Merci RCT mais finalement quand j'ai voulu appeler Costa, j'ai vérifié avant sur le site et il n'y avait plus de cabines balcons comme hier soir (il y en avait deux hier soir)
holala dsl j etais un peu distrait par tout ve bonheur lol. voilala suite
savone:
reveillé a 7h a cause d un leger sifflement dans la fenetre du a un fort vent je decide de me lever et de prendre l air... bah j ai bien pris l air temperature agreable mais fort vent mais bonne surprise le soleil se leve a l horizon et en plus savone est en vue je m empare donc de mon appareil photo et j en profite pour faire de jolis cliches...
le bateau approche nous decidons d aller petit dejeuner au restaurant taurus.
une bonne assiette de bacon un chocolat chaud et me voila de retour dansd ma cabine pour profiter de l arrivee au port. le luminosa effectue un superbe derapage controlé avant d entrer au port puis fait une marche arriere d environ 500m pour se garer. en bref 7h00 savone en vue mais bateau accoste vers 9h00... cest pas une twingo la hihi
nous descendons du bateau vers 9h30 direction l agence pour recuperer la voiture de loc.
nous decidons de nous rendre directement a genes par l autoroute. dommage il y a des travaux et un bouchon se forme nous perdons une bonne demi heure mais nous arrivons rapidement tout de meme a genes. on se gare a cote de l aquaium dans un sous terrain et decidons de nous promener au allant tour avant de prendre le petit train pippo qui fait un tour de la ville commente en francais si demande grace a des ecouteurs donnes par le chauffeur; le tout pour 7 euros par personnes pour 40 min environ.
nous rentrons enfin a savone pour prendre quelque photos pres du bateau avant de rendre la voiture et de rentrer au bateau. il est 16h nous profitons que les ritals n ont pas encore fini d embarque pour aller au buffet qui est desert de monde mais pas de bonne bouffe; je me prepare donc un bon hot dog.
nous decidons d aller boire un verre mais la c 'est le drame; c 'est le tour des italo de faire l exercice et du coup les bars sont fermes pdt ce temps( grrrrrrr)
du coup on attend patiemment a la cabine et j en profite pour faire mon petit cr de cette journee tres ensoleillee avec un bon 21 degres a 15h d apres une horloge exterieure.
on a meme marche dans le sable d une petite plage deserte de savone.
voila il est presque 17h je vais commencer a vous poster quelque petites photos!!
barcelone:
aujourd'hui vendredi 19 octobre 2012 nous avons naviguez dans la brume, tel un bateau fantome jusqu'a apercevoir enfin les cotes espagnoles.
il est 13h50 apres un nouveau derapage controlé et la montee en route de james bond pour garer le bateau au port ( parait que c 'est dur lol) nous accostons donc devant le main schiff et le msc fantasia deja a quai depuis ce matin je pense et james bond descend enfin avec son petit bateau pilot collé au luminosa.
23 degres, 83 pour cent d humidite mais le ciel se degage enfin. le soleil fait une percee, pourvu que ca dure. depart ce soir prevu a 20h et tous a bord a 19h30 nous allons pouvoir en profiter assez quand meme.
sinon pour l anecdote nous avons donc participer au coktail du commandant. nous sommes arriver dans les premier et on nous a coller dans un renfoncement du restau club luminosa ce qui fait qu'on a vu ni celui qui presentait ni meme le commandant... chouette coktail... une coupe de champagne et une crevette sur un toast a la creme.. bref je vais aller me prendre un coktail moi!!
heureusement pdt le coktail une tres tres charmante hotesse francaise est venue nous tenir compagnie et s assurer que tout se passe bien pour nous. elle est vraiment woww j en ai meme pas vu son prenom sur son badge je la regardais dans le fond des yeux hihi bref...
il est 14h nous allors commencer a essayer de descendre. nous nous rendons aux bus mis a disposition part costa pour ceux qui n ont pris d excursions au prix de 8 euros aller retour par personne.
il nous depose tout pret du centre ville et de la rambla.
nous remontons donc celle ci. le soleil est bien la. il fait chaud il fait lourd et l air est tres humide mais de l orage etait prevu on va pas se plaindre on a la soleil a la place. nous faisons une halte a la boqueria ; c 'est magnifique plein de lumieres , de couleurs, d odeurs, un vrai regale de gouter a ces specialites. il fait chaud alors on ne resiste pas a un des nombreux smoothy proposes sur les stands. 1 euros piece on ne se prive pas et c 'est delicieux.
nous sortons et continuons la montee de la rambla. des femmes toutes plus belles les unes que les autres. vivement que j y retourne lol.
on trouve une petite boutique de souvenirs qui brade tout ce qu'elle a avant fermeture. on ramene quelque teeshirt et autres portes clefs. ainsi qu'un specialite dont je ne saurai prononce le nom mais c 'est a base de pate d amande de sucre de vanille et autre...
