Je suis en pleine préparation de croisière sur le Msc FAntasia dont le départ est dans 2 semaines et après plusieurs recherches sur le forum et sur d autres sites internet j ai encore quelques questions sur les excursions.
Avec mon compagnon nous souhaiterions effectuer le maximum de visites par nos propres moyens. En effet, il s agira de ma 4ème croisière avec MSC et je trouve que la qualité des excursions organisées par Msc a baissé au fur et à mesure alors que le prix lui est toujours très élevé :/
Nous partirons donc de Cannes le 6 juin au programme MAjorque, barcelone, ajaccio, naples, la spezia, gênes puis débarquement à Cannes.
Pour MAjorque, BArcelone et AJaccio, je pense que nous nous balladerons simplement dans le centre ville ou nous irons à la plage si le temps le permet.
Pour Ajaccio je crois me souvenir que MSC proposait il y a quelques années (ou moins peut être) une excursion vers les iles sanguinaires mais visiblement elle a éte supprimée dommage :/
Pour naples, le FAntasia sera au port de 11h à 18h. Nous souhaitons allez à Capri, d après les commentaires que j ai pu lire sur le forum il vaudrait mieux prendre l excursion avec MSC car sinon cela risque d être trop juste niveau timing en prenant les navettes pour CApri. Est ce que des personnes ont réussi à aller à Capri sans passer par MSC avec la même escale à Naples ?
Pour la Spezia nous souhaitons visiter les cinq terres puis le soir manger à Portovenere. Le msc fantasia sera au port de 12h a 1h du matin.
Dans l idéal nous aimerions nous rendre aux 5 villages en prenant un bateau (pour la vue des villages depuis la mer) depuis la spezia mais pour le moment les horaires ne collent pas avec ceux de notre arrivée à LA SPEZIA (arrivée à 12h alors que le bateau pour les cinq terres part à 12h10). A priori nous devrons donc prendre le train.
Par contre le train ne passe pas par Portovenere du coup savez vous si l on peut prendre un bateau à Riomaggiore juste pour un arrêt jusqu a Portovenere ? (Cela nous éviterait de revenir à la spezia en train et de prendre un bus pour portovenere le soir..)
Enfin pour Gênes, le bateau sera à quai de 8h à 18h. Nous souhaiterions aller à Portofino (car beaucoup de commentaires positif sur ce village et aussi sur la traversée pour les paysages). Sauf qu en regardant les horaires, après nombreuses recherches, j ai l impression que les navettes maritimes qui font la liaison gênes - portofino ne partent qu en début d après midi pour un retour après 18h :/
Est ce que je me trompe, ou y a t-il des bâteaux qui partent dès le matin depuis gênes ?
Sinon il y a aussi l excursion Msc mais il est précisé que l excursion pour Portofino est réservée aux personnes en transit à Gênes, je ne comprends pas ce que cela signifie :/
Merci par avance pour votre aide et vos conseils :)
Pour naples, le FAntasia sera au port de 11h à 18h. Nous souhaitons allez à Capri, d après les commentaires que j ai pu lire sur le forum il vaudrait mieux prendre l excursion avec MSC car sinon cela risque d être trop juste niveau timing en prenant les navettes pour CApri. Est ce que des personnes ont réussi à aller à Capri sans passer par MSC avec la même escale à Naples ?
Les horaires des bateaux pour Capri laissent peu de temps à terre sur l'île. De plus, c'est très risqué en cas d'annulation d'un bateau de retour de Capri... Peu ont certainement pris le risque donc...
Pour la Spezia nous souhaitons visiter les cinq terres puis le soir manger à Portovenere. Le msc fantasia sera au port de 12h a 1h du matin.
Dans l idéal nous aimerions nous rendre aux 5 villages en prenant un bateau (pour la vue des villages depuis la mer) depuis la spezia mais pour le moment les horaires ne collent pas avec ceux de notre arrivée à LA SPEZIA (arrivée à 12h alors que le bateau pour les cinq terres part à 12h10). A priori nous devrons donc prendre le train.
