Récit croisières aux Caraïbes du 06/12/08 au 13/12/08
Vol aller (6 dec) décollage prévu a 12h00 de Paris CDG, embarquement a 09h00, première surprise (oui, CDF aime faire des cadeaux), départ a 12h30 pour Amsterdam, et on attend.
Nous arrivons à Amsterdam à 13h30, nouvel enregistrement, décollage prévu a 17h30.
Deuxième cadeaux de CDF, 2 euros en bon d’achat boissons afin de remplacer le repas que l’on aurait du avoir initialement dans l’avion. Et on attend. 16h30, pas d’embarquement, 17h00 rien, 17h30 pas mieux, 18h00 enfin et on décolle a 18h35 (depuis 09h00 qu’on attend).
Nous arrivons à La Romana à 03h35 heures françaises (22h35 locale), on nous parque dans des bus, et on attend 30 minutes avant de partir pour le port. Arrivé a l’embarquement du bateau, a nouveau parqué, et on attend… (2 bonnes heures pour les derniers afin d’embarquer).
Bilan première journée : CDF, croisiériste ou bétaillère ? Nous avons été traites comme des bêtes, laissés sans informations, « tout va bien » se dit CDF « la croisière est payé, nous allons promener nos petits otages… »
Arrivé sur le bateau, première impression, petit paquebot sympa, pas trop de monde, au style rétro. En fait, meublé comme chez mémé, pour les fans de moquettes vous aller être servi.
Seconde impression, c’est vieillot, la peinture cache la misère, à savoir que CDF a racheté et rénové ce vieux paquebot.
Troisième impression en voyant les autres paquebots, il est ridicule (manque d’équipements).
Pour résumer, concernant le bateau, on mange très bien, trop bien. Le personnel est très bien (c’est leur boulot et vu le prix qu’on paie c’est le minimum). Deux jacuzzis sympas, voila pour les cotés positifs.
Passons au moins bien, deux piscines ridicules, avec de l’eau froide, très peu de personnes s’y sont baigné (un pingouin et deux manchots). Les spectacles du soir sont nuls, que du beauf… Des cabines plutôt moches vu le prix qu’on paie (ça me rappel un 2 étoiles sur Paris). La climatisation est très mal repartie, on passe d’un four a un frigo (plus souvent le frigo) et l’air dans les chambres n’est pas très pur. La formule tout inclus est moyenne, pas beaucoup de choix intéressant, vins de table très mauvais, mais heureusement qu’il y a la carte prestige pour nous soutirer encore du pognon. Le personnel 100 % français, l’est a 2% et parle bien français a 80% (c’est limite nous prendre pour des cons, vu la brochure). Ce qui est bien sur un petit paquebot, c’est qu’on communie avec les vagues…
L’intérêt de la croisière, ce sont les escales, on est content de quitter le bateau et d’y rentrer pour manger et dormir (si on y arrive…)
Escales : Ste Lucie, éviter les excursions CDF, voir sur le port avec des taxis excursions mieux et moins chères (parler anglais).
Martinique, idem, éviter de rester à Fort de France, ce n’est pas terrible.
Guadeloupe, pas fait, remplacer par Antigua (île merveilleuse)
St Martin, louer une voiture sur le port (65 $ la journée + 10 $ d’essence), faire le tour de l’île qui n’est pas terrible : un cote hollandais trop américains et un cote français, trop français.
Tortola, faire l’excursion a Virgin Gorda (fabuleux), petit cadeau de CDF, escale de 7h00 a 12h00 au lieu de 7h00 a 15h00 sur la brochure.
La Romana, ne sais pas, avons pris l’extension plage.
Concernant l’extension plage au Gran Bahia Principe de La Romana : hôtel très bien, plus luxueux que le bateau, mais la mer n’est pas claire (troublée par des rejets de sable pour conserver la plage et par une rivière).
Les repas sont moyens.
Plutôt choisir le Bahia Principe a Punta Cana.
Conseils :
1/ si vous tenez a faire une croisière aux caraïbes, éviter CDF (voir Aida.de)
2/ Si vous partez avec CDF et que vous avez l’assurance annulation, utilisez la.
3/ Si vous voulez malgré tout partir avec CDF, profitez des escales pour fuir le bateau, revenez pour manger et essayez d’y dormir. Priez pour les vols aller et retour (patience…) et ne prévoyez aucunes correspondances pour le retour.
4/ Faites vous un restaurant gastronomique puis partez 1 semaine ou 2 en République Dominicaine a Samana (belle plages et foret…), ça vous coûtera moins chères, vous vous sentirez mieux et vous aurez l’air moins « bêtes ».
