Retour de mini-croisiere sur Le Queen Victoria de Cunard du 17 au 19 octobre 2012
Pour commencer quelques observations sur le Queen Victoria.
La cabine
Selon le plan du navire il y a relativement peu de cabines intérieures. J’étais en cabine de catégorie D5. Deux lits single réunit formaient un lit double. Un bureau, deux chaises, une petite table salon...
Pas mal de rangement (un placard penderie a deux portes, une porte avec des tiroirs et une porte avec penderie en bas et le coffres fort + des étagères en haut ).
Le tout de la même superficie à priori que sur les bateaux Costa (méthode de mesure "um-on-dirait-que").
La salle de bain ressemble a celles de Costa ou MSC, avec quand même une surface du lavabo genre marbre. Très jolie.
Les espaces communs
Eux sont de toute beauté. Déjà a l’entrée l’atrium sur trois niveaux, avec ses escaliers en courbe, sa fresque représentant le navire. En plus quand on embarque un ensemble joue de la musique classique, qui donne le ton de la croisière.
Comme sur les autres navires on trouve des bars un peu partout.
Un espace puzzle, avec deux tables ou sont installés les milliers de parts que les passagers. Bon le temps de notre court voyage, il y avait peu de chances qu’ils ne soient fini, mais des courageux s’y sont quand même essayé.
La galerie commerciale se trouve au pont 3. Il y a des boutiques de produits cosmétiques, un magasin Harrods, un magasin d’art, une boutique ou l’on trouve des produits d’hygiène, des souvenirs Cunard, des vêtements et accessoires et des bijoux.
Il y a aussi un librairie.
Un des espaces que j’ai préféré est la bibliothèque. Elle est sur deux niveaux, avec un escalier en colimaçon, des boiseries et des milliers d’ouvrages.
Le théâtre est magnifique, avec ses loges privatives (compter $57 pour la location). Quand la Queen’s Room, avec sa piste de danse, ses balcons d’où l’on peut observer les couples qui se trémoussent sur la piste.
Les spectacles et animations
Des musiciens jouent dans les bars (y compris une harpiste). Un orchestre joue live des morceaux un peu plus entrainants sur le pont au moment du départ et dans la salle de bal le soir. Et ils mettent l’ambiance… L’équipe d’animation est très présente et invite les passagers a danser. Ils restaient aussi avec les passagers solos le soir et les faisaient danser.
Au théâtre le soir les spectacles sont vraiment d’une qualité que l’on pourraient trouver dans le West end a Londres. Le premier soir il y avait un comique et le second soir un spectacle avec chansons et danse, avec des décors du même type que ceux que l’ont voit sur les scènes de théâtre (pas juste une toile peinte comme sur d’autres bateaux).
L’inconvénient est que tout cela est en anglais, avec beaucoup de référence a l’actualité ou a la culture britannique. C’est un peu dommage pour les personnes qui parlent pas anglais ou qui parlent anglais mais ne vivent pas au Royaume Uni.
Chez Costa et MSC les spectacles sont peu être de moins bonne qualité, mais ils peuvent etre suivis par l'ensemble des passagers. Il faut dire que Cunard attire une clientèle anglo-saxonne et donc dans cette optique, ce qu'ils font est normal.
Photo 1 et 2 La cabine
Photo 3 la salle de bain
Photo 4 L'orchestre a l'accueil
Photo 5 et 6 l'atrium
2003 Costa Romantica Antilles :O
2011 Avr Costa Pacifica Méd :~( - Juin Costa Luminosa -:^) - Nov Hurtigruten MS Trollfjord -:")
Dec Costa Favolosa - Dubai :-D
2012 Juin MSC Opera Norvége :-) - Sep MSC Magnifica Méd : } - Oct Cunard Queen Victoria Brugge : ]
Photo 1 Espace Puzzle
Photos 2 et 3 La bibliothèque
Photo 4 La galerie marchande
Photos 5 et 6 le théâtre
Photos 7 et 8 la Queen's room
2003 Costa Romantica Antilles :O
2011 Avr Costa Pacifica Méd :~( - Juin Costa Luminosa -:^) - Nov Hurtigruten MS Trollfjord -:")
Dec Costa Favolosa - Dubai :-D
2012 Juin MSC Opera Norvége :-) - Sep MSC Magnifica Méd : } - Oct Cunard Queen Victoria Brugge : ]
Bonsoir Cat,
Merci pour ce petit CR, je ne sais pas combien il y a de musiciens à bord mais c'est ce qui m'avait frappé le plus. Et il y en a pour tous les goûts. Nous avons passé quelques belles soirées à danser, en particulier sous la véranda du jardin d'hiver. Que du bohneur.
