Bonjour, nous partons ma femme, la petite Clara et moi sur l'Orient Queen départ de Nice le 11/04/2008 > Ile d'Elbe, Tunis, Baléares, Barcelone puis retour sur Marseille le 17/04/2008.
C'est une croisière spéciale selon ce que j'ai lu, quelqu'un a-t-il déjà fait cette croisière ? J'ai lu plusieurs commentaires sur l'Orient Queen qui me semble un peu étroit mais pour une première croisière ce sera une expérience agréable je pense. Quelqu'un peut-il me dire s'il existe des forfaits boissons sur ce navire ? hammam/sauna sont-ils présents et gratuits ou payants ?
Bien sur si certaines personnes sont programmées sur cette me^me croisière j'accueillerais leurs avis avec plaisir et de mon côté renseignerais les futurs croisières sur mon expérience.
Nous seront en pont fortune vers l'avant, en rapport avec la promotion annoncé le prix est un peu élévé mais bon... faut bien un début à tout 🤪 Mes salutations et meilleurs Voeux 2008 !
bonjour pour avoir des informations sur le orient queen
tapé sur google ORIENT QUEEN DECK plusieur information sur le bateau rien a comparé avec les bateaus de croisieres récent tres bas de game
Pour l'Orient Queen, ça dépend vraiment de ce qu'on veut. Mon père a fait une croisière sur ce bateau quand il faisait parti de la flotte de la Festival Cruise Line et s'appellait le Boléro, il en garde un merveilleux souvenir. C'est un bateau de taille moyenne qui a été rénové en 2006. Il ne faut pas s'attendre aux prestations des enormes bateaux de chez Costa, ni quelque chose d'élitiste comme les Clippers Stars (les supers voiliers de luxe)! Mais rapport qualité/prix c'est bien et l'atmosphère des croisiéres à l'air très conviviales. Je n'aime pas ces casinos flottants ou il faut faire la queue à la cafet pour avoir un burger. J'ai trouvé quelques commentaires trés positifs et des photos sympas sur ce lien:
Bonsoir, Merci pour cette réponse, j'avais déjà ces renseignements techniques, je cherchais uniquement à connaitre l'ambiance qui pouvait régner sur ce navire. Mes amitiés de France ;-)
Bonsoir, merci de vos quelques infos sur l'ambiance de ce navire, je pense comme vous le dites que cette première croisière sera plus bénéfique sur ce navire, ensuite nous nous essaierons peut-être à des immeubles flottants hihihi Les croisières MSC semblent aussi très belles. Bien à vous Pascal
bonne croisiere Pasqua a vrais dire quan tu visite deux îles par jour le bateau a moin d, inportance
on étais suposé prendre le sea diamond .pour mois fini les bateau grec
bye
Cher Rodrigue, Oui pour le Sea Diamond c'était vraiment dommage. Il a coulé en 15 heures et a été évacué en 3 avec malheureusement 2 personnes disparues qui logeaient dans des cabines des ponts inférieurs et ne s'étaient pas rendu compte que le bateau coulait avant que l'eau ne rentre dans leur cabine. Un bateau peut toujours couler, qu'il soit grecque ou anglais comme l'insubmersible Titanic. Les bateaux avec dans les 1000 passagers et plus me font un peu peur car les gens paniques et plus c'est grand plus c'est difficile à évacuer. De même pour les avions géants comme le nouvel Airbus, si un tombe, ça va faire beaucoup plus de morts c'est certain. On n'est jamais à l'abri du danger. Il faut juste se rendre compte qu'en mer, il y a toujours des dangers et ce n'est pas parceque le bateau est neuf qu'il est meilleur et plus sur. L'entretient et l'équipage y sont pour beaucoup. D'après ce que j'ai lu sur le Sea Diamond sur le site des rescapés, ils sont plus fachés contre l'agence de voyage Miramar que contre Louis Cruise Line.
Je corrige c'était l'agence marmara. La raison pour laquelle je te répond cela c'est que c'est injuste de condamner TOUT ce que fait la Louis Cruise Line. C'est comme si tout ce que la White Star Line avait jamais fait était nul juste parcequ'ils ont fait UNE énorme et couteuse bourde avec le Titanic - pas assez de chaloupes par rapport au nombre de passagers. Depuis c'est devenu une loi d'en avoir assez pour pouvoir evacuer tous les passagers et l'equipage. Les naufrages sont toujours des catastrophes et ne sont jamais "excusables" surtout s'il y a perte de vie humaine. Et souvent, presque toujours, elles sont du à des erreurs humaines. Il faut essayer de rester impartiel. Je ne condamne pas non plus TOUS les equipages grecs seulement parcequ'il y a en a eu qui ont fait de grosses fautes.
