Bonjour,
Nous venons de passer 25 jours sur le Fortuna, pour 2 croisières, une de 8 jours qui allait aux Bermudes itinéraire sans grand intérêt, car rester 3 jours aux Bermudes avec 16 degrés et du vent, ce n'est pas le top. Mais comme nous aimons rester sur le bateau, ce n'était pas trop gênant pour nous, pas pour d'autres passagers, qui ne faisaient que cette croisière. On se serait cru à Lourdes tellement il y avait de fauteuils roulants pour les Américains en nombre majoritaire lors de cette croisière. Nous avons pu mesurer combien ils peuvent être désagréables et écoeurants : ils "bouffent" et boivent toute la journée, à tel point que les garçons ne pouvaient pas nettoyer le self correctement, que les tables restaient collantes, que les sols étaient glissants et que tous les sièges étaient défoncés à cause de leur obésité, même chose pour les chaises longues complètement avachies.
Quant à la seconde croisière qui était la Transat, la 12è pour nous, elle fut moins problèmatique quoique... Le contingent d'Américains obèses et bruyants avait diminué. Le buffet a pu enfin retrouver un aspect normal de propreté : évidemment on a toujours vu des Américains se promener avec un verre ou une saucisse à la main, et même apporter une bouteille de vin avec les verres au bar, d'une délicatesse...! Enfin quand on est rustre, on est rustre ! Je vais clore le paragraphe "Américains " pour signaler qu'ils sont de plus en plus paranos : pour les passagers enchaînant les 2 croisières à Fort Lauderdale, on nous a obligé à débarquer puis à réembarquer, en nous laissant 2 heures environ dans une salle, à attendre, puis on nous a fait remonter à bord. Ridicule.
L'autre fléau de cette croisière a été les gamins : notre cabine était située entre 2 cabines à forte occupation, dans l'une un couple avec 3 enfants complètement tarés, qui ne cessaient de pleurnicher et de hurler, dans l'autre, un couple et 2 gamins qui n'arrêtaient pas de claquer les portes du balcon. Heureusement durant la nuit ils dormaient. Notez bien que les seuls enfants n'étaient pas tarés, les parents l'étaient aussi,
car rester 25 jours à 5 dans 16 m2, difficile, et de plus ils dînaient au 2d service à 21 heures. Il serait temps que Costa songe à grouper les cabines à forte occupation dans le même secteur pour laisser un peu de tranquillité aux autres passagers plus calmes, car en général, on fait une croisière pour se reposer et non pour devoir supporter les hurlements de gamins dont les parents ne savent pas se faire obéir, qu'ils soient italiens ou français, ici.
Pour la nourriture, elle a toujours été abondante et variée, même au buffet : saumon fumé, charcuteries, céréales, laitages, plats chauds, bacon, etc... café et thé à disposition toute la nuit, des glaces aussi dans la journée.
Pour 25 jours, sans nous priver, et en buvant eau minérale et vin à tous les repas, nous avons dépensé 1200€ de faux frais, avec les pourboires,
ce qui fait la croisière à 144 € par jour et par personne.
Evidemment, nous n'avons pas fait d'excursion avec le bateau.
Si vous avez des questions, je reste à votre disposition. Bonne journée.
Je viens de lire votre message concernant votre retour de croisière...
Cela me laisse perplexe de lire ce que vous avez vécu car en plus j'envisageais pour 2010, une transate avec mon épouse sur ce même parcours !!!
J'ai eu pourtant l'occasion de travailler en extérieur avec eux et je n'ai pas connu ce genre de mésaventure.
Mais, bien entendu, je n'ai jamais fait de croisière avec des passagers américains.
Je savais qu'ils mangeaient à toutes heures et étaient trés respectueux vis à vis des étrangers !
Par contre, l'idée de vous faire descendre pour ré embarquer, là c'est fou...
On est en pleine paranoïa quant on pense à la vérification de l'accès à bord et aussi aux précautions émises par la compagnie.
Merci de ces infos, comme quoi ce forum est utile et nous permet à tous de trouver là des solutions.
Avez-vous des photos, si oui pourriez-vous nous en faire profiter ?
Costa ne dispose pas de cabine quintuple, je ne comprends pas donc cette famille de 5 dans une cabine ????
avez vous choisi votre cabine ? car sur le plan on repere tres bien les cabines quadruples et c'est assez facile de les eviter car il n y en n'a pas beaucoup 😎 c'est donc pas de chance de vous retrouver a coté de quadruple !!!!
