Dans un de vos messages, vous notiez vouloir prendre contact avec le chauffeur de taxi don j'ai oublié le prénom pour la visite de ROME, avez vous eu la personne et si oui quel est son prix ?
Merci par avance
Bonjour Béa, Le prénom du chauffeur de Taxi, à Rome, est ANGELO. Malheureusement, j'ai dû annuler notre croisière, car ma maman doit se faire hospitaliser lundi prochain, et ne sera pas rétablie à la date de départ de la Croisière. J'en suis bien triste. De ce fait, je n'ai pas pris contact avec la société de Taxi. Voyez peut-être avec d'autres personnes du forum. Je suis désolée de ne pas pouvoir répondre à votre question. Je vous souhaite une très belle croisière.
bonjour
nous n'avons pas réservé de bus mais il semble qu'il soit possible d'en prendre un au départ du port
Cordiales salutations*
Bonjour,
Il me semble que vous partez du 06 au 13 septembre av CDF sur la CIAO BELLA... dans un de vos messages, vous indiquez que pour aller à ROME vous allez prendre un bus au départ du bateau, est ce un bus que vous avez réservé pour votre groupe de 43 ou y aura t il de la place pour d'autres et à quel prix ?
Merci pour vos infos 😏
Une petite question avant notre départ qui aura lieu samedi, vous souvenez vous du tarif de l'excursion que propose CDF qui se nomme ROME EN LIBERTE ou quelque chose comme cela et qui en fait vous emmène à ROME en bus et vous laisse libre ensuite ?
Sinon quelques conseils pour les autres excursions ?
J'ai réservé aujourd'hui pour cette croisière et j'ai reçu les documents de voyage ce soir. A ma grande surprise, j'ai vu que le programme était changé. En effet, l'escale à Tunis a été annulée. Cette journée se fera en mer puis le lendemain (donc le 12) une escale est prévue à Ajaccio.
J'ai appelé le site Logitravel pour demander si il n'y avait pas une erreur. Le conseiller s'est renseigné auprès de Croisières de France. La compagnie a confirmé que le programme a été changé hier. Je suis déçue mais bon. Dommage, j'ai déjà connu ce cas pour une croisière Costa en 2010 lors des révolutions du Printemps Arabe. Par contre je ne sais pas pour quelle raison et je n'ai pas trouvé sur internet.
J'avais réservé un pack excursion. Le conseiller m'a dit que 3 excursions seront proposées pour Ajaccio. Il faudra voir sur le bateau.
bonjour, soyez pas décu moi j'ai fait la croisière avec escale à TUNIS, beaucoup de sont pas descendu du bateau, moi j'ai fait visite avec un taxi mais on n'est sans arret accosté pour acheter leur produit, ca devient pénible et on prend meme pas le temps de regarder la ville du coup.....Finalement je pense qu’Ajaccio finira bien votre croisière...en tout cas moi j'aurai préféré.
Je suis d'accord avec Sandefrade.... Notre escale à Tunis, peu le temps d'apprécier avec le taxi qui nous promenait sans avoir le temps d'apprécier. Je pense qu'Ajaccio, tu pourras plus apprécier. Si vous avez un peu de temps, te rendre sur une crique, te baigner si le temps le permet....
Et bien me voilà surprise par votre annonce de l'annulation de l'escale à TUNIS ... Il doit y avoir une bonne raison pour annuler cette ville... on en saura peut être plus su le bateau en tout cas nous n'étions pas au courant du tout et AJACCIO nous y sommes déjà allés l'année dernière mais bon il y a certainement plein de chose à y voir !!!
Vous avez eu de la chance de trouver de la place les derniers jours avant le départ, le bateau ne sera pas plein c'est pas si mal !!
Espérons qu'il n'y aura pas d'autres changements !
Bonne croisière 😎
En réservant la croisière j'ai vu qu'il y avait encore une dizaine de cabines de libres (enfin celles qui restaient sont les plus bruyantes à l'arrière du bateau dans les niveaux 4 - 5 - 6). J'ai eu de la chance, j'en ai déniché une au milieu.
