We’ve just returned from a cruise that my wife and I will remember—unfortunately, not in a good way.
There’s so much to say that I’ll proceed chapter by chapter.
Pre-Cruise
On January 24th, 2025, I booked through a supposedly attentive cruise agent the repositioning cruise of the CFC Renaissance to the French West Indies, initially departing from Le Havre, then from Dunkirk, on November 1st, 2025.
The return flight was included in the price of this trip.
From January, right after booking, this adventure got off to a bad start.
Used to major cruise lines, I asked my agent to reserve a table for 4 at the "Vatel" restaurant for the second seating, and to link this reservation to the cabin of friends traveling with us. First brush-off: "Ask the maître d’ at the restaurant entrance on the first night."
"To govern is to foresee, and to foresee nothing is to head for disaster," as Émile de Girardin said.
Following this maxim, in February, I started looking for transportation to Le Havre, which was initially the departure port.
Then, I asked the travel agent which airport the return flight would land at. I knew flights from Pointe-à-Pitre to Paris served both main Parisian airports.
Here, I found myself like a ping-pong ball between the cruise agent and CFC: The cruise agent said, "Ask CFC," and CFC replied, "No, your agent is your intermediary—ask them." It went back and forth like that. Impossible to pre-book the flight that would take us back to our final destination.
During the summer, we learned that the departure port was no longer Le Havre but Dunkirk. We canceled our transfers to Le Havre but, of course, lost the cost of the reservations.
Meanwhile, we purchased our "Beverage" package—we chose the "Fraîcheur" option, which included all non-alcoholic cocktails, canned sodas, fruit juices, bottled water, and regular coffees. This detail is important for the rest of the story.
Every month, I followed up to find out the return airport. Nothing until October 28th (3 days before departure), when CFC finally informed me it was Orly, along with the flight number and time. Of course, on top of booking at full price, I had to arrange my final transfer home. Since I had very little time before the return flight, I had to book an Uber in a rush for the Orly/CDG transfer.
Right after, we were told that our first stop in Lisbon—the most anticipated for many cruisers—had been canceled due to a strike at the port of Lisbon and replaced with Vigo, Spain.
A completely unremarkable stop—nothing outstanding.
As you can see, the prelude was already problematic, yet we’re far from reaching the peak of our disappointments.
.......... to be continued soon.
Not the best start to your cruise.
When you book through an agency, it’s only them who can be in contact with you and pass on your requests to CFC.
We always go through an agency (Croisiland) because we have a dedicated contact for our file who we can reach by email or phone.
Normally, by going to the CFC website with your booking number, you should be able to reserve a table for 4 by entering the names of the other people and their booking numbers. It seems your agent didn’t do their job (hopefully not someone from Croisiland…).😕
As for the flights, that’s really unprofessional on CFC’s part. They know the flight numbers, schedules, and airports well in advance of the departure date.
As for the canceled stop in Lisbon, that’s a shame, but it’s out of CFC’s control—just like any cruise line that might have to change a stop. It’s stated in all the terms and conditions that only the Captain has the final say, and stops can be modified.
Tough luck for you.
Looking forward to the rest of your story.
Have a nice day anyway! Mum49
Not the best start to your cruise.
When you book through an agency, only they can be in contact with you and pass on your requests to CFC.
We always go through an agency (Croisiland) because we have a dedicated contact for our file who we can reach by email or phone.
Normally, by going to CFC’s website with your booking number, you should be able to reserve a table for 4 by providing the names of the other guests and their booking numbers. It seems your agent didn’t do their job—hopefully, they’re not from Croisiland… 😕
As for the flights, that’s really unprofessional on CFC’s part. They know the flight numbers, schedules, and airports well in advance of the departure date.
Regarding the canceled stop in Lisbon, that’s too bad, but it’s beyond CFC’s control, just like any cruise line that might have to change a stop. It’s stated in all the terms and conditions that only the Captain is in charge on board, and stops can be modified.
Tough luck for you.
Looking forward to the rest of your story.
Have a great day anyway! Mum49
Hi Mum49,
Thanks for your input.
I completely agree that the only point of contact between the cruise line and me is my travel agent. But what do I do when that same agent tells me to contact the cruise line directly?
