Je me permets d’écrire ce petit compte rendu de notre mésaventure dans le but de vous montrer que parfois il vaut peut être mieux partir la veille …
En février, nous avons réservé notre croisière « Rivages Méditerranéens », à bord du Louis Majesty avec un départ de Marseille le 06 juin (2 adultes et un enfant).
Nous habitons dans le Pas-de-Calais, et comme mon ami et moi ne sommes pas très rassurés en avion, nous avions décidé de rejoindre Marseille en train.
En mai, nous sommes allés à la gare chercher les billets en précisant que notre impératif était 17h00 maxi à Marseille.
Nous trouvons des billets avec une arrivée à 14h35 à Marseille. PARFAIT !! Inutile de partir la veille, nous avons le temps d’arriver jusqu’au bateau.
Notre valise bouclée, (nous avons bien veillé à voyager « léger » cette fois-ci !!), nous nous rendons à la gare pour notre départ à 7h46.
Le train démarre, ça y est les vacances commencent. 😎
Ca c’est ce que l’on croyait ….
Quinze minutes après, 1er arrêt. Là, on nous apprend que des dégradations ont eu lieu sur le réseau électrique : 1 à 2 heures d’arrêt.
Finalement, le train ne peut repartir nous devons prendre une correspondance.🤪
Tout notre programme est donc décalé car nous devions prendre le train de 11h16 à Paris pour arriver à Marseille à 14h35. Hors, la correspondance nous fait arriver à Paris à 11h56 et donc à Marseille à 16h30. Un peu limite !!
Aussitôt, nous appelons la compagnie afin de les prévenir et leur demander si 16h30 ça irait pour prendre le bateau. On nous répond qu’il n’y a pas de souci, on peut continuer tranquillement.
Nous arrivons à Paris Nord à 11h56, nous devons rejoindre Paris Gare de Lyon pour le train de 13h15. Là nous partons en courant jusqu’au RER. Une fois de plus, le sort s’acharne, je réussi difficilement à me faufiler dans le RER avec le petit dans les bras, malheureusement mon ami n’y parvient pas. Là grosse panique…😠
Je l’appelle il me dit qu’il va prendre le suivant et me conseille de prévenir le chef de gare pour ne pas rater le train de 13h15.
Toujours en courant avec le petit, car c’est un peu limite au niveau du temps, j’avance jusqu’au chef de gare qui daigne à peine relever la tête, et me répond très désagréablement que si mon ami n’est pas là à 13h15, tant pis.
Je stresse un maximum, le temps passe, je supplie le chef de gare 13h15, le sifflet retentit c’est fini le train part devant moi.
J’appelle mon ami pour lui demander où il est, il était à 2 pas du train. Lui aussi l’a vu partir. Il s’effondre, il est en nage d’avoir couru et de traîner cette valise qui au fil de temps perd des morceaux !! (1 roulette cassée à cause des escaliers, les escalators ne fonctionnement pas toujours, une poignée arrachée…) Bref la totale
Nous essayons de ne pas perdre espoir, nous nous renseignons sur le prochain train pour Marseille : 14h15 arrivée 17h21.
Je rappelle la compagnie, qui se renseigne auprès du bateau. On nous laisse jusqu’à 17h30 maxi. Il va falloir faire vite encore. Pour ne pas perdre de temps, je réserve un taxi sur Marseille.
Nous sommes enfin dans le train de 14h15. Tout se passe bien jusqu’à …. Avignon où il commence de nouveau à ralentir et finit par s’arrêter : de nouveaux soucis 40 minutes d’arrêt.🤪
Cette fois, ça y est c’est fichu, tout ça pour rien.
Du train, nous apercevons le bateau partir sans nous.
Nous avons trouvé un hôtel et nous nous sommes effondrés épuisés.
Ce qui devait être un rêve, s’est transformé en un réel cauchemar.
Petit conseil, n’hésitez pas à partir avant si vous le pouvez.
Quelle galère...
Vous n'avez pas pu rejoindre le navire à l'escale suivante?
Perso, je ne fais plus confiance depuis bien longtemps à la SNCF!
2009 Costa Mediterranea/2010 Costa Serena/2011 Costa Luminosa-Costa Mediterranea/2012 Costa Luminosa-Costa Fascinosa/2013 Costa Luminosa-Costa Deliziosa/2014 Costa Pacifica/2015 Costa Diadema/2016 Celebrity Eclipse http://notrecuisine91.canalblog.com/
J'ai lu attentivement votre récit et croyez-moi, c'est franchement frustrant ce qui vous est arrivé.
Le Forum est présent pour renseigner toutes les personnes qui voyagent. Je pense que peut-être, vous auriez dû nous faire appel afin de vous précisez qu'un départ la veille était franchement souhaitable.
La SNCF est une compagnie envers laquelle, on ne peut lui faire confiance sur beaucoup de points. Croyez-moi, je vous en parle avec une parfaire connaissance pour avoir utilisé ce moyen de locomotion pendant 10 ans toutes les semaines.
Quant à l'amabilité de ces agents, affaire connue !!! La concurrence leur fera du bien.
Je termine en disant, il vaut mieux une nuit d'hôtel en plus et réaliser ensuite son rêve.
quelle galère. je suis de tout coeur avec vous et j'imagine votre déception et votre colère. personnellement, sur mes 4 croisières on est partis deuc d'assez loin d'ici (à côté de cannes) la 1ere départ de trieste en italie. on est parti la veille et on a dormi à mestre à côté de venise. la 2eme, on est partis de barcelone et la aussi on est partis la veille. pourtant il n'y avait que 6/7 h de voyage. dans les deux cas on a pris la voiture pour ne pas être tributaire du bon vouloir des grévistes, d'un volcan ou d'une panne de la sncf ou des avions.