16h30 nous decidons de rentrer a bord, on a chaud et on reviens a barcelone dans 6 mois pour quelque jours et c 'est le depart de notre prochaine croisiere alors on decide de profiter du bateau.
voila pour ce debut de cr de ma journee a barcelone.
j espere que le msc fantasia va bientot partir, j adorerai le voir passer devant mon balcon.
pour nous depart prevu a 20h
a plus tard...
18h , le defile des paquebots a barcelone commence avec le saga ruby un petit rafio tout moche et tout petit qui a meme pas fait pouet pouet en passant.
suivi du balmoral qui lui est comparable en taille a l horizon et lui il a fait pouet pouet tellement longtemps qu'on se demandait si il s etait pas endormi sur le bouton. vient ensuite le tour du mein shiff 1 qui lui est tres joli avec sa coque bleu et ses graffitis.
puis l enorme msc fantasia et la c'est du delire en passant a cote de nous tout le monde sur les ponts superieurs et au balcon de celui ci se met a chanter et crier et agiter des serviettes et tee shirt!! evidemment sur le luminosa ca repond aussitot.. quelque min de super ambiance avec d autres croisieristes c'etait fun!
enfin il est temps de combler le trou dans mon petit estomac: direction la fontaine a chocolat au pont 3, la un serveur a peine aimable mais bon il me sert ce que je lui demande et c 'est tout ce que je demande il n aura pas un merci de toute facon, mais sinon je me suis regaler avec ananas et peche chocolat chaud mmmm ! mais ca donne soif allez on descend d un pont direction le bar elettra et on enchaine quelque coktails avant de nous rendre au spectacle de 19h30 .
super spectacle multilangue avec un chanteur et pianiste remarquable.
il fait un bonne partie du spectacle en francais et ca c'est bien.
quand il fait le tour de la salle pour demander les nationalites on voit bien que les ritales sont quasi disparus...
l espagne est en force ce soir suivie de la france et meme des usa.
bref un bon moment musical avec des chansons de chaque pays et meme plusieurs pour la france.
voila il est 20h40 on va se preparer pour aller manger!
nous sont parti depuis 20h et sorti du port ca tangue deja bcp!
bref allez a la douche et a la soupe! a plus tard tout le monde
pour barcelone on a pas eu envie de chercher et d attendre les bus bleu du coup on a pris la navette costa a la sortie de la passerelle et pas besoin d attendre il y a plein de bus pret a partir
a savone oui a pied pour la voiture. ca nous a fait marcher 20 min a peine et franchement ca fait pas de mal... je doit eliminer je manger trop a bord
Merci Lolo
pour les photos
je vois que tu as maigri😉
il me semble reconnaitre les iles Sanguinaires
la fin approche c est triste
pour te remonter le moral vient avec nous sur le Magica allez lolo allez lolo....!!!!!!
Ta cop's ROSA
T imagine même pas comme je déprimé déjà. Mais ce soir on fait la fete avec nos nouveaux amis du forum et d autre a bord...
Je rentre d une bonne baignade a ajaccio. Le kiff un 21 octobre la baignade en mer
je te l ai dit, la solution "tu pars avec nous sur le Magica!"
et je veux plus t entendre!!!
le dernier soir je te comprends les "boules" mais bon y a pas le choix!
oui profite jusqu au bout et boit un coup à ma santé
super la baignade! soit il faisait beau, soit tu es "jobard!" car ici il a plu tout la journnée
Amities
ROSA
Sympa ces 2 photos
tu sais quoi! quand tu rentres tu l as fait agrandir et tu l encadres
comme ça chaque fois que tu la regarderas ça te mettra bien les "boules"🙁
Alors tu viens su le Magica!