My wife and I have been on over 60 cruises, and until 2019, we were always loyal to Sandra from Azur Croisières. But when Azur Croisières was absorbed first by QCNS Cruises and then by Cruiseline, and the terms of sale changed drastically, we switched to Croisiland, like many of our friends did.
When I contacted Croisiland, I made it clear that I wanted a single, dedicated contact person, and they assigned us Amandine—a charming and competent young woman who organized our cruise perfectly. Unfortunately, when I wanted to book a second cruise with them, Amandine was never available. Every time, I was told, "Amandine will call you back," but it never happened. A little disillusioned, I then started booking directly with the cruise lines (MSC, Explora Journey, NCL). By pointing out that I could book without an agent, I got the exact same prices they offered—sometimes even a little better.
For the cruise in question here, I went back to using an agent on a friend’s recommendation. And that’s where the disaster I described above happened. No, it wasn’t a Croisiland agent but one from an agency that uses a "freelance" agent who spends more time in the cruise ship jacuzzis than satisfying "non-aficionado" clients.
Regarding table reservations, your comment was perfectly valid if you book through Croisiland. But here’s the catch—CFC was recently integrated into the Ambassador group, and all the rules changed. There’s no longer a first or second service; there’s just one service where everyone comes whenever they want. It creates chaos you can’t even imagine if you haven’t experienced it. For example: One night, you’re seated on the upper level of the "Vatel" restaurant, you order a bottle of wine you don’t finish, and they keep it for the next day. But the next day, you’re on the ground floor of "Vatel," and you get the rest of your bottle of wine just as dessert is being served.
Obviously, CFC knew the airlines and airports they’d be using for a while now. But I don’t understand their silence on the matter. You’ll see in the rest of my account that I’m not too upset with CFC for this failed cruise.
Yes, of course, I know the cancellation of the Lisbon stop isn’t CFC’s fault—just bad luck.
I’ll continue my story soon.
Have a great day.
Hi CharlyLima, I’m happy to follow your travel journal on this crossing, which was one of the most disappointing for me.
We ran into the same initial issues you described.
See you soon.
Hi there,
Really tough luck....
We followed almost the same route as some of you—that is, Azur Croisière—and when this agency moved to Monaco, we went to Croisiland.
Pure bliss! And we have Amandine as our contact, and we’re really surprised by your dissatisfaction with her.
We’ve had the chance to go on several cruises with CFC and have always been happy. Since it was taken over by an English group, we’ve stopped. It’s such a shame because the boat was cozy and full of charm.
Best regards
Hello,
Really bad luck....
We followed almost the same route as some of you, meaning Azur Croisière, and when this agency moved to Monaco, we went to Croisiland.
Pure happiness! And we have Amandine as our contact person, and we’re really surprised by your dissatisfaction with her.
We’ve had the chance to go on several cruises with CFC and have always been happy. Since it was taken over by an English group, we’ve stopped. It’s really a shame because the boat was intimate and full of charm.
Best regards
Hello Michel,
Thank you for your contribution.
No, as I mentioned, I was delighted to benefit from Amandine’s valuable advice, her expertise, and her kindness in organizing the cruise she arranged for us. I’m just sad that I couldn’t continue this collaboration because her colleagues at Croisiland clearly didn’t pass on the message that I wanted to contact her again.
Best regards,
Christian
Departure on November 1st for the port of Dunkirk.
We were supposed to meet at the port by the "Pavillon des maquettes," an unlikely, tiny spot to welcome the 190 French speakers boarding in Dunkirk.
The ship, during the mini-cruise before ours, had already taken on 470 English passengers in Tilbury (London) and 300 Dutch passengers in Ijmuiden (Amsterdam).
So we boarded a ship that was already quite full.
We were greeted on board without fanfare or trumpets by a cold staff who clearly wanted to wrap up the boarding process quickly.
It was 1:30 PM when we discovered the ship.
Let’s say it right away—it’s a magnificent ship. Warm, cozy, tastefully decorated, with plenty of lounges and just as many inviting bars. A library divided into two sections: one better suited for reading, with a ton of interesting books in all languages (lots in French, a remnant of the recent past), and another organized around games available for guests.
