bonjour
mon mari et moi partons pour la croisière "de l'océan indien à la Méditerranée Antique" le 3 mars 2016 (27 jours )
nous ne connaissons pratiquement aucune escale, y a t ' il des personnes qui ont déjà pris cette destination ou y en a t 'il qui partent à cette date ? nous serions intéressés par tout renseignement....... merci par avance
cordialement
Bonjour
Voyant que votre demande n'a pas encore eu de résultats je vais essayer de vous donner quelques informations sur ces escales , je précise, cependant, que mes propres escales remontent à plusieurs années, à l'exception de la Réunion où j'étais en mars.
Si vous arrivez un ou deux jours à l'avance dans cette île, je vous recommande le cirque de Salazie ou le Piton Maido d'où l'on domine le cirque de Mafate vue extraordinaire sur ce cirque accessible seulement à pieds ou par hélicoptère.Si vous aimez la vanille , achetez en, c'est la meilleure du monde.
En ce qui concerne l'île Maurice nous étions restés dans capitale.
Nous n'avions pas fait escale à Tamatave;à Diego Suarez, dont la baie est la 3ème plus belle du monde, nous avions choisi la "visite de Diego Suarez "qui nous a conduit vers une forêt de baobabs fort belle;à Nosy-Be la visite de la distillerie de ylang ylang ne présentait guère d'intérêt.
A Mahé vous pouvez rester un jour dans la capitale:beau marché, beau jardin botanique où vous pourrez voir d'énormes tortues.Le 2ème excursion à Praslin et la Digue.
A Aqaba l'excursion à Petra me parait incontournable:extraordinaire, les mots manquent tant c'est beau.
A Sharm El Sheikh nous avions fait une excursion au monastère Ste Catherine, très intéressant.Attention sécurité maximum avec policier armé dans chaque bus , voitures de police........
Pour le reste des escales Louxor, Héraklion, Athènes, Olympie, me paraissent incontournables mais il faut aimer les ruines ce qui est mon cas;mais ce sont des visites que j'ai faites dans le cadre de voyages individuels.
Mon aide est assez superficielle, mais si vous avez des questions j'y répondrai volontiers, si je le puis.
Bonjour
je viens juste de rentrer merci pour votre compte rendu que je vais lire avec attention
comme vous, nous avons pris la croisière sans vol
nous pensons prendre xlairways car beaucoup moins chère
nous restons une dizaine de jours à la réunion , Nous aimons beaucoup randonner, nous recherchons un petit studio. nous pensons louer à St Gilles. Nous recherchons également une location de véhicule, une amie m'a parlé de "Garcia" et comme vous de l'Hermitage mais pour dix jours c'est chaud!!!
nous commençons à préparer les escales car à part Petra que nous ferons avec Costa le reste on le fera par nous mêmes
merci pour votre réponse
cordialement
Bonjour
merci pour ces renseignements
vous étiez en Mars à la Réunion, avez vous loué un véhicule ? nous recherchons une location car nous partons 10 jours avant la croisière pour pouvoir profiter un peu de la Réunion
nous pensions louer un petit quelque chose à St Gilles, nous aimons beaucoup marcher, quel temps avez vous eu en Mars nous partons le 22 Févier 2016
merci par avance
cordialement
Nous sommes arrivés le 3 mars et repartis le lendemain(grande croisière d'Afrique), donc nous avons fait une excursion avec Costa.Il faisait très beau, mais nous avons appris que 24 h plus tard l'île était touchée par un cyclone;c'est , en effet, la période des cyclones.
Cordialement.
Ns avons été très satifaits du loueur de voitures EUROPCAR.
