Je suis une mordue du Royal Caribbean et nous envisageons une prochaine croisière, nouvelle compagnie, pour janvier 2009 sur le Gran Princess. Quelqu'un pourrait-il me dire comment se déroule le repas du soir. Sur le site de Princess, on mentionne le dïner traditionnel à heures fixes et un autre du genre "freestyle" aux mêmes heures. J'ai eu l'expérience "freestyle" avec Norvegian cet automne, expérience que j'ai détesté. J'aime particulièrement l'ambiance qui règne lors des dïners traditionnels, toujours les mëmes serveurs, quelques spectacles . Qu'advient-til du Gala du Capitaine, et la table est-elle mieux garnie que sur les Norvegian.
Vous avez détesté la formule "freestyle" pourquoi?
Le service, la nourriture, l'ambiance, etc.
Aline
Golden Princess, Pacific Coastal. Costa Luminosa, Europe du Nord. Celebrity Summit, Caraibes du Sud. Costa Déliziosa, Méditerranée occidentale. Carnival Liberty, Caraibes de l’Ouest
Norwegian Jade, Méditerranée. Crown Princess, Caraibes de l’Est. Norwegian Gem, Bahamas
je suis de Québec moi aussi..........j'étais sur le Norvegian Star, croisière sur la riviera mexicaine.
très ordinaire comme table, comme atmosphère. Les repas les plus agréables ont été ceux pour lesquels on devait débourser un supplément. Pas enchantée du tout, nous étions quatre amis et nous n'avons pas aimé, il faudrait qu'on m'en donne gratuitement et puis encore..........
Bonjour ma première croisière a été avec Royal Caribbean et nous avons bien aimé par contre mon mari trouvait que les déjeuner au buffet était répétitif, en novembre dernier nous avons fait une croisière avec Princess sur l'Emerald. Vraiment un coche de plus que Royal Caribbean a tout point de vue. La nourriture était supérieur au déjeuner il y avait toujours quelques mets différent chaque matin. Pour le repas du soir nous avions pris le deuxième service et encore une fois rien à redire. Le personnel sont toujours au petit oignon avec nous.
Un menu excellent très diversifié d'un soir à l'autre. Je n'ai jamais essayé le free style mais je crois que je n'aimerais pas. J'aime avoir le même serveur, ils connaissent nos habuitudes et de cette façon nous n'attendons jamais. Le personnel ne parle pas beaucoup français mais notre serveur le parlait un peu. Une personne ne doit pas s'arrêter à cela si elle ne parle pas français car elle aura toujours le moyen de se faire comprendre. Le menu et le journal de bord sont en anglais. Nous comptons bien en refaire une autre en novembre 2009 et se sera surement avec Princess. N'hésitez pas à me poser des questions si vous avez besoin de certaines informations.
Avec Princess, au moment de la réservation, vous devez choisir entre le service traditionnel à heure fixe ou le "Anytime". Une fois à bord, plusieurs personnes du traditionnel transfert sur le "Anytime" mais il est pratiquement impossible de faire le contraire. Pour avoir essayer les deux méthode, je dirais que lorsque je voyage en famille ou entre amis, le service traditionnel est plus simple (même serveur, même table) mais en couple, je préfère nettement le "Anytime" pour la flexibilité (heure, table, compagnon). C'est l'une des raisons qui fait que j'évite désormais RCI à moins qu'ils finissent par instaurer le même système, ce qui ne devrait pas tarder. J'ai aussi beaucoup aimé NCL pour le choix de resto payants ou non de disponible, dur à battre pour la variété.
Avec Princess au service traditionnel, à part la parade des gâteaux Alaska, il n'y a pas de parade de tout genre fait par les serveurs comme sur RCI, c'est beaucoup plus calme. Je suis aussi d'accord pour dire que la nourriture, surtout si vous aimez les produits de la mer, est de beaucoup supérieure à RCI (choix, variété, présentation).