Par contre le train ne passe pas par Portovenere du coup savez vous si l on peut prendre un bateau à Riomaggiore juste pour un arrêt jusqu a Portovenere ? (Cela nous éviterait de revenir à la spezia en train et de prendre un bus pour portovenere le soir..)
C'est un dimanche, donc beaucoup de monde... Le risque, c'est que le bateau soit plein à Riomaggiore quand vous voudrez y monter... + Vérifier les horaires des bus en soirée pour rentrer, il ne doit pas y en avoir un toutes les 5 minutes...
Enfin pour Gênes, le bateau sera à quai de 8h à 18h. Nous souhaiterions aller à Portofino (car beaucoup de commentaires positif sur ce village et aussi sur la traversée pour les paysages). Sauf qu en regardant les horaires, après nombreuses recherches, j ai l impression que les navettes maritimes qui font la liaison gênes - portofino ne partent qu en début d après midi pour un retour après 18h :/
Est ce que je me trompe, ou y a t-il des bâteaux qui partent dès le matin depuis gênes ?
D'habitude, c'est en juillet/août les bateaux le matin, mais comme on n'a aucun horaire sur internet pour l'instant... ?
Sinon il y a aussi l excursion Msc mais il est précisé que l excursion pour Portofino est réservée aux personnes en transit à Gênes, je ne comprends pas ce que cela signifie :/
Je suppose que cette excursion est proposée aux personnes qui n'embarquent pas ou qui ne débarquent pas à Gênes, mais à celles, comme vous, qui embarquez ailleurs...
Cela me conforte dans l idée de prendre lexcursion msc pour Capri.
Pour la Spezia je n ai pas trouvé les horaires des bus, j avais seulement vu qu après 20h il n y avait qu un bus par heure entre portovenere et la spezia. Comme le retour à bord devrait être prévu vers minuit, je pense que cela nous laissera une petite marge pour diner à portovenere.
Pour Gênes je vais peut être envoyer un mail à la compagnie golfoparadiso qui propose des excursions à POrtofino. A défaut de réponse on devra se rabattre sur l excursion d MsC avec une heure seulement sur place à Portofino😕
Pour Gênes, train (gare Genova P. Principe) à Santa Margherita Ligure (voir horaire sur Trenitalia), puis bus pour Portofino, ou marche (env. 1 heure), ou bateau.
Merci cette fois c est bon 😉 effectivement les bus se font rare le soir ! Il faudrait qu on prenne celui de 21h15 et si on le loupe on pourra toujours faire du stop ou rejoindre le groupe msc pour les supplier de nous ramener ^^
Nous allons effectué sous peu la même croisière que vous. Nous souhaitons également faire la visite des "cinque terre" part nos propres moyens en train, ... cela a t'il été faisable pour vous ?
Bien à vous
Dbra
MSC Orchestra Fjords Norvège juin 2014
MSC Fantasia Méditerranée juin 2015
MSC Fantasia Méditerrannée juin2016
Oui cela est largement faisable et je vous le conseille même pour plusieurs raisons :
- escale à la spezia très longue donc aucun risque de louper le départ du bateau
- les trains à la spezia sont confortables et à l heure (ce qui nous a changé par rapport à notre départ de Paris avec la grève sncf^^).
- possibilité de prendre également un bateau depuis la spezia ou depuis chaque village pour se rendre à un autre village (avantage la vue des villages depuis la mer).
- il faut éviter les excursions proposées par msc.
