Je reviens tout juste de la croisière Liberty of the seas (15 au 22 juillet) au départ de Toulon. Voici un petit compte-rendu si cela peut vous être utile. L'embarquement à Toulon est effectivement très facile puisque nous sommes seulement 200 à embarquer. La plupart des gens parlent français. Le bateau est l'un des plus récent et plus gros. Nous n'avons pas eu le temps de tout visiter les bars, boutiques, salles de spectacles, gym, spa, piscines, patinoire, restaurants, arcade, salles pour enfants etc.. Tous les employés sont charmants, la nourriture est excellente et le service est impeccable. Quelques employés parlent français et les gens qui embarquent à Toulon ont un accueil spécialisé fait en français. Nous avons mangé à tous les jours au Jade-Windjammer qui est le buffet situé au pont 11. Le dîner est dans un des restaurants haut de gamme mais nous ne voulions pas perdre deux heures de notre temps.
Tout est du style américain, nous sommes québécois alors c'était à notre habitude. Notre chambre était au pont 6, au dessus de la promenade du pont 5. Il y a environ une cinquantaine d'activités à faire sur le bateau à chaque jour. C'est impensable de toutes les faire après une journée en excursion. Les gens se couchent tôt, c'est le moment idéal pour aller se baigner, écouter un film. Tout est d'une simplicité sur ce bateau, aucun stress à y avoir (même pour une personne angoissée comme moi!). Nous avons eu beaucoup de vagues la première et la dernière journée. Ca tangue beaucoup parfois, attention au mal de mer. Nous avions acheté des patchs de croisière...fortement déconseillés!!! J'ai eu tous les effets secondaires inimaginables. Le cabinet de médecin du bateau m'a engueulé, je l'ai retiré sur le champ. Ils offrent gratuitement des caplets qui ressemblent à des gravols. Un guide d'information vous est donné dans votre chambre à tous les jours. Une carte de la ville y est souvent insérée. Les excursions s'achètent facilement sur la promenade du pont 5. Le matin de l'excursion, nous avons un point de rassemblement, un numéro d'excursion bien indiqué sur les autobus au port.
Lundi: Villefranche: Village magnifique!! Le bateau n'acoste pas sur sa rive, une petite navette passe aux dix minutes (gratuite). Nous avons pris l'excursions Nice et Cannes on your own. La majorité des gens vont à Monaco ou Monte-Carlo. Nice est très beau, Cannes un peu moins.
Mardi: Livourne: Immense port, au moins une demie-heure à pied pour en sortir. Ville peu intéressante. Nous avons pris l'excursion Florence on your own. Nous avions été conseillé qu'à Pise, il n'y a que la tour à voir et que le train pour se rendre de nous-mêmes à Florence était compliqué. Peut-être que ce n'est pas le cas...Pour se rendre à Florence, vous traversez la toscane avec ses petites villages, ses vignes!! Florence est vraiment magnifique. Notre guide était géniale, nous avons eu six heures de libre dans la ville ce qui est amplement suffisant pour tout voir. Nous avons vu la basilique Santa-Maria des Fiore (el Duomo), la piazza Santa Croce, le palazzio Vecchio, el mercato centrale, la galleria degli Uffizi, la piazza de la signoria, le ponte vecchio et la piazzale michelangelo. La ville est toutefois bondée de touristes et portez absolument de bons souliers. Les rues sont en pavés creusés par l'âge et bougent sous tes pieds. J'avais les chevilles enflées! J'ai tellement vu des femmes porter de petites sandales ou des gougounes/babouches/tongs qui n'ont pas pu tout visiter. Évidemment, si vous voulez entrer dans les galleries (degli Uffizi ou dell Accademia) ou entrer dans la basilique, acheter vos billets en ligne auparavant. C'est des heures d'attente. Les vendeurs de souvenirs dans les marchés à ciel ouvert sont harcelants, agressifs! J'ai dû crier NO!! et me débattre pour qu'ils me lâchent. Ils te retiennent par le bras, ils sont fous!! Mangez dans un restaurant une véritable pizza italienne et mettez de la crème solaire!!!
