Hello,
My current dream for a potential (last?) big trip during our winter of 2026 is mentioned in the title.
I’m particularly interested in the ship "Exploris One" (17 nights on board in January-February 2026), operated by the French company EXPLORIS (founded by former Ponant team members), and it seems to be a fully French-speaking experience with a maximum of 120 passengers. The most competitive offer I’ve found so far is through "Croisierenet.com".
So far, we’ve only sailed and landed as far as Cape Horn (with Australis), but beyond the Antarctic Peninsula itself, it’s especially South Georgia and the richness of its wildlife colonies that appeal to me the most (and the least appealing part, of course, is the price! 🤪)
For those of you who’ve sailed along and set foot on these lands—were you truly won over and did you feel, in plain terms, that "you got your money’s worth"?
If by any chance you know Exploris, what can you say about it? Same for the reliability and seriousness of Croisierenet.
Given the sums involved, is it wise to wait a few more months before deciding, hoping for bigger discounts as the departure date approaches, while counting on cabin availability in my preferred category? Currently, Exploris is offering discounts of -35% off the listed catalog prices for 2025 cruises and only -25% for 2026... On the other hand, could international flights from Paris to Buenos Aires become more expensive in the meantime? (But it seems the clientele for these cruises is marginal for this international flight, and January-February also appears to be significantly cheaper than November, especially for direct round-trip flights with Air France.)
Thanks for your feedback and any other wise advice! 😉
In a few words, there’s no doubt—Antarctica is the most beautiful place on the planet. We went there with Ponant in 2014. South Georgia was a dream destination for me too, but the budget held us back. Feeling like you’ve "gotten your money’s worth"—I don’t think so; it’s too expensive to ever reach that conclusion. It’s simply exceptional, magnificent, wonderful, and you shouldn’t think about the budget.
Cruise prices don’t usually drop for these destinations. Or if they do, it’s last-minute, but what you save on the cruise, you’ll lose on the flight cost.
A tip: *don’t* book with "Croisierenet.com". Choose an agency with its headquarters in France. If you do some research, you’ll see what many customers of "Croisierenet.com" (and other agencies based in Monaco) think. You can read HERE for a recent review of this agency, and you’ll find plenty of others.
Hello,
I’m also interested in the Great Southern Loop with Exploris. Have you made any progress on your plans? Did you get any other useful information for your decision?
Have you also looked into other companies like HX Hurtigruten?
I’m currently looking into this myself, but more for 2027.
Thanks in advance for your feedback and advice.
Hello,
My current dream for a potential (last?) big trip during our winter 2026 is mentioned in the title.
I’m particularly interested in the ship "Exploris One" (17 nights on board in January-February 2026), operated by the French company EXPLORIS (founded by former Ponant staff), and it seems to be a fully French-speaking experience on board, with a maximum of 120 passengers. The most competitive offer I’ve found so far is from "Croisierenet.com".
So far, we haven’t sailed or ventured beyond Cape Horn (with Australis), but beyond the Antarctic Peninsula itself, it’s especially South Georgia and the richness of its animal colonies that appeal to me the most (and the least appealing part is obviously the prices! 🤪)
Have any of you who’ve sailed along and set foot on these lands been truly won over and felt that, put simply, "you got your money’s worth"?
If by any chance you know Exploris, what can you say about them? Same for the reliability of Croisierenet.
Given the amounts involved, is it worth taking the risk of waiting a few more months to decide, hoping for bigger discounts as the trip approaches, while counting on cabin availability? Currently, Exploris is offering discounts of -35% off the listed catalog prices for 2025 cruises and only -25% for 2026... On the other hand, could international flights from Paris to Buenos Aires become more expensive in the meantime? (But it seems that the clientele for these cruises is marginal for this international flight, and January-February also appears to be significantly cheaper than November, especially for direct round-trip Air France flights.)
Thanks for your feedback and any other wise advice! 😉
Hello,
No, this potential project hasn’t progressed at all so far.
