Bonjour à tous. Nous partons le 6 juillet avec Costa pour une croisière dans les fjords. Je n'arrive pas à trouver d'informations concernant deux escales : ARHUS DANEMARK et KRISTIANSAND NORVEGE.
Dans la mesure du possible nous préférons éviter les excursions que propose le navire pour être plus libres. Avez vous des informations à me communiquer pour ces deux escales ?
Nous partons de Warnemunde puis irons à Copenhague, Hellesylt-Geiranger, et Bergen.
Merci pour vos réponses
Nous étions sur le Favolosa il y 15 jours.
A Aarhus il n'y a pas de véritable terminal de croisière mais il y un point d'information où vous aurez un plan de la ville et toutes les informations touristiques souhaitées.
Nous étions amarré au Bassin IV donc en 500 m, après la sortie des docks contourner la Main Library (dénomée DOKK1), on arrive en ville.
Le matin nous sommes restés au centre ville ( Cathédrale, Théâtre, Statue de Christian X, ...) et dans la zone piétonne. Nous avons voulu aussi voir le Musée des vikings mais comme il est dans les locaux d'une banque cétait fermé (Sam. et Dim.)
L'après-midi nous avons rejoint Den Gamle By, un site sur lequel ont été rassemblées 75 maisons danoises traditionnelles (de 1864 à 1974), des ateliers et boutiques des métiers des siècles passés, ... 165 NOK (y compris un plan-guide du site) puis nous avons flané (il faisait 28°) le long de la rivière Aarhus avant de rejoindre le port.
A Kristiansand, surprise, pas de place à quai on a dû rester en rade (c'était pas prévu) donc débarquement en chaloupe. La ville n'est pas très grande ni très intéressante. Il y a un petit train touristique qui part du quai du terminal des paquebots (100 NOK ou 15 EUR). Nous avons visité essentiellement le centre ville (Cathédrale, Fort de Frederic III, Marché aux poissons, le quartier Posebyen, ...) Si vous voulez tout visiter à pied il y a des panneaux qui balisent un circuit flêché passant par les principaux centres d'intérêt touristique.
Cordialement
Merci Micax pour cette réponse aussi rapide !
Je me doutais bien que Kristiansand n'était pas une escale de rêve, vous me le confirmez !
Avez vous entendu des retours d’excursionnistes car dans ce cas précis, plutôt que de "perdre" la journée, je pense que nous allons nous tourner vers Costa pour l'organisation.
Peut-être la promenade en bateau pour Lillesand ???? ou ... ???
Pour Arhus, nous allons faire comme vous.
Je suppose que Gamle By est le" clou" de la journée ?
Je n'en reviens pas, 28° à Arhus !! La météo a-t-elle été aussi favorable à toutes vos escales ?
J'ai plutôt pensé aux laines polaires et équipements de pluie, mais je vais aussi prendre des tee shirts 😉 !!
Êtes vous allé à Copenhague ?
J’aimerais savoir ou arrive le navire pour trouver les transports en conséquence.
Les bus Hop Off sont-ils à proximité ?
Pour les visites, j'hésite encore entre le musée national et le château Rosenborg , avez vous des conseils à me donner, malheureusement le temps est compté en escale !!
A Hellesylt- Geiranger, je pensais faire l'excursion Costa "Les montagnes de Flo"
J'espère que ce n'est pas une randonnée trop difficile, car j'ai peur que dans notre groupe certains ne puissent pas suivre ??
Enfin, pour Bergen, la queue pour prendre le téléphérique est-elle vraiment importante , est-ce différent si nous faisons une pré réservation ??
Merci par avance pour vos précieuses réponses
Bien cordialement
Bonjour Cathie
Je suppose que vous faites la croisière « Terre des Vikings ». Nous, nous avons enchaîné « La magie des fjords » et « La lumière du Nord » en prenant un gros risque météo au mois de mai. Par chance l’anticyclone des Açores était bloqué pendant 20 jours sur la Norvège, pas une goutte de pluie pendant les 15 jours de la croisière, il a fait jusqu’à 32° à Oslo. Je pense qu’il faut attendre d’avoir une bonne visibilité des prévisions météo avant de se décider pour les excursions.
