Croisière en famille sur le Msc Seaview en juillet 2019 : un fiasco total.
Tous les jours de nouveaux rebondissements....
1/ Embarquement à Cannes :
demande d'assistance à l'embarquement faite au préalable (difficulté station prolongée debout) : un dossier complet rempli et renvoyé à la demande de Msc. 3 emails envoyés pour demander que tout soit prêt le jour j.... Tout ça pour rien !!!!
Malheureusement aucune aide à l'embarquement de prévue malgré cela.
Attente en plein soleil debout = malaise...
Cela commence bien.
2/ Arrivée dans les cabines :
Nous avions demandé 2 lits séparés dans la cabine des enfants : bingo, il y avait un lit double....
Manque d'étagères pour ranger les vêtements.
Cabines de taille correcte. Couleurs sympas mes Tableaux immondes : des paysages marins auraient été plus appropriés.
3/ Aux bars :
Temps d'attente pour être servis inadmissible. 1h pour 1 verre.
Service froid voir désagréable.
Il faut se lever pour les appeler car ne vous voient pas....
Les serveurs ne connaissent pas la carte.
Quantités servies aléatoires, jamais les mêmes.
4/ Restaurant principal :
Très bruyant. A la limite du supportable. Sensation d'être à la Cantine.
Qualité des mets mauvaise : viande trop cuite pourtant commandée saignante, pas de goût, poisson = morue désalée, imangeable.
Carte alléchante mais deceptions systématiques dans l'assiette.
Aucun vin italien blanc pétillant proposé pourtant excellent.....
Boissons commandées apportées en fin de repas = repas effectué sans boissons.
Service trop long entre 1h30 et 2h.
Impossible de réserver le théâtre à une heure descante.
Pas d'animation durant les repas.
Manque de classe....
Dommage la déco est superbe
5/ Langue :
Heureusement que nous parlons anglais.
Aucun personnel ne parle français.
6/ Service de cabine :
Excellent. Propreté irréprochable.
Cabine faite plusieurs fois par jour.
Personnel excellent. Merci Frederico. Seul rayon de soleil de cette croisière.
7/ Buffet :
Très bon buffet. Bien organisé avec plusieurs points sur tout le pont. Pas d'attente ni de bousculades.
Dommage : pas de fruits de mer, ni crevettes, dommage car nous sommes qu'en même sur un bateau...
Les serveurs peu gracieux mettent 1h (donc repas sans boissons...) pour vous servir à boire et se trompent régulièrement dans la commande. Quand vous appuyez sur le bouton pour les appeler, ils viennent stopper l'appel sur la machine sans prendre la commande, vous engueulent car vous les dérangez... du jamais vu à 6000 euros la croisière...
Les serveurs passent au milieu du buffet avec aspirateur et linge sale... Très moyen.. manque franchement de classe....
Tables extérieures jamais nettoyées....
8/ Théâtre :
Lamentable
Impossible de voir un spectacle. Vous réservez mais pas de place à l'arrivée. Cherchez l'erreur...
Quand vous demandez de l'aide au personnel agressif, planté debout à rien faire : "vous n'avez qu'à arriver avant ! Débrouillez vous !!!"
Encore bravo !!! Quelle classe!!!
Nous sommes arrivés 15 min avant le début du spectacle et déjà plus de places.
Si le repas n'avait pas duré 2h, nous aurions pu arriver avant.
Quelle organisation !
9/ Itinéraire :
Escale de Barcelone : arrivée au port avec 2h de retard. 1h pour sortir du navire....
Résultat : Nous avions réserver la visite de la Sagrada Familia à 10h15 - 10h30...
Nous allons expliquer le problème au service clients du navire : "on ne peut rien pour vous.... les passagers sortent tous du pont 6 donc ça va être très long. Vous ne serez jamais à l'heure..."
Résultat : 73 € de billets jetés à la poubelle. Les boules donc une journée de complétement gâchée.
Escale d'Ajaccio : Annulée ! Remplacée par une journée en mer. Apparemment cette escale est souvent annulée sur ce navire....(voir tous les commentaires sur Internet...)
Nous avons choisi cette croisière pour les escales d'Ajaccio et La Spezia que nous n'avions pas encore faites.
44 € de petit train réservés jetés à la poubelle.
Cela commence à faire cher....
Sachant que les boutiques ouvrent quand le navire est en mer. Cette journée est tout bénéfique pour la compagnie....
Mais sans intérêt pour nous.
