Bonjour et merci beaucoup pour toutes ces infos, pour nous départ imminent samedi 2 février hâte de retrouver du soleil.
Encore merci.
Jean luc Martine
Bonjour
Merci d'avoir mis des photos ce devait etre une super expérience , vous aviez pied dans l'eau ce n'était pas en pleine mer ? je ne suis pas bonne nageuse . .
Bjr moi c david je part le 16 fevrier pourrait tu me dire le change en dollars sur le bateau si il reste intéressant car en banque c est l arnaque
Merci d avance
je suis revenu le 2 février de cette croisière, perso j'avais changé à Paris dans un grand bureau de change, pour 100eur, j'ai eu 130dollards, j'ai demandé sur le bateau, pour 100eur, il donnait 129 dollards, alors même sur le bateau ça reste intéressant
Quelques infos sur notre voyage et nos excursions:😛
Croisière perle des Antilles du 26 janvier 2013 au 02 février 2013
Départ d’Orly le 2- janvier à 13 heures. Vol avec Corsair. Repas très bon et service de qualité. Jus de fruits et sodas à disposition tout au long du vol et une collation une heure avont l’arrivée composé d’un sandwich, d’un morceau de cake aux fruits et d’un yaourt.
Arrivée à Fort-de-France à 17h15, attente des bagages pendant deux heures car le givre avait bloqué les joints de la porte de la soute à bagages. A la sortie, le personnel de MSC (très accueillant) nous a guidé vers le bus.
Arrivée sur le bateau à 20h30 après l’enregistrement. Nous n’avons pas pu aller au restaurant car nous étions du premier service et l’heure était passés. Nous sommes donc allés grignoter au « bistrot » le self-service du bateau. A 20h45, exercice d’évacuation (obligatoire) où on nous explique comment mettre un gilet de sauvetage…
Escales :
Pointe-à-Pitre : arrivée le dimanche avec tous les commerces fermés. Visite du centre de la ville (1/2 heure).
Nous vous conseillons de prendre une excursion pour cette escale, car le dimanche tout est fermé. Des taxis peuvent également vous emmener faire des visites. Nous n’avons pas testé car cela coûtait déjà 24 euros pour aller à la plage !
Antigua and Barbuda : Des taxis réglementés à la sortie du bateau proposent un tour de l’île. Pour 80 euros pour 4 personnes vous allez faire découvrir les paysages de l’île puis vous revenez en longeant la côte est ses paysages paradisiaques. Attention cette visite est commentée uniquement en anglais. De même, les habitants n’apprécient pas particulièrement les touristes et ça se sent dès l’office du tourisme !
L’après-midi nous avons fait un tour dans Sain John’s où la vie est très chère. Ce petit tour prend une trentaine de minutes, la ville étant à côté de l’embarcadère.
Tortola : En sortant du bateau, une personne représentant l’office du toursime vous accuielle en français et vous dirige vers les sites que vous souhaitez visiter. Pour notre part, nous avons choisi la visite de Virgin Gorda. A 500 mètres du bateau sur la gauche, un bateau rapide vous emmène sur l’île de Virgin Gorda située à environ 35 minutes. Ensuite, un taxi vous prend en charge jusqu’au parc national « The Baths » où un paysage merveilleux vous attend (tout ceci pour 38 dollars par personnes aller et retour). L’entrée à ce parc coûte trois dollars. Il faut ensuite prendre un « chemin » creusé, par la mer, dans le granit avec un peu d’escalade et des passages à genou. L’arrivée sur la « bay » vaut tous les détours ! Une plage de sable blanc, la mer turquoise, la baignade est paradisiaque.
Il faut néanmoins être vigilant car cette escapade dure environ 5 heures, pour une escale qui était planifiée de 5 heures trente !