Merci pour le lien.
Je ne comprend pas trop toutes les critiques concernant l'Orient Queen. Il a l'air très correct et bien entretenu sur les photos.
Et les piscines ont l'air plus grande que ce que l'on m'avait dit. C'est tout de même un peu plus grand qu'une baignoire!
Je penseque l'on peut tout de même passer un agréable séjour à bord.
Pour ce qui est du Sea Diamond, l'enquète a révélée qu'il n'y avait eu aucune négligence de Louis Cruise Line. Le problème vient d'une erreur de l'institut grecque ayant émise la carte des fonds marins. Une grosse erreur qui a amené le commandant a croire qu'il y avait suffisamment de tirant d'eau.
Pour la White Star Line, représentée encore ce jour par la Cunard (qui a racheté la White Star Line depuis longtemps), il n'y a pas eu négligence pour ce qui est des canots de sauvetage. Aucun des navires de l'époque n'avait suffisamment de canots de sauvetage. On considérait qu'il s'agissait là d'une décoration plus faite pour rassurer les passagers que pour évacuer le navire.
Avec ses portes étanches, le navire était insubmersible de toutes façons. Faire descendre les gens d'une telle hauteur, dans un océan déchaîné et froid semblait presque plus dangereux. D'autant que les procédures d'appel à l'aide n'existaient pas: il n'était pas prévu alors que des navires se déroutent pour porter assistance et sauver les gens dans les petits canots. Le premier SOS a été lancé par le Titanic.
Bref, les pratiques de la White Star Line étaient totalement conformes aux standards de l'époque.
Moi, j'ai moins peur n bateau qu'en avion! A tort ou à raison.
Merci Jissea, je suis bien de ton avis. De toute façon, la vie perdrait une peu de son piment s'il n'y avait pas à tout moment le risque de la perdre? Nous vivons un peu trop entouré d'une sorte de ouatte (cocon protecteur) pensant être à l'abri de tous les dangers, un peu comme anesthésié et gare à celui qui nous réveille et nous fait prendre conscience que la vie ne tient parfois qu'à un fil. C'est une peu pour ça que j'aime la mer et les bateaux, surtout les vieux qui ont bien vécu. Rien de vraiment très dangereux sur une croisière, mais c'est vraiment super de pouvoir encore respirer l'air, sentir le sel, être éclaboussé par l'écume. Je dois avouer que j'adore quand la mer "bouge". Je faisais enfant (fin 60 début 70) souvent la traversé entre Liverpool et Dublin en plein hiver, et ça "bougeait" bien! Tout le monde était malade à bord et mes frères et moi, nous jouions à rouler sous les lits d'un coin de la cabine à l'autre avec le roulis comme dans un manége et nous marchions dans les couloirs comme des astronautes sous l'effet de l'appesanteur alors que "les grands" étaient tous penchés sur leur petits sacs en papier! Je me souviens qu'une fois à la cafet du ferry j'étais obligée à table de tenir mon assiette de fish and chips d'une main et mon coca de l'autre et que j'essayais de manger mes frittes avec la bouche sans les mains trop occuppées à empêcher tout ce petit monde de tomber de la table avec le roulis! Que de souvenirs!
bonjour !
Nous aussi nous partons le 11 avril sur l'orient queen, ca sera notre premeire croisiere aussi !
Je ne peux donc pas vous renseigner sur laspect de ce bateau mais il parait que pour une pour une premiere croisiere c'est pas mal du tout !
Ce n'est effectivement pas une coisiere COSTA (tres cher ! ) ni le Queen Mary ! mais bon .... je pense que tout devrais bien se derouler !! et qui c'est .... on se croiseras peut etre sur un des ponts !!
( notre cabine si trouve sur le "pont boat" )
Cordialement,
re c 'est encore moi !
Jai oublier de vous dire qu'il existe bien des forfaits boisson sur le navire d'apres notre hotesse de vente !
forfait sans alcool ( prix 2007) autour de 50 euro par personne
forfait avev alcool ( prix 2007) autour 130 euro par personne
voila !