10/ Navire :
Navire au design magnifique.
Annonces au micro insupportables : véritable hall de gare. La pianiste est obligée de s'arrêter de jouer sans arrêt....
Annonces en français incompréhensibles....
Activités bowling, cinéma 3d fermées en journée.
Pas de piste de danse. Dommage, enléve la convivialité (voir autre compagnies...)
La journée en mer a été très longue.
Pas assez d'activités pour le nombre de passagers. Manque 1 vraie salle de cinéma. Juste quelques sièges pour le cinéma 3d (pour 5000 passagers, trop juste....)
Seulement 2 pistes riquiqui de bowling : impossible d'y aller trop de monde.
Tyrolienne anecdotique minuscule, inutile....
11/ Excursions : 3 jours d'excursions réservés à l'avance pour 4 personnes.
*1ere excursion : Palma de Majorque.
Organisation catastrophique : il manquez 2 tickets sur 4 dans une des cabines.
Vous faites la queue au bureau des excursions (ça vaut le coup de réserver à l'avance...) : là, le Monsieur vous dit : "pas de problème, vous étes bien prévus sur mon ordinateur pour cette excursion, vous vous présentez sans problème demain tous ensemble avec les 2 autres tickets au point de rdv... "
Le lendemain : arrivée au point de rdv des excursions au théatre : il faut faire 1h de queue pour récupérer les étiquettes de numéro de bus !!!
N'importe quoi : pourquoi ne pas les mettre avec les tickets dans la cabine.... Organisation zéro !
Évidemment, comme nous n'avions pas les 2 tickets manquants, ce fut compliqué... je vous passe les détails et les 3 queues effectuées pour trouver la solution qui aurait pu être réglée déjà la veille au bureau des excursions.
Au prix de l'excursion, no comment !!
Ensuite on vous appelle par numero pour rejoindre les bus.
Le guide dans le bus crache à une vitesse incroyable dans le micro dans 5 langues différentes en hurlant toute la journée sans interruption.
C'est insupportable et épuisant !!
Français incompréhensible....
Pourquoi ne pas rassembler les gens dans des bus par langues comme le font les autres compagnies.....
*2eme excursion : les 5 terres.
Les tickets sont tous là dans les cabines. Ouf !
Rebelotte pour les étiquettes de numéro de bus...
Puis on vous fait poiroter 2h en vous expliquant que malheureusement le bateau prévu pour l'excursion n'est pas prêt....
Ensuite, on vous annonce que 1 arrêt dans un des villages est annulé à cause de la houle...
La mer est plate comme un lac... bref....
On appelle le numero et on vous demande de suivre une personne de Msc.
Cette personne se trompe et nous installe dans un mauvais bus au lieu de nous conduire au bateau...
On nous fait sortir du mauvais bus et retraverser tout le quai jusqu'au bon bateau.
De l'amateurisme pur et dur.
Tout le monde est outré et dit "du jamais vu, plus jamais Msc...."
Encore Bravo : 3h en moins sur l'excursion....
*4eme excursion : Rome
Guide Allemande très directive qui vous dit "schnell" toutes les 2 secondes.... impossible de profiter des monuments vus au pas de course.
Nous avons même oublier un participant qui a du rentrer en taxi....
Anecdote : ce participant avait réussi à rattraper le bus avec le taxi juste à la sortie de Rome. La personne de Msc n'a jamais voulu lui ouvrir les portes du bus....
Incroyable mais vrai....
12/ Ambiance/Personnel :
Manque de convivialité et de classe....
Personnel non formé, agressif ou à contrario endormi....
Personnel encadrant complètement inexistant : aucune chemise blanche à barette à l'horizon en 1 semaine.
Pas d'animation au repas.
Pas de dress code pour les soirées...
Impression d'être dans un centre commercial pendant 1 semaine....
Manque de professionnalisme à tous les niveaux....
13/ Groupes musicaux :
Super qualité. Nous nous sommes régalés.
Heureusement....
En bref : Nous avions fait une croisière avec une autre compagnie et avions été pleinement satisfaits. Nous avons voulu tester Msc.
Cette croisière nous laisse un goût vraiment amère. 6000 euros de gâchés.
MSC n'est pas à la hauteur.
Tous les passagers rencontrés sur ce bateau étaient de notre avis....
Nous attendons un geste commercial significatif !!!!!!!
Anecdote : ce participant avait réussi à rattraper le bus avec le taxi juste à la sortie de Rome. La personne de Msc n'a jamais voulu lui ouvrir les portes du bus....