We got back on June 30th from what was probably our last 15-day "road trip" in the American Southwest (our 5th since 2008, but 13 years after the previous one...)—a loop starting from Los Angeles, on the very day our passports expired 😉. Long-haul flights are getting tougher as we approach 80, especially since we can’t sleep on the plane 🤪, and it took us at least as many days as the 9 time zones we crossed to get back into the right rhythm after returning.
Still, we’re happy and a little proud of ourselves for pulling off another great self-guided trip "like youngsters"—we had some doubts before leaving about whether we’d still have enough energy 😛.
So for now, we’ve simply planned a little 8-day cruise at the start of summer 2026 to explore fjords in southern Norway we haven’t seen yet, departing from Dunkirk in a balcony cabin, just to peacefully celebrate a "golden" wedding anniversary.
But I still have this idea of a "Great Southern Loop" lingering in the back of my mind—not completely ruled out—if the timing works out in the relatively near future... I get the feeling that prices for January-March 2026 won’t drop much further (currently at -25% off the catalog rate), and right now, Exploris is prioritizing filling bookings for the October-November 2025 cruise at -35%. Still, the prices are at levels that feel a bit intimidating for us—unusual for our budget—and almost make us feel guilty about spending that much... Plus, with the fatigue of long flights and, especially, the unpredictability of vast, notoriously rough seas to cross, it’s better not to skimp too much on cabin location (and thus the price...).
And how about you—have you made progress on your "2027 project" and your comparative research?
Best regards, and have a great evening 🙂
This "Great Southern Loop"—South Georgia in particular—I’ve dreamed of it too, especially for the massive penguin colonies and other wildlife of the southern lands. But like you, "the fatigue of long flights and the unpredictability of vast, notoriously rough maritime expanses" have discouraged us from undertaking such a long trip at our age. Distant travels are now behind us.
And then there’s the prohibitive cost of these cruises, which, like you, would make me feel guilty about spending so much.
But it’s not just the financial barrier or getting older. Several readings on the environmental impact of tourism on the great white continent, along with this Le Monde article published the day before yesterday, have reinforced my decision to let go of this dream.
Indeed, tourism in Antarctica has been growing exponentially over the past decade: 5,000 visitors in 1990, 36,000 in 2014, and nearly 120,000 today—almost double the number from the year before COVID! 562 so-called "exploration" cruises in the last season alone! At this rate, half a million tourists could be flocking to Antarctica in fifteen years. And the activities on offer are multiplying: hiking, kayaking, pseudo-scientific activities, paddleboarding, cold-water dips, backcountry skiing with helicopter drops, and more.
The *Le Monde* article highlights the overcrowding in certain areas (especially the peninsula). This has an impact on the acceleration of ice melt: the albedo (reflective power) of the ice decreases due to the increased concentration of heavy metals in these spaces, linked to the use of fossil fuels for ships and the activities of scientists, whose numbers are also rising. But while there may be (some) scientific legitimacy, is there really a *tourist* legitimacy, given that there’s no local economic benefit in these territories, which are inhabited only by... penguins and seals?
The planet’s last sanctuary is extremely fragile, and it’s even more so in the overcrowded and trampled Antarctic Peninsula, where the ground isn’t covered by ice and thus unprotected.
Antarctica is supposedly the most beautiful place on Earth—it would be the trip of a lifetime. Sure. But my life has already been filled with other stunning places, like the Himalayas or the Sahara, and you don’t visit those by cruise!
So no, I’m putting this dream to rest. I’ll never set foot on the planet’s last sanctuary.
Hello,
Did this in 2015 with Ponant. Departure from Ushuaia, heading to the Falklands with its colonies of black-browed albatrosses, rockhopper penguins, and gentoo penguins. Then South Georgia with its vast colonies of king penguins, elephant seals, all sorts of albatrosses, and the Antarctic Peninsula with humpback whales, fin whales, orcas, Weddell seals, leopard seals, Adélie penguins, and of course, numerous seabird species like albatrosses, petrels, shearwaters, fulmars, storm petrels, prions, diving petrels, etc.
