Avant de quitter Amsterdam, nous avons pu voir un moulin.
L'autoroute étant bouchée, le car a suivi la route normale (celle qu'emprunte le bus 82 car nous l'avons croisé pendant le trajet).
A un moment, le car a été obligé de patienter à cause du pont d'une écluse qui s'était levé.
Nous sommes arrivés au bateau vers 17h, heure du tous à bord.
Le soir, on profite du bateau. Fiesta italiana !!! Le soir, nous sommes allés boire un dernier verre au Byblos pour profiter de la vue de la mer. Un karaoké a commencé. Il n'y avait quasi-personne. Père et fille ont pu chanter leur duo préféré ensemble (le téléphone pleure). Nous avons été étonné par le listing de chansons proposé en français.
Puis, dodo car demain nouvelle escale à Guernesey !!!
Toute la matinée, le bateau a longé des îles et îlots.
Le programme du jour donnait rendez-vous aux passagers à 10h30 au casino afin de récupérer une "lettre" pour répartir les départs en chaloupe au débarquement.
Un peu avant 10 heures, nous sommes passés à côté du casino par hasard et il y avait déjà du monde qui faisait la queue.
Pour être certains de partir dans les 1ères chaloupes, nous avons donc fait la queue avant l'heure. Bien nous en a fait, à peine 5 mns plus tard, il y avait au moins une bonne centaine de personnes.
Nous avons eu la lettre A.
Nous sommes arrivés à Guernesey vers 13 heures.
Comme nous étions au restaurant près des hublots, nous avons vu les chaloupes descendrent peu à peu.
Il y a eu quelques allers-retours des chaloupes entre le bateau et le port pour le personnel afin qu'ils puissent préparer notre arrivée au port.
Comme nous avions la 1ère lettre à débarquer, nous nous sommes approchés du pont à emprunter pour descendre aux chaloupes un peu avant 'heure.
Encore une fois, bien nous en a fait, car l'embarquement a commencé vers 13h45 et non 14 h. Il y a eu un peu de bousculade et il a fallu faire un peu bloc pour éviter que la gamine se fasse écraser ou bousculer dans les escaliers. On se demande également à quoi servait la lettre d'embarquement car il y en a plein qui n'était pas dans les 1ères lettres qui sont passés tout de même grâce au mouvement de foule 😠.
Une passerelle spéciale est installée sur le côté du bateau ou les chaloupes accostent.
Nous descendons max 3 personnes dans l'escalier. Cela n'a l'air de rien mais il est préférable de tenir la rampe car une vague trop forte et la passerelle peut se soulever ou vous faire perdre l'équilibre.
Au bout de la passerelle, après être descendus du bateau, nous tournons à gauche pour longer le quai en direction de la ville.
Des personnes distribuent des prospectus publicitaires avec un semblant de carte de St Peter qui ne nous satisfait pas.
Comme je n'avait pas trop préparer cette escale (et cette croisière en général car je préparais plus minutieusement celle que nous avons fait juste avant sur la mer baltique), notre première mission était de trouver le point d'information touristique pour récupérer un plan correct.
Des panneaux indiquent la direction à prendre pour rejoindre le point d'information touristique.
Au bout du quai, nous prenons à gauche pour longer le port.
Donc, au bout du quai, nous prenons à gauche suivant les panneaux d'indication pour le point d'info touristique.
Nous passons devant un parterre de fleurs en forme de chapeau en l'honneur des 60 ans de règne de la reine d'Angleterre.
Nous longeons le batiment qui suit juste après (les 4 dernières photos) qui est en fait le point d'info touristique.
Sur l'avant dernière photo, si vous continuer tout roit sur pratiquement la même distance, on tombe sur la place centrale des bus ou l'on peut prendre les bus 7 ou 7A pour faire le tour del'île par la côte en 1h/1h30.
