Me voila revenue (enfin depuis le 14 mai) d'une super croisière que je recommande à tous!!! 😉
Départ de Marseille pour Paris le vendredi 27 avril, nous y sommes depuis 7h00 du matin.
Décollage à 9h … L’attente est longue jusqu’au décollage à 15h20 pour Pointe à Pitre et ensuite prise en charge totale de Costa avec les transferts vers le port.
Les plateaux repas : bons et copieux : sachet de biscuits apéritif et petite bouteille de punch, entrée, plat, fromage et dessert et une petite bouteille de vin.
Tranquilles nous nous inquiétons pas comme certains croisiéristes pour nos valises, elles arriveront après le repas devant notre cabine.
Nous arrivons enfin sur le port et là nous voyons le bateau, un immense bateau!
Nous montons très rapidement à bord, tout est très bien organisé et nous voilà devant notre cabine (intérieure) ouverte qui est pas mal du tout, où nous trouvons tous les papiers, et cartes sur le lit
Nous n’avons pas trop le temps d’explorer le bateau, nous allons valider la cb, petit souci pour l’insertion de la carte, heureusement que Thibaut passe par là.
Puis c’est l’heure du repas, nous avons choisi le 2ème service, nous sommes placées à une table qui nous convient, face à la mer, nous faisons la connaissance des personnes à notre table, des martiniquais, très sympas qui débarquent le lendemain, dommage !!! Nous faisons la connaissance de nos serveurs Pedro de Colombie et Amri de République Dominicaine.
Un repas délicieux, et hop c’est l’heure de l’exercice d’évacuation (à 22h30) qui se passe très bien, nous rejoignons la cabine où nous retrouvons nos valises, je décide de ranger mes affaires, et ma valise sous le lit, comme ça demain tranquille je profiterai un peu plus du bateau et puis un gros dodo m’attend. Vraiment bêtes nous n’avons même pas vu le bateau partir.😕
1er petit déjeuner sur le pont 9 à 7h du mat, nous nous installons à la piscine à l'arrière du bateau jusqu'à l'arrivée en Martinique.
La réunion d'information a lieu à 11h avec les hôtes francophones, Lindsay et Thibault. Elle ne dure pas très longtemps, et vite nous nous dirigeons au buffet avant de partir pour l’excursion.
En effet, après hésitation nous décidons de prendre l’excursion Costa :
« L’habitation Clément et les jardins tropicaux »
Visite de l’habitation, où nous avons dégusté un très bon rhum… puis le jardin de Balata, l’église et enfin une bananeraie.
Ce qui m’a le plus plu le jardin ‘magnifique ‘, fleurs, palmiers, oiseaux
De plus il y a un parcours dans les arbres (super pour les enfants ET POUR LES GRANDS).
😕 Pas de regrets d’avoir choisi cette option, car nous étions crevées du voyage,
Ce soir, avant le repas direction le théâtre pour le ‘variety show ‘ avec le 1er cocktail sans alcool pour commencer, le SQUOK, un régal 😛😛😛
Excursion avec les copains à Saona (il me semble qu’on était une vingtaine) avec l’Agence TROPICAL PARADISE sur une plage privée.
Direction pour Bayahibe, avec notre accompagnateur pour 45mn de route. Enfin, nous arrivons à l’agence où nous attendent Cathy, et la photographe Alessia. Nous réglons les 70€ et nous embarquons dans un bateau rapide, avec obligation d’enfiler les gilets de sauvetage, et là à fond la caisse.
Une petite pause pour nous rafraichir avec de la vitamine, que ça fait du bien !!!!
Puis c’est repartit pour l’Ile de Mano Juan, où nous attends un superbe buffet (salade composée, saucisses, cuisses de poulet, saucisses…) préparé par le papa de Cathy et les fameuses langoustes, un régal…. Avec un bon vin, ou de sodas et enfin une salade de fruits et du gâteau au chocolat et coco.
Nous ne verrons pas l’école et ses élèves puisque elle sera fermée, Tant pis !