Concernant l'annulation, en cherchant sur internet, j'ai trouvé une information (mais à prendre avec prudence) : les services de renseignements auraient découverts que les milices islamistes lybiennes avaient réussi à voler plusieurs avions civils à Tripoly. A l'approche du 11 septembre ils auraient l'idée de commettre des attentats avec ces avions (des Airbus). Les pays visés seraient la Tunisie en premier lieu, l'Algérie, L'Egypte (Le Caire) et le Maroc.
Il y a des infos sur ces liens (reste à savoir si c'est vrai) :
Par contre dommage que les personnes ayant réservé la croisière avant ne soit pas prévenus. Lors de mon voyage avec Costa nous avions été informés du changement d'escale.
J'espère que l'hospitalisation de votre maman s'est bien passé, dommage que vous ne puissiez pas faire la croisière, j'aurais une pensée pour vous au départ 🙂
Merci Ptitbéa pour ton message. Je te remercie beaucoup. Oui, à ce jour, ma maman va mieux, elle a quitté l'hôpital ce 8 septembre. Je serais contente d'avoir des nouvelles de ta croisière, à ton retour, après le 13 septembre.
Bonjour, je cherche des renseignements sur les cabines extérieures du pont 10 , on part à 4 avec deux ados , je voudrais savoir si c'est suffisamment grand, on nous a dit qu'il y avait en plus du lit double un canapé-lit .
Merci
Bonjour, je cherche des renseignements sur les cabines extérieures du pont 10 , on part à 4 avec deux ados , je voudrais savoir si c'est suffisamment grand, on nous a dit qu'il y avait en plus du lit double un canapé-lit .
Merci
Bonjour,
Désolée, je ne connais pas le zénith
Norvégian Gém NCL, Horizon CDF, musica MSC, Allure of the seas RCI, sérénade of the seas RCI, Symphony of the seas RCI, Régal PRINCESS, Fantasia MSC, seaside MSC, explorer of the seas RCI
Bonjour,
Moi je débute cette discussion et j'effectue ma première croisière Ciao Bella par CDF sur le navire horizon. Je pars du 2 au 09/11/2014 de Marseille puis la Spezia, Civitavecchia, Palerme, la Valette et Corse (Tunis ayant été annulé).
Je pars avec mon mari qui ne peut pas trop marcher. Nous aurions aimé visiter Cinque terre (La Spezzia), Rome, la Valette (Malte).Que me conseilleriez-vous? Avez vous apréciez votre croisière? Les excursions proposées à bord sont-elles intéressantes rapport qualité/prix?. Quel autre circuit pouvez-vous nous conseiller.
D'avance merci.
Bien à vous
Bobonne 2301
Je prends 5 minutes pour vous dire que notre croisière CIAO BELLA du 06 au 13 septembre s'est très bien déroulé ! Nous avons eu un temps magnifique toute la semaine, mer calme, repas toujours aussi bon, tout s'est donc très bien passé !!
Pour les personnes qui posent des questions sur les excursions voilà ce que nous avons fait :
à LA SPEZIA nous avons visité déjà la ville qui est jolie puis nous avons pris un petit bateau direction PORTO VENERE qui est à voir car j'ai trouvé cet endroit magnifique !
Pour ROME, nous avons pris le bus que propose CROISIERE DE FRANCE qui nous pose à ROME et ensuite nous avons visité nous même, nous avons beaucoup marché, vu beaucoup de choses mais pas pu rentrer dans grand chose au vu du temps qui est limité ! mais cette ville est incroyable !
Concernant PALERME, on arrive tout de suite dans la ville donc pas besoin de taxi ou autres mais cette ville est très bruyante, des voitures de partout, des klaxons, attention aux personnes qui vous proposent le tour de la ville en calèche, les prix varient énormément, faut pas hésiter à négocier ! ... il faut faire très attention en traversant car même quand c'est le tour des piétons, les voitures ne s'arrêtent pas vraiment, par contre, c'est une jolie ville !