Mercredi: Civitavecchia: Les excursions de Royal Caribbean sont tellement chers que c'est du vol! Oubliez ca, prenez votre courage en main et rendez-y vous en train. Vous verrez tellement plus de choses par vous-même que les excursions vous offrent. Le train est à 10 minutes de marche du port (une navette gratuite vous sort du port). Beaucoup de gens s'y rendent (il y avait six bateau de croisière au port!), vous ne pouvez pas vous perdre. Le train est toutefois bondé... 1h15 plus tard, nous arrivons à la gare termini de Rome. Vous pouvons aussi arrêter à la gare San pietro du vatican. La gare termini est immense, elle est au centre de la ville, au croisement des deux lignes de métro. Ca prend une heure pour en sortir. Nous nous sommes rendu à la station Colloseo (le colisée et le forum romain). La file d'attente du colisée fait littéralement le tour du colisée à l'extérieur et à l'intérieur (minimum 4 heures d'attente!!). Acheter dans le métro la Roma Pass. Elle coute environ 30 euros par personne mais vous permet de voir deux musées gratuits, vous donnent des rabais sur les autres, autobus et métros gratuits pendant trois jours. Vous entrerez en cinq minutes!! (Je dois absolument remercier les forums à ce sujet). Ca valait la peine de voir l'intérieur. Nous avons ensuite pris le métro pour la fontaine de trévi bondée de touristes. Les vendeurs sont encore agressifs!Manger un gelato en face!!! À pied, nous avons vu le panthéon (impressionnant) et la place Navonna avec sa fontaine des quatre-vents. Toujours à pied, nous sommes allés à la place d'espagne (belle mais pas nécessaire si manque de temps). Nous avons pris ensuite le métro pour nous rendre au vatican. Beaucoup moins de touristes mais pas le temps d'entrer dans la basilique St-Pierre ni dans la chapelle Sixtine. Encore là, achetez vos billets en ligne, la Roma pass n'inclu pas le vatican. Nous avons repris le train pour civitavecchia du vatican et sommes arrivés en avance. Magnifique journée, l'Italie est le plus beau pays que j'ai vu. Nous souhaitons retourner à Rome, ca prend minimum une semaine tout voir.
Jeudi: Naples: Tous les forums déconseillaient d'entrer dans Naples (pick-pockets, scooters, saleté). Il y a effectivement des bidonvilles!! Nous avons pris l'excursion Pompei et route d'Amalfi. La route sinueuse et vertigineuse qui se rend à Amalfi est à couper le souffle! La majorité des gens se rendent à Sorrento ou Capri mais les villages que vous verrez pendant cinq heures de route en valent plus la chandelle, j'en suis sure. Le village de Positano!!! Nous avons mangé à Amalfi, gelato et Limoncello. Nous avions seulement une heure et demie à Pompei...grande déception!! La ville est immense, on a besoin de quatre heures pour tout voir. Nous y retournerons certainement avec un guide audio.
Vendredi: Journée en mer: On remercie le ciel de pouvoir dormir, se baigner, se reposer!!!!
Samedi: Barcelone: 3800 personnes finissent leur croisière...et 3800 embarquent pour commencer leur croisière...c'est du sport!! On est une minorité qui visite Barcelone. On arrive à six heures du matin, les navettes pour sortir du port commencent seulement à 8h. Prenez un taxi, ca nous a couté 7 euros. Las Ramblas étaient désertes le matin mais envahies l’après-midi, el mercat de la Boqueria pour se prendre des fruits et à la placa de la catalunya, nous attendions le bus turitic pour faire le tour de la ville. La meilleure compagnie est Barcelona Bus turistic. Trois trajets, 24 euros pour la journée. Nous avons vu les principales oeuvres de Gaudi, soit la Pedrera, la Casa Batllo, la sagrada familia, le parc Guell et autres...La basilique Sagrada Familia est la plus belle chose que j'ai vu de ma vie. J'ai pleuré à chaudes larmes pendant dix minutes!! L'intérieur est merveilleux et il y a un ascenceur pour monter dans l'une des tours (attention au vertige et à la claustrophobie!!!!). Le parc Guell est encore bondé de touristes mais il faut le voir. Nous avons vu le stade de football (soccer), la torre agbar. La ville est un chef d'oeuvre d'ubanisme, une oeuvre d'art à ciel ouvert. Notre prochaine destination à coup sur!!
Dimanche: Retour à toulon avec un petit mal de mer mais émerveillés et comblés! La navette pour nous rendre à l'aéroport de Marseille est très simple.