The "Vatel" restaurant is a marvel in the purest "Art Deco" style that I love (the naysayers will say it’s because of my age…).
The cabins are spacious, extremely comfortable, with countless storage spaces. A large terrace completes the whole. The bathroom is also large, but with a small downside—it has a bathtub, theoretically with bubbles, but since our drain isn’t airtight, the spa system doesn’t work. Maybe over time, they should consider replacing these bathtubs with walk-in showers—there’s plenty of room.
We head to the "Belle Vue," the ship’s buffet restaurant, where we ask for two Heineken 0.0s and two sparkling waters in cans with our friends.
And that’s when the first major hiccup happens. The server tells us that waters are served by the glass and that we have to get them ourselves from the buffet’s drink dispenser. So, like anyone without a drink package. We protest, and he tells us that the drink packages changed after Ambassador took over. The "Fraîcheur" package is now called "Experience," and the new rules are what they are. We all take a Heineken 0.0 and decide to go to reception after dinner to clarify the situation. At reception, same story—the packages changed, and there’s nothing they can do. We protest, showing them the description of the package we chose and paid for long ago, pointing out that it’s fraudulent to change the rules of the game mid-match. After much insistence, they call a "supervisor," and in comes our Carlito. Ah… Carlito, an exceptional guy who solved our problem in no time. He told us to let them charge all our drinks and that he would personally credit them to our bill. And that’s exactly what happened. Upon disembarkation, our bill was perfect to the cent.
It was time to unpack our suitcases.
The ship is centered around two hubs: the front with four elevators and the back with the same. Since we were in the middle, we had a choice. We opted for the front elevators. No luck—out of four elevators, only two were available because the third was reserved for wheelchairs (yes, there were about thirty wheelchairs on this ship and just as many walkers). The last elevator was for the service staff bringing luggage to the cabins. Because yes, there were service elevators on this ship, but the service carts were too wide for the doors, so they used the "public" elevators… And that’s how it was throughout the cruise, and even worse at certain times—I’ll explain later.
At 4:30 PM, it was time for the safety drill. Everyone lined up on Deck 6, life jackets on like in *The Gendarme in New York*, and we listened for a good 15 minutes—only in French, since the English had already done the drill in Tilbury and the Dutch in Ijmuiden—to the evacuation rules. You’ll see later in the report that this almost came in handy.
At 6 PM, the ship set sail, supposedly for Lisbon but heading to Vigo instead due to a strike by Portuguese dockworkers.
The next five days would be "Rock & Roll"—you’ll see…
Apparently, the boarding in Dunkirk wasn’t great... we’ll see what awaits us in April.
Not cool with the change to your drink packages—you should’ve been told beforehand.
We also found the ocean-view cabins in 2025 spacious, but the problem for us was the bathtub... so we opted for an inside cabin (with a shower) for the short cruise in Holland in April 2026. For the June one, we were upgraded to a balcony cabin with a shower for PRM after CFC canceled the cruise planned for June 2026 in western England-Scotland-Ireland. Why?
Since this ship welcomes a lot of "seniors," we’re surprised there are only showers in the inside cabins and just 2 (unless I’m mistaken) balcony cabins for PRM. As you said, there’s space to convert bathtubs to showers, but it’s probably too expensive...
Looking forward to your "rock and roll" story. Have a great day! Mum49
I’m really sorry for you, even though I’m not all that surprised by your misadventures. I visited this ship during its stopover in Le Havre last year, precisely because I didn’t want to risk the price of a cruise without knowing what the company had to offer. And I absolutely don’t regret that decision—with a minimal investment, I got to discover CFC and see the real quality of their services.
I’ll be following your adventures closely for what comes next.
Apparently, boarding in Dunkirk wasn’t great... we’ll see what awaits us in April. Not cool changing the drink packages like that—you should’ve been warned beforehand.
We also found the sea-view cabins in 2025 spacious, but the issue for us: the bathtub... so we opted for an inside cabin (with a shower) for the short Holland cruise in April 2026, and for the June one, we were upgraded to a balcony cabin with a PMR shower after CFC canceled the cruise planned for June 2026 in western England-Scotland-Ireland. Why?
