Re Vero Merci pour les renseignements, bien utiles je note tout. Nous regarderons si de florence il y a possibilite d'aller a Florence par le TRain je pense des personnes qui seront a bord du Napoleon ont envisage cela donc j'aurai je pense des renseignements- Bien amicalement -
J'ai déjà bien étudié pour aller à Florence et j'ai trouvé la ligne de bus qui va du port jusqu'en ville, il me semble que c'est la PB 82, mais ensuite il faut reprendre un bus pour aller jusqu'à la gare
Mais en fonction d'où est le bateau on n'a pas accès aux bus
J'ai donc misé la sécurité et me suis en relation avec les amréricains pour partager un taxi
Il y a un train à 8 h 11 arrivée à 9 h 33, ensuite à 9 h 11 arrivée 10 h 33 mais j'ai aussi qu'on pouvait prendre le train pour Pise à 8 h 26 arrivée 8 h 47 et on reprend le train pour Florence à 9 h 01 arrivée 10 h 23
La gare est vraiment en centre ville à Florence, à côté des principaux monuments d'après ce que j'ai vu
Cela évite d'attendre sur le quai de la gare au cas où on loupe le 1 er train
Ah là, là la préparation des escales, ça prend du temps 😉
En effet je vois que vous avez deja pas mal de renseignements, quand partez vous au juste et quelles sont les escales prevues lors de cette croisiere ? En fait nous avons visite florence lors de notre derniere croisiere avec MSC mais avions pris l'excursion organisee par le bateau, elle comprenait Florence et Pise, un monde fou dans la ville de Florence une multitude de groupes des differents bateaux se retrouvaient en meme temps dans et devant les edifices ce qui nous empechait d'entendre et d'approcher des details. Nous avons en definitive préfére Pise ou nous avons pu acceder plus facilement, c'est pour cela que cette fois ci nous allons nous contenter de visiter Livourne j'ai recu les plans de la ville ainsi que les indications concernant les edifices a visiter de la part de l'OT - j'avais egalement demande a l'OT de Naples la documentation mais rien recu mais j'ai glane sur internet pas mal de renseignements. Avec le Napoléon nous avons une grande plage horaire pour visiter car nous arrivons le matin vers 7H et repartons aux environs de 19H. C'est sans doute différent d'un bateau de croisiere, mais nous voulions absolument visiter Rome car le MSC ne faisait pas escale a Citavecchia la derniere fois c'est donc l'occasion d'y aller.
Je vous dis a tres bientot - tres bonne semaine - je vous raconterai cette mini croisiere au retour - amities
Je refais un circuit classique, Cannes (eh oui les américains adorent !!), livourne, Civitavecchia, Naples, Venise 2 jours, Split, La valette avec entre temps 3 jours en mer
Nous devrions être le seul bateau à Livourne si je ne me suis pas trompée donc théoriquement pas trop de monde à Florence
C'est surtout le bateau que je rêvais de re-prendre, celui là il m'a laissé des souvenirs extraordinaires
Je vous souhaite une bonne nuit en attendant de passer une excellente croisière
Ca y est nous voila de retour de cette mini croisiere a bord du NApoleon, je conseille a tous ceux qui auraient envie d'une petite escale d'embarquer a son bord, le bateau est confortable silencieux et bien qu'enorme les 700 passagers y sont tres a l'aise, tous les repas sont servis a table et composes d'excellents produits frais vins et eau inclus dans le prix, tous les jours des bouteilles d'eau sont également mises gratuitement dans les cabines, orchestre et animations de qualite. Nous avons beaucoup aime la visite de Rome nous y allions en fait pour cela, Naples est une ville surprenante, tres animee bruyante (kalxons et coups de sifflet de la police qui semblent ne pas etre la preoccupation des Napolitains, il est difficile de traverser les avenues car feux rouges ou pas les voitures passent). Amities a Meg, et sa famille ainsi qu'a Bruna et Pierre que nous avons le plaisir de rencontrer sur le Bateau. Ce matin il faut defaire les valises, nous faisons une petite pause de 15 jours et repartons ensuite en Lozere - Tres bonne journee Amicalement.