On ne sait que choisir parmi toutes ces anecdotes savoureuses, mais celle-là reste la meilleure 😇
...... Nous attendons un geste commercial significatif !!!!!!!
Bonjour,
Nous avons, aussi, rencontré un certain nombre de problèmes sur un navire MSC, ... loin de la densité des vôtres, je le souligne.
Je vous souhaite donc, beaucoup de courage, de la persévérance et de l' obstination plus qu' imaginable, pour obtenir une réponse ... rapide de MSC ... qui mieux est : - pour un geste financier" qui ne vous laisse pas un goût amer " quant a la hauteur de l' appréciation de votre clientèle.
Ils finiront par être " désolé " ( avec du temps ) ...après ???
Nous avons attendu 8 mois pour une mauvaise réponse.... et en 2017, les gros navires de la catégorie du votre, n' étaient pas opérationnels.
Nous avons cessé MSC en 2017, après 14 croisières chez eux. Vos propos, en fait : - me désolent ! C' était une excellente compagnie avant qu' une nouvelle direction entame le thème de la " danse du balai " .... et maîtrise de moins en moins leur coeur de métier ...
Danse du balai , ou " apprenti sorcier " ?? .... j' hésite.
Bonjour
Vous aviez fait des croisières sur quelle compagnie auparavant ?
Norvégian Gém NCL, Horizon CDF, musica MSC, Allure of the seas RCI, sérénade of the seas RCI, Symphony of the seas RCI, Régal PRINCESS, Fantasia MSC, seaside MSC, explorer of the seas RCI
Ok
Pas de chance, vous avez cumulé pas mal de soucis 😕
J’ai réservé pour octobre sur le fantasia en YATCH club, ce devrait être mieux 😛
Norvégian Gém NCL, Horizon CDF, musica MSC, Allure of the seas RCI, sérénade of the seas RCI, Symphony of the seas RCI, Régal PRINCESS, Fantasia MSC, seaside MSC, explorer of the seas RCI
bonjour Lise,
nous sommes adeptes des croisières depuis ..... si longtemps !
bien entendu les croisières actuelles n'ont plus rien mais alors rien à voir avec les premières que nous avons faites.
Mais les prix étaient bien différents... actuellement ils sont tellement "tirés" que l'élastique finit par craquer 🙁 et pour les prix pratiqués on ne peut plus avoir les mêmes prestations .... cela permet quand même d'"ouvrir" ces croisières au plus grand nombre ce qui n'était pas le cas auparavant...
ceci dit nous avons indifféremment au cours de toutes ces années "utilisé" les services msc, costa ou croisieurope. tout dépend de l'organisation à bord quelle que soit la compagnie....nous avons été quelquefois très satisfaits de msc et pas du tout de Costa et vice-versa ! pour la langue difficile de trouver du personnel français (même sur croisieurope certains personnels ne parlaient qu'anglais) mais pas mal d'explications à cela....
quant aux excursions il y a longtemps que nous pratiquons la formule "individuel" avec des guides privés. Pas plus onéreux et tellement plus performant... et ce forum est une mine de renseignements et de bons plans !
j'espère que vous trouverez mieux sur une prochaine croisière !
cordialement
Si l'agence attend que MSC leur réponde, cela risque de durer longtemps, on a des témoignages ici. En tout cas l'accumulation de tous ces ratés est intolérable, j'espère que vous serez entendue et indemnisée.
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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 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
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,
In June we’re taking a cruise called "Pearls of the Baltic" on board Renaissance CFC Cruises—with stops in Kiel (Germany), Gdańsk (Poland), Rønne (Bornholm), Copenhagen (Denmark), and Gothenburg (Sweden).
This layover in Gothenburg doesn’t really inspire me—could you tell me what’s worth seeing? Are there locals offering excursions around the area by van right when you leave the port, like you often see on Caribbean cruises?
I saw there’s a hop-on hop-off bus, but I’m not sure if there’s a stop near the terminal.
What are your suggestions? Thanks in advance!
Best regards,
Hi! On June 10th, we’re heading off on a 10-day Baltic Sea cruise with CFC Cruises’ *Renaissance*. We’ll be stopping in Copenhagen, and we’re planning to take the City Sightseeing hop-on hop-off buses to explore the city with multiple stops. Could anyone tell me which quay cruise ships usually dock at and how to get from the quay to the nearest stop to board the tour bus? Thanks for your tips and suggestions!
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!
