Nous allons partir en croisière sur le Costa Luminosa au départ de Marseille le 22 octobre 2014 et revenons le lundi 27 octobre.
Nous souhaiterions avoir des renseignements sur les excursions de Rome et Barcelone, j'ai lu sur divers forums que les excursions étaient très chères par la Costa.
Avez vous des infos à nous communiquer (bus, train, métro) au port en sachant que nous partons avec des enfants de 16 ans, 13, 9 et 5 ans.
bonjour sylviane pour Barcelone vous avez des navettes à la sortie du bateau pour 3,50 aller retour qui vous dépose à la place Christophe Colomb de là tout droit vous avez les ramblas ou vous pouvez vous promener tranquillement et tout au dessus en marchant sur les ramblas un joli marché sur votre gauche vous ne pouvez le louper😉 attention ne pas prendre les bus costa qui sont plus cher et mefiez vous juste des pik poket!!! pour Rome je vous conseille quand même l’excursion pour ne pas louper le bateau sinon il y a le train mais d'autres vous aiderons pour çà😉
Merci de vos indications pour Barcelone. En effet, on m'a dit que les excursions coûtaient très chers et nous sommes 6, 2 adultes et 4 enfants.
Pour Rome, vous me conseillez de prendre l'excursion avec Costa afin de ne pas louper le bateau, il doit y avoir des bus qui doivent nous conduire au centre ville et je pense que nous prendrons une visite guidée en car la dernière des enfants a 5 ans !
le bateau accoste à 90 km de Rome donc en train c'est possible car effectivement à 6 l 'excursion costa sera chère mais plus sur et vous fera découvrir les monuments principaux !!pour le train d'autres vous renseigneront 😉
Pour Rome vous pouvez prendre le train. Il suffit de partir tôt et de prévoir une bonne marge de retour😉 (perso je prends le train vers 16 h-16 h 30 pour un tous à bord à 18h30)
Pour prendre le train, à la sortie du port, partez vers la droite et longez la mer pendant environ 10-15 mn. la gare se trouve sur le trottoir d'en face. Achetez des billets BIRG (12 euros l'aller-retour avec transports illimités à Rome) et descendez à San Pietro si vous voulez commencer par la basilique ( coupole repérable de la gare San Pietro) puis de là partez à pied vous promener dans Rome muni d'un plan, sinon prenez le bus touristique. (Perso, nous avions imprimés un plan des bus avant de partir et nous avions pris un bus pour aller à la fontaine de Trévi et revenir à pied à San Pietro). Si vous préférez commencer par le Colisée et le forum, descendez à la gare Termini puis prenez un métro (imprimer le plan avant de partir), marchez ensuite puis reprenez le train à San Pietro.
Mais nous laissons le petit à la maison pour profiter de vacances en tête à tête avant la naissance de notre deuxième en avril.
J'ai déjà fait les escales de romes et Barcelone mais cela date d'il y a deux ans...
Pour rome je vous conseille vraiment le train. Descendre du bateau le plus tot possible pour visiter tranquillement et prendre un train retour tot pour ne pas avoir de stress! (la gare est très facile à trouver !)
Pour Barcelone les bus du port sont super je vous conseille aussi d'aller au parc guell avec les enfants (en metro depuis la ou le bus vous depose)
C'est bien de partir en tête à tête et de penser un peu à vous, surtout si le deuxième arrive en avril !
J'ai regardé les horaires de train sur TRENITALIA, il y a un départ à 11 h 18 de la gare de Civitavecchia et comme il y a une heure de trajet, nous ne serons pas avant 12 h 18 à la gare de Rome Termini. Je connais un peu les curiosités de Rome, ma fille a fait des études durant un an dans cette ville.
Là, nous partons avec nos quatre petits enfants qui ont 16 ans, 13, 9 et 5 ans. Pour les deux grands, ils seront intéressés mais les deux petits le seront moins, raison pour laquelle je vais essayer de réserver dans une agence le tour de Rome en car, à moins que mon mari fasse cette option et moi je fais les visites avec les deux grands en prenant le métro et les bus.
Nous connaissons aussi un peu Barcelone, nous y sommes allés en voyage organisé il y a très longtemps.
Les excursions et les bus de la Costa sont onéreuses et nous sommes six, nous offrons la petite croisière à nos petits enfants.
Si nous ne descendons pas à Savona par exemple, que faisons nous sur le bateau ?
Nous sommes souvent partis en voyage mais nous n'avons jamais fait de croisière.
En effet, la gare n'est pas loin mais la dernière de nos petits enfants a 5 ans. Si la marche pour se rendre à la gare n'est que de 15 minutes, ça ira.