Puis c’est l’heure d’aller faire trempette, pas de soleil au rendez-vous, dommage !!!! On décide de se baigner quand même. La pluie s’invite à notre escapade …
On remonte sur le bateau en direction des piscines naturelles : toujours pas de soleil mais une bonne pluie, enfin une douche, nous sommes tous trempés, mais pas grave on en rigole même.
Ça y est nous arrivons aux piscines naturelles, la pluie a cessé, on saute dans cette eau translucide, pendant que l’on cherche des étoiles de mer, que l’accompagnateur Francisco a du mal à trouver d’ailleurs. Et de nouveau on nous sert de la vitamine.
De la musique antillaise et nous voilà à danser dans l’eau chaude avec notre verre dans une main et dans l’autre l’étoile de mer. Elle n’est pas belle la vie !!!!
Mais voilà c’est l’heure de repartir, de retour à l’agence pour récupérer le cd des photos (40$), une dégustation de rhum et oui encore !!!!
Et de remercier Cathy pour cette merveilleuse journée.
Nous arrivons devant notre LUMINOSA tout illuminé, c’était aussi l’occasion de le voir de nuit.
Une bonne douche, avant de rejoindre le bar pour un bon cocktail puis nous accélérons pour manger afin de profiter de la soirée.
Ce soir c’est FETE TROPICALE au pont 9, à la piscine centrale : danses, démonstrations de sculptures et buffet tropical (et je décide bien sur de faire la gourmande, que de bonnes pâtisseries).
Plage privée de Costa, le débarquement se fait par chaloupe.
Nous sommes accueillis par des danseurs aux couleurs bleu/blanc/rouge et HOP encore une photo !!!
Tout est déjà installé (transat, parasol, bar). Le midi, buffet et barbecue sur la plage. LE TOP
Les forfaits boys and girls marchent également sur l'ile.
Belle plage, eau turquoise face au Luminosa. Malgré quelques nuages, le soleil fait de temps en temps son apparition. Après une bonne baignade, quelques photos, nous allons faire les boutiques, ils vendent tous la même chose (tee-shirt, magnet, bracelets, colliers, paréos…..). Nous nous éloignons un peu, et nous faisons quelques photos près de ces maisons colorées.
Puis nous sentons une odeur, enfin, des langoustes !!!
Super, nous décidons de nous installer et de nous régaler, où nous trouvons Gladys et Fréd, puis Philippe et Brigitte.
Ce fut une très bonne journée et bravo pour l’organisation de Costa. Un seul reproche peut être la viande beaucoup trop cuite, pas grave, je ne suis pas morte de faim.
Nous allons acheter des cartes postales, et hop UNE GROSSE PRESSION m’envahie…. J’ai perdu ma carte Costa, l’angoisse, je mets la pression à ma mère pour qu’elle se bouge, tant pis pour les cartes, et les timbres…. Je vais me renseigner où j’ai pris les boissons non pas de carte, ils me disent d’aller voir la sécurité, non il prenne mon non, rien
De retour sur le bateau, ouffff, ma carte a été retrouvée …. L’angoisse… finalement on aurait pu faire partir les cartes de là bas et non sur le bateau qui nous a couté 1.80 le timbre.
Ce soir c’est le « Cocktail de bienvenue du Commandant », c’est le moment de sortir la « belle robe ». Nous décidons de ne pas faire la photo avec le commandant, trop de monde …. Pas grave j’aurai la chance par la suite de faire une photo avec lui avec mon appareil, et elle est top …
TORTOLA
Nous sommes partis sur l’ile de VIRGIN GORDA avec la compagnie SPEEDY’S (à 500m à gauche quand on descend du bateau) avec l’équipe de VF. Pour 38$ par personne ; cela comprend le bateau + le taxi quand vous arrivez sur l’ile qui vous emmène vers les BATHS. On nous remet des bracelets à garder au poignet, zut que c’est moche, je m’en rends compte en regardant les photos.
Départ à 10h30
Le parcours est très sympa : on a commencé par Devil’s bay, arrêt à la plage puis on a fait les caves, très facile aussi, il y a des cordes et des escaliers, puis passage par les grottes « the baths ». et encore arrêt à l’autre plage.
ILE paradisiaque.
