La croisiére débute le 22 Septembre à Marseille. Les escales sont : Savone, Rome, palerme, Palma de Maillorque, valence et Marseille.Les excursions proposées au catalogue de Costa sont trés chéres, aussi je voudrais savoir si d'autres voyageurs ayant réalisé cette croisiére ont organisé eux meme leur visite à chaque escale et quelles sont les visites interresantes à réaliser pour chacune d'elle à part Rome ou il n'y a que l'embarras du chois pour découvrir la ville en un jour.
La visite autour de Savone est difficile à organiser. Est-il possible de partir par bateau de Savone vers Portofino et revenir dans le temps imparti de 8h à 19heures?
Pour Palerme l'escale ne dure que 7 heures de midi à 19heures, donc seule la visite de la ville s'impose je pense!
Merci
Je fais la même croisiere fin octobre pouvez vous me donner des informations sur les excursions
Palerme bus ou taxi ou autres
idem Savone et Palma
Pour Rome pas de pb je prends le train et je connais
Pour Valence que doit on faire
Bonjour
Pour Palerme nous avions organisé notre excursion avant d'arriver au Port. Le port se situe dans la ville, à la sortie du port on est abordé par toutes sortes de transporteurs: taxi, voyagistes, chevaux qui sont prés à négocier votre excrusion!
Nous voulions visiter Montreale qui se situe à une 10km du port. Nous n'avions peu de temps puisque noius débarquions vers 13h heures et il fallait etre de retour pour 17h30.? Aussi nous avons pris la décision d'aller diretement à Montréale dés le débarquement en utilisant les transports en commun. Nous avons pris le bus 104( je crois?) qui nous amene à la pilace de l'indépendanca, de la nous avons pris le bus 389 qui fait le trajet vers Monréale. Nous n'avons pas eu de chance, ce dernier bus est tombé en panne, il a fallu attendre le bus suivant qui est lui méme tombé en panne dans la derniére cote!! Ces bus sont à bout de souffle! Nous avons pu toutefois arriver à Monréale au bout d'une heure et demi. Il ne faut pas manquer cela, ça vaut le voyage. Pour le retour nous avons repris le bus 389 qui n'a pas eu de probléme. De Montreale, il a des taxis qui proposent le trajet Montreale Palerme pour 5€/ personne avec un minimum de 4 personnes!
Ensuite le bus vous dépose sur la place de l'Indépendance et a pied nous avons regagné le port en déambulant le long de la rue principale Victorio Emmanuelle ou de part et d'autres se trouvent les sites à visiter.
A partir de Savone nous voulions aller à Portofiono et là le plus simple à mon sens, est de prendre la proposition de Costa à 62€/personne!
A Palma, on peu trés bien se débrouiller seul. A la sortie du port(400m) le bus vous améne au centre ville, nous nous sommes arretés proche de la cathédrale: on visite la cathédrale et tout le centre ancien se trouve à promimité, les places et rues commercantes ne sont pas loin non plus.
A Valence il pleuvait! mais l'entrée du port est assez loin du quai d'accostage(au
moins 1 km), ensuite il faut encore marcher pour prendre le bus.. nous avons pris une excursion proposée par Costa à 44€, le guide était trés bon, il pleuvait donc nous n'avons pas regretté cette solution. A Valence on nous a fait visiter les nouveaux batiments construits (beton et verre)sur l'ancienne riviére qui traversait Valence, c'est assez cremarquable, enuite nous avons visiter un musée consacré aux " Fallas". Ensuite nous avons visté le marché couvert de Valence( le plus grand d'Europe soit disant!), la cathédrale et d'autres batiments anciens assez remarquables.
Merci Bernard pour ces informations
Je vais finaliser mon itinéraire avec ces renseignements.
Sur le SERENA les restaurants sont ils tous identiques (à ton le choix?) ? Votre avis sur les forfaits boissons proposés ?
Sur le SERENA, il y a de nombreux restaurants. On va vous en affecter un pour aller diner. On mange trés bien, le choix des menus est varié, les portions ne sont pas trés copieuses mais nombreuses, on peut manger de nombreux plats. Le dernier soir, pour gouter aux spécialités proposées j'ai été servi 6 fois. Vous n'étes pas obliger d'aller manger à ce restaurant! Il y a de nombreux selfs ouverts du matin au soir ou l'on peut se restaurer, c'est plus rapide!