Nous décidons dans un premier temps de nous rendre à Candie gardens pour voir la statue de Victor Hugo et avoir un point de vue en hauteur sur St Peter Port.
Il nous faut rejoindre St Julian's avenue, la rue en prolongement du quai ou la chaloupe nous a déposé.
Pour ne pas reprendre le même chemin, nous décidons de passer par les petites rues.
En sortant du point d'informations touristique, nous prenons la petite rue à droite qui longe également le batiment que nous quittons (photos 1 à 5).
Au bout, nous prenons à gauche sur la ruelle "Le Tourgand" (photos 6 et 7) pas plus longue que la largeur d'une maison.
Puis, tout de suite, nous reprenons la rue à droite (lower pollet).
Nous tournons à droite et remontons St Julian's avenue.
Ca grimpe assez.
Après un arrêt de bus, nous distinguons de l'autre côté de l'avenue un panneau indiquant la direction à prendre pour le musée de Guernesey et le candie gardens.
Avant de quitter le Candie gardens par une grille côté gauche de la statue Victoria (photo 1), nous passons devant la bibliothèque Priaux (pas ouvert aux touristes), havre de recherche sur l'Histoire de Guernesey ou pour faire des recherches en généalogie (photo 2).
On aperçoit également les hauteurs de la Tour Victoria.
Merci Ericat pour ce compte-rendu très détaillé. Pour notre première croisière nous sommes partis en Méditerranée, mais au départ nous souhaitions partir en Europe du Nord (l'an dernier nous nous y étions pris trop tard, mais il existait même un départ sur votre trajet depuis Cherbourg, où nous habitons... malheureusement supprimé depuis, dommage pour nous : la gare maritime se trouve à 2 km de la maison, on se voyait déjà s'y rendre tranquillement à pieds).
L'an prochain, on repart certainement, et très certainement aussi pour un trajet en Europe du Nord, départ le Havre ou la Rochelle, on se tâte... Les compte-rendus sont toujours une source précieuse de renseignements, merci aussi pour toutes ces photos...
En plus c'est marrant, nous sommes en congés en fin de semaine prochaine, et comme nous n'avons définitivement pas le temps de partir pour un vrai séjour nous avons décidé de partir à la visite de notre propre région... Et les îles anglo-normandes en font partie, Guernesey en particulier. C'est vraiment à côté de chez nous, et comme toujours dans ces cas là on n'y est jamais allés... Ton post me sera d'autant plus utile ! 😉
Un panneau en anglais fait un descriptif de la tour. A noter que ce panneau indique qu'il est possible de monter à l'intérieur. Pour cela, la clé et les conditions sont consultables au Musée de Guernesey / art gallery dans le Candie Gardens que nous venons de quitter juste avant.
Nous quittons le promontoire pour revenir sur nos pas jusqu'au rond point.
Sur la photo 1, on voit le croisement avec le rond point. Sur la droite, du rond point, on voit l'église St Peter sur la fin de quay north esplanade.
Nous prendrons la rue à gauche au rond-point (south esplanade) afin de rejoindre Castle Cornet.
Sur la droite de cette nouvelle rue, il y a un rassemblement de bus qui fait office de station. C'est là que l'on peut prendre les bus 7 ou 7 A pour faire le tour de l'ile.
Nous etions en croisière du 12 au 20 août 2012 sur le MSC Opéra (au départ/arrivée de Amsterdm/Ijmuiden)
Je vous donne ici des infos pratiques pour ceux qui organisent par eux-même leurs transferts et visites. Je ne reprend pas toutes les infos utiles se trouvant sur les différents forums de ce site.
Amsterdam/Ijmuiden :
Attention ! le terminal croisière (Felison) porte le même nom que le terminal pour les ferry de ligne. A vol d'oiseau, c'est 500m. Mais par la route, c'est 3 ou 4 km ! De nombreux chauffeurs de taxi/de bus ne connaissent pas le terminal croisière. Il règne une telle confusion, que MSC poste un collaborateur au terminal ferry pour re-aiguiller les voyageurs croisières fourvoyé (au frais de ceux-ci).
