j'envisage une croisière sur le MSC orchestra et aimerais avoir vos avis sur ce bateau et cette compagnie. Je n'ai jamais pris cette compagnie et ai plutôt l'habitude de Costa.
Mon mari craint que ce soit moins bien que Costa, qu'en pensez vous ?
ça dépend un peu ce que vous cherchez ! j'ai été un peu déçus d'MSC car j'ai trouvé qu'il y avait moins d'amination que sur Costa
Mais sinon les deux compagnies se resemble pas mal !
2004 MSC Opéra -> Italie Grèce Turquie Croatie
2008 Costa Classica -> îles grecques
Septembre 2010 MSC Musica -> îles grecques
10-17 Août 2012 MSC Armonia -> Italie Grèce et Monténégro
après 3 croisières costa, 1 MSC et 1 NCL, je peux vous dire que ma préférence va à costa. mais la dernière costa date de janvier 2009. je repars en mai sur le concordia. je pourrais me faire une idée sur la baisse de qualité costa exprimée sur VF ces derniers temps.
sur MSC, je suis surement mal tombé. le service n'a pas été très bon. cabine et restaurant. quand à la qualité des repas, j'ai été également déçu par rapport à costa.
en mai, je pourrai de nouveau avoir un jugement.
quand à l'orchestra, vous ne serez pas déçus. je suis parti sur le magnifica (son jumeau) et le bateau est superbe. l'orchestra l'est surement aussi.
Je pense que les habitués Costa préféreront toujours Costa, et les habitués MSC dont je fais partie préférerons MSC car nous y avons nos habitudes 😎
Je me verrais mal dans une cabine Costa avec le salon qui se trouve au fond de la cabine et non près des baies vitrées du balcon car j'aime lire, écrire sans être obligée d'eclairer la cabine 😉
Même réplique que mon mari (moins bien que chez Costa ?), cela me fait rire !
Comme vous nous avons commencé les croisières pour nos 20 ans de mariage (6 avec costa)
Même compagnie, mais... d'une croisière à l'autre , il y des "petites surprises!"COUP DE BOL OU PAS en ce qui concerne les animations , la propreté de la cabine ....etc
Donc, cette fois ci, nous partirons avec MSC sur l'Orchestra en début mai .😉
Moi j'ai presque toujours voyagé avec MSC une fois avec NCL que je n'ai pas aimé. C'est vrai qu'on a nos petites habitudes et que je pardonne facilement les petits problème avec MSC quand cela arrive. J' aime tellement les croisières et le style de vie sur les bateaux que je pense seulement a la destination .
Départ pour la Norvège le 29 juin 2011 avec MSC Opéra et le 6 décembre 2011 avec le Poésia pour les caraïbe.😇
Bonjour Sophieh, nous voulons faire une croisière au mois d'Août sur la Baltique
Le bateau chez MSC qui le fait est l'Orchestra, donc je voulais vous demander si vous aviez été contents du bateau
et peut être que vous pourriez nous donner quelques infos et conseils
Nous avons fait déjà fait 2 croisières mais c'était sur Costa et nous avons envie de changer un peu
j'aimerais savoir si vous avez aimer votre cabine, le service, la restauration, la salle de sport, je ne sais pas si vous avez eu l'occasion d'aller au spa
Est-ce-qu'il y a une piscine avec verrière au cas ou il fait mauvais temps
voilà je serais ravie de recevoir une réponse
Cordialement
moi aussi je me renseigne sur les croisières en aout pour la baltique c l'orchestra depart de kiel; le bateau est plus sobre que le poésia mais ça reste un très beau bateau
moi je recherche avec vol inclus mais y a pas grand chose
tu pars quand en aout ??
On ne sait pas encore quelle date mais effectivement le bateau a l'air d'être pas mal d'après les photos que j'ai pu voir
Les 2 premières croisières étaient sur la méditerranée avec Costa donc on avait un peu envie de changer
Pour les vols je te conseille de les prendre en même tps que ta réservation avec msc car si pb avec l'avion , ils sont responsables de toi alors que si tu pars de ton coté c'est pas la même chose si soucis!!!!!
C'est sûre que c'est plus cher a moins que tu puisses partir la veille et dormir à l'hôtel pour être sûre de ne pas louper le départ du bateau!!!!!