à chaque on nous a chambré parce qu'on partait la veille. même pour prendre un avion à marseille on est arrivés 3 heures avant. c'est comme ca. je déteste courrir et prendre le risque de louper mes vacances. je sais bien que ce n'est pas toujours facile de faire comme ca et qu'en plus ca occasionne des frais supplémentaires mais je préfére ca et ne pas manquer le bateau. même en voiture, on est pas à l'abri d'une panne alors je préfére prévoir.
cela dit, à chacun de voir ce qu'il peut faire. pas toujours simple d'organiser un tel déplacement.
C'est ce que nous nous disons aujourd'hui, on aurait du partir la veille. Mais pour nous tout était organisé et on ne pensait vraiment pas que ce voyage se terminerait ainsi.
Je peux vous dire que si nous repartons en croisière, nous ne prendrons pas le train, on a donné!!
Côté remboursement, nous tentons !!!
On a envoyé un mail à la compagnie, nous attendons et nous avons envoyé un courrier à la SNCF avec les justificatifs.
Côté remboursement, nous tentons !!!
On a envoyé un mail à la compagnie, nous attendons et nous avons envoyé un courrier à la SNCF avec les justificatifs.
On verra bien.
Merci bonne journée
tenez nous aucourant de l'évolution de la situation.
en tout cas votre témoignage édifiant me conforte dans la logique de départ. ca sera départ le veille sauf si je ne peux pas faire autrement et éviter également la sncf ou l'avion. ca c'est plus difficile parce si le port de départ est éloigné comme copenhague pour les fjords, la voiture semble un choix plus difficile à adopter. et encore... en faisant le trajet en deux fois...
j'ai plus confiance dans ma voiture qu'à la sncf ou air france.
Je suis désolé pour ce qui vous est arrivé, mais, vous savez, parfois, il y a des voyages qui ne doivent pas se faire ; il ne faut pas refuser un destin qui ainsi s'acharne. Votre plan d'origine était bon, vous aviez de la marge, même en étant prudent on pouvait choisir de faire ce que vous avez fait.
Je suis désolé pour toi Costa, et je suis surpris de voir que tu reste trés Zen vis à vis de la SNCF, par contre c'est Alcati qui crache son venin sur la compagnie nationale!!!😛
Je pense qu'il faut tenter du cote de la SNCF , car ils sont la cause de ces retards, nous ne pouvons helas plus compter ni sur la SNCF, ni sur les avions, et n'avons pas d'autre choix que de prevoir un depart la veille de l'embarquement, ce que nous faisons également.
Bon courage pour les démarches en esperant que vous obteniez un dedommagement, du cote de la Cie maritine il n'y a je pense pas de recours car les bateaux signalent toujours qu'ils n'attendent pas et qu'il faut etre a l'heure précisée à chaque escale.
Nous allons effectivement tenter à la SNCF, nous avons envoyé le document de réclamation que nous avons demandé à la gare en expliquant bien ce qui nous est arrivé. A celui-ci nous avons joint nos billets de train, la facture de l'hotel ainsi que la facture de la croisière.
Nous verrons bien le résultat, de toute façon ça ne coûte rien d'essayer. Au contraire ....
Tu dis qu'il s'agit de dégradations aux installations électriques, si cet acte de malveillance ets avéré, la SNCF n'a aucune reponsabilité (cas de force majeure)
Par contre si les réponsables de cet acte de malveillace sont identifiés, tu dois te retourner vers eux pour te porter partie-civile et demander le remboursement des frais engagés.
Il est évident qu'un départ la veille lorsque parcours peut présenter des aléas est indispensable.
Pour embarquement à Buenos Aires, notre avion (Iberia) est parti avec 15 heures de retard, rien que ça, heureusement nous avions 48 heures de battement.
Non, nous n'avons pas tenté. Nous étions tellement déçus et épuisés surtout.
Nous avons reçu une réponse de la compagnie, qui a bien compris notre désagrément et qui nous offre un chèque cadeau valable un an sur une prochaine croisière. Ca peut ne pas être grand chose pour certaine personne mais nous apprécions vraiement ce geste, et si nous repartons nous referons confiance à cette compagnie qui même pendant notre "périple" est restée disponible et a tout fait pour que nous puissions prendre le bateau.
NOUS SOMMES ABASSOURDIS, NOTRE REVE C'EST TRANSFORME EN CAUCHEMAR. NOUS DEVIONS PARTIR EN CROISIERE DE 17 JOURS A BORD DU NORWEGIAN DAWN (du 27/10 AU 12//11/07…
Je voudrais savoir si les personnes qui n'ont pas pu embarquer car le vol était annulé et la SNCF en grève ont été remboursées ou si un report de date est…
J ai organisée récemment une petite croisiere familiale (14 personnes) sur un bateau costa avec reservation sur mycroisiere.com qui a en partie été ratée.…
Je pars pour une croisière le 6 février à partir de Sao Paulo, j'ai pris mon vol chez SWISS: Paris Zurich, Zurich Sao paulo avec 1h15 pour la correspondance…
Ces monstres des mers ne sont vraiment pas évident à manœuvrer... On semble souvent l'oublier et les conséquences pourraient être terrible dans certains…
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.
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 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!