Revenue depuis lundi soir, je vous livre mes premières impressions, je reviendrai pour plus de détails plus tard
Embarquement prioritaire, donc pas de problème, à part le gars de Costa qui devait changer le N° qui n'était pas pressé du tout de satisfaire la clientèle
Nouveauté Costa : lecteur optique, ce qui fait qu'on est pris en photo avec l'appareil avant d'embarquer, mais ce serait bien si le personnel savait s'en servir
Donc maintenant, comme sur RCI, notre photo s'affiche quand on met la carte dans le lecteur optique, c'est comme au supermarché, on passe le code barre de la carte à la douchette
Valises arrivées dans la cabine en temps record
Il fait une chaleur pas possible sur le bateau, je mets la clim dans la cabine, clim qui doit avoir des problèmes, pas très fiable, on a mis 3 jours pour avoir enfin une température convenable
Bateau qui vibre toujours autant, voire, plus sensation d'être sur une machine à laver le linge en phase d'essorage, plus un bruit répétitif, que j'appelais le Pivert, qui m'a énervé au plus haut jusqu'à ce que je trouve ce qu'il en était et que je fasse de la maintenance pour résoudre le problème
Ce qui fâche : nourriture
1 er service à 18 h 30: resto noir de monde, très bruyant, même mon mari fait la remarque qu'on se croirait dans une cafet
Menu restreint par rapport à l'an passé, quantité succincte, qualité toute relative, la plupart des gens sont tombés d'accord pour dire qu' au prix de la croisière c'est normal, on ne peut pas bien manger si le prix est bas !!!
Mais en prenant tous les plats, c'est sûr qu'on ne meure pas de faim
Itinéraire : l'ayant fait l'an passé, ce n'était pas un hasard si je le re-faisais : escales longues et intéressantes, et à la clé, cette année, grand soleil à défaut de chaleur, mais on ne doit pas s'attendre à 25 ° quand on choisit de partir vers le nord
Bonjour vero et merci pour ce début de compte rendu.Moi aussi j'avais déjà fait cette croisière sur l'Atlantica en mai 2007 et je l'avais tellement appréciée que je la refais cette année(départ le 4juin) mais sur le Luminosa, avec son baptême en prime et certaines escales différentes:Savone, Portofino et Cinque Terre, Gênes(où a lieu le baptême), St Tropez, Barcelone, Gibraltar, Cadix, 2 jours à Lisbonne, Vigo, Le Havre, Londres et Amsterdam.
Je suis trés impatiente de lire la suite.Cordialement.
-26 croisières Costa dont 8 transatlantiques.Les prochaines: transatlantique Costa Favolosa (du 21 mars au 10 avril 2020)-Costa Smeralda(du10 mai au 17 mai 2020).
Voilà, je reviens 5 mn sur la nourriture et notamment sur le pain : franchement dégeu, des boules de pain sans nul doute congelé, la croute part toute seule et on a des miettes de pain partout sur la table
Je crois que le temps où le pain était fait manuellement sur place est révolu
Le petit déj : partout la même chose, pas très engageant et les viennoiseries toujours aussi mauvaises, mais on ne crève pas de faim, on mange c'est tout sans chercher la qualité
Les escales :
Malaga : impossible de louer une voiture, toutes prises, on a fait la ville en long en large et en travers, mais pas les zones touristiques
Le bord de mer était orange, bizarre de voir des vagues oranges et des gens qui se baignaient quand même !!!!
