Nous revenons d’une croisière Croisière De France le ZENITH BEURKKKKKK.
IL y a des passagés qui n’ont rien vu n’y perçus de tout cela et sont très heureux , donc cela ne s’adresse qu’au personnes ayant voyagé sur le BLEU , pour qu’il ne soit pas déçu , COSTA et MMC c’est bruyant mais plus beau et les navettes gratuites maintenant.
-LES EMPLOYES sont ADORABLES , serveur et employé de chambre , mais dès qu’il y a un grade, ben rien, ils ne parlent pas Français et n’aime pas les Français, se sont des inférieurs qui traduisent , ben oui c’est connu les Français ne font pas d'effort pour les langues étrangères , donc on choisi croisière de France comme ça on est tranquille, à mince une croisière FRANCOPHONE veut simplement dir que les passagés sont FRANCOPHONE, à la réception ils parlent Français au sécurisons aussi.
-LES CABINES sont petites, surtout celle ou on vous ajoute un fauteuil transformable en un lit d'appoint , on se marche dessus, si vous avez une envie la nuit , vous enjamberez en marchant sur les lits . Pas de petit réfrigérateur comme il y avait sur le BLEU DE FRANCE, le ZENITH est aussi vieux mais pas beaucoup plus grand , donc caser 1400 personnes, on joue beaucoup des coudes, pas de petite banquette , mais des grands placards la même taille pour 2,3 ou 4 personnes , il y à des poussettes dans tous les couloirs vu qu’il n’y a pas la place de les rentrée dans les chambres.
Chambres inondées , carte bleu volée, toilettes sans chasse d’eau, toilettes qui débordent, sont très courant .
Nous avons été très surpris par le nombre de réclamation le jour de l’embarquement 1h de queue à la réception , il n’y a que ceux qui ne lâchent pas le morceau mais qui ne monte pas le ton trop fort qui on obtenu gain de cause , même complet (ce qu’ils disent) il y a des cabines de libre , vu les catastrophes dans certaines cabines ils en gardent sous le coude pour pouvoir vous reloger . Sur la brochure de CDF il est signalé à l’arrière des ponts 4et5 cabines soumises à vibration , pour avoir eu le 6175(pont 6), je peux vous dir qu’il n’y a pas que des vibrations vous étes sur les moteurs donc beaucoup de bruit , même les boules Quies ne servent à rien , par contre pont 4 milieu pas de bruit et pas de roulis par mer qui bouge.
-LE RESTAURANT le FLAMBOYANT ( il n’en a que le nom) à10 sur une table de 8 on joue encore des coudes , aucune écoute pour changer de table car à une famille de 9 on nous a mis sur deux tables, c’est a vous de voir avec vos voisins de table de trouver une autre table ce n’est pas leur boulot , ils casent les gens par agence pas par famille .
Le repas du soir est identique au buffet LE MARCHE GOURMAND sauf que vous vous servez à volonté et la vaisselle est en plastique , c’est ce qui fait la différence entre le gastronomique . Pour ceux qui connaissent les restaurants noté GAULT ET MILLAU la surpris va être de taille .
Pour certaines escales le bateau étant loin il y a des navettes payantes 9 €/personne , la vous ne jouerez pas des coudes mais de la voie il y a même de la castagne
-LA PISCINE, eau salé chloré très très très chloré , jamais changée, du coup elle est bien chaude , bien trouble , les trois bain à remous que dire toujours complet et prenez une bouteille d’eau de javel immergez vous dans votre baignoire ouvrez la bouteille mettez la sous votre nez et détendez vous , miam miam , il y a bien une douche pour vous rincez de tout cela , sauf qu’elle ne fonctionne que le 1er jour, miam, miam,
Le jour de l’arrivé , on vous sort de la cabine a 8H , en fonction de votre niveau de pont vous ne débarquerez que a partir de 10H15 au plus tôt , le self ferme a 10H et tous les toilettes du bateau aussi , sauf 2 à la piscine et 2 à la réception en plus de jouer des coude et des chasses d’eau qui ne fonctionne toujours pas , je ne donne pas les détaille . Les pourboires et taxes ne sont plus dans le tout inclus surprise sur la facture 72€ et par personne , apparemment maintenant les agences décident de l’inclure ou pas , vérifiez ça , cela évitera la surprise
Je dois prendre le Zénith en Octobre, vous parlez de CB volée ( pourtant il y a bien un coffre fort dans les chambres) de repas qui ne sont pas à la hauteur, les espaces restreints et les soucis récurrents avec les toilettes , comment réagit le service clientèle face à cette situation?