Je suis sure qu'il n'y a pas mieux comme croisière et que y vivrez des moments magiques. Il est difficile d'imaginer tout ce que nous avons vu. C'est beaucoup de choses pour 7 jours. J'espère que vous ne travaillez pas le lendemain de votre retour de voyage hihi! Si vous avez des questions, ca sera un plaisir de vous répondre. C'est comme si je revivais mon voyage à chaque fois. Je serais aussi très heureuse d'avoir vos commentaires suite à votre croisière. Bon voyage!!!!
Bonjour Christel,
on se recroise de nouveau 😛
Te rappelles tu l heure de la soirée du commandant?
Nous sommes a moins de 2 semaines du départ je me languis 🙂
Coralie
Bonjour rentrant de croisiere sur le liberty, tu vas te regaler!
la soirée du commandant se fait le jour de ton embarquement à Toulon...
Horaire 20H00 avec spectacle et champagne sur la Royal promenade et aprés discours du commandant à 20h30 20h45.
Tu vas voir l'arrivée du commandant est sympa....mais surprise!
par la suite ou avant suivant ton service ... à moins que tu es l'option my time dinning...diner au restaurant!
Bonjour,
Merci pour les infos nous partons dimanche 🙂
Oui nous avons réserver my time dining c est pour ça que je voulais savoir pour les spectacles je voulais réserver une table à l avance.
Est ce qu' il y avait bcp de queue pour le MTD?
As tu fait pompei?
Coralie
Pour mtd tu n as pas besoin de réserver tu peux y aller quand tu veux...nous avions toujours une table de 2...et nous n avions pas d attente.... Concernant pompei nous l avions fait il ya pas mal d année et nous avions apprécie.sur royal il propose plusieurs types d excursion a coupler avec pompei ( soit sorrente ou le vesuve....)a toi de voir en fonction de ce que tu souhaites faire et du budget. Attention j ai discute avec des français et royal ne propose qu une excursion en français pour pompei avec d autres choses mais qui est relativement cher.situ parles anglais privilégie les excursions en anglais. C est ce qu e nous avions fait a pise et florence...
Bonsoir,
pour Pompei j ai trouvé une personne sur VF qui m a super bien expliqué comment faire par ses propres moyens je pense que nous allons nous régaler😉🙂
J-3 maintenant 😊
En tout cas merci pour les réponses.
Nous embarquons également sur le Liberty dimanche et nous sommes impatient!
Nous aimerions nous rendre à Pompei lors de l'escale à Naples, t'a-t-on expliqué comment se rendre à la gare à partir du port? Quel train prendre?
non je ne connais pas le prix des audio guides , sinon pour allez a la gare demander un plan a la reception du bateau c est facile environs 25 min de marches depuis le port
Si le Liberty est au port principal, à la sortie, traversez la rue pour prendre le tram, qui vous conduira jusqu'à la gare. Achetez le billet tram+train au kiosque près de l'arrêt du tram.
Je crois que le terminus du train est Sorrente.
Nous étions sur le Liberty en juin dernier...un bonheur !
Vous pouvez lire notre CR sur l'autre forum (Voyages-croisières)
Beaucoup de personnels sont francophiles, et seront ravis de parler avec vous.
Bon voyage
JIBE
Romantica - Adriana - Galaxy - Wind NCL - Allegra - Orchestra - Solstice - Brilliance - Solstice - Liberty & Magnifica - Magnifica & Préziosa - Liberty & Eclipse - Allure - Symphony - Spectrum - Pandaw II - Harmonie - Edge - World europa - Diadema
Bonjour, je viens de lire une partie de votre sejour de croisiere avec un arret à florence.
Ceci dit avec respect, j'ai peut etre mal lu ou interprété, mais je suis en total désaccord quand vous dites que 6 heures est amplement suffisant. À la limite je trouve cela honteux. Une des plus belles villes du monde qui est un musée à ciel ouvert. Je respecte votre opinion mais vous n'avez rien vu de cette ville.
Croisières › France › Provence-Côte d'Azur · 17 replies
Ravie de vs retrouver après une croisière sur costa l’année dernière je me lance sur royal caribean avec 3 enfant (19.17.6 et moi 42 lol) je suis preneuse de…
Nous faisons une croisière sur le Liberty Of the Seas à plusieurs couples (3 couples) au départ de Toulon le 30 septembre prochain. C'est notre première…
Croisières › France › Provence-Côte d'Azur · 4 replies
Nous partons le 14/05/2017 de Marseille sur le Diadema. quelqu'un a t'il des infos autour de *Barcelone"nous avons deja fait la ville.*Palma de Majorque"les…
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
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!
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.
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 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!