foule sur le pont arrière et il est difficile de trouver un transat les gens mettant toujoursleur serviette dès 7h du matin pour la journée..
Du coup la moitié du pont est toujours vide.. mais pas de place "libre".
Sur l'atlantica les serviettes étaient enlevé régulierement ce qui fait qu'il y avait toujours de la place. Dommage ce n'est pas le cas sur le luminosa.
et oui, c'est bien notre cas, pour le RDV avec les membres du forum, ben j'avais oublié de noter où c'était !!
je l'ai expliqué dans mon compte rendu avec photos posté récemment, je remets le lien (croisière du 17 au 27, nous ont a pas fait la transat
Bonne continuation pour le CR, je vais suivre avec nostalgie
Géraldine
Costa Concordia 2010 - Fortuna 2011 - Luminosa 2015
Oasis of the Seas 2012 - Allure 2013 - Anthem 2016
Trekking around the World is the best ! Surtout aux US
aujourd'hui c'est grand Turk pour une demi journée. Comme nous sommes censés y revenir une journée complète sur la 2e partie point d'affolement.
(bon finalement malheureusement cela ne se fera pas..puisque pour urgence médicale nous nous retrouverons à nassau en soirée avec tout fermé..une escale ratée..mais bon cela on n'y peut rien..)
Donc rdv à 9 h pour descendre à grand Turk.
Alors que dire de cette escale : c'est comme beaucoup d'iles ensuite..une escale shopping avec pleins de petites boutiques à touristes et une plage directement au pied du bateau.
Mais une grande plage sympa avec pleins de transat gratuits tout le long et également un accès gratuit aussi à une grande piscine avec transat aussi.
Pour ceux qui comme moi aime la plage c'est une escale très sympa avec une plage de sable et transats (bon un peu tous entassés mais bon..) et une belle mer bien chaude.
Possibilité de wifi gratuit à coté d'un bar à jus de fruit ou smoothie.
J'ai regretté de ne pas y retourner , nous avions prévu de nager avec les raies pour 25 dollars.
Pour cette escale , nous avons réservé (Joelle, Bernard, Monique , Henri et moi) l'excursion costa aux chuttes de Dunns en catamaran.
Excursion fort sympatique qui commence un peu dans "le bordel".
Organisation costa au départ un peu bordélique.
parcage dans des mini bus où il faut utiliser les strapontins.. car il manque de la place.
Mais bon cela nous fait sourire voir même en rire.
Idem à l'arrivée au catamaran..celui ci semble déjà bien plein ..et il n'y a plus de place sur les sièges où les gens sont déjà bien serrés.
On se dit que c'est un peu de l'arnaque de remplir comme ça à ce point.
Finalement on s'assoient par terre tout à l'avant du catamaran sur nos serviettes.. et après coup on se dira qu'on a les meilleures places !Nos jambes qui pendent à l 'extérieur du catamaran!
la navigation dure à peu près 45 min et nous voilà aux chutes.
Il faudra faire la queue pour avoir des bracelets et ceux qui veulent grimper se voient attribuer un guide.
Il n'y aura qu'Henri et moi (de notre petit groupe) qui tenteront l'escalade.Les autres prendront les escaliers
Alors qu'en dire? Qu'est ce qu'on a rigolé. Bon c'est pas facile.. Me suit même cogné la tête.
C'est vraiment sympa . Il ya beaucoup d'entraide car il y a des passages pas facile.
Mais je ne suis pas sportive et j'ai réussi donc quasiment tout le monde sans problème de santé avec de bonnes chaussures doivent y parvenir.
Ce fut un super moment.
Nous quittons l'escalade peu avant la fin pour rejoindre les autres , il y a quelques passages où l'ont peut rejoindre les escaliers.
Nous redescendrons par les escaliers directement la catamaran.
Joelle essaye de s'assoir sur les sièges qui étaient auparavant pris par un groupe d'italiens..à leur retour ils l’éjecteront manu militari..
Nous reprenons nos places tout devant.
Et la balade vers la plage fut fort sympathique avec quelques vagues. Nous avons bien rit.
Un verre de punch nous fut offert.
Nous arrivons ensuite sur une jolie petite plage "privée" avec un bar et des chaises longues.. ce fut d'ailleurs la ruée vers celles ci..Mais finalement il y en aura pour tout le monde.
Petite baignade et ensuite un verre de rhum au bar..
puis retour au bateau.
Ce fut finalement une très belle excursion ! Je recommande.
le rdv est pris comme d'habitude près de la réception.
Nous négocierons un tour local de l'ile en bus pour 15 dollards.
Mais c'est dimanche et tout est fermé.
La balade est plaisante , nous ferons plusieurs stop dont un au delphinarium (gratuit) où nous pourrons assister à quelques spectacles de dauphins et voir les gens nager avec eux.
A la fin du tour , le bus nous dépose sur une très belle plage à charge pour nous de retourner au bateau. cela coutera 5 dollards et c'est la ville qui organise les navettes donc aucune arnaque , le prix est fixe.
Que dire de l'escale: belle plage , belle mer.
les boutiques auraient été les mêmes que partout.. et là comme c'est dimanche c'est fermé.
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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 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,
I’m leaving Hamburg for Iceland at the end of July. The boat arrives in Reykjavik on Tuesday, August 4th at 8 AM, and I’d like to book a day trip like the Golden Circle or Secret Lagoon… The sites like GetYourGuide and others list departures at 8 AM. If you’ve used these sites with the MSC Preziosa, could you let me know how to go about it?
Thanks! 😉
allyMB007
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,
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!