oui je confirme comme je l'ai déjà dit chaque compagnie réclame des papiers qui ne correspondent pas forcement aux normes du pays proprement dit
pour une même destination, certaines acceptent une simple carte d'identité d'autres exigent un passeport, et pour les cas particuliiers comme celui d ULYSSEA cela doit etre pareil, les exigences doivent differer en fonction de chaque compagnie.... 😕
Isabelle, amoureuse des croisières:
COSTA, MSC, ROYAL CARIBBEAN, CELEBRITY, PRINCESS, NCL, HAL, PONANT, OCEANIA, AZAMARA
A VENIR
CELEBRITY EQUINOX 09/11/2026 Grèce Italie Malte
Bonjour Isa,
J entends bien ce que plusieurs d entre vous dites à propos de voyager avec une carte d identité ou un passeport...
Par contre la compagnie demande que chaque passager soit en règle ET respecte le règlement des documents d identité. Rien n indique que le Visa D n est pas valable puisqu il l EST legalement.
Si nous avions appelé la police des frontières avant de partir, elle nous aurait confirmé cette validité. Je suis désolée de maintenir que la compagnie n a pas la compétence légale d être au dessus des lois du gouvernement français, ni celles de Schengen!
Si c etait légalement le cas, imagine le bazar! Personne ne saurait plus où trouver les références et de plus chaque compagnie aurait ses propres demandes! Ça s arrêterait où? Ça deviendrait completement fantaisiste au gré des compagnies! Même les entreprises privées sont tenues de respecter la loi nationale ou internationale. Si tel n est pas le cas, ne restons pas des moutons et mettons à jour cette pratique méprisante vis à vis des passagers.
A mon avis, comme déjà dit, Costa Italie ne sait pas ce qu'est un visa D délivré en Suisse...
Si on a la curiosité de chercher ce qui se passe en Italie, on arrive à ce texte; là on se rend compte qu'il y a confusion possible pour Costa entre visa D italien et visa D suisse... 😮
Maintenant, faudrait au moins qu'ils acceptent de reconnaître "qu'ils se mélangent les pinceaux grave" comme diraient nos ados... 🤪
National Visa (NV)
For holders of Employment Visa, Family Reunion Visa and Visa for
Accompanying Family Members
NOTICE
As per art. 2, par. 2 of Act no. 286 of 25.7.1998, please be informed of the following:
National Visa “D” is valid for a long stay in Italy and ONLY for a short transit (up to a
maximum of 5 days) in Schengen countries.
National Visa “D+C” is valid for a long stay in Italy and for a short stay in Schengen
countries (up to a maximum of 90 days after entry into the Schengen area).
As per art. 5, par. 2 of Act no. 286/98 and Circulars no. 0001982 of 20.4.07 and no.
400/C/2006/401948/P/14.201 of 7.11.06 issued by the Italian Ministry of the Interior,
within 8 working days after arrival in Italy, travellers shall go to the locally competent
General Immigration Office (“Sportello Unico per l’Immigrazione”), where
applications for residence permit will be filled in on their behalf and returned to them.
Travellers shall then personally submit applications at authorized post offices (as
indicated on the websites www.portaleimmigrazione.it, www.interno.it and
www.poste.it), where they shall fill in special free application forms and carry out
payment of relevant administrative fees.
As per art. 34, par. 3 of Act no. 286/98, travellers shall draw up a special sickness,
accident and maternity insurance, or they shall register with the Italian National Health
Services (this also applies to accompanying family members).
VN (Per titolari di visto per Lavoro Subordinato, Ricongiungimento Familiare e
Familiare al Seguito)
Je ne sais pas si la compagnie a competence d etre au dessus des lois concernant les papiers exigés mais en tout cas je me repete elles le font toutes !!! 😕😕😕
Isabelle, amoureuse des croisières:
COSTA, MSC, ROYAL CARIBBEAN, CELEBRITY, PRINCESS, NCL, HAL, PONANT, OCEANIA, AZAMARA
A VENIR
CELEBRITY EQUINOX 09/11/2026 Grèce Italie Malte
Merci à toutes les deux pour vos propos!
Il y en a des choses à creuser la derrière!!!!!!
Ce qui me donne la force de me battre encore plus pour dénoncer cette pratique aléatoire du passager modèle apte à partir en croisière .....ou pas...!
