Voilà, les valises sont pretent(meme si madame verifie tjrs si on a rien oublié), je voudrait remercier ttes les personnes qui ont repondu a toutes nos interrogations, sur la preparation de notre 1ere croisiere, mais voilà qu'aujourd'hui, une autre interrogation, ns faisont escale a TUNIS, faut il faire du change ou bien acceptent ils les EURO.
Un petit coucou a MONAC et XINCHUNGAO, qui vont faire parti de la meme croisiere, se serait sympa de se rencontrer.😉
l'euro est très bien accepté en tunisie. si vous y séjournez longtemps, vous pouvez prendre de la monnaie locale mais pour une escale dune journée, préférez l'euro.
Costa Atlantica Mer et Mythes classiques ( 11/2005)
Costa Concordia Magique Méditerranée (09/2006)
Costa Serena Vision D'orient (11/2007 )
www.aufeminin.com (dans albums, taper nom du bateau ou mon pseudo:belatrix; mot de passe atlantica et Concordia et serena )
1) negociez tous vos depenses en € et payez directement en €
2) faites le change aupres des guichets des banques présents au port de la goulette,
et au moment de negociez les prix, negociez les en €, puis une fois la transaction conclue, faites une multiplication du prix par 0.55 et payez en dinars . par exemple si vous avez conclue l'achat d'un objet traditionel à 10 dinars par exemple, le prix a payer en € serait 10 DT * 0.55 = 5 € 50 cent
j'espère ne pas avoir fait trop compliqué
Bon voyage
il faut être logique : si vous allez UN jour en tunisie, et en plus vous ne ferez pas forcément des tonnes d'achats, l'euro suffit.
je trouve vos remarques extrémement blessantes et je dois dire que je commence sincérement en avoir assez de vous voir agir ainsi sur un forum qui sse veut convivial et non agressif.
Costa Atlantica Mer et Mythes classiques ( 11/2005)
Costa Concordia Magique Méditerranée (09/2006)
Costa Serena Vision D'orient (11/2007 )
www.aufeminin.com (dans albums, taper nom du bateau ou mon pseudo:belatrix; mot de passe atlantica et Concordia et serena )
Mais allez-y donc carrément avec des dollars US, comme ça ça sera encore mieux ; vous ne vous rendez pas vraiment compte apparemment de la cible dans le dos que vous vous mettez en utilisant votre devise dans des pays comme la Tunisie, l'Egypte... Alors ça ne vous fait pas plaisir de vous l'entendre dire.... Ben, peut-être, mais c'est la réalité....
Avec des dollars US, c'est simple et clair, tout est trois fois plus cher, avant même toute autre considération.
Découvrir un pays c'est aussi avoir un contact avec cet élément très important qu'est la devise ; un billet dans la main, que l'on regarde, que l'on découvre et que l'on utilise, ça vaut à mon avis des tas de visites de musée.
C'est vrai que Tatra, qui est un membre ancien de ce forum, s'exprime souvent brièvement, ce qui peut apparaître comme un peu "sec" parfois mais c'est sa façon claire et nette de s'exprimer, mais ses infos sont exactes.
Ce n'est pas "agressif", et je ne vois pas en quoi ces remarques sont "blessantes" je l'avoue, c'est la réalité: Ceci dit, chez moi, en Belgique, dans les zones touristiques (Bruxelles près de la grand Place, mer du Nord ou Ardennes), croyez-moi, lorsque des dollars apparaissent dans les portefeuilles, les prix augmentent aussi
Ce n'est pas propre du tout à la Tunisie, c'est la règle du jeu vis-à vis de touristes qui parfois ne font que "consommer" une destination en faisant étalage de leur pouvoir d'achat: donc ceux qui gagnet en moyenne 150 € brut par mois cherchent à profiter de cette manne, pourquoi pas ?
Il est donc préférable, même pour un seul jour, changer ses euros en dinar si vous voulez faire de bonnes affaires, ou en tout cas payer le prix correct
Mais vous trouverez toujours la possibilité de payer en euro ou par carte bancaire dans bon nombre d'endroits si le change vous ennuie.