Oh la pluie s’invite, pfff, nous décidons d’aller nous abriter à la buvette et en profiter pour manger et boire un coup. Nous remontons par le parc,
Nous nous dépêchons car nous avons rendez-vous à 15h pour prendre le taxi puis la navette à 15h30.
Finalement nous avons le temps de faire quelques boutiques.
Pas de regret d’être passé par Speedy’s !!
ANTIGUA
Excursion avec Costa, « Histoire et plage ». Trop court !!!!
De plus je me suis prise la tête avec l’accompagnatrice, non seulement c’est du rapide MAIS la durée de l’excursion n’a pas été respectée …
Nous avons fait un tour des premiers villages de l’île : All Saints, Liberta et Falmouth. Visite du chantier naval britannique le Nelson’s Dockyard.
Puis direction l’une des 365 plus belles plages : Turner Beach, et dernière baignade aux Caraïbes et quelques achats, paréos, tee-shirt, magnet … de s’arrêter aux dernières boutiques, et d’acheter 2 robes.
Retour sur le bateau, le temps de prendre une bonne douche pour s’enlever tout ce sel, et direction la piscine centrale, pour les animations : danses latines avec Elidania
Avec le groupe VF, enfin certaines ont pris un taxi négocié par Régis, et le reste est parti pour une bonne marche, afin d’atteindre le téléphérique, qui nous amène à Monte. Une fois arrivée, nous décidons de nous rendre au jardin tropical, nous croisons Philippe et Brigitte qui font demi-tour, trop dur pour la pauvre Brigitte.
C’est un jardin magnifique, reposant même, après quelques photos direction les cestinhos (30€ pour 2).
Quelle rigolade !!!!! C’est absolument à faire. Une fois arrivée, on nous propose la photo à 10€ et bien sur on la prend….
Plusieurs taxis nous proposent de nous descendre, ben non on va marcher, ENFIN beaucoup beaucoup marcher !!!!!! afin de faire un ptit tour de la ville… quel choix idiot, on n’en voyait plus la fin, on pensait ne jamais arriver sur le bateau !!!! une fois arrivée une bonne douche et tellement crevées une ptite sieste ….
Puis comme d’habitude, un ptit KIWI COLADA, avant d’aller au spectacle puis le diner.
Nous décidons de prendre la navette 3.50 € l’aller/ retour pour rejoindre le bus touristique (17€/pers), ce fut une déception totale, il fallait descendre à chaque arrêt, et nous pensions ne pas avoir assez le temps.
Donc nous avons fait le Château de Gilbralfaro et le palais de l’Alcazaba, et trop peur du manque de temps, nous avons accéléré et fais le reste en bus.
Dommage !!!
Nous rentrons et allons directement au buffet, puis à la piscine, et enfin dansons avec l’excellente prof de danse.
Bof je pense que je referai Malaga mais autrement.
Ce soir c’est le « Cocktail de bienvenue du Commandant », c’est le moment de sortir la « belle robe ». Nous décidons de ne pas faire la photo avec le commandant, trop de monde …. Pas grave j’aurai la chance par la suite de faire une photo avec lui avec mon appareil, et elle est top …
Hello Alex 😉
Contente de lire ton CR finalisé !!!!
Au bout du compte tu as pu récupérer tes photos apparemment, tant mieux je suis bien contente pour toi !
Tout d’abord tous les matins, j’en ai profité pour aller à la salle de sport, vers 7h puis de la marche. Une fois ça de fait, je pouvais aller prendre mon petit-déjeuner, par contre ma mère elle profitait pour faire la grasse mat ….il y avait toujours de quoi faire !!!!!
La journée se déroulait souvent comme ça, après le petit-déjeuner nous squattions les transats à la piscine et puis :
- Aquagym avec Thomaz
- Leçons de danse : bachata, cha cha cha, salsa, mambo
- Aérobic avec Léandro
- Marche
- Quiz (les célébrités et spécial francophone)
- Baptême de la mer : des jeux et des surprises gastronomiques
- Le cinéma en 4D
- La fontaine à chocolat, où nous y avons été seulement une fois l’après-midi et une fois dans la soirée.