MALTE est splendide, pour aller visiter la ville il faut marcher un peu et prendre un ascenseur qui vous emmène au centre.
AJACCIO très jolie ville aussi, on arrive tout prêt avec le bateau pas besoin de taxi ou autres !
Espère avoir rendu service à=aux chanceux qui partent prochainement !
un grand merci pour autant de détails et les tarifs des excursions vous êtes le seul !!! je part en croisière Ciao Bella le 23 aout 2015 .je ferais de mon mieux pour informer les prochains passagers du Zénith.
Le pont 5 est très bien, nous étions au milieu et il y avait un léger rond rond du moteur, mais pas dérangeant pour nous, à l'avant vous serez encore mieux car loin des moteurs !
Nous repartons le 30/08 mais cette fois au pont 9 car nous avons été surclassé, c'est un pont que nous ne connaissons pas donc à suivre !!
Bonne croisière ! 😎
Bonjour,
nous allons faire la croisière Ciao Bella le 23 Août,
et je voudrais avoir des renseignements sur les soirées à thèmes en prévisions des tenus de soirée.
Vous avez bien fait de choisir la croisière CIAO BELLA j'ai bcq aimé ce parcours l'année dernière !
Alors il y a la fameuse soirée du commandant, tenue correcte exigée, cela veut dire pas de short pour les hommes sinon pour le reste il y a de tout, des jolies robes chez les dames, mais un pantalon habillé peut faire l'affaire si vous n'aimez pas les robes !!! et pour les hommes certains portaient des chemises d'autres non.
Sinon il y a une soirée blanche, il faut, mais ce n'est absolument pas obligatoire, porter du blanc !! pantalon, tee shirt, robe etc etc ...
Il y avait, je crois aussi une soirée tropicale, il faut quelque chose de colorée mais là aussi rien d'obligatoire !
Pour les autres soirs, c'est comme vous voulez !
Bonjour,
Ce que je peux vous dire pour les excursions, c'est que nous nous sommes débrouillés par nous même pratiquement pour toutes les journées sauf pour aller à ROME car le bateau arrive assez loin de la ville, nous avons pris un bus du bateau qui nous emmenait directement au pied du Colisée et nous reprend au même endroit le soir, cela nous a couté si mes souvenirs sont bons 30 euros par personne.
Je sais qu'il y a un train qui va à ROME de la ville où nous avions accosté mais comme je ne parle pas italien et que nous avions peur de nous perdre !!! nous avons préféré prendre le bus du bateau.
Sinon les autres villes étaient LA SPEZIA, il y a des excursions du bateau qui vont visiter PISE mais nous on a préféré prendre un petit bateau au port pour aller à PORTOFINO je vous le conseille, c'est super chouette, ensuite PALERME on arrive dans la ville on peut tout faire à pied, LA VALETTE pareil à pied, la ville est magnifique ! AJACCIO à la place de TUNIS changement de dernière minute car problème de sécurité en Tunisie et AJACCIO pareil, on arrive dans la ville et on peut aller aux iles sanguinaires en bus de la ville, il se prend pas très loin du bateau mais je ne me souviens plus du nom de la rue, vaut mieux aller à l'office de tourisme
Je crois que j'ai fait le tour !
Bonne croisière profitez en !!! 😉
Pour ceux qui vont faire la croisière ciao bella sur le zenith, j aimerai les conseiller sur qq escales intéressentes
Livourne.aller à lucca , pour cela louer une voiture car la gare se trouve à 20mn à pied du port et il faut changer de train à Pise.
Rome.escale facile car la gare est tout prêt du port
Palerme.aller à monreal qui est bien plus jolie et plus propre surtout
Malte.visite à pied en prenant l ascenseur qui se trouve à droite du port
Ajaccio.nous avons loué un jet ski sur la jetee, à gauche en longeant le port 130 e le jet pour 1h30 de balade dans les îles sanguinaires.on s est régalé, c était une première fois .très bien encadré avec baignade .
Bonne croisiere.