Isabelle, amoureuse des croisières:
COSTA, MSC, ROYAL CARIBBEAN, CELEBRITY, PRINCESS, NCL, HAL, PONANT, OCEANIA, AZAMARA
A VENIR
CELEBRITY EQUINOX 09/11/2026 Grèce Italie Malte
Petite precision en ce qui concerne l'arrivée et le depart des bateaux de croisière à Fort Lauderdale en floride.
La loi americaine oblige la verification du bateau, celui-ci doit etre vide sans touriste à bord. Cette verification ayant ete faite le bateau peut alors acceuillir les passagers. J'en ai fait l'experience au mois de fevrier c'est vrai que cela peut paraitre bizarre mais par les temps qui courent il vaut mieux etre prudent et se sentir en securite. (ceci n'est que mon avis)
Annie du Var
Costa Fortuna01/05 Magica 11/05 Concordia 11/06 Serena 11/07 Mediterranea Miami/Caraibes 02/08 Atlantica transat caraibes 12/08
😛 Merci pour cette info qui me parait juste étant donné les circonstances.
Par contre pourriez-vous me donner des détails sur votre arrivée à FORT LAUDERDALE, à savoir comme s'est déroulée votre arrivée sur le territoire jusqu'à l'embarquement !
Finalement, es-ce intéressant de suivre ce circuit de 25 jours qui fait au départ une boucle pour repartir ensuite du même endroit ?
Ne vois-t-on pas deux fois les mêmes escales ?
Les Américains qui étaient à bord lors de notre 1ère croisière se comportaient comme des gougnafiers plutôt que comme des gens civilisés, même dans les ascenseurs on trouvait trace de leur passage, tout était collant, les garçons essuyaient sans cesse les boutons, et même les rampes en bois.
Je ne vous raconterai pas le bruit qu'ils faisaient en parlant, pire que les Italiens, car les voix sont plus criardes ! Je pense qu'il s'agissait de gens de classe sociale pas très reluisante, car, lors d'une autre croisière sur un navire US, les passagers étaient d'une autre tenue et très sympas.
A part ces petits détails, la croisière, pour nous, a été très bien. Bonne journée.
Pour l'arrivée à Fort Lauderdale, comme d'habitude Costa fait très bien les choses : nous sommes arrivés la veille à Miami avec un avion d'Iberia, (compagnie à éviter comme la peste, on se demande à chaque instant si les PN ne vont pas vous mordre !!). A l'aéroport, après avoir attendu pas très longtemps, cette fois à l'immigration, US Citizen et "the rest of the world", c'est-à-dire nous, on récupère les valises en espèrant les avoir toutes, ce qui fut le cas. Une bonne note en passant : à Miami il n'est pas besoin d'avoir une pièce de monnaie pour prendre un chariot à bagages facile à avoir.
Une fois vos bagages récupérés, on sort, et là les correspondants de Costa vous attendent pour vous envoyer dans l'hôtel choisi avec une limousine ou un bus, selon le nombre de passagers. Dès que vous embarquez dans le bus ou la limou, vous ne vous occupez plus de vos bagages, qui vous seront livrés dans votre chambre.
A l'hôtel, il y a un autre correspondant de Costa qui vous remet une lettre vous indiquant à quelle heure le bus passera vous prendre le jour de l'embarquement pour vous emmener à Fort Lauderdale. Généralement vous préparez vos bagages pour 9 heures du matin, mais vous avez la chambre jusqu'à midi. Vous retrouverez vos valises dans votre cabine, une fois à bord. Il est à signaler que sur 12 Transats, nous n'avons jamais eu un seul problème avec nos bagages, même si parfois nous somme arrivés à Miami 3 jours avant la croisière. Tout est parfaitement rodé chez Costa.
Bonne journée.