Pour notre part, le temps à la spezia étant très nuageux nous ne sommes descendus qu à 14h du bateau (après la foule), nous avons marché jusqu à la gare (25 minutes), nous avons pris le train jusqu au 1 er village puis après une belle ballade, nous avons pris le bateau jusqu au dernier village, Monterrosso ce qui nous a permi de voir les autres villages depuis la mer. Nous avons décidé de rester à Monterrosso et nous sommes rentrés en train jusqu à la spezia. Nous avons pris le bus à la gare et nous étions à 21h15 sur le bateau.
Sur le séjour nous n avons pris qu une excursion avec MSC à Capri et cela ne s est pas bien passé du tout. Très mauvaise organisation, perte de temps incacceptable compte tenu du prix facturé sans compter la guide qui était inutile (se limitant à nous donner les points de rdv et les horaires pour les bus). Nous étions également mixés avec des personnes anglophones, ce qui devient récurrent avec MsC, les français étant peu nombreux à bord, ils font des économies en prenant un seul guide pour 2 langues...les explications sont donc réduites dans ce cas même si le guide vous indique le contraire ! (Nous avions eu une mauvaise expérience déja à AThènes, nous étions mixés avec des allemands, les explications étant plus que limitées nous nous sommes rattachés à un autre groupe avec un guide parlant uniquement l anglais et là les commentaires étaient bcp plus développés...!)
Des français nous ont également indiqué qu ils avaient pris d autres excursions avec MSC et que plusieurs d entre elles avaient été annulées au dernier moment (prévenus la veille au soir).
Au final je vous conseille donc d organiser les excursions à l avance, d une part cela vous reviendra moins cher et vous aurez plus de temps sur place pour en profiter, plus de liberté et même si vous décidez de prendre des excursions avec msc vous n êtes pas à l abri d une annulation de dernière minute... :/
Pour moi, les excursions sont le gros point négatif d msc ( ce qui n était pas le cas il y a quelques années mais avec la recherche de profit à tout prix je trouve que désormais cela ne vaut plus de tout la peine de les prendre, voire même cela peut vous gâcher le plaisir)
J espère que vous profiteriez bien de votre croisière, le bateau est très agréable et l itinéraire très sympa ! Si vous avez d autres questions n hésitez pas :)
Bonjour,
Nous allons effectué sous peu la même croisière que vous. Nous souhaitons également faire la visite des "cinque terre" part nos propres moyens en train, ... cela a t'il été faisable pour vous ?
Bien à vous
Dbra
Merci pour la rapidité de votre réponse. Nous connaissons un peu MSC ...c'est la troisième année que nous partons avec cette compagnie. Nous avons d'ailleurs fait Capri l'an dernier mais nous avons eu beaucoup plus de chance que vous. Visite magnifique et guide excellent qui connaissait bien son sujet. Cette année nous ne comptons faire que Pompéi avec MSC le reste nous faisons par nous même en gros; visite de l'ile de Lérins à Cannes, Visite de Palma avec notre guide de poche, Idem pour Barcelone à Ajaccio nous avons réservé le petit train (grand circuit) avec les iles sanguinaires, Pompéi pour Naples et Les "cinque Terre" en train ou bateau comme vous venez de nous le suggérer. Mais notre plus beau souvenir reste jusqu'à présent notre croisière dans les Fjords de Norvège 2014. Un vrai plaisir pour les yeux....
Encore merci
Dbra
MSC Orchestra Fjords Norvège juin 2014
MSC Fantasia Méditerranée juin 2015
MSC Fantasia Méditerrannée juin2016
De rien, pour Pompei je pense que vous n aurez pas de souci d annulation ou de groupe avec plusieurs nationalités comme il s agit d'une excursion très demandées par les français. Pour le guide je croise les doigts pour vous 😉
Nous n avons pas encore fait les fjords mais je pense que ça sera pour la prochaine croisière 🙂 Pour les fjords vois vous étiez organisés comment pour les excursions ? Par vous-même ou avec MSC ?
Bonsoir Debora
Nous avons fait cette croisière en mai dernier .