Aussi non, ça doit être frustrant de ne faire que deux jours.🙁🙁
Moi aussi, j'adore cette librairie même si l'étagère des livres français fait un peu maigrichonne.
Le plus difficile pour nous est d'assister au spectacle, comme on y comprend rien.🤪
Cette année, nous allons essayer de rester jusqu'au bout quand même.😊
Comment as tu trouvé la nourriture? Et as tu apprécié l'insonorité du coin nuit?
Pascal
"Ce qui est important, ce n'est pas d'arriver, mais d'aller vers..."
Saint Exupéry
Bonsoir,
je ne doute pas que vous ayez fait une belle croisière, vos photos sont superbes, mais franchement pour Cunard en ce qui concerne la cabine, la salle de bain on a eu mieux sur le Brilliance OTS avec véranda. donc à part la bibliothèque très belle et très british, qui ne sert à rien si on ne parle pas anglais, le reste fait un peu désuet à mon goût. mais c'est seulement mon avis. les autres peuvent aimer.
Je n'ai pas encore eu la chance de voyager avec la compagnie cunard, mais j'ai visité le Queen Elisabeth à Monaco. Nous avons eu une visite guidée par une anglaise, nous avons vu l'ensemble du bateau sauf les cabines qui étaient complètes... Et quand je regarde vos photos, beaucoup ressemblent à ce que j'ai vu.. la bibliothèque avec son escalier en bois en colimasson, l'atrium avec la fresque du bateau.... très beau bateau.
Merci pour vos commentaires. 🙂 Oui, d'autres photos et plus d'info arrivent. Ma connection a la maison est trop lente pour mettre des photos en ligne, mais ce sera fait demain.
2003 Costa Romantica Antilles :O
2011 Avr Costa Pacifica Méd :~( - Juin Costa Luminosa -:^) - Nov Hurtigruten MS Trollfjord -:")
Dec Costa Favolosa - Dubai :-D
2012 Juin MSC Opera Norvége :-) - Sep MSC Magnifica Méd : } - Oct Cunard Queen Victoria Brugge : ]
Oui, les cabines intérieures n'ont rien de spécial.
J'ai pris quelques photos des cabines balcon, je mettrai ca en ligne demain.
Désuet, c'est tout a fait ça. C'est le mot que je cherchais.🙂 Mais Cunard le revendique et c'est la raison pour laquelle beaucoup de voyageurs choisisent la compagnie. On a vraiment l'impression d'être transporté à une autre époque, dans un autre monde (de luxe et d'opulence - donc pas tout a fait mon monde😉).
Mais en même temps ce n'est pas une ambiance guindée tout le temps. Et même si ma photo montre des danses en couple, le soir l'orchestre jouait de tout, de Bob Marley a Black Eyes Peas et la piste était remplie.