Cadiz : j'avais prévu d'aller en train jusqu'à Séville
Le timing était serré, d'autant plus que Costa n'était pas pressée de nous faire débarquer puisque les excursions ne partaient pas avant 8 h
Après avoir chopé un officié de bord et prononcé le sésame pour sortir, à savoir, " with Costa, it's always the mess ", nous débarquions les 1ers, même pas 5 mn après
Nous sommes arrivés à la gare à 7 h 30, forcémenent il y a des travaux, passer par le port sans en sortir et faire le grand tour, bon à savoir
Le train était à 7 h 40, mais complet et celui d'après aussi
Pas de chance Séville tombe à l'eau
On se promène dans Cadiz et visitons la Torre Tavira ( pas loin de l'hopital des femmes )avec sa chambre noire, superbe vue sur Cadiz, commentaires en français, réserver sa place en arrivant, 4 € par personne
Lisbonne : le bateau est loin, à côté du pont du 25 avril, on prend le train pour aller au centre et on prend le pass qui donne droit aux bus, métros, tramways, électricos et ascenseurs
On a tout pris surtout les électricos, trop typiques et sympas
Vigo : location de voiture à Vigorent, pas très loin du bateau, superbe balade de 280 kms dans la journée, entre le nord et le sud de Vigo, côtes sauvages, plages magnifiques, coup de coeur pour Bayonna ( commencer par là c'est mieux )
Attention Vigo est une grande ville, avec des travaux, on s'est fait une bonne frayeur pour le retour, merci au GPS de nous avoir ramenés à bon port, mais notre marge d'erreur était faible
Harwich : j'avais prévu Londres, mais je n'avais pas vu que Costa avait modifié l'horaire d'arriver, d'où timing trop serré
Sinon, le bateau était juste en face de la gare
Matin on est allés à Harwich, rien à voir et l'après -midi à Colchester, balade dans la ville, églises, musées, très beau parc, et ruines d'enceinte romaine
Amsterdam : on a pris un tour à 17 € 50 par personne, comprenant 1 h de bus avec visite de 3 / 4 d'heure usine de diamant ( pas visité, balade à pied à la place ) et 1 h en bateau + balade à pied dans la ville que nous redécouvrons même cette fois sous le soleil
Le bateau est juste à côté de la gare et donc du centre ville, contrairement à l'an passé
A noter, les passagers qui avaient l'excursion Costa ont payé 46 € par personne et n'ont rien vu de plus que nous, ça râlait pas mal
Copenhague : le bateau n'est pas à côté de la petite sirène, on prend un taxi jusqu'à l'hotel, laissons les valises et partons pour une journée marathon, ça tombe bien, c'est une fois de plus le marathon de Copenhague
Seule ville où on s'est pris une bonne saucée pendant plus d'une heure, on en a profité pour aller bien au chaud au musée gratuit, très intéressant, en sortant on était tous secs
Voilà pour une 1 ère ébauche de mon compte-rendu, si vous avez des questions ...
j'étais sur l'atlantica il y a 6 mois, le petit déj TTB, et bon, beaucoup de choix!!!!!
en salle ou en cabine.
je suis surpris de ton commentaire, c'est vrai que d'une croisière à l'autre
mais le fossé me semble bien grand bizarre
Les vagues oranges c'est quoi ça!!!!
Le pass à Lisbonne, tu l'as eu comment?
en résumé, ta croisière Bonne/Moyenne/pas terrible???
Déjà les goûts, les couleurs ...comme j'alterne entre RCI et Costa, la différence est nette, même mon mari moins difficile que moi a fait la réflexion
Tous les matins c'était la même chose malgré les nombreux buffets !