Bonne continuation dans tes recherches
personnellement point de vue deco interieure je prefere les msc , l'orchestra est tres beau, ensuite pour ce qui est de la nourriture j'ai trouvé meilleur costa.
l'animation , le service , l'organisation et la vie a bord je n'ai pas vu de difference entre les deux compagnies.
mais en rapport qualité prix msc est tres bien placé .
cette année je repart avec msc qui reste nettement moins cher que costa en depart debut juillet .
Franchement, je ne peux rien t'apprendre sur MSC ou encore moins L'orchestra .
c'est une 1° avec cette compagnie.
Je sais seulement qu'il est de 2007 et assez important 3013 passagers
Nous avons profité d'une agréable promo "vol offert"
Surprise surprise! pour découvrir le bateau( je" zap"sur les photos intérieurs !)
Comme toi, nous allons changer ....6 croisières avec Costa sur les derniers monstres des mers ....
bonsoir. pas de piscine couverte sur l'orchestra. seuls les fantasia, splendida et le dernier magnifica disposent d'une piscine sous verrière amovible.
Nous pourrons vous tuyauter à notre retour, le 7 mai, de cette croisière en Baltique.Nous avons la cabine 11175(pont Flauta et balcon).Notre anxiété est le dirigisme de l'organisation restauration:heure impérative et table imposée;nous verrons!
A plus!
AVH😐
Je n'ai pas réussi à entamer une nouvelle discussion donc je profite de ces derniers messages pour avoir des infos sur le MSC Orchestra. Je pars le 24 juillet 2011 à Kiel avec ma fille et mon compagnon, pour la croisière "Perles de la Baltique". Je suis handicapée et je me déplace avec une canne, j'aimerai avoir des renseignements afin de d'avoir des astuces pour me faciliter la vie à bord. Nous sommes sur le pont 10 et nous mangerons au premier service. Au sujet des pourboires, est-il vrai que l'on prélève 21 euros par jour ? Si vous faites cette croisière ou que vous l'avez déjà faite je vous remercie pour vos conseils.
A Bientôt
En cas de craintes il vaut mieux continuer sur Costa 🙂 sinon vous risquez de trouver plein de choses différentes qui ne seront pas en concordance avec ce que vous connaissez et que vous apprèciez.
Je ne voyage qu'avec MSC et n'ai pas du tout envie d'essayer Costa car je sais que je ne retrouverai pas ce qui me plait😉
au sujet des pourboires, je précise que c'est un complèment au prix de la croisière qui s'appelle : forfait de séjour à bord. les pourboires se donnent de la main à la main en fonction du degré de satisfaction envers le personnel qui nous sert.
le forfait est de 7 € par jour et par personne pour une croisière de 7 jours. gratuit pour les moins de 14 ans. - 50 % pour les 15/18. à vérifier quand même pour les enfants.
en ce qui concerne votre handicap, je ne pense pas que ca pose un problème sur le bateau. tout est prévu et facile d'accès. par contre, prudence avec les bus car il faut monter les marches. attention aussi aux passerelles que je ne trouve pas très pratiques. avec une canne, il va falloir faire attention.
Bonjour à vous,
Comment allez-vous à Kiel?Nous y sommes allés en train, seul moyen d'y accéder je crois.Un accueil est prévu au bout du quai;vous pouvez confier vos bagages, moyennant 2,50euros pièce.Près de la gare(rue en face)vous attendent des navettes MSC gratuites.La réception à l'étage du terminal est TRES lente.Vous aurez longtemps à patienter, assise dans l'immense salle, en attendant qu'un de vos accompagnants fait la file.Des boissons(eau et jus de fruits)sont gratuitement obtenable à un stand.
Une fois à bord, plus de problèmes insurmontables;les ascenseurs sont rapides et accessibles.
Le premier service est tôt;nous avons opté pour le second, afin d'aller aux premiers spectacles et de manger à l'aise ensuite.Le premier service est un peu bousculé pour laisser la place au second.
Les pourboires "imposés" sont de 7 euros par jour/personne.Vous pouvez en contester une partie(un croisiériste a contesté la totalité, en raison du caractère illégal de la mesure);nous avons justifié de l'attribution d'une enveloppe nominative à notre steward, en raison du service et de la preuve de son honnêteté(coffre laissé ouvert par distraction)
Nous n'avons pris comme excursions MSC, que St Pétersbourg(because visa)et Copenhaegen(car déposés à l'aéroport avec les bagages).Attention, manger à l'aéroport reviens à payer un fastfood au prix d'un très bon restaurant!