Il y a aussi des restaurants plus gastronomiques ou il faut payer!
En fait on a le choix de l'endroit ou l'on se restaure. Quand vous rentrez d'excursion dans la journée, vous ne pourrez aller qu'aux self services.
Les boissons alcollisées et meme l'eau en bouteille sont chéres. Le verre de vin à table c'est de l'ordre de 6€, la bouteille de vin de l'ordre de 22€. Par contre on peut acheter une bouteille de vin et si elle n'est pas terminée on vous la ressert au diner suivant, mais seulement au restaurant du diner qu'on vous a affecté!
Il y a la solution all-inclusive de l'ordre de 21€/ personne/jour c'est à dire: 21*2*7= 294€ ou vous pouvez consommer toute la journée à n'importe quel bar du bateau!
Personnellement j'ai choisi de prendre un verre de vin au diner, les propositions de vins sont nombreuses et on peut adapter le vin aux plats consommés. Je me suis régalé avec le Rislingt à 5€ le verre, sachant que Costa préléve une taxe supplémentaire de 15% sur les consommations!
Cordialement
Sur le SERENA, il y a de nombreux restaurants. On va vous en affecter un pour aller diner. On mange trés bien, le choix des menus est varié, les portions ne sont pas trés copieuses mais nombreuses, on peut manger de nombreux plats. Le dernier soir, pour gouter aux spécialités proposées j'ai été servi 6 fois. Vous n'étes pas obliger d'aller manger à ce restaurant! Il y a de nombreux selfs ouverts du matin au soir ou l'on peut se restaurer, c'est plus rapide!
Il y a aussi des restaurants plus gastronomiques ou il faut payer!
En fait on a le choix de l'endroit ou l'on se restaure. Quand vous rentrez d'excursion dans la journée, vous ne pourrez aller qu'aux self services.
Les boissons alcollisées et meme l'eau en bouteille sont chéres. Le verre de vin à table c'est de l'ordre de 6€, la bouteille de vin de l'ordre de 22€. Par contre on peut acheter une bouteille de vin et si elle n'est pas terminée on vous la ressert au diner suivant, mais seulement au restaurant du diner qu'on vous a affecté!
Il y a la solution all-inclusive de l'ordre de 21€/ personne/jour c'est à dire: 21*2*7= 294€ ou vous pouvez consommer toute la journée à n'importe quel bar du bateau!
Personnellement j'ai choisi de prendre un verre de vin au diner, les propositions de vins sont nombreuses et on peut adapter le vin aux plats consommés. Je me suis régalé avec le Rislingt à 5€ le verre, sachant que Costa préléve une taxe supplémentaire de 15% sur les consommations!
Cordialement
Bernard
Un grand merci pour toutes ces informations précises et qui vont nous être très utiles
Il ne nous reste plus qu'à souhaiter une météo agréable.
Nous aussi excursion seul en prennant le train
Navette gratruite Port <-> Gare
Train 1h environ tarif A:R 9e/p (metro et bus Rome compris) àprendre aller train vers 9h retour train 16h
Visite ensuite très facile
Arrivée gare Termini et metro jusqu'à Coliseo ou à pieds 2km
- Coliseo/forum et marche Piazza Savone, Piazza Spagna, Pantheon , fontaine TRivi (faire itinéraire pieton sur Google map environ 4,5km)
- Après midi Vatican
retour Gare San Pietro
Attention la navette gratuite vous emmène à la sortie du port mais pas devant la gare, il faut compter 10/15 minutes de marche pour rejoindre la gare.