This ship hosts a lot of "seniors," so we’re surprised there are only showers in the inside cabins and just 2 (unless I’m mistaken) balcony cabins for PMR. As you said, there’s space to convert bathtubs to showers, but it’s probably too expensive...
Looking forward to your "rock and roll" story. Have a great day: Mum49
Hi Guylene,
I’ve honestly never seen so many seniors on a ship, even though I’m one myself.
I felt like Ambassador had emptied the retirement homes in southern England to fill this boat. There were even some health incidents—I’ll explain later.
Thanks for following this trip report.
Good evening Catherine,
Thank you for your message.
I think that between your visit to the ship in Le Havre and today, a world of negative developments has piled up on this poor vessel.
If you do me the honor of continuing to read my account, you’ll see for yourself.
Have a lovely evening
I’m not surprised by your setbacks, since Catherine gave us a "detailed" account of this ship during a quick stopover visit (if my memory serves me right).
Your travel journal reassured me in my choice, as I’m in no hurry to take a cruise with this company.
Regarding your travel agent, I’ll simply say "NO COMMENT."
Looking forward to the rest.
Hello Joseph,
Thanks for following my travel journal.
Yes, I noticed that Catherine had visited the Renaissance when it was still fully under French management.
You’ll see, as you continue reading my account, that what Catherine experienced seems almost paradise-like compared to what’s happening now.
As for the agency and its "freelance" agent, you’ll also notice that I haven’t mentioned either of their names.
See you soon for the next part.
From November 1st to 3rd… At sea
A pleasant departure from the port of Dunkirk at 6 PM. A tricky passage through a multitude of locks, our crew, expertly led by Captain Yan Jouffroy, executed these maneuvers with mastery.
The Vatel restaurant opens its doors in the evening at 6 PM.
Between the CFC organization when the Renaissance sailed in the Mediterranean in summer and the rules that Ambassador has now established, there’s a world of difference.
The new rules are: “Dinner Up to you (whenever you want)” as they say—I’d call it more of a “dinner free-for-all.”
Around 7:30 PM, we head down to the Vatel restaurant for dinner.
There, chaos ensues between those already dining and those who want to. The former linger at their tables, while the others, including us, are left waiting.
Luckily for us, a table for four frees up—let’s say quickly—on the restaurant’s upper level near a window. It’s assigned to us.
We meet Mayur, who’s in charge of a few tables, including ours, and his assistant, Royal. Mayur is Indian, Royal is Indonesian. As always, an immediate "bond" forms with these two friendly and competent crew members.
The meal is quite decent for the first evening, though that will change over time.
With Mayur, we decide to bypass these new “whenever you want” dinner rules and choose to arrive in his section every evening around 7:30 PM. He thinks it’s a great idea and mentions that if the table frees up a little earlier, he’ll save it for us, and if it’s a bit later, he’ll apologize in advance. That’s the game…
During dinner, the Renaissance enters the English Channel. The sea is rough, with waves of 2–3 meters, but that’s normal in this area. Things will get noticeably worse.
It’s now 11:30 PM, time to retreat to the cabin.
As I mentioned earlier in this report, the cabin is extremely comfortable in terms of size and storage space. However, I think the mattresses haven’t been changed since the ship’s launch in 1993. They’re saggy, lumpy, thicker in the middle than on the sides—so much so that you’d almost need seatbelts to stay in place. I had a rough night and ended up sleeping on the couch. On top of that, the cabin’s air conditioning is temperamental: it’s a normal temperature under the vent but freezing just 5 meters away. (That will change too.)
November 2nd, a gloomy day. We’re still in the English Channel, which we’ll leave by the end of the day to enter the Bay of Biscay. The sea is still choppy, but it’s manageable.
After breakfast at the "Belle Vue" buffet, we decide to explore the ship more thoroughly. Our impression remains the same: a magnificent, cozy, and warm ship inside, but very, very worn on the outside. Rust is everywhere, peeking through the paint on the balcony railings and the davits for the lifeboats, etc.
