nous partons le 06 juin de Marseille sur le fantasia avec MSC pour la croisiere MEDITERRANEE avec escale a GENES
NAPLES MESSINES LA VALETTE LA GOULETTE ET BARCELONE
Si vous avez fait cette croisiere pouvez vous nous donnez quelques renseignements surtout au niveau des excursions
faut il prendre par MSC OU LES FAIRE SOI MEMES
Faut il un passeport ou la carte d identité suffit
Pour Barcelone il y a des navettes au pied du bateau (bus bleu ) qui vous dépose Sur la place a côté de la Statue de Christophe Colomb, le prix était de 3€ par personne en avril 2014, et la navette MSC qui fait le même trajet était a 8€ par personne .....
nous arrivons en voiture a Marseille je crois qu il y a un parking reservé au croisiere
quant a barcelone nous connaissons déjà donc nous voulons faire le monastere de MONTSERRAT si vous avez des idées pour le transport pour ce site
Nous aussi nous partirons sur le Fantasia en avril 2015. En décembre dernier nous avons fait notre première croisière sur le Costa fascinosa, c'était super, le bateau, l'accueil, l'ambiance de Noël, la nourriture et les escales. Cette fois ci nous essayons le MSC.
Pour répondre à ta question, le passeport valide c'est le document idéal mais la carte d'identité suffit. De plus, à quelques semaines du départ, tu peux t'enregistrer en ligne sur le site MSC , et là, msc te propose d'indiquer ton numero de passeport et de carte d'identité pour plus de sécurité.
Nous ferons les escales suivantes au départ de gènes, Naples, Messine, Malte, Tunis, Barcelone et Marseille. Je suis une aventurière aussi mon mari, mes enfants (12 et 10 ans) et moi nous allons découvrir par nos propres moyen. De plus, il y beaucoup de cr détaillé sur le net et sur forum voyage pour nous aider. Tu peux vraiment tout faire car les détails que donnent les croisiéristes sont de vrais mines d'or avec des infos géniales. Tu peux t'inspirer des excursions proposés par MSC, une fois que ton agence te donnera ton numéro de reservation tu auras accès à tous les détails de ta croisière.J
Pour Barcelone, nous avons fait cette escale en décembre 2014, le blue bus est bien, 3 euros À/R. Il y aussi des taxis à des prix raisonnables pour te faire visiter la ville, ainsi que le bus rouge touristique. Tu as le choix.
J'attends avec impatience le 19 avril, pour me détendre et m'amuser sur le fantasia...en famille.
"le voyage est un retour vers l'essentiel"
Proverbe tibetain
Nous faisons cette même croisière la semaine du 15 aout : merci de votre retour sur vos impressions, conseils et bons plans.
Nous sommes partis sur ce même bateau l'été dernier dans les Iles Grecques et le hasard a voulu que nous nous retrouvions sur le même cette année. J'aurais bien découvert un autre bateau mais...
Je pense que vous n'avez pas effectué l'escale de Tunis : j'ai moi-même été informée qu'elle était supprimée et remplacée par Palma mais aux vues des horaires (je crois 21h-5h) ils nous auraient dit qu'ils nous enlevaient une escale, le résultat aurait été le même.
En complément de ce que Carole te répondra, tu peux regarder sur mon CR pour avoir une idée de ce que nous avons fait. Il n'y a qu'à Palma de Mallorca que nous avons pris une excursion mais on doit pouvoir là aussi le faire seul car déjà en avril, il y avait du monde dans les rues le soir et aucun sentiment d'insécurité.
bonsoir
notre croisère s est terminée hier pour nous c était la premiere fois , dans l ensemble tout est très bien organisé
nous sommes enchantés de ce séjour
quelques suggestions pour les excursions
pour Genes inutile de les prendres par MSC le bateau restant à quai toute la journée vous avez largement le temps pour visiter le centre
Naples nous avons pris l excursion MSC pour POMPEI guide interessant mais un peu autoritaire n aime pas les retardataires
temps perdu au boutique de souvenirs une demi heure avant et après la visite du site déja beaucoup de touristes
Messine nous avons choisi Taormina avec MSC très bel endroit vue magnifique sur la baie endroit pittoresque
notre guide erudit mais un peu broullion dans ces commentaires
Malte la valette nous avons choisi de a faire a pied en sortant du bateau il faut aller a droite prendre l ascenseur 1 euro par personnes aller et retour ne pas rater l EGLISE ST JAMES prix environ 6 euros je crois avec audioguide retour facile pour le bateau
nuit et lendemain jusqu a 21 heures sur le bateau pour nous la journée la plus désagreable trop de monde sur les ponts
transat avec serviette des le matin; plus de place si vous arrivez trop tard
PALMA 21 HEURES nous l avons fait par les navettes du bateau 12 euros 90 depart et retour toutes les 15 mn
a cet heure tous les monuments sont fermés ainsi que la cathédrale nous nous sommes promenés dans les petites ruelles de Palma
BArcelone la aussi vous avez des navettespour le centre si vous ne voulez pas prendre les excursions
il y a aussi des bus de la ville de barcelone à la sortie du bateau qui vous déposent au centre pour 3 euros aller et retour
connaissant bien barcelone nous avions choisi Monserrat :annulé pour les francais faute de participants sauf si vous maitriser l anglais ou l allemand (guide)
pour la Sagrada Familia beaucoup de monde si vous voulez visiter l intérieur sans passer parMSC
un conseil prendre si cela est possible billet coupe file peut etre directement sur internet
Bonjour à tous,
Manque de temps et un état de santé compliqué, je n'ai pas encore écrit le CR détaillé de notre croisire du 19 au 25 avril 2015. Mais se sera pour bientôt, en attendant quelques infos ; concernant l'escale à Tunis, elle à été remplacé par une escale à palma de Majorque de 21 heures à 5 heures du matin.
