c'est sur, lorsque l'on a gouté à une croisiere, on souhaite repartir pour une autre....moi cela va etre seulement ma 3éme croisiere, la 1ere s'etait dans les iles des caraibes à bord du Flamenco, on a fait la République Dominicaine, les Iles vierges, la Dominique, Porto Rico, la Guadeloupe, Antigua et une ile Française et moitié Hollandaise dont je me rappelle plus le nom. C'etait superbe.
L'autre croisiere était il y a 2 ans avec croisiere de France sur le Bleu de France...là aussi , excellente croisiere et bateau.J'ai peur de ma prochaine croisiere, car meme si s'est CDF, c'est pas le meme bateau, c'est espagnol, et à voir les critiques.....Ceci dit, si tu veux repartir, il va falloir attendre l'année prochaine avec le nouveau bateau de CDF qui remplace le Bleu de France par un autre bateau de la compagnie Pullmantur .
Bon, je te tiendrais informé dès que je rentrerais...c'est bientot le 12 juin.
A bientot
jo
Différent avec QCNS Cruise
Je relate ici un différent que nous avons eu avec QCNS Cruise, l'agence qui nous a vendu notre croisière sur le Sovereign
- notre devis spécifiaient bien toute taxe compris y compris les taxes de service à bord)
- mais le service compta du bateau nous a réclamé pendant la croisière une taxe de 65 euros (nous sommes 5, cela fait 325 euros, même les petits paient)
- nous avons fini par payer et avons fait les démarches nécessaires pour nous faire rembourser auprès de QCNS Cruise : lettre recommandée avec accusé de réception, par téléphone, je n'arrivais plus à joindre le vendeur avec qui nous avions été en contact au départ (ceci est assez lamentable)
- finalement nous avons été remboursé de la somme
Au final cela nous a un peu géné pendant la croisière car nous n'avons pas voulu prendre le service de paiement à bord à aprtir de la carte (afin de ne pas se faire débiter de cette taxe, mais nous l'avons payé quand même à la fin comme indiqué) - je conseille donc à ceux qui serait dans la même situation de bien insister auprès de leur agence pour ces conditions soient claires auprès de Pullmantur.
Voilà, je ne sais pas si j'ai été très clair, n'hésitez pas à me demander d'autres explications si nécessaire
Titus
Bonne croisière à ceux qui partent bientôt, avec le temps qu'il fait en ce moment, ça va être royal !!!
Je pars dimanche prochain (le 12/06) avec le sovereign.
Qu'avez-vous fait comme excursions, quelles sont celles qu'il faut à tout prix réserver et celles qu'on peut faire par soi-même.
Merci de m'indiquer également le niveau de difficulté des excursions car je pars avec des personnes âgées.
Avec des personnes agées je priviligirais les excursions proposées par la compagnie, notamment pour Florence et Rome,
pour Naples et Palerme, cela s'imposent moins (voir ce que nous avons fait dans une autre discussion) - à Palerme il y a par exemple des bus touristiques, ça peut être une bonne solution
pour Naple tout dépend de ce que vous souhaitez visiter, il y a la possiblité de prendre des taxis à la sortie du bateau pour Pompéi, à plusieurs le coût sera moins élevé que les excursions proposées par la compagnie.
enfin pour Barcelone, j'opterais pour un bus touristique
je vous souhaite de passer une très bonne croisière
le jour J est bientot arrivé. Bientot l'embarquement, ont préparent les valises, demain nous prenons le train vers 19h pour arriver dimanche matin à Nice vers 9h.J'espere que la météo sera de la partie pour toute cette semaine, cela fait si longtemps que l'on attend....
Sinon...au plaisir de faire connaissance avec toutes les personnes qui ont participées à cette discution...personnellement je suis enchanté d'avoir eu des échanges, des réponses aux différents problèmes recontrés.Ceforum est vraiment sympa.
A dimanche sur le Sovereign.
je rentre du Sovereign et mes impressions sont les memes à savoir:
aucune volonté du personnel de faire des efforts à parler français, ceci dit personnel de chambres sympa ainsi que le personnel des repas.
repas correct mais pas gastro, dejeuner bon sauf café, apéro bon et varié, animation moyen car tro de bla bla en espagnol donc pas de compréhension....
Cabine petite et vieillissante car non restaurée comme le reste du bateau, c'est ce qui m'a choqué, le Sovereign est un bateau des années 89 et il a du mal a etre entretenu.
les excursions sont correctes, c'est vrai qu'avec un plan on se débrouille pour aller à Rome ou à Florence.
Ce que je n'ai pas du tout aimé:étant au pont 2, il y avait toute une classe de lycéens (16 à 20 ans) qui ont fait un bordel térrible le soir entre 22h et 4h du matin, et malgré les gens qui se sont plaints, malgré les coups de téléphone à la réception, il a fallu que je fasse un scandale à la récéption pour que je sois déplacé....lamentable sachant que je voulais rester dans ma cabine, mais qu'il ne pouvait pas régler le pb vu qu'il y avait environ 200 jeunes qui pensaient à ne faire que la fete.dur ...dur.
Sinon, j'ai eu droit à la tempete de la nuit de Barcelone à villefranche, ça soufflé toute la nuit avec un tangague je te dit pas..
sinon, je ne repartirais pas avec pullmantur, car les Espagnoles sont vraiment bruyants, c'est dommage lorsque l'on sait que cette croisiere est vendue par CDF mais cela n'a rien à voir avec le Bleu de France.
Voici mes impressions suite à mon retour de croisière (du 12 au 19/06).