En complément des différents posts faits, je voudrais ajouter que je pense que l'entretien du bateau Costa Fortuna était moins bien fait que sur les autres bateaux. Cette année on a remarqué beaucoup de traces de rouille, que la moquette des coursives était tâchée, chose que l'on ne voyait jamais avant. Par contre, la cabine était très propre ainsi que la salle à manger. Je pense que Costa a supprimé du personnel : par exemple notre cabinier nous a dit qu'il avait à faire le ménage de 20 cabines, dont certaines étaient peuplées de 5 personnes, pour le faire, il est seul ! A la salle à manger, même chose, il n'y a plus que 2 garçons pour servir et la nourriture et le vin, car les sommeliers ont été supprimés. Quant au personnel d'encadrement en majorité italien il a considérablement diminué, donc tout le monde court et ce, avec le sourire ! Evidemment le fait de servir un repas "free" le midi à la salle à manger ne mobilise peut-être plus autant de personnel, mais moi personnellement, je trouve cette manière de faire très désagréable, ce qui pourrait mettre un frein à continuer de faire des croisières chez Costa. Je suppose que je ne suis pas la seule à penser cela. Pour moi, il hors de question d'aller déjeuner au buffet, non pas à cause de la nourriture qui n'est pas mal du tout, mais parce qu'en vacances, je n'ai pas envie de trimbaler un plateau plein de bouffe, au risque de me casser la figure avec, je préfère être servie tranquillement à table. Par contre il ne me gène pas du tout de devoir passer une robe ou un pantalon pour déjeuner à la salle à manger. Finalement, je préfère les repas à heure fixe, avec les serveurs habituels, c'est beaucoup plus reposant, tout au moins pour moi.
Si d'autres forumeurs ont remarqué quelques changements sur les bateaux Costa, j'aimerais beaucoup le savoir.
Bonne soirée.
j'ai fait une croisiere sur le costa serena en octobre dernier, et le personnel etait toujours aussi nombreux, le service a la salle a manger impeccable, nous etions toujours servi tous en meme temps et l'enchainement impeccable, SERVICE IMPECCABLE PARTOUT
par contre je prends le fortuna en octobre prochain et cela me surprend d'apprendre qu'il ne serait pas tres bien entretenu 🤪
Les cabiniers ont toujours eu beaucoup de cabines a s'occuper, ce n'est malheuresement pas nouveau, tu parles de cabine pour 5 ????????????? je n'en vois aucune sur aucun bateau de chez costa, et pourtant ça ml'arrangerait bien qu'il y en ait avec mes 3 enfants
pourrais tu me dire quels numeros de cabines accueillent 5 personne car ça doit être nouveau !! MERCI
Isabelle, amoureuse des croisières:
COSTA, MSC, ROYAL CARIBBEAN, CELEBRITY, PRINCESS, NCL, HAL, PONANT, OCEANIA, AZAMARA
A VENIR
CELEBRITY EQUINOX 09/11/2026 Grèce Italie Malte
Bonsoir Jancha
Nous avons passé une excellente croisière en Novembre sur le Séréna.
Mais déçue pour l'entretient du bateau :Il nous est arrivé de prendre notre petit déj au 2° étage, dans un petit coin tranquille, mais surprise des aliments et croutons de pain (de la veille !) gisaient sur le sol, des traces de mains sur les vitres du resto sont restées jusqu'à la fin de notre séjour ...et pas de "bol" avec notre femme de cabine .Dès le premier jour, je lui ai montré certaines choses ....mais là nous ne sommes pas tombé sur le bon numéro!!!!!!!!mais pas graves du tout, rien est parfait😛
Cette croisière était vraiment maqnifique :détente, bien être, beauté des paysages, et que de bons moments avec de nouvelles connaissances😉
La cabine dont je parle était bien peuplée de 2 adultes et de 3 (trois) enfants, qui n'étaient évidemment pas des ados mais des bambins, entre 4 et 8 ans je pense, il s'agit de la cabine 8270 du Fortuna.
Bonne journée.
c'est justement la cabine que j'aurai mais elle n'est que quadruple !
nous avons du prendre une autre cabine que ma fille partage avec la fille de nos amis,
je pense qu'elle va souvent venir nous voir !
en sortant de la cabine les gens pourront penser qu'on est 5 a partager la cabine mais ce n'est pas le cas
APRES VERIFICATION je peux te dire qu'il n'existe pas de cabine pour 5 chez costa.
cela existe chez MSC et CARNIVAL
Isabelle, amoureuse des croisières:
COSTA, MSC, ROYAL CARIBBEAN, CELEBRITY, PRINCESS, NCL, HAL, PONANT, OCEANIA, AZAMARA
A VENIR
CELEBRITY EQUINOX 09/11/2026 Grèce Italie Malte
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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 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!