Bonjour,
Nous avions décidé de partir deux jours plus tôt, en faisant une halte à Berlin, afin de profiter de cette croisière pour découvrir cette ville.
Départ de Nice via Dusseldorf, malheureusement, arrivés à Berlin, nous avons regardé en vain tourner le tapis roulant... nos valises n'étaient pas au rendez-vous... une erreur à Dusseldorf, à laquelle s'est ajoutée celle d'un transporteur... après quelques complications dont je vous fait gràce, nous n'avons finalement récupéré, que par le plus grand des hasards... une première valise à l'aéroport, juste avant de prendre notre vol pour Copenhague et la seconde valise a été livrée sur le bateau lors de notre première escale à Warnemude, gràce à l'amabilité et au professionalisme d'une employée du service bagages de l'aéroport.
Embarquement rapide sur l'Opéra, pas vraiment gràce à notre black, car il n'y avait que peu de monde lorsque nous sommes arrivés en taxi, les différents transferts MSC étant entrain d'attendre leur regroupement à l'aéroport.
Le lendemain, à Warnemude, ce n'était plus la même chanson, avec l'arrivée massive des allemands...
Renseignement pris : 60% de germanophones contre... 53 français...
Petite déception, j'avais prévu de montrer la petite sirène à Mme, mais le bateau était ancré au diable vauvert... ceci étant, elle n'a pas perdu grand chose...
Découverte de l'Opéra, déco discrète et sympa, mais la cabine balcon semble bien petite en comparaison de celles de Costa ou même de Célébrity et les rangements sont un peu faibles.
Berlin soleil et chaleur
Visite des principaux points touristiques, tour de TV, île aux musées, reichstag, bundestag, check point charlie, mémorial, mur, gendarmenplatz, etc.. promenade en bateau er dîners dans des biergarten.
Le matin, visite de Rostock, jolie petite ville à 40 km de Warnemude
Gare à la sortie du bateau, 20mn de trajet, 4,7 € A/R y compris bus, tramways et ferry pour les deux villes.
GOTEBORG nuageux et chaud
Visite de la ville sans grand charme particulier, lors d'une courte visite, les principaux points d'intérêt se situant dans l'archipel voisin ou dans la visite des musées.
La quartier Haga, la plus veille maison, les canaux, le marché couvert, la célèvre Avenyn jusqu'à la place où se trouve le kunstmuseet.
Attention, le bateau accoste à 15 km du centre ville, au quai skandia, navette pour la sortie du port, mais ensuite, plus aucun transport public...
Nous avons cherché un moment, mais en vain...
retour au bateau pour acheter le transfert centre ville vendu par MSC
Après une journée en mer alternant nuages et soleil,
Soirée du Commandant, apéritifs servis dans les différents bars
Les passagers ont dans leur grande majorité revêtus leurs plus beaux atours.
Le menu est de circonstance (ce qui n'était pas le cas chez célébrity où il n'y avait aucune différence avec les autres jours)
AMSTERDAM beau temps soleil avec quelques nuages
Le bateau accoste à quelques centaines de mètres de la gare.
Promenade à pieds dans Amsterdam.
Dimanche un peu particulier, puisque c'est le Dam tot Dam, une manifestation qui réunit des milliers de cyclistes et de coureurs à pieds, partant du centre ville pour des parcours plus ou moins longs.
Puis, très agréable promenade en bateaux sur les canaux.
Après-midi, départ à 14h, la croisière devenant "fluviale" le temps d'atteindre l'écluse noordrluis et en remontant le noordseekanaal sur une longueur de 21 km pour atteindre la mer du Nord.
LE HAVRE nuageux doux
J'avais prévu de louer une voiture pour nous rendre à Honfleur, mais le loueur, qui dans un premier temps m'avait indiqué qu'il ouvrait une antenne sur le port les jours de croisières, m'a indiqué ensuite qu'il n'assumerait pas ce service, l'escale étant trop courte.
Comme il n'était pas possible de se rendre à Honfleur avec les transports publics et les loueurs en ville n'ouvrant qu'à 14h et se trouvant en dehors du port, nous avons décidé de visiter le Havre, où je n'étais pas allé depuis de très longues années.
Nous ne l'avons pas regretté, car malgré une première impression un peu réservée, la ville ayant été totalement détruite pendant la guerre et reconstruite sur un modèle uniforme, elle n'est pas sans intêret et s'est bien développée avec ses nouvelles réalisations et ses nombreux espaces verts.
La ville organise un circuit en bus, qui fait la navette du bateau avec le centre ville et un grand centre commercial.
(4€/p ticket valable sur l'ensemble des transports urbains)
Nous sommes allés en bus découvrir "les jardins suspendus", qui ont été créés dans un ancien fort militaire, qui surplombe la ville où un vaste jardin dédié aux voyages, des plantes, a été aménagé en différents espaces thématiques avec une belle vue sur la ville et la mer en son point culminant.