Une croisière de rêve, le bateau est immense, un vrai labyrinthe! Quand on a le sens de l'orientation on parvient à se repérer.
Les escales:
À Naples, nous avons sommes arrivés à 13 heures et nous avons fait l'excursion avec MSC, Pompei à pas de course
À messine, nous avons été visité l'église et l horloge astronomique. Il n'y avait pas beaucoup de touristes, c'était très intéressant. Il n'y a pas grand chose à voir, la ville est rustique et il y a peu d'animation. Nous espérons lors de notre prochaine visite à mesine nous espérons visiter l'Etna.
À Malte, un délice, un île magnifique, vous pouvez utiliser l'ascenseur, en suivant les fléchés. À notre passage, l'ascenseur était gratuit.
L'île est très belle et vous pouvez y flâner au gré de vos envies.il y des chevaux taxis qui vous proposent le tour de l'île à un prix raisonnable.
À palma de Majorque, comme dit précédemment, c'était une escale nocturne. Comme c'était la fameuse Soirée du commandant, nous sommes restés à bord. Tard dans la nuit nous sommes sortis du bateau pour le découvrir de nuit. Découvrir cette immense bâtisse de nuit c'était impressionnant.
Sinon, MSC propose de découvrir les monuments de nuit, illuminations plus danse flamenco...
À Barcelone, c'était notre deuxième visite, nous avons pris le blue bus 3 euros AR par personne. Nous avons été visité l'immense centre commerciale Magnemagnum....si vous aimez le shooping. Â ne pas rater.
Il y a également la visite de la statue de Christophe Colomb et las ramblas et ses boutiques. C'est très facile de se repérer, car le blue bus vous dépose à une rue de la statue. Il suffit de suivre la horde de touristes et faire son choix.
Et Marseille, dernière escale, pour sortir du port, le parcours du combattant. Pour les plus patients vous pouvez attendre la navette gratuite, et ceux qui le sont moins, comme nous, prenez un taxi. Sur le bon coin , nous avions pris contact avec des personnes qui proposent la visite de la ville et autres, 5 euros par personne.
Le bateau
-L'ambiance, rien à en redire....pas le temps de s'ennuyer et le personnel très discret est attentif à vos moindres désirs.
-Le repas à profusion et cela 20 /24h. Vous pourrez vous restaurer à tout moment de la journée jusqu'à deux heures du mat. nous avions prix les tickets boissons, nous ne sommes pas consommateurs d'alcool. Nous avons du nous forcer pour consommer nos derniers tickets, carnet de 14 tickets à à 34 euros.
petit dé: 6h à 10 h
Petit dej continental pour les lèves tard : 10h30 à 11h30.
Déjeuner: 11h30 à 16h. Buffet très variés et appétissant avec des fruits et des désserts +++.
Collation:16h30 à 18h30
Dîner: 18h30 à 23h00
Sandwich a faire soi même: 23h à 2h du mat
-le repas au restaurant le soir, Ozzo metto, repas gastronomique. 18h30 ou 21h30
-la piscine couverte et la piscine extérieure sont accessibles de 9h à 20 h en moyenne.
-les spectacles étaient d'une grande qualité 19 h30 ou 20h30
-notre cabine avec balcon, deux adultes et deux enfants était très confortable. Elle était nettoyée deux fois par jour. Le canapé lit où dormaient les enfants était ouvert tous les soirs avec en bonus une petite création réalisée avec les serviettes, un cygne, un papillon...
- grande déception, les photos, qui étaient ratées. En comparaison lors de notre croisiere sur le Costa Fascinosa, en décembre dernier, nous n'avions pas pu resisté et nous avions achetés des photos des posters etc... Bref, aucune originalité donc pas d'achat photos sur le MSC. Nous nous sommes rattraple en faisant le cinéma 4 D. Waouhhh, 15 min de sensations.