Bonne soirée.
Et quand bien même on payerait plus cher en euros qu'en dinars, ça ne va pas chercher bien loin
Si on doit payer 1€ quelque chose qu'on payerait en équivalent en dinars 0, 50 cts d'euros où est le problème ???
Tout est tellement peu cher en Tunisie qu'il me semble que pour une journée en escale, ça ne vaut pas le coup de se prendre la tête, d'autant que, si on change on a des frais et qu'on doit tout dépenser sur place puisque la devise est reprise mais pas à la même valeur que celle à laquelle on l'a achetée
C'est bien se compliquer la vie pour pas grand chose
je suis également d'avis que changer les euros en dinars pour 3 heures de visite en Tunisie, ça ne vaut pas la peine à partir du moment où ils acceptent les euros ou bien si on peut payer par carte les achats plus importants.
Pour les petites dépenses, on va perdre pas mal avec la différence de change.
Rien ne nous empêche de marchander en dinars, puis de faire la conversion en euros et proposer notre prix ensuite - on ne sort pas des liasses de billets en euros avant de marchander !
De toutes façons, même en marchandant et en payant en dinars, on se fera avoir 😏
Costa Magica "Dolce vita" 28.06.2008
Ksar el Nil : "au fil du temps" 10.10.2008
"C'est bien se compliquer la vie pour pas grand chose"
Comme je le disais, au-delà de la question de taux de change, je pense que c'est aussi une partie du charme, de la découverte d'une culture et d'un pays que d'avoir et d'utiliser les monnaies locales. Je serais affreusement frustré de me passer de ça, en tous cas... 🙂
Mais j'admets que je n'ai sûrement pas l'esprit croisière.
Vous savez l'escale à Tunis en général dure que 5 h alors on évite de perdre du temps c'est tout
Mais c'est vrai que la dernière fois que j'y suis allée, comme je voulais prendre le train on a retiré des dinars au distributeur, le train nous a couté presque rien en dinars pour aller à Sidi-Bou-Saîd et Carthages alors que si nous avions pris le taxi, nous aurions payé au moins 55 €, alors qu'est-ce qui est le mieux pour les Tunisiens ???
En ce qui me concerne si j'ai peu d'heures dans un pays je ne fais que deux choses : changer un peu d'argent et flâner dans les rues. C'est tout ce qui m'importe.
Ce qui est mieux pour les Tunisiens ?..... Ben ça je ne sais pas... C'est même une drôle de question....
je suis désolée mais je suis plutôt d'accord avec Vero 34, quand bien même cela ne va pas chercher bien loin... et nous ne payons pas en dollars....... il faut relativiser aussi pour les quelques euros que nous dépensons sur place...
Tatra est peut-être un membre ancien du forum mais ce n'est pas la première fois qu'il s'exprime comme cela et il y a être sec et avoir des remarques déplacées et blessantes. ce monsieur ne fait pas de croisières, les critique à tout bout de champ et j'ai surtout l'impression que cela lui fait plaisir de faire ce genre de remarque car il considère ce type de voyage comme un gros troupeau de veaux....
je n'ai pas l'habitude de m'énerver car je considère que nous sommes sur ce forum pour partager et discuter avec simplicité et convivialité.
ce sera mon dernier mot, je ne reviendrai pas là-dessus et je souhaite bonne continuation à tous les posteurs.
Costa Atlantica Mer et Mythes classiques ( 11/2005)
Costa Concordia Magique Méditerranée (09/2006)
Costa Serena Vision D'orient (11/2007 )
www.aufeminin.com (dans albums, taper nom du bateau ou mon pseudo:belatrix; mot de passe atlantica et Concordia et serena )
"Tatra est peut-être un membre ancien du forum mais ce n'est pas la première fois qu'il s'exprime comme cela et il y a être sec et avoir des remarques déplacées et blessantes."