Autre chose que j'ai oublié de mentionner : le côté hyper pratique pour prendre au buffet le plat qui n'est pas en 1ère ligne : ou on se mange la vitrine et on ne peut accéder au plat ou on plonge tête la 1ère, bonjour l'hygiène et malgré cela, y'a 9 chances sur 10 de faire tomber une partie de ce qu'on avait pris dans le plat de devant
J'ai bien regardé pendant toute la croisière, ce fut un régal des yeux de voir comment les gens faisaient, fous rires à la clé
Le pass, on l'a acheté au guichet du métro, juste à côté de la gare, il coûte 4 € 20 pour 24 h, c'est une carte verte marquée viva viagem, quelque chose est mentionné derrière, je vais essayer de savoir ce que c'est, je te dirai si tu veux ( moi pas parler portuguais )
Aucune idée pour les vagues oranges, on a pensé à de la poudre de briques rouges ou un petit malin avait mis du colorant, on ne sait pas
Un peu trop tôt pour me prononcer pour la croisière, il faut que j'analyse le pour et le contre et puis au bout de 13 croisières, à part de faire quelque chose d'exceptionnel, le charme n'opére plus de la même façon
Merci pour ta réponse
ce que tu dis pour se servir au buffet, c'est très très vrai, une vraie galère, on en met partout sauf
dans son assiette
Merci pour l'info sur Lisbonne; il y a bien un quai de gare face au bateau quasiment? et peu de temps
pour rejoindre la gare près du centre? vers la Plaça do comercio?
Oui j'ai bien vu l'alternance entre RCI / COSTA, RCI ça me tente énormément.
Je vois que toi aussi tu as hautement apprécié l'ingéniosité du système de la vitre du buffet, il doit y avoir un truc pour se servir mais je ne l'ai pas encore trouvé, peut-être lors de ma prochaine croisière
Sur les bateaux de RCI, les buffets sont centraux ce qui fait qu'on peut accéder des 2 côtés sans problème, cqfd !!!
Pour Lisbonne, l'an passé, le bateau était juste à côté de la place du commerce
Sinon, la gare est juste à côté et tu descends à l'arrêt Caïs do Sodré( 1 € 20 par personne le trajet on a fait le trajet retour en bus avec notre carte)
Tu as une croisière en préparation avec Lisbonne comme escale ?
départ 26 octobre "au delà des colonne d'Hercule" Costa Magica
je voulais changer de Cie mais les dates pas favorables (vacances scolaire de K & P)
Donc Savone Malaga Casa Cadix Lisbonne Gibraltar Alicante Barcelone, en plus que des
escales non faites, m^me si je suis déjà allé à Barcelone par la route.
J'ai testé NCL en février dernier TTB mais les passagers Québécois à bord m'ont dit que RCI
était au dessus en tout.
Je pense que tu as lu mon C/R
ICI
Merci beaucoup véro pour vos indications, entr'autres pour le pass à Lisbonne.Est-ce que costa a prévu des navettes(comme par exemple à Barcelone)à 6 ou 8 euros pour nous mener au centre ville de Lisbonne?
En ce qui concerne Amsterdam, il y a 2 ans, lorsque l'on prenait une excursion costa pour la visite de la ville ou la balade sur les canaux, on nous remboursait 20 euros correspondant au transfert port-aéroport puisque le bus d'excursion nous amenait directement à l'aéroport à la fin de la visite.Je viens de le retrouver sur la note de l'époque et c'était aussi indiqué sur le today.
Pour Londres, comme la dernière fois, j'ai choisi l'excursion costa à cause des embouteillages.Rien à redire:on avait eu un aperçu de tous les sites importants et je me souviens que nous étions arrivés avec 1/2h de retard au bateau.Heureusement que c'était une excursion costa, sinon on ne nous aurait pas attendu.
Si j'ai d'autres questions je ne manquerais pas de vous solliciter à nouveau.Merci encore pour votre compte-rendu.
-26 croisières Costa dont 8 transatlantiques.Les prochaines: transatlantique Costa Favolosa (du 21 mars au 10 avril 2020)-Costa Smeralda(du10 mai au 17 mai 2020).
Peux-tu me dire a quel niveau de pont se trouvait ta cabine, stp ?
Les vibrations étaient-elles plus importantes au départ de chaque escale ou en mer ?
Du fait que tu connais RCI, ne trouves-tu pas plus de défauts chez Costa pa rapport à ce que tu connais chez l'autre compagnie ?
Je te remercie d'avoir pris le temps de nous faire connaître ton passage sur l'Atlantica et nous attendons bien entendu tes photos dans un proche avenir.