Nous partons du 2 au 9 nov pour faire la croisière CIAO BELLA ça va faire la 3 ième fois que je pars avec CDF et c'est toujours 1 réel plaisir. j'aimerai,…
J'ai réserve la croisière Ciao Bella! Et j'aurais aimé savoir si d'autre personne sur ce forum seront également de la partie. De plus, je souhaiterai connaitre…
Nous partons sur le zénith pour la croisière ciao Bella du 26/07 au 2/08 et je souhaiterai avoir des infos sur les escales notamment au départ de la Spezia…
Je pars en croisière sur le COSTA Esmeralda début juillet avec mon mari et mes 2 ado. Nous envisageons de faire les escales par nos propres moyens. Auriez vous…
Hello,
We’re back from this cruise.
Boarding in Dunkirk: The doors opened around 12 PM. Since we were a bit early, I asked if my husband, who uses a walker, could wait inside instead of outside. I left him with the two suitcases and our two backpacks in the small hall while I parked the car in the reserved CFC parking lot for 10 € per day.
The shuttle that was supposed to take people from the parking lot to the model pavilion was supposed to arrive in 5 minutes, but after 15 minutes, nothing. After waiting 15 minutes, I saw a man walking and asked if I could follow him. In 15 minutes, we arrived, and still no sign of the shuttle—it must have passed us. Arrived at the model pavilion.
My husband had already checked in the suitcases with the help of a CFC staff member. The remaining formalities were completed quickly. We were on board by 12:15 PM. Headed to the buffet on deck 11 and waited in a lounge to access our cabin.
At 2 PM, we discovered our balcony cabin on deck 9 at the rear: spacious with a large balcony compared to MSC/COSTA.
Since we were at the rear, cabin 9202, there was always an issue with elevator number 4: "priority."
Elevator number 2 stops at deck 10... and elevator number 3 was often out of order, leaving only number 1 for those with mobility issues to reach the buffet, especially for people who struggle with stairs. Note: only one child on board and lots of "gray hair."
DAY 2: At sea. Lots of activities offered.
Day 3: GOTHENBURG (Sweden). Sunny, 19°C at 11 AM.
Excursion booked with CFC: Gothenburg and Haga for all.
Interesting visit with a great guide. The HAGA district, in our opinion, is full of cobblestones and nothing special, not suitable for people using a cane or wheelchair. Elevator number 3 was out of order again.
Day 4: Copenhagen. 15°C in the morning, showers in the afternoon.
We didn’t book an excursion since we’d already stopped here with CFC in 2025, and based on advice from this forum, we took the hop-on/hop-off bus right in front of the ship. I still went to see the Little Mermaid again.
No TV, but the elevator was fixed.
DAY 5: At sea. Still no TV.
DAY 6: GDANSK (Poland). 15°C, rain all day.
There’s a shuttle to get to the city center.
We took the excursion: Panorama of Gdansk.
The guide left us at the entrance of the city center for 45 minutes, telling us what to visit. Meet-up for the rest of the tour at 3 PM. The bus left at 3:15 PM to cover 10 km to see St. Mary’s Cathedral. We arrived at 4:16 PM... The guide said there are often traffic jams in that direction. We had 10 minutes on site before heading to see the lighthouse and the Westerplatte monument, where we also had 10 minutes.
Many of us wondered why we didn’t do the tour in the opposite direction since they knew there would be traffic...
I went to reception to complain about the organization. The staff member read me the program: we were supposed to start with the lighthouse, then go to the cathedral and stay for 30 minutes before heading to the center of Gdansk for a short guided walk with some free time to buy souvenirs, etc.
The guide did the complete opposite of what was planned and didn’t even give us a guided tour—just dropped us off in the city...
DAY 7: Bornholm Island (Denmark). 14°C, a few sunny spells.
We saw in the excursions that there was a walking tour of RØNNE. So, like many others, we explored on our own. There was a small orchestra welcoming us at the port and two people with city maps. We took the shuttle to leave the port—it ran every 15 minutes. The tourist office was next to the "shuttle bus." A pleasant visit at our own pace.