Car ce n’est pas fini, le vol retour fut la cerise sur le gâteau offert par CDF, qui est, il faut le savoir, le tour operators qui organise les vols (et se fout bien de notre gueule !).
Vol au départ de La Romana prévu a 18h30 remplacé par un départ en bus a 18h00 pour Punta Cana, décollage a 23h25 et atterrissage a 13h00 a Orly (au lieu de CDG a 9h00), pour tout ceux qui avaient des correspondances, c’est dans le c.. et dommage pour ceux qui avaient leur voiture a CDG. On nous a fait croire que un tel ou un tel s’occuperait de nos correspondances, alors que c’est au « fabuleux tours operators » « Bétaillère de France » qui aurait du s’y intéresser plutôt que de nous laisser comme des c…
L’abandon a Paris et improviser son retour a domicile fut l’excursion la plus sauvage de la croisière (merci CDF pour votre capitalisme). On doit voir l’agence pour ce faire rembourser les frais supplémentaires concernant le retour.
Conclusion :
CDF nous balade d’îles moyennes en îles magnifiques en nous engraissant bien, nous vend des excursions plus chères que les taxis locaux bien plus sympas (sans l’étape attrape touriste du marché artisanal imposé par CDF). Et finalement nous abandonne totalement…
Pour éviter d’être déçu, pour ne pas gâcher ses vacances a cause d’un vol aller et d’un vol retour chaotique, EVITER Croisière de France.
PS : mention spéciale a Johanna du club caribe (Marsans), pour son dévouement a vendre des excursions, pour son incompétence, pour son courage a glisser des billets doux de changements de vol lorsque l’on est a la plage, par ses mensonges et sa désinformation, par sa fuite des responsabilités et félicitations pour l’organisation de sa beuverie d’anniversaire qui l’a rendu injoignable et ne lui a pas permit de s’occuper de nos correspondances perdues.
Mention très spéciale a Pullmantur pour ses avions en cartons qui ne volent pas (heureusement)
Pour un monde meilleur, souhaitons au Bleu de France de rejoindre le Titanic, c’est la plus belle escale qu’il puisse faire pour nous….
🙂🙂hello! je suis partie le 13, donc vous avez du lire nos aventures, plutot mesa!! et alors la cerise sur le gateau, le dernier jour, quelle ne fut pas notre su rprise, en constatant que toutes les cartes avaient eté demagnitisées, vers 8/30 bon j'en rigole et ds notre cabine ils avaient deja commencé les travaux!! sisi c vrai!!! je suis desçendue a la reception, comme une furie, (nous avions une suite) mais il est vrai tout etait payé et place aux suivants!! lamentable!!!grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr et qd je pense au prix que nous avons payé, nous nous etions attendu a mieux, bref comme je disais dans un autre post, cela est tres relatif!! joyeux noel a vous et a tous ceux qui liront 🙂🙂
SOURIS au MONDE ET LE MONDE te SOURIRAS!!!
asie du sud-est - iles de l'ocean indien - french polynesia,
indonesie,
J'ai lu attentivement votre compte-rendu sur un choix de croisière qui en principe devait vous faire rêver !!!
Ce choix devait également favoriser le train train habituel dans les croisières en Méditerranée et je vois que rien n'a pu vous porter vers une réelle organisation.
Personnellement, je vous remercie sincèrement de votre franchise et je pense que votre récit servira bien d'autres amoureux des îles.
Dans ce genre d'aveture, on peut-être déçu par l'organisation des vols ou aussi par la découverte d'une escale que l'on s'imaginait plus accueillante...
Mais, là, vous avez eu la totale.
J'espère qu'avec du recule, votre aventure ne s'arrêtera pas là.
Heureusement, il y a d'autres projets qui à ma connaissance vous apportera d'autres charmes.
Prenez le temps d'avaler cette phase amère de votre voyage et de cette trés mauvaise organisation. Grâce à ce forum, vous trouverez un engouement nouveau à découvrir des paquebots plus adaptés à un futur voyage.
Totalement solidaire avec vous, je vous souhaite un trés joyeux Noêl et une trés trés bonne année à venir.
Merci pour tous ces détails qui je crois, mettront les personnes de ce forum sur le qui vive.