Je crois que l'important est d'avoir le choix entre les deux service pour plaire à plus de gens possible. Ce que Princess et Holland on compris, RCI est en train de tester le "Freestyle" sur certains navires et si l'expérience est concluante, elle l'implantera à toute sa flotte.
bonjour
vous avez le choix entre la formule traditionnelle en 2 services et le freestyle ; nous préférons le systéme traditionnel car vous avez toujours les mêmes serveurs qui connaissent trés vite vos habitudes ; nous avions le 1er service mais avons du changer car il n'y a pas de table de 2 à ce restaurant et comme c'était notre aniversaire de mariage nous voulions être à 2 quite à faire des connaissances en dehors du diner ( nous apprécions beaucoup le savoir vivre de la clientéle américaine )
c'est une trés bonne compagnie un cran au dessus de rccl
Je revien d'une croisière sur le Grand Princess le 2 février 2008 et j'ai tellement aimé que j'ai réserver une autre croisière à bord du bâteau pour le 13 février 2009 avec encore le Grand Princess pour 14 jours.
Je peu vous dire que pour la première fois nous avons pris Freestyle et avons bien aimer il y a deux salles a manger Freestyle et jamais d'attente toujours un service impécable et surtout nous avons bien aimer changer de serveurs. Et la bouffe est très bonne je ne peu comparer Norwegian j'ai pris 5 fois Carnival et sa va être ma 3ième avec Princess.
A la salle a manger il y a un soir avec un petit spectacle.
Il y a aussi un Gala Capitaine et une soiée Capitaine avec buffet de minuit souvent au centrale de la piscine.
pour une 14 jours il y a 3 soirée formel.
Je sais une chose vous ne s'aurez pas déçu de Princess.
Pour l'heure du souper ces un choix personnel, nous nous avons décider encore une fois pour le freestyle pour 2009 nous avons adorée.
Si il y a d'autres questions que tu te pose ne te gêne pas.
Allo, que je suis contente d'avoir d'aussi bonnes nouvelles.............nous avons réservé vendredi, hier, notre croisière pour le 16 janvier prochain, 14 jours de F. Lauderdale. J'ai bien häte. C'est triste que vous n'ayez pas réservé pour le 16 janvier, c'est plaisant de faire des rencontres en voyage. Quelle sorte de chambre aviez-vous? on voulait se payer le luxe d'une mini-suite avec nos amis mais quand notre agent a voulu faire la réservation pour la chambre qu'on nous offrait, elle s'est aperçue que le sofa n'était pas double, ce qui nous donnait un lit double, un sofa simple et un lit au-dessus du sofa, on ne se voyait vraiment pas dans ce lit, alors on a laissé tomber. Vue sur la mer ne m'attirait pas car d'après la photo, la fenëtre se trouve au-dessus du lit, alors je me dis qu'on ne verra pas grand chose à moins de grimper sur le lit, puis avec balcon, nous avons considéré les heures d'arrivée sur le bateau quand on est sur les ïles, la préparation de notre soirée, le souper, alors aussi bien profiter des ponts. On sera sur cabine intérieure pont Baja, en arrière, pour monter à l'étage où se trouve la belle petite piscine que je voyais l'automne dernier quand j'étais sur le Norvegian .Par contre, si jamais il y a des spéciaux qui s'annoncent sur le site de Princess pour ce qu'on voulait, car l'agence a bouclé puisieurs chambres pour avoir un meilleur prix, ce qui fait qu'on prend ce qu'il y a, je peux communiquer avec mon agent pour vérification et changement. Est-ce que sur l'étage des chambres il y a des endroits où on peut
jouer aux cartes ou s'il faut monter sur les ponts. Sur le RCL on en avait, on y allait en pyjama le soir.
Avez-vous trouver que le prix était meilleur en réservant directement sur le bateau plutöt qu'avec votre agence de voyage? Quand vous reveniez des ïles, est-ce qu'on vous confisque la boisson achetée, jusqu'à la fin du voyage. Et les fruits de mer il y en a beaucoup? J'aime bien vous lire alors si je pense à des questions, je me réfère à vous. Merci et Joyeuses Päques.
Bien contente pour vous pour cette belle croisière que vous allez faire en 2009 vous faite les même îles que nous.
La croisière que nous avons fait sur le Grand Princess le 2 février 2008 nous avions pris un balcon....nous avions eu un rabais le prix d'une fenêtre pour le prix d'un balcon nous étions sur le pont Baja et nous avons bien aimer notre expérience d'un balcon, nos amis avait une cabine juste a côté de nous alors nous avons laisser les portes du balcon ouvert toute la semaine et avons commander du café le matin et pris des drinks a notre balcon.