Ma cabine était au pont 7 presque au milieu du bateau
J'ai remarqué que les vibrations étaient surtout lorsque le bateau était à vitesse très réduite, c'était la 2 ème fois que je prenais ce bateau et j'ai pris son sister-ship en 2008, je crois que ces bateaux ont des défauts, je n'ai jamais pris des vibro-bateaux comme ça, terrible
Je reconnais que j'ai un parti contre Costa, mais en toute honnêté, y'a quand même pas photo, même si RCI n'est plus ce que c'était leurs bateaux, leur organisation, la clientèle, les cadeaux en tant que member ship etc ...des petits plus quoi
D'ailleurs j'ai mis en commentaire sur la fiche, que Costa et d'autres compagnies devenait du tourisme populaire de masse
On est passé de la démocratisation de la croisière à sa vulgarisation et pas dans le bon sens du terme, désolée
PS : va falloir que je change mon avatar, là grand beau temps à Amsterdam
Merci pour ta franchise et je vois que pour certains d'une croisière à l'autre, il y a pas mal de changement. Je pense que je vais connaître également ce type de changement sur la prochaine, ce qui est quand même dommage pour la suite.
J'espère que le retour n' a pas été trop dur pour vous car on garde tout de même de bonnes choses.
Effectivement Costa avait mis en place un système de navette à Lisbonne, mais ça revient toujours plus cher que de prendre les transports en commun
Je n'ai pas trop de regrets pour Londres, je vais regarder pour y aller 2 jours, peut-être en Septembre, le tout c'est de trouver un vol à prix correct
Vous dites que Costa vous avait remboursé 20 € mais c'est parce que vous arriviez à Amsterdam, si vous y aviez été en escale, vous auriez payé plein pot
J'attends vos impressions sur le Costa Luminosa, ce que j'en ai vu, me plaît, la déco a l'air moins clinquante et le bateau reste à dimension humaine
Et oui c'est déjà fini!!!! Le CR sera pour un peu plus tard, mais je peux déjà donner mon impression générale. Itinéraire magnifique, le bateau impeccable.…
Je vous livre le compte- rendu de notre croisière aux Antilles du 28 mars. Première déception à la réception des documents:nous réservons la croisière au…
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Comme promis petit compte rendu de notre première croisière. Excellent souvenir. Bateau superbe, personnel sympa, nourriture très bonne et variée, cabine…
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,
We received a promotion from our CFC agency offering cruises at up to 40-100% off, and among other details: CFC organizes parking for departures from Dunkirk.
"Unattended parking located about 12 minutes away, fenced off with barriers, at a rate of 10 € per day. Drop off passengers and luggage at the Model Pavilion, and a CFC shuttle will take you from the parking lot to the Model Pavilion every 15-20 minutes. Same for disembarkation. You can book through your agency or on their website. No refunds if the booking is canceled; payment is due at reservation."
Have a great day,
Guylène
PS: Personally, we’d rather keep our vehicle in a free, supervised parking lot and take a taxi to the Model Pavilion.
Ce qui fâche : nourriture
1 er service à 18 h 30: resto noir de monde, très bruyant, même mon mari fait la remarque qu'on se croirait dans une cafet
Menu restreint par rapport à l'an passé, quantité succincte, qualité toute relative, la plupart des gens sont tombés d'accord pour dire qu' au prix de la croisière c'est normal, on ne peut pas bien manger si le prix est bas !!!
Mais en prenant tous les plats, c'est sûr qu'on ne meure pas de faim
Itinéraire : l'ayant fait l'an passé, ce n'était pas un hasard si je le re-faisais : escales longues et intéressantes, et à la clé, cette année, grand soleil à défaut de chaleur, mais on ne doit pas s'attendre à 25 ° quand on choisit de partir vers le nord
mais le fossé me semble bien grand
bizarre
)
ce que tu dis pour se servir au buffet, c'est très très vrai, une vraie galère, on en met partout sauf
dans son assiette
Bonsoir JC,
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!