DAY 8: KIEL (Germany). 18–23°C, nice weather.
We took the "Kiel for all" excursion. Great guide and interesting visits.
The port is in the city, and in 10 minutes, we were in the city center by following a blue line on the ground from the port. Elevator 3 was stuck again... and the TV was back.
DAY 9: At sea. Elevator 3 works.
DAY 10: At sea. Elevator 3 is out of order again...
DAY 11: Disembarkation in Dunkirk.
Cabins had to be vacated by 7:30 AM. Buffet open until 9 AM.
Elevator number 1 was "reserved," leaving only number 2, which doesn’t go up to deck 11... a problem for people with mobility issues who had to cross the entire deck 11 and try to use one of the four working elevators at the front, which were crowded.
My opinion: Interesting stops.
The onboard staff were always welcoming, smiling, and mostly French-speaking.
Evening shows were better than in March/April 2025—better singers, dancers, and presenters, and the costumes were improved.
I liked the "magician" shows less.
There were three onboard lectures by a very cultured person, but they went off-topic and were too historical for my taste. I didn’t attend the other two; my husband went to the second but not the third.
For this cruise, there was a bridge theme, but we’re not players or interested.
We didn’t take a drink package on board—water, coffee, tea, and herbal teas were available.
We had a water leak in our cabin the night before disembarkation. We reported it, and after the technical staff came (with a translator who didn’t speak English), we were asked to leave the cabin for a while for repairs. We went to a lounge, and after 1.5 hours, I checked in at reception. The repair took longer than expected... we had to change cabins... not ideal the night before disembarkation. No balcony cabins were available, so we got an ocean-view cabin, 6075, with a bathtub (impossible for both of us to use). We packed our suitcases, took a shower in our cabin, and moved to the new one. Noise from chairs until 12:30 AM because the cabin was under a lounge, and constant ventilation noise in the hallway... sleep was hard to come by.
Disembarkation: Well organized. We were helped with transporting the two suitcases and bags to the waiting room while I took the shuttle to get the car.
Guylène
Hi there,
Here’s the 2027 cruise schedule.
It’s a great way to get ideas and maybe even meet up with other members!
2 essential rules:
1) Never "quote" the schedule when replying—this avoids any confusion.
2) Follow this format:
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
REMINDER Despite my requests, few people follow the requested format. Cruises that stray too far from it won’t be listed anymore—sorry about that. IMPORTANT Please respect the templates!
PLEASE COPY AND PASTE THE FORMAT BELOW AND REPLACE WITH YOUR DETAILS IF YOU’RE HAVING TROUBLE
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
It takes time to fix mistakes, so THANKS TO EVERYONE for your help!
YOUR TURN 😉
NUMBER OF 2027 CRUISES: 1
JANUARY
14/01 - poupou10 / AZAMARA JOURNEY / 74 days / South America Tour / Miami
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
Hello!
After a lot of hesitation between different cruise lines (Explora, Oceania, YC, HAL, NCL) and several destinations like Norway, Ireland, and Iceland,
I finally chose NCL’s Star for Iceland.
I had already looked at this itinerary when I went to Scotland in April with CFC, but it was really expensive.
You should know that CFC often offers last-minute deals 45 days before departure (the point when you can no longer cancel or modify).
So, I got a great opportunity and grabbed it.
Departure is on August 23rd.
hi there
Here’s the cruise schedule for 2026.
It’s a great way to get ideas and maybe even meet up with other members.
2 essential rules:
1) never "quote" the calendar when replying—this’ll avoid any confusion
2) follow the format below
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
REMINDER Despite my requests, few people follow the requested format. Cruises that stray too far from it won’t be listed anymore—sorry!PLEASE respect the templates!
COPY AND PASTE THE FORMAT BELOW AND REPLACE WITH YOUR DETAILS IF YOU’RE STRUGGLING
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
It takes time to fix mistakes, so THANKS TO EVERYONE for your help!
