Bonsoir,
il m'est arrivé une mésaventure avec ma CB avec MSC et je voudrais savoir si cela est arrivé à d'autres ou bien s'ils procedent ainsi habituellement.
J'ai laissé mon empreinte de CB à l'embarquement le 10/04 pour paiement des prestations pour la croisiere. Je reçois en fin de croisiére une facture de 544€ qui je pense vont m'être debités.
Aujourd'hui, je reçois un courrier du service des cartes de mon établissement bancaire me demandant l'autorisation du débit sur des opérations etrangeres.
Après appel auprès de ce service , ils m'ont informé que la société MSC a débité une première somme de 250€ le 10/04 en Irlande, somme qui ne correspond à aucune prestation à cette date, puis MSC a tenté de débiter 100€ le 15/04 puis , à nouveau, 100€ le 16 sans y parvenir et toujours sans mon accord.
Ma banque a bloqué ces paiements et ma carte à l'etranger.
J'ai appelé MSC à Paris qui ne repond pas aux particuliers et qui m'a renvoyé vers mon agence de voyages! qui doit les contacter.
Je suis quand même tres surpris de ces pratiques. A vos temoignages si vous avez une explication.
Pat
affaire à suivre. inquiétant quand même. normalement la facture finale est débitée en une seule fois 2 ou 3 jours après la fin de la croisère. sur 4 croisières, ca c'est toujours passé comme ca.
Ce fut mon cas egalement avec Costa. Le service des fraudes de ma banque a bloqué ma carte car il y a eu une operation le 10/04 de 250€ en provenace d'Irlande, puis une tentative de 100€ le 15 puis le 16 toujours d'Irlande et enfin un paiement en Italie le 17 au parking de Venise. Ils ont trouvé cela louche et ont bloqué mes reglements à l'etranger.
Pat
à moins que MSC pratique de cette manière pour être plus sur dêtre payé. un peu comme les passagers qui paient en espèces. ils doivent réapprovisioner leur compte d'espèces sur le bateau au fur et à mesure des dépenses.
mais pourquoi l'irlande ? faut avoir l'avis de personnes qui viennent de revenir mais je n'ai jamais lu de messages de gens qui se plaignent de ce procédé.
En général les cartes sont débitées le dernier jour de croisière mais le débit n'apparait souvent qu' une journée après sur votre compte même plus s'il s'agit de fin de semaine. Il est fort improbable que MSC ai fait des retraits en début de croisière et durant celle ci. Les empreintes de votre cartes ont, a mon avis, ete utilisées par des personnes peu scrupuleuses.
Votre retour de croisière a eu lieu à quelle date ?
MSC vas surement avoir un rejet de votre banque pour la somme de 544 euros donc ils entreront en contact avec vous. Mais conseil, changez de CB votre banque vous l'a peut-être conseillé.
Bonjour,
nous sommes rentrés le 17 mais je suis bien d'accord avec vous, je trouve cela tres etonnant. Ceci étant, la personne de ma banque m'a bien confirmé que les debits avaient été effectués par "MSC Magnifica" à 3 reprises à partir du 10, jour de mon arrivée au depart de l'Irlande; A mon avis, il ne peut y avoir que 3 solutions, soit c'est bien MSC qui debite comme ça l'arrange, soit c'est un employé indelicat de MSC qui fournit des coordonnées bancaires ou enfin le serveur de MSC est piraté. J'aimerais bien avoir des temoignages ayant déjà navigué avec MSC, j'attends toujiurs de leurs nouvelles
Pat
Nous avons voyage a plusieurs reprises avec MSC, sans avoir aucun probleme similaire, en principe, le montant total de la facture qu'il nous faut signer pour accord avant de débarquer nous est preleve environ 10 à 15 jours apres notre retour.
Par contre sur le bateau Louis Majesty , louis cruise nous avons eu la surprise de constater que 5 ou 6 jours apres notre embarquement une facture était deja prelevee, la finale l'ayant ete 2 jours apres notre retour.
Si ce phenoméne c'est également produit chez costa ne pensez vous pas que c'est au niveau de votre banque qu'il y a un probléme ?
J'espère que votre agence va pouvoir vous rassurer au plus vite
J'ajoute que la banque est responsable légalement des opérations frauduleuses tant que votre code n'est pas utilisée.