Santo Domingo : A l’arrivée au port, des personnes représentant l’office de tourisme vous accueillent en français et vous guider en fonction de vos envies (plage, musées…). Ils conseillent de prendre des navettes proposées par MSC pour se rendre dans la zone coloniale située à environ deux kilomètres du débarcadère. Pour 8 euros, vous pouvez faire autant d’allers retours que vous le souhaitez. La zone coloniale renferme les monuments principaux et est riche de l’histoire de Saint-Domingue.
La visite peut s’effectuer à pied avec un dépliant en français distribué par les représentants de l’office de tourisme ou par des guides qui accompagnent les navettes (5 euros) ou par un petit train qui parcourt la zone coloniale (12 dollars).
Il faut compter environ trois heures pour faire le tour à pied (sans compter la visite des musées), dont une heure de shopping dans la rue piétonne de la ville longue d’environ un kilomètre.
Les commerçants ne sont pas insistants, on peut négocier un peu et des policiers sont présents sur tout le circuit pour garantir la sécurité.
La Romana : Nous nous sommes groupés à 6 pour prendre un taxi qui nous ait revenu à environ 20 dollars aller-retour par personne pour nous rendre à Bayahibe. De là nous avons pris un petit bateau rapide pour l’île de Saona (40 dollars par personne). Après 45 mn de trajet le pilote nous a fait découvrir les piscines naturelles où l’on trouve des étoiles de mer dans une eau limpide. Ensuite direction la partie nord de l’île de Saona où nous nous sommes arrêtés une bonne heure pour gouter aux joies de la plage de sable blanc et faire un peu de plongée avec masque et tuba . Il est à noter que sur la partie sud de l’île de Saona, la baie est encore plus jolie.
Saint Martin : En descendant du bateau, des taxis et navettes bateaux ( water taxi ) vous emmènent dans la ville de Pilipsburg en quelques minutes ( 7 dollars l’aller-retour par personne). Vous pouvez aussi vous y rendre à pied (comptez environ 20 mn). La petite ville est en fait une succession de magasins vendant des bijoux, hi-fi, et alcool à prix détaxé (environ 20 à 25 % de réduction par rapport à la France). A philipsburg, vous pouvez aussi vous baigner, la plage est belle, l’eau est bonne mais pas transparente à cause des remous du sable.
Fort de France : En descendant du bateau, vous pouvez rejoindre le centre- ville en 20 mn à pied. Le centre-ville n’est pas très grand, comptez environ deux heures pour en faire le tour avec la visite de quelques bâtiments.
Le bateau MSC Lirica est un bateau d’une dizaine d’années, de taille moyenne, repéré quatre étoiles. Il peut transporter environ 2000 personnes. Il est très propre est confortable.
Pour notre part nous avions pris une cabine intérieure, très confortable, nous ne regrettons pas ce choix au vu des différences de prix pratiqués pour les cabines avec hublot ou balcon (plus de 400 euros).
Le personnel est très gentil et très serviable. Ils parlent principalement l’anglais, mais la plupart se débrouillent plutôt bien en français.
Nous prenions nos repas dans les restaurants du bateau (pas en libre-service), un choix très important y est proposé permettant de prendre plusieurs entrées, plats de résistances ou desserts (mais gare aux kilos) !
Nous avions également opté pour un forfait allegrissimo tout inclus qui permet d’avoir notamment des jus d’orange frais ou de nombreux cocktails. Ce forfait de 23 euros par personne est vite amorti si vous aimez les cocktails et si vous prenez des sodas, expressos, bouteilles d’eau…
En ce qui concerne les spectacles, ils durent en moyenne 30 minutes et sont de qualité inférieure à ceux auxquels nous avons assisté lors de notre croisière précédente sur le MSC Fantasia.
Nous sommes aussi rentrés le 24/02/2013 de la croisiere "caraibe" sur le MSC Lirica.
C'était notre première croisière et nous n'avons pas été du tout déçu par l'expérience.
Pour les escales tout à été dit sur les messages précédents.