Bonne impression générale, les excursions proposées sont intéressantes. Nous n'avons pas eu d'excursions annulées par manque d'inscription de français.
Points positifs :Au restaurant les français sont regroupés ensemble et les serveurs qui s'occupent de nous parlent un peu français. Tous les soirs une animatrice parlant bien français passe aux différentes tables pour nous expliquer le programme de la soirée ainsi que le spectacle. Les menus proposés sont variés, les plats sont bien préparés et bons.L'entretien de la chambre est bien fait, notre personnel de chambre parlait également un peu français, je pense que c'est le hasard.J'étais au pont 5, pas de souci particulier de bruit la nuit. Formule tout inclus : large choix de boissons alcoolisées ou non.Bonne organisation générale pour les excursions et les sorties du bateau.Toutes les annonces faites sur le bateau sont traduites en plusieurs langues dont le français.Points négatifs :Difficile de trouver du personnel parlant français à la réception, mais avec un peu d'anglais on arrive à se faire comprendre.Certains espagnols (il ne faut pas généraliser) sont mpolis et sans gêne.Il n'est pas normal que sur les excursions à la journée, on doit payer en plus le repas du midi car nous sommes en formule tout inclus.L'animation au pont 11 est trop bruyante, pour être un peu plus au calme il faut se mettre sur les ponts 12 ou 13.Au spectacle le soir, pas toujours de traduction en français.Voici mes premières impressions à chaud, je ne regrette pas d'avoir choisi cette croisière, je l'ai choisie en priorité en fonction de l'itinéraire proposé.
Je pense que pour ma prochaine croisière, je partirai avec Costa car je n'ai pas encore essayé cette compagnie et tout le monde en dit du bien.
Pour ceux qui partent bientôt, pas d'inquiétude à avoir, très joli voyage.
je reviens du Sovereign (du 12 au 19) ; dommage que l'on ait pas fait connaissance...
mes impressions sont partagés et se rejoignent, c'est vrai que les excursions sont intéressantes et si on se débrouille bien avec un plan, alors c'est facile et pas cher.
Le resto est correct, mais sans plus, j'ai connu nettement supérieur avec la meme compagnie CDF sur le Bleu de France, ceci dit c'est pas le meme tarif...
l'entretien de la chambre est bien fait, ça s'est vrai, et il faut le dire, cependant le personnel n' y peut rien devant un manque de maintenance important des équipements vieillissants (moquette sale, joints de douche noir..isolation...ect) c'est surtout le fait que le Sovereign est un bateau qui n'a pas été reloucké....dommage
j'étais au pont 2, dommage pour toi, il y avait de l'ambiance jusqu'à 5 h du mat certains jours.
voilà pour mes impressions, pour les points négatifs (c'est les memes) peut etre plus...alors!!!
c'est ma faute, j'ai choisi cette croisiere pour faire plaisir à me femme pour mes 50 ans, je me suis trompé, ceci dit, cela restera un bon moment, j'ai fait la connaissance de gens qui meritent d'etre connu.
voilà...c'est fini au plaisir sur une autre croisiere
Voila c'est fini ! Quelle tristesse ! Pour une première croisière, nous avons trouvé ça génial. Pas parfait, a cause des espagnols bruyants et pas très courtois mais personnellement je n'ai eu aucune difficulté avec eux. Donc croisière géniale ! Une vie de millionnaire pendant une semaine, un personnel aux petits soins, des rencontres avec d'autres passagers français très très sympa, de la nourriture de qualité a volonté, des boissons alcoolisées ou non de qualité a volonté, un bateau un peu vieillissant mais quand même très beau, rien d'autre a faire que de jouer les sybarites !!!! Pour moi les meilleurs moments sont sur le navire, quand les passagers descendent aux excursions, on a le paquebot pour nous, pas de bruit, personne a la piscine, personne aux pianos bars, personne aux ascenseurs, le top !!!! Les excursions pullmantur, trajet en bus pas terrible, file d'attente aux monument, du monde partout, des kilomètres de marche, le repas du midi a sa charge, les boutiques de souvenirs trop chères etc... La galère. Pour ceux qui veulent visiter mieux vaut prendre la navette qui vous emmène sur les sites et ensuite vous faites ce que vous voulez, ou prendre un taxi a plusieurs pour visiter ce que vous voulez. Il y a tellement de possibilités d'organiser sa croisière que chacun y trouve son compte, excursions ou pas, farniente ou pas, boire ou pas, sport ou pas, boite de nuit ou pas, casino ou pas, se lever de bonne heure ou pas, spectacle le soir ou pas etc... C'était donc ma première croisière, je suis rentré enchanté et en pleine forme, des vacances reposantes, ce que je voulais. Ce qu'il y a de certain c'est que ça n'est pas la dernière !!!!
bonjour, moi aussi je rentre de croisière sur le sovereign et "Vesse" a résumé tout a fait mes sentiments sur cette semaine de vacances! je prepare déja la prochaine, les vraies vacances c'est comme ça que je les entends!!!personnel super sympa, espagnols bruyants mais on s'y fait, bateau vieillissant mais c'est pas grave, formule tout inclus super agréable, nous avons fait les excursions pr nous même sans problème, le retour a la réalité est toujours pénible, mais le but c'est de repartir l'année prochaine, je commence a prospecter!je voudrais juste dire a la personne qui parlait de la tv au dessus de la tête de lit qu'elle avait raison, dans notre cabine idem, un peu bizarre mais sans grande importance!!super croisière a recommander!!merci a toutes les personnes du forum qui m'ont donné de bons conseils pour que tout se passe au mieux!
a bientot😛
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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!