Si vs séjourner à St Gilles il y a un bureau ds le hall de l'Hôtel Ermitage. Sinon à St Gilles il y a plein de studios à louer.
cordialement
J'ai pris connaissance par hasard de votre demande et je peux apporter quelques renseignements sur votre future croisière car nous l'avons effectuée cette année du 6 mars au 8 avril de la Réunion à Venise sur le néo classica
Tout d'abord nous sommes partis de la Réunion sous un déluge. Arrivés à Maurice, la première journée nous avons pris un taxi à 5 qui nous a amenés au jardin de Pamplemousses après un tour de ville , passant par la citadelle : le jardin de Pamplemousses était partiellement inondé. Ensuite nous sommes allés à Grand Baie et revenus au bateau en longeant les plages de la côte ouest. L'après-midi petite marche jusqu'au centre. (il vaut mieux prendre les taxis à la sortie du port pour éviter la surcharge) ; nous avions retenu le même taxi le lendemain pour une excursion au sud de l'île, mais le mauvais temps nous a contraints à l'annuler (à noter que Costa a annulé toutes ses excursions les 2 jours).
Nous avons fait 3 escales à Madagascar -Tamatave, Diego Suarez et Nosy-Be - qui ne sont pas à votre programme ; c'est regrettable car ces escales ont été les plus intéressantes avec Petra et en plus nous avons eu un temps superbe.
Aux Seychelles nous avons pris un taxi au port l'après-midi pour un tour complet de l'île de Mahé avec arrêt et baignade sur deux plages. (dans un kiosque au pied du bateau on trouve cartes postales et timbres et une boite à lettres) Les cartes postales sont arrivées une bonne semaine avant nous.
Le lendemain nous n'avions pas pris l'excursion à Praslin et La Digue compte tenu du prix et avons visité Victoria et son marché et l'après-midi le jardin botanique.
Pendant les jours de mer qui ont suivis, Costa nous a informés que les escales de Safaga et Sharm el Cheik en Egypte étaient supprimées et remplacées par une escale à Limassol, Chypre et une journée supplémentaire à Ancône avec une excursion d'une 1/2 journée offerte.
A salalah (Oman) nous ne sommes pas sortis et avons profité des piscines du bateau.
A Aquaba, nous avons pris l'excursion de Pétra avec panier pique nique qui s'est avérée très intéressante bien qu'un peu courte compte tenu du trajet en car.
A Eilat, le matin tour du quartier balnéaire, l'après-midi piscine du bateau sous une chaleur de 38 degrés
La traversée du canal de Suez a débuté vers 22 heures pour sortir en mer méditerranée le lendemain vers 11 heures, ce qui a permis de découvrir les rives toute la matinée
A Chypre, un taxi collectif pour voir les environs de Limassol
A Héraklion, visite à pied de la ville
Au Pirée, nous avons pris un bus panoramique pour aller à Athènes et visiter les différents sites.
A Katakolon, nous sommes restés au village.
A Split, nous avons pris l'excursion Trogir et Salone effectuée sous une pluie battante.
A Ancône, deux jours avec différentes visites sous un froid (9 degrés et vent du nord)
Arrivée à Venise sous le soleil.
32 jours de croisière qui sont passés assez rapidement.
Je peux répondre à d'autres questions par MP si vous le souhaitez.
Bonjour
Merci pour votre compte rendu c'est effectivement la même croisière que nous allons faire mais sans Madagascar Je pense que nous prendrons également des taxis je suis en train de planifier les journées en essayant de cibler le plus intéressant à y voir
Déjà nous arriverons à la réunion 10 jours avant le départ du bateau , nous attendons des réponses aux différentes demandes de location véhicule et studio que nous avons demandés. Nous pensons louer sur St Gilles
Pour l'Egypte j'espère qu'ils ne feront pas comme pour vous et que nous pourrons y descendre
A Petra seule escursion que nous prendrons avec costa on nous a plutot conseillé la sortie trekking. combien dure le trajet en car ?
Et sur le bateau comment s'est passée votre traversée ? le fait de ne plus avoir de table attitrée au restaurant pose t'il un problème ?
cordialement
Bonjour
Personnellement l'absence de table attitrée m'a dérangée, pas de convivialité, d'autant que la plupart des tables étant de quatre on nous mettait systématiquement seuls à une de ces tables.