Accès : Bus 82 de la gare/metro "Sloterdijk" http://wiki.ovinnederland.nl/wiki/Lijn_82_Amsterdam_Busstation_Marnixstraat_-_IJmuiden_aan_Zee_Strand
L'arrêt "Ijmuiden, Badweg" se trouve à 50m du terminal croisière. Prix €2.90 aller simple. Durée env 1h.
Pour ceux qui sont en escale à Ijmuiden : il existe des forfait à env 13€ pour 2 adultes (et les enfants ?) valable pour libre circulation à Amsterdam toute la journée. Achat auprès du chauffeur. Prendre bus 82 (1 bus par heure) jusqu'au terminus (Amsterdam, Marnixstraat), le centre n'est pas loin à pied. Ou possibilité de changer en route pour les bateaux rapide en cours de route (=Bus env 1.70€ aller simple et bateau env 10-15€ aller retour). Sinon, bus 75 (2 à 3 bus par heure) jusqu'à Haarlem puis train (3 à 4 trains par heure)
St-Peter
Distribution de plan de ville par l'office du tourisme au dàbarquement de la Chaloupe au port. Les billets ET les pièces sont des Pound de Guernsey, donc non échangeable ailleurs.
La Coruna
Pour St-Jacques de Compostelle (Santiago de Compostela) : En train : 45 à 50' de trajet seulement. (Sinon, bus de ligne 1h30-1h50 de trajet)
La gare ferroviaire se trouve à une demi-heure à pied du terminal croisière.
En semaine, bus ttes les 10-15' (bus no 1, 1,15€) pr se rendre à la gare.
Prix et horaire trains : http://www.renfe.com/viajeros/index.html
(Les prix sont ceux en cas d'achats en ligne, sur place, cela peut être un peu + cher).
De la gare de St-Jacques au centre = toujours tout droit env 10'-15'.
Compter env 3h pour faire le tour de la vielle ville et de la cathedrale.
Centre commercial à côté du terminal croisière à la Coruna offrant le Wifi.
Bilbao
Plan des environs du port et de la ville de Bilbao à disposition au comptoir d'information du terminal.
20' à pied jusqu'à la station de metro Neguri (ligne L1). Métros toutes les 10' env.
Trajet 25 min env. 3.20€ Aller/Retour
A Bilbao, sommes descendu à la station Moyua, 10' à pied jusqu'au musée Guggenheim.
Visite "exterieur" uniquement. Puis par la passerelle piéton se trouvant sur la gauche (en faisant dos au musée), jusqu'au pied du pont de "l'affreuse" grande route. Là, ascenceur gratuit pour monter sur le pont (bonne vue sur le musée). Retour en ascenceur au pied du pont, puis avons longé le fleuve jusqu'à la superbe passerelle un peu plus loin.
De là, sommes allé prendre le funiculaire offrant un bon point du vue sur la ville et les environs (0.90€ aller simple). Retour en funi, puis en longeant le fleuve jusqu'à la vieille ville. Nombreux magasins. Encore du temps pour découvrir Bilbao et ses avenues marchandes.
La Rochelle
Comment dire/expiquer que nous n'avons jamais vu un port voyageurs aussi mal organisé/pratique/moche .... ?
Pour ceux qui sont en escale pour la journée :
Il est, parait-il pour des raisons de sécurité (!), interdit de quitter le port à pied.
Donc, théroiquement, il reste soit les navettes MSC (à 15€ env), soit le taxi (25-35€) ! Et pas d'auto-stop, car les particuliers n'ont pas d'accès non plus !
Sinon, enfilez-vous dans une navette gratuite parking (de là, accès en ville par bus urbain régulier, 1,30 € par trajet). Pour le retour, idem (renseignez-vous à quelle heure le dernier retour).