Autre chose?
AVH
ca date de quand votre croisière MSC ? parce qu'on ne peut plus "contester" les 7 € par jour. ils sont prélélevés d'office en fin de croisière. je crois que c'est comme ca depuis début 2010 chez MSC.
Comme nous le signalons pratiquement chaque jour les 7€ par jour et par personne ou 6€ si la croisière est supérieure a 8 jours ne concernent que des frais de séjour, en ce qui concerne les pourboires ils sont a remettre en €€ directement au personnel qui s'occupe de notre cabine ainsi que du service a table le soir a la table qui nous est attribuée à l'embarquement.
vous avez tout à fait raison de préciser une fois de plus que cette taxe de séjour n'est pas le pourboire . le pourboire qui constitue une grande partie de la rémunération des cabiniers et serveurs se donne de la main à la main le dernier jour en fonction de votre degré de satisfaction.
je ne veux pas que mon méssage relance la polémique pour ou contre le pourboire . les croisiéres sont au prix ou elles sont justement par ce que la majeur partie des rémunérations est constituée par le pourboire et généralemnt je les trouve mérités .
je fais des croisiéres depuis 20 ans et je considére des pourboires comme normaux si je suis évidamment satisfaite du service . ils font partie du budget croisiére que je prévoie en réservant tout comme les boissons ou excursions éventuelles
Il y a un budget à prévoir pour chaque croisière et au prix de la croisière il faut rajouter les taxes de séjour, les boissons, et ne pas oublier les pourboires beaucoup semblent encore confondre frais de séjour et gratifications au personnel cela est réellement dommage car ces personnes sont là afin de nous rendre nos vacances les plus agréables possibles et ils font leur maximum, je suis assez outrée quand je vois que beaucoup les oublient ou essayent encore de faire passer les taxes de séjour en pourboires 🙁
OK pour la nuance, d'autant plus que le personnel ne voit pas la couleur de ces "frais de séjour" et que la plupart des croisièristes croient qu'il s'agit de pourboires.La confusion est entretenue par les voyagistes même.
Mais quelle est la justification de ces "frais de séjour"?cela ne correspond à rien, sinon une augmentation du prix de la croisière.C'est pourquoi le voyageur auquel je fais allusion, rencontré sur le Jade(NCL) a fait état de l'illégalité de cette ponction, hors prix annoncé All Inclusive.
Bien à vous.
AVH
Vous avez sans doute raison,
Sur MSC, il s'agissait de la croisière en Baltique, en (1/7)mai 2011.Nous n'y avons pas contesté le prélèvement, car le service en cabine était assez quelconque.Nous aurions pu le faire, la veille du débarquement, à la réception de la facture temporaire;le résultat ne nous en est donc pas connu.C'est sur le Jade de NCL, que nous en avons contesté 100$, pour les remettre au couple qui entretenait parfaitement notre cabine.Le prélèvement y était de 12$ par jour/personne, pour une croisière de 12 jours!
Bien à vous!
AVH
Je suis d'accord ces frais de séjours vont à la compagnie, mais comme cela le montant des croisières parait moins élevé, dans certains pays ce sont les taxes portuaires qui sont a payer en plus car pas incluses dans le prix de la croisière. En france elles le sont et ce sont les frais de séjour qui n'y sont pas.
Merci tout le monde pour ces infos. Il est vrai que je n'avais pas tout compris. Je comprend maintenant que les frais de séjour sont à payer avec les excursions, boissons et autres frais, et que les pourboires sont à donner au personnel qui s'occupe de nous. Il est vrai que j'ai vu hier sur internet l'émission "Envoyé Spécial" sur les croisières et le MSC Orchestra et je comprends qu'avec à peine le SMIC le personnel mérite d'avoir des pourboires.
Pour ne pas paraître trop "bête" ou "pingre", quel pourcentage comptez vous en pourboire par employé ?
Nous prenons l'avion de Paris à Hambourg et là la compagnie organise notre transfert en véhicule privé vers le port de Kiel.
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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 2027 cruise schedule.
It’s a great way to get ideas and maybe even meet up with other members!
2 essential rules:
1) Never "quote" the schedule when replying—this avoids any confusion.
2) Follow this format:
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
REMINDER Despite my requests, few people follow the requested format. Cruises that stray too far from it won’t be listed anymore—sorry about that. IMPORTANT Please respect the templates!