KRISTIANSAND
Nous voulions faire l’excursion « Découverte de la région de Kristiansand en bus et en bateau à vapeur », à défaut le « Cap Sud de la Norvège ». Aucune n’a eu lieu ( à cause du débarquement en chaloupe ? ) – 2 excursions proposées seulement : Promenade à Kristiansand (visite guidée à pied) le matin et Découverte de Lillesand l’après-midi. Je n’ai pas eu de retours d’excursionnistes pour celle qui vous intéresse.
AARHUS
Oui j’ai trouvé que Gamle By vaut la visite. Attention c’est une bonne balade depuis le port si certaines personnes de votre groupe ont quelques difficultés pour marcher. Ce qui nous a vraiment étonné à Aarhus c’est qu’on a pas vu un taxi. Aucun taxi au bout du quai, aucun taxi sur le trajet. Pourtant c’était un samedi mais Il y avait un bus rouge City-sightseeing qui part du port.
GEIRANGER
Les montagnes de Flo est une excursion assez sportive (3 bonnes heures de marche), trop ? elle n’a pas eu lieu, pas assez de participants. Nous avons préféré l’excursion « Merveilleux paysages de Geiranger » (on part de Geiranger et non d’Hellesylt) 1) on voit aussi le lac Djupvaten, le Dalsnibba (c’est de là qu’on peut faire la fameuse photo où l’on voit les paquebots tout petits au fond du fjord), etc … 2) On se déplace essentiellement en bus 3) on part l’après-midi donc plus de chance de ne pas avoir de brumes (le Dalsnibba c’est à 1500 m) 4) Avec les montagnes de Flo on vous débarque à Hellesylt le matin et le navire continue à naviguer dans le fjord jusqu’à midi et les paysages pour arriver à Geiranger sont magnifiques.
BERGEN
Nous avons pris l’excursion Mont Floyen en téléphérique avec Costa pensant qu’on aurait pas de queue à faire. Le guide (c’était un français « émigré ») nous a expliqué qu’en Norvège pas de passe-droits nulle part, tout le monde fait la queue. Et qu’on changeait le programme, on allait tout de suite au téléphérique pour ne pas avoir une trop grande queue inévitable puisqu’il fait grand soleil, on visiterait Bergen après. On a fait 20 mn de queue, alors qu’aux guichets il n’y avait pas grand monde. Je pense que la plupart des personnes achètent les billets avant. Quand on est redescendu les queues (il y 2 files) avaient déjà doublées et pourtant c’était en semaine (un jeudi) mais 6 paquebots à quai ce jour-là.
COPENHAGUE
Comme nous avions déjà été 2 fois à Copenhague, nous n’avons pas revisité. Et c'était notre port d'embarquement. C’est sûr qu’il y a plus de choses à voir qu’à Aarhus ou même Oslo (La Petite Sirène, Le palais d’Amalienborg, la relève de la garde, le Palais de Christiansborg, le Nyhavn, le Château de Rosenborg, l’Hôtel de Ville, le Nationalmuseet, les Jardins de Tivoli, l’ancienne Bourse, … ) Pour quelques heures de visite, il faut choisir.
A Copenhague il y a beaucoup de quais au nord de la ville (Fortkaj, Sundkaj, Levantkaj, Orientkaj, …), le Favolosa était à Oceankaj qui est le quai le plus loin (emplacement C332) et pas le plus sympa. Mais une fois on était Langeliniekaj qui est le quai le plus intéressant car à moins de 3 km du centre-ville, à 300 m environ de la Petite Sirène et donc avec les bus Hop on Hop off juste à proximité. Voir sur le site officiel du port où sont prévus les navires cet été.
Bonne croisière et surtout bonne météo.
Cordialement
Bonjour Micax
Nous faisons bien la croisière « Terre des Vikings ».
J'espère que la météo sera aussi clémente qu'elle l'a été pour vous !
Pour GEIRANGER J'espère avoir des infos sur "Les montagnes de Flo" J'hésite à annuler ...