Vous êtes drôlement susceptible. Sur un forum il faut savoir avoir des réponses qui ne correspondent pas à ce qu'on aimerait lire, ça fait partie du principe.
Ceci dit, n'en parlons plus, c'est sans importance.
tous d'abord merci pour vos reponse, chacun a donné son avis et c'est l'avantage de ces forums, je prend par de vos conseils, maintenant, ns ne savons pas ce que ns allons pouvoir ramener de Tunisie, alors, echanger combien?de trop ou pas assez, je me vois mal payer en dinars et le reste en euro, si justement pas assez.
Si, bien sûr....
Si vous êtes dans des commerces pour touristes ils prendront ce que vous aurez, même moitiè-moitié.
Ne vous en faites pas, ne tenez pas trop compte de la rudesse de nos échanges ici, c'est selon vos souhaits, selon votre manière de voir les choses, et cela ne sera de toutes façons jamais grave.
A votre place, autant que je puisse, je changerais 20 euros ou 30 par curiosité et pour quelques achats, et si nécessaire pour de plus grosses dépenses j'aviserais.
Bonjour..... eh bien, en voilà des commentaires. Il y a une solution aussi. Nous venons de faire cette croisière et nous ne sommes pas descendus à Tunis (5h sur place). Nous avons profité du bateau avec peu de monde à bord, cela fait du bien...car le programme est chargé durant cette semaine. Maintenant c'est à vous de voir. Plus d'infos sur mon site http://www.demarrer1234.be
je suis d'accord avec toi Delphine
Tatra prend un malin plaisir a faire passer les gens pour des C...
Il semble mieux savoir que tout le monde !et pourtant d'apres ses dires il n'a jamais fait de croisiere et n'envisage pas d'en faire
je repose encore la question que vient il faire sur ce forum ????
Pour répondre a la question initiale, j'ai payé en euro lors de l'escale à tunis
Je ne vois pas l'interet de changer pour quelques heures quand on peut payer dans sa monnaie locale, on paye des interets quand on change !!!
et je n'ai pas eu l'impression de me faire passer pour un pigeon, je suis au contraire du genre a negocier et a ne pas lacher !!! 😉
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
"je repose encore la question que vient il faire sur ce forum ???? "
Moi quand j'ai une question à poser je la pose directement à la personne concernée... 🙂
Tout le monde peut venir sur n'importe quelle branche du forum, et la branche croisière n'est pas à ma connaissance réservée aux croisiéristes (On dit comme ça ? 🤪).
Je pense avoir développé les motifs pour lesquels à mon avis il est important de faire un peu de change, et ne pas en être resté du tout à la question des frais ; pour moi c'est bien autre chose.
sincèrement non je suis la personne la plus souple du monde mais il est dommage que vous veniez uniquement pour faire des remarques toujours dommageables.....
je vous souhaite néanmoins de continuer à faire de beaux voyages et peut-être qu'un jour vous comprendrez certaines choses.
Costa Atlantica Mer et Mythes classiques ( 11/2005)
Costa Concordia Magique Méditerranée (09/2006)
Costa Serena Vision D'orient (11/2007 )
www.aufeminin.com (dans albums, taper nom du bateau ou mon pseudo:belatrix; mot de passe atlantica et Concordia et serena )
Il m'est arrivé de venir sur cette branche pour autre chose, comme des moyens de visiter Istanbul par soi-même ; mais comme le disais l'état d'esprit des croisières me laisse toujours un sourire d'incrédulité que d'aucuns prendront pour de la moquerie.
oui bien sur aucun probleme nous on partira de monaco à 9h00 du matin pour etre a savone à 11h30 environ pour tunis une escale de quelque heure je pense garder des euro .
a tunis un amis de ma fille nous attendra au port il sont dans le meme college ( a menton )
mon adresse mail chnat@libello.com pour contact a plus
Ça y est! Nous allons faire notre deuxième croisière après une expérience réussie sur le MSC Lirica il y a deux ans et j'aimerais avoir tout ce que vous pouvez…
Je pars sur le Delilozia jeudi prochain: Savone Barcelone, Casablanca, Santa Cruz Funchal Malaga, Rome, Savone. Ma question est: Ne voulant pas acheter sur le…
C'est la quatrieme croisiere que nous faisons, cette fois ci avec le Costa Magica en Mediterranée. Nous avons pris l'excursion de Tunis; nous avons payé 50…
Nous avons avec le costa magica une escale de 6 heures à tunis et aimerions prendre un taxi à 4 pour se rendre à sidi boussaid. quelqu'un peut-il me dire le…
Hello,
We’re back from this cruise.