We chose to participate in the first sea-day quiz. To do so, we had to take an elevator to the "Massalia" lounge. We find the forward elevators, where—unlike yesterday—only one out of four is working. The others are labeled: one “reserved for car (wheelchair-accessible carts),” another “service only,” and the third “OFF.”
So, we walk to the Massalia lounge on foot.
They hand out quiz sheets with 15 potential answers and a pencil.
The quiz begins with questions asked first in English—so far, so good—then, from what I was told, in French… oh, really? At that point, I had to ask the host (a female animator) to repeat the question in English because I didn’t understand a thing. She did.
The first question was: “In which English city is the Football Association Cup museum located?” I only know one English football team because two players from my country are on it, so I answered Manchester—and luckily, I was right.
Fourteen more questions followed, 11 of which were about English TV programs, football teams, and rugby teams. The other three were general knowledge questions.
I’ve never seen so many smartphones overheating during a quiz.
I’ll give you a thousand guesses as to the winner’s nationality.
At the end of the quiz, the French and Dutch speakers protested. I don’t know what happened next because I never participated in a quiz again.
The day passes, but as we approach the Bay of Biscay, the sea gets rougher.
That’s when we see little bags containing paper sickness bags appearing every 10 meters along the handrails in the hallways leading to the cabins—and everywhere else on the ship—in case stomachs experience turbulence like the sea.
Around 8 PM, we enter the Bay of Biscay.
It’s really rocking now, but… the rest soon to come…
I don’t understand why the questionnaire asks us what time we prefer for dinner...
From what I’ve read, it doesn’t seem related to the cruise we took this year in March/April departing from Le Havre. There weren’t any English speakers—or at least, I didn’t hear any...
We chose this ship because of the French-speaking environment on board, which doesn’t seem to be the case anymore...
As for the elevators, there’s always at least one out of order. We were at the back of the ship, and there was always one broken and another out of service from time to time out of the four elevators.
Looking forward to the rest of your story—it might be as eventful as the sea in the Bay of Biscay!
Have a great weekend! Guylène
November 3rd
The sea was very rough at night, with waves of 4/5 meters and wind force 7 to 8 Beaufort.
It’s shaking quite a bit, but we’re still nowhere in this chaos.
We zigzag our way to the Belle Vue buffet to settle our stomachs—though for some, that wasn’t the best idea.
Through the portholes, we see the ocean rebelling, flooding the promenade deck (deck 6) and putting the cabins on decks 4 and 5 below the new waterline unilaterally set by Poseidon (or Neptune for Roman mythology fans).
The ship bends but doesn’t break, I’d say, paraphrasing Jean de la Fontaine. Well… not yet, anyway…
I think if, like in the past, there had been a chapel and a chaplain on board, it would have been packed. Everyone praying to their "god": Dutch Protestants to Calvin, Anglicans to Henry VIII, Jews to Yahweh, and Catholics to the Holy Spirit.
Somehow, we decide to face these turbulent elements up close and head down to the 8th floor, the bar level.
The "Les Explorateurs" bar is very quiet. We sit by a window and wait for the server. He arrives with a firm, confident step—he must have seen worse.
My wife and friends order coffees, and I ask for a non-alcoholic cocktail, a "Proof colada with banana," which I’d tried the day before. He leaves and returns a few minutes later with the three coffees but without my "Proof Colada banana." He tells me that, unfortunately, there’s no more banana syrup on the ship and asks if I’d like another flavor (strawberry, mango, or kiwi). I point out that we’ve only been sailing for 24 hours and that running out of certain ingredients so soon is proof of terrible logistics. Of course, the poor guy can’t do anything about it, so I ask for a fourth coffee.
There was never any banana syrup on the ship again (though I found a workaround) until the end of the cruise, even though we made 9 stops, including 3 in Bridgetown, Barbados; Willemstad, Curaçao; and Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe. These three stops serve as "hubs" for both restocking and passenger changes—English in Barbados, Dutch in Curaçao, and French in Pointe-à-Pitre. Nothing worked—still no banana syrup.
Meanwhile, the ship keeps feeling like a rollercoaster car.
At the end of the day, the captain announces over the internal radio about the storm we’re about to face and asks us to be extremely careful when moving around.
Sure enough, we’ve entered a terrible depression. The waves are now 10 meters high, and the wind is force 11/12.
