Retour de la croisière "Riviera Bella" sur le Costa Marina du 21 au 28 septembre 2010
FR

Retour de la croisière "Riviera Bella" sur le Costa Marina du 21 au 28 septembre 2010

by Dove59

in Topics › Cruises

This discussion is in French, the community’s main language.

Original post
DO
Dove59
Montferrier-Sur-Lez · 16 posts
Bonjour, Nous sommes de retour d’une croisière avec le Costa Marina "Riviera Bella" au départ de Monaco et retour sur Marseille en date du 21 au 28 septembre 2010 en cabine intérieure sur le pont n° 4.

C’est un bateau vieillissant très bien entretenu, petit ne manquant pas de charme par rapport aux grosses unités de type Concordia ( notre première croisière en 2007), mais beaucoup plus convivial.

Les points positifs sont : Excellente nourriture, la disponibilité et amabilité de tout le personnel, la propreté, beaucoup de place sur les ponts pour les bains de soleil, le spectacle du soir est correct, la salle de sport est bien appareillé, le sauna est de bonne facture, grand jacuzzi à l’arrière du bateau, pas de perte de temps dans les déplacements, la grande majorité du personnel parle Français, la possibilité de changer de service ou de table ( je vous conseille de demander à Laurent maitre d’hôtel français), mini club enfants excellent.

Les points négatifs sont : Manque d’insonorisation des cabines, cabine intérieure petite (mais de toute façon, on passe peu de temps en cabine) , dans le cas de mauvais temps le bateau bouge énormément (nous avons eu deux jours de mer agitée et beaucoup de personnes étaient alitées, les hôtesses du pont quatre donnaient des cachets à prendre tous les 7 heures, je vous confirme l’efficacité de ce remède).

Conseil : Les boissons sont chères, nous avons pris les forfaits suivants : Boys&girls(10 boissons sans alcool) au prix de 26€ et pack Acqua (13 bouteilles d’eau pour 23€) compris surcharge (taxe).

Excursions : La responsable française des excursions Katherine est très disponible, aimable et souriante. Les prix des excursions Costa sont chères et nous avons décidé de les faire par nos propres moyens (avant de partir, je me suis inspiré de toutes les informations de ce forum) et vous donne à mon tour mes petits trucs :

Livourne-Pise : A la sortie du bateau un agent de l’office du tourisme donnait un plan et toutes les explications pour aller en train à Pise. Sortir du port et se rendre à la place "Piazza grande" (10minutes à pied) pour prendre le bus n° 1 gare (terminus) au prix du billet de 2€ aller retour par personne acheté dans les kiosques à journaux. Le trajet est d’environ 20 minutes au prix de 6.60€ aller retour par personne. A la sortie de la gare sur la "Piazza Victorie Emanele", vous trouverez un point touristique pour prendre le plan de la ville. Aller le plus vite possible vers la "Tour pendente", vues les affluences (30 minutes à pied). Le site est vraiment magnifique. Pour revenir, nous nous sommes éloignés du trajet touristique pour découvrir cette ville magnifique (marchés, monuments, ruelles, églises) et vous permettra de déjeuner correctement dans de petits restaurants. Pour le retour, balladez vous dans le port intérieur de Livourne.

Olbia : A partir du 15 septembre les bus et trains sont en service d’hiver, renseignez vous auprès de l’office du tourisme pour les horaires. A la sortie du bateau une navette gratuite vous laisse devant la mairie. L’office du tourisme se trouve à 5 minutes (longer l’avenue, première à droite). Pour aller vers les plages de "Pittulongu", prendre le bus n° 4 face à l’hôtel Martini situé à 800ml à droite après le passage à niveau, à 9h ou 13h30. L’arrêt pour le retour se situe à coté de l’hôtel "Esmeralda" à 15h30 ou 19h30. Le trajet retour est d’environ 15 minutes et vous dépose à cote du passage à niveau pour un cout du billet de 1.50€ par personne acheté dans le bus valable 60 minutes . Les plages sont superbes, eau cristalline, sable fin. Prévoyez un pique nique, la restauration est chère dans les quelques restaurants de plage, sinon, sur la route principale vous trouverez une petite superette. De plus il ya dans cette zone de très nombreux vendeurs itinérants. Vous avez aussi une possibilité d’aller à "Golfo Aranci" par le train situé à 30kms. Au retour faites une balade dans la rue piétonne (magasins fermes de 13h à 17h).

Capri : Prendre le funiculaire pour la ville haute purement touristique et encombré situé en face du port, il faut d’abord acheté les billets (5.60€ aller retour pour 2 personnes) au guichet se trouvant à 50ml sur la droite en descendant de la navette. Je vous conseille de vous éloigner en montant vers le belvédère de "Di Tragara" pour découvrir les ruelles, les maisons, les jardins, les hôtels, la chartreuse "Saint Jacques" et d’admirer les superbes panoramas (attention la montée est rude). Vous pouvez visiter ce site : http://www.campanie-campania.net - Pour le retour , la navette n’était pas au même endroit.