Arrivés un dimanche à Pointe à Pitre nous avions prévus une excursion MSC (chutes du Carbet, randonnée sympa mais chutes pas très visibles) et c'était un bon choix car le dimanche à Pointe à Pitre tout est fermé et donc très difficile de s'organiser par soi-même (je conseillerais plutot le transfert à sainte-anne pour 15 euros).
Le dernier jour notre avion décollant de Fort de france à 20H20 nous avions prévus une excursion découverte de la Martinique (avec transfert direct à l'aréoport), c'était super.
Pour les autres escales nous nous sommes débrouillés par nous même (taxis collectifs) pour effectuer les visites, c'est très simples et abordable (le plus cher Saint martin, 4H - tour de l'ile pour 25 dollars par personne, toujours plus interessant de payer en dollar, sauf à Saint Johns où la conversion est plutot à l'avantage de l'euro).
Sur le bateau le service à bord est comparable à ce que l'on peut trouver dans un hotel 5* : chambres faites 2 fois par jour, personnel très souriant et serviable.
Nous avons presqu'exclusivement utiliser le restaurant à la carte : les menus y sont très variés et très bons, le service impeccable, bien sur l'eau est payante mais c'est le cas aussi dans les restos chics en france.
On a vraiment l'impression d'être sur un palace flottant.
le bateau est très bien équipé : bains de soleil en nombre et répartis sur différents ponts, 2 piscines (dont l'une réservée aux adultes, ce qui est appréciable), salle de fitness très bien équipés, multiples bars avec ambiance musicale variée, 1 discothèque, et même un mini golf (petit mais c'est sympa de jouer tout en étant au milieu de la grande bleue !).
Le dernier jour notre avion décollant de Fort de france à 20H20 nous avions prévus une excursion découverte de la Martinique (avec transfert direct à l'aréoport), c'était super.
Bonjour,
Pouvez-vous me dire la durée de cette excursion s'il vous plait ?
et si vous vous en souvenez, l'heure de départ et l'heure où on vous a déposé à l'aéroport.🙂
Pour l'avoir fait le 2 février dernier , autant que je me souvienne, nous avions rendez-vous vers 12h45 sur le bateau , ce qui nous a permis de manger à la café juste avant , elle ouvre à12h , le car nous a déposé à l'aéroport vers 17h30, l'excursion dure environ 4h30.
Pour le dernier jour, nous sommes arrivés à 11 h à Fort de France. MCS demande de mettre nos valises la veille devant la porte et de déposer si on veut un bagage à main dans une salle du navire.
Ce qui nous laisse tout l'après-midi pour en profiter, on peut même remonter au bateau si on veut. On peut faire le marché dans la halle en ville ou comme nous aller aux Trois ilets. Il y a une navette pour 7 E A/R qui met 1/4 h pour aller à la Pointe du Bout. Là on a trouvé un petit marché local, de belles maisons colorées et de très jolies plages à l'Anse Mitan . Seul bémol, la navette est assez loin du navire et nécessite un bon quart d'heure de marche. De retour, au bateau on récupère nos valises sur le quai pour la mettre dans le car qui nous emmène à l'aéroport.
Aubegm a dû négocier la veille avec MSc un transfert direct spécial ! ci-joint photo Anse Mitan
Merci pour toutes ces précisions et la magnifique photo.
En fait il existe une excursion MSC "pour les hôtes en débarquement" avec retour direct à l'aéroport.
Elle pourrait être intéressante, mais si l'arrivée à l'aéroport est si tôt : 17 H 30 comme l'indique Sober, et que son propre vol est à 22 H, l'intérêt n'est plus le même...
D'où l'importance des C/R des autres membres.
En ce qui vous concerne, vous rappelez-vous à quelle heure environ était votre car pour l'aéroport, et votre vol ?