Boarding in Dunkirk: The doors opened around 12 PM. Since we were a bit early, I asked if my husband, who uses a walker, could wait inside instead of outside. I left him with the two suitcases and our two backpacks in the small hall while I parked the car in the reserved CFC parking lot for 10 € per day.
The shuttle that was supposed to take people from the parking lot to the model pavilion was supposed to arrive in 5 minutes, but after 15 minutes, nothing. After waiting 15 minutes, I saw a man walking and asked if I could follow him. In 15 minutes, we arrived, and still no sign of the shuttle—it must have passed us. Arrived at the model pavilion.
My husband had already checked in the suitcases with the help of a CFC staff member. The remaining formalities were completed quickly. We were on board by 12:15 PM. Headed to the buffet on deck 11 and waited in a lounge to access our cabin.
At 2 PM, we discovered our balcony cabin on deck 9 at the rear: spacious with a large balcony compared to MSC/COSTA.
Since we were at the rear, cabin 9202, there was always an issue with elevator number 4: "priority."
Elevator number 2 stops at deck 10... and elevator number 3 was often out of order, leaving only number 1 for those with mobility issues to reach the buffet, especially for people who struggle with stairs. Note: only one child on board and lots of "gray hair."
DAY 2: At sea. Lots of activities offered.
Day 3: GOTHENBURG (Sweden). Sunny, 19°C at 11 AM.
Excursion booked with CFC: Gothenburg and Haga for all.
Interesting visit with a great guide. The HAGA district, in our opinion, is full of cobblestones and nothing special, not suitable for people using a cane or wheelchair. Elevator number 3 was out of order again.
Day 4: Copenhagen. 15°C in the morning, showers in the afternoon.
We didn’t book an excursion since we’d already stopped here with CFC in 2025, and based on advice from this forum, we took the hop-on/hop-off bus right in front of the ship. I still went to see the Little Mermaid again.
No TV, but the elevator was fixed.
DAY 5: At sea. Still no TV.
DAY 6: GDANSK (Poland). 15°C, rain all day.
There’s a shuttle to get to the city center.
We took the excursion: Panorama of Gdansk.
The guide left us at the entrance of the city center for 45 minutes, telling us what to visit. Meet-up for the rest of the tour at 3 PM. The bus left at 3:15 PM to cover 10 km to see St. Mary’s Cathedral. We arrived at 4:16 PM... The guide said there are often traffic jams in that direction. We had 10 minutes on site before heading to see the lighthouse and the Westerplatte monument, where we also had 10 minutes.
Many of us wondered why we didn’t do the tour in the opposite direction since they knew there would be traffic...
I went to reception to complain about the organization. The staff member read me the program: we were supposed to start with the lighthouse, then go to the cathedral and stay for 30 minutes before heading to the center of Gdansk for a short guided walk with some free time to buy souvenirs, etc.
The guide did the complete opposite of what was planned and didn’t even give us a guided tour—just dropped us off in the city...
DAY 7: Bornholm Island (Denmark). 14°C, a few sunny spells.
We saw in the excursions that there was a walking tour of RØNNE. So, like many others, we explored on our own. There was a small orchestra welcoming us at the port and two people with city maps. We took the shuttle to leave the port—it ran every 15 minutes. The tourist office was next to the "shuttle bus." A pleasant visit at our own pace.
DAY 8: KIEL (Germany). 18–23°C, nice weather.