Durant ces jours en mer, il eut les soirées ‘le grand carnaval de la mer’, ‘la soirée italienne’, ‘le spectacle des passagers pour les passagers’.
ben il m'en manque pas mal 200 environs, tant pis, ce qui m'énerve c'est que j'en vois certaines sur l'appareil photo, mais personne n'a réussi à les récupérées !!!! bon je m'occupe d'envoyer celles que j'ai dès que possible
j'espère que vous ça va, ici on va bien
ma mère elle est dégoûtée par la croisière transatocéanique d'Asie qu'elle voulait faire en avril, tant pis ....
Merci pour toutes ces infos, je prépare ma transatlantique retour sur le costa luminosa en Avril 2013, et votre compte rendu ainsi que ceux des autres membres vf à bord sur cette croisière, me facilite grandement la tache.😛
Je vous suit avec beaucoup d'attention.😉
Candy
croisières Louis Majesty 13/02/2011#Costa Pacifica 19/04/2012#Transatlantique retour des Caraibes Costa Luminosa Avril 2013#Msc Fantasia Août 2013#Combiné Costa Pacifica Avril/Mai 2014#Costa Favolosa Juillet 2014
Oh là là les gourmands 😛😛😛!!!!! Comment ça me fait trop envie 😎😎😎!!!! Pourquoi je ne suis pas descendue avec vous ce jour là, bouhhhhh j'en pleure encore ??????🤪🤪🤪🙁🙁🙁
Allez on y retourne ?????? Alex n'a pas suffisamment goûté à la fontaine à chocolat !!!!😎😛
Voici le récit succinct de notre transat à bord du Pacifica, en toute objectivité: Nous craignions de fêter notre jubilee de mariage sous cette enseigne de…
Nous venons de réserver avec quelques amis et membres VF une transat sur le Costa Magica du 9 mars au 31 Mars 2018 son intérêt pour nous avec un bon rapport…
Je suis deja en contact avec pas mal de forumers pour le reour du magica du 10 ou 11 avril 2015 mais comme je pars le 3 avril j'aimerais connaitre s'il y a…
Nous avons réservé une croisière COSTA ; transat sur Costa MAGICA. Départ de NICE (SAVONE) le 28 Novembre 2014. Durée 15 jours avec escales à BARCELONE, CADIX,…
Croisières › République Dominicaine / Italie · 687 replies
Nous avons réservé avec des amis pour une transatlantique de 25 nuits 1J Romana = embarquement 2J Road Town (iles vierges britanique) 3J St John's (St Martin)…
bonjour,
je pars de hambourg pour islande fin juillet. le bateau arrive a Reykjavik le mardi 4 aout 8H e voudrai reserve une excursion en journée type golden circle, secret lagoon...les sites getyour guide et autre annononcent des dparts à 8h du matin ....Si vous avez deja utilisé ces sites avec bateau MSC precioza, pouvez vous me dire comment m y prendre !
merci 😉
allyMB007
Hello,
We’re back from this cruise.
Boarding in Dunkirk: The doors opened around 12 PM. Since we were a bit early, I asked if my husband, who uses a walker, could wait inside instead of outside. I left him with the two suitcases and our two backpacks in the small hall while I parked the car in the reserved CFC parking lot for 10 € per day.
The shuttle that was supposed to take people from the parking lot to the model pavilion was supposed to arrive in 5 minutes, but after 15 minutes, nothing. After waiting 15 minutes, I saw a man walking and asked if I could follow him. In 15 minutes, we arrived, and still no sign of the shuttle—it must have passed us. Arrived at the model pavilion.
My husband had already checked in the suitcases with the help of a CFC staff member. The remaining formalities were completed quickly. We were on board by 12:15 PM. Headed to the buffet on deck 11 and waited in a lounge to access our cabin.
At 2 PM, we discovered our balcony cabin on deck 9 at the rear: spacious with a large balcony compared to MSC/COSTA.
Since we were at the rear, cabin 9202, there was always an issue with elevator number 4: "priority."
Elevator number 2 stops at deck 10... and elevator number 3 was often out of order, leaving only number 1 for those with mobility issues to reach the buffet, especially for people who struggle with stairs. Note: only one child on board and lots of "gray hair."
