Nous avons effectué une croisière en catamaran du 04 au 12 décembre 2011 aux Iles Grenadines avec la société SWITCH filiale de PROMOVACANCES, le descriptif de la brochure est erroné sur le confort du bateau, (fourmis, cafard, etc.. dans la cabine).
- -La nourriture était très infecte à la limite de la consommation (poulet à moitié cru, pain rasis , café et thé infectes, etc.....) pour nous deux nous mangions que les restes pour ne pas dire les miettes, pour couper notre faim nous mangions du pain rassis,
- -Le troisième jour mon conjoint était très fatiguée suite à un problème de hanche, de ce fait nous sommes restés sur le bateau pour se reposer au lieu d'aller sur la plage, de là l’hôtesse nous en n'a voulu , pourquoi ???.
Donc à partir de ce jour là quand elle servait, volontairement elle oubliait nos assiettes avec ironie et des remarques non fondaient devant les autres passagers, le lendemain nous avons eu une insulte de sa part, nous avons eu intelligence de ne pas répondre. Elle essayait de monter les autres passagers contre nous avec des chuchotements. Il y avait un frigo pour les passagers et un pour la cuisine, pour qu'on ne puisse se servir en boissons elle les a toutes transféré dans le sien, il y avait que quelques passagers qui etait privilégiés. Très très limite comme cuisinière
- -Au débarquement à La Soufrière au préalable nous avons rempli une fiche de douane que le Skipper a rangé dans sa pochette, je l'ai surprise en train d'ouvrir la pochette pour lire les passeports pendant que le Skipper était très occupé à la manœuvre il n'a pas pu la voir, a-t-elle le droit et l'habilité de regard sur nos passeports, .
Nous lui donnons la note 01/20...
- -NOUS SOMMES REVENUS DE CETTE CROISIERE NOURRIS AU PAIN--
Très deçu de cette croisière à notre retour.😠😠😠
Par contre le Skipper est un homme formidable et très professionnel, ils nous renseignait , nous expliquais.....Nous le notons 19/20.
P.S. : lui aussi avait beaucoup de soucis avec cette hôtesse.
J'ai effectué cette cette croisière avec Promovacances en avril 2011, séjour innoubliable, très bonne entente et ambiance entre les passagers, je suis partie en solo et partageais ma cabine Twin avec une jeune inconnue très sympa. Cabine certes étroite en lits superposés, mais juste pour dormir c'est suffisant, pas de problème d'insectes.
Skipper (Yves) hyper sympa et hyper compétent, idem pour la cuisinière (Alix) hyper souriante et aussi bonne cuisinière que pour seconder le skipper. Elle nous a conconter chaque jour de supers petits plats préparés à la fois en partie avec les provisions de base qu'avec les produits locaux (fruits, légumes) achetés sur les marchés à chacune de nos escales (poulet au lait de coco, poissons frais pêchés par nos soins ou achetés aux pêcheurs locaux, fondue au chocolat présentée dans une écorce d'ananas, gâteau au chocolat, apéro très bien servi chaque jour pour ceux qui le désirait, yahourts et boissons à dispo dans le frigo passagers à toute heure de la journée).
Temps mieux pour toi que cette croisière était au top et que tu as eu de bons repas, notre skipper et les autres passagers ont été très formidables, comme j'ai écrit précédenment il y avait des insectes dans la cabine, pour l"hotesse que je tairais son nom elle ne savait pas du tout cuisiner , pas de petits plats, pas de chocolat , pas de dessert, 2 yaourt en 8 jours, etc... et j'en passe, en plus elle n'aidait pas le skipper aux manoeuvres....
Je souhaite de tout coeur que les prochains passagers soient mieux lotis.
A part ces problèmes Pas de regret pour cette croisière un vrai régal.
Aie aie aie j'imagine ! Celà gâche une part de la croisière, heureusement il restait les paysages magnifiques. En espérant que vous ayez davantage de chance pour votre prochaine destination,
Bonjour,
Je souhaite prendre un séjour croisière grenadines 5D 9jrs/7nuits pour Mai mais naviguer sur un voilier de ce type me fait un peu peur (sécurité, mal de mer ect...)