YOUR TURN 😉
NUMBER OF CRUISES 2026:
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
We’re taking an MSC cruise in May, and after the Cinque Terre, we’ll be stopping in Naples. We’d like to know if it’s possible to walk out of the port quickly and reach a nice area of Naples on foot (we’re two older people). While we’re at it, I’ll ask the same question for Palermo, since we’ll be there the next day. Thanks for your replies.
Hi everyone,
I’m staying in a suite on the Pacifica in October and I can’t find any details about the suite benefits beyond the elite restaurant, the butler, and the espresso machine.
What about breakfast and meals served free in the cabin, and the spa?
Costa’s been cutting back on perks for Gold members, and it seems like suites are next.
Thanks for your replies!
hi,
I’m leaving Hamburg for Iceland at the end of July. The boat arrives in Reykjavik on Tuesday, August 4th at 8 AM, and I’d like to book a day trip like the Golden Circle or Secret Lagoon… The sites like GetYourGuide and others list departures at 8 AM. If you’ve used these sites with the MSC Preziosa, could you let me know how to go about it?
Thanks! 😉
allyMB007
Hello everyone,
It’s with immense sadness that I learned this morning of the passing of our friend Nathalie (nadu). Many of us knew her through this forum, which she loved so much. She enjoyed reading your travel stories, joining discussions, sharing her cruise reviews, and offering valuable advice—always with kindness, gentleness, and discretion.
For me, Nathalie was so much more than just a cruise enthusiast. She was a friend, a deeply kind person who was always there to listen, despite the many health challenges she faced with tremendous courage. We corresponded regularly, and sometimes we had the chance to visit each other’s homes or attend the cruise show together with our respective husbands.
We shared a common dream: when we both retired, we had planned to finally go on a cruise together. Life had other plans, and that trip will forever remain a journey we never had the chance to take. That thought weighs heavily on my heart today.
I’ll remember her as a gentle, generous woman who was always ready to help others. Her presence on this forum will leave a huge void, just as her friendship has in my life.
I send my sincerest thoughts to her husband, her family, and all those who had the chance to know her.
Fair winds, Nathalie. I like to think you’re now sailing on an infinitely calm sea, under an eternally blue sky. You’ll remain in our thoughts and hearts every time we talk about cruises or set off on a new journey.
Rest in peace, Nathalie.
For those who’d like to send a message of comfort and sympathy to her husband, you can send me a PM, and I’ll pass it along.
THANK YOU
Hello everyone,
So happy to be back on this Forum!
We’re heading off on another cruise—our 7th—after a 5-year break...
We’ll be leaving from Venice on April 26th with stops in Kotor, Mykonos, Santorini, and Ancona.
Could you help me plan the stops by sharing tips, tricks, and advice?
For those who already know me, you know we prefer not to take the cruise line’s excursions but instead organize everything ourselves.
Thanks in advance to everyone, and looking forward to chatting with you all!
Hello,
We’re taking a cruise to Northern Europe with a stop in SOUTHAMPTON.
We’d like to visit the Stonehenge site.
Is it possible to get there on our own (my husband is a wheelchair user), since the MSC excursion to Salisbury is priced at 127 € per person?
There’s also a stop in Rotterdam, and it seems there’s a "miniature village to visit" nearby. Has anyone here been there, and if so, how did you get there?
Thanks so much for your tips. Mum49
If you're traveling on the Costa Diadema from October 17th to 28th, 2026 to Lisbon, we can meet up for a drink. Share our cruising experiences, an excursion, a table...
hi there, a group of friends and I are going on a cruise at the end of June with CFC in Norway. I’d love to get some info on the different stops we’ll be making. Most of them are one-day stops (from around 10 AM to 8 PM on average). Here are the stops: Andalsnes, Trondheim, Honningsvåg, Alta, Hellesylt, Sandane, Austefjorden.
Thanks in advance to anyone who can share what there is to see or do in these places.
When I get back, I’ll post what we did—it might help others who come after us.
Also, does anyone know if the boat sticks to the arrival time in Dunkirk for catching tickets to head back south? We’ll plan a buffer just in case.