Avoir bloqué votre carte sans vous avertir d'urgence par mail ou téléphone est très inélégant, et aurait pu vous mettre en grande difficulté ; j'ai pour ce qui me concerne déjà averti ma banque qu'au cas où elle se permettrait ça sur de simples soupçons et sans prévenir la clôture du compte serait inéluctable.
Elle m'a assuré ne jamais se permettre ça.
Bonjour,
nous sommes rentrés le 17 mais je suis bien d'accord avec vous, je trouve cela tres etonnant. Ceci étant, la personne de ma banque m'a bien confirmé que les debits avaient été effectués par "MSC Magnifica" à 3 reprises à partir du 10, jour de mon arrivée au depart de l'Irlande; A mon avis, il ne peut y avoir que 3 solutions, soit c'est bien MSC qui debite comme ça l'arrange, soit c'est un employé indelicat de MSC qui fournit des coordonnées bancaires ou enfin le serveur de MSC est piraté. J'aimerais bien avoir des temoignages ayant déjà navigué avec MSC, j'attends toujiurs de leurs nouvelles
Pat
J'opterai pour la fraude c'est quasi sûr, à cause de "Irlande", l'empreinte récupérée par un membre, qu'il l'envoi illico à des coordonnées
là bas, de plus comme le disent d'autre, c'est plutot un debit total après croisière...ton agence de voyage doit vite rentrer en
contact avec MSC puisque en direct c'est pas possible, d'ailleurs ça c'est nul...
@+ tiens nous au courant
Bonjour,
il semblerait que cela ne soit pas une arnaque, aprés une explication pas trés claire de ma banque, c'est bien MSC qui a fait les tentatives de debit mais pour "tester" ma carte et le service des repressions des fraudes de ma banque a preferé bloquer ces transactions qui n'en étaient pas vraiment,
si c'est plus clair pour certains,
Pat
il semblerait que cela ne soit pas une arnaque, aprés une explication pas trés claire de ma banque, c'est bien MSC qui a fait les tentatives de debit mais pour "tester" ma carte
Oui, c'est ce que je vous dit depuis ce matin, des demandes d'autorisation, c'est habituel et normal.
et le service des repressions des fraudes de ma banque a preferé bloquer ces transactions qui n'en étaient pas vraiment,
Là par contre c'est anormal ; demandez des comptes à votre banque, qui aurait pu vous mettre en difficultés à l'étranger par ce zèle déplacé.
Je sais que les compagnies font des pré-debits lorsque l'on donne sa carte bleue en debut de prestation mais cela n'apparait jamais et la banque ne m'a jamais envoyé de documents pour les valider.
Le plus etonnant, c'est que la banque a laissé passer le reglement final de 544€ passer .
Je vais aller voir ma banque directement la semaine prochaine car je n'y comprends rien,
Pat
Je sais que les compagnies font des pré-debits lorsque l'on donne sa carte bleue en debut de prestation mais cela n'apparait jamais et la banque ne m'a jamais envoyé de documents pour les valider.
Non ça n'apparait jamais et n'est pas comptabilité dans l'encours de paiement de la carte.
Je vais aller voir ma banque directement la semaine prochaine car je n'y comprends rien
quelle histoire. bizarre quand même cette affaire. j'au du mal à comprendre ce qu'a voulu faire MSC. tester la carte ? mais ils font ca à tout le monde ? personne ne c'est jamais plaint sur VF de ce genre de procédé... 🤪
merci Michel. en fait, du moment qu'il n'y a pas de débit, je m'en fiche qu'ils testent ma carte. mais j'ai du mal à comprendre le procédé. c'est quoi un test de carte ? comment fait la banque pour savoir que c'est un test et pas une demande de paiement ?
A part l'enregistrement de votre carte sur la bateau, pourriez-vous nous dire si vous vous êtes en servi ailleurs ?
Lors de l'enregistrement, avez-vous suivi les gestes de celui qui a pris en compte les coordonnées de votre carte et qu'elle a été la procédure ?
Avez-vous amenez un ordi à bord ou utilisez le point net, à bord, en surfant sur vos site ?
Je pousse un peu plus loin et avez-vous laissé celle-ci dans le coffre de votre cabine dans un sac ou porte-monnaie ?