En synthèse, chaque passager doit, en plus de ses papiers personnels officiels valides, obtenir un papier écrit certifiant que la compagnie, selon son propre droit interne, autorise le passager à embarquer, à débarquer, à sortir du bateau aux escales, ceci ici en Europe et bien entendu dans tous les pays du Monde!
Si ce n'est pas le cas, le passager prend le risque d'être refusé à l'embarquement.
Si nous appliquons tous cette pratique, Costa et les autres auront bien du fil à retordre!!!
Merci Mathilde pour tes donnes de l'Italie, je creuse aussi!
Un peu dans le propos de " poupou10 " , il est évident qu' il y a " une marche " , entre les exigences légales et celles des compagnies .
Autant ces compagnies ne pourront pas aller " sous " la légalité : - moi le vous embarque Sans pièce d' identité ,
autant elles peuvent demander plus : - moi je veux que votre passeport soit encore valable 6 mois au delà de votre retour .... alors que votre passeport conserve toute sa validité jusqu' a la veille de la date indiquée sur le document
Et cette attitude est courante ,
Elle est courante dans les postures prises par les sociétés " de voyages " ( agences , croisières, tour opérateurs ) .
Pour l' exemple du passeport valable 6 mois après le retour , que tout le monde connait : vous pouvez utiliser cette pièce jusqu' au dernier jour , en toute légalité , ..... en passager indépendant .
Alors : pourquoi ces 6 mois , des agences ou autres ? ... voir 1 an pour les US pour certaines sociétés ???
- Parce qu' une fois accepté , embarqué , par ces sociétés : elles sont responsables de vous , face aux autorités !!!
et , .... supposons que votre voyage , votre présence sur un sol étranger se prolonge ( accident , maladie .. ), si votre titre d' identité passe alors sa date de validité : .... c' est sur eux que va tomber la sentence vous concernant .
Donc : .. prudence , 6 mois de plus doivent couvrir , dans leurs esprits et conventions .
C 'est peut être ça , le problème du visa .
Valable , ..... ou pas ???
- pas d' hésitation : pas de risque .... refusé .... mêmes dispositions , au dessus de la légalité .
Mais .... mentionnés dans les conditions particulières , elles aussi , contractuelles .
Pas fait le remboursement sur les bases d' un procès . Un mauvais arrangement vaut souvent mieux qu' un bon procès , ... ça aussi , c' est bien connu ...
Les douanes de Marseille ont confirmé qu'il n'y a pas de contrôle frontière lors des départs croisières à l'intérieur de Schengen.
Ce qui signifie que COSTA ment et assure que c'est la douane qui refuse des passagers alors que c'est Costa seul qui le fait! Ils surpassent les lois et la police aux frontières, lorsque vous expliquez la situation, ils sont arrogants voire insultants.
Je me méfie du surbooking voire d'un acte raciste!
Costa nous a donc arbitrairement exclu de notre croisière alors que tous nos papiers étaient valables, certifiés par toutes les autorités compétentes!
Ah ça oui, c est très intéressant!
Entre mensonges et mauvaise foi! Il y en a à dire! Sur chacun de leur mail ou chaque téléphone, ils trouvent autre chose qui contre dit le mail d avant! La première pour faire court, le passeport n est pas valable.. Alors qu il l est jusqu en 2019!!! Et la dernière, il nous aurait fallu deux visas alors que c est écrit noir sur blanc sur tous les documents officiels qu il y a une équivalence entre le visa D et le permis de séjour. ..Au milieu de tout cela, quelques dizaines d arguments tout aussi ridicules et erronés les uns que les autres! Alors à bon entendeur, faites très attention avec cette compagnie!
on tourne en rond mais hélas c'est la compagnie à elle seule qui décide des papiers requis pour embarquer et non en rapport avec ce que réclame le pays ou l'on embarque....
bien qu'etant française je n'aurais pu embarquer sur CELEBRITY sans mon passeport
ta situation est complexe... je trouve que c'est un peu exagéré de crier au racisme 😕 à ta place je n'hesiterais pas à aller en justice si tu es sure d'etre en regle et si les frais sont reduits tu n'as rien à perdre !!
Isabelle, amoureuse des croisières:
COSTA, MSC, ROYAL CARIBBEAN, CELEBRITY, PRINCESS, NCL, HAL, PONANT, OCEANIA, AZAMARA
A VENIR
CELEBRITY EQUINOX 09/11/2026 Grèce Italie Malte
Bonjour Isa,
je n avance pas mes arguments sans preuve! La journaliste a trouvé dans ses recherches des cas similaires avec des algeriens et marocains en partance pour une croisière! Avec eux aussi...tous leur documents en règle!
