Bonsoir Titi,
Votre calendrier est bien pratique et j'espère qu'il pourra continuer.
Nous partons le
27 juin 2011 de Civitavecchia sur l'Equinox de Celebrity pour un circuit en Méditerranée.
J'espère trouver d'autres membres VF sur cette croisière.
Merci
Arlette et Jerry 😏
Bsr
oui donc avec 2 autres membres!!!
bonne croisière sur l'Equinox!!!
Bravo, beau travail ! Je viens de rentrer de deux croisières sur le Grand Mistral (Ibero Cruceros -Carnival- Pavillon Madeira) enchaînant "Les Secrets de la Mer Noire" et "Douce France" par TMR (Du 14 au 27 Mai pour la première et du 27 mai au 2 juin pour la seconde). 20 jours sur le même bateau avec énormément de personnes âgées, un peu hard. Je repars le 22 juin en car de Paris vers Zeebruge pour les Capitales Nordiques (12 jours) sur le Princess Danae. Je n'attends pas de miracle. Pour l'instant je me contente de regarder la mer et d'apprécier les escales, avec ou sans excursions, là encore il y aurait à débattre.
Je suis quasiment débutante dans le milieu des croisières (à part une virée de 8 jours en 1970 par Epirotiki Lines vers les Iles Grecques et Ephese et deux fois quatre jours sur le Norway en 1998) mais à partir de novembre 2011 j'attaque les compagnies du style MSC. J'ai vu accoster à Katakolon le MSC Musica (de mémoire), rien à voir avec le bateau sur lequel j'étais. Plus de passagers, tous âges confondus, des bébés, des ados, des quadras, etc.. et toutes les nationalités, quel bonheur ! Je me suis permise de les interviewer sur le quai, ils étaient charmants et très contents du bateau. Voir photo.
L'avantage des croisières c'est qu'on n'a pas à faire ses valises chaque jour et on a la chance de découvrir une région par la mer, c'est extraordinaire. Je n'oublierai jamais le paysage de la côte amalfitaine et Capri il y a quinze jours ! Et l'Ile d'Elbe et Minorque, quelles surprises ! Par l'avion, ça n'a rien à voir. Et depuis que j'ai voyagé en cargo, j'ai appris à observer la mer (je n'avais que cela à faire) et qu'est-ce qu'elle nous apprend, surtout dans les tempêtes ! Mais le cargo merci, j'ai donné, surtout qu'au niveau du prix et de l'ambiance on n'est pas du tout gagnant, j'ai pu comparer. Si j'avais un conseil à donner : bien réfléchir avant de monter à bord de ce genre de bateaux car si le commandant est psychorigide, vous êtes mal.
bonjour Titi, nous ne pouvons plus partir sur la croisière costa du 24 novembre Savone/Buenos Aires (problèmes familiaux). Nous avons donc
réservé sur la transat brésilienne sur le Costa Fortuna Santos/Venise du 19 avril 2012 (23 jours). Nous avons 4 cabines.
Désolés pour ce changement et encore merci pour ton site qui permet de se rencontrer sur les bateaux.
Amitiés
c'est sur le site costa et le catalogue 2012. Départ Paris le 18 mars, le 19 de Santos et arrivée le 9 avril à Venise. Elle est en date
privilège. Elle est dans le calendrier des dates privilège sur le magazine Costa.
Cordialement
Je n'ai pas trouvé sur la liste des croisières : les grandes capitales baltiques du 22 juin au 4 juillet 2011 (Zeebruge/Zeebruge). J'y participe. Merci.
COUCOU MC
Finalement tu vas le prendre le Melody et si j ai bien compris 2 fois à quelques jours d intervalles.
c est vrai que ces itineraires sont super
c est ce qui m a attire vers lui. je sais à quoi m attendre ayant dejà fait le coral que j ai apprecie aussi
si tu veux je t en dirai un maximun à mon retour.
celui avec beyrouth est super mais j avoue un peu peur il me semble qu il y avait aussi Zante une ile en grece.
peux-tu ns indiquer tes 2 itineraires MERCI.RCT
Ca fait en effet pas mal de temps que les itinéraires du Mélody me titillaient🙂 pas le bateau mais bon afin de faire un pied de nez à la Divina nous avons décidé d'embarquer pour voir des horizons inconnus🙂
les 2 itinéraires comportent des escales que nous ne connaissons pas
le 1er départ le 24/9 pour 12 jours avec Beyrouth, Kos, et Zante les autres escales connues étant Sorrento, Héraklion, Limassol, le Pirée.
