mes enfants partent sur le Bleu de France le le 3 octobre, je voulais savoir si des personnes sont allées a Palerme et que faut il visiter? ainsi que Olbia? je ne peut pas les aider, je ne connais pas du tout ces escales😊
Merci pour vos réponses
Brigitte
ils vont se regaler !! sur ce bateau qui reste a taille humaine non pas une usine a touristes
j 'ai fais cette croisiere en juillet
a olbia rien d 'extra faire l 'excursion du bateau "cote esmeralda" le cote ouest de la sardaigne avec petits villages tres jolis et ses decoupes de cotes
Palerme il existe aussi l 'excursion d 'un petit village de pecheurs"Cefalu " que je n 'ai pas fait je preferais me balader dans parlerme afin de voir la cathedrale et le palais des normands magnifique mais c 'est tout car la ville rien de bien beau je dirais meme tres sale et tres bruyante je regrette meme de ne pas avoir fais l 'excursion car d 'apres les dire des autres passager c 'etait super car ils ont eu aussi un moment sur la plage pour la detente mais en juillet il faisait tres chaud
en tout cas ce qu'il y a de bien c 'est que le bareau est tjs amarer pres du centre vile sauf a Tunis le port est a une dizaines de kms il faut prendre un taxi qui reviens moins cher que l 'excursion mais faire attention au temps car l 'escale est tres courte !!!!!
si vous avez besoin de renseignements sur le bateau n 'hesitez pas
Marie
En ce qui concerne Olbia, nous avions visité avec MSC le petit port de Porto Cervo, tres joli repaire pour miliardaires. Ce village a été pensé et déssiné pour un programme immobilier touristique de l'Agha Khan, c'est la première fois que nous avons vu une aussi grosse concentration de Ferrari (80 au moins ) de toutes les couleurs stationnées devant les yatchs de meme envergure😄,
Très jolies boutiques , mais un simple café 4 fois plus cher que sur le bateau 😛
En souhaitant une tres belle croisière a vos enfants, bien amicalement. MC
nous sommes voisins😉, je suis de Cagnes sur mer
merci pour vos renseignements, c'est vrai qu'ils n'ont jamais prit ce bateau, ils ont prit le splendida, et ma fille a un peu peur que ça bouge de trop, mais ce qu'il y a de bien c'est que tout est compris (boissons etc..;)je vais leur dire de prendre l'excursion "cote esmaralda" pour Olbia, quand à Palerme je vais peut être leur conseiller de faire aussi une excursion si ce n'est pas trop cher.
quand aux infos sur le bateau, je les voit ce soir, je vais leur demander si ils ont des questions a poser, et je me permettrais de revenir vers vous.
merci encore
A bientot
Brigitte
merci aussi pour vos renseignements, comme je disais a Marie, Alicia a peur que cela bouge un peu trop, car elle attend un bébé (elle est de trois mois) je vais être grand mère😉😉😉
comme elle a toujours prit des bateaux un peu gros sauf le coral, ou il y a eu une tempete enorme et là elle a eu peur, elle craint les petits bateaux, elle aime beaucoup l'ambiance, mais elle n'aime pas quand la mer bouge de trop, j'essaye de voir ce qu'elle peut visiter sans trop se fatiguer tout en profitant pleinement de sa croisière, j'ai entendu parler du Bleu de France, et apparemment il y a toujours de bons echos sur ce bateau.
j'ai l'impression qu'ils faut qu'ils prennent les excursions pour Olbia et Palerme si ils ont envie de voir quelque chose, , il y a aussi Malte, Tunis, et Ibiza et là pas de problème ils l'ont déja fait.
je vais essayer de regarder les excursions proposées, par croisières de France et surtout les prix.
A très bientot
Amicalement
Brigitte
En voila une bonne nouvelle j'ai eu Alicia hier mais elle ne m'a pas parlé de cet heureux évenement, un futur croisièriste, toutes nos félicitations , nous ne connaissons pas le BdF mais il est vrai qu'on lit toujours de bons commentaires, il n'y a pas de raison que cela bouge énormement surtout quand on a connu le Coral je pense qu'on est vaccinés😄.
Malte nous aimons aussi y faire escale et la on peut facilement se promener a pied, Ibiza également.
oui elle m'a dit qu'elle vous avez eu au téléphone, mais elle n'a pas osé vous en parler sur son lieu de travail, ( son patron le sait) mais quand je lui ai dit que j'étais avec vous sur voyage forum, elle m'a dit de vous le dire, et oui cela fera un croisieriste ou une croisièriste de plus😉😉 car vu qu'ils aiment beaucoup les croisières, je pense que tout petit ils vont l'amener avec eux sur les bateaux, et si ils ont confiance je pourrais moi aussi l'amener en croisière😉😉 avec le futur papi😛 encore plein de croisières en perspective😉😎😎
en tout les cas je ne manquerais pas de vous informer dès qu'ils rentreront de croisières, de leurs impressions sur ce bateau.
En attendantje vais me documenter pour les excursions.
Je crois que pour vous cela avance a grand pas, je ne me rappelle plus a quelle date vous partez?