Je reviens d une croisière dans les Antilles en famille (6 adultes 3 enfants) c était une 1ere pour nous et franchement à refaire.Nous sommes partis de Fort de…
Merci à tous les participants du forum. Grâce aux différents messages glanés sur le forum, j'ai pu planifier ma croisière dans les meilleures conditions. Voici…
Nous envisageons de réserver sur le MSC Seaside une croisière de 15j dans les caraïbes et aux antilles au départ de Miami en août 2020: Jamaïque, Iles Cayman,…
hi there
Here’s the cruise schedule for 2026.
It’s a great way to get ideas and maybe even meet up with other members.
2 essential rules:
1) never "quote" the calendar when replying—this’ll avoid any confusion
2) follow the format below
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
REMINDER Despite my requests, few people follow the requested format. Cruises that stray too far from it won’t be listed anymore—sorry!PLEASE respect the templates!
COPY AND PASTE THE FORMAT BELOW AND REPLACE WITH YOUR DETAILS IF YOU’RE STRUGGLING
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
It takes time to fix mistakes, so THANKS TO EVERYONE for your help!
YOUR TURN 😉
NUMBER OF CRUISES 2026:
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
Hello everyone,
It’s with immense sadness that I learned this morning of the passing of our friend Nathalie (nadu). Many of us knew her through this forum, which she loved so much. She enjoyed reading your travel stories, joining discussions, sharing her cruise reviews, and offering valuable advice—always with kindness, gentleness, and discretion.
For me, Nathalie was so much more than just a cruise enthusiast. She was a friend, a deeply kind person who was always there to listen, despite the many health challenges she faced with tremendous courage. We corresponded regularly, and sometimes we had the chance to visit each other’s homes or attend the cruise show together with our respective husbands.
We shared a common dream: when we both retired, we had planned to finally go on a cruise together. Life had other plans, and that trip will forever remain a journey we never had the chance to take. That thought weighs heavily on my heart today.
I’ll remember her as a gentle, generous woman who was always ready to help others. Her presence on this forum will leave a huge void, just as her friendship has in my life.
I send my sincerest thoughts to her husband, her family, and all those who had the chance to know her.
Fair winds, Nathalie. I like to think you’re now sailing on an infinitely calm sea, under an eternally blue sky. You’ll remain in our thoughts and hearts every time we talk about cruises or set off on a new journey.
Rest in peace, Nathalie.
For those who’d like to send a message of comfort and sympathy to her husband, you can send me a PM, and I’ll pass it along.
THANK YOU
Hello everyone,
So happy to be back on this Forum!
We’re heading off on another cruise—our 7th—after a 5-year break...
We’ll be leaving from Venice on April 26th with stops in Kotor, Mykonos, Santorini, and Ancona.
Could you help me plan the stops by sharing tips, tricks, and advice?
For those who already know me, you know we prefer not to take the cruise line’s excursions but instead organize everything ourselves.
Thanks in advance to everyone, and looking forward to chatting with you all!
Hello,
We’re back from this cruise.
Boarding in Dunkirk: The doors opened around 12 PM. Since we were a bit early, I asked if my husband, who uses a walker, could wait inside instead of outside. I left him with the two suitcases and our two backpacks in the small hall while I parked the car in the reserved CFC parking lot for 10 € per day.
The shuttle that was supposed to take people from the parking lot to the model pavilion was supposed to arrive in 5 minutes, but after 15 minutes, nothing. After waiting 15 minutes, I saw a man walking and asked if I could follow him. In 15 minutes, we arrived, and still no sign of the shuttle—it must have passed us. Arrived at the model pavilion.
My husband had already checked in the suitcases with the help of a CFC staff member. The remaining formalities were completed quickly. We were on board by 12:15 PM. Headed to the buffet on deck 11 and waited in a lounge to access our cabin.
At 2 PM, we discovered our balcony cabin on deck 9 at the rear: spacious with a large balcony compared to MSC/COSTA.
Since we were at the rear, cabin 9202, there was always an issue with elevator number 4: "priority."
Elevator number 2 stops at deck 10... and elevator number 3 was often out of order, leaving only number 1 for those with mobility issues to reach the buffet, especially for people who struggle with stairs. Note: only one child on board and lots of "gray hair."