2eme croisière départ le 27/10 -12 jours également nous n'aimons pas partir pour une semaine en croisière.
escales à découvrir : Nafplion, Istanbul, Yalta, Odessa plus les classiques Rome, Sorrento, Messine
et nous allons peut être également tenter une 3eme avec le Fantasia pour conjurer le sort de Madère😄
Vous avez pris de très bonnes décisions, et celle qui fait escale au Liban ne me déplairait pas non plus. Je reviens d'une croisière en Mer noire qui m'a enchantée, sur un autre bateau que le Mélody. Nauplie, le détroit des Dardanelles, Istanbul, le Bosphore, Yalta et Odessa, que de beaux paysages vous allez découvrir.
c'est dingue je suis la seule à partir sur le magica le 27 octobre
bonjour Pascale
des membres VF ne se sont peut être pas encore fait connaitre!!!
sinon
raison principale :
cette periode est une vac scolaire, il y a des départs surtout avec des enfants, et la reprise d'école est le jeudi 03 nov à 08h00, toi tu arrives à Marseille à 13h, déjà quasi sur aucune famille avec enfants, ces dernières peuvent faire un choix de multiples croisière en partant le 22 ou 23 oct de 7 jours tout en restant dans la periode de vacances!!!
maintenant il reste encore un peu de temps
@ suivre
titi
Et c'est reparti pour une 3ème croisière. C'est dingue comme on peut y prendre goût ;-)
10/11/2011 melchior77 (FR) / Costa Magica / 7 jours / Méditerranée (MARSEILLE)
Décembre 2010, Méd Occidentale, Costa Magica ; Avril 2011, Sud Espagne et Portugal, MSC Poesia ; Novembre 2011, Méd Occidentale, Costa Magica ; Novembre 2012, Méditerranée, MSC Splendida
Nous aussi nous sommes les seuls de VF sur le Costa Allegra , départ le 11/08.C'est dingue, en effet, quand on voit le nombre de membres sur certaines croisières.
Allez, on offre l'apéro aux internautes VF qui viendront nous rejoindre sur l'Allegra.
Hello Pap,
C'est pour cette raison que tu pars toujours soit avant soit après nous sur le même bateau😛 parce qu'on aime trop le champagne😊😉
en 2012 peut-être
Merci encore pour ce calendrier. Quelle initiative géniale, mais quel travail ! Ce qui est aussi intéressant c'est de voir les ports de départ, détail important mine de rien. D'ailleurs à ce propos, pour Venise, je souhaiterais mettre en garde les futures croisiéristes qui prendraient le train de nuit Artesia Paris Bercy-Venise où la sécurité n'est pas top. Personnellement en février, à l'aller comme au retour, je n'ai pas été volée, ni gazée (car je n'ai pas dormi tellement j'avais peur) mais il faut savoir que ça peut arriver. J'ai été témoin de scènes très bizarres dans ce train, et j'ai écrit à la SNCF et à Artesia qui ne répondent pas, mais qui sont au courant. Voir les témoignages sur voyageforum en tapant : Artesia.
J'ai une question ? Envisagez-vous de faire le même calendrier pour les quelques "voyageurs" qui prennent des cargos ? J'ai fait une expérience en février durant 14 jours au départ de Monfalcone et retour Monfalcone, jusqu'en Israël, Grèce, Turquie, avec Grimaldi Lines sur un RORO, traversée qui n'a pas été une réussite, mais il paraît que je n'ai pas eu de chance. Je préfère les croisières, à tous points de vue. Le seul avantage du cargo : on peut accéder à la passerelle du commandant, ce qui n'est pas possible sur les bateaux de croisières. J'ai demandé lors de ma dernière croisière (sur le Grand Mistral) Mer Noire et Douce France (TMR, départ Marseille) du 14 Mai au 2 Juin 2011, et il m'a été répondu que c'était comme pour un cockpit d'avion, impossible.