La valise n'est pas encore défaite, ce matin les courses etaient prioritaires pour remplir le frigo qui hurlait.
Nous avons pris l'excursion organisee par le bateau la Rome Baroque, et avons eu la chance d'avoir une guide qui nous a fait faire au moins 10kms a pied afin de visiter au maximum la ville plutot que d'aller et venir avec le car devant chaque monument, Rome est epoustouflante par la richesse de ses monuments, meme la fontaine de Trevi n'a rien a voir avec les films ou images que nous avions pu voir, il faut y etre pour se rendre compte de la grandeur. Nous avons visite Livourne en toute liberte etant donne que nous avions vu Florence et Pise la fois précedente avec les excursions MSC, et meme chose pour Naples ou nous avons pris le circulanumvesuviano pour voir Herculanum, qui est vraiment a voir le site est tres bien arrange et en meilleur etat que Pompei, beaucoup moins etendu egalement.
Il nous reste maintenant a prendre un peu de repos et a préparer pour le 25 Octobre notre sejour en Lozére qui lui sera plus reposant.
Votre départ est pour quand ? en vous souhaitant une tres bonne journee.
10 kms à pied à Rome, ça ne m'étonne pas du tout et le pire c'est qu'on ne s'en aperçoit pas
De toutes façons comme la plupart des villes, Rome se découvre à pied, par contre je trouve que les romains ne sont pas très avenants
J'adore la Fontaine de Trévi, c'est magnifique, mais la 1ère où je suis allée à Rome, je m'imaginais la place beaucoup plus grande
je n'ai jamais mis de pièce dans la fontaine et je retourne à Rome pour la 5ème fois .. j'ai économisé de sous ainsi 😉
Avez-vous vu des navettes à 1 € à Livourne ?
Je pars le 20 de Barcelone, je n'ai pas encore fini mes carnets d'escale, mais c'est bon, je vais y arriver
Les valises sont defaites, la lessive faite, la maison a retrouve son aspect normal, nous sommes prets a repartir mais il faut attendre 15 jours avant de rejoindre la Lozère.
Nous avons pris la navette a 1€ AR à Livourne et il y en a toutes les 1/2 heure elle nous dépose au centre ville certains de la ont pris des cars a étage faisant le tour de la ville d'autres ont rejoint la gare, nous sommes restes au centre ville que nous avons visité a pied, a part une ou 2 eglises dont une avec une facade en marbre, nous avons fait quelques achats dans une parfumerie qui faisait des promos interessantes, sur le bateau on nous avait indique que Livourne est bien placee au niveau parfumeries. A midi nous etions de retour au bateau pour le repas et l'aprem nous nous sommes reposes piscine et jacuzzi.
Allez vous rejoindre Barcelone en train ?
Nous avons vu des croisieres interessantes mais deja le tranfert jusqu'a Barcelone nous retient, certaines partent meme de Venise et passer la nuit dans le train de nuit meme en wagon lit c'est assez penible.
En vous souhaitant de bons preparatifs et une tres bonne journee amicalement
Bonjour Desbell, je suis contente d'avoir des nouvelles de votre mini croisière sur le Bonaparte, car depuis longtps je me demandais si c'était interessant. Je savais pas qu'il y avait une piscine sur le bateau. Est ce que les croisières du bateau sont aussi cheres que sur MSC?
Cette été nous avons fait le circuit Grece, Dubrovnik avec le MSC Musica départ de Venise. C'est un circuit magnifique, et il ne faut pas que le départ de Venise vous arrete. Nous avons hésité aussi d'autant plus que le train couchettes Nice-Venise a été supprimé. Donc nous sommes partis la veille Nice-Milan et Milan-Venise et passés la nuit a Venise, mais je peux vous dire que nous n'avons pas regretté. Ca vaut le détour.
