Multiprise car nous avons moultes choses à brancher types tablettes, appareils photo, téléphones, brosses à dents.... bref une multiprise est toujours utile !
si vous partez de l'aéroport, vous pouvez peut être signaler à l'employé de msc que notre amie francine aura peut être un peu de retard si celle ci vous fournit en mp son nom ;
Nous on arrive tjs un peu à l'avance à l'aéroport et qq fois on embarque aussitôt
sinon il y a de quoi attendre en buvant un café par exemple
pour cette fois, on part en outre à Gênes (c'est la première fois)
OK pas de problème, Francine peut m'envoyer un MP, je dirais ainsi qu'elle risque d'avoir du retard !!
Pas bête la multiprise, je n'y avais pas pensé. Comme quoi, c'est bien de communiquer sur des forums !!!
Personne ne m'a répondu si en arrivant de bonne heure à Gênes, on pouvait embarquer dès 13 h par exemple, si on est arrivé ? Et pour le déjeuner, faut-il emporter un sandwich ou bien est-il possible de trouver un petit resto près du port ?
En principe, sitôt arrivés dans le terminal, le bus décharge les valises qui sont prises en charge par les préposés et tu rejoins la file de l'embarquement. Tout dépend du nombre de croisiéristes à ce moment là, mais cela va vite et tu peux rejoindre les buffets au 14 ème étage ils sont ouverts toute la journée!
C'est vrai qu'avec le départ bien matinal (pour nous 6h15) on risque d'avoir faim!!!
J'ai prévu un en-cas style "gâteau céréales" car le timing est serré...
Je te communique en MP nos coordonnées....
merci
Pas besoin de prendre et égalent interdit ou fortement déconseillé le sèche-cheveux !
Pour l'heure de monter à bord aucune idée car pas de problème mais à Genes cela dépend beaucoup de la douane car pas copain avec la pendule...
A demain
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BouelMogdad, Navarino, Ausonia, Royal Viking Sky, Costa Riviera, Azur Victoria, Mediterranea, MSC Musica-Fantasia-Divina-Splendida-Preziosa, Fortuna, Serena, Magica, Concordia, Pacifica, Luminosa, Costa Neoromantica
Bonsoir Francine,
Bien noté vos noms, et je préviendrais le chauffeur dès la montée dans le car.
Nous allons essayer d'arriver vers 10h à l'aéroport et on verra bien la suite.
J'ai mis dans la valise une multiprise, ça sera utile, et merci Alexandre, je n'emmène pas de sèche-cheveux, il est fourni je crois, ce qui m'ennuie, c'est plutôt le fer à repasser (et oui je repasse), mais je sais qu'il est CONFISQUE, alors je ne l'emporterai pas, dommage !
En tout cas, demain à cette heure-ci, nous serons dans le bateau......!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bon voyage à tous
A dimanche soir
Cordialement
Eliane
Demain nous prendrons la navette qui va de Nice à Gênes, le RV étant fixé à 11h30.
Si nous arrivons à Nice vers 10h, par exemple, y a-t-il déjà des cars qui peuvent nous emmener à Gênes ?
Bonjour,
Nous avons pris la navette MSC en février 2015; elle n'est pas arrivée en avance, elle était même un peu en retard sur l'horaire prévu.
Alice
Dans l'ensemble la croisière sait bien déroulée, excepté pour Minouche qui a passé deux fois par jour à l'hôpital de bord pour des infections aux cicatrices après son opération au coeur.
Je ferai un compte rendu mais il faut nous laisser atterrir car nous avons repris le travail dès mercredi 10 dans l'après-midi avec beaucoup.
Il y a quelques éléments qui pour moi ne sont pas acceptables (Lucy pense comme nous) et j n'ai jamais vu cela en 8 YC, dont je vais faire une lettre à MSC pour des explications afin de comprendre.
Pour le reste, les prestations n'ont pas changés, il y a toujours bien le numéro de la cabine sur la carte, au restaurant du YC on y mange toujours aussi bien avec chaque soir un plat gratuit pour le YC des restaurants payants.