Pour aller à la plage sur l'ile de Ré :
en juin/juillet/août : bus 50 de la place Verdun, 1€30 par trajet
(Bus 51 même trajet mais reservé uniquement aux voyageurs avec vélo)
http://www.rtcr.fr/ct_98__Se_rendre_sur_l_ile_de_Re.html
Au retour au terminal, il vous faudra présenter une pièce d'identité et peut-être vider complétement votre sac à dos et vos poches lors d'une fouille manuelle poussée, le terminal n'étant pas équipé de portiques de sécurité et de rayon X. Bien du plaisir !
Des rumeurs parlent que MSC quitterai La Rochelle pour le Havre en 2013, au vu des conditions déplorables de confort et d'accès du terminal proposé par la Rochelle, cela ne serait que mérité !
Southampton
Ne louez surout pas de voitures chez Europcar !
Bien que soit indiqué et proposé sur internet, un point de location Europcar directement au Citycruise Terminal : celui ci consiste en un simple comptoir, qui semble ne plus être desservi depuis longtemps, affichant simplement le numéro de téléphone de l'agence principale située à 15 minutes à pied de là. De +, étions en escale le dimanche, avions reservé et payé un supplément de 40 PND pour avoir la voiture à 8h (la location ouvrant normalement à 10h le dimanche) (D'autres voyageurs avaient payés le supplément pour avoir même la voiture à 7h) : Avons dû nous rendre à l'agence principal, pas de shuttle, ni à l'aller, ni au retour, pour retirer notre voiture à 10h seulement ! Refus de nous rembourser les 40 PND. Personnel pas du tout compréhensif car pour eux, ils n'ouvrent jamais à l'avance même si il y a des réservations ayant payé ce supplément. A bon entendeur !
Essayer peut-être avec "Enterprise rent-a-car" qui ont une agence et le parking qui va avec, à moins de 5 minutes à pied (à droite en sortant du Citycruise terminal, à la hauteur des barrières d'accès/sortie du port).
Sommes allés voir Stonehenge (idéalement, y être à l'ouverture à 9h30 ...), puis Oldsarum (Ancien château/forteresse, joli site avec du gazon partout) et enfin Salisbury (Cathédrale et très jolie ville typique).
Pour faire le plein de la voiture au retour : pas de station service dans les environs du port, précedente station (Texaco) au moins 3 ou 4 km avant la zone portuaire.
Bonjour,
Voici le calendrier des croisières pour 2027.
Cela donne des idées et peut permettre à des membres de se rencontrer
2 régles essentielles:
1) ne jamais "citer" le calendrier pour répondre, ceci évitera toute confusion
2) respecter le format suivant
JJ/MM - pseudo / BATEAU EN MAJUSCULE / nb jours / titre de la croisière / port de départ
NE PAS OUBLIER LES ESPACES entre les / /
RAPPEL Malgré mes demandes peu de personnes respectent le format demandé, la croisière ne sera plus répertoriée quand elle s'éloignera trop du format demandé, désolée ATTENTION Merci de respecter les modèles SVP
MERCI DE COPIER COLLER LE FORMAT CI DESSOUS ET REMPLACER PAR VOS DONNEES SI VOUS N Y ARRIVEZ PAS
JJ/MM - pseudo / BATEAU EN MAJUSCULE / nb jours / titre de la croisière / port de départ
NE PAS OUBLIER LES ESPACES entre les / /
cela prend du temps de rectifier, MERCI A TOUS
A VOUS DE JOUER 😉
NOMBRE DE CROISIERES 2027 : 1
JANVIER
14/01 - poupou10 / AZAMARA JOURNEY / 74 jours / Tour Amérique du sud / Miami
FEVRIER
MARS
AVRIL
MAI
JUIN
JUILLET
AOÛT
SEPTEMBRE
OCTOBRE
NOVEMBRE
DECEMBRE
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
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,
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,
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!