DAY 2: At sea. Lots of activities offered.
Day 3: GOTHENBURG (Sweden). Sunny, 19°C at 11 AM.
Excursion booked with CFC: Gothenburg and Haga for all.
Interesting visit with a great guide. The HAGA district, in our opinion, is full of cobblestones and nothing special, not suitable for people using a cane or wheelchair. Elevator number 3 was out of order again.
Day 4: Copenhagen. 15°C in the morning, showers in the afternoon.
We didn’t book an excursion since we’d already stopped here with CFC in 2025, and based on advice from this forum, we took the hop-on/hop-off bus right in front of the ship. I still went to see the Little Mermaid again.
No TV, but the elevator was fixed.
DAY 5: At sea. Still no TV.
DAY 6: GDANSK (Poland). 15°C, rain all day.
There’s a shuttle to get to the city center.
We took the excursion: Panorama of Gdansk.
The guide left us at the entrance of the city center for 45 minutes, telling us what to visit. Meet-up for the rest of the tour at 3 PM. The bus left at 3:15 PM to cover 10 km to see St. Mary’s Cathedral. We arrived at 4:16 PM... The guide said there are often traffic jams in that direction. We had 10 minutes on site before heading to see the lighthouse and the Westerplatte monument, where we also had 10 minutes.
Many of us wondered why we didn’t do the tour in the opposite direction since they knew there would be traffic...
I went to reception to complain about the organization. The staff member read me the program: we were supposed to start with the lighthouse, then go to the cathedral and stay for 30 minutes before heading to the center of Gdansk for a short guided walk with some free time to buy souvenirs, etc.
The guide did the complete opposite of what was planned and didn’t even give us a guided tour—just dropped us off in the city...
DAY 7: Bornholm Island (Denmark). 14°C, a few sunny spells.
We saw in the excursions that there was a walking tour of RØNNE. So, like many others, we explored on our own. There was a small orchestra welcoming us at the port and two people with city maps. We took the shuttle to leave the port—it ran every 15 minutes. The tourist office was next to the "shuttle bus." A pleasant visit at our own pace.
DAY 8: KIEL (Germany). 18–23°C, nice weather.
We took the "Kiel for all" excursion. Great guide and interesting visits.
The port is in the city, and in 10 minutes, we were in the city center by following a blue line on the ground from the port. Elevator 3 was stuck again... and the TV was back.
DAY 9: At sea. Elevator 3 works.
DAY 10: At sea. Elevator 3 is out of order again...
DAY 11: Disembarkation in Dunkirk.
Cabins had to be vacated by 7:30 AM. Buffet open until 9 AM.
Elevator number 1 was "reserved," leaving only number 2, which doesn’t go up to deck 11... a problem for people with mobility issues who had to cross the entire deck 11 and try to use one of the four working elevators at the front, which were crowded.
My opinion: Interesting stops.
The onboard staff were always welcoming, smiling, and mostly French-speaking.
Evening shows were better than in March/April 2025—better singers, dancers, and presenters, and the costumes were improved.
I liked the "magician" shows less.
There were three onboard lectures by a very cultured person, but they went off-topic and were too historical for my taste. I didn’t attend the other two; my husband went to the second but not the third.
For this cruise, there was a bridge theme, but we’re not players or interested.
We didn’t take a drink package on board—water, coffee, tea, and herbal teas were available.
We had a water leak in our cabin the night before disembarkation. We reported it, and after the technical staff came (with a translator who didn’t speak English), we were asked to leave the cabin for a while for repairs. We went to a lounge, and after 1.5 hours, I checked in at reception. The repair took longer than expected... we had to change cabins... not ideal the night before disembarkation. No balcony cabins were available, so we got an ocean-view cabin, 6075, with a bathtub (impossible for both of us to use). We packed our suitcases, took a shower in our cabin, and moved to the new one. Noise from chairs until 12:30 AM because the cabin was under a lounge, and constant ventilation noise in the hallway... sleep was hard to come by.