Costa Magica Avril 2008-Norwegian Jade Avril 2010-MSC Sinfonia Août 2011-MSC Splendida Avril 2012-Costa Serena Novembre 2012-MSC Sinfonia Octobre 2013-Costa Serena Octobre 2014-Costa Pacifica Octobre 2016-Costa Diadema Octobre 2017- MSC Opéra Octobre 2018
nous sommes rentrés hier de cette croisière
nous avions pris le forfait all inclusive et nous en avons été très contents (cappicino, eaux, l'apéro , un peu de vin à table... ça monte assez vite)
dans l'ensemble nous avons très bien mangé , un souci (table 131 restaurant vesta) nous étions trop près du "comptoir" où ils disposent les plateaux , débarrassent les assiettes ..(
ce qui fait beaucoup de bruit et nos amis assis en bout de table devaient régulièrement pencher la tête pour éviter les lourds plateaux qui passent sans arrêt)
Un soir nous sommes allés dîner au restaurant club , c'est délicieux , très bien présenté , ambiance feutrée et le menu ne coûte que 25 € , bonne expérience
pour les excursions : Rome : nous avons pris l'excursion "Rome en liberté" à 29€ , le car vous dépose devant la basilique Saint-Pierre où nous avons pris le bus touristique rouge à 15 € (, comme on monte et descend quand on veut on peut choisir ses points d'intérêts)
A Palerme le port est dans la ville , à la sortie nous avons pris un taxi pour 6 , c'était 120 au départ mais on a négocié pour 100€, nous avons été ravis, il a commencé par aller sur la colline à Montepelligrini, la route est bordée de milliers de figuiers , on y a un beau point de vue et l'église de la patronne de Palerme est très spéciale car dans une grotte
puis nous sommes descendus sur Palerme , le chauffeur nous a servi de guide (en italien mais nous avions un ami qui le parlait) on descendait quand on voulait , photos, prendre une glace en brioche (à la gelateria au début de la rue du petit marché)
A Palma, Valence et Marseille nous avons chaque fois pris la navette Corsa à 9 € car le port est chaque fois assez éloigné du centre
A Palma et Valence nous avons également pris les bus touristiques rouges
Attention à Marseille il y a énormément de travaux , je ne pense pas que ce soit très intéressant de prendre une excursion organisée
Bonjour,
Pour la journée à Rome c'est assez facile d'organiser sa propre excursion sans passer par les propositions de Costa qui sont chéres.
A partir du quai de débarquement à Civitavecchia, il y a une navette gratuite qui vous amene proche de la gare, il reste à faire 300 à 400m à pied.
A cette gare nous avons acheté les billets aller-retour pour Rome, de plus nous avons pris à cette même gare deux billets pour le Roma Christiana. Roma Christiana est l'un des nombreux opérateurs qui font découvrir Rome à partir de bus à impériale avec une aide auditive qui commente le trajet. On peut descendre et reprendre le bus toute la journée. L'enesmble des 4 billets: 2 fois Rome Civitechhia et 2 fois Rome en bus touristique coute 22+38=60€.
Nous avions pris les billets de train pour la gare de Termini, en fait nous avons descendu à la gare de Saint Pierre qui est avant et qui permet de gagner un quart d'heure de trajet. A partir de la place Saint Pierre on monte dans le bus Roma Christina. On a interet à arriver au plustot place St Pierre , il y a encore peu de monde pour prendre le bus, on peut avoir de bonnes places en avant du bus. A partir de là nous avons fait un tour complet de Rome(1heure et demie), ce qui nous a permis de choisir le quartier à partir duquel nous allions visiter à pied.Pantheon, place Navona, Fontaine de Trévie, Place d'Espagne, place du Popolo.
De la nous avons pris le petit bus electrique qui nous a ramené vers le Colissée. Visite du Colisée et des alentours.
De là nous étions assez fatigués nous avons repris le Roma Christina qui nous a conduit en 30mn environ à la place Saint Pierre.
Aprés avoir admiré encore cet espace que nous connaissions déja , retour à pied vers la gare San Pietro( 10 à15mn)
A la gare de Civitavecchia on nous avez remis les horaires des trains rapides pour le retour à partir de Termini ou San Pietro.
L'inconvénient de partir de San Pietro est que le train en provenance de Termini est déja bondé, il a fallu faire une grande partie du tajet debout. A noter que le train a eu 30 mn de retard, aussi il faut être prudent sur les horaires de retour!
Nous allons mon épouse et moi faire la même croisière du 10 novembre, l'inconvénient majeur pour faire une excursion privée est la manipulation de la langue. J'ai personnellement eu cette expérience auparavant. Donc, il se préparer à l'avance avec des "questions" ou bien se préparer à l'aide de google. Qu'en pensez-vous?
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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 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
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
Hi there,
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this cruise and its slightly unusual itinerary.
Also, what do you think about the price?
Good deal or too expensive?
Thanks
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!