Je vous ces questions car nous avons eu une personne sur VF qui nous a signalé qu'on utilisé sa carte et que celle-ci avait disparu....
Merci pour vos réponses. Pour réclamer cette somme, quelqu'un connait des coordonnées de celle-ci mais ne peut agir du fait qu'elle ne connait pas votre code.
Comme l'a dit Capucine, il faut changer votre carte le plus rapidement possible.
en fait, du moment qu'il n'y a pas de débit, je m'en fiche qu'ils testent ma carte. mais j'ai du mal à comprendre le procédé. c'est quoi un test de carte ? comment fait la banque pour savoir que c'est un test et pas une demande de paiement ?
Je ne sais pas en détails, mais je sais que c'est une procédure banale ; certains hôtels que l'on réserve en ligne par des agences le font aussi ; une banque sérieuse ne doit pas s'y aller prendre.
Bonjour,
à la vue de tout ça et aprés avoir approfondi le sujet, il s'avere qu'il n'y a pas eu arnaque, en fait MSC a pris une caution par ma cb en bloquant une somme sur mon compte et a recommencé à 2 reprises, comme cela arrive à chaque fois que l'on procede ainsi pour des locations de voitures ou autres. Le probléme est que le service de repression des fraudes de ma banque a considéré, je ne sais pour quelles raisons, ces operations comme potentiellement frauduleuse et a bloqué ma carte à l'etranger en attendant que je les recontacte, alors que ces operations auraient du être transparentes pour moi.
Quand je les ai appelé et qu'ils m'ont parlé de debit de 250€ et 2x100€ de MSC Magnifica en provenance d'Irlande à des dates où nous étions encore en croisiere, je n'ai plus rien compris et c'est pourquoi j'ai voulu savoir au travers du forum si d'autres personnes avaient vécu cette situation et parlé d'une éventuelle arnaque.
Je contacte mon agence bancaire locale Lundi pour avoir des explications de vive voix et je vous tiendrai au courant s'il y a du nouveau,
merci à tous pour vos messages,
Pat
Salut je réserve souvent avec ma carte de crédit ( Bleu) croisière ou hôtel. Des montants son souvent bloquée ou "gelée" mais je peux voir mon compte sur le web et ces montants son inscrit autorisé mais non facturée . Quelque jour après ma croisière ces montant disparaisse pour afficher le montant réel. Pour ne pas avoir de problème on peut aviser notre institution de crédit qu'on part en voyage et notre carte de crédit ne sera pas bloquée.😛
Bonjour,
je ne suis pas au courant de cette possibilité, en France, ces operations n'apparaissent pas donc je ne pouvais pas l'anticiper puisque le probleme ne s'était jamais posé,
Pat
Des montants son souvent bloquée ou "gelée" mais je peux voir mon compte sur le web et ces montants son inscrit autorisé mais non facturée . Quelque jour après ma croisière ces montant disparaisse pour afficher le montant réel.
En France on ne voit pas apparaître ces sommes.
Pour ne pas avoir de problème on peut aviser notre institution de crédit qu'on part en voyage et notre carte de crédit ne sera pas bloquée
Cela ne les regarde pas... 😛
Qu'ils fournissent la prestations qu'ils doivent contractuellement et assument les risques que la loi leur fait assumer, et les vaches seront bien gardées. 🙂
bonjour,
j'ai eu la même mésaventure avec COSTA ma banque s'étant inquiétée de plusieurs petits débits d'Angleterre pendant mon début de croisière. Nous avons tout fait bloquer. Pour finir il s'agissait d'une technique habituelle qui consiste à prélever au fur et à mesure. Nous avions cru qu'il y avait eu copie de notre empreinte bancaire .....car nous ignorions que les services comptables de la compagnie étaient en angleterre.
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
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
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
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.
I’m looking to get in touch with someone who’s been on an Arctic Cruise aboard the ship POLARFRONT, operated by the French company "LATITUDE BLANCHE", for some info.
Hi there, I was wondering if anyone has ever taken a cruise with this PO Cruise company.
Would love to hear your thoughts!
They’ve got some great itineraries for Norway.
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, I was wondering if anyone has ever taken a cruise with this PO Cruise company.
Would love to hear your thoughts!
They’ve got some great itineraries for Norway.
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!