(BON À SAVOIR SUR LE COSTA MEDITERRANEA)
Voici quelques renseignement sur ce voyage. Vous arrivé à l`aéroport de la Romana vous n’avez pas à passé aux douanes on vous fait passer à côté pour
prendre l`autobus pour le bateau vous ne vous occupé pas de vos bagages.
Arrivé au bateau on prend une photo de vous devant un gouvernail de bateau
cette photo se retrouvera au troisième étage du bateau comme souvenir à acheter. Un peu plus loin on reprend une autre photo de vous mais celle la
servira au bateau car lorsque vous descendez ou remontez du bateau pour
visité on vous demande votre carte Costa que l`on vous donnera et il voit votre
photo à chaque fois que vous présenterai cette carte. Ensuite vous monter à bord
et on vous dirige vers les ascenseurs qui se rendent à l`étage de votre chambre.
À la sortie de l`asenceur vérifié le numéro de la porte s’il est pair ou impair
pour trouver le bon côté à vous diriger.La porte de votre chambre sera entrouverte et tous vos papiers seront la et surtout la carte Costa qui sera
votre passe partout pour payé tous ce que vous achèterai sur le bateau et
elle sert pour le coffre fort et la porte. Important la carte pour le coffre fort
doit être la même car si vous prenez l`autre elle ne la reconnaîtra pas à
moins que vous alterner la carte lorsque le coffre est ouvert. Chaque passager
a sa carte à son non. Il est préférable d`avoir sa carte de crédit et de l`enregistrer
dans les appareilles fait pour cela car vous n`aurai pas à aller faire un check out
à la fin et vous garder la carte Costa en souvenir. Vous pouvez voir votre
comptes de dépenses à la tv de votre chambre. Ce compte vous sera remis
à la dernière journée. Il en coûte 7 euro par jour pour les pourboires et si
vous acheter un breuvage il vous charge 15% automatiquement alors vous
ne payé jamais en argent mais toujours avec votre carte Costa. À chaque
jour vous aurai du courrier dans votre boite à la porte de votre cabine et
vous serez informer des excursions ainsi des activités sur le bateau. On
peut voir aussi tout cela à la tv de votre chambre. À la réceptions on parle
français et il a plusieurs employés qui le parle aussi. Pour savoir au début
ou se trouvent les endroits que vous voulez vous rendre alors regarder dans
le passage avant de sortir pour prendre l`assenseur il a un dessin du bateau
et c`est bien indiquer si c`est en avant ou en arrière et à quelle étage pour se
déplacer facilement.
Les repas : Si vous souper à 19hrs le spectacle sera après et il sera avant
pour ceux qui soupe à 21hrs.On vous désigne une table avec un numéro
ce numéro vous le trouverai avec vos papiers en arrivant il sert surtout
pour la première fois car vous serez à la même table à tout les soirs et vous
serai probablement avec d`autres gens. Il est toujours possible de se faire
changer de table si vous n`aimer pas vos voisins. Quelque soir on anime-les
souper. On peut aussi aller au buffet aux neuvième étage pour souper et c`est
la que se trouve aussi le buffet du matin midi et de fin soirée.
Tenue vestimentaire :Le jour les gens vont déjeuner dîner au buffet en
sandale avec un gilet sur le dos et des pantalons court mais le soir au souper
c`est les pantalons long et bien habillés mais les veston et complets sont rares.
Il fait pas très froid sur le bateau et les restaurants alors il a beaucoup de
chemises courtes aux souper. Je n`ai pas vu de souper du Capitaine il a
une rencontre des officiers et du Capitaine au théâtre avec coupe de champagnettre pours tous. Sur le bateau c`est pas froid on est bien et à
l`extérieur il fait très chaud surtout au soleil et tout les endroit qu’on va.
Les excursions : Les excursions que le bateau offre sont bien mais très chère
Il vous en coûtera 5 fois mois si vous les prenez en sortant du bateau car à
chaque port on nous attend pour les mêmes excursions. On peut payer $15.00
ou $20.00 par excursions et on prend l’argent américain partout c’est mieux.
Île Catalina :Le bateau reste en mer et on nous transporte sur l`île c`est un
endroit privé pour Costa avec chaises longues et parasol et il en en permanence
un toit pour un grand buffet et on peut boire de l`eau gratuite mais il vous offre
constamment des breuvage en payant avec votre carte. C`est un endroit
seulement pour faire de la plage rien d`autre à voir. Très belle plage.