26 novembre / La Puce / Eclipse de Celebrity / 7 jours / Antilles de l'Est / Départ de Miami
Pour une 1ère croisière, je crois qu'on met la barre haute. De plus, nous avons choisi la classe Concierge!
pas de message privé, donc j'écris là!!!
OK bien noté ta croisière, oui tu mets la barre très haute mais ça vaut le coup surement
mon compte rendu de l'Equinox
C'est quoi la "classe concierge"? on m'a déjà dit qu'un bateau était la "HLM" de la flotte d'une certaine compagnie, mais la classe concierge, je ne connaissais pas.
Qu'est-ce qu'elle a de particulier votre croisière? A part le fait de vous avoir séduite...
Désolée, cela aurait été un grand plaisir, et de faire connaissance avec vous, et de prendre l'apéro ensemble. Pour nous, le retour en Terre Saint était initialement prévu en mai 2011. Pour une nouvelle programmation on va attendre encore un peu, peut-être l'année prochaine !
Nous prendrons connaissance des futurs comptes-rendu avec grand plaisir.
C'est quoi la "classe concierge"? on m'a déjà dit qu'un bateau était la "HLM" de la flotte d'une certaine compagnie, mais la classe concierge, je ne connaissais pas.
Qu'est-ce qu'elle a de particulier votre croisière? A part le fait de vous avoir séduite...
En tout cas, l'Eclipse de Celebrity est loin d'être un navire de classe "HLM" si vous connaissez la compagnie!!!!! Vous ne savez pas ce qu'est un concierge, dans un grand hôtel?????
Et toutes mes excuses si mon message vous a vexée. Loin de moi l'intention de dénigrer votre croisière ou le bateau que vous allez emprunter. Il ne s'agissait que d'une question de vocabulaire car je ne comprenais (et je n'ai toujours pas compris) le sens de votre message.
Bien sûr que je suis déjà allée me promener sur le site de Celebrity et j'ai eu une impression favorable.
Quant à l'expression HLM, elle a été employée à propos d'un bateau que je trouvais très bien mais qu'une autre passagère considérait comme tel par rapport aux autres de la flotte sur lesquels elle avait voyagé.
Rapporter les propos d'autrui , ce n'est pas forcément partager son opinion.
Pour moi, ce forum est l'occasion de découvrir et d'apprendre en toute courtoisie et c'est ce que j'apprécie sur celui-ci: la gentillesse, la courtoisie et la compétence de ceux qui partagent leurs expériences. Dans la tolérance des différences culturelles, de sens de l'humour, et sans agressivité.
Et merci pour le lien.
J'ai déjà visité le site de CELEBRITY et je trouve la compagnie et les itinéraires intéressants.
Ma question portait sur le sens du message, mais cela importe peu.
Fort de l’expérience du « calendrier 2010 des départs en croisières des membres VF », (2 posts nécessaires/70000 lectures/900 messages) Je poste aujourd’hui le…
Voici le calendrier des croisières pour 2026 Cela donne des idées et peut permettre à des membres de se rencontrer 2 régles essentielles: 1) ne jamais "citer"…
Allez je me lance pour refaire un calendrier des croisières pour 2025 pour le moment. Cela donne des idées et peut permettre à des membres de se rencontrer 2…
Les catalogues étant déjà sortis je lance le nouveau calendrier 2021 si dores et déjà vous avez vos dates de départs à vos claviers pour les nouvelles…
Après les tours du monde MSC ou COSTA, les catalogues commencent à sortir pour le début 2020, il est donc temps d'ouvrir ce calendrier! Mise à jour N°0…
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.
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
hi there
Here’s the cruise schedule for 2026.
It’s a great way to get ideas and maybe even meet up with other members.
2 essential rules:
1) never "quote" the calendar when replying—this’ll avoid any confusion
2) follow the format below
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
REMINDER Despite my requests, few people follow the requested format. Cruises that stray too far from it won’t be listed anymore—sorry!PLEASE respect the templates!