A bientot
Brigitte
Les enfants adorent les croisières et c'est pour eux une facon bien agréable de découvrir le monde cela remplace les lecons de Geographie et d'histoire, ma petite fille a fait plusieurs croisières et même loupé parfois quelques jours d'ecole tant quelle était en primaire, au retour elle devait présenter a sa classe le CR de son voyage, si bien que tous les jours elle notait tout ce quelle visitait et apportait ses impressions.
Malheureusement comme nous profitons des périodes en dehors des vacances scolaires pour partir et que maintenant elle est au collège, ce n'est plus possible de lui faire manquer l'école.
Ce qui est formidable c'est que nous avons les petits enfants pour le plaisir😄 les parents étant la pour jouer leur rôle.
Nous partons le 3 novembre 9 jours a bord de l'Orchestra direction le Portugal, avec 2 escales que nous ne connaissons pas ( Cadix et Lisbonne)
et le 29 Novembre pour 12 jours nous reprenons le Fantasia pour la meme croisière qu'en Décembre 2009 les Canaries , en esperant pouvoir visiter Funchal car en Décembre 2009 les excursions avaient ete annulées pour cause de pluies diluviennes et coulées de boue.
Par contre cette fois ci l'escale Lanzarote est remplacée par Casablanca😕 donc je pense que nous resterons à bord ce jour la et profiterons du bateau.
En lisant les différentes discussions, j'ai vu ton pseudo et je me suis dit avant d'entrer dans ta discussion, elle repart !!!
Non, ce le tour de tes enfants et donc je vais agrémenté de photos ta discussion pour découvrir ces deux escales.
OLBIA : Comme tu le sais, cette ville de 50.000 habitants se situe en SARDAIGNE.
😉cette ville fait face aux îles de Tavolara et de Molara. Olbia est la quatrième ville de l’ile et bénéficie d’une industrie et d’un commerce florissants. Bordant le port, la ville est à 4 km de l’aéroport d’Olbia Costa Smeralda. On se réjouis de faire ses emplettes sans stress ni voitures dans les deux légendaires rues commerciales la Corso Umberto qui commence au port, et la Viale Aldo Moro. Le mardi et le samedi, jours du marché, attirent toujours un grand nombre de personnes à Olbia et donnent un aperçu intéressant de la vie quotidienne des citadins. On y trouve des stands de fleurs, de légumes, de fruits, de fromages et de charcuterie comme des produits artisanaux typiquement sardes. Pour les connaisseurs : en Sardaigne, Olbia est renommée centre gastronomique des moules. Ces dernières sont issues de la baie platte d’Olbia. À Olbia, les deux rues commerciales principales, la Viale Aldo Moro et la Corso Umberto proposent une multitude de magasins de souvenirs, de boutiques de mode, de magasins de chaussures etc. On trouvere diverses boutiques dans le petit port de Porto Rotondo. Porto Cervo séduit par ses boutiques de marques telles que Gucci, Versace, Roberto Cavalli, Louis Vuitton etc. Cannigione, Palau, Santa Teresa di Gallura et l’île d’Isola Rossa disposent de petites rues commerciales proposant différents magasins de vêtements, de chaussures et de souvenirs.
Ils ne seront pas déçu de cette escale très typique. Il faut voir ce que la compagnie propose comme excursion mais comme les environs sont attirants par les bords de mer et de côtes, un taxi suffira amplement pour aller plus loin.
PALERME :
Superbe et grande ville, des possibilités sympas à faire par soi-même car le port juxtapose la ville donc à découvrir à pieds, en calèche ou en taxi.....
Plus grande ville de 675.000 habitants
Brigitte, ce site leur donnera une idée des visites possibles.
c'est vrai que les enfants aiment les croisières, quand mes filles étaient plus jeunes on partait tout les quatres, et elles s'amusaient beaucoup, elles se faisaient pleins de copains et de copines, je ne les voyaient que pour le dejeuner de midi et du soir, nous leur avons donné le virus des croisières😉, et maintenant elles l'on transmis à leurs maris, et bientot a leurs propres enfants.
c'est vrai que je me fais une joie d'avoir un petit fils ou une petites fille ( ils ne sont pas encore sur du sexe😉) c'est le premier petit enfant, et j'espère qu'ils y en aura d'autres😉😉😉
cela va être chargé pour le mois de Novembre, vous allez vous régaler en croisière, en plus il y a de très belles escales (cadix, Lisbonne, les canaries) que nous ne connaissons pas du tout, mais on va attendre un peu, que mon mari soit à la retraite, en attendant je regarde tout les jours les personnes qui partent et cela me fait un peu rêver😎
très bonne journée a vous aussi
Bien Amicalement
brigite
ouah.........................c'est magnifique tes photos, Olbia et palerme non pas de secret pour toi😉😉 et non ce n'est pas pour moi🙁 c'est pour ma fille et son mari, comme tu le sais ils ont déjà fait des croisières, mais Olbia et Palerme il n'y sont jamais allés.
