Départ d'ottawa, Canada le 25 juillet 2011 direction Fairbanks, AK. US. Arrivée à Fairbanks, de là nous voyagerons par train; Denali Park National (26, 27 juillet), Talkeetna (28, 29 juillet)
Embarquement: Whittier, AK le 30 juillet 2011 à bord du Princess Diamond destinations: Yakutat Bay, Glacier Bay, Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan et terminer notre périple à Vancouver le 6 août 2011.
nous nous partons en aout... certes, nous ne risquons pas de nous croiser
mais je serais intéressée de savoir comment vous avez trouvé le bateau, ses animations, sa cuisine, et aussi et surtout ce que votre enfant de 14 ans en a pensé... les miens ont 12 et 16 ans et c'est surtout "la vie à bord" qui les intéresse..
est-il vrai qu'il y a des buffets de minuit tous les soirs ? notre TO nous l'a dit mais je ne l'ai lu nulle part. (Perso, 2 ou 3 fois dans al semaine me suffirait mais c'est pour anticiper les surprises (bonnes et mauvaises)
merci
Quelle est votre itinéraire.
Nous avons fait la méditéranée en juin dernier.
Départ de Barcelone avec arrêt : Nice, Italie, Grèce et Turqui
pour terminer a Venise : 13 jours avec le Ruby Princess
COMMENT VOUS FAITES POUR REPERTERIOEZ TOUS LE MONDE
PARFAIT
NOUS SERONS 5 POUR LE 25 MARS SUR LE MELODY
A BIENTOT
chris et mondor " amoureux des voyages"
iles et terres du soleil costa europa janvier 2005, le nil
odyssée mauresque magnifique sur le coral juin 2007
desert tunisien , le maroc , la turquie avec excursion au caire
croatie et venise et bientot martinique
C'est quand même un monde, quand un membre du forum *pense* à *envisager* de t'envoyer ses date et lieu de croisières, que tu ne sois pas traversé immédiatement d'un éclair de télépathie, histoire de mettre à jour séance tenante tes tableaux ! 😇
Tu as une réputation à soutenir, maintenant ! 😉😉
Allez, ça ira pour cette fois ! 😉 (et puis je suis obligé d'être indulgent, avec ma double bourde de ma croisière de mai sur le Fantasia... 😊 )
Je suis re-désolé 😊 car comme vous m'aviez envoyé un message je pensais que çà se faisait automatiquement !!!! je ne suis pas encore vraiment habituée à ce forum, je suis toute nouvelle alors évidemment................on dit des bétises 😉
Mais je tiens à vous remercier pour votre super travail celà mérite mes félicitations 😎
Effectivement, même si nous ne sommes pas dans la même région, nous sommes sans doute plus proche que quand j'habitais Orléans, de 98 à 09... mais j'ai aussi habité Blois de 76 à 98...
Maintenant, se rencontrer lors d'une prochaine croisière, ce sera avec plaisir...
Mais "dans un recoin sombre au détour d'une coursive" (ah ? y avait *pas*, le recoin sombre ? 😮😊 ), y a Mme PAP qui va encore protester ! 😉
Février 2011
13-JGFrance972 (972) / Costa MEDITERRANEA / 7 jours / Caraïbes est (POINTE-A-PITRE)
Ce sont mon père (82 ans) et sa soeur (84 ans) qui naviguent, nous vous raconterons ! 😇
De retour le 5 mai 2011 : MS Celebrity Millennium, San Juan de Puerto Rico, Canal de Panama, San Diego California
http://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=4258472#4258472
nouvelle inscrite sur le forum, et je trouve ce post vraiment très utile et pratique ( pour les autres, puisque personne de ma croisère n'est inscrit ici !!!🙁)
donc pour ma 1ère croisière, voici le détail :
16/04/2011 - kilou13 de Marseille / Splendida / 7 jours / Marseille-Gênes-Palerme-La Vallette-Palma-Barcelone-Marseille.
Yessss! nous ne sommes plus tout seuls sur le Fantasia-départ de Marseille le 15 mai. En esperant bien sûr que les Pastineli ne nous feront pas le même coup que M.et Mme Pap🤪.
Et en attendant que d'autres se manifestent.
Nous serons 7 voyageurs qui partiront de Fort Lauderdale (USA) le 6 décembre 2011 sur le MSC Poesia à destination des Antilles : Puerto Rico, Antigua, Grenade, Martinique, St-Martin et Nassau, Bahamas.
Fidele lecteur de votre calendrier pour lequel je vous félicite pour votre travail; je vous indique notre prochaine croisière: Départ de Marseille le 20 Mars prochain, sur le Costa Marina 11 jours pour la " croisière en fête" en méditérannée: Livourne-Naples-Athènes-Izmir-Corfou et La Valette.
Un grand MERCI pour tout
Bonsoir Titi nous partons le 30 mars jusqu'au 10 avril avec MSC sur le splendida de Gene Katakolon Heraklion Marmaris Izimir Le Pirée Palerme Civitavecchia génes merci de nous inscrire sur la liste
ca y est c'est réservé.
Costa a eu l'excellent idée de créer une tête de croisière au Havre...
Nous avons donc réservé pour cet été en juillet:
- 7/vinthi (FR)/Costa Magica/11 jours/Europe du Nord (LE HAVRE)
bonjour Didier
une troisième croisière pour 2011
Costa Pacifica transatlantique brésilienne 18 jours départ le 28 novembre 2011 de Savone
Nous avons deux réservations pour 2012, je te les communiquerai dès que tu auras lancé le calendrier.
A bientôt
Sylvianne
Merci beaucoup.Je profite pour vous demander si vous avez des tuyaux pour la préparation de notre croisière .parking, forfait boissons, excursions ......... 😏
Bonjour et un gros merci pour cette liste!