Tortola : Pour $15.00 évidemment américainon a fait le tour de l`île dans les
montagnes on a une superbe vue on peut acheter des gilets à $5.00 dans les
boutiques.Belle place à voir je vous la conseille.
Antigua : Pas grands choses à voir avec les excursions je ne vous conseille pas.
Barbade : Si vous y allé apporter des bananes car l`île est remplie de petits
singes on vous arrêtera dans une rue pour les prendre en photos et leur donner à manger il y a rien d`extraordinaire à part des singes mais cela fait une sortie.
Guadeloupe : Ici le bateau se vide de moitié et reprend d`autres passagers je
vous conseille pas l`excursions ce n`est pas beau en arrivant au port tout est
fermé le dimanche si vous descender le jour vous allé voir pas grand chose
mais il on un festival à tous les dimanches de 17hrs à 22hrs il font une parade
a travers les routes les gens se déguisent mais il n`as pas de chars aligoriques.
C`est spécial à voir et il n`as pas de danger à y allé car il a beaucoup de gens.
ST Maarten : Excursions pas fameux vaut mieux descendre et se diriger vers
la gauche et marcher 10 minutes vers la plage et les boutiques et apporter votre
costume de bain pour se baigner. Un conseil lorsque vous prenez une excursion
prenez pas le premier venu et demander le prix avant et vérifié si dans son taxi
il y a des gens car vous attendrai pas longtemps pour partir sinon il attend
que le taxi soit plein sinon il chargeront plus cher et combien de temps va durée l`excursion. Pour résumé : On va tout vous expliquer cela à la réunion du mercredi matin
et vaut mieux y allé car on vous explique tout ou presque.
Sur le bateau : Le déjeuner et les buffet sont aux neuvièmes étages les soupers
aux deuxième et troisièmes étages selon votre numéro que l`on vous donne. Les
picines au neuvième la réceptions le casino ect aux deuxièmes boutiques photos
Internet ect aux troisièmes. Disons que l`on se promène entre le deuxième et le
troisièmes et le neuvièmes souvent. Pour sortir du bateau il faut descendre à
l`étage A en bas et on vous scan votre carte pour vérifications.Inutile d’apporter
votre passeport à chaque visite on revient en présentant seulement sa carte Costa. On peut toujours photocopier son passeport mais on me la jamais demandé. En fin de soirée après le spectacles au deuxième il y a de la danse
et des jeux comiques avec le public. Il y a un peu partout des bars des chanteurs
et chanteuses et une discothèques qui ouvre à minuit. Evidemment il y a le casino mais le dimanche tout cela est fermé. Il y a bien d`autres choses que
vous trouverez en fouillant que je vous ai pas dit. Alors je vous souhaite bonne
croisière et n`hésiter pas à m`écrire si vous avez d`autres questions.
Pierre Michaud
pierre.michaud4@videotron.ca
euh on a pourtant fait la meme croisière mais on a pas du vivre les meme choses:
le casino est pas du tout fermé le dimanche il ouvre comme tout les jours au départ du bateau
le spectacle c'est pas 1er service apres et 2 eme service avant, ça change tout les jours, ça peut etre avant comme apres, spectacle unique pour tout le monde ou deux représentations ça dépend.
Bonjour pour moi c`est ce qui ses passé pendant ma croisière du 11 janvier 2011.
Il est possible qu`il ont des changements et pour le casino je ne sais pas dans la
journée mais le soir il était fermé et il avait pas de spectacles.
bonjours Pierre avez-vous pris des forfaits boissons ?est-ce que il y avait des forfaits bierres? d`apres vous qu`est-ce qui vaut la peine? a quelle heure on nous ramene a l`areoport? merci de me répondre nous partons le 8 mars
Bonjour au sujet des boissons il y a en effet des forfaits mais en ce qui concerne la bière je ne sais pas mais vous pouvez allé voir sur le site de costa il en parle. Pour le départ il faut la veille placer nos valises
à la porte avant 2hrs am et il les ramassent et on s`en occupe pas.Mais surtout il faut garder son linges du départ.