COPY AND PASTE THE FORMAT BELOW AND REPLACE WITH YOUR DETAILS IF YOU’RE STRUGGLING
DD/MM - username / SHIP IN CAPS / number of days / cruise title / departure port
DON’T FORGET THE SPACES between the / /
It takes time to fix mistakes, so THANKS TO EVERYONE for your help!
YOUR TURN 😉
NUMBER OF CRUISES 2026:
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
We’re taking an MSC cruise in May, and after the Cinque Terre, we’ll be stopping in Naples. We’d like to know if it’s possible to walk out of the port quickly and reach a nice area of Naples on foot (we’re two older people). While we’re at it, I’ll ask the same question for Palermo, since we’ll be there the next day. Thanks for your replies.
Hi everyone,
I’m staying in a suite on the Pacifica in October and I can’t find any details about the suite benefits beyond the elite restaurant, the butler, and the espresso machine.
What about breakfast and meals served free in the cabin, and the spa?
Costa’s been cutting back on perks for Gold members, and it seems like suites are next.
Thanks for your replies!
hi,
I’m leaving Hamburg for Iceland at the end of July. The boat arrives in Reykjavik on Tuesday, August 4th at 8 AM, and I’d like to book a day trip like the Golden Circle or Secret Lagoon… The sites like GetYourGuide and others list departures at 8 AM. If you’ve used these sites with the MSC Preziosa, could you let me know how to go about it?
Thanks! 😉
allyMB007
Hello everyone,
It’s with immense sadness that I learned this morning of the passing of our friend Nathalie (nadu). Many of us knew her through this forum, which she loved so much. She enjoyed reading your travel stories, joining discussions, sharing her cruise reviews, and offering valuable advice—always with kindness, gentleness, and discretion.
For me, Nathalie was so much more than just a cruise enthusiast. She was a friend, a deeply kind person who was always there to listen, despite the many health challenges she faced with tremendous courage. We corresponded regularly, and sometimes we had the chance to visit each other’s homes or attend the cruise show together with our respective husbands.
We shared a common dream: when we both retired, we had planned to finally go on a cruise together. Life had other plans, and that trip will forever remain a journey we never had the chance to take. That thought weighs heavily on my heart today.
I’ll remember her as a gentle, generous woman who was always ready to help others. Her presence on this forum will leave a huge void, just as her friendship has in my life.
I send my sincerest thoughts to her husband, her family, and all those who had the chance to know her.
Fair winds, Nathalie. I like to think you’re now sailing on an infinitely calm sea, under an eternally blue sky. You’ll remain in our thoughts and hearts every time we talk about cruises or set off on a new journey.
Rest in peace, Nathalie.
For those who’d like to send a message of comfort and sympathy to her husband, you can send me a PM, and I’ll pass it along.
THANK YOU
Hello everyone,
So happy to be back on this Forum!
We’re heading off on another cruise—our 7th—after a 5-year break...
We’ll be leaving from Venice on April 26th with stops in Kotor, Mykonos, Santorini, and Ancona.
Could you help me plan the stops by sharing tips, tricks, and advice?
For those who already know me, you know we prefer not to take the cruise line’s excursions but instead organize everything ourselves.
Thanks in advance to everyone, and looking forward to chatting with you all!
Hello,
We’re taking a cruise to Northern Europe with a stop in SOUTHAMPTON.
We’d like to visit the Stonehenge site.
Is it possible to get there on our own (my husband is a wheelchair user), since the MSC excursion to Salisbury is priced at 127 € per person?
There’s also a stop in Rotterdam, and it seems there’s a "miniature village to visit" nearby. Has anyone here been there, and if so, how did you get there?
Thanks so much for your tips. Mum49
If you're traveling on the Costa Diadema from October 17th to 28th, 2026 to Lisbon, we can meet up for a drink. Share our cruising experiences, an excursion, a table...
hi there, a group of friends and I are going on a cruise at the end of June with CFC in Norway. I’d love to get some info on the different stops we’ll be making. Most of them are one-day stops (from around 10 AM to 8 PM on average). Here are the stops: Andalsnes, Trondheim, Honningsvåg, Alta, Hellesylt, Sandane, Austefjorden.