Hi there, The day before boarding the Costa Favolosa for the Norwegian Fjords cruise departing from Hamburg, I'd like to book a hotel. Which one would be the most convenient location-wise relative to the port?
Thanks in advance for your reply.
Hello,
We’ll be sailing on the Renaissance with CFC to southern Norway from July 4 to 11, 2026, departing from Dunkirk (the cruise was booked through "Planète Croisière").
When entering some personal details or pre-selecting options on the CFC website, I’m wondering about the "optional" categories for drinks and WiFi.
I’m actually a bit surprised by these extra charges, as we weren’t used to them on other cruises (Australis in Patagonia; Hurtigruten’s Coastal Express in Norway and Alaska; Rivages du Monde in the Arctic or on the Douro River; a Nile river cruise in Egypt), where we sometimes had access to basic drinks at meals and free WiFi when near land.
Anyway, for those who’ve already taken a CFC cruise on the Renaissance, could you share some advice? Specifically about the most basic drink package, called "Fraîcheur" (238 € for two), which doesn’t seem to be described anywhere. The "Premium" package seems excessive (490 € for two for the week) for light drinkers.
As for WiFi, it’s 10 € per day per person. While I find that price acceptable for parking our car in Dunkirk, it feels overpriced here (especially since it was free on the Nordlys "Coastal Express" just 3 or 4 years ago).
So, I’d love to hear from experienced cruisers who’ve been on this ship!
Looking forward to seeing the excursion prices, which should be available soon! 😐
Hi there,
I’m considering a cruise on this ship in the recently introduced Yacht Club category.
Have any forum members tried it?
What are your thoughts? Positive or negative? Which cabins should we go for—or avoid?
We’re already familiar with the Yacht Clubs on the Splendida, Fantasia, Preziosa, and Divina series.
We weren’t as keen on the one on the Seashore—we found it too big.
Thanks in advance for your feedback!
Best,
Claudine
We're considering a new cruise soon and would like to try the Renaissance.
The uniqueness of the promenade cabins appeals to us, but could anyone give us some insights on the following points:
- Is the glass door sufficiently tinted to prevent outsiders from seeing into the cabin?
- Is the soundproofing good enough to block out conversations on the promenade deck?
Thanks in advance to anyone who can help!
My husband, our two teens, and I are going on a cruise on the COSTA Esmeralda at the beginning of July. We’re thinking of exploring the ports on our own. Do any of you have recent experiences or tips to share? Are there shuttles between the port and the city center? Are they free? Looking forward to hearing from you.
As promised, here’s my review of the cruise I took from the 5th to the 19th on the MSC Virtuosa.
As you know, I had initially booked a cruise with Mein Schiff departing from Dubai (from Dubai to Cape Town). It was a 22-day cruise. Due to the issues in the Persian Gulf, my cruise was canceled by Mein Schiff.
So, we started looking for a Plan B because we really wanted to go. Especially my wife, who had just had a minor procedure and needed some rest. Since she had already taken time off, she was determined to travel. However, we were looking for an affordable Plan B since we weren’t sure when Mein Schiff or the airline would reimburse us.
While browsing online, I found a 15-day cruise departing from Pointe-à-Pitre (including flights, transfers, the cruise, and drinks) for a price of 1,200 € in a Fantastica balcony cabin. We thought, *Why not?*
I should mention that I’m not usually a big fan of MSC. My last experience with them was post-Covid (I took two cruises, one in 2021 and another in 2022), and it was honestly a disaster. We didn’t want to repeat that, but after talking to Catherine, who told me she was very happy with a short Christmas cruise, we decided to give it a try.
I have to say, I was left speechless. Honestly, the cruise was absolutely perfect. There’s nothing to complain about (or just a few minor details). In terms of service and food, I felt like I was on a premium cruise line. I’d even say MSC has nothing to envy from some of those companies. While premium lines like Holland, Celebrity, and Royal are cutting back on services, I think MSC has made huge improvements. Seriously, I wasn’t expecting this at all. You’ll see what I mean as we chat more.