The ship creaks with every metal plate. At any moment, you think it’s going to break. It rocks horrifically from port to starboard and bow to stern.
At times, deafening noises come from the ship’s depths, as if a shipping container had broken its restraints and was roaming freely in the hold of the Renaissance.
Fortunately, on November 4th, we dock in Vigo, and we’ll have a few hours to regain our balance.
But this is only temporary…
Hi there,
I just came across your travel journal, and I can’t wait for the next installment! You’ve got a real talent for storytelling.
I booked a Caribbean cruise from February 24th to March 7th when these new cruises first went on sale. At the time, no transfers were offered.
After that, my agency and CFC kept passing the buck, and I never managed to get any info about schedules, the departure airport, etc.
So I ended up booking Air France flights from Lyon, leaving the day before just to be safe. For now, I have no idea what time boarding starts.
Looking forward to reading more of your adventures.
Your story makes it sound like you were in a washing machine... with all the rolling from port to starboard and bow to stern. The boat held up, and that’s what matters most.
I’m looking forward to the rest of your story.
Guylène
Hello everyone!
Just a little backstory—my username comes from the year I took my first cruise.
Sixteen years and nine cruises later, I’m currently on my 10th, this time in the Yacht Club interior.
I’m taking you along with me!
Left Marseille on Wednesday, October 21st.
After train troubles (issues on the Paris-Marseille line), then getting lost at La Joliette—years ago, I’d taken the metro and the port bus, thinking I had to go left once near the port, but no, the little gate is on the right after the shopping center.
Wait, she took the metro and bus to the Yacht Club?
Yep! After waiting 15 minutes for the shuttle, once the bus dropped us off, it was a 15-20 minute walk to the ship.
Finally, we made it to the boarding dock.
Headed toward the little Yacht Club flag, where a nice young woman checked our IDs and gave us luggage tags.
She walked us through security (we got to skip the line).
After that, we went to the Yacht Club lounge, where two butlers were waiting. They offered us drinks, and a third person arrived to check passports and handle registration. Then, they gave us a form to pick a complimentary bottle—I didn’t do it right away.
I felt a little rushed by everyone.
I’ll explain more later in my story.
Today, we’re in Barcelona.
A few photos to come in the meantime.
Hi everyone, I’m going on a cruise at the end of January with MSC and I’m looking into the excursions I could do. I’d like to know if I can do the excursions on my own or if I absolutely have to go through MSC based on safety levels.
We’ll be stopping in Montego Bay in Jamaica, Cartagena in Colombia, Puerto Limón in Costa Rica, Belize City, and Colón in Panama.
Thanks!
Emeline
Has anyone here tried GigSky’s “Cruise + Land” eSIM during your cruise?
I’ve seen on various forums that they offer some great deals. For my part, I found a one-month plan (5 GB) for 78 €, whereas MSC charges 290 € on board.
Since we can’t afford to go completely offline (especially my wife—we need to stay in touch for several reasons), we absolutely need an internet plan.
Hi there,
I’m looking into a Mediterranean cruise on the Splendida in YC.
I’d love to know if it’s a ship with a lot of triple and quadruple cabins in the Yacht Club.
The thing is, I’m planning to depart from Malta, and either the cruise ends during the French school holidays in October with a departure from Marseille—which means there’s a risk of lots of kids on board—or the other option is a departure on October 30th, which might also have some French kids during the first part of the cruise.
I read that some ships in the Fantasia class have more triple or quadruple cabins than others, but I’m not sure if the Splendida is one of them.
If anyone has that info…
PS: This isn’t about starting a debate on traveling with or without kids… I’d just like a quiet week, and that’s not always easy in a small space with lots of children around.
I'm considering a cruise on the Hurtigruten Coastal Express from Bergen to Kirkenes and back to Bergen over 11 days in mid-March 2027.
Has anyone already done this trip?
I think it’s a great way to discover the Norwegian coast with the chance to see magnificent northern lights, but isn’t the trip a bit *too* long?
There are about thirty stops, but most last only a few minutes, with just one daily stop of over 2 hours, which gives a quick glimpse of a few towns but doesn’t allow for a full excursion.