🙂🙂bonsoir, j'ai bien aimé votre reponse a sebcricri, j'ai egalement adoré etre sur un bateau, et tout ne fut pas mauvais a bord, et cela m'a donné envie de reiterer, mais pas avec cdf, 😠😏, avec quelle autre cie, avez-vous voguer? quelle cie me conseilleriez-vous? il ft dire que cdf semblait sympa, en tant que petit paquebot, mais bon, je prefererais un plus grd mais avec une structure plus professionnelle, car j'ai eu l'impression que cela etait de l'amateurisme sur le bdf, mais je suis mauvaise juge, car cela etait ma premiere croisiere😊, merci de votre reponse et je vous souhaite egalement de merveilleuses fetes de fin d'année!!🙂🙂
SOURIS au MONDE ET LE MONDE te SOURIRAS!!!
asie du sud-est - iles de l'ocean indien - french polynesia,
indonesie,
J'y étais moi sur le Bleu de France du 6 au 13 décembre et j'ai embrayé comme l'individu auquel je réponds sur une semaine (13 au 20 décembre) au GBP de La Romana.
Le Bleu de France est un bateau magnifique avec des cabines spacieuses pour un bateau de croisière (20m² pour la nôtre).
Certes il y eut des déboires au niveau du transport aussi bien à l'aller qu'au retour le détour par Amsterdam à l'aller, le changement de transporteur et d'aéroport au retour, le fait d'être partis de Roissy (vers La Romana via Amsterdam) et de revenir à Orly mais le séjour sur le bateau fut un véritable régal.
Cet individu oublie que le "package" proposé par Croisière de France est unique. Vols, croisière all inclusive (toutes boissons à volonté et pourboires) seule Croisière de France propose cette solution.
Il est donc normal que quand vous faites arriver 400 personnes au port de départ, quelques bus soient nécessaires. Ces bus sont partis en fonction de leur remplissage et n'ont jamais attendu 30min sur le parking de l'aéroport.
Toutes les formalités d'admission sont les mêmes sur tous les paquebots du monde, ici il y avait 400 personnes alors imaginez-vous les files d'attente pour un bateau de 3250 personnes commes ceux que nous avons côtoyés çi et là ?
Piscine d'eau froide... ce que cet individu ignore c'est que également sur tous les paquebots du monde les piscines sont vidées pendant les trajets entre les escales le tangage du bateau ferait bien entendu déborder ces piscines donc, l'eau est renouvelée chaque jour.
Le vin servi à table était tout à fait correct, c'était un côte du Roussillon parfaitement buvable. Les repas étaient succulents et variés, les spectacles, si on n'aime pas on n'y va pas.
En ce qui concerne le personnel il n'a jamais été dit que le personnel était à 100% français si 80% parlait français c'est parfait car personnellement je me fous complètement que les machinistes, cuistots, et autres travailleurs de l'ombre parlent français.
Ah, le gars s'est fait pigeonner à Saint Martin, bien fait, car nous avons payé 35$ et 10$ d'essence pour la location d'une Nissan Note, neuve avec airco et tout le toutim, pour la journée.
Par contre, où l'individu a tout faux c'est que les repas au GBP de La Romana ne sont pas moyens mais immondes. Je vous livre in extenso quelques réflexions du Livre d'Or: "Buffet nul de chez nul", en anglais: "Même chez moi mon chien mange mieux" et enfin: "Buffet= Grosse bouffe pour canadiens obèses"
Voilà MA réalité de ces 15 jours passés à ne pas tenter de trouver le mal partout.
pour info j'ai embarqué 2 fois à Savone (COSTA) une fois 1350 passagers, arrivé Savone 12h45 arrivé en cabine 13h10
et une autre fois 2500 passagers arrivé Savone 12h55 arrivé en cabine 13h30, pas vu de super file d'attente, coup de chance peut être, en tout les cas l'organisation d'embarquement COSTA va plus vite que l'enregistrement de 300 passagers à Roissy!!!
Le GBP de la Riviera Maya (Mexique) c'etait tout l'inverse de celui de GBP La Romana, du coup j'hésite à le choisir!!!
Bonjour et joyeux Noel à vous aussi bien entendu.
Permettez-moi simplement de vous signaler que Savone est en Italie et donc nous sommes sous Schengen.
Le GBP de Punta Cana est également à des années lumières de celui de La Romana or, il est dans les programmes d'extension plage de Croisières de France, alors il n'y a pas a hésiter.
Cordialement
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Hello,
We’re back from this cruise.
Boarding in Dunkirk: The doors opened around 12 PM. Since we were a bit early, I asked if my husband, who uses a walker, could wait inside instead of outside. I left him with the two suitcases and our two backpacks in the small hall while I parked the car in the reserved CFC parking lot for 10 € per day.
The shuttle that was supposed to take people from the parking lot to the model pavilion was supposed to arrive in 5 minutes, but after 15 minutes, nothing. After waiting 15 minutes, I saw a man walking and asked if I could follow him. In 15 minutes, we arrived, and still no sign of the shuttle—it must have passed us. Arrived at the model pavilion.