Pour Ajaccio nous n'avons pas réussi à prendre le bus pour aller vers les îles Sanguinaires . Nous nous sommes rabattus sur le petit train .
C'était sympa comme visite mais l'arrêt vers les iles est très très court , 20 minutes seulement . Nous avons marché 10 minutes sur le chemin juste pour apercevoir les iles et nous sommes revenus vers le petit train . Un peu frustrant .
Claudine
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Hello,
We’re back from this cruise.
Boarding in Dunkirk: The doors opened around 12 PM. Since we were a bit early, I asked if my husband, who uses a walker, could wait inside instead of outside. I left him with the two suitcases and our two backpacks in the small hall while I parked the car in the reserved CFC parking lot for 10 € per day.
The shuttle that was supposed to take people from the parking lot to the model pavilion was supposed to arrive in 5 minutes, but after 15 minutes, nothing. After waiting 15 minutes, I saw a man walking and asked if I could follow him. In 15 minutes, we arrived, and still no sign of the shuttle—it must have passed us. Arrived at the model pavilion.
My husband had already checked in the suitcases with the help of a CFC staff member. The remaining formalities were completed quickly. We were on board by 12:15 PM. Headed to the buffet on deck 11 and waited in a lounge to access our cabin.
At 2 PM, we discovered our balcony cabin on deck 9 at the rear: spacious with a large balcony compared to MSC/COSTA.
Since we were at the rear, cabin 9202, there was always an issue with elevator number 4: "priority."
Elevator number 2 stops at deck 10... and elevator number 3 was often out of order, leaving only number 1 for those with mobility issues to reach the buffet, especially for people who struggle with stairs. Note: only one child on board and lots of "gray hair."
DAY 2: At sea. Lots of activities offered.
Day 3: GOTHENBURG (Sweden). Sunny, 19°C at 11 AM.
Excursion booked with CFC: Gothenburg and Haga for all.
Interesting visit with a great guide. The HAGA district, in our opinion, is full of cobblestones and nothing special, not suitable for people using a cane or wheelchair. Elevator number 3 was out of order again.
Day 4: Copenhagen. 15°C in the morning, showers in the afternoon.
We didn’t book an excursion since we’d already stopped here with CFC in 2025, and based on advice from this forum, we took the hop-on/hop-off bus right in front of the ship. I still went to see the Little Mermaid again.
No TV, but the elevator was fixed.
DAY 5: At sea. Still no TV.
DAY 6: GDANSK (Poland). 15°C, rain all day.
There’s a shuttle to get to the city center.
We took the excursion: Panorama of Gdansk.
The guide left us at the entrance of the city center for 45 minutes, telling us what to visit. Meet-up for the rest of the tour at 3 PM. The bus left at 3:15 PM to cover 10 km to see St. Mary’s Cathedral. We arrived at 4:16 PM... The guide said there are often traffic jams in that direction. We had 10 minutes on site before heading to see the lighthouse and the Westerplatte monument, where we also had 10 minutes.
Many of us wondered why we didn’t do the tour in the opposite direction since they knew there would be traffic...
I went to reception to complain about the organization. The staff member read me the program: we were supposed to start with the lighthouse, then go to the cathedral and stay for 30 minutes before heading to the center of Gdansk for a short guided walk with some free time to buy souvenirs, etc.
The guide did the complete opposite of what was planned and didn’t even give us a guided tour—just dropped us off in the city...
DAY 7: Bornholm Island (Denmark). 14°C, a few sunny spells.
We saw in the excursions that there was a walking tour of RØNNE. So, like many others, we explored on our own. There was a small orchestra welcoming us at the port and two people with city maps. We took the shuttle to leave the port—it ran every 15 minutes. The tourist office was next to the "shuttle bus." A pleasant visit at our own pace.
DAY 8: KIEL (Germany). 18–23°C, nice weather.
We took the "Kiel for all" excursion. Great guide and interesting visits.