PLEASE COPY AND PASTE THE FORMAT BELOW AND REPLACE WITH YOUR DETAILS IF YOU’RE HAVING TROUBLE
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
It takes time to fix mistakes, so THANKS TO EVERYONE for your help!
YOUR TURN 😉
NUMBER OF 2027 CRUISES: 1
JANUARY
14/01 - poupou10 / AZAMARA JOURNEY / 74 days / South America Tour / Miami
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
hi there
Here’s the cruise schedule for 2026.
It’s a great way to get ideas and maybe even meet up with other members.
2 essential rules:
1) never "quote" the calendar when replying—this’ll avoid any confusion
2) follow the format below
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
REMINDER Despite my requests, few people follow the requested format. Cruises that stray too far from it won’t be listed anymore—sorry!PLEASE respect the templates!
COPY AND PASTE THE FORMAT BELOW AND REPLACE WITH YOUR DETAILS IF YOU’RE STRUGGLING
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
It takes time to fix mistakes, so THANKS TO EVERYONE for your help!
YOUR TURN 😉
NUMBER OF CRUISES 2026:
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
We’re taking an MSC cruise in May, and after the Cinque Terre, we’ll be stopping in Naples. We’d like to know if it’s possible to walk out of the port quickly and reach a nice area of Naples on foot (we’re two older people). While we’re at it, I’ll ask the same question for Palermo, since we’ll be there the next day. Thanks for your replies.
Hi everyone,
I’m staying in a suite on the Pacifica in October and I can’t find any details about the suite benefits beyond the elite restaurant, the butler, and the espresso machine.
What about breakfast and meals served free in the cabin, and the spa?
Costa’s been cutting back on perks for Gold members, and it seems like suites are next.
Thanks for your replies!
hi,
I’m leaving Hamburg for Iceland at the end of July. The boat arrives in Reykjavik on Tuesday, August 4th at 8 AM, and I’d like to book a day trip like the Golden Circle or Secret Lagoon… The sites like GetYourGuide and others list departures at 8 AM. If you’ve used these sites with the MSC Preziosa, could you let me know how to go about it?
Thanks! 😉
allyMB007
Hello everyone,
It’s with immense sadness that I learned this morning of the passing of our friend Nathalie (nadu). Many of us knew her through this forum, which she loved so much. She enjoyed reading your travel stories, joining discussions, sharing her cruise reviews, and offering valuable advice—always with kindness, gentleness, and discretion.
For me, Nathalie was so much more than just a cruise enthusiast. She was a friend, a deeply kind person who was always there to listen, despite the many health challenges she faced with tremendous courage. We corresponded regularly, and sometimes we had the chance to visit each other’s homes or attend the cruise show together with our respective husbands.
We shared a common dream: when we both retired, we had planned to finally go on a cruise together. Life had other plans, and that trip will forever remain a journey we never had the chance to take. That thought weighs heavily on my heart today.
I’ll remember her as a gentle, generous woman who was always ready to help others. Her presence on this forum will leave a huge void, just as her friendship has in my life.
I send my sincerest thoughts to her husband, her family, and all those who had the chance to know her.
Fair winds, Nathalie. I like to think you’re now sailing on an infinitely calm sea, under an eternally blue sky. You’ll remain in our thoughts and hearts every time we talk about cruises or set off on a new journey.
Rest in peace, Nathalie.
For those who’d like to send a message of comfort and sympathy to her husband, you can send me a PM, and I’ll pass it along.
THANK YOU
Hello everyone,
So happy to be back on this Forum!
We’re heading off on another cruise—our 7th—after a 5-year break...
We’ll be leaving from Venice on April 26th with stops in Kotor, Mykonos, Santorini, and Ancona.
Could you help me plan the stops by sharing tips, tricks, and advice?
For those who already know me, you know we prefer not to take the cruise line’s excursions but instead organize everything ourselves.
Thanks in advance to everyone, and looking forward to chatting with you all!
Hello,
We’re taking a cruise to Northern Europe with a stop in SOUTHAMPTON.
We’d like to visit the Stonehenge site.
Is it possible to get there on our own (my husband is a wheelchair user), since the MSC excursion to Salisbury is priced at 127 € per person?
There’s also a stop in Rotterdam, and it seems there’s a "miniature village to visit" nearby. Has anyone here been there, and if so, how did you get there?