Pour la prochaine encore sur le Grand Princess nous avions réserver une chambre en garantie avec vue obstruée et depuis vendredi nous avons optée pour un balcon nous allons être sur le pont Aloha et nos amis aussi. Même si nous sommes pas souvent dans nos chambres j'apprécie beaucoup la détente d'un balcon...j'aime dormir la porte ouverte avec le bruit des vagues...ces vraiment une sensation formidable. Mes ces toujours un choix tout le monde qui ont fait des croisière mon dit si tu te paye un balcon un jour tu va avoir de la misère a revenir à une fenêtre et ces vraiment vrai...ces magique.
Vous savez sa ne veut pas dire que votre chambre avec fenêtre aurait été en haut du lit....j'ai fait une croisière sur le Sun Princess en 2007 avec fenêtre et les photos démontrait que la fenêtre était au dessus du lit...et ces faut le lit n'était pas coller.
Vous savez vous avez pris une chambre intérieur et vous pouvez vous faire upgrade si vous avez pris une chambre en garantie alors vous pouvez vous retrouvez avec une chambre vue fenêtre et même un balcon.
Nous avons réserver notre croìsière sur le bâteau ces beaucoup plus avantageux nous avions seulement un dépot de 100$ par personne a donner et le dépot est bon pendant 4 ans et nous avons eux droit à un crédit de 100$ par personne. Et en plus un crédit à bord de 50$ par personnes pour les drinks ou autres.
Vous savez il y a une piscine avec un dôme et ces vraiment tranquille pour ceux qui veulent ce reposer et une piscine centrale avec de la musique et plus de mouvements et une à l'arrière du bâteau qui a une vue magnifique.
Pour les jeux et cartes j'ai vue des gens qui jouer sur les tables du Horizon Court et à l'arrière du bâteau à la piscine. Mes je ne sais pas si il y a d'autre place pour les cartes.
Si vous voulez des robes de chambres faut que vous les mentionner a votre personne qui fait la chambre il va vous amener 2 et ces gratuit pour toute la semaine.
Nous partons toujours une journée avant la croisière et dormons à l'Hôtel la vieille et allons s'acheter du vin pour notre cabine...pour l'instant nous avons pas eu de problème d'avoir amener 2 bouteille dans nos valise. Je sais que vous pouvez vous en acheter sur les îles et il les mettent de côter jusqu'a la fin du voyage. Mes sa je n'ait pas fait l'expérience sur un île.
Pour ce qui est de la bouffe oui il y a beaucoup de fruit de mer sur le bâteau a chaque souper vous pouvez avoir un coktail de crevette et il y a toujours un soir de grosse langoustes et souper de crabes...que nous demandons 2 assiettes à chaques fois. Les repas sont vraiment bon et les déjeuner aussi et diner.
Vous savez aussi il y a un mini-putt sur le bâteau.
Nous avons bien hâte de retourner à Aruba..que j'adore..ces une belle île avec beaucoup de cactus et avec un beau desert et Curacao resemble aussi à Aruba avec ces maisons colorées.
Vous parter avant nous alors vous pourrez me donner vos commentaires.
Vivre les croisière pour nous faire découvrir des îles superbe.
Bonjour Shitzu, en comparaison avec RCI, il faut absolument monter aux ponts supérireurs pour jouer aux cartes. Mais un gros plus pour Princess, il y a des buanderettes en libre-service à chaques deux étages. Très pratiques lorsque l'on fait de longues croisière. Princess ne confisque pas la boisson lors des retours d'escales contrairement à RCI et comme les frigos sont vides, vous pouvez y mettre ce que vous voulez. Je confirme qu'il y a beaucoup plus de poissons et fruits de mer sur Princess versus RCI. Pour les amateurs, il ne faut pas manquer leurs fameux buffet fruits de mer et la soirée pattes de crabes sans oublier celle du homard. Vous ne devriez pas être déçu.
Tous, nous partons avec le Gran Princess de Fort Lauderdale le 2 janvier 2009 et nous allons arriver probablement le 31 décembre, est-ce que vous connaissez…
Pour mon prochain voyage à Madagascar en novembre, je souhaiterai faire une croisière sur le canal des Pangalanes. Nous avons une proposition de 3 jours et 2…
Quelques photos de l’explora journey le bateau est magnifique et je confirme la restauration digne des restaurants étoilés et on a le choix entre plusieurs…
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
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,
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!