We took the "Kiel for all" excursion. Great guide and interesting visits.
The port is in the city, and in 10 minutes, we were in the city center by following a blue line on the ground from the port. Elevator 3 was stuck again... and the TV was back.
DAY 9: At sea. Elevator 3 works.
DAY 10: At sea. Elevator 3 is out of order again...
DAY 11: Disembarkation in Dunkirk.
Cabins had to be vacated by 7:30 AM. Buffet open until 9 AM.
Elevator number 1 was "reserved," leaving only number 2, which doesn’t go up to deck 11... a problem for people with mobility issues who had to cross the entire deck 11 and try to use one of the four working elevators at the front, which were crowded.
My opinion: Interesting stops.
The onboard staff were always welcoming, smiling, and mostly French-speaking.
Evening shows were better than in March/April 2025—better singers, dancers, and presenters, and the costumes were improved.
I liked the "magician" shows less.
There were three onboard lectures by a very cultured person, but they went off-topic and were too historical for my taste. I didn’t attend the other two; my husband went to the second but not the third.
For this cruise, there was a bridge theme, but we’re not players or interested.
We didn’t take a drink package on board—water, coffee, tea, and herbal teas were available.
We had a water leak in our cabin the night before disembarkation. We reported it, and after the technical staff came (with a translator who didn’t speak English), we were asked to leave the cabin for a while for repairs. We went to a lounge, and after 1.5 hours, I checked in at reception. The repair took longer than expected... we had to change cabins... not ideal the night before disembarkation. No balcony cabins were available, so we got an ocean-view cabin, 6075, with a bathtub (impossible for both of us to use). We packed our suitcases, took a shower in our cabin, and moved to the new one. Noise from chairs until 12:30 AM because the cabin was under a lounge, and constant ventilation noise in the hallway... sleep was hard to come by.
Disembarkation: Well organized. We were helped with transporting the two suitcases and bags to the waiting room while I took the shuttle to get the car.
Guylène
Hi there,
Here’s the 2027 cruise schedule.
It’s a great way to get ideas and maybe even meet up with other members!
2 essential rules:
1) Never "quote" the schedule when replying—this avoids any confusion.
2) Follow this format:
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
REMINDER Despite my requests, few people follow the requested format. Cruises that stray too far from it won’t be listed anymore—sorry about that. IMPORTANT Please respect the templates!
PLEASE COPY AND PASTE THE FORMAT BELOW AND REPLACE WITH YOUR DETAILS IF YOU’RE HAVING TROUBLE
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
It takes time to fix mistakes, so THANKS TO EVERYONE for your help!
YOUR TURN 😉
NUMBER OF 2027 CRUISES: 1
JANUARY
14/01 - poupou10 / AZAMARA JOURNEY / 74 days / South America Tour / Miami
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
Hello!
After a lot of hesitation between different cruise lines (Explora, Oceania, YC, HAL, NCL) and several destinations like Norway, Ireland, and Iceland,
I finally chose NCL’s Star for Iceland.
I had already looked at this itinerary when I went to Scotland in April with CFC, but it was really expensive.
You should know that CFC often offers last-minute deals 45 days before departure (the point when you can no longer cancel or modify).
So, I got a great opportunity and grabbed it.
Departure is on August 23rd.
hi there
Here’s the cruise schedule for 2026.
It’s a great way to get ideas and maybe even meet up with other members.
2 essential rules:
1) never "quote" the calendar when replying—this’ll avoid any confusion
2) follow the format below
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
REMINDER Despite my requests, few people follow the requested format. Cruises that stray too far from it won’t be listed anymore—sorry!PLEASE respect the templates!
COPY AND PASTE THE FORMAT BELOW AND REPLACE WITH YOUR DETAILS IF YOU’RE STRUGGLING
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
It takes time to fix mistakes, so THANKS TO EVERYONE for your help!