Les retours que j'ai en majorité sont positifs.
Je dois prendre le Zénith en Octobre, vous parlez de CB volée ( pourtant il y a bien un coffre fort dans les chambres) de repas qui ne sont pas à la hauteur, les espaces restreints et les soucis récurrents avec les toilettes , comment réagit le service clientèle face à cette situation?
Les retours que j'ai en majorité sont positifs.
Cordialement
Nous étions sur l Horizon au mois de mai et venions de faire la semaine précédente une croisiére le Costa Luminosa, le rapport fait sur le Zenith ne me surprend pas et personelement le tarif de base de CDF n'eet pas du tout justifié , comme la pub GO ET MILLOet comme toujours rien a reprocher aux petites mains qui s'occuppent de nous
IRSN de l'AUDE
Comme toujours dans les forums il y a des satisfaits et des mécontents; a chacun ses opinions et ses attentes.
Dans le cas précédent je trouve les critiques très très exagérées et pour certaines inexactes.....
Pour ce qui est de carte bancaire volées, cela reste de l'entière responsabilité du détenteur; car dans chaque cabine il y a un coffre fort et en plus il n'y a pas besoin de se promener avec à bord , tout étant facturé en fin de croisière .Les voleurs ne sont pas plus sur le Zenith que costa , msc où autres, hélas
Partez tranquille, vous jugerez par vous même.
Je pars en toute confiance je posais simplement quelques questions car j'étais étonnée des retours qui sont en général assez bons concernant les repas je sais que le bateau sera différent des autres ( msc costa) mais c'est une volonté un bateau à taille humaine et un itinéraire intéressant
Nous partons le 18/10 pour l'Odyssée sur le Zénith la préparation se fait petit à petit , j'ai pas mal de renseignements grâce au CR
Je suis d'accord avec vous la CB doit être gardée dans le coffre nous l'avons toujours fait là je suis surprise de voir que certains Cr relatent de tels faits
Vous allez faire un très bel itinéraire . Je l'ai fait l'été dernier , c'était merveilleux , si vous avez besoin de quelques renseignements ça sera avec plaisir, pour le moins que je me souvienne de tout !!
Merci je veux bien avoir quelques renseignements concernant l'escale d’Athènes savez vous si le bus express x80 est - il toujours en service l'avez vous vu il est peut mentionné sur le site il se prends à la sortie du port. Pour Mykonos y a t il des navettes qui assurent la liaison du nouveau port à la marina de Mykonos?
Je vais consulter votre CR afin d'avoir d'autres renseignements
pour l'escale d'Athènes concernant les bus je ne vais pas pouvoir vous répondre car nous avions pris une excursion du bateau que je ne vous recommanderais pas particulièrement car c'est trop rapide , il s'agissait d'un tour de la ville en bus et montée à l'acropole , tout ça dans une matinée C'était un peu dommage car l'escale est assez longue et il y a beaucoup a voir à Athènes
Essayer de voir avec un guide nommé Paul qui a une bonne réputation; si vous voulez en savoir plus sur lui je vous enverrais son adresse en message privé.
De toute façon les bus sont tous a la sortie du port et faciles à repérer
pour Mykonos vous avions débarqué en chaloupe dans la marina .
un nouveau port ? ça je ne sais pas .