Disembarkation: Well organized. We were helped with transporting the two suitcases and bags to the waiting room while I took the shuttle to get the car.
Guylène
Hello,
We’re taking a cruise to Northern Europe with a stop in SOUTHAMPTON.
We’d like to visit the Stonehenge site.
Is it possible to get there on our own (my husband is a wheelchair user), since the MSC excursion to Salisbury is priced at 127 € per person?
There’s also a stop in Rotterdam, and it seems there’s a "miniature village to visit" nearby. Has anyone here been there, and if so, how did you get there?
Thanks so much for your tips. Mum49
If you're traveling on the Costa Diadema from October 17th to 28th, 2026 to Lisbon, we can meet up for a drink. Share our cruising experiences, an excursion, a table...
hi there, a group of friends and I are going on a cruise at the end of June with CFC in Norway. I’d love to get some info on the different stops we’ll be making. Most of them are one-day stops (from around 10 AM to 8 PM on average). Here are the stops: Andalsnes, Trondheim, Honningsvåg, Alta, Hellesylt, Sandane, Austefjorden.
Thanks in advance to anyone who can share what there is to see or do in these places.
When I get back, I’ll post what we did—it might help others who come after us.
Also, does anyone know if the boat sticks to the arrival time in Dunkirk for catching tickets to head back south? We’ll plan a buffer just in case.
Hi there, The day before boarding the Costa Favolosa for the Norwegian Fjords cruise departing from Hamburg, I'd like to book a hotel. Which one would be the most convenient location-wise relative to the port?
Thanks in advance for your reply.
I’m looking to get in touch with someone who’s been on an Arctic Cruise aboard the ship POLARFRONT, operated by the French company "LATITUDE BLANCHE", for some info.
Hi there, I was wondering if anyone has ever taken a cruise with this PO Cruise company.
Would love to hear your thoughts!
They’ve got some great itineraries for Norway.
Hello,
We’ll be sailing on the Renaissance with CFC to southern Norway from July 4 to 11, 2026, departing from Dunkirk (the cruise was booked through "Planète Croisière").
When entering some personal details or pre-selecting options on the CFC website, I’m wondering about the "optional" categories for drinks and WiFi.
I’m actually a bit surprised by these extra charges, as we weren’t used to them on other cruises (Australis in Patagonia; Hurtigruten’s Coastal Express in Norway and Alaska; Rivages du Monde in the Arctic or on the Douro River; a Nile river cruise in Egypt), where we sometimes had access to basic drinks at meals and free WiFi when near land.
Anyway, for those who’ve already taken a CFC cruise on the Renaissance, could you share some advice? Specifically about the most basic drink package, called "Fraîcheur" (238 € for two), which doesn’t seem to be described anywhere. The "Premium" package seems excessive (490 € for two for the week) for light drinkers.
As for WiFi, it’s 10 € per day per person. While I find that price acceptable for parking our car in Dunkirk, it feels overpriced here (especially since it was free on the Nordlys "Coastal Express" just 3 or 4 years ago).
So, I’d love to hear from experienced cruisers who’ve been on this ship!
Looking forward to seeing the excursion prices, which should be available soon! 😐
Hi there,
I’m considering a cruise on this ship in the recently introduced Yacht Club category.
Have any forum members tried it?
What are your thoughts? Positive or negative? Which cabins should we go for—or avoid?
We’re already familiar with the Yacht Clubs on the Splendida, Fantasia, Preziosa, and Divina series.
We weren’t as keen on the one on the Seashore—we found it too big.
Thanks in advance for your feedback!
Best,
Claudine
Hi there,
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this cruise and its slightly unusual itinerary.
Also, what do you think about the price?
Good deal or too expensive?
Thanks
We're considering a new cruise soon and would like to try the Renaissance.