2003 Costa Romantica Antilles :O
2011 Avr Costa Pacifica Méd :~( - Juin Costa Luminosa -:^) - Nov Hurtigruten MS Trollfjord -:")
Dec Costa Favolosa - Dubai :-D
2012 Juin MSC Opera Norvége :-) - Sep MSC Magnifica Méd : } - Oct Cunard Queen Victoria Brugge : ]
Bonjour, c'est très gentil d'avoir répondu, mais ce n'était pas du tout une critique, je n'ai pas dit que je n'aimais pas, seulement une constatation au vu des photos. mais j'aimerais bien essayer au moins une fois Cunard. en ce qui me concerne je n'ai pas du tout de mal à m'adapter au décor, l'ambiance brititsh , j'aime bien , mais ce sera peut etre plus délicat pour mon mari. il aime la clientèle de ce genre de compagnie parce qu'on a toujours à faire à des gens, calmes, posés, éduqués , très courtois , ce qui manque sur certaines compagnies que je , ne nommerai pas , mais le guindé le rebute un peu. mais j'attends vos photos.
, mais franchement pour Cunard en ce qui concerne la cabine, la salle de bain on a eu mieux sur le Brilliance OTS avec véranda..
Si cela peut te rassurer, la cabine que nous montre Cat est une cabine intérieure de 17m2, donc normale pour cette catégorie, maintenant, il y a beaucoup mieux; pour te donner une idée , les cabine vont de 17 à 40m2, les mini - suites de 30 à 47 m2 et enfin les suites de 45 à 198m2.
En ce qui concerne le confort, même si la taille est identique avec d' autres compagnie, elles sont très bien insonorisées, (L'an dernier, j'étais sous le pont piscine et accolé à la laverie, jamais dérangé par le bruit.), on trouve dans la salle de bain tous les produits tel que soin pour le corp, bâtonnets, bonnet pour la douche, etc... peignoirs et chaussons et roum service gratuit. Vous avez également la demi bouteille de vin pétillant gratuite de bienvenue qu'il est possible de consommer au restaurant par exemple.
Et que dire de la restauration en général, que du bohneur, même au self service, c'est tout à fait correct.
Bien sûr, le fait de devoir s'habiller le soir peut en rebuter plus d'un mais ce n'est en aucun cas guindé, chic oui, c'est certain. Et c'est un vrai plaisir de se préparer pour une des soirée de gala qui n'en ont pas que le nom.
Et celui qui ne veut pas de chichi, il lui reste la solution du Self.
Beaucoup de personnes pensent que se sont des bateaux réservés pour une clientelle aisée, je peux t'assurer que ce n'est pas le cas pour tous et pour moi en particulier. Et je préfère naviguer avec eux dans une cabine simple, plutôt que sur une autre compagnie dans une cabine plus haut de gamme.( Sauf peut être chez Célébrity ou Princess, histoire, au moins de retrouver la clientelle angloxassone.)
Pour les prix, il y a ausi la solution d'attendre les promos, avec bien entendu moins de choix dans les destinations et les cabines mais qui permettent de profiter de bonnes opportunuités.
@+
Pascal
"Ce qui est important, ce n'est pas d'arriver, mais d'aller vers..."
Saint Exupéry
Ah non, je n'ai pas pris ça comme une critique du tout. 🙂
Voici les photos de deux cabines balcon.
Photo 1
Photo 2 et 3 cabine un peu plus luxueuse (avec penderie)
On ne voit pas trop bien sur la 3eme photo mais c'est pas juste un placard, on peut marcher dans la penderie. (Je ne sais plus comment on appelle ces ça).
Je met aussi une photo des produits disponibles dans la salle de bain.
2003 Costa Romantica Antilles :O
2011 Avr Costa Pacifica Méd :~( - Juin Costa Luminosa -:^) - Nov Hurtigruten MS Trollfjord -:")
Dec Costa Favolosa - Dubai :-D
2012 Juin MSC Opera Norvége :-) - Sep MSC Magnifica Méd : } - Oct Cunard Queen Victoria Brugge : ]
c'est une cabine comme celle-ci que nous avions sur le Brilliance OTS sans tous ces produits dans la salle de bain. c'est une délicate attention de la part de Cunard. je pense que j'essaierai au moins une fois.
Je vois que vous etes domiciliée à Londres, j'adore y aller, on essaie 2 fois par an, au Quality Crown, sur Cromwel road à South Kensington, on adore ce quartier, on prend le métro à Ears'Court. vous comprenez que l'ambiance british, on aime sauf que je "baragouine l'anglais" mais je me débrouille.