My husband had already checked in the suitcases with the help of a CFC staff member. The remaining formalities were completed quickly. We were on board by 12:15 PM. Headed to the buffet on deck 11 and waited in a lounge to access our cabin.
At 2 PM, we discovered our balcony cabin on deck 9 at the rear: spacious with a large balcony compared to MSC/COSTA.
Since we were at the rear, cabin 9202, there was always an issue with elevator number 4: "priority."
Elevator number 2 stops at deck 10... and elevator number 3 was often out of order, leaving only number 1 for those with mobility issues to reach the buffet, especially for people who struggle with stairs. Note: only one child on board and lots of "gray hair."
DAY 2: At sea. Lots of activities offered.
Day 3: GOTHENBURG (Sweden). Sunny, 19°C at 11 AM.
Excursion booked with CFC: Gothenburg and Haga for all.
Interesting visit with a great guide. The HAGA district, in our opinion, is full of cobblestones and nothing special, not suitable for people using a cane or wheelchair. Elevator number 3 was out of order again.
Day 4: Copenhagen. 15°C in the morning, showers in the afternoon.
We didn’t book an excursion since we’d already stopped here with CFC in 2025, and based on advice from this forum, we took the hop-on/hop-off bus right in front of the ship. I still went to see the Little Mermaid again.
No TV, but the elevator was fixed.
DAY 5: At sea. Still no TV.
DAY 6: GDANSK (Poland). 15°C, rain all day.
There’s a shuttle to get to the city center.
We took the excursion: Panorama of Gdansk.
The guide left us at the entrance of the city center for 45 minutes, telling us what to visit. Meet-up for the rest of the tour at 3 PM. The bus left at 3:15 PM to cover 10 km to see St. Mary’s Cathedral. We arrived at 4:16 PM... The guide said there are often traffic jams in that direction. We had 10 minutes on site before heading to see the lighthouse and the Westerplatte monument, where we also had 10 minutes.
Many of us wondered why we didn’t do the tour in the opposite direction since they knew there would be traffic...
I went to reception to complain about the organization. The staff member read me the program: we were supposed to start with the lighthouse, then go to the cathedral and stay for 30 minutes before heading to the center of Gdansk for a short guided walk with some free time to buy souvenirs, etc.
The guide did the complete opposite of what was planned and didn’t even give us a guided tour—just dropped us off in the city...
DAY 7: Bornholm Island (Denmark). 14°C, a few sunny spells.
We saw in the excursions that there was a walking tour of RØNNE. So, like many others, we explored on our own. There was a small orchestra welcoming us at the port and two people with city maps. We took the shuttle to leave the port—it ran every 15 minutes. The tourist office was next to the "shuttle bus." A pleasant visit at our own pace.
DAY 8: KIEL (Germany). 18–23°C, nice weather.
We took the "Kiel for all" excursion. Great guide and interesting visits.
The port is in the city, and in 10 minutes, we were in the city center by following a blue line on the ground from the port. Elevator 3 was stuck again... and the TV was back.
DAY 9: At sea. Elevator 3 works.
DAY 10: At sea. Elevator 3 is out of order again...
DAY 11: Disembarkation in Dunkirk.
Cabins had to be vacated by 7:30 AM. Buffet open until 9 AM.
Elevator number 1 was "reserved," leaving only number 2, which doesn’t go up to deck 11... a problem for people with mobility issues who had to cross the entire deck 11 and try to use one of the four working elevators at the front, which were crowded.
My opinion: Interesting stops.
The onboard staff were always welcoming, smiling, and mostly French-speaking.
Evening shows were better than in March/April 2025—better singers, dancers, and presenters, and the costumes were improved.
I liked the "magician" shows less.
There were three onboard lectures by a very cultured person, but they went off-topic and were too historical for my taste. I didn’t attend the other two; my husband went to the second but not the third.
For this cruise, there was a bridge theme, but we’re not players or interested.
We didn’t take a drink package on board—water, coffee, tea, and herbal teas were available.
We had a water leak in our cabin the night before disembarkation. We reported it, and after the technical staff came (with a translator who didn’t speak English), we were asked to leave the cabin for a while for repairs. We went to a lounge, and after 1.5 hours, I checked in at reception. The repair took longer than expected... we had to change cabins... not ideal the night before disembarkation. No balcony cabins were available, so we got an ocean-view cabin, 6075, with a bathtub (impossible for both of us to use). We packed our suitcases, took a shower in our cabin, and moved to the new one. Noise from chairs until 12:30 AM because the cabin was under a lounge, and constant ventilation noise in the hallway... sleep was hard to come by.
Disembarkation: Well organized. We were helped with transporting the two suitcases and bags to the waiting room while I took the shuttle to get the car.
Guylène
Hi 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.
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!