Cordialement.
Bonjour
l'avantage avec ce système c'est qu'aux escales on n'a plus besoin de courir on sais que jusqu'à 22 heures on peut y manger. Y a t 'il un buffet le soir ?
Ce qui va nous manquer le plus je pense que c'est le "théâtre" Cette salle était nécessaire, c'est bien dommage qu'il l'ai supprimé.
cordialement
Bonjour
Mille excuses je croyais que vous étiez sur le neoriviera. Je ne connais pas le neoclassica, en principe dans la néo collection self le soir.
Cordialement.
Nous connaissons un couple de randonneurs qui avait pris l'excursion trekking et en était très satisfait. Le temps de parcours entre Aqaba et Pétra est d'environ 1h45 hors arrêt intermédiaire dans un petit centre commercial à l'aller et se situe en partie sur l'autoroute du désert qui mène à Amann.
Nous avions formé sur le forum un petit groupe de 9 personnes au cours du mois de janvier 2015 afin d'effectuer des excursions ensemble auprès de prestataires locaux et éventuellement de manger le soir au restaurant. Compte tenu des difficultés constatées le premier soir pour manger entre 19 et 20 heures et Costa ayant passé les représentations au théâtre de 1 à 2, nous avons pris la première à 20h15 et sommes ensuite allés manger à 21 heures. Nous avions la même table de 5 personnes passée ensuite à 7 avec les mêmes serveurs pendant toute la croisière.
Pendant les jours d'escale le restaurant n'était pas ouvert le midi.
Le buffet self service était ouvert midi et soir. Les repas variés étaient très bons.
Une pizzeria payante n'avait pas grand succès.
Au restaurant il n'y a plus de carafes d'eau et on voit ainsi tout à chacun repartir avec sa bouteille d'eau !!!
Nous partons, mon mari et moi pour la même croisière que vous et ce sera notre première, vous avouerez qu'on fait fort: 28 jours sur un navire sans savoir si on aime ça!!🙁 Alors nous nous posons plein de questions sur ce qu'on va vivre...une belle découverte, j'espère!!😎
Bonjour
nous avons commencé à faire des croisières en 2011, et depuis , dès que nous le pouvons nous partons. mais c'est la première fois que nous prendrons un néo...... plus de salle de théâtre , je suppose que les spectacles seront donnés dans les salons .... plus de buffet le soir........plus de tables attitrées au restaurant......... mais malgré tous ces changements mon mari et moi sommes ravis de partir, nous partons quelques jours avant afin de pouvoir profiter de la Réunion
le seul regret est que l'Egypte qui faisait partie de l'itinéraire quand nous avons pris cette croisière a été supprimée
Effectivement pour une première vous faites fort, 28 jours........mais c'est génial, vous verrez ........
nous on aime beaucoup
cordialement
Bonjour
merci pour votre réponse. Nous n'avons pas pu réserver l'excursion trekking, elle n'apparait plus, l'agence nous a conseillé de voir dès notre arrivée sur le bateau
pour le restaurant, c'est bien que vous ayiez pu manger avec tout votre groupe , nous avons des
amis qui étaient sur cette croisière et qui nous ont raconté ......
Chez Costa beaucoup de choses changent malheureusement pas dans le bon sens..........chaque traversée a son lot d'imprévus , nous aurions aimé conserver l'Egypte. mais pour vous aussi cette escale avait été supprimée
nous sommes maintenant impatients de partir
cordialement
Effectivement beaucoup de choses sont remises en cause.
Sur la croisière nous avons connu un couple de Perpignan qui avait fait le trekking à Petra. La femme s'appelait Sylvie et tous les jours de mer ils enchainaient les marches sur le pont piscine du bateau. S'il s'agit éventuellement d'eux, vous pouvez leur donner le bonjour des dijonnais.
Nous nous apprêtons à partir samedi sur le néo Riviéra pour un petit tour de méditerranée au départ de Monte Carlo.