J'ai regardé les horaires de train sur TRENITALIA, je n'ai trouvé un départ de Civitavecchia qu'à 11 h 18 ? Je vais essayer de refaire une recherche et je pense que nous allons prendre directement dans l'agence de voyage de Rome-Termini un tour complet des curiosités en bus (je l'avais fait avec ma fille lorsqu'elle a passé une année à Rome pour ses études) mais si nous descendons à un arrêt visiter le Colisée par exemple, serons nous surs d'avoir de la place dans le prochain bus de la même compagnie ?
Il parait qu'il n'y a que deux sorties du navire et nous mettons énormément de temps à arriver à quai ? Est ce vrai ?
On nous a dit aussi de ne pas se rendre au self sur le bateau mais au resto, mais est ce en supplément ? On nous raconte des tas de choses mais il faut en prendre et en laisser ! Que les pizzas étaient infectes alors que d'autres nous disent que tout est bon et copieux ?
si vous ne voulez pas trop marcher pour la petite, prenez la navette gratuite à la descente du bateau qui vous emmène à la sortie du port puis il vous reste 10-15 mn de marche pour aller à la gare.
Je suis très étonnée qu'il n'y ai qu'un train à 11h18 (à quelle heure arrivez vous à Civitavecchia ?), nous nous prenons celui de 9 h 15 environ en descendant à quai dès l'arrivée du bateau.
Le restaurant, comme la cafétéria, sont gratuits. Au restaurant on vous assiés n'importe où puis vous allez au buffet vous servir et on vous apporte à table café, thé chocolat, lait, jus d'orange et demande particulière genre saumon, pane cake, pain perdu... Perso nous n'allons jamais à la cafét sauf lorsque nous remontons un peu tard sur le bateau et que le restaurant n'est plus accessible le midi.
Perso je trouve que l'on mange bien sur les bateaux🙂 en tout cas je me régale !!!
Je ne puis vous assurer que vous trouverez une place en remontant dans le bus après le colisée ou autre, cela dépend de l'affluence😉
J'ai réservé mes billets de train ainsi que la visite de Rome avec le bus panoramique.
Nous partons de la gare de Civitavecchia à 10 h 44 et reprenons le train de la gare Termini à 16 h 12. J'ai bien trouvé le train qui part à 9 h 35 mais il est nettement plus cher et arrive à la gare Rome Ostiense.
Il paraît qu'il y a des navettes gratuites du quai jusqu'à la gare, à quoi sont-ils reconnaissables car je pense qu'il y aura les navettes costa devant le navire et je ne pense pas que celles-ci nous conduisent à la gare.
Pour les navettes gratuites on vous en parlera à la réunion d'information. En général c'est marqué dessus "shuttle" ou navette (vous pouvez d'ailleurs la reprendre au retour). De plus il y a plein de personnel à la descente du bateau qui pourront vous diriger.
pourquoi ne pas laisser la petite au club enfant le jour ou vous allez à Rome elle s'amuserai bien et vous seriez un peu tranquille cvar à Rome on marche beaucoup 😉
J'ai également réservé la visite de Barcelone en bus panoramique car avec les 4 enfants ce n'est pas évident de prendre les bus et métros mais c'est nettement plus cher que Rome ???
Oui ce serait une bonne idée de laisser la plus petite au club enfants, bien que mon mari voulait ne pas aller à Rome que nous connaissons un peu et garder les deux petits.
Finalement, nous prendrons le train jusqu'à Rome Termini et allons faire tous les six la visite avec le bus panoramique. Idem pour Barcelone mais le bus est nettement plus cher ???
Pour les navettes gratuites on vous en parlera à la réunion d'information. En général c'est marqué dessus "shuttle" ou navette (vous pouvez d'ailleurs la reprendre au retour). De plus il y a plein de personnel à la descente du bateau qui pourront vous diriger.
Bonjour Jany,
J'ai oublié de vous demander quelques petits renseignements : quelle température fait-il sur les bateaux, on m'a dit qu'il fallait être en manches courtes ? La clim est-elle forte dans les restos ou snacks ?
Pour la soirée de gala, on nous a également dit de bien nous vêtir, n'est ce pas trop la panique ou nous place t-on ? J'ai demandé de prendre nos repas au premier service car nous avons nos derniers petits enfants âgés de 9 ans et 5 ans ? Doit-on présenter une carte qui nous sera remise à la montée dans le bateau ?
bonjour
je rentre de croisiere avec Costa ( marseille barcelone palma savone )
Pour Savone , nous avons app recie cette petite ville
A la sortie du bateau il y a un office de tourisme qui donne des plans de la ville
avec les monuments a voir
( une citadelle , qq eglises etc une chapelle sixtine magnifique et au fond de la ville
un super glacier .
