Pour l'heure d'arrivée, ils savent que le bateau arrive à cette heure-là. Je leur ai communiqué l'heure d'arrivé du bateau ainsi que le nom du bateau. Ils doivent nous app
Pour le détail de la journée, voilà ce que la compagnie nous a proposé
- Départ de Port la Goulette vers Tunis.
- Visite du musée national de Bardo.
- Arrivée au centre ville de Tunis, une visite libre de la médina et ses souks.
- Déjeuner à la Goulette.
- Visite du site archéologique de Carthage passage devant le Tophet de Carthage.
- Continuation vers Sidi Bou Saïd.
- Visite de Sidi Bou Said. Temps libre pour la dégustation d´un thé à la menthe- Retour à Port la Goulette.
Après, il faut savoir qu'il y a 1/2 heure de trajet entre le port de la Goulette et le musée. Donc, il prévoient large.
Pour le midi, nous, on préfère manger au coeur de la Médina plutôt qu'à la Goulette (la goulette étant trop touristique et moins typique, la goulette est une médina reconstituée apparemment). On leur a précisé et on peut le leur dit le matin où on souhaite manger le midi.
Pour le retour, la compagnie prévoie de nous redéposer au taxi entre 17h et 18h.
J'espère avoir répondu à vos questions. N'hésitez pas si vous en avez d'autres.
Sais tu si on peux ne pas choisir le musée et partir plus tard
Est ce un taxi (genre bus pour plusieurs personne) ou bien un taxi personnel rien que pour soi
Contactes les, ils sont très réactifs et à mon avis, ils peuvent te faire un circuit sur mesure. Tu peux enlever et en rajouter d'autres ou pas...
Nous, on est 8, on aura donc un mini-bus. Tous les échanges se font par mail. Tu peux avoir qu'un taxi pour toi. Après, je sais pas si tu peux te rajouter à un groupe. A voir avec eux.
En tout cas, j'apprécie cette formule, il nous attends sur le port avec un panneau, on aura pas à chercher un taxi, à lui expliquer ce que l'on veut faire et surtout à négocier le tarif. De plus, on paie simplement le jour même et en euros.
Cela nous revient à 120 euros et pour la même prestation, tu peux trouver un taxi sur place à 100 euros, mais bon, si tous le monde fait cela, pas sûr qu'il y en ait assez pour tous le monde. Surtout vu le prix des excursions avec Costa, je pense que beaucoup de gens passent par leur propres moyens pour les excursions. En tout cas, nous on prends aucune excursion Costa pendant toute la durée de la croisière.
je leur ai efectivement écrit et j'attends leur réponse.
J'aimerais savoir pour Palerme si c'est facile de trouver les bus ou non.
je cherche a aller du port au théatre politeama
ensuite du théatre à la place des 4 saisons
marche a pied jusqu'au chateau des normands et retour en bus au port
quels serait les bus à prendre et ou ?
edit : je viens d'avoir leur réponse, par contre leur devis est de 80€ pour 4 personne pour l'excursion 1 et non 60€
(j'ai enlevé la visite du musée le matin)
Pour Palerme, apparemment, on débarque au pied de la ville. le théâtre Politeama n'est non loin du port. A priori, à la sortie du port, il y a une petite cabane sur la gauche qui te fournit des plans de la ville.
y'a aussi une gare maritime à palerme où il te fournisse plan détaillé et te dise les "immanquables" de palerme.
Après te dire si c'est facile ou non pour trouver un bus et surtout où, je ne sais pas. la précédente fois que j'y suis allée c'était lors d'un séjour organisé en Sicile, donc, j'ai pas eu à m'en soucier.
Pour le taxi de Tunis, ils nous ont fait un devis à 120 alors que sur le site, c'est 80... J'avoue, j'ai pas cherché à comprendre... pas le temps.
Contactes les, ils sont très réactifs et à mon avis, ils peuvent te faire un circuit sur mesure. Tu peux enlever et en rajouter d'autres ou pas...
Nous, on est 8, on aura donc un mini-bus. Tous les échanges se font par mail. Tu peux avoir qu'un taxi pour toi. Après, je sais pas si tu peux te rajouter à un groupe. A voir avec eux.
En tout cas, j'apprécie cette formule, il nous attends sur le port avec un panneau, on aura pas à chercher un taxi, à lui expliquer ce que l'on veut faire et surtout à négocier le tarif. De plus, on paie simplement le jour même et en euros.
Cela nous revient à 120 euros et pour la même prestation, tu peux trouver un taxi sur place à 100 euros, mais bon, si tous le monde fait cela, pas sûr qu'il y en ait assez pour tous le monde. Surtout vu le prix des excursions avec Costa, je pense que beaucoup de gens passent par leur propres moyens pour les excursions. En tout cas, nous on prends aucune excursion Costa pendant toute la durée de la croisière.
Bonnes recherches
bonsoir stéphanie
j'ai eu la réponse des 20euros en plus
en fait sur leur site c'est départ depuis l'aéroport ou l'hotel, la c'est un départ depuis le port, donc vu qu'ils ne sont pas des taxis privées, mais une compagnie, ils doivent payer une taxe portuaire de 20€
autrement j'aimerais savoir ce qu'il y a à visiter à la médina, tout le monde dit qu'il ne faut pas louper ca, mais pour moi c'est juste un souks
Super merci pour ta réponse. Ainsi, je comprends mieux...
la médina, effectivement, faut pas la louper. La médina comprends les souks, des mosquées historiques, ses belles maisons aux portes encadrées de pierre sculptée. C'est une médina inscrite au patrimoine mondiale de l'unesco. Effectivement, si tu as des enfants, je pense que tu peux faire l'impasse sur le musée Bardo... mais pas sur la médina. Enfin, ce n'est que mon avis mais je connais pas et j'ai envie de découvrir la médina.