Cordialement
Bonjour, nous avons réservé cette croisière par Vente Privée et le vol pour la Réunion est inclus, donc ce sera une arrivée le matin du 3. Je ne comprenais pas pourquoi il était question d'un visa pour l'Egypte où il n'y avait aucune escale de prévue jusqu'à ce que je lise dans votre message qu'il y avait eu des modifications...J'ai également lu les comptes rendus de Rustig qui nous donne des idées d'excursions à faire par nous-mêmes. Nous pensons prendre Massada et la Mer Morte et Pétra avec Costa, on verra pour le reste, on a encore le temps de préparer le voyage et c'est déjà la moitié du plaisir!! Cordialement.
bonjour Michel, pouvez-vous me donner des infos pour les excursions à Madagascar, nous faisons la croisiere en novembre, et nous pensons prendre un chauffeur guide , car nous sommes 4p.
merci d'avance
Bonjour Martine,
Pour les excursions que nous avons faites en mars 2015 à Madagascar, nous avons pris MADEX (Jacques) souvent indique sur le forum. Nous avions forme un groupe de 7 personnes. Contact Jacques ; mail : madadiego201@yahoo.fr)
Le programme choisi était à Tamatave le parc d'Ivololona, 1/2 journée à 30 €
A Diego Suarez les 3 baies, journée avec repas a 50 €,
A Nosy Be (Nosy Komba et Tanikely), 'journée avec repas a 50 €.
Nous avons beaucoup apprécié les prestations fournies.
A votre disposition pour tout renseignement complémentaire
Croisières › Réunion / Maurice / Seychelles · 2 replies
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Croisières › Réunion / Maurice / Seychelles · 15 replies
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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 there,
Here’s the 2027 cruise schedule.
It’s a great way to get ideas and maybe even meet up with other members!
2 essential rules:
1) Never "quote" the schedule when replying—this avoids any confusion.
2) Follow this format:
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
REMINDER Despite my requests, few people follow the requested format. Cruises that stray too far from it won’t be listed anymore—sorry about that. IMPORTANT Please respect the templates!
PLEASE COPY AND PASTE THE FORMAT BELOW AND REPLACE WITH YOUR DETAILS IF YOU’RE HAVING TROUBLE
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
It takes time to fix mistakes, so THANKS TO EVERYONE for your help!
YOUR TURN 😉
NUMBER OF 2027 CRUISES: 1
JANUARY
14/01 - poupou10 / AZAMARA JOURNEY / 74 days / South America Tour / Miami
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
Hello!
After a lot of hesitation between different cruise lines (Explora, Oceania, YC, HAL, NCL) and several destinations like Norway, Ireland, and Iceland,
I finally chose NCL’s Star for Iceland.
I had already looked at this itinerary when I went to Scotland in April with CFC, but it was really expensive.
You should know that CFC often offers last-minute deals 45 days before departure (the point when you can no longer cancel or modify).
So, I got a great opportunity and grabbed it.
Departure is on August 23rd.
hi there
Here’s the cruise schedule for 2026.
It’s a great way to get ideas and maybe even meet up with other members.
2 essential rules:
1) never "quote" the calendar when replying—this’ll avoid any confusion
2) follow the format below
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
REMINDER Despite my requests, few people follow the requested format. Cruises that stray too far from it won’t be listed anymore—sorry!PLEASE respect the templates!
COPY AND PASTE THE FORMAT BELOW AND REPLACE WITH YOUR DETAILS IF YOU’RE STRUGGLING
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
It takes time to fix mistakes, so THANKS TO EVERYONE for your help!
YOUR TURN 😉
NUMBER OF CRUISES 2026:
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
We’re taking an MSC cruise in May, and after the Cinque Terre, we’ll be stopping in Naples. We’d like to know if it’s possible to walk out of the port quickly and reach a nice area of Naples on foot (we’re two older people). While we’re at it, I’ll ask the same question for Palermo, since we’ll be there the next day. Thanks for your replies.