Is the supplement for an outside cabin with a porthole (800 € for 2!) really worth it?
It’s more pleasant than an inside cabin, but do you spend enough time in your cabin to make the most of it?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this journey.
Best regards.
Hello, I’ll be on the Costa Serena from April 27 to May 4, 2027. Given that the excursions offered by Costa can sometimes be pricey, what would you recommend for the following stopovers?
Cagliari.
Tunis.
Palermo.
Marseille.
Thanks for keeping in mind that we’re in our sixties and one member of our small group can’t handle very long walks (so no more than 6 km in a day).
Thank you for your help.
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
Hi, I’m about to go on a cruise on the Costa Smeralda but I’ve never been on a cruise before. Could anyone share the à-la-carte drink menu? I’d like to know if the prices are excessive, since the MyDrinks drink packages, for example, cost 266 € per adult.
Have a great day! 😉
We're leaving on August 25th for a Danube cruise from Vienna to Bucharest. The travel agency refuses to postpone this cruise despite navigation changes due to the exceptional drought, which include bus transfers that don’t interest us.
Have you had any experiences with this that you’d like to share?
Just back from our first cruise on the Renaissance, and I’d like to share a few thoughts about life on board. Our feelings are mixed—we wanted a change after several MSC cruises, but the value for money on this repositioning cruise left us torn.
After taking advantage of successive promotions, we finally secured a well-located balcony cabin for 2600 € (almost 50% off the brochure rate). Given the amenities and the ship’s age, this now feels like the absolute maximum we’d pay for that period.
Overall, we were happy with our vacation on board, but a few details—when added up—left us with a somewhat mixed impression.
The pros:
- Ship size
- Reasonable noise levels, except in the restaurants (aside from the covered pool area)
- Spacious balcony cabin (20 + 5 m²) with plenty of storage and a bathtub with jets
- Understated, tasteful decor
- French language spoken on board
- Friendly staff for the most part
- 100% French-speaking clientele
- Decent food with French dishes (even with an Indian chef)
- Tables for two available (though the ship was full, so no changes possible)
- Some high-quality shows, thanks to an excellent English-speaking troupe
- Interesting lectures (especially on history and cetaceans)
The cons:
- Unreliable air conditioning in common areas (you’d go from a freezing lounge to a hot one, as if the system only worked in certain spaces at certain times)
- Aging ship with a few glitches (noises, AC, toilet flushes, lights) reported at reception (luckily, our only issue was the bathroom door not closing...)
- Industrial, thawed-out bread and pastries (a letdown for a ship with a French image)
- Limited fruit selection (often just apples and watermelon/melon) and not much variety in vegetables
- Worn, sometimes stained restaurant towels
We’re not ruling out another cruise on the Renaissance—their itineraries are unique—but only at a very competitive price.
Hi everyone,
I’m going on a Mediterranean cruise in November and I’m looking for some "tips" to visit the cities of Naples, Messina, and Valletta in Malta without booking the ship’s excursions, which are really expensive.
Thanks so much for your advice and suggestions. We’re a group of 6 people.
Looking forward to hearing from you...
Best,
M
PS: We’re also stopping in Genoa and Barcelona—even though we know these two cities, we’d still love any tips for visiting them!
Thanks
Hello everyone,
We’re a senior couple signed up for a 13-day cruise in Japan on the Princess Sapphire, departing from Yokohama on April 8, 2027.
Are there any other French speakers on this forum who’ll be on this trip?
Hoping for a reply...
Hi, we're heading to Venice soon. We have a hotel in Mestre and we'd like to know which bus can take us from the Mestre hotel to Marghera Port. Thanks.
Hi everyone ...
We’re planning to do the 83-day Cunard cruise ...
departing from Southampton on January 10, 2027 aboard the Queen Anne ...
has anyone done it ... or have any info ... or tips ...
for example ... deck and cabin choices ... drink packages ... excursions ... etc.
... anything good to know about this ship???
Thanks everyone ...
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,
We’ll be visiting Barcelona for the first time on our upcoming cruise.
I was wondering if it’s better to book a taxi in advance to get from the train station to the cruise terminal, since there’ll be four of us. Are there enough taxis around that we won’t have to wait too long?