I won’t do a full review like I usually do because there weren’t many stops:
1. We boarded in Pointe-à-Pitre
2. We stopped in Saint-Martin
3. Then it was a direct crossing to the Azores...
This cruise was really about relaxing, even if it’s not the kind of trip we usually take.
First off, I’m not a big fan of "flight and cruise" packages. I asked if we could leave two days early, but they said it wasn’t possible. We had to take the flight, then the bus, and board the ship directly.
It’s not really my thing, but given the price we paid and since we really wanted to relax, we thought, *Why not?*
Here’s the itinerary:
Boarding in Pointe-à-Pitre
Saint-Martin
Five days at sea
The Azores
Four days at sea
Hamburg
One day at sea
Le Havre
But as I mentioned, it wasn’t about the itinerary. It was really about taking a break and unwinding. Honestly, I came back thrilled.
We’re stopping over in Rovinj this coming May, and since we’ve already visited the main sights (port, church, etc.), is there a walk we can do on our own—no boat needed—that would fill a morning?
Thanks to anyone who knows the area…
My wife and I are going on a cruise on the MS Vesteralen on August 4th. The ship stays close to the coast to deliver mail and packages. My wife is a musician and is sensitive to the movement of the boat. Which deck and cabin should we choose?
Hi there,
So, I booked this cruise...
I know CFC gets a lot of criticism—
- And that it’s not really like the ships I usually take.
But the destination really interested me...
So, I’m giving it a try...
I’m going in with an open mind, thinking I got a good deal, so I’m not expecting the same experience as when I travel with Yacht Club or The Haven.
We’ll see... soon!
hi, we’re going on a cruise with MSC Virtuosa in the Caribbean. Has anyone done this cruise before and could give us some tips for excursions on the different islands? Thanks for your help
😉Hi there,
A few months ago, CFC put the EN VOGUE experience on sale, departing from Dunkirk.
I booked this package to test the boat and onboard services for myself.
I’d read a lot of reviews mentioning numerous issues on board, so I wanted to see for myself what it was really like…
Okay, I’ll stop rambling…
The package included boarding at 6 PM on Friday, dinner, a show, an overnight stay, and breakfast.
We chose an interior cabin for this experience—since the boat wasn’t leaving the dock, we didn’t see the point in paying more… All in all, it cost 130 € per person.
My mom joined us; she got the same cabin for 130 € with no single occupancy supplement.
We’d checked in online to board faster.
We took the train to DUNKIRK, then a taxi to the shuttle pavilion—7 € for the ride.
When we arrived at the pavilion, we were told to wait because there was a connection issue with check-in. Great start…
After about ten minutes, we were finally allowed to proceed.
At the counter, they said they didn’t have our cabin cards and no record of our check-in… Very odd.
With no solution, they put us on the bus and said we’d sort it out at reception. Perfect.
We went through security, and they confiscated our water bottles—never seen that before! Then they said my mom had a corkscrew in her bag, so they searched it… but there was no corkscrew. Total amateur hour… They eventually dropped it.
We got on the bus for a ten-minute ride…
We boarded the ship with a crew member and headed to reception.
Turns out, we weren’t the only ones in this situation.
The nightmare began… Only two staff members were handling all the issues, and everything seemed complicated.
They told my mom her cabin had been given to someone else 😲.
That was the last straw…
It took forever—they had to redo the entire check-in.
Finally, they told my mom her cabin was good to go; they’d mixed her up with someone else… After a solid half-hour, we could finally head to our cabin.
I’m determined to test everything: the pool, jacuzzi, show, restaurant, spa, etc…
TO BE CONTINUED
Hi there,
I'm looking at a cruise in the north.
Hi there,
So, I booked this cruise...
I know CFC gets a lot of criticism—
- And that it’s not really like the ships I usually take.
But the destination really interested me...
So, I’m giving it a try...
I’m going in with an open mind, thinking I got a good deal, so I’m not expecting the same experience as when I travel with Yacht Club or The Haven.
We’ll see... soon!