All of this over 15 days.
I highly recommend it without hesitation.
Having been to Antarctica twice, two years apart under different conditions, we noticed a clear difference in the impact on these very fragile environments.
On the Antarctic Peninsula, the vast majority of boats—from sailboats to cruise ships—go to the same places, with different time slots to avoid crossing paths, but taking turns.
In the Falkland Islands, it was the behavior of the penguins that amazed us. The first time, we landed on the beach by Zodiac, and there was no one else except the different penguin colonies. There were very few of us, and they completely ignored us—it was magical.
The second time, we crossed the island by car to reach the same spot. The site had been developed with large parking lots, and there were many people. We found the animals completely different—completely stressed out.
This was in 2016, so I can only imagine what it must be like now, given how much this lucrative market has grown.
So yes, you could say it’s not great to go there, but the locals depend on it and work to attract tourists.
You could also consider the educational side of these cruises, which raise passengers’ awareness about this fragile environment where we’ll need to be careful once the Washington Treaty and the Madrid Protocol expire in 2048.
In the meantime, I think tourists still do less ecological damage than the bombs being dropped daily on our poor planet.
Thank you all for your contributions.
Our only experience with close proximity to penguin colonies (Magellanic penguins) on Magdalena Island in Chilean Patagonia (February 2019) didn’t reveal any apparent "stress" in these birds (they also coexisted more or less peacefully with gulls and cormorants, among others). We were even a little surprised to see our group, dropped off by the Australis ship, wandering fairly harmoniously among them, doing our best to respect the right-of-way rules in favor of the "locals" whenever one of them wanted to cross the walkway marked by two ropes—where human tourists weren’t supposed to step outside during their time on the island. And during the season, I imagine the landing rotations must have been frequent (on the Stella Australis at the time, with around 100 to 200 passengers). Maybe in the Falklands, they’re less strict about penguin/human interactions, or perhaps the local species is more sensitive to the occasional invasion of its breeding grounds...
Otherwise, it’s true that in the old days of whalers/sealers—those great pioneers and explorers of the Southern Seas—or even a century ago during Shackleton’s extraordinary exploration epic and its final chapter in South Georgia, the risk of human overcrowding wasn’t really an issue. But there was another risk (excessive harvesting of animal oil in the pre-petroleum economy, threatening certain species in the long term)...
In the end, perhaps the safest measure to reduce the potential harm of human territorial expansion was put in place during France’s COVID crisis: working from home, one or two short daily walks in the neighborhood, and weekly grocery runs if possible. 😕 I’m joking, of course. 😉
My dream of the "Great Southern Loop" with Exploris from a few months ago—if there was still any doubt—can definitely be considered sunk!
I’ve just found out that EXPLORIS, founded in 2022, was placed into liquidation at the end of October 2025. Everything’s shut down now, and the ship *Exploris 1* is going to be sold.
Direct customers might—*maybe*—hope for a refund of the amounts they paid (??...), while those who booked through external agencies are apparently out of luck (at one point, I had a quote from *croisierenet.com* that was better priced, but I was a bit wary of that Monaco-based company in case of any issues, so I didn’t bite 😉) .
My love for cold regions has just given me a *retrospective* hot flash!
Hi Jean-Michel,
I’m really glad you didn’t "crack" and go with that Monaco-based agency. You’d have bitterly regretted it.
At least you haven’t lost the chance to keep dreaming—there are still other companies that offer trips to explore Antarctica.
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
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!
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.
We’re doing the next CFC cruise in Norway and we’re looking for the excursion program and their prices.
For those who’ve done this cruise before, could you share this info with us?
I know the company doesn’t release it until 8 weeks before departure. I like to plan ahead and avoid any unpleasant surprises.
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
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,
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
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!