For the return trip, same question—are there enough taxis, since we have a flight to catch? Though I doubt we’ll know in advance which terminal we’ll dock at.
I came across this site below—has anyone heard of it?
https://taxibarcelona.taxi/fr/
Hi everyone, we're going on a week-long cruise and I have a question: can we travel by train and on a cruise with small refrigerated injectable syringes?
Do we need to complete any formalities?
And how should we store them?
Thanks in advance for your feedback.
Hi everyone! I’m used to sailing on a sailboat with two or three people—it’s amazing. But I’d love to try the experience of a cruise. Just to clarify, I’ll be going alone. My first question: are there other solo travelers on these cruises, or is it mostly couples and families?
For a first cruise, I’d prefer a short one (maximum 8 days). Do those exist? And on the smallest boat possible. I live in Marseille, so a departure from Marseille would work, but I’m open to other ports too. If you have a cruise line to recommend and a destination you’ve enjoyed, or if you’ve had a great experience on a more intimate-sized ship, I’d love to hear about it!
We just returned from a cruise from 08/13/26 to 08/20/26 on the MSC ORCHESTRA with stops in Tarragona, Valencia, Livorno, Civitavecchia, Genoa, and back to Marseille.
The ship was fully booked. Deck chairs were already occupied by beach towels early in the morning, and there were only 1 or 2 people in the pools... However, on the day the Italians disembarked, there were very few towels on the deck chairs.
We found the Italians less talkative.
We had a balcony cabin on deck 9, starboard side. The cabin was spacious, but the sofa was facing the desk, making it a pain to watch TV (neck strain guaranteed). So, we changed the sofa’s orientation to face the TV (we put it back in place on disembarkation day).
There were 325 French speakers on board, and a lot of staff from Mauritius, which made communication easier.
No annoying announcements about bingo, etc.—a nice change from COSTA.
For dinner, we were at the first sitting at 7:45 PM, at a table for 6. On the first night, we were two "gray-haired" couples at the table. The second night, two young women joined us but asked to change tables after seeing us...
The show for our dinner time was at 10:15 PM and ended around 11:00 PM. We found that a bit late for us. The shows were varied and of good quality.
The restaurant menus offered plenty of choices, but at the buffet at lunchtime, there were a lot of dishes with quite a few carbs. Afternoon tea from 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM included some great pastries, among other things.
We had an issue with the air conditioning and bad odors in the cabin one afternoon. I reported the problem to the reception, and staff along with our cabin steward came to check the cabin. The issue was resolved that same afternoon.
Two days later, we were surprised to find a bag with items inside: 2 MSC mugs and 2 MSC thermos flasks that keep drinks hot or cold for 10 hours. It was a gift from customer service following the bad odors in our cabin. We weren’t expecting this at all and thanked MSC’s customer service.
For excursions, MSC always offers port-to-city-center transfers for 14 € per adult in Valencia and Tarragona, and 12 € per child. In Livorno, it was 10 € per adult and 7 € per child.
In Civitavecchia, there was a shuttle to the train station for 6 €.
On the MSC for Me app, there were "promotions" on certain excursions.
We really enjoyed this cruise, but we couldn’t revisit some stops (Tarragona and Valencia) on our own because it was too hot.
Great evening: Mum49
Hi there!
I’m going on a cruise with MSC on the World Europa this coming October.
Stops: Genoa, Naples, Messina, Malta.
Has anyone visited Mount Etna and Pompeii?
Could you share some tips for each of these stops?
I’d like to explore on my own without booking the ship’s excursions.
Thanks for your advice!
Hello!
After a lot of hesitation between different cruise lines (Explora, Oceania, YC, HAL, NCL) and several destinations like Norway, Ireland, and Iceland,
I finally chose NCL’s Star for Iceland.
I had already looked at this itinerary when I went to Scotland in April with CFC, but it was really expensive.
You should know that CFC often offers last-minute deals 45 days before departure (the point when you can no longer cancel or modify).
So, I got a great opportunity and grabbed it.
Departure is on August 23rd.
Hi 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!
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,
I'm looking at a cruise in the north.