Bonjour, malgré 3 interventions du service , notre coffre n'a jamais fonctionné, nous avons laissé , argent, bijoux(montre boucles d'o, bracelet) carte identité, CB , dans notre cabine 4071, sans aucun problème pour notre part, si vous avez un peut de temps restez à la réception juste pour vous faire une impression , il est vrai , vous n'y verrez que les personnes ayant des soucis, nous avons eut plusieurs fois à faire la queue pour nos soucis, trois cabines 9 personnes, forcément ça se cumule, pour notre part aucune de nos cabines a subis de vole, c'est un constat le jour du départ , en faisan encore la queue , on vous appel pour régler les factures à problèmes , les serviettes de plage que les enfants n'on pas rendu , les personnes ayant subis des voles de leur CB on fait opposition , du coup le jour du départ il faut régler la facture avec autre chose, les trois personnes devant nous avait des CB disparu !!!!!!!!! .
On monte et on descend régulièrement du bateau , on repasse par la chambre, faire un p'tit pipi , se laver les mains , poser sont sac, on va manger, on repasse par la cabine et on redescend du bateau voila l'explication de la CB qui se balade dans les cabines . On arrivait le matin et on repartait à 18h tous les jours , payer pour 9 personnes un repas a l'escale tous les jours , chacun fait comme ça leur plais , nous , nous l'avons fait 2 fois , les excursions sont souvent fait aussi de façon à revenir manger sur le bateau et redescendre tout seul, votre billet excursion comprend les navettes PAYANTES et BONDEES en AOUT, vous serez bien mieux servi pour tout cela hors période scolaire !!!!!!!!
Bonne croisière faite vous plaisir , tous les gouts sont dans la nature c'est vrai .
Nous souhaitons également partager notre expérience.
Nous (4 personnes) avons réalisé du 9 au 16 août 2015 la croisière Tosca de Croisière de France (Cabine Extérieure Découverte Pont 5).
Nous avons rencontré deux importants désagréments qui nous ont empêché de profiter de notre chambre et ont nui à notre séjour :
1. dès le 10 août, nos deux chambres ont subis des inondations : la moquette était détrempée jusqu'à la fin du séjour et d'imposants souffleurs ont été installés dans les chambres et refoulaient l'air souillé dans la cabine fermée (cf. Photos).
2. la salle de bain était vétuste et les murs rouillés (cf Photos) : bien loin de "l'Art de vivre à la française" et "le confort" annoncés dans la brochure et des attentes d'un navire relooké en 2013. Le Zénith est clairement vétuste.
Nous avons déposé deux formulaires de réclamation détaillant les problèmes rencontrés et les préjudices subis à la réception du bateau. Nous avons également écris au voyagiste.
La seule réponse a été une proposition de 10% sur notre prochaine croisière Croisière de France.
Ce n'est pas du tout à la mesure du préjudice subit. Et il n'y aura pas de prochaine croisière.
PS: si vous ne parlez que Français, laissez tomber Croisière de France : l'équipage, bien que très sympathique, n'est pas Francophone. Par exemple notre serveur ne maîtrisait pas le Français - nous devions lui parler en anglais.
houlà quand je vois l état de ce bateau c'est franchement pas engageant en effet !! c'est encore pire que ce que j en pensais😮
bonne nuit 🙂
Nous avions fait un commentaire sur CDF aprés une croisiere sur l Horizon Si nous n'avions pas une cabine dans le méme état , ouf losqu' on nous écrit que c'est à la FRANCAISE pas du tout , le personnel est a 98% de nationnalités autres , une trentaine seul le chef de cuisine est francais.
Notre conclusion par rapport au prix de base de ces croisiéres , prix souvent supérieurs au tarif Costa ou MSC il faut vraiment que les escales proposées ne le soit pas dans les autres compagnie. Seul le contact public dans le navire est francophone
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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 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
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
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.
I’m looking to get in touch with someone who’s been on an Arctic Cruise aboard the ship POLARFRONT, operated by the French company "LATITUDE BLANCHE", for some info.
Hi there, I was wondering if anyone has ever taken a cruise with this PO Cruise company.
Would love to hear your thoughts!
They’ve got some great itineraries for Norway.
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, I was wondering if anyone has ever taken a cruise with this PO Cruise company.
Would love to hear your thoughts!
They’ve got some great itineraries for Norway.
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!