The port is in the city, and in 10 minutes, we were in the city center by following a blue line on the ground from the port. Elevator 3 was stuck again... and the TV was back.
DAY 9: At sea. Elevator 3 works.
DAY 10: At sea. Elevator 3 is out of order again...
DAY 11: Disembarkation in Dunkirk.
Cabins had to be vacated by 7:30 AM. Buffet open until 9 AM.
Elevator number 1 was "reserved," leaving only number 2, which doesn’t go up to deck 11... a problem for people with mobility issues who had to cross the entire deck 11 and try to use one of the four working elevators at the front, which were crowded.
My opinion: Interesting stops.
The onboard staff were always welcoming, smiling, and mostly French-speaking.
Evening shows were better than in March/April 2025—better singers, dancers, and presenters, and the costumes were improved.
I liked the "magician" shows less.
There were three onboard lectures by a very cultured person, but they went off-topic and were too historical for my taste. I didn’t attend the other two; my husband went to the second but not the third.
For this cruise, there was a bridge theme, but we’re not players or interested.
We didn’t take a drink package on board—water, coffee, tea, and herbal teas were available.
We had a water leak in our cabin the night before disembarkation. We reported it, and after the technical staff came (with a translator who didn’t speak English), we were asked to leave the cabin for a while for repairs. We went to a lounge, and after 1.5 hours, I checked in at reception. The repair took longer than expected... we had to change cabins... not ideal the night before disembarkation. No balcony cabins were available, so we got an ocean-view cabin, 6075, with a bathtub (impossible for both of us to use). We packed our suitcases, took a shower in our cabin, and moved to the new one. Noise from chairs until 12:30 AM because the cabin was under a lounge, and constant ventilation noise in the hallway... sleep was hard to come by.
Disembarkation: Well organized. We were helped with transporting the two suitcases and bags to the waiting room while I took the shuttle to get the car.
Guylène
Bonjour à tous
Je pars en suite sur le pacifica en octobre et je n'arrive pas à avoir d3s précisions sur les avantages en suite hormis le resto élite le majordome la machine expresso
Qu'en est-il des petits déjeuners et repas servis gratuitement en cabine, du spa
Costa enlève de plus en plus les privilèges aux gold et apparemment aux suites aussi
Merci de vos reponses
bonjour,
je pars de hambourg pour islande fin juillet. le bateau arrive a Reykjavik le mardi 4 aout 8H e voudrai reserve une excursion en journée type golden circle, secret lagoon...les sites getyour guide et autre annononcent des dparts à 8h du matin ....Si vous avez deja utilisé ces sites avec bateau MSC precioza, pouvez vous me dire comment m y prendre !
merci 😉
allyMB007
hi there
Here’s the cruise schedule for 2026.
It’s a great way to get ideas and maybe even meet up with other members.
2 essential rules:
1) never "quote" the calendar when replying—this’ll avoid any confusion
2) follow the format below
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
REMINDER Despite my requests, few people follow the requested format. Cruises that stray too far from it won’t be listed anymore—sorry!PLEASE respect the templates!
COPY AND PASTE THE FORMAT BELOW AND REPLACE WITH YOUR DETAILS IF YOU’RE STRUGGLING
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
It takes time to fix mistakes, so THANKS TO EVERYONE for your help!
YOUR TURN 😉
NUMBER OF CRUISES 2026:
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
Hello everyone,
It’s with immense sadness that I learned this morning of the passing of our friend Nathalie (nadu). Many of us knew her through this forum, which she loved so much. She enjoyed reading your travel stories, joining discussions, sharing her cruise reviews, and offering valuable advice—always with kindness, gentleness, and discretion.
For me, Nathalie was so much more than just a cruise enthusiast. She was a friend, a deeply kind person who was always there to listen, despite the many health challenges she faced with tremendous courage. We corresponded regularly, and sometimes we had the chance to visit each other’s homes or attend the cruise show together with our respective husbands.