The uniqueness of the promenade cabins appeals to us, but could anyone give us some insights on the following points:
- Is the glass door sufficiently tinted to prevent outsiders from seeing into the cabin?
- Is the soundproofing good enough to block out conversations on the promenade deck?
Thanks in advance to anyone who can help!
My husband, our two teens, and I are going on a cruise on the COSTA Esmeralda at the beginning of July. We’re thinking of exploring the ports on our own. Do any of you have recent experiences or tips to share? Are there shuttles between the port and the city center? Are they free? Looking forward to hearing from you.
As promised, here’s my review of the cruise I took from the 5th to the 19th on the MSC Virtuosa.
As you know, I had initially booked a cruise with Mein Schiff departing from Dubai (from Dubai to Cape Town). It was a 22-day cruise. Due to the issues in the Persian Gulf, my cruise was canceled by Mein Schiff.
So, we started looking for a Plan B because we really wanted to go. Especially my wife, who had just had a minor procedure and needed some rest. Since she had already taken time off, she was determined to travel. However, we were looking for an affordable Plan B since we weren’t sure when Mein Schiff or the airline would reimburse us.
While browsing online, I found a 15-day cruise departing from Pointe-à-Pitre (including flights, transfers, the cruise, and drinks) for a price of 1,200 € in a Fantastica balcony cabin. We thought, *Why not?*
I should mention that I’m not usually a big fan of MSC. My last experience with them was post-Covid (I took two cruises, one in 2021 and another in 2022), and it was honestly a disaster. We didn’t want to repeat that, but after talking to Catherine, who told me she was very happy with a short Christmas cruise, we decided to give it a try.
I have to say, I was left speechless. Honestly, the cruise was absolutely perfect. There’s nothing to complain about (or just a few minor details). In terms of service and food, I felt like I was on a premium cruise line. I’d even say MSC has nothing to envy from some of those companies. While premium lines like Holland, Celebrity, and Royal are cutting back on services, I think MSC has made huge improvements. Seriously, I wasn’t expecting this at all. You’ll see what I mean as we chat more.
I won’t do a full review like I usually do because there weren’t many stops:
1. We boarded in Pointe-à-Pitre
2. We stopped in Saint-Martin
3. Then it was a direct crossing to the Azores...
This cruise was really about relaxing, even if it’s not the kind of trip we usually take.
First off, I’m not a big fan of "flight and cruise" packages. I asked if we could leave two days early, but they said it wasn’t possible. We had to take the flight, then the bus, and board the ship directly.
It’s not really my thing, but given the price we paid and since we really wanted to relax, we thought, *Why not?*
Here’s the itinerary:
Boarding in Pointe-à-Pitre
Saint-Martin
Five days at sea
The Azores
Four days at sea
Hamburg
One day at sea
Le Havre
But as I mentioned, it wasn’t about the itinerary. It was really about taking a break and unwinding. Honestly, I came back thrilled.
We’re stopping over in Rovinj this coming May, and since we’ve already visited the main sights (port, church, etc.), is there a walk we can do on our own—no boat needed—that would fill a morning?
Thanks to anyone who knows the area…
My wife and I are going on a cruise on the MS Vesteralen on August 4th. The ship stays close to the coast to deliver mail and packages. My wife is a musician and is sensitive to the movement of the boat. Which deck and cabin should we choose?
Hi there,
So, I booked this cruise...
I know CFC gets a lot of criticism—
- And that it’s not really like the ships I usually take.
But the destination really interested me...
So, I’m giving it a try...
I’m going in with an open mind, thinking I got a good deal, so I’m not expecting the same experience as when I travel with Yacht Club or The Haven.
We’ll see... soon!
hi, we’re going on a cruise with MSC Virtuosa in the Caribbean. Has anyone done this cruise before and could give us some tips for excursions on the different islands? Thanks for your help
😉Hi there,
A few months ago, CFC put the EN VOGUE experience on sale, departing from Dunkirk.