je n'ai plus besoin de chercher comme une malade sur les sites, tu m'a tout montré et tout expliqué, je n'ai plus qu'a montré aux enfants ce soir , c'est super car je vois qu'ils ne sont pas obligés de prendre les excursions, ils peuvent faire tout par eux m^me ça limite les frais d'excursions, juste prendre un taxis ou bien en calèche c'est vraiment super......🙂
Vraiment JC tu es une mine d'informations pour nous, je te remercie encore pour tout, et je dirais a mes enfants de faire des photos pour pouvoir les mettrent sur le site, car je sais que tu aimes les photos😉😄😉😄
A bientot
Brigitte
😉😉Cela fait toujours plaisir de pouvoir rendre service et notamment sur ce que nous aimons. Avec plaisir pour les photos car un endroit, un lieu peut changer au bout de 3 à 4 ans.
Pour l'instant rien de prévue, on aimerais bien partir au mois de mai, mais j'attends la super promo😉 en plus la mediterrannéé on la fait plusieurs fois, donc cela va etre difficile de trouver un coin que l'on ne connait pas, bien sur il y en a des plus longues de 12 jours comme les Canaries, Casablanca, etc... ou l'autre cotè comme Egypte , israel, chypre etc... mais il faut être à la retraite et comme ce n'est pas le cas pour mon mari on attend😠
Et toi pas de croisières en vue?
A bientot
Brigitte
Cette année pas de croisière car il fallait finir l'extérieur de la maison (pool house, dalles de piscine, jardin et déco) de façon à en faire profiter la famille et les amis. Je suis comme toi dans une région ou le taux d'ensoleillement n'est pas négligeable. Donc, nous avons voulu finir cet environnement qui est bien agréable lorsqu'on reçoit du monde.
Nous avons décidé de faire une croisière mais en septembre 2011. Nous avons réservé avec un couple d'amis de la Country, de leur faire vivre leur première croisière et ensuite de revoir le trajet réalisé en 2008, sur le Victoria. Mais, là, nous ferons le même circuit avec l'Atlantica. Une petite différence, nous ferons escale à CIVITAVECCHIA au lieu de NAPLES et SANTORIN a été supprimé (dommage). Donc, cet itinéraire que nous avons apprécié, nous permettra de redécouvrir Istanbul, la mer noire et l'Ukraine. Celle-ci est programmée le 19/09 et fait 13 jours.
Puis, il va y avoir nos 40 ans de mariage, en 2012 et là, j'ai une idée d'offrir à ma femme un circuit dans fjords.......
Voilà, pour la suite, nous souhaitons aussi faire celle de Dubaï, et pourquoi une vers l'Argentine t le Brésil. En Méditerranée, il me reste à découvrir MALTE, sinon le tour est fait. De l'autre coté, Gibraltar, Maroc, Portugal, les Canaries, je connais pour y être passé souvent lors de mes retour d'Afrique.
Je te souhaite de préparer la prochaine aussi bien que tu as fait ton CR sur ta dernière croisière = impeccable.
Nous avons reserve avec le bleu de france pour une croisiere en mediteranee du 12 avril au 19 avril (marseille, Barcelone, Palma, Malaga, Gilbaltar, Ajaccio).…
Nous venons de réserver pour la première fois sur ce bateau, nous aimerions avoir beaucoup d'info surtout sur les escales barcelone cagliari, palerme merci à…
Nous venons de reserver une croisière sur le Bleu de France du 22 au 28 Aout 2010. C'est la croisière "Bella Vita" de la compagnie Croisière de France. Si vous…
Nous partons le 15 aout pour un croisiere sur le bleu de france, je suis a la rechere d'info pour le theme des soirées ainsi que sur les escales notament…
Hello!
After a lot of hesitation between different cruise lines (Explora, Oceania, YC, HAL, NCL) and several destinations like Norway, Ireland, and Iceland,
I finally chose NCL’s Star for Iceland.
I had already looked at this itinerary when I went to Scotland in April with CFC, but it was really expensive.
You should know that CFC often offers last-minute deals 45 days before departure (the point when you can no longer cancel or modify).
So, I got a great opportunity and grabbed it.
Departure is on August 23rd.
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 2027 cruise schedule.
It’s a great way to get ideas and maybe even meet up with other members!
2 essential rules:
1) Never "quote" the schedule when replying—this avoids any confusion.
2) Follow this format:
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 about that. IMPORTANT Please respect the templates!
PLEASE COPY AND PASTE THE FORMAT BELOW AND REPLACE WITH YOUR DETAILS IF YOU’RE HAVING TROUBLE
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 2027 CRUISES: 1
JANUARY
14/01 - poupou10 / AZAMARA JOURNEY / 74 days / South America Tour / Miami
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
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
We’re taking an MSC cruise in May, and after the Cinque Terre, we’ll be stopping in Naples. We’d like to know if it’s possible to walk out of the port quickly and reach a nice area of Naples on foot (we’re two older people). While we’re at it, I’ll ask the same question for Palermo, since we’ll be there the next day. Thanks for your replies.
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
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.
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
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Hi there,
I'm looking at a cruise in the north.
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!