Désolée Lady Ce n'est pas une agence de voyage qui est responsable d'un naufrage mais la compagnie Segundo un ferry remasterisé est plus fragile qu'un paquebot et tercio les cartes ont bon dos lorsque l'on va se planter prés du rivage au pied des falaises à Santorin Enfin que l'on soit petit ou grand bateau quand vous etes dessus c'est la meme chose vous coulez!!!!!! Quant à dire qu un bateau moderne n'est pas plus sur qu'un ancien no comment Disons simplement que avec ces vieux bateaux ça coute moins cher et ça permet d'offrir des croisieres bon marché Derniere chose avant les petroliers n'avaient qu'une coque les nouveaux en ont deux par sécurité
Bonsoir Soxou, merci pour vos contacts, oui j'ai eu certaines infos par messages privées. Nous ferons je pense une superbe croisière, possible que nous nous croisions bien sûr, nous nous serons sur le pont fortune, celui des "pauvres" hihihi Non plus sérieusement c'est surtout le contenu de la croisière qui prime pour nous en cette première, pour les prestations supérieures nous verrons lors d'un autre voyage ;-)
Bien cordialement Pascal
nous aussi nous devions avoir une cabine " chez les pauvres " (mdr) mais c' etais complet alors grace a notre charmante hotesse de ventes elle a réussis a nous trouver une cabine au meme prix sur le pont boat ( il ny en a qu'une seule de cette catégorie sur ce pont ) nous avons eu beaucoup de chance c tout ! Je part avec mon pote et c'etait pas prevue nous avons réservé il y a deux jours !! Juste pour faire un break avec le boulot !
a plus .... Patrick !😉🙂😏
Moi aussi, comme Ladyolac, j'aimais quand les ferrys transmanches étaient un peu secoués. C'est tout de même plus drôle. J'ai fait une croisière sur le msc lirica: on ne pouvait même pas dire si on était en mer ou pas.
Moi, j'ai réservé à bord du SS Orient Queen en Septembre prochain précisément parcequ'elle a 40 ans. J'ai déjà voyagé sur des navires de croisière neufs et j'avais envie d'être à bord d'un navire moins standardisé, moins fade. Tous les navires sont pareils de nos jours, avec les mêmes décors, le même design.
L'Orient Queen a une histoire. C'est l'un des paquebots les plus anciens encore en service. Et très bien entretenu d'après le film disponible sur daily motion.
C'est le premier navire de croisière de la NCL, l'ex Starward. Avec son quasi sistership, le Skyward, l'Orient Queen est ni plus ni moins que le 1er "fun boat" ou paquebot conçu pour la croisière et non pour une exploitation sur ligne régulière. Il s'agit d'une transition historique et le navire peut donc concourir pour le titre de 1er navire de croisière (les autres, à l'époque, étaient des liners reconvertis).
Tapez starward sur les forums de croisière américains et vous verrez que pas mal de gens se rappellent de ce navire sur lequel beaucoup ont fait leur première croisière.
Sur un site américian, j'ai lu que l'on estimait que plus de
1 500 000 passagers, en majorité américains, ont fait une croisière sur l'Orient Queen depuis son lancement.
Bref, il s'agit peut être d'un vieux navire, pas très grand.
Mais, c'est un navire qui a une histoire et des milliers de petites histoires se sont passées à bord.
Merci Jissea, Je te raconterais ma croisière dès mon retour. Je pars le 17 avril avec l'Orient Queen faire "Parfums des Iles Grecques" avec ma petite famille et mon père qui avait déjà voyagé sur ce bateau quand il s'appellait le Boléro. On verra bien!
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Hello,
We’re back from this cruise.
Boarding in Dunkirk: The doors opened around 12 PM. Since we were a bit early, I asked if my husband, who uses a walker, could wait inside instead of outside. I left him with the two suitcases and our two backpacks in the small hall while I parked the car in the reserved CFC parking lot for 10 € per day.
The shuttle that was supposed to take people from the parking lot to the model pavilion was supposed to arrive in 5 minutes, but after 15 minutes, nothing. After waiting 15 minutes, I saw a man walking and asked if I could follow him. In 15 minutes, we arrived, and still no sign of the shuttle—it must have passed us. Arrived at the model pavilion.
My husband had already checked in the suitcases with the help of a CFC staff member. The remaining formalities were completed quickly. We were on board by 12:15 PM. Headed to the buffet on deck 11 and waited in a lounge to access our cabin.
At 2 PM, we discovered our balcony cabin on deck 9 at the rear: spacious with a large balcony compared to MSC/COSTA.