ALLEZ...........................
salut lolo tu es rentré aller courage moi c'est pareil c'est dur😛 mais faut penser à la prochaine 😏moi aussi j'ai acheté la maquette il est trop beau ce luminosa j'ai adoré comme toi 😏
bah nous on est sorti a pied sans aucun soucis. peu etre cette journee la il y a avait quelque chose de special. ou peu etre que ca depend sur quel quai tu etais.
ha bah nous on etait seul lol. c est peu etre a cause de ca je ne sais pas mais ce n est pas grave... je suis sur l autre forum je met un tas de photo et de com.
bonsoir et oui c est dur le retour heureusement que la prochain est deja reservee donc je me concentre sur l avenir.
n espere pas monter a 13h. impossible.
pour nous l embarquement a commence a 14h et j ai pu embarquer a 14h30. plus tu arrive tot plus tu embarque tot. seul les suite et autres membres prioritaire sont en 1er et apres ils ont bien dis que c 'etait par ordre d arriver. des que tu deposes tes bagages au terminal tu as un numero...
Je crois qu'on est aussi prioritaires car petite enfant en poussette 😛
Sinon à savone, sais tu s'ils ils donnent un plan de la ville à la sortie du bateau ? J'arrive pas a en trouver à imprimer sur le net et l'office du tourisme ne m'a jamais répondue.
tu as un plan de chaque ville visitee la veille dans ta cabine. sois zen
c etait ma premiere et ca s est super bien passe. mais savone j ai pas trop aime je suis aller a genes.
dans la cabine sur les ecrans de tele tu as acces a tout. les webcam du bateau. tes releve de compte a bord etc. c est super pratique...
j avais depose 150 euros en liquide et a la fin il me restait 5 euros qu ils m ont rendu avant le depart.
j ai conserve tous les today de chaque jour je les mettrais sur le forum demain soir. j ai aussi garde quelque menu etc
Ah la veille ok cool je pensais que c'était juste à la sortie du bateau
Oui les today je vais aussi tous les garder et les mettre d'un classeur après avec toutes les infos du séjour .
J'ai lu que savone n'est pas très touristique mais on ira s e promener un petit coup en ville, j'ai découvert qu'il y avait une rue du même nom que ma fille 😛
150€ mais ils ont servi à quoi? Tu avais pris le all inclusive pourtant
As tu acheté des photos "officielles"?
j ai achete la maquette a 30 euros. j ai fais un tour de simulateur de f1, une sceance de cinema 4d avec ma cherie. payer un transfert en bus au port de barcelone. et les 7 euros par jour de service .. ca va vite mais au moins je maitrisais le budget
Savone n'est pas déplaisant à visiter c'est assez jolie pour une 1ere au detours de ruelles je suis tombée sur un grand marché mais c'etait un dimanche !!autrement tu as de quoi faire de belles photos et te ballader tranquillement avec la petite😉
Coucou Louna
de l autre coté on se demandait ou tu etais passé?
tu peux plus rien faire😉 ils croient que tu es repartie en croisiere😉
peu tu me donner pus d infos pour aller à ce marché est il loin du port de croisiere?
Merci
ROSA
Oh desolé Louna!
parfois se deconnecter un peu du quotidien fait du bien
compris pour le marché
ta vu la bonne nouvelle!
le Chef va etre papi on est tous trop content!
ROSA
c est la premiere chose qu'on a fait... il faisait chaud et lourd direct on a pris un jus a 1 euro... delicious!!!
et toutes ces couleurs wow! vivement avril que j y retourne
ah oui Laurent, ça va vite, c'est sûr ;) et les frais de séjour aussi avec.
merci Louna, oui, je pense qu'on pourra faire une bonne petite promenade à Savone quand même, suffit juste que la météo soit avec nous et pour l'instant, c'est couvert / averses 😕
un petit bout de soller pour toi rosa
je n ai pas oser aller au port. il n y a pas bcp de depart de train. et le retour c est 14h oblige sinon c est 16h30 je crois et la tu loupe le bateau.
Bonjour
Mon mari et moi embarquons sur le magica samedi à Marseille, notre première escale est Savone. Nous pensons prendre le train et aller jusqu'à Gênes à part l'aquarium qu'y a t il à visiter? Nous hésitons entre le train pippo et l'autocar qui fait le tour de la ville. A t on le temps de tout faire?
Merci d'avance pour votre réponse.
Cathy
Costa Magica 11/2012, Costa Séréna 11/2013, Costa Néo Romantica 09/2014
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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,
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!