We shared a common dream: when we both retired, we had planned to finally go on a cruise together. Life had other plans, and that trip will forever remain a journey we never had the chance to take. That thought weighs heavily on my heart today.
I’ll remember her as a gentle, generous woman who was always ready to help others. Her presence on this forum will leave a huge void, just as her friendship has in my life.
I send my sincerest thoughts to her husband, her family, and all those who had the chance to know her.
Fair winds, Nathalie. I like to think you’re now sailing on an infinitely calm sea, under an eternally blue sky. You’ll remain in our thoughts and hearts every time we talk about cruises or set off on a new journey.
Rest in peace, Nathalie.
For those who’d like to send a message of comfort and sympathy to her husband, you can send me a PM, and I’ll pass it along.
THANK YOU
Hello everyone,
So happy to be back on this Forum!
We’re heading off on another cruise—our 7th—after a 5-year break...
We’ll be leaving from Venice on April 26th with stops in Kotor, Mykonos, Santorini, and Ancona.
Could you help me plan the stops by sharing tips, tricks, and advice?
For those who already know me, you know we prefer not to take the cruise line’s excursions but instead organize everything ourselves.
Thanks in advance to everyone, and looking forward to chatting with you all!
Hello,
We’re taking a cruise to Northern Europe with a stop in SOUTHAMPTON.
We’d like to visit the Stonehenge site.
Is it possible to get there on our own (my husband is a wheelchair user), since the MSC excursion to Salisbury is priced at 127 € per person?
There’s also a stop in Rotterdam, and it seems there’s a "miniature village to visit" nearby. Has anyone here been there, and if so, how did you get there?
Thanks so much for your tips. Mum49
If you're traveling on the Costa Diadema from October 17th to 28th, 2026 to Lisbon, we can meet up for a drink. Share our cruising experiences, an excursion, a table...
hi there, a group of friends and I are going on a cruise at the end of June with CFC in Norway. I’d love to get some info on the different stops we’ll be making. Most of them are one-day stops (from around 10 AM to 8 PM on average). Here are the stops: Andalsnes, Trondheim, Honningsvåg, Alta, Hellesylt, Sandane, Austefjorden.
Thanks in advance to anyone who can share what there is to see or do in these places.
When I get back, I’ll post what we did—it might help others who come after us.
Also, does anyone know if the boat sticks to the arrival time in Dunkirk for catching tickets to head back south? We’ll plan a buffer just in case.
Hi there, The day before boarding the Costa Favolosa for the Norwegian Fjords cruise departing from Hamburg, I'd like to book a hotel. Which one would be the most convenient location-wise relative to the port?
Thanks in advance for your reply.
I’m looking to get in touch with someone who’s been on an Arctic Cruise aboard the ship POLARFRONT, operated by the French company "LATITUDE BLANCHE", for some info.
Hi there, I was wondering if anyone has ever taken a cruise with this PO Cruise company.
Would love to hear your thoughts!
They’ve got some great itineraries for Norway.
Hello,
We’ll be sailing on the Renaissance with CFC to southern Norway from July 4 to 11, 2026, departing from Dunkirk (the cruise was booked through "Planète Croisière").
When entering some personal details or pre-selecting options on the CFC website, I’m wondering about the "optional" categories for drinks and WiFi.
I’m actually a bit surprised by these extra charges, as we weren’t used to them on other cruises (Australis in Patagonia; Hurtigruten’s Coastal Express in Norway and Alaska; Rivages du Monde in the Arctic or on the Douro River; a Nile river cruise in Egypt), where we sometimes had access to basic drinks at meals and free WiFi when near land.
Anyway, for those who’ve already taken a CFC cruise on the Renaissance, could you share some advice? Specifically about the most basic drink package, called "Fraîcheur" (238 € for two), which doesn’t seem to be described anywhere. The "Premium" package seems excessive (490 € for two for the week) for light drinkers.