Le matin du départ on est convoqué à une réunion pour nous donner tous les informations du déroulement du départ.Vous avez le temps de déjeuner et plus tard on se rend au douane qui est sur le bateau à l`endroit ou le monde joue au cartes.On remet notre papier bleu et une petite carte qui vaut $10.00 pour la sortie cette carte
est comprit dans votre forfait et on vous la donnera dans l`avion alors ne la perder pas mais le papier bleau il
en a à la réception et il en aura à la réunion si vous l`avez perdu.Après les douanes qui je crois est vers 13.15hrs
on descend du bateau pour prendre nos valises et prendre l`autobus je crois vers 14hrs pour se dirigé vers l`aéroport.Ne vous inquiété pas
tout est bien organisé.Si il y a autre choses ne vous gêner pas
Ne vous tressé pas vous allé voir que tout va se passé très bien et sans problème car on est bien prit en charge
et si vous partez avec air transat alors je vous conseille de réservé vos sièges 24hrs avant le départ avec internet sur le site de air transat et cela ne coute rien et ce qui est le plus intéressant si vous faite cela c`est que à
l`aéroport vous n`avez pas à attendre derrière la foule car vous pouvez passé à côté avec la première classe.
Actuellement je crois que seulement air transat offre ce service mais seulement 24hrs avant le départ sinon vous allé payé si vous voulez les réservés avant.Mais cela est gratuit seulement pour les sièges du départ.
Bonjour pierre,
Vous semblez être un expert. Nous partons le 15 mars, les forfaits boissons les avez-vous acheté sur le bateau ou avant d'embarquer?
Merci
Bonjour je viens tout juste de prendre votre message car j`étais encore en voyage.
Malheureusement je ne peut pas te répondre car je n`ai pas acheté de forfait car je
ne suis pas un grand buveur de vin ou bière.Moi je buvais beaucoup d`eau que je prenait
à la fontaine avec mon contenant à la fontaine du neuvième étage près de la picine.C`est
la même eau qui serve aux repas.Mais tu peu acheté tes forfaits avec ta carte costa sur le bateau
soit au repas ou ailleurs et je crois que se sera le même prix alors fait à ton gôut tout dépens
de ce que tu veu mais il ne faut pas acheté trop car vous allé voir à la mie croisière si il faut
acheté un autre forfait ou individuel.Le coupe à ma table eux achetait du vin à la table lorsque
le besoin se faisait sentir.Si ta bouteille n`est pas vide alors il la garde pour toi pour un autre soir.
Si tu as d`autres questions alors ne te gêne pas bonne croisière
Pierre
Normalement la saison prochaine changement de bateau
COSTA LUMINOSA à la place du MEDITERRANEA
Changement de jour de départ
Départ à POINTE A PITRE le SAMEDI et non le DIMANCHE
Changement de trajet
Suppression de l'escale à la BARBADE remplacée par escale le dimanche en MARTINIQUE à FORT DE FRANCE ( avec embarquement des martiniquais à FOT DE FRANCE et non plus en GUADELOUPE )
IDEM pour le reste
CROISIERE PERLE DES ANTILLES - COSTA ATLANTICA - MARS 2009
COSTA MEDITERRANEA - MARS 2010
Bonsoir monsieur,
j'aimerais savoir si vous avez complété l'embarquement électronique car il offre ce service sur leur site Costa. Il mentionne:Une opportunité en plus donnée par Costa offrant l'avantage de s'assurer de la saisie correcte des données et la sécurité d'un embarquement sans encombres. Nous partons le 15 mars 2011 sur le Costa Méditerranéa.
Bonjour oui je m`étais inscrit sur le site de costa alors je me suis rendu directement à ma chambre et ma carte costa et tout les papiers nécessaire était sur mon bureau ou le lit et mes valises son arrivé peu de temps après.On n`as pas besoin de s`enrégistré à la réception lorsque l`on s`enrégistre sur le net.Je ne sais pas si c`est la même procédure si on ne s`enrégiste pas sur le net. J`espère que cela répond à votre question sinon ne vous gêné pas.
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Hello
Après beaucoup d'hésitation sur diverses compagnies ( explora, océania, yc, HAL, NCL) et plusieurs destinations Norvège, Irlande, Islande.
J'ai finalement choisi NCL star pour l'Islande.
J'avais déjà regardé cet itinéraire quand je suis parti en avril pour l'Écosse avec CFC mais il était vraiment très cher .
Il faut savoir que CFC fait souvent des dernières minutes 45 jours avant le départ ( moment où on ne peut plus annuler ni modifier )
Donc là j'ai eu une belle opportunité que j'ai saisi.
Départ le 23 août.
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
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!