Première croisière pour nous...
Nous aimerions inscrire notre voyage sur votre post
1 avril 2011/lili13(QC) / Celebrity Equinox /11 jours/ Caraïbes est (FORT LAUDERDALE)
En espérant rencontrer les forumeurs francophone!!!😉
bonjour, je pense que titi est en vacances actuellement.
il ne manquera pas de vous rajouter à sa liste. les mises à jour sont les vendredis..
cette semaine ce sera un peu décalé mais il le fera c'est sur.
bonne croisière...
16 croisieres à notre actifs..
CR : https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=3231650#3231650-https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=4758024#4758024-https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=5634674#5634674 -https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=5583734#5583734
bjr,
pour rencontrer des français, au dep des us, sur un navire us, ? il n'y en aura pas des tonnes
ceci dit, sans français à bord on peut vivre, une super croisiere-cela permet une détente des caquettages
existentiels, et de bouts de ficelles, des raleurs frenchies
Depuis 2003 38 croisières dont 03/2017 Deliziosa, 06/2017 MSC Meraviglia, 07/2017 MSC Meraviglia, 12/2017 Celebrity Infinity, 05/2018 Symphony of the seas, 08/2018 Costa Luminosa, 01/2019 Ovation of the seas (2), 05/2019 MSC Magnifica
A venir : 11/2019 MSC Grandiosa
Il faudrait alors marquer le n° de département pour les autres (mais il est souvent dans le pseudo...)...
sinon, si on veut être puriste, c'est anticonstitutionnel... 😎😎😎😎 (la France est "une et indivisible"...)
Mais bon, on va pas saisir pour ça le Conseil Constitutionnel... 😉
Quoique... il est souvent saisi par nos hommes (et femmes) politiques pour encore bien plus futile... 😇
bjr titi premiere croisiere pour nous deux
novembre2011
26-pjan (FR)/costa luminosa/20 jours /transatlantique mer des caraibes ( savone )
merci pour ton travail
a+
Salut Titi et les autres TDMondistes, c'est pour vous dire que nous participons à la croisière TDM en décembre 2011, mon épouse et moi.
Michel de LA REUNION (974)
Salut Titi et les autres TDMondistes, c'est pour vous dire que nous participons à la croisière TDM en décembre 2011, mon épouse et moi.
Michel de LA REUNION (974)
Bonjour Titi, merci de me répondre, j'ai oublié de préciser que nous participons à la croisière Tour du Monde sur le Costa Deliziosa du 29 décembre 2011 au 5 avril 2012
Merci et à beintôt
Michel de l'Ile de la REUNION
euh... j'ai raté un épisode ? 😉 c'est plus "(FR)", la Martinique ? (au même titre que la Haute-Corse, le Loir-et-Cher ou les Alpes-Maritimes... ) 🤪
FR c'est notre France ! 🙂
Les départements "originaux" par leur numérotation sont :
Corse-du-Sud 2A
Haute-Corse 2B
Guadeloupe 971
Martinique 972
Guyane 973
La Réunion 974
et bientôt Mayotte 975 🙂
De retour le 5 mai 2011 : MS Celebrity Millennium, San Juan de Puerto Rico, Canal de Panama, San Diego California
http://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=4258472#4258472
Voilà pour info
DOM
(971) Guadeloupe
(972) Martinique
(973) Guyane
(974) La Réunion
(975) Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon
(976) Mayotte
(977) St Barthélémy
(978) St Martin
en aparté
(979) Ile Maurice quand elle était Française (plus d'actualité)
(980) Monaco (plus d'actualité)
TOM et COM
(984) Terres Australes et Antarctiques
(986) Wallis et Futuna
(987) Polynésie Française
(988) Nouvelle-Calédonie
Quand Mayotte était un TOM (avant 2001) il portait le N° 985
Bonjour,
Nous partons également le 28/02/11 sur MSC Splendida/10j/medit. orientale (Genes)
Merci de nous inscrire nous serons 2 couples d'amis, je crois que ce départ va battre des records de participation..
Rolros
J'AI RECU LE MESSAGE SUIVANT DE LA PART DE VF AINSI JE DEBUTE CETTE NOUVELLE DISCUSSION POUR LE CALENDRIER LIEN DE L'ANCIENNE DISCUSSION (seras toujours…
LANCEMENT CALENDRIER DEPARTS CROISIERES 2015 Comme certains le demandent déjà, je lance le calendrier pour 2015. AVIS aux membres VF: ne jamais citer une mise…
Mise à jour N°1 CALENDRIERDEPARTS CROISIERES 2014 Le calendrier 2014 est donc ouvert...Je reprends la main à la suite de Titi. Encore merci à lui pour les…
Après les tours du monde MSC ou COSTA, les catalogues commencent à sortir pour le début 2020, il est donc temps d'ouvrir ce calendrier! Mise à jour N°0…
Mise à jour N°1 CALENDRIER DEPARTS CROISIERES 2013 C’est reparti avec ce calendrier 2013, fraichement élaboré!!!AVIS aux membres VF: ne jamais citer une mise à…
Hello
Après beaucoup d'hésitation sur diverses compagnies ( explora, océania, yc, HAL, NCL) et plusieurs destinations Norvège, Irlande, Islande.
J'ai finalement choisi NCL star pour l'Islande.
J'avais déjà regardé cet itinéraire quand je suis parti en avril pour l'Écosse avec CFC mais il était vraiment très cher .
Il faut savoir que CFC fait souvent des dernières minutes 45 jours avant le départ ( moment où on ne peut plus annuler ni modifier )
Donc là j'ai eu une belle opportunité que j'ai saisi.
Départ le 23 août.
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
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!