Thanks so much for your tips. Mum49
If you're traveling on the Costa Diadema from October 17th to 28th, 2026 to Lisbon, we can meet up for a drink. Share our cruising experiences, an excursion, a table...
hi there, a group of friends and I are going on a cruise at the end of June with CFC in Norway. I’d love to get some info on the different stops we’ll be making. Most of them are one-day stops (from around 10 AM to 8 PM on average). Here are the stops: Andalsnes, Trondheim, Honningsvåg, Alta, Hellesylt, Sandane, Austefjorden.
Thanks in advance to anyone who can share what there is to see or do in these places.
When I get back, I’ll post what we did—it might help others who come after us.
Also, does anyone know if the boat sticks to the arrival time in Dunkirk for catching tickets to head back south? We’ll plan a buffer just in case.
Hi there, The day before boarding the Costa Favolosa for the Norwegian Fjords cruise departing from Hamburg, I'd like to book a hotel. Which one would be the most convenient location-wise relative to the port?
Thanks in advance for your reply.
Hello,
We’ll be sailing on the Renaissance with CFC to southern Norway from July 4 to 11, 2026, departing from Dunkirk (the cruise was booked through "Planète Croisière").
When entering some personal details or pre-selecting options on the CFC website, I’m wondering about the "optional" categories for drinks and WiFi.
I’m actually a bit surprised by these extra charges, as we weren’t used to them on other cruises (Australis in Patagonia; Hurtigruten’s Coastal Express in Norway and Alaska; Rivages du Monde in the Arctic or on the Douro River; a Nile river cruise in Egypt), where we sometimes had access to basic drinks at meals and free WiFi when near land.
Anyway, for those who’ve already taken a CFC cruise on the Renaissance, could you share some advice? Specifically about the most basic drink package, called "Fraîcheur" (238 € for two), which doesn’t seem to be described anywhere. The "Premium" package seems excessive (490 € for two for the week) for light drinkers.
As for WiFi, it’s 10 € per day per person. While I find that price acceptable for parking our car in Dunkirk, it feels overpriced here (especially since it was free on the Nordlys "Coastal Express" just 3 or 4 years ago).
So, I’d love to hear from experienced cruisers who’ve been on this ship!
Looking forward to seeing the excursion prices, which should be available soon! 😐
Hi there,
I’m considering a cruise on this ship in the recently introduced Yacht Club category.
Have any forum members tried it?
What are your thoughts? Positive or negative? Which cabins should we go for—or avoid?
We’re already familiar with the Yacht Clubs on the Splendida, Fantasia, Preziosa, and Divina series.
We weren’t as keen on the one on the Seashore—we found it too big.
Thanks in advance for your feedback!
Best,
Claudine
We're considering a new cruise soon and would like to try the Renaissance.
The uniqueness of the promenade cabins appeals to us, but could anyone give us some insights on the following points:
- Is the glass door sufficiently tinted to prevent outsiders from seeing into the cabin?
- Is the soundproofing good enough to block out conversations on the promenade deck?
Thanks in advance to anyone who can help!
My husband, our two teens, and I are going on a cruise on the COSTA Esmeralda at the beginning of July. We’re thinking of exploring the ports on our own. Do any of you have recent experiences or tips to share? Are there shuttles between the port and the city center? Are they free? Looking forward to hearing from you.
As promised, here’s my review of the cruise I took from the 5th to the 19th on the MSC Virtuosa.
As you know, I had initially booked a cruise with Mein Schiff departing from Dubai (from Dubai to Cape Town). It was a 22-day cruise. Due to the issues in the Persian Gulf, my cruise was canceled by Mein Schiff.
So, we started looking for a Plan B because we really wanted to go. Especially my wife, who had just had a minor procedure and needed some rest. Since she had already taken time off, she was determined to travel. However, we were looking for an affordable Plan B since we weren’t sure when Mein Schiff or the airline would reimburse us.
While browsing online, I found a 15-day cruise departing from Pointe-à-Pitre (including flights, transfers, the cruise, and drinks) for a price of 1,200 € in a Fantastica balcony cabin. We thought, *Why not?*
I should mention that I’m not usually a big fan of MSC. My last experience with them was post-Covid (I took two cruises, one in 2021 and another in 2022), and it was honestly a disaster. We didn’t want to repeat that, but after talking to Catherine, who told me she was very happy with a short Christmas cruise, we decided to give it a try.