Un petit tour à la plage et visite de l'église St Joseph, tout en béton, érigée tel un phare dominant la ville avec un clocher culminant à 107m.
Promenade autour des bassins et du "volcan" qui habrite la médiathèque.
FERROL soleil, nuageux en fin d'après-midi.
Arrivée retardée, puis annulée car le port était fermé du fait d'une épaisse couche de brouillard.
Escale remplacée par La Corrogne.
A la sortie du port, possibilité de bus pour St Jacques de Compostelle (30€ A/R), mais gràce aux informations précieuses de Mathilde, que je remercie au passage, j'ai pu nous éviter la déconvenue d'une cathédrale en plein travaux...
Visite de La Corrogne, la ville des glaces, qui tient son nom, non pas de la température, qui y est fort agréable, mais des façades avec ses galeries vitrées du 19ème siècle. (c'était la minute culturelle..)
La marina, la plaza Maria Pita, l'église Santiago, le quartier historique, l'église Santa Maria, le jardin San Carlo, puis direction de la côte et des plages avec la célèbre tour d'Hercule avec un retour par les rues commerçantes.
(je ne pense pas que nous ayons perdu au change)
Journée en mer, avec arrivée à Lisbonne par beau temps en fin d'après-midi
Possibilité d'horaires libres pour le repas du soir afin de profiter de la soirée à Lisbonne.
C'est assez rare et fort agréable de pouvoir passer la soirée en escale.
Après avoir dîner au restaurant, nous allons visiter Lisbonne en fin de journée et by night.
Toutefois, à refaire, plutôt que de dîner sur le bateau, nous irions dans une obscure taverne pour manger et écouter quelques airs de fado.
Promenade dans l'Alfama, quartier sans doute le plus pittoresque de la ville avec ses petites rues aux escaliers abrupts et ses venelles tortueuses, la cathédrale, nous prenons l'elevator du castelo qui nous conduit jusqu'à une esplanade qui nous permet de bénéficier d'un panorama nocturne sur Lisbonne.
Après avoir remonté jusqu'à la praça da figueira, nous découvrons la praça Rossio, très animée avec un concert et nous redescendons par la grande rue commerçante jusqu'à la praça du comercio. avant de rejoindre le bateau.
LISBONNE matinée, temps magnifique soleil et ciel bleu
Nous allons en train jusqu'au monastère de Gerominos et à la tour de Belem, mais visiblement nous n'avons pas été les seuls a avoir eu cette idée...
Ensuite, promenade dans la Baixa et le Chiado, jusqu'à l'élévator da Bica et l'église de Sao Roque après une jolie vue panoramique sur la ville et le Tage.
Enfin, retour en métro jusqu'à la station maritime.
Nous reprenons la mer en passant sous le pont du 25 avril avec une dernière vue de la statue du Christo Rei.
CADIX temps super, chaud, soleil et ciel bleu
Arrivée trop tardive pour nous rendre à Séville dans de bonnes conditions.
Nous profitons du beau temps pour apprécier une nouvelle fois cette très belle ville, l'une des plus ancienne cité de l'occident, qui a su conserver un magnifique patrimoine historique et artistique.
Pour ceux qui ne sont jamais venus, les responsables touristiques ont eu la bonne idée de marquer sur le sol par des lignes de couleurs différents circuits à faire à pieds.
La cathédrale, sa crypte et avec en haut de la tour une vue extraordinaire sur cette ville blanche, la place de Espana, le chateau de santa catalina, le fort de san Sebastian, les jardins, les anciens palais et beaux immeubles rappelant la richesse historique de cette ville.
GIBRALTAR beau temps, mais comme souvent quelques nuages restent accrochés en haut du rocher.
Nous prenons le tour organisé par les locaux, environ 2h 30 € entrées comprises.
Le rocher, le tunnel, la grotte, les singes...
Arrêt en centre ville et retour par la rue commerçante, (par chance, "sunday is closed" et les commerces sont pour la plupart fermés...)
Dernière escale
PALMA arrivée à 17h avec un départ à l'aube, chaud soleil et nuages
Nous connaissons bien Palma, mais c'était l'occasion de découvrir Palma by night.
A noter que le bus 101 ne s'arrête plus au terminal croisière... les jours de croisières...
Il est remplacé par un spécial croisiéristes... à 3 €
Nous en profitons pour manger des tapas accompagnés d'un verre de sangria, dans un petit bar à tapas très sympa.
Merci pour ce CR très complet, agrémenté de plein de photos.....
C'est agréable de lire un véritable récit de cette croisière pas tellement fréquentée par les francophones!
Je suppose qu'elle s'est déroulée en septembre?
Il ne reste plus qu'à nous donner tes impressions au sujet de l'Opéra qui est un navire de la classe des plus anciens de MSC .