YOUR TURN 😉
NUMBER OF CRUISES 2026:
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
We’re taking an MSC cruise in May, and after the Cinque Terre, we’ll be stopping in Naples. We’d like to know if it’s possible to walk out of the port quickly and reach a nice area of Naples on foot (we’re two older people). While we’re at it, I’ll ask the same question for Palermo, since we’ll be there the next day. Thanks for your replies.
Hi everyone,
I’m staying in a suite on the Pacifica in October and I can’t find any details about the suite benefits beyond the elite restaurant, the butler, and the espresso machine.
What about breakfast and meals served free in the cabin, and the spa?
Costa’s been cutting back on perks for Gold members, and it seems like suites are next.
Thanks for your replies!
hi,
I’m leaving Hamburg for Iceland at the end of July. The boat arrives in Reykjavik on Tuesday, August 4th at 8 AM, and I’d like to book a day trip like the Golden Circle or Secret Lagoon… The sites like GetYourGuide and others list departures at 8 AM. If you’ve used these sites with the MSC Preziosa, could you let me know how to go about it?
Thanks! 😉
allyMB007
Hello everyone,
It’s with immense sadness that I learned this morning of the passing of our friend Nathalie (nadu). Many of us knew her through this forum, which she loved so much. She enjoyed reading your travel stories, joining discussions, sharing her cruise reviews, and offering valuable advice—always with kindness, gentleness, and discretion.
For me, Nathalie was so much more than just a cruise enthusiast. She was a friend, a deeply kind person who was always there to listen, despite the many health challenges she faced with tremendous courage. We corresponded regularly, and sometimes we had the chance to visit each other’s homes or attend the cruise show together with our respective husbands.
We shared a common dream: when we both retired, we had planned to finally go on a cruise together. Life had other plans, and that trip will forever remain a journey we never had the chance to take. That thought weighs heavily on my heart today.
I’ll remember her as a gentle, generous woman who was always ready to help others. Her presence on this forum will leave a huge void, just as her friendship has in my life.
I send my sincerest thoughts to her husband, her family, and all those who had the chance to know her.
Fair winds, Nathalie. I like to think you’re now sailing on an infinitely calm sea, under an eternally blue sky. You’ll remain in our thoughts and hearts every time we talk about cruises or set off on a new journey.
Rest in peace, Nathalie.
For those who’d like to send a message of comfort and sympathy to her husband, you can send me a PM, and I’ll pass it along.
THANK YOU
Hello everyone,
So happy to be back on this Forum!
We’re heading off on another cruise—our 7th—after a 5-year break...
We’ll be leaving from Venice on April 26th with stops in Kotor, Mykonos, Santorini, and Ancona.
Could you help me plan the stops by sharing tips, tricks, and advice?
For those who already know me, you know we prefer not to take the cruise line’s excursions but instead organize everything ourselves.
Thanks in advance to everyone, and looking forward to chatting with you all!
Hello,
We’re taking a cruise to Northern Europe with a stop in SOUTHAMPTON.
We’d like to visit the Stonehenge site.
Is it possible to get there on our own (my husband is a wheelchair user), since the MSC excursion to Salisbury is priced at 127 € per person?
There’s also a stop in Rotterdam, and it seems there’s a "miniature village to visit" nearby. Has anyone here been there, and if so, how did you get there?
Thanks so much for your tips. Mum49
If you're traveling on the Costa Diadema from October 17th to 28th, 2026 to Lisbon, we can meet up for a drink. Share our cruising experiences, an excursion, a table...
hi there, a group of friends and I are going on a cruise at the end of June with CFC in Norway. I’d love to get some info on the different stops we’ll be making. Most of them are one-day stops (from around 10 AM to 8 PM on average). Here are the stops: Andalsnes, Trondheim, Honningsvåg, Alta, Hellesylt, Sandane, Austefjorden.
Thanks in advance to anyone who can share what there is to see or do in these places.
When I get back, I’ll post what we did—it might help others who come after us.
Also, does anyone know if the boat sticks to the arrival time in Dunkirk for catching tickets to head back south? We’ll plan a buffer just in case.