J'ai trouvé un site sympa sur la toile où tu peux créer ton guide de voyage. Je te donne le lien :
Crées le pour Tunis en en mettant que les lieux à visiter et en supprimant les restaurants et les différents hébergements. Tu vas obtenir un document de 6 pages sous format PDF et tu pourras ainsi voir ce que tu peux trouver dans la Médina. En plus, je trouve ce guide assez sympa, c'est fait d'après des appréciations des voyageurs.
Et moi, finalement, en vous en parlant, je me demande si on va faire ou non le musée Bardo. Peut-être en fonction du temps... Pour l'instant, pour le 11/2, temps prévu : Min. 6° et Max 14° avec pluies éparses... Bon, d'ici, là, il fera beau temps :)
je veux bien le plan de palerme
je pense faire :
theatre politeama
les quattro quanti
la piazza Pretoria avec sa fontaine
cathédrale de palerme
palais des normands
chapelle palatine
et retour en bus 104
pour l'aller j’hésite à tout faire a pieds, car un enfant de 7 ans et une personne de plus de 65 ans
morgalex
sais tu si le chauffeur nous attends entre chaque excursion ou non?
et pour l'achat des billets pour Carthage, c'est obligatoirement en Dinars, ils n'acceptent pas les euros
Pour répondre à ta question, Camelot, je pense que oui... et pour les billets d'entrée au musée, c'est uniquement en dinars. Pour les souks, tu peut payer en euros si tu veux, mais j'ai lu que c'était quand même préférable d'avoir des dinars. Les marchands, à priori, prennent une sorte de commission. ;)
j'aimerais savoir pour Rome, vous allez prendre les transport de COSTA pour aller à Rome, ou bien prendre vous même le train.
Si vous prenez par vos propres moyen, quels trains/ horaire et arret faut-il prendre
J'ai déjà fait Rome avec mon mari, certes, mes enfants ne connaissent pas mais ils voulaient tous les 2 le Colisée et je trouve cela trop restrictive de ne faire que le Colisée à Rome alors qu'il y a tellement de choses à faire. Alors, on leur a promis (avec toutes les promesses qu'on leur fait concernant les voyages, on va devoir jouer au Loto ;) ) qu'on irait à Rome sur un week end prolongé plus tard. Du coup, on reste sur Civitavecchia...on va se la jouer cool. Désolé, du coup, je vais pouvoir trop te renseigner mais Friquette le fera mieux que moi, elle était déjà à Rome par cette escale.
Bonsoir frisquette
J'aimerais savoir por civitavecchia vers Rome
Quel moyen de transport vas tu prendre
Il me semble avoir lu qu'il y avait des travaux a civitavecchia et qu'on était pas descendu du bateau vers la porte près de la gare mais a la porte opposé donc.
Ayant déjà fait plusieurs croisières j'ai déjà fait escale à ROME et j'avais organisé la journée avec un taxi-chauffeur qui nous a fait visité Rome. Il est venu nous chercher à la sortie du bateau et nous a ramené le soir pour l'heure. Du coup le trajet du port à Rome était plus court qu'en car et surtout nous avions un super chauffeur qui nous a déposé au pied de chaque monument important de Rome. Il nous laissé un certain temps et nous devions le récupérer à ce même point. Ainsi nous avons pu faire un maximum de lieux. Nous étions 8 personnes et nous avons payé 300 euros. Franchement, ça vaut le coup. Aucun stress !!! Si cela interesse quelqu'un je peux communiquer l'adresse mail de ce mode de transport.
CC Sonia, effectivement je confirme, ils sont super. Nous les avions déjà pris il y a 2 ans avec angelo aussi. Et là, du coup, nous les avons encore réservé pour lundi. Le prix n à pas changer 300 euros le van pour 8 personnes.
je me permet de revenir vers vous
pour Tunis, est ce qu'il vaut mieux prendre les taxis qui sont en dehors du port (plus pres de la gare donc moins chers) ou reservé via une agence.
j'ai cru comprendre qu'on pouvait avoir des taxis à moins de 10 euros si on sort du port
Nous, on a choisi la solution de réserver via une agence, au moins pas de surprise de prix. les prix sont déjà fixés. et on perdra pas de temps à chercher un taxi surtout si on est nombreux à débarquer à Tunis.
On paye la prestation plus cher de 20 euros... mais bon, au moins on est tranquille.
le départ se rapproche de plus en plus
pour Tunis, tu es donc passé par www.tunisietaxi.com
j'hesite encore, car il ne me semble pas que le chauffeur vienne avec nous pour nous faire un peu visiter, mais qu'il reste dans la voiture à nous attendre
ca y es pour nous , nous avons été surclassé et nous aurons une cabine exterieure fenetre..
je suis tres contente.. j'ai testé sur son jumeau le costa favolosa et on avait adoré..
tu as été surclassé, chanceuse, tu avais pris quoi comme cabine avant.
Aucun risque qu'il soit refoulé à l'embarquement !
Tout juste un petit lionceau inoffensif couché sur une feuille.
Et bien entendu, tout le monde est bienvenue à cette rencontre.
Y a t il quelqun qui part le 20 aout depart de venise????? j'aimerais avoir le plus de renseignement possible avec le bateau fascinosa merci a tout le monde
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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
Nous ferons la prochaine croisière CFC en Norvège et nous sommes à la recherche du programme des excursions ainsi que leur tarif.
Pour ceux qui auraient effectué cette croisière par le passé pourriez vous me communiquer ces renseignements ?
Je sais que la compagnie ne communique pas sur le sujet sinon 8 semaines avant le départ. J'aime m'organiser à l'avance et éviter les mauvaises surprises .
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
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
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!