Tunis-: En sortant du terminal, prendre sur la droite en longeant le mur, passer le poste de police, le rond point et toujours continuer tout droit, vous arrivez à la gare "Goulette la vieille". Ne vous laisser pas distraire par les justifications de prix des taxis, nombreux sur cet axe. Le prix du billet aller ou retour est de 8.60 dinar par personne soit 4.45€. Vous pouvez changer vos euros dans la banque du terminal portuaire (zone commerciale de style tunisien). Le centre touristique de " Sidi Bou Saïd " est à 5 minutes de la gare. Je vous conseille de vous éloigner du centre pour découvrir les ruelles, les maisons, de consommer au "Café des délices" et d’admirer les superbes panoramas.

Minorque-Port Mahon : Tout est fermé le dimanche ville fantôme, nous avons déambulés et visités le parc municipal et il pleuvait.

Barcelone : En sortant du terminal, il y a une navette au prix de 3€ aller retour par personne qui vous emmène au "Mirador de Colom", début de l’avenue "Rambla". Nous sommes aller voir "Sagrada Familia" cet endroit est magnifique et déconcertant (attention arrivez très tôt pour pouvoir visiter l’intérieur en raison de l’affluence, en moyenne 2h d’attente) , prendre le bus n° 3 à cote de la cathédrale, billet à prendre dans le bus pour 1.40€ par personne, le retour par métro ligne n° 5 jusqu'à "Diagonal" changement pour ligne n° 3 sortir à "Catalunya" pour redescendre l’avenue "Rambla" pour 1.40€ par personne (le métro est beaucoup plus rapide et il y a une station près du "Mirador de Colom"). En descendant cette voie, je vous conseille de voir le marché couvert très animé "Mercat Boqueria", les alentours de la "Catedral", les petites rues et innombrables boutiques. Vous pouvez également prendre le bus touristique au prix minimum de 14€ par personne (différents circuits).

Marseille Terminal-Aéroport Marignane : Le débarquement est rapide et bien organisé, une station de bus se situe à environ 1.5km du terminal à la sortie du port (parcours bien indiqué de couleur verte). L’arrêt du bus n° 35 pour "Joliette terminus" se trouve à gauche après le pont, puis prendre le métro ligne n° 3 en direction gare "Saint-Charles", le cout de ce trajet (avec même ticket acheté dans le bus) est de 1.50€ par personne. Dans la gare, le guichet pour les navettes aéroport se trouve dans la galerie marchande, le prix du billet est de 8.50€ par personne (départ toute les ½h).

Réflexion : Faut il attendre la dernière minute pour obtenir de meilleurs conditions. Des croisiéristes ont négocié une semaine avant le départ ce voyage (web croisières) à 190€ par personne au départ de Livourne avec sur classement de cabine.

Conclusion : Nous avons effectue une excellente croisière et avons découvert les charmantes villes de Pise, Capri et Barcelone.
GL Gladfred Veteran ·
Merci pour ce résumé. Les infos sur Barcelone vont bientot nous servir.
Croisières sur le Concordia x2, Serena x2, Mediterranea, Magica et Luminosa.
AL Alcati Globetrotter ·
😉Bonjour QUENTIN,

Merci pour ton compte-rendu clair, net pet précis. Je ne connais pas du tout ce navire si ce n'es que de l'avoir approché de prés. Les petites unités ont quand même leur charme et de ce fait, les croisières sont appréciées tout autrement que sur les gros paquebots. Je ne sais pas si tu as fait quelques photos et su oui, agrémenter ce post permettrait de colorer ton CR.

Peux-tu nous parler des conditions d'embarquement, de l'accueil à terre et de l'organisation à bord suite peut-être à des réservations faites avant le départ. Tu as toujours dans ta cabine, les cartes, le to day et les tickets de réservation comme les boissons ou autres ?

Je connais très bien, Laurent qui sert à bord. Nous nous sommes rencontrés, il y a maintenant plus de 3 ans et revu l'année dernière.

Merci à toi pour ces impressions.
Cap Saint-Jacques, Foucault, Leclerc, Brazza, Mangin, Mermoz, Romanza, Massalia, Mélody, Club Med 2, Concordia, Magica, Victoria, Mediterranea, Atlantica, Epic, Deliziosa, Favolosa, Divina, Fantasia, Serena, Deliziosa, Pacifica, Magica, Preziosa, Meraviglia, Magnifica, Poesia, Splendida, Orchestra.
SY Sylhoe Regular ·
Bravo Dove, voici un trés bon récit interessant et instructif. Je pars le 24 sur ce bateau, et j'ai lu tant de choses ... ce sera ma première croisière, et je pars rassurée par ce témoignage récent et globalement positif. Je commence déjà (et oui je suis une fille !!!) à réfléchir au contenu de ma valise, et je voudrai savoir si les soirées sont habillées. Une autre question, quels sont les occupations possibles pour les demi-journées de mer pour mes neveu et nièce de 14 et 15 ans? Enfin, sur le descriptif de ma croisière, Splendeurs Antiques, sont évoqués 5 repas par jour ... quels sont ils ??? je n'en connais pas autant. Par avance un grand merci
"vivre pleinement le moment présent et réver de celui qui arrive ..."
DO Dove59 ·
Bonsoir, Merci, pour l’intérêt porté à ce compte rendu. Je vais essayé de répondre à vos questions.