Nous avons rencontré des majordomes que nous connaissions déjà et ceci est fort agréable, il connaisse nos habitudes.
Excellent dimanche
Alexandre
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BouelMogdad, Navarino, Ausonia, Royal Viking Sky, Costa Riviera, Azur Victoria, Mediterranea, MSC Musica-Fantasia-Divina-Splendida-Preziosa, Fortuna, Serena, Magica, Concordia, Pacifica, Luminosa, Costa Neoromantica
On se console en se disant qu'il faut bien revenir pour préparer la prochaine !
Je suis d'accord avec toi, le YC est toujours au Top, quelques petites différences mineures qui sont dues pour moi à chaque directeur de croisière ou/et commandant.
J'ai déjà reçu et, renvoyé, le questionnaire de satisfaction pour cette croisière.Sur ce questionnaire, on a la possibilité d'y noter nos différentes remarques, ce qui, je crois n'est pas le cas sur celui de Costa où on a la possibilité de ne répondre que par oui ou par non ( cela a peut-être changé ...).
Les différences que nous avons constatées sur cette croisière, comparé au 4 précédentes croisières effectuées en YC :
Pas de cocktail au longe avec le commandant.
Chanteurs et musique trop forte toujours au lounge.
Au restaurant l'Etoile plats un peu moins copieux.
Pas de places réservées YC dans le car de notre excursion.
Cette liste, comme je l'ai dit plus haut, exprime des ressentis qui n'engagent que nous et encore une fois pour l'avoir constaté lors de nos précédentes croisières, diffèrent en fonction du commandant ou/et du directeur de croisières.
Sur le divina nous avons eu le cocktail avec le commandant au tsl
les excursions pas de places réservées dans le bus mais nous sortions dans les premiers..mais souvent déjà quelques personnes dans le bus.
😉 bonjour tout le monde
Depuis notre retour je tangue......
Nous avons profité à fond de notre croisière, difficile pour nous de savoir s'il y a des moins ou des plus au Yacht Club, c'était une inaugurale pour nous.
Nous avons apprécié les petites attentions en cabine, au Top Sail, et surtout au restaurant où les repas sont excellents, les fromages affinés comme nous les aimons, c'était vraiment parfait.
Un seul bémol, en dehors du bug informatique de l'arrivée, c'est l'arrivée à Gènes, la conciergerie étant remplie, nous attendions dans le Top Sail en ayant prévenu le concierge.
Au bout d'un certain temps on s'est aperçu que nous étions les seuls, nous nous sommes de nouveau manifesté au concierge, nous étions une dizaine, une majordome nous a accompagné au pas de courses dans le terminal.
Finalement nous nous sommes retrouvés devant un bus presque plein, plus de majordome avec nous !!
Finalement une personne de notre groupe est partie chercher un majordome qui a demandé à un chauffeur de s'occuper de nous.
Certaines personnes n'étaient pas inquiètes pensant qu'un mini bus serait mis à notre disposition s'il n'y avait plus de place.
Conclusion nous avons pris le dernier bus qui partait pour la gare de Nice, nous avons eu bien chaud 🙁
Rien de méchant mais je ne pense pas que ce soit comme cela les embarquements et débarquements en YC
Hum pour l'embarquement effectivement c'est mieux ..quoiqu'à nice tu n'as pas prioritaire non plus pour les bus..
et pour le débarquement ben on te met dehors le plus vite possible.. tu es déjà oublié ma pauvre Lucette..
😉 avis personnel, je répète première fois que nous sommes en Yacht Club
- les repas étaient vraiment très bons, j'ai rarement mangé autant de filets de bœuf avec une cuisson parfaite (saignant)
- au niveau de l'animation, j'ai trouvé au contraire que c'était très calme. Il n'y avait pas grand monde, et très souvent nous nous retrouvions seuls avec nos amis, le serveur venait bavarder volontiers avec nous. Nous sommes très souvent "sortis" pour trouver de l'animation.
- pas de place réservée dans le bus, mais nous arrivions les premiers !!