Hi everyone,
I’m staying in a suite on the Pacifica in October and I can’t find any details about the suite benefits beyond the elite restaurant, the butler, and the espresso machine.
What about breakfast and meals served free in the cabin, and the spa?
Costa’s been cutting back on perks for Gold members, and it seems like suites are next.
Thanks for your replies!
hi,
I’m leaving Hamburg for Iceland at the end of July. The boat arrives in Reykjavik on Tuesday, August 4th at 8 AM, and I’d like to book a day trip like the Golden Circle or Secret Lagoon… The sites like GetYourGuide and others list departures at 8 AM. If you’ve used these sites with the MSC Preziosa, could you let me know how to go about it?
Thanks! 😉
allyMB007
Hello everyone,
It’s with immense sadness that I learned this morning of the passing of our friend Nathalie (nadu). Many of us knew her through this forum, which she loved so much. She enjoyed reading your travel stories, joining discussions, sharing her cruise reviews, and offering valuable advice—always with kindness, gentleness, and discretion.
For me, Nathalie was so much more than just a cruise enthusiast. She was a friend, a deeply kind person who was always there to listen, despite the many health challenges she faced with tremendous courage. We corresponded regularly, and sometimes we had the chance to visit each other’s homes or attend the cruise show together with our respective husbands.
We shared a common dream: when we both retired, we had planned to finally go on a cruise together. Life had other plans, and that trip will forever remain a journey we never had the chance to take. That thought weighs heavily on my heart today.
I’ll remember her as a gentle, generous woman who was always ready to help others. Her presence on this forum will leave a huge void, just as her friendship has in my life.
I send my sincerest thoughts to her husband, her family, and all those who had the chance to know her.
Fair winds, Nathalie. I like to think you’re now sailing on an infinitely calm sea, under an eternally blue sky. You’ll remain in our thoughts and hearts every time we talk about cruises or set off on a new journey.
Rest in peace, Nathalie.
For those who’d like to send a message of comfort and sympathy to her husband, you can send me a PM, and I’ll pass it along.
THANK YOU
Hello everyone,
So happy to be back on this Forum!
We’re heading off on another cruise—our 7th—after a 5-year break...
We’ll be leaving from Venice on April 26th with stops in Kotor, Mykonos, Santorini, and Ancona.
Could you help me plan the stops by sharing tips, tricks, and advice?
For those who already know me, you know we prefer not to take the cruise line’s excursions but instead organize everything ourselves.
Thanks in advance to everyone, and looking forward to chatting with you all!
Hello,
We’re taking a cruise to Northern Europe with a stop in SOUTHAMPTON.
We’d like to visit the Stonehenge site.
Is it possible to get there on our own (my husband is a wheelchair user), since the MSC excursion to Salisbury is priced at 127 € per person?
There’s also a stop in Rotterdam, and it seems there’s a "miniature village to visit" nearby. Has anyone here been there, and if so, how did you get there?
Thanks so much for your tips. Mum49
If you're traveling on the Costa Diadema from October 17th to 28th, 2026 to Lisbon, we can meet up for a drink. Share our cruising experiences, an excursion, a table...
hi there, a group of friends and I are going on a cruise at the end of June with CFC in Norway. I’d love to get some info on the different stops we’ll be making. Most of them are one-day stops (from around 10 AM to 8 PM on average). Here are the stops: Andalsnes, Trondheim, Honningsvåg, Alta, Hellesylt, Sandane, Austefjorden.
Thanks in advance to anyone who can share what there is to see or do in these places.
When I get back, I’ll post what we did—it might help others who come after us.
Also, does anyone know if the boat sticks to the arrival time in Dunkirk for catching tickets to head back south? We’ll plan a buffer just in case.
Hi there, The day before boarding the Costa Favolosa for the Norwegian Fjords cruise departing from Hamburg, I'd like to book a hotel. Which one would be the most convenient location-wise relative to the port?