La question peut paraitre un peu bête mais le bateau navigue t-il la nuit? Vous sentiez-vous en confiance et en sécurité? J'aimerais tenter cette expérience mais il est vrai que j'appréhende un peu quand même!
Les tarifs du séjour et la ''pension complète'' indiquées par les sites vendeurs type Promovacance sont-ils sans surprises ou faut-il compter des suppléments? les tranfères entre l'aéroport et le port sont-ils compris? Merci d'avance pour vos réponses 😇
Tout d'abord, concernant Promovacances, aucune surprise. La pension complète est incluse. 2 frigos au sein du bâteau : 1 réservé pour la cuisinière avec les provisions nécessaires à sa préparation des repas et 1 "passagers" où on peut "piocher" au fil de la journée, yahourts ou boissons. Dans le 5D la cuisinière s'occupe de tout (c'est la différence avec un 4D ou 2D où les passagers doivent cuisiner pour eux). A l'embarquement il y a déjà des produits de base dans le bâteau et aux différentes escales la cuisinière complètait en achetant fruits et légumes aux marchers. Pour le poisson, soit nous installions une canne à pêche à l'arrière du bâteau ou nous achetions aux pêcheurs qui venaient directement nous solliciter sur le bâteau. Comme l'ambiance était excellente entre tous les passagers et avec l'équipage, nous donnions de nous même un coup de main pour mettre et débarasser la table et nous installions et servions l'apéro à tour de rôle. Mais pour la préparation des repas la cuisinière s'occupait de tout.
Les 2 seules choses que nous avons payé en plus étaient : le repas barbecue langoustes sur une ile la nuit, absolument géniale et personne n'aurait voulu manque çà, mais le prix était dérisoire, style 25 € par personne et on ne part pas faire une croisière aux Grenadines pour être à 25 € près. Et la seconde, un restau sur l'ile de Ste Lucie, mais petit truc de peut-être 10/12 € par personne. Rien d'autre à payer.
Pour la sécurité, nous avons eu 2 très grosses tempêtes, une la nuit et une la matinée (l'équipage nous avons prévenu à l'avance). Celà a ENORMEMENT secoué mais le skipper était très expérimenté et son assistante cuisinière également et très présente pour le secondé, donc confiance totale, 2 deux très pros et ayant une grande habitude de la navigation. Le bâteau faisait des creux de 2 à 3 m pendant plusieurs heures d'affilées non stop, impossible de sortir des cabines à l'exception de l'équipage qui gérait au mieux le "grain blanc" : tempête très violente où on ne voit rien à 5 mètres. La vaisselle se fracassait par terre en cuisine, etc, on avait l'impression que le bâteau allait s'ouvrir en deux à chaque fois qu'il retombait sur une vague avec le bruit de bois qui travaille. Evidemment 90 % des gens étaient malade quasiment sauf moi qui était calée dans ma cabine sans bouger et supportait. L'équipage a passée une nuit blanche sur le pont mais à géré nickel. Evidemment, pour les novices çà serait pas gérable. Les paysages sont magnifiques et de toutes façons la seule façon de pouvoir découvrir ces petites iles est le système d'une croisière en catamaran. Même si je n'ai pas le pied marrait (et même si je savais que j'allais sûrement en baver de rester une semaine sur un bâteau, j'en avais conscience dès le départ, je ne regrette pas car c'est une expérience unique, paysages superbes et aventure extraordinaire et la tempête était une chose à vivre dans une vie, à ajouter du piment et à générer des souvenirs extraordinaires). Par contre, en amoureux, ce type de voyage n'est pas forcément "le mieux" car on est quand même avec d'autres personnes non stop pendant une semaine sur un même bâteau, donc niveau intimité forcément y'en a pas vraiment, on est tous en gropue pour la durée du séjour, donc c'est pas adapter pour "se prélasser en amoureux dans un coin du bâteau" et niveau "câlins", entre le mal de mer éventuel, la taille des cabines et la promiscuité c'est pas fait pour çà non plus. On est là pour profiter des paysages, de l'ambiance en groupe, du snorkeling, etc... donc parfait entre amis ou célib, par contre à déconseiller pour une voyage "en amoureux" ou de noce, encore une fois ce n'est pas adapter à celà.