Thanks in advance to anyone who can share what there is to see or do in these places.
When I get back, I’ll post what we did—it might help others who come after us.
Also, does anyone know if the boat sticks to the arrival time in Dunkirk for catching tickets to head back south? We’ll plan a buffer just in case.
Hi there, The day before boarding the Costa Favolosa for the Norwegian Fjords cruise departing from Hamburg, I'd like to book a hotel. Which one would be the most convenient location-wise relative to the port?
Thanks in advance for your reply.
Hello,
We’ll be sailing on the Renaissance with CFC to southern Norway from July 4 to 11, 2026, departing from Dunkirk (the cruise was booked through "Planète Croisière").
When entering some personal details or pre-selecting options on the CFC website, I’m wondering about the "optional" categories for drinks and WiFi.
I’m actually a bit surprised by these extra charges, as we weren’t used to them on other cruises (Australis in Patagonia; Hurtigruten’s Coastal Express in Norway and Alaska; Rivages du Monde in the Arctic or on the Douro River; a Nile river cruise in Egypt), where we sometimes had access to basic drinks at meals and free WiFi when near land.
Anyway, for those who’ve already taken a CFC cruise on the Renaissance, could you share some advice? Specifically about the most basic drink package, called "Fraîcheur" (238 € for two), which doesn’t seem to be described anywhere. The "Premium" package seems excessive (490 € for two for the week) for light drinkers.
As for WiFi, it’s 10 € per day per person. While I find that price acceptable for parking our car in Dunkirk, it feels overpriced here (especially since it was free on the Nordlys "Coastal Express" just 3 or 4 years ago).
So, I’d love to hear from experienced cruisers who’ve been on this ship!
Looking forward to seeing the excursion prices, which should be available soon! 😐
Hi there,
I’m considering a cruise on this ship in the recently introduced Yacht Club category.
Have any forum members tried it?
What are your thoughts? Positive or negative? Which cabins should we go for—or avoid?
We’re already familiar with the Yacht Clubs on the Splendida, Fantasia, Preziosa, and Divina series.
We weren’t as keen on the one on the Seashore—we found it too big.
Thanks in advance for your feedback!
Best,
Claudine
We're considering a new cruise soon and would like to try the Renaissance.
The uniqueness of the promenade cabins appeals to us, but could anyone give us some insights on the following points:
- Is the glass door sufficiently tinted to prevent outsiders from seeing into the cabin?
- Is the soundproofing good enough to block out conversations on the promenade deck?
Thanks in advance to anyone who can help!
My husband, our two teens, and I are going on a cruise on the COSTA Esmeralda at the beginning of July. We’re thinking of exploring the ports on our own. Do any of you have recent experiences or tips to share? Are there shuttles between the port and the city center? Are they free? Looking forward to hearing from you.
As promised, here’s my review of the cruise I took from the 5th to the 19th on the MSC Virtuosa.
As you know, I had initially booked a cruise with Mein Schiff departing from Dubai (from Dubai to Cape Town). It was a 22-day cruise. Due to the issues in the Persian Gulf, my cruise was canceled by Mein Schiff.
So, we started looking for a Plan B because we really wanted to go. Especially my wife, who had just had a minor procedure and needed some rest. Since she had already taken time off, she was determined to travel. However, we were looking for an affordable Plan B since we weren’t sure when Mein Schiff or the airline would reimburse us.
While browsing online, I found a 15-day cruise departing from Pointe-à-Pitre (including flights, transfers, the cruise, and drinks) for a price of 1,200 € in a Fantastica balcony cabin. We thought, *Why not?*
I should mention that I’m not usually a big fan of MSC. My last experience with them was post-Covid (I took two cruises, one in 2021 and another in 2022), and it was honestly a disaster. We didn’t want to repeat that, but after talking to Catherine, who told me she was very happy with a short Christmas cruise, we decided to give it a try.
I have to say, I was left speechless. Honestly, the cruise was absolutely perfect. There’s nothing to complain about (or just a few minor details). In terms of service and food, I felt like I was on a premium cruise line. I’d even say MSC has nothing to envy from some of those companies. While premium lines like Holland, Celebrity, and Royal are cutting back on services, I think MSC has made huge improvements. Seriously, I wasn’t expecting this at all. You’ll see what I mean as we chat more.