As for WiFi, it’s 10 € per day per person. While I find that price acceptable for parking our car in Dunkirk, it feels overpriced here (especially since it was free on the Nordlys "Coastal Express" just 3 or 4 years ago).
So, I’d love to hear from experienced cruisers who’ve been on this ship!
Looking forward to seeing the excursion prices, which should be available soon! 😐
Hi there,
I’m considering a cruise on this ship in the recently introduced Yacht Club category.
Have any forum members tried it?
What are your thoughts? Positive or negative? Which cabins should we go for—or avoid?
We’re already familiar with the Yacht Clubs on the Splendida, Fantasia, Preziosa, and Divina series.
We weren’t as keen on the one on the Seashore—we found it too big.
Thanks in advance for your feedback!
Best,
Claudine
We're considering a new cruise soon and would like to try the Renaissance.
The uniqueness of the promenade cabins appeals to us, but could anyone give us some insights on the following points:
- Is the glass door sufficiently tinted to prevent outsiders from seeing into the cabin?
- Is the soundproofing good enough to block out conversations on the promenade deck?
Thanks in advance to anyone who can help!
My husband, our two teens, and I are going on a cruise on the COSTA Esmeralda at the beginning of July. We’re thinking of exploring the ports on our own. Do any of you have recent experiences or tips to share? Are there shuttles between the port and the city center? Are they free? Looking forward to hearing from you.
As promised, here’s my review of the cruise I took from the 5th to the 19th on the MSC Virtuosa.
As you know, I had initially booked a cruise with Mein Schiff departing from Dubai (from Dubai to Cape Town). It was a 22-day cruise. Due to the issues in the Persian Gulf, my cruise was canceled by Mein Schiff.
So, we started looking for a Plan B because we really wanted to go. Especially my wife, who had just had a minor procedure and needed some rest. Since she had already taken time off, she was determined to travel. However, we were looking for an affordable Plan B since we weren’t sure when Mein Schiff or the airline would reimburse us.
While browsing online, I found a 15-day cruise departing from Pointe-à-Pitre (including flights, transfers, the cruise, and drinks) for a price of 1,200 € in a Fantastica balcony cabin. We thought, *Why not?*
I should mention that I’m not usually a big fan of MSC. My last experience with them was post-Covid (I took two cruises, one in 2021 and another in 2022), and it was honestly a disaster. We didn’t want to repeat that, but after talking to Catherine, who told me she was very happy with a short Christmas cruise, we decided to give it a try.
I have to say, I was left speechless. Honestly, the cruise was absolutely perfect. There’s nothing to complain about (or just a few minor details). In terms of service and food, I felt like I was on a premium cruise line. I’d even say MSC has nothing to envy from some of those companies. While premium lines like Holland, Celebrity, and Royal are cutting back on services, I think MSC has made huge improvements. Seriously, I wasn’t expecting this at all. You’ll see what I mean as we chat more.
I won’t do a full review like I usually do because there weren’t many stops:
1. We boarded in Pointe-à-Pitre
2. We stopped in Saint-Martin
3. Then it was a direct crossing to the Azores...
This cruise was really about relaxing, even if it’s not the kind of trip we usually take.
First off, I’m not a big fan of "flight and cruise" packages. I asked if we could leave two days early, but they said it wasn’t possible. We had to take the flight, then the bus, and board the ship directly.
It’s not really my thing, but given the price we paid and since we really wanted to relax, we thought, *Why not?*
Here’s the itinerary:
Boarding in Pointe-à-Pitre
Saint-Martin
Five days at sea
The Azores
Four days at sea
Hamburg
One day at sea
Le Havre
But as I mentioned, it wasn’t about the itinerary. It was really about taking a break and unwinding. Honestly, I came back thrilled.
We’re stopping over in Rovinj this coming May, and since we’ve already visited the main sights (port, church, etc.), is there a walk we can do on our own—no boat needed—that would fill a morning?