- le casino est acceptable et la discothèque sur le pont 18 est moderne.
J'ai profité et le MSC fantasia à répondu à mes attentes car farniente, découvertes, no stress et serenité étaient aux RDV.
Bonne organisation pour l'embarquement et le débarquement, la prise en charge des bagages et le service à la réception au pont 5.
Le plus agréable, c'etait que le français etait largement parlé et compris par le personnel sur le bateau.
Bonne croisire à ceux qui tentent l'expérience prochainement.
"le voyage est un retour vers l'essentiel"
Proverbe tibetain
Quels sont les points d’intérêts qu'il y a à faire à Genes ?
Nous y restons la journée entière ... j'espère ainsi pouvoir faire les visites par nous mêmes.
nous partons samedi pour la même croisière, je voulais savoir si vous aviez eu des retours sur des personnes qui auraient fait l Etna, lors de l'escale à Messine (de 8 à 18h) ?
"Tu peux t'inspirer des excursions proposés par MSC, une fois que ton agence te donnera ton numéro de reservation tu auras accès à tous les détails de ta croisière.J"
bonsoir Carole,
peux tu me préciser ou rentrer le numéro de réservation, car je ne trouve pas :(
Bonjour Evelyne,
A Gènes, il y a beaucoup de choses à voir.
On peut en partant du port faire un grand tour à pied dans la vieille ville, qui est superbe, quitter le port par la rue San Lorenzo, voir le Palazzo Ducale, prendre la via XXV aprile, passer par l'incontournable via Garibaldi (Strada Nuova) et ses palais superbes (ne pas manquer l'expo gratuite des maquettes des palais, au RdC du Palazzo Rosso, de là prendre l'ascenseur pour monter à la place du Casteletto, d'où on a une vue superbe sur Gènes. Via Garibaldi, on trouve à louer des audioguides très intéressants. Attention aux ruelles sombres, on peut y faire des rencontres non désirées, surtout quand on se rapproche du port.
On peut aussi visiter l'aquarium sur le port qui est intéressant et visiter le port en vedette, impressionnant (départ près de l'aquarium).
On peut aussi prendre un taxi et aller au quartier typique de Boccadace (un peu comme l'Estaque à Marseille).
Nous sommes un groupe de 7 personnes de 20 à 77 ans. Nous partons de Venise le 1er juin et nous faisons escale à Bari, Italie, Katakolon, Santorini, Pirée,…
Nous partons sur le fantasia samedi 6 juin 2015 nous hesitons pour l excursion taormine par taxi car apparemment les chauffeurs prennent assez cher et vous…
Croisières › France › Provence-Côte d'Azur · 14 replies
Nous partons en famille faire cette croisière au départ de Cannes le lundi 30/04. Je viens vers vous pour avoir vos conseils: - sur le parking afin de…
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
Bonjour,
Voici le calendrier des croisières pour 2027.
Cela donne des idées et peut permettre à des membres de se rencontrer
2 régles essentielles:
1) ne jamais "citer" le calendrier pour répondre, ceci évitera toute confusion
2) respecter le format suivant
JJ/MM - pseudo / BATEAU EN MAJUSCULE / nb jours / titre de la croisière / port de départ
NE PAS OUBLIER LES ESPACES entre les / /
RAPPEL Malgré mes demandes peu de personnes respectent le format demandé, la croisière ne sera plus répertoriée quand elle s'éloignera trop du format demandé, désolée ATTENTION Merci de respecter les modèles SVP
MERCI DE COPIER COLLER LE FORMAT CI DESSOUS ET REMPLACER PAR VOS DONNEES SI VOUS N Y ARRIVEZ PAS
JJ/MM - pseudo / BATEAU EN MAJUSCULE / nb jours / titre de la croisière / port de départ
NE PAS OUBLIER LES ESPACES entre les / /
cela prend du temps de rectifier, MERCI A TOUS
A VOUS DE JOUER 😉
NOMBRE DE CROISIERES 2027 : 1
JANVIER
14/01 - poupou10 / AZAMARA JOURNEY / 74 jours / Tour Amérique du sud / Miami
FEVRIER
MARS
AVRIL
MAI
JUIN
JUILLET
AOÛT
SEPTEMBRE
OCTOBRE
NOVEMBRE
DECEMBRE
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.
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Hi there,
I'm looking at a cruise in the north.
Hi there,
So, I booked this cruise...
I know CFC gets a lot of criticism—
- And that it’s not really like the ships I usually take.
But the destination really interested me...
So, I’m giving it a try...
I’m going in with an open mind, thinking I got a good deal, so I’m not expecting the same experience as when I travel with Yacht Club or The Haven.
We’ll see... soon!