Thanks in advance for your reply.
Hello,
We’ll be sailing on the Renaissance with CFC to southern Norway from July 4 to 11, 2026, departing from Dunkirk (the cruise was booked through "Planète Croisière").
When entering some personal details or pre-selecting options on the CFC website, I’m wondering about the "optional" categories for drinks and WiFi.
I’m actually a bit surprised by these extra charges, as we weren’t used to them on other cruises (Australis in Patagonia; Hurtigruten’s Coastal Express in Norway and Alaska; Rivages du Monde in the Arctic or on the Douro River; a Nile river cruise in Egypt), where we sometimes had access to basic drinks at meals and free WiFi when near land.
Anyway, for those who’ve already taken a CFC cruise on the Renaissance, could you share some advice? Specifically about the most basic drink package, called "Fraîcheur" (238 € for two), which doesn’t seem to be described anywhere. The "Premium" package seems excessive (490 € for two for the week) for light drinkers.
As for WiFi, it’s 10 € per day per person. While I find that price acceptable for parking our car in Dunkirk, it feels overpriced here (especially since it was free on the Nordlys "Coastal Express" just 3 or 4 years ago).
So, I’d love to hear from experienced cruisers who’ve been on this ship!
Looking forward to seeing the excursion prices, which should be available soon! 😐
Hi there,
I’m considering a cruise on this ship in the recently introduced Yacht Club category.
Have any forum members tried it?
What are your thoughts? Positive or negative? Which cabins should we go for—or avoid?
We’re already familiar with the Yacht Clubs on the Splendida, Fantasia, Preziosa, and Divina series.
We weren’t as keen on the one on the Seashore—we found it too big.
Thanks in advance for your feedback!
Best,
Claudine
We're considering a new cruise soon and would like to try the Renaissance.
The uniqueness of the promenade cabins appeals to us, but could anyone give us some insights on the following points:
- Is the glass door sufficiently tinted to prevent outsiders from seeing into the cabin?
- Is the soundproofing good enough to block out conversations on the promenade deck?
Thanks in advance to anyone who can help!
My husband, our two teens, and I are going on a cruise on the COSTA Esmeralda at the beginning of July. We’re thinking of exploring the ports on our own. Do any of you have recent experiences or tips to share? Are there shuttles between the port and the city center? Are they free? Looking forward to hearing from you.
As promised, here’s my review of the cruise I took from the 5th to the 19th on the MSC Virtuosa.
As you know, I had initially booked a cruise with Mein Schiff departing from Dubai (from Dubai to Cape Town). It was a 22-day cruise. Due to the issues in the Persian Gulf, my cruise was canceled by Mein Schiff.
So, we started looking for a Plan B because we really wanted to go. Especially my wife, who had just had a minor procedure and needed some rest. Since she had already taken time off, she was determined to travel. However, we were looking for an affordable Plan B since we weren’t sure when Mein Schiff or the airline would reimburse us.
While browsing online, I found a 15-day cruise departing from Pointe-à-Pitre (including flights, transfers, the cruise, and drinks) for a price of 1,200 € in a Fantastica balcony cabin. We thought, *Why not?*
I should mention that I’m not usually a big fan of MSC. My last experience with them was post-Covid (I took two cruises, one in 2021 and another in 2022), and it was honestly a disaster. We didn’t want to repeat that, but after talking to Catherine, who told me she was very happy with a short Christmas cruise, we decided to give it a try.
I have to say, I was left speechless. Honestly, the cruise was absolutely perfect. There’s nothing to complain about (or just a few minor details). In terms of service and food, I felt like I was on a premium cruise line. I’d even say MSC has nothing to envy from some of those companies. While premium lines like Holland, Celebrity, and Royal are cutting back on services, I think MSC has made huge improvements. Seriously, I wasn’t expecting this at all. You’ll see what I mean as we chat more.