L'été prochain pour nous ce sera le Mélody que nous avons déjà pris, et pour l'escale de Catane j'aimerais avoir d'autres renseignements : si cest une excursion d'une journée et si la route tourne bc pour le volcan?
re Véro il y a 2 ans nous sommes partis a Venise avec le train de nuit au depart de Nice en wagon lit uniquement pour 2 personnes, avec un coin toilette, je n'aimerais pas non plus partager un compartiment a plusieurs couchettes, en wagon lit c'est quand meme pas mal meme si c'est plus petit qu'une cabine de bateau mais c'est pour une seule nuit et ca permet d'arriver a Venise le matin et de profiter de la journee nous etions partis avec les voyages donatello, un taxi (bateau) nous attendait a la gare pour nous conduire a notre hotel place St Marc, nous y avons passe une semaine magnifique, et parcouru a pied Venise dans toutes ses nombreuses ruelles recelant toutes les unes plus que les autres des merveilles, nous avons egalement pris la navette qui fait les iles murano, burano ect et avons eu le plaisir d'assister a un magnifique concert de jazz dans le palais des dodges une pure merveille au niveau accoustique.
Malte nous l'avons fait avec l'excursion du bateau mais peut tres bien se faire en individuel ce n'est pas tres grand.
Les navettes pour Livourne se trouvent bien au pied du bateau.
En effet il n'y avait pas foule ni a la piscine ni au jacuzzi ce qui nous a decide a y aller a bord du NB il s'agit d'eau de mer qui est dessalee et traitee par le bateau afin qu'elle soit rejetee propre a la mer, a bord du NB il y a une equipe qui s'occupe du comptage des dauphins et cetacees et de leur survie.
Bonjour Line, sur le Napoleon Bonaparte il y a une piscine couverte et 2 jacuzzi, les croisieres sont en fait des mini croisieres la plus longue etant de 5 jours nous avons pu avoir une promo et avons paye 199€ + taxe carburant pour un sejour tout compris, repas + boissons vins et eau a table + pourboires. Les excursions sont payantes comme sur tous les bateaux les excursions sont a 79€ pour la journee repas compris, avec des guides tres competents. A bord il y a egalement une conferenciere qui s'occupe de fouilles archeologiques et rattachee a la ville de Marseille ces conferences sont a ne pas manquer.
Nous avons pris le Nice Venise de nuit en 2006 en wagon lit pour 2 personnes, avec petit dej en arrivant pres de Venise. je ne savais pas que ce train de nuit a ete supprime🤪.
Par contre le Nice Milan me tenterait car nous ne connaissons pas Milan avez vous eu les renseignements a Nice concernant ce train.
A Catane nous sommes alles visiter l'Etna et n'avons pas vraiment remarque si la route etait ou non tres accidentee tellement nous etions subjuges par le paysage lunaire qu'on voyait, par contre il faut prevoir des vetements chauds car en haut du volcan il fait froid, meme si nous sommes invites a deguster le feu du volcan( une liqueur tres forte) l'excursion dure l'apres midi.
Voilà je suis pas novice dans les croisières, puisque gold pearl, mais jamais effectué de croisière de 5 jours et 4 nuits en cabine premium voici donc mes…
Pour ma deuxième croisière j’ai opté pour une mini-croisière sur le meditteranea au départ de Marseille direction Barcelone et Savone Qui l’a déjà faite?? Et…
Nous partons mi-avril et visiblement les mini-croisières Maid of the Mist qui vont au plus près des chutes ne commencent que mi-mai... Y a t-il une autre…
Je suis sur le point de faire une réservation pour une mini croisière a destination d el nido et Coron. J ai entendu parlé de Tao Expédition et de Native…
Nouvelle bloggeuse sur ce site, je souhaite faire une mini-croisière sur les fjords, de 3 jours sur un petit bateau et aussi trouver un hébergement insolite…
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!