- pour les formabilités avec les autorités israéliennes, c'était super en 5 minutes maximum, ce qui n'était pas le cas des autres passagers qui ont du attendre très très longtemps !!!!
😉 pas certaine !!!!
Nous apprécions les cabines balcon auréa. C'est généralement celles que nous réservons.
Je trouve un peu dommage que les boissons ne soient pas incluses dans les autres bars du bateau.
Ainsi, au bar du "spa auréa" (il y a un choix de thé-miel excellent) nous avons pu en profiter avec notre all inclusive mais nos amis devaient payer 🙁
les tarifs au moment de notre réservation seront déterminants 😉
Je suis d'accord pour les boissons, Les passagers YC devraient avoir les boissons comprises pour tout le bateau. Ce n'est pas pour ça qu'ils boiraient plus ! ...
J'ai aussi reçu le questionnaire que j'ai aussi déjà remplis. J'ai écris à MSC pour des explications, on verra si une réponse vient, sinon je passerai au siège de MSC.
J'ai aussi mit les commentaires que nous avons parlé à bord, le questionnaire vient ici à Genève.
La reprise est dur, avec le mauvais temps et beaucoup de travail. C'est la vie.
Oui il faut préparer la suivante, mais j'attend que Marie a résolu ces problèmes de santé.
Chez Costa impossible de rajouter des commentaires.
Amitié a vous deux.
Alexandre
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BouelMogdad, Navarino, Ausonia, Royal Viking Sky, Costa Riviera, Azur Victoria, Mediterranea, MSC Musica-Fantasia-Divina-Splendida-Preziosa, Fortuna, Serena, Magica, Concordia, Pacifica, Luminosa, Costa Neoromantica
Bonjour Joël
A mon avis le coktail au top sail lounge , ça dépend du commandant :
-juin 2014 , Splendida en Méditerranée , le commandant a traversé le pont piscine et nous a dit bonjour de loin .
-mai 2015 , Splendida en Norvège , coktail au top sail lounge , à 17 heures . Le commandant est passé à chaque table et a discuté trois minutes sur notre expérience de Msc et du yacht club . Il y avait aussi plusieurs personnes qui sont venues discuter avec les passagers , le directeur de croisière , la guest manager ...
-Janvier 2016 , Divina dans les Caraibes, coktail au top sail lounge , à 11 heures , le matin . Le commandant à parlé au micro pour nous remercier d'avoir choisi le yacht club . Ensuite ceux qui le voulaient pouvaient aller faire une photo avec lui ...
J'espère que tu auras le même commandant que nous l'an dernier pour tes croisières de mai prochain .
Cordialement Claudine
J'espère que Minouche va mieux et qu'elle a pu quand même profiter de la croisière.
Si je comprends bien, il y a une baisse de qualité au YC ? J'attends ton c/r avec impatience, enfin quand tu auras un peu de temps, le retour est toujours très difficile.
C'est un problème de l'hôtel manager qui se croit tout permis, il est sur le bateau depuis 3 semaines, je n'ai jamais vu un officier être tout le temps dans le TSL en train de boire des verres (alcool compris) et transformer le TSL en karaoké cela ne passe pas avec un bruit d'enfer dans les cabines au dessus, Lucy et JOEL sont de notre avis.
De plus depuis que l'hôtel manager est la, il a fait supprimer le gala au TSL avec le commandant que nous avons déjà eu.
Il travaille quand ?
Bien sûr je possède les preuves de se que j'avance...
Pour les reste, rien à redire tout va bien avec d'excellents majordome homme et femme.
D'ailleurs le chef majordome que nous connaissons nous à avouer qu'il avait des problèmes avec lui depuis qu'il était arrivé sur le bateau
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BouelMogdad, Navarino, Ausonia, Royal Viking Sky, Costa Riviera, Azur Victoria, Mediterranea, MSC Musica-Fantasia-Divina-Splendida-Preziosa, Fortuna, Serena, Magica, Concordia, Pacifica, Luminosa, Costa Neoromantica
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!