I won’t do a full review like I usually do because there weren’t many stops:
1. We boarded in Pointe-à-Pitre
2. We stopped in Saint-Martin
3. Then it was a direct crossing to the Azores...
This cruise was really about relaxing, even if it’s not the kind of trip we usually take.
First off, I’m not a big fan of "flight and cruise" packages. I asked if we could leave two days early, but they said it wasn’t possible. We had to take the flight, then the bus, and board the ship directly.
It’s not really my thing, but given the price we paid and since we really wanted to relax, we thought, *Why not?*
Here’s the itinerary:
Boarding in Pointe-à-Pitre
Saint-Martin
Five days at sea
The Azores
Four days at sea
Hamburg
One day at sea
Le Havre
But as I mentioned, it wasn’t about the itinerary. It was really about taking a break and unwinding. Honestly, I came back thrilled.
We’re stopping over in Rovinj this coming May, and since we’ve already visited the main sights (port, church, etc.), is there a walk we can do on our own—no boat needed—that would fill a morning?
Thanks to anyone who knows the area…
My wife and I are going on a cruise on the MS Vesteralen on August 4th. The ship stays close to the coast to deliver mail and packages. My wife is a musician and is sensitive to the movement of the boat. Which deck and cabin should we choose?
Hi there,
So, I booked this cruise...
I know CFC gets a lot of criticism—
- And that it’s not really like the ships I usually take.
But the destination really interested me...
So, I’m giving it a try...
I’m going in with an open mind, thinking I got a good deal, so I’m not expecting the same experience as when I travel with Yacht Club or The Haven.
We’ll see... soon!
hi, we’re going on a cruise with MSC Virtuosa in the Caribbean. Has anyone done this cruise before and could give us some tips for excursions on the different islands? Thanks for your help
😉Hi there,
A few months ago, CFC put the EN VOGUE experience on sale, departing from Dunkirk.
I booked this package to test the boat and onboard services for myself.
I’d read a lot of reviews mentioning numerous issues on board, so I wanted to see for myself what it was really like…
Okay, I’ll stop rambling…
The package included boarding at 6 PM on Friday, dinner, a show, an overnight stay, and breakfast.
We chose an interior cabin for this experience—since the boat wasn’t leaving the dock, we didn’t see the point in paying more… All in all, it cost 130 € per person.
My mom joined us; she got the same cabin for 130 € with no single occupancy supplement.
We’d checked in online to board faster.
We took the train to DUNKIRK, then a taxi to the shuttle pavilion—7 € for the ride.
When we arrived at the pavilion, we were told to wait because there was a connection issue with check-in. Great start…
After about ten minutes, we were finally allowed to proceed.
At the counter, they said they didn’t have our cabin cards and no record of our check-in… Very odd.
With no solution, they put us on the bus and said we’d sort it out at reception. Perfect.
We went through security, and they confiscated our water bottles—never seen that before! Then they said my mom had a corkscrew in her bag, so they searched it… but there was no corkscrew. Total amateur hour… They eventually dropped it.
We got on the bus for a ten-minute ride…
We boarded the ship with a crew member and headed to reception.
Turns out, we weren’t the only ones in this situation.
The nightmare began… Only two staff members were handling all the issues, and everything seemed complicated.
They told my mom her cabin had been given to someone else 😲.
That was the last straw…
It took forever—they had to redo the entire check-in.
Finally, they told my mom her cabin was good to go; they’d mixed her up with someone else… After a solid half-hour, we could finally head to our cabin.
I’m determined to test everything: the pool, jacuzzi, show, restaurant, spa, etc…
TO BE CONTINUED
Hi there,
I'm looking at a cruise in the north.
Hi there,
So, I booked this cruise...
I know CFC gets a lot of criticism—
- And that it’s not really like the ships I usually take.
But the destination really interested me...
So, I’m giving it a try...
I’m going in with an open mind, thinking I got a good deal, so I’m not expecting the same experience as when I travel with Yacht Club or The Haven.
We’ll see... soon!