Hi there, The day before boarding the Costa Favolosa for the Norwegian Fjords cruise departing from Hamburg, I'd like to book a hotel. Which one would be the most convenient location-wise relative to the port?
Thanks in advance for your reply.
Hello,
We’ll be sailing on the Renaissance with CFC to southern Norway from July 4 to 11, 2026, departing from Dunkirk (the cruise was booked through "Planète Croisière").
When entering some personal details or pre-selecting options on the CFC website, I’m wondering about the "optional" categories for drinks and WiFi.
I’m actually a bit surprised by these extra charges, as we weren’t used to them on other cruises (Australis in Patagonia; Hurtigruten’s Coastal Express in Norway and Alaska; Rivages du Monde in the Arctic or on the Douro River; a Nile river cruise in Egypt), where we sometimes had access to basic drinks at meals and free WiFi when near land.
Anyway, for those who’ve already taken a CFC cruise on the Renaissance, could you share some advice? Specifically about the most basic drink package, called "Fraîcheur" (238 € for two), which doesn’t seem to be described anywhere. The "Premium" package seems excessive (490 € for two for the week) for light drinkers.
As for WiFi, it’s 10 € per day per person. While I find that price acceptable for parking our car in Dunkirk, it feels overpriced here (especially since it was free on the Nordlys "Coastal Express" just 3 or 4 years ago).
So, I’d love to hear from experienced cruisers who’ve been on this ship!
Looking forward to seeing the excursion prices, which should be available soon! 😐
Hi there,
I’m considering a cruise on this ship in the recently introduced Yacht Club category.
Have any forum members tried it?
What are your thoughts? Positive or negative? Which cabins should we go for—or avoid?
We’re already familiar with the Yacht Clubs on the Splendida, Fantasia, Preziosa, and Divina series.
We weren’t as keen on the one on the Seashore—we found it too big.
Thanks in advance for your feedback!
Best,
Claudine
We're considering a new cruise soon and would like to try the Renaissance.
The uniqueness of the promenade cabins appeals to us, but could anyone give us some insights on the following points:
- Is the glass door sufficiently tinted to prevent outsiders from seeing into the cabin?
- Is the soundproofing good enough to block out conversations on the promenade deck?
Thanks in advance to anyone who can help!
My husband, our two teens, and I are going on a cruise on the COSTA Esmeralda at the beginning of July. We’re thinking of exploring the ports on our own. Do any of you have recent experiences or tips to share? Are there shuttles between the port and the city center? Are they free? Looking forward to hearing from you.
As promised, here’s my review of the cruise I took from the 5th to the 19th on the MSC Virtuosa.
As you know, I had initially booked a cruise with Mein Schiff departing from Dubai (from Dubai to Cape Town). It was a 22-day cruise. Due to the issues in the Persian Gulf, my cruise was canceled by Mein Schiff.
So, we started looking for a Plan B because we really wanted to go. Especially my wife, who had just had a minor procedure and needed some rest. Since she had already taken time off, she was determined to travel. However, we were looking for an affordable Plan B since we weren’t sure when Mein Schiff or the airline would reimburse us.
While browsing online, I found a 15-day cruise departing from Pointe-à-Pitre (including flights, transfers, the cruise, and drinks) for a price of 1,200 € in a Fantastica balcony cabin. We thought, *Why not?*
I should mention that I’m not usually a big fan of MSC. My last experience with them was post-Covid (I took two cruises, one in 2021 and another in 2022), and it was honestly a disaster. We didn’t want to repeat that, but after talking to Catherine, who told me she was very happy with a short Christmas cruise, we decided to give it a try.
I have to say, I was left speechless. Honestly, the cruise was absolutely perfect. There’s nothing to complain about (or just a few minor details). In terms of service and food, I felt like I was on a premium cruise line. I’d even say MSC has nothing to envy from some of those companies. While premium lines like Holland, Celebrity, and Royal are cutting back on services, I think MSC has made huge improvements. Seriously, I wasn’t expecting this at all. You’ll see what I mean as we chat more.