Merci pour vos réponses.
Merci pour votre réponse, mais nous ça ne nous rebute pas du tout de nous habiller le soir, on y va d'ailleurs pour ça. Parce que la croisière c'est ça aussi, pas seulement un mode de transport ou un club de vacances comme certains sur ce forum ont tendance à penser.
c'est très agréable de s'habiller, non quand je parle de "guindé" c'est surtout dans l'attitude des gens. on apprécie le distingué mais pas les chichis.
mais comme je le dis dans mon précédent post, j'essaierai certainement Cunard à condition aussi que les prix ne soient pas exhorbitants.
cet été, nous avons fait les fjords en Norvège, et on aimerais bien aller en Islande et en Ecosse.
Quelques photos supplémentaires ci dessous. Quelques unes sont floues, mais je vous assure cela n'a rien avoir avec une quelque compte consommation de vin de ma part et pas champagne parce qu'il n'y en avait pas dans ma cabine... 🙁 (J'aime pas ça de toutes les façons 😉)
Photos 1 et 2 le pub
Photo 3 un des bars
Photo 4 et 5 le club Commodore
Photo 6 le couloir menant au club Commodore
Photo 7 Espace spritf a l'avant du navire
2003 Costa Romantica Antilles :O
2011 Avr Costa Pacifica Méd :~( - Juin Costa Luminosa -:^) - Nov Hurtigruten MS Trollfjord -:")
Dec Costa Favolosa - Dubai :-D
2012 Juin MSC Opera Norvége :-) - Sep MSC Magnifica Méd : } - Oct Cunard Queen Victoria Brugge : ]
Salut Cat,
je dirai même plus, la première : cabine balcon
Photo 2 et 3 : mini suite.
Merci 🙂 Pasan. Je n'étais pas sure des catégories. J'ai "volé" les photos en passant pendant que les cabinistes préparaient les cabines pour les nouveaux arrivants. Que ne ferais-je pas pour Voyage-forum ? 😉
2003 Costa Romantica Antilles :O
2011 Avr Costa Pacifica Méd :~( - Juin Costa Luminosa -:^) - Nov Hurtigruten MS Trollfjord -:")
Dec Costa Favolosa - Dubai :-D
2012 Juin MSC Opera Norvége :-) - Sep MSC Magnifica Méd : } - Oct Cunard Queen Victoria Brugge : ]
Bonsoir,
Pour les prix, il faut surveiller sur le site Cunard France, en principe il font des campagnes à moins 15 et moins 20%.
Je pense que vous serez surpris de l'ambiance à bord. Belles soirées avec beaucoup de musiciens.
Pascal
"Ce qui est important, ce n'est pas d'arriver, mais d'aller vers..."
Saint Exupéry
Merci Cat, et merci à vous tous vous m'avez vraiment donné envie d'essayer cette compagnie un jour prochain. C'est bon de pouvoir rajouter un rêve sur sa liste. Je vais guetter les promotions, il y en a parfois de très intéressantes.
J'ai fais la même chose l'an dernier en attendant le débarquement sur les conseils de notre correspondante francophone. J'ai pu visiter comme ça une master suite, celle qui ont une double porte.😉
Comment as tu trouvé la cuisine?
Pascal
"Ce qui est important, ce n'est pas d'arriver, mais d'aller vers..."
Saint Exupéry
Avec ma conjointe et mon enfant je fais une croisière du 2 au 9 octobre au dépars du HAVRE en direction de ZEEBRUGGE AMSTERDAM HAMBOURG SOUTHAMPTON (Londres)…
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En fait l'escale est Zeebruge bien sur, mais ma destination est Bruges J'irais du bateau à Bruges avec le bus fourni par le croisiériste (CFC) et j'aimerais…
Suis a la recherche d'une agence sérieuse pour ma croisière 2016 car en lisant sur internet je vois des différences entre costa Belgique et France mais je…
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
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 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!