Since we were at the rear, cabin 9202, there was always an issue with elevator number 4: "priority."
Elevator number 2 stops at deck 10... and elevator number 3 was often out of order, leaving only number 1 for those with mobility issues to reach the buffet, especially for people who struggle with stairs. Note: only one child on board and lots of "gray hair."
DAY 2: At sea. Lots of activities offered.
Day 3: GOTHENBURG (Sweden). Sunny, 19°C at 11 AM.
Excursion booked with CFC: Gothenburg and Haga for all.
Interesting visit with a great guide. The HAGA district, in our opinion, is full of cobblestones and nothing special, not suitable for people using a cane or wheelchair. Elevator number 3 was out of order again.
Day 4: Copenhagen. 15°C in the morning, showers in the afternoon.
We didn’t book an excursion since we’d already stopped here with CFC in 2025, and based on advice from this forum, we took the hop-on/hop-off bus right in front of the ship. I still went to see the Little Mermaid again.
No TV, but the elevator was fixed.
DAY 5: At sea. Still no TV.
DAY 6: GDANSK (Poland). 15°C, rain all day.
There’s a shuttle to get to the city center.
We took the excursion: Panorama of Gdansk.
The guide left us at the entrance of the city center for 45 minutes, telling us what to visit. Meet-up for the rest of the tour at 3 PM. The bus left at 3:15 PM to cover 10 km to see St. Mary’s Cathedral. We arrived at 4:16 PM... The guide said there are often traffic jams in that direction. We had 10 minutes on site before heading to see the lighthouse and the Westerplatte monument, where we also had 10 minutes.
Many of us wondered why we didn’t do the tour in the opposite direction since they knew there would be traffic...
I went to reception to complain about the organization. The staff member read me the program: we were supposed to start with the lighthouse, then go to the cathedral and stay for 30 minutes before heading to the center of Gdansk for a short guided walk with some free time to buy souvenirs, etc.
The guide did the complete opposite of what was planned and didn’t even give us a guided tour—just dropped us off in the city...
DAY 7: Bornholm Island (Denmark). 14°C, a few sunny spells.
We saw in the excursions that there was a walking tour of RØNNE. So, like many others, we explored on our own. There was a small orchestra welcoming us at the port and two people with city maps. We took the shuttle to leave the port—it ran every 15 minutes. The tourist office was next to the "shuttle bus." A pleasant visit at our own pace.
DAY 8: KIEL (Germany). 18–23°C, nice weather.
We took the "Kiel for all" excursion. Great guide and interesting visits.
The port is in the city, and in 10 minutes, we were in the city center by following a blue line on the ground from the port. Elevator 3 was stuck again... and the TV was back.
DAY 9: At sea. Elevator 3 works.
DAY 10: At sea. Elevator 3 is out of order again...
DAY 11: Disembarkation in Dunkirk.
Cabins had to be vacated by 7:30 AM. Buffet open until 9 AM.
Elevator number 1 was "reserved," leaving only number 2, which doesn’t go up to deck 11... a problem for people with mobility issues who had to cross the entire deck 11 and try to use one of the four working elevators at the front, which were crowded.
My opinion: Interesting stops.
The onboard staff were always welcoming, smiling, and mostly French-speaking.
Evening shows were better than in March/April 2025—better singers, dancers, and presenters, and the costumes were improved.
I liked the "magician" shows less.
There were three onboard lectures by a very cultured person, but they went off-topic and were too historical for my taste. I didn’t attend the other two; my husband went to the second but not the third.
For this cruise, there was a bridge theme, but we’re not players or interested.
We didn’t take a drink package on board—water, coffee, tea, and herbal teas were available.
We had a water leak in our cabin the night before disembarkation. We reported it, and after the technical staff came (with a translator who didn’t speak English), we were asked to leave the cabin for a while for repairs. We went to a lounge, and after 1.5 hours, I checked in at reception. The repair took longer than expected... we had to change cabins... not ideal the night before disembarkation. No balcony cabins were available, so we got an ocean-view cabin, 6075, with a bathtub (impossible for both of us to use). We packed our suitcases, took a shower in our cabin, and moved to the new one. Noise from chairs until 12:30 AM because the cabin was under a lounge, and constant ventilation noise in the hallway... sleep was hard to come by.
Disembarkation: Well organized. We were helped with transporting the two suitcases and bags to the waiting room while I took the shuttle to get the car.
Guylène
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
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!