I have to say, I was left speechless. Honestly, the cruise was absolutely perfect. There’s nothing to complain about (or just a few minor details). In terms of service and food, I felt like I was on a premium cruise line. I’d even say MSC has nothing to envy from some of those companies. While premium lines like Holland, Celebrity, and Royal are cutting back on services, I think MSC has made huge improvements. Seriously, I wasn’t expecting this at all. You’ll see what I mean as we chat more.
I won’t do a full review like I usually do because there weren’t many stops:
1. We boarded in Pointe-à-Pitre
2. We stopped in Saint-Martin
3. Then it was a direct crossing to the Azores...
This cruise was really about relaxing, even if it’s not the kind of trip we usually take.
First off, I’m not a big fan of "flight and cruise" packages. I asked if we could leave two days early, but they said it wasn’t possible. We had to take the flight, then the bus, and board the ship directly.
It’s not really my thing, but given the price we paid and since we really wanted to relax, we thought, *Why not?*
Here’s the itinerary:
Boarding in Pointe-à-Pitre
Saint-Martin
Five days at sea
The Azores
Four days at sea
Hamburg
One day at sea
Le Havre
But as I mentioned, it wasn’t about the itinerary. It was really about taking a break and unwinding. Honestly, I came back thrilled.
We’re stopping over in Rovinj this coming May, and since we’ve already visited the main sights (port, church, etc.), is there a walk we can do on our own—no boat needed—that would fill a morning?
Thanks to anyone who knows the area…
My wife and I are going on a cruise on the MS Vesteralen on August 4th. The ship stays close to the coast to deliver mail and packages. My wife is a musician and is sensitive to the movement of the boat. Which deck and cabin should we choose?
Hi there,
So, I booked this cruise...
I know CFC gets a lot of criticism—
- And that it’s not really like the ships I usually take.
But the destination really interested me...
So, I’m giving it a try...
I’m going in with an open mind, thinking I got a good deal, so I’m not expecting the same experience as when I travel with Yacht Club or The Haven.
We’ll see... soon!
hi, we’re going on a cruise with MSC Virtuosa in the Caribbean. Has anyone done this cruise before and could give us some tips for excursions on the different islands? Thanks for your help
😉Hi there,
A few months ago, CFC put the EN VOGUE experience on sale, departing from Dunkirk.
I booked this package to test the boat and onboard services for myself.
I’d read a lot of reviews mentioning numerous issues on board, so I wanted to see for myself what it was really like…
Okay, I’ll stop rambling…
The package included boarding at 6 PM on Friday, dinner, a show, an overnight stay, and breakfast.
We chose an interior cabin for this experience—since the boat wasn’t leaving the dock, we didn’t see the point in paying more… All in all, it cost 130 € per person.
My mom joined us; she got the same cabin for 130 € with no single occupancy supplement.
We’d checked in online to board faster.
We took the train to DUNKIRK, then a taxi to the shuttle pavilion—7 € for the ride.
When we arrived at the pavilion, we were told to wait because there was a connection issue with check-in. Great start…
After about ten minutes, we were finally allowed to proceed.
At the counter, they said they didn’t have our cabin cards and no record of our check-in… Very odd.
With no solution, they put us on the bus and said we’d sort it out at reception. Perfect.
We went through security, and they confiscated our water bottles—never seen that before! Then they said my mom had a corkscrew in her bag, so they searched it… but there was no corkscrew. Total amateur hour… They eventually dropped it.
We got on the bus for a ten-minute ride…
We boarded the ship with a crew member and headed to reception.
Turns out, we weren’t the only ones in this situation.
The nightmare began… Only two staff members were handling all the issues, and everything seemed complicated.
They told my mom her cabin had been given to someone else 😲.
That was the last straw…
It took forever—they had to redo the entire check-in.
Finally, they told my mom her cabin was good to go; they’d mixed her up with someone else… After a solid half-hour, we could finally head to our cabin.
I’m determined to test everything: the pool, jacuzzi, show, restaurant, spa, etc…
TO BE CONTINUED
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Hi there,
I'm looking at a cruise in the north.
Hi there,
So, I booked this cruise...
I know CFC gets a lot of criticism—
- And that it’s not really like the ships I usually take.
But the destination really interested me...
So, I’m giving it a try...
I’m going in with an open mind, thinking I got a good deal, so I’m not expecting the same experience as when I travel with Yacht Club or The Haven.
We’ll see... soon!