Notre embarquement à Monaco fut rapide et bien organisé, le personnel au terminal est disponible et réponds aux premières demandes, au kiosque bateau (pont n° 4) affluence normale (malheureusement il y a toujours des gens pressés ou stressés) les hôtesses donnent toutes les informations nécessaires. Dans notre chambre, nous récupérons le ticket restaurant, liste et prix de toutes excursions de la croisière, la description des villes escale et le today. Je vous conseille, si vous la table ou le service ne vous convient pas, de voir le maitre d’hôtel pour changement éventuel ( demander Laurent maitre d’hôtel français) et de vous diriger vers l’un des deux bars pour choisir plus facilement vos forfaits boissons (pas de carte), il faut simplement signer et sur le reçu le nombre restant est lisible ainsi que le solde du compte. Tous les soirs nous avions le today, les cartes des villes escales étaient disponibles au desk. Il y a vers 17h une information sur les excursions du lendemain (nous n’y avons jamais participé).

Il est convenable d’être élégant sans plus pour la soirée du commandant et pour les soirées privées Costa. Concernant l’occupation des jeunes, j’ai du mal à répondre (jacuzzis, la salle de sport, le sauna, bronzage sur les pont ou sur la zone piscine). Concernant la restauration, il y a le petit déjeuner, le déjeuner, le tea time, le diner et la surprise du soir.

Bonne réception
DA Davejeni ·
bonjour

Vous faites la même croisière que nous et nous avons reservé avec TAAJ .. avez vous reçu à ce jour des documents pour l'embarcation ??
LO Londaise Veteran ·
à Barcelone ou prendre exactement la navette ? merci
SY Sylhoe Regular ·
Non, rien de rien !!! Et comme je ne connais ni cette agence ni les croisières ... je ne sais pas du tout comment cela doit se passer au niveau de la reception des papiers !!!! Angoisse😕

bon vent !!!
"vivre pleinement le moment présent et réver de celui qui arrive ..."
DO Dove59 ·
Bonjour, De quelle navette parlez vous???? S'agit il de la navette du terminal au centre ou autre????
LO Londaise Veteran ·
OUI , LE BUS DE VILLE QUI RELIE LE TERMINAL AU CENTRE
DO Dove59 ·
Bonsoir, En sortant du terminal, il y a une navette au prix de 3€ aller retour par personne qui vous emmène au "Mirador de Colom", début de l’avenue "Rambla". L’arrêt de la navette se trouve sur la gauche en limite de la clôture du port (distributeur Coca Cola), elle passe toutes les 20 minutes. Bonne réception
DO Domireig Regular ·
Bonjour dove en bas de la rambla ou s'arrete t il???? a t'il un numero???pour retourner au bateau car j'arrive le 16 /11 train et metro et je voulais prendre ce bus pour rejoindre le bateau merci si vous avez l'info
DO Dove59 ·
Bonjour, La navette vous conduit à la place en face du "Mirador de Colom", il faut reprendre cette dernière au même endroit. Attention, il y a plusieurs terminaux passagers en fonction de l'endroit ou le bateau accoste. Bonne croisière.
DO Domireig Regular ·
merci pour la réponse bonne journée
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JeanMichel54 last month
Choosing Packages on the "Renaissance" (CFC) - "Jewels of Vestlandet" Circuit
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! 😐

Thanks in advance!
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Clau05 last month · 4yne
Have you heard of the Yacht Club on the MSC Magnifica?
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
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Afpjle last month
Renaissance Promenade Cabin
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!
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Gilsyl 2 months ago · Noumea140675
Dinner on the Costa Smeralda
Hi, can you eat in the evening at the Costa Smeralda’s cafeteria, or do you have to dine at the restaurant? Thanks for your reply.
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Olivercapnor 2 months ago · Evajules
MSC Referral
contact me to get referred at MSC, for your first cruise or if you haven't traveled with MSC in over 5 years
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Alfre99410 2 months ago · Poupou10
Delighted review of my MSC Virtuosa cruise from April 5 to 19, 2026
Hi everyone,

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.

Departure and boarding details to come
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Mejid 3 months ago · 4yne
Which cabin should we choose on the MS Vesteralen?
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?

Thanks in advance
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Nataly03 3 months ago · Noug29
CFC Highland and Scotland on April 16th
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!
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Schehrlauren 3 months ago · Pepere60
MSC Virtuosa Caribbean Cruise Excursions
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
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Poupou10 3 months ago · Mum49
Review of the CFC RENAISSANCE's 'EN VOGUE' experience
😉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
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