I booked this package to test the boat and onboard services for myself.
I’d read a lot of reviews mentioning numerous issues on board, so I wanted to see for myself what it was really like…
Okay, I’ll stop rambling…
The package included boarding at 6 PM on Friday, dinner, a show, an overnight stay, and breakfast.
We chose an interior cabin for this experience—since the boat wasn’t leaving the dock, we didn’t see the point in paying more… All in all, it cost 130 € per person.
My mom joined us; she got the same cabin for 130 € with no single occupancy supplement.
We’d checked in online to board faster.
We took the train to DUNKIRK, then a taxi to the shuttle pavilion—7 € for the ride.
When we arrived at the pavilion, we were told to wait because there was a connection issue with check-in. Great start…
After about ten minutes, we were finally allowed to proceed.
At the counter, they said they didn’t have our cabin cards and no record of our check-in… Very odd.
With no solution, they put us on the bus and said we’d sort it out at reception. Perfect.
We went through security, and they confiscated our water bottles—never seen that before! Then they said my mom had a corkscrew in her bag, so they searched it… but there was no corkscrew. Total amateur hour… They eventually dropped it.
We got on the bus for a ten-minute ride…
We boarded the ship with a crew member and headed to reception.
Turns out, we weren’t the only ones in this situation.
The nightmare began… Only two staff members were handling all the issues, and everything seemed complicated.
They told my mom her cabin had been given to someone else 😲.
That was the last straw…
It took forever—they had to redo the entire check-in.
Finally, they told my mom her cabin was good to go; they’d mixed her up with someone else… After a solid half-hour, we could finally head to our cabin.
I’m determined to test everything: the pool, jacuzzi, show, restaurant, spa, etc…
TO BE CONTINUED
Hi,
We received a promotion from our CFC agency offering cruises at up to 40-100% off, and among other details: CFC organizes parking for departures from Dunkirk.
"Unattended parking located about 12 minutes away, fenced off with barriers, at a rate of 10 € per day. Drop off passengers and luggage at the Model Pavilion, and a CFC shuttle will take you from the parking lot to the Model Pavilion every 15-20 minutes. Same for disembarkation. You can book through your agency or on their website. No refunds if the booking is canceled; payment is due at reservation."
Have a great day,
Guylène
PS: Personally, we’d rather keep our vehicle in a free, supervised parking lot and take a taxi to the Model Pavilion.
Hi there,
In June we’re taking a cruise called "Pearls of the Baltic" on board Renaissance CFC Cruises—with stops in Kiel (Germany), Gdańsk (Poland), Rønne (Bornholm), Copenhagen (Denmark), and Gothenburg (Sweden).
This layover in Gothenburg doesn’t really inspire me—could you tell me what’s worth seeing? Are there locals offering excursions around the area by van right when you leave the port, like you often see on Caribbean cruises?
I saw there’s a hop-on hop-off bus, but I’m not sure if there’s a stop near the terminal.
What are your suggestions? Thanks in advance!
Best regards,
Hi! On June 10th, we’re heading off on a 10-day Baltic Sea cruise with CFC Cruises’ *Renaissance*. We’ll be stopping in Copenhagen, and we’re planning to take the City Sightseeing hop-on hop-off buses to explore the city with multiple stops. Could anyone tell me which quay cruise ships usually dock at and how to get from the quay to the nearest stop to board the tour bus? Thanks for your tips and suggestions!
Hi there,
I'm looking at a cruise in the north.
Hi there, I was wondering if anyone has ever taken a cruise with this PO Cruise company.
Would love to hear your thoughts!
They’ve got some great itineraries for Norway.
Hi there,
So, I booked this cruise...
I know CFC gets a lot of criticism—
- And that it’s not really like the ships I usually take.
But the destination really interested me...
So, I’m giving it a try...
I’m going in with an open mind, thinking I got a good deal, so I’m not expecting the same experience as when I travel with Yacht Club or The Haven.
We’ll see... soon!