Effectivement, si la presse ne fait pas avouer l erreur il nous reste la voie juridique, déjà engagée. ..c est terrible d en arriver là! Costa a écrit qu ils se doivent de respecter la loi! Je me demande laquelle!
Cordialement
donc d 'apres tes dires les problemes ne concernent que les algeriens et marocains tous en régle et pas les non europeens tout court ? c est bizarre !!
Isabelle, amoureuse des croisières:
COSTA, MSC, ROYAL CARIBBEAN, CELEBRITY, PRINCESS, NCL, HAL, PONANT, OCEANIA, AZAMARA
A VENIR
CELEBRITY EQUINOX 09/11/2026 Grèce Italie Malte
Ne me faites pas dire ce que je n ai pas dit!
1. Ce ne sont pas que des algeriens ou marocains qui subissent le tri arbitraire de ou des compagnies, c est une pratique courante pour toutennationalité
2. La presse fait son enquête en profondeur. Lorsque costa met plus d une semaine à repondre à un mail et ou que le responsable du service litige est comme par hasard absent..ça prend du temps.
Cette enquête avance lentement mais sûrement car les offices compétentes suisses nous ont donné raison et c est grâce à ce verdict que nous nous battons et pour tous ceux qui, un jour, subiront dans un port, au bout du monde peut être, une injustice comme la nôtre. CQFD
Ce message pour vous donner des nouvelles de notre litige contre Costa depuis le 13 avril.
La journaliste de la Radio Suisse Romande a terminé ses recherches et l'émission a passé à l'antenne le 9 août dans "on en parle".
Pour faire court:
- elle a apporté la preuve que tous nos documents étaient valides pour cette croisière
- elle a reçu de la Police des Frontières à Marseille la confirmation écrite qu'il n'y a pas de contrôle douanier pour ce genre de croisière intra Schengen! C'est donc la preuve que la compagnie nous ment en disant que c'est la douane qui a refusé l'accès à bord
- elle a la confirmation que mon mari n'est pas le premier à subir des discriminations de compagnies de croisières
- elle a eu plusieurs téléphones avec la direction de Costa qui s'est montrée désagréable voire arrogante, sans toutefois recevoir une explication claire et valable de ce qui s'est passé, ni par oral ni par écrit.
Certains d'entre vous m'aviez dit que les compagnies se permettent de refuser arbitrairement l'accès à bord de certains passagers ayant pourtant des documents VALIDES. Cette pratique est inacceptable, chacun le sait.
Mais les compagnies comptent sur le fait que les clients ne payeront pas des fortunes pour les poursuivre en justice, elles continuent donc en toute impunité de léser et de se moquer des gens honnêtes comme vous et moi...
Heureusement pour nous notre protection juridique, après analyse du dossier et contact avec la journaliste, nous a remboursé l'intégralité de cette maudite croisière.
Petite information pour ceux que cela intéresse: Notre croisière au brésil du mois d'avril ayant été annulée, il nous a été octroyé un avoir. Nous nous sommes…
Communiqué de Costa: Gênes, le 16 septembre 2019 - Le Costa Smeralda, premier navire de Costa Croisières propulsé au gaz naturel liquéfié (GNL), débutera son…
Mon tour du monde s'est achevé dernièrement mais vu le coronavirus des compensations nous sont accordées. Que choisir? Le 35 % en cash ou un avoir sur une…
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 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,
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
A group of friends and I are going on a CroisiEurope cruise along the Danube in September, from Vienna to Bucharest.
The excursions are optional and, in my opinion, pricey. I’m convinced we can manage on our own...
* In Vienna, is it easy to visit the city and Schönbrunn Palace in one day? (Since we only have a day, is it better to explore the palace grounds or the interior?) ...97 €
* In Bratislava, is visiting the castle and hiking in the Little Carpathians worth it? ...79 €
* Budapest: Széchenyi Baths ...119 € and the Great Market Hall ...84 €
* Kalocsa: the Puszta nature reserve and a horseback riding show ...76 €
* Novi Sad: a panoramic bus tour followed by a walk to Petrovaradin Fortress ...41 €
* Ruse: visiting the Rusenski Lom Valley ...43 €
For all these cities, can we get around on our own? If so, should we take a bus, a taxi, or is it enough to be good walkers? (Share all your tips!)
Thanks in advance for your feedback.
Best regards
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!