I won’t do a full review like I usually do because there weren’t many stops:
1. We boarded in Pointe-à-Pitre
2. We stopped in Saint-Martin
3. Then it was a direct crossing to the Azores...
This cruise was really about relaxing, even if it’s not the kind of trip we usually take.
First off, I’m not a big fan of "flight and cruise" packages. I asked if we could leave two days early, but they said it wasn’t possible. We had to take the flight, then the bus, and board the ship directly.
It’s not really my thing, but given the price we paid and since we really wanted to relax, we thought, *Why not?*
Here’s the itinerary:
Boarding in Pointe-à-Pitre
Saint-Martin
Five days at sea
The Azores
Four days at sea
Hamburg
One day at sea
Le Havre
But as I mentioned, it wasn’t about the itinerary. It was really about taking a break and unwinding. Honestly, I came back thrilled.
We’re stopping over in Rovinj this coming May, and since we’ve already visited the main sights (port, church, etc.), is there a walk we can do on our own—no boat needed—that would fill a morning?
Thanks to anyone who knows the area…
My wife and I are going on a cruise on the MS Vesteralen on August 4th. The ship stays close to the coast to deliver mail and packages. My wife is a musician and is sensitive to the movement of the boat. Which deck and cabin should we choose?
Hi there,
So, I booked this cruise...
I know CFC gets a lot of criticism—
- And that it’s not really like the ships I usually take.
But the destination really interested me...
So, I’m giving it a try...
I’m going in with an open mind, thinking I got a good deal, so I’m not expecting the same experience as when I travel with Yacht Club or The Haven.
We’ll see... soon!
hi, we’re going on a cruise with MSC Virtuosa in the Caribbean. Has anyone done this cruise before and could give us some tips for excursions on the different islands? Thanks for your help
😉Hi there,
A few months ago, CFC put the EN VOGUE experience on sale, departing from Dunkirk.
I booked this package to test the boat and onboard services for myself.
I’d read a lot of reviews mentioning numerous issues on board, so I wanted to see for myself what it was really like…
Okay, I’ll stop rambling…
The package included boarding at 6 PM on Friday, dinner, a show, an overnight stay, and breakfast.
We chose an interior cabin for this experience—since the boat wasn’t leaving the dock, we didn’t see the point in paying more… All in all, it cost 130 € per person.
My mom joined us; she got the same cabin for 130 € with no single occupancy supplement.
We’d checked in online to board faster.
We took the train to DUNKIRK, then a taxi to the shuttle pavilion—7 € for the ride.
When we arrived at the pavilion, we were told to wait because there was a connection issue with check-in. Great start…
After about ten minutes, we were finally allowed to proceed.
At the counter, they said they didn’t have our cabin cards and no record of our check-in… Very odd.
With no solution, they put us on the bus and said we’d sort it out at reception. Perfect.
We went through security, and they confiscated our water bottles—never seen that before! Then they said my mom had a corkscrew in her bag, so they searched it… but there was no corkscrew. Total amateur hour… They eventually dropped it.
We got on the bus for a ten-minute ride…
We boarded the ship with a crew member and headed to reception.
Turns out, we weren’t the only ones in this situation.
The nightmare began… Only two staff members were handling all the issues, and everything seemed complicated.
They told my mom her cabin had been given to someone else 😲.
That was the last straw…
It took forever—they had to redo the entire check-in.
Finally, they told my mom her cabin was good to go; they’d mixed her up with someone else… After a solid half-hour, we could finally head to our cabin.
I’m determined to test everything: the pool, jacuzzi, show, restaurant, spa, etc…
TO BE CONTINUED
Hi there,
I'm looking at a cruise in the north.
Hi there,
So, I booked this cruise...
I know CFC gets a lot of criticism—
- And that it’s not really like the ships I usually take.
But the destination really interested me...
So, I’m giving it a try...
I’m going in with an open mind, thinking I got a good deal, so I’m not expecting the same experience as when I travel with Yacht Club or The Haven.
We’ll see... soon!