Il est pour moi sympa d y passer deux trois heures .
bon voyage
Il fait frais dans le bateau car la clim fonctionne. prévoyez donc une petite laine surtout au resto et au thêatre😉
Pour la soirée de gala une tenue habillée est conseillée mais non obligatoire (pas de bermuda et tong en tout cas). Pas de panique, à votre arrivée vous trouverez dans votre cabine une carte qui vous précisera votre table et votre service. Vous êtes assignée à une table et un service dès le premier jour et vous mangerez chaque soir à la même table, avec les mêmes voisins et au même service. Si cela ne vous plait pas vous pouvez changer en allant voir le maître d'hôtel au restaurant. On vous le précisera à la réunion d'information😉
bonjour
je rentre de croisiere avec Costa ( marseille barcelone palma savone )
Pour Savone , nous avons app recie cette petite ville
A la sortie du bateau il y a un office de tourisme qui donne des plans de la ville
avec les monuments a voir
( une citadelle , qq eglises etc une chapelle sixtine magnifique et au fond de la ville
un super glacier .
Il est pour moi sympa d y passer deux trois heures .
bon voyage
Bonjour Chury,
Merci de votre réponse.
Est ce votre première croisière ? Comment avez vous trouvé les services à bord, l'ambiance, les repas ? Il parait que tout est bien organisé ? Nous allons partir avec nos quatre petits enfants car ce sera les vacances de Toussaint. Avez vous eu bonne mer ? Il y a des boutiques à bord, les prix sont-ils raisonnables ?
OUI c etait notre premiere croisiere et vraiment l organ
isation etait parfaite
Nous avons eu une nuit un fort coup de houle , comme le bateau etait ancien
ca a bougé un peu mais rien de dramatique !
POUR LES REPAS VRAIMENT RIEN A DIRE c est vraiment tres bon
Pour les boutiques il y a des promos chaque jour a voir selon les besoins
sinon c est de la marque et bien sur cela se paye
les excursions sont dans l ensemble assez cheres
Les forfaits boissons aussi ( surtout si on ne desire pas boire toute la journee )
et impose identique pour tous les membres d une cabine.
Par contre les boissons au bar sont pour moi raisonable pas plus cher que dans certains restaus
( expresso 1,50 APERO 4 Coctail aux alentours de 8, OO vin au verre 5 et bouteille à partir d une vintaine d euro plus bien sur 15 de frais de service
a votre disposition
Pour les excursions nous avons visite par nous meme et vraiment ca passe largement ( il faut accepter de juste survoler les villes )
Je fais la même croisière avec ma fille de 16 ans et ferai également la journée à Rome par mes propres moyens, pour l'instant je n'ai rien réservé, sur quel site avez-vous trouvé le billet de train et la visite de Rome en bus ?
En espérant vous rencontrer à bord, bon dimanche !
Je fais la même croisière avec ma fille de 16 ans et ferai également la journée à Rome par mes propres moyens, pour l'instant je n'ai rien réservé, sur quel site avez-vous trouvé le billet de train et la visite de Rome en bus ?
En espérant vous rencontrer à bord, bon dimanche !
Bonjour Françoise,
J'ai trouvé mes billets de train sur voyagesncf.com, j'ai réservé, payé par carte bancaire et je suis allée hier après midi, chercher mes billets à la gare proche de mon domicile. Il y a un train qui part à 9 h 35 de Civitavecchia mais il est cher (nous sommes 6), nous prenons celui qui part une heure après.
Pour le bus panoramique, j'ai pris les billets en ligne sur le site VIATOR où j'ai également payé et ceux ci m'ont retourné le bon.
J'ai préféré tout faire à l'avance pour éviter de courir.
Merci pour votre réponse et vos précieux conseils, je viens de prendre mes billets sur SNCF avec les mêmes horaires que vous !
Pour le site Viator je prendrai nos billets sur place car je n'ai pas d'imprimante.
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ça se rapproche, ça se rapproche, et des petites questions viennent régulièrement me tarauder:) - est-ce que les piscines, fin octobre (Luminosa), sont…
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 2027 cruise schedule.
It’s a great way to get ideas and maybe even meet up with other members!
2 essential rules:
1) Never "quote" the schedule when replying—this avoids any confusion.
2) Follow this format:
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 about that. IMPORTANT Please respect the templates!
PLEASE COPY AND PASTE THE FORMAT BELOW AND REPLACE WITH YOUR DETAILS IF YOU’RE HAVING TROUBLE
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 2027 CRUISES: 1
JANUARY
14/01 - poupou10 / AZAMARA JOURNEY / 74 days / South America Tour / Miami
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
Hello!
After a lot of hesitation between different cruise lines (Explora, Oceania, YC, HAL, NCL) and several destinations like Norway, Ireland, and Iceland,
I finally chose NCL’s Star for Iceland.
I had already looked at this itinerary when I went to Scotland in April with CFC, but it was really expensive.
You should know that CFC often offers last-minute deals 45 days before departure (the point when you can no longer cancel or modify).
So, I got a great opportunity and grabbed it.
Departure is on August 23rd.
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
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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!