I won’t do a full review like I usually do because there weren’t many stops:
1. We boarded in Pointe-à-Pitre
2. We stopped in Saint-Martin
3. Then it was a direct crossing to the Azores...
This cruise was really about relaxing, even if it’s not the kind of trip we usually take.
First off, I’m not a big fan of "flight and cruise" packages. I asked if we could leave two days early, but they said it wasn’t possible. We had to take the flight, then the bus, and board the ship directly.
It’s not really my thing, but given the price we paid and since we really wanted to relax, we thought, *Why not?*
Here’s the itinerary:
Boarding in Pointe-à-Pitre
Saint-Martin
Five days at sea
The Azores
Four days at sea
Hamburg
One day at sea
Le Havre
But as I mentioned, it wasn’t about the itinerary. It was really about taking a break and unwinding. Honestly, I came back thrilled.
We’re stopping over in Rovinj this coming May, and since we’ve already visited the main sights (port, church, etc.), is there a walk we can do on our own—no boat needed—that would fill a morning?
Thanks to anyone who knows the area…
My wife and I are going on a cruise on the MS Vesteralen on August 4th. The ship stays close to the coast to deliver mail and packages. My wife is a musician and is sensitive to the movement of the boat. Which deck and cabin should we choose?
Hi there,
So, I booked this cruise...
I know CFC gets a lot of criticism—
- And that it’s not really like the ships I usually take.
But the destination really interested me...
So, I’m giving it a try...
I’m going in with an open mind, thinking I got a good deal, so I’m not expecting the same experience as when I travel with Yacht Club or The Haven.
We’ll see... soon!
hi, we’re going on a cruise with MSC Virtuosa in the Caribbean. Has anyone done this cruise before and could give us some tips for excursions on the different islands? Thanks for your help
😉Hi there,
A few months ago, CFC put the EN VOGUE experience on sale, departing from Dunkirk.
I booked this package to test the boat and onboard services for myself.
I’d read a lot of reviews mentioning numerous issues on board, so I wanted to see for myself what it was really like…
Okay, I’ll stop rambling…
The package included boarding at 6 PM on Friday, dinner, a show, an overnight stay, and breakfast.
We chose an interior cabin for this experience—since the boat wasn’t leaving the dock, we didn’t see the point in paying more… All in all, it cost 130 € per person.
My mom joined us; she got the same cabin for 130 € with no single occupancy supplement.
We’d checked in online to board faster.
We took the train to DUNKIRK, then a taxi to the shuttle pavilion—7 € for the ride.
When we arrived at the pavilion, we were told to wait because there was a connection issue with check-in. Great start…
After about ten minutes, we were finally allowed to proceed.
At the counter, they said they didn’t have our cabin cards and no record of our check-in… Very odd.
With no solution, they put us on the bus and said we’d sort it out at reception. Perfect.
We went through security, and they confiscated our water bottles—never seen that before! Then they said my mom had a corkscrew in her bag, so they searched it… but there was no corkscrew. Total amateur hour… They eventually dropped it.
We got on the bus for a ten-minute ride…
We boarded the ship with a crew member and headed to reception.
Turns out, we weren’t the only ones in this situation.
The nightmare began… Only two staff members were handling all the issues, and everything seemed complicated.
They told my mom her cabin had been given to someone else 😲.
That was the last straw…
It took forever—they had to redo the entire check-in.
Finally, they told my mom her cabin was good to go; they’d mixed her up with someone else… After a solid half-hour, we could finally head to our cabin.
I’m determined to test everything: the pool, jacuzzi, show, restaurant, spa, etc…
TO BE CONTINUED
Hi there,
I'm looking at a cruise in the north.
Hi there,
So, I booked this cruise...
I know CFC gets a lot of criticism—
- And that it’s not really like the ships I usually take.
But the destination really interested me...
So, I’m giving it a try...
I’m going in with an open mind, thinking I got a good deal, so I’m not expecting the same experience as when I travel with Yacht Club or The Haven.
We’ll see... soon!