DAY 2: At sea. Lots of activities offered.
Day 3: GOTHENBURG (Sweden). Sunny, 19°C at 11 AM.
Excursion booked with CFC: Gothenburg and Haga for all.
Interesting visit with a great guide. The HAGA district, in our opinion, is full of cobblestones and nothing special, not suitable for people using a cane or wheelchair. Elevator number 3 was out of order again.
Day 4: Copenhagen. 15°C in the morning, showers in the afternoon.
We didn’t book an excursion since we’d already stopped here with CFC in 2025, and based on advice from this forum, we took the hop-on/hop-off bus right in front of the ship. I still went to see the Little Mermaid again.
No TV, but the elevator was fixed.
DAY 5: At sea. Still no TV.
DAY 6: GDANSK (Poland). 15°C, rain all day.
There’s a shuttle to get to the city center.
We took the excursion: Panorama of Gdansk.
The guide left us at the entrance of the city center for 45 minutes, telling us what to visit. Meet-up for the rest of the tour at 3 PM. The bus left at 3:15 PM to cover 10 km to see St. Mary’s Cathedral. We arrived at 4:16 PM... The guide said there are often traffic jams in that direction. We had 10 minutes on site before heading to see the lighthouse and the Westerplatte monument, where we also had 10 minutes.
Many of us wondered why we didn’t do the tour in the opposite direction since they knew there would be traffic...
I went to reception to complain about the organization. The staff member read me the program: we were supposed to start with the lighthouse, then go to the cathedral and stay for 30 minutes before heading to the center of Gdansk for a short guided walk with some free time to buy souvenirs, etc.
The guide did the complete opposite of what was planned and didn’t even give us a guided tour—just dropped us off in the city...
DAY 7: Bornholm Island (Denmark). 14°C, a few sunny spells.
We saw in the excursions that there was a walking tour of RØNNE. So, like many others, we explored on our own. There was a small orchestra welcoming us at the port and two people with city maps. We took the shuttle to leave the port—it ran every 15 minutes. The tourist office was next to the "shuttle bus." A pleasant visit at our own pace.
DAY 8: KIEL (Germany). 18–23°C, nice weather.
We took the "Kiel for all" excursion. Great guide and interesting visits.
The port is in the city, and in 10 minutes, we were in the city center by following a blue line on the ground from the port. Elevator 3 was stuck again... and the TV was back.
DAY 9: At sea. Elevator 3 works.
DAY 10: At sea. Elevator 3 is out of order again...
DAY 11: Disembarkation in Dunkirk.
Cabins had to be vacated by 7:30 AM. Buffet open until 9 AM.
Elevator number 1 was "reserved," leaving only number 2, which doesn’t go up to deck 11... a problem for people with mobility issues who had to cross the entire deck 11 and try to use one of the four working elevators at the front, which were crowded.
My opinion: Interesting stops.
The onboard staff were always welcoming, smiling, and mostly French-speaking.
Evening shows were better than in March/April 2025—better singers, dancers, and presenters, and the costumes were improved.
I liked the "magician" shows less.
There were three onboard lectures by a very cultured person, but they went off-topic and were too historical for my taste. I didn’t attend the other two; my husband went to the second but not the third.
For this cruise, there was a bridge theme, but we’re not players or interested.
We didn’t take a drink package on board—water, coffee, tea, and herbal teas were available.
We had a water leak in our cabin the night before disembarkation. We reported it, and after the technical staff came (with a translator who didn’t speak English), we were asked to leave the cabin for a while for repairs. We went to a lounge, and after 1.5 hours, I checked in at reception. The repair took longer than expected... we had to change cabins... not ideal the night before disembarkation. No balcony cabins were available, so we got an ocean-view cabin, 6075, with a bathtub (impossible for both of us to use). We packed our suitcases, took a shower in our cabin, and moved to the new one. Noise from chairs until 12:30 AM because the cabin was under a lounge, and constant ventilation noise in the hallway... sleep was hard to come by.
Disembarkation: Well organized. We were helped with transporting the two suitcases and bags to the waiting room while I took the shuttle to get the car.
Guylène
hi there
Here’s the 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,
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 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!