Thanks to anyone who knows the area…
My wife and I are going on a cruise on the MS Vesteralen on August 4th. The ship stays close to the coast to deliver mail and packages. My wife is a musician and is sensitive to the movement of the boat. Which deck and cabin should we choose?
Hi there,
So, I booked this cruise...
I know CFC gets a lot of criticism—
- And that it’s not really like the ships I usually take.
But the destination really interested me...
So, I’m giving it a try...
I’m going in with an open mind, thinking I got a good deal, so I’m not expecting the same experience as when I travel with Yacht Club or The Haven.
We’ll see... soon!
hi, we’re going on a cruise with MSC Virtuosa in the Caribbean. Has anyone done this cruise before and could give us some tips for excursions on the different islands? Thanks for your help
😉Hi there,
A few months ago, CFC put the EN VOGUE experience on sale, departing from Dunkirk.
I booked this package to test the boat and onboard services for myself.
I’d read a lot of reviews mentioning numerous issues on board, so I wanted to see for myself what it was really like…
Okay, I’ll stop rambling…
The package included boarding at 6 PM on Friday, dinner, a show, an overnight stay, and breakfast.
We chose an interior cabin for this experience—since the boat wasn’t leaving the dock, we didn’t see the point in paying more… All in all, it cost 130 € per person.
My mom joined us; she got the same cabin for 130 € with no single occupancy supplement.
We’d checked in online to board faster.
We took the train to DUNKIRK, then a taxi to the shuttle pavilion—7 € for the ride.
When we arrived at the pavilion, we were told to wait because there was a connection issue with check-in. Great start…
After about ten minutes, we were finally allowed to proceed.
At the counter, they said they didn’t have our cabin cards and no record of our check-in… Very odd.
With no solution, they put us on the bus and said we’d sort it out at reception. Perfect.
We went through security, and they confiscated our water bottles—never seen that before! Then they said my mom had a corkscrew in her bag, so they searched it… but there was no corkscrew. Total amateur hour… They eventually dropped it.
We got on the bus for a ten-minute ride…
We boarded the ship with a crew member and headed to reception.
Turns out, we weren’t the only ones in this situation.
The nightmare began… Only two staff members were handling all the issues, and everything seemed complicated.
They told my mom her cabin had been given to someone else 😲.
That was the last straw…
It took forever—they had to redo the entire check-in.
Finally, they told my mom her cabin was good to go; they’d mixed her up with someone else… After a solid half-hour, we could finally head to our cabin.
I’m determined to test everything: the pool, jacuzzi, show, restaurant, spa, etc…
TO BE CONTINUED
Hi,
We received a promotion from our CFC agency offering cruises at up to 40-100% off, and among other details: CFC organizes parking for departures from Dunkirk.
"Unattended parking located about 12 minutes away, fenced off with barriers, at a rate of 10 € per day. Drop off passengers and luggage at the Model Pavilion, and a CFC shuttle will take you from the parking lot to the Model Pavilion every 15-20 minutes. Same for disembarkation. You can book through your agency or on their website. No refunds if the booking is canceled; payment is due at reservation."
Have a great day,
Guylène
PS: Personally, we’d rather keep our vehicle in a free, supervised parking lot and take a taxi to the Model Pavilion.
Hi there,
I'm looking at a cruise in the north.
Hi there, I was wondering if anyone has ever taken a cruise with this PO Cruise company.
Would love to hear your thoughts!
They’ve got some great itineraries for Norway.
Hi there,
So, I booked this cruise...
I know CFC gets a lot of criticism—
- And that it’s not really like the ships I usually take.
But the destination really interested me...
So, I’m giving it a try...
I’m going in with an open mind, thinking I got a good deal, so I’m not expecting the same experience as when I travel with Yacht Club or The Haven.
We’ll see... soon!