Présente pour la suite...
En conclusion
Nos principales attentes étant le circuit les escales et la météo nous avons été parfaitement satisfaits de cette croisière , d'autant que les repas et les services ont été, en général de bonne qualité.
Quelques remarques qui n'engagent que son auteur.
Le restaurant approdo est agréable calme avec des serveurs le plus souvent attentifs, toutefois il est arrivé que le service soit un peu long.
Les menus étaient assez diversifiés et de bonne qualité, beaucoup mieux que lors de nos dernières expériences sur Costa et Celebrity.
Mise à part quelques ratés comme cette pièce de bœuf qui est ressemblait plus à une fine tranche de rostbeaf trop cuite...
Les quelques fois où nous avons fréquenté le buffet, (excepté le jour de notre arrivée) je n'ai pu m'enpêcher de penser à certaines réflexions d'Alexandre... Seul point positif, cela me rappelait l'époque heureuse de ma jeunesse où je mangeais au resto U...
Le restaurant du midi est extrêmement bruyant et la formule , partiellement buffet , est peu conviviale.
La salle de spectacle est confortable et fonctionnelle (avec parfois trois séances) il est vrai que la salle ne contient que 600 places.
En ce qui concerne les spectacles, leur appréciation dépend avant tout des goûts de chacun, quant au aux animations, nous ni participons pas, sauf pour moi, parfois le tennis de table...
Un regret toujours beaucoup trop d'espaces fumeur.
Les escales étaient souvent relativement courtes, mais nous le savions en choisissant cette croisière et elles étaient suffisantes pour passer de bons moments dans chacune des villes et avoir un bon aperçu des endroits visités.
À noter, l'hôtesse francophone Catherine, sympathique et efficace .
Je n'ai pas bien vu, sur ce bateau, les avantages d'être black, mise à part quelques petites attentions. (à noter qu'il n'y avait pas de restaurant spécifique).
À la différence de certains forumistes, je ne m'aventurerais pas à la comparaison avec d'autres compagnies, car ne fréquentant que peu les espaces publics, spa, piscine, animations, etc.. je n'ai pas ressenti jusqu'à présent de différences vraiment significatives, de nature à me faire choisir une compagnie plutôt qu'une autre, en dehors du circuit et des escales, en rapport avec le prix.
Merci également pour ton CR. Je ne connais pas cette classe de bateau, mais tu as raison quand tu dis qu un itinéraire plus original peut primer sur le choix du bateau. Cet itinéraire donne envie!
Thierry P.
Costa Concordia (2009), Atlantica (2012), Mediterranea (2017), Diadema (2018 et 2019), Favolosa (2019)
MSC Splendida (2010 et 2017), Preziosa (2013), Fantasia (2014), Musica (2015), Magnifica (2018)
Bonjour Francine,
Effectivement, c'était la seconde semaine de septembre et nous avons eu la chance d'avoir un temps magnifique pendant toute cette croisière.
C'était notre 4ème croisière avec MSC. Départ Copenhague, Cap Nord, débarquement Oslo. Le bateau: correct Les escales: pas terribles. Cap Nord arrivée 13 h,…
Avez vous vu les infos? Le MSC Opéra vient de s’encastrer dans le quai en arrivant à Venise. Il avait une avarie moteur qui est resté bloqué en poussée et les…
Je viens de voir que "Ravenne" sera peur être le port de départ!! Notre croisière sur le MSC Opera du 8 novembre (Afrique du Sud) pour le moment pas encore…
Juste une petite relance si certains d'entre vous partent comme nous en croisière départ le 26 Mai 2018 de Gênes sur le MSC Opéra. Merci de vos réponses.
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
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,
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 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
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
Hi there,
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this cruise and its slightly unusual itinerary.
Also, what do you think about the price?
Good deal or too expensive?
Thanks
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,
In June we’re taking a cruise called "Pearls of the Baltic" on board Renaissance CFC Cruises—with stops in Kiel (Germany), Gdańsk (Poland), Rønne (Bornholm), Copenhagen (Denmark), and Gothenburg (Sweden).
This layover in Gothenburg doesn’t really inspire me—could you tell me what’s worth seeing? Are there locals offering excursions around the area by van right when you leave the port, like you often see on Caribbean cruises?
I saw there’s a hop-on hop-off bus, but I’m not sure if there’s a stop near the terminal.
What are your suggestions? Thanks in advance!
Best regards,
Hi! On June 10th, we’re heading off on a 10-day Baltic Sea cruise with CFC Cruises’ *Renaissance*. We’ll be stopping in Copenhagen, and we’re planning to take the City Sightseeing hop-on hop-off buses to explore the city with multiple stops. Could anyone tell me which quay cruise ships usually dock at and how to get from the quay to the nearest stop to board the tour bus? Thanks for your tips and suggestions!
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!