J'ai peur que certaines personnes du groupes ne tiennent pas le coup et Je regrette de rater l'entrée dans le fjord, mais on le verra en ressortant !... j'espère ...
D'un autre côté, je me doute que Costa ne fait pas des expéditions commandos !!
Cette excursion a-t-elle été annulée en dernière minute ??
Vous semblez bien connaître COPENHAGUE , à votre avis quel est le meilleur choix à privilégier entre le Château de Rosenborg et le Musée National.
Du côté tenue de soirée, je suppose que l'ambiance doit être assez décontractée sur cette destination ?
Bonjour Cathie
A la relecture de mon message précédent je pense que j'ai fait une confusion. Vous deviez parler à Bergen du téléphérique du Mont Ulriken (que je n'ai pas pris) et je vous ai répondu par le Funiculaire du Mont Floyen.
GEIRANGER
"Les Montagnes de Flo" c'était 140 €, toute le journée et elle ne se fait qu'en anglais. Par contre sa variante moins sportive (Excursion de Hellesylt à Geiranger : des paysages à couper le souffle - 135 €) a eu lieu et en français.
En général Costa prévient plutôt à la dernière minute (au mieux la veille) que l'excursion n'a pas lieu. Et souvent les excursions les plus intéressantes sont déjà complètes. On ne peut plus s'inscrire. Nous avions pris "Geiranger et ses merveilleux paysages" (70 € - l'après-midi) pour "assurer" ! (50 places dans le bus et on était 51 avec le guide). Costa accepte plus facilement qu'on annule une à 70 € pour une à 135 ou 140 que l'inverse. Comme déjà dit, l'intérêt de certaines excursions en Norvège est très tributaire de la météo et on en est sûr que 2 ou 3 jours avant. Cela nous laissait la possibilité de voir la navigation, le matin, dans le fjord et on l'a pas regretté (la sortie du fjord se fait entre 19H et 21H où on est moins disponible qu'entre 10H et 12H).
COPENNHAGUE
Le château de Rosenborg est un ermitage royal donc tout à la gloire de la royauté ( bijoux de la couronne et insignes royales ... ). Si ça vous dit, essayez d'y être à midi pile vous verrez sortir la Garde Royale pour la relève.
Le Nationalmuseet retrace l'histoire du Danemark de la préhistoire à l'époque moderne (âge de pierre, âge des Vikings, Moyen Âge, Renaissance, ...) c'est moins bling-bling mais pas moins intéressant.
DRESS CODE
Personne n'avait prévu 32° en Norvège en mai donc pas beaucoup de robes légères, je dirais que les tenues étaient très "de ville" et "de printemps". Il y avait beaucoup beaucoup plus d'hommes en veste-cravate qu'aux Caraïbes ou en Méditerranée par exemple. Globalement moins décontractée.
J'espère qu'un forumeur vous donnera des infos sur " Les Montagnes de Flo ".
Cordialement
Michel
Bonjour Michel
En définitive, grâce à vos conseils, j'ai changé nos réservations .
Il semble plus prudent de faire comme vous et d'assurer avec "les merveilleux paysages" plutôt que de risquer de nous retrouver sans rien en cas d'annulation "des montagnes de Flo"
Ainsi, nous pourrons admirer l'entrée dans le fjord !
J'espère que le temps passé dans le bus n'est pas trop long en rapport aux différents arrêts , et que nous aurons le temps de profiter des paysages en trainant un peu ! ?
J'ai entendu dire qu'il fallait se protéger des moustiques, avez vous été attaqué par ses monstrueuses bestioles 🤪 ?
Bien cordialement
Cathie
Bonsoir Cathie
Nous n'avons pas vu un seul moustique en mai.
Je pense que les moustiques c'est, en été, beaucoup plus au nord de la Norvège
lors des croisières qui vont jusqu'au Cap Nord.
Cordialement
Un très grand merci pour avoir pris la peine de répondre
à toutes mes nombreuses questions,
votre aide a été précieuse !!
C'est vraiment très gentil de votre part.
Bien cordialement
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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
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.
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!