Vous pouvez faire cette roisière 3D, elle est formidable, nous ne regrettons rien, nous avons passé une semaine merveilleuse, le seul bémol a été la cuisinière qui a un mauvais caractère, très peu de respect avec les passagers! (ce n'est qu'une seule personne) nous avons eu un skipper formidable , gentillesse, etc...heureusement il nous faisait oublier le reste , il n'y a pas de souci pour la séurité, repas , boissons , transferts compris dans le prix.
Les seules choses que nous avons payé en plus a été le repas langoustes à midi sur une ile au prix de 30€ par personne, une visite de la ville La Souffrière avec son volcan au prix de 25€ par personne , et les repas à Ste Lucie, tout ça est en obption pas obligatoire.
Si vous faites cette croisière nous vous souhaitons de bien en profiter.
Bonjour,
Merci beaucoup pour vos réponses, je me sens un peu plus rassurée sauf pour la tempête mais bon il prévoir ce genre de chose dans une croisière en catamaran!😕
Pour ma part, la croisière se fera avec mon conjoint, mais nous n'y allons pas pour rechercher l'intimité et le confort donc je pense que ça ira.
Sinon avez-vous fait des belles visites durant vos escales sur les différentes iles?
Les escales sont assez courtes, nous avons passé la majeure partie du temps sur le bâteau (navigation la nuit presque toujours et en journée également). En dehors des temps de navigation nous faisions quelques excursions sinon nous étions amarés à quelques 100/150m des côtes et les participants faisaient du snorkeling (masque et tuba) autour du bâteau, ou allaient à terre à la nage, ou bronzette/lecteur sur le bâteau en dehors des excursions où tout le monde descendaient à terre. Pour ma part, je connaissais déjà bien les Antilles et la mer des Caraïbes pour y être déjà allée plusieurs fois, mais j'ai beaucoup appréciée les différentes escales et iles sur lesquelles nous avons acostées : eau turquoise à 28°, sable blanc, iguanes, nous avons pu nager avec les tortues de mer à côté de nous, barbecue langouste super bien, escale à Ste Lucie : nous n'avons pas pu tout faire car il pleuvait ce jour là et trop de boue, nous avons pu aller au marcher de Ste Anne en Martinique à la fin du séjour et nous ballader un peu dans la matinée, etc...Si vous avez une adresse mail à me communiquer, je peux éventuellement vous donner mon nom en message privée pour que vous puissiez aller voir mes photos légendées sur Facebook
Je n'ai pas suivi du tout le même parcours (Playa del Carmen/Tulum/Cozumel...) mais je pense que les paysages que vous traverserez seront très jolis aussi !
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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
Bonjour,
Voici le calendrier des croisières pour 2027.
Cela donne des idées et peut permettre à des membres de se rencontrer
2 régles essentielles:
1) ne jamais "citer" le calendrier pour répondre, ceci évitera toute confusion
2) respecter le format suivant
JJ/MM - pseudo / BATEAU EN MAJUSCULE / nb jours / titre de la croisière / port de départ
NE PAS OUBLIER LES ESPACES entre les / /
RAPPEL Malgré mes demandes peu de personnes respectent le format demandé, la croisière ne sera plus répertoriée quand elle s'éloignera trop du format demandé, désolée ATTENTION Merci de respecter les modèles SVP
MERCI DE COPIER COLLER LE FORMAT CI DESSOUS ET REMPLACER PAR VOS DONNEES SI VOUS N Y ARRIVEZ PAS
JJ/MM - pseudo / BATEAU EN MAJUSCULE / nb jours / titre de la croisière / port de départ
NE PAS OUBLIER LES ESPACES entre les / /
cela prend du temps de rectifier, MERCI A TOUS
A VOUS DE JOUER 😉
NOMBRE DE CROISIERES 2027 : 1
JANVIER
14/01 - poupou10 / AZAMARA JOURNEY / 74 jours / Tour Amérique du sud / Miami
FEVRIER
MARS
AVRIL
MAI
JUIN
JUILLET
AOÛT
SEPTEMBRE
OCTOBRE
NOVEMBRE
DECEMBRE
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!