Bonjour tout le monde, nous partons en voyage de noce sur le costa romantica au mois d'octobre. Nous voulions savoir quelles excursions etaient incontournables, mais aussi celle qu'eventuellement il etait possible de faire seul.En effet en lisant les messages du forum, on s'appercoit que cela coute moins cher . mais vu que c'est notre 1ere croisiere on part un peu dans l'inconnu et on ne ne veux pas prendre "trop de risques".
nos escales sont:
Naples (Italie) Alexandrie (Egypte) Port Said (Egypte) Limassol (Chypre) Rhodes (Grece) Le Pirée/ athenes (Grece) Katakolon/Olympie (Grece)
je viens de rentrer d'une croisière un peu semblable
Naples : pompéi, capri, et sorrente sont très bien mais il faudra choisir : capri est faisable facilement par vous-même, pompéi on l'a fait on a pris le train puis on a fait la visite par nous-même, en été les magasins de naples sont fermés l'après midi alors on a fait capri en vitesse
alexandrie, on l'a fait avec la compagnie on a été voir les pyramides, le sphynx et le musée du caire quand tu reviendras de là tu auras une musique dans la tête one dollar one dollar, tu verras ... tu as le choix entre le musée du caire, ballade sur le nil ou d'autres pyramides à toi de voir ce que tu préfères ... les trois sont biens maintenant si tu as déjà vu les pyramides ....
rhodes : faisables par vous même le bateau est dans la ville, il y a lindos très bien mais on ne l'a pas fait
limassol : on a pris l'excursion vers opodo, temple de kourion avec la compagnie, le port est très loin de la ville donc prendre le ticket pour la navette pas grand choses à voir
le pirée : le métro est en face du quai 7 10-15 minutes plus tard tu es au pieds de l'acropole
en gros si tu aimes et que tu sais bien marcher fait les excursions par toi-même sinon prend le car, les excursions par le car sont faites souvent pour être faciles et accessibles aux plus grands nombres et aussi aux personnes plus agées. Pompéi par exemple, j'ai comparé la cassette vidéo avec quelqu'un qui avait fait pompéi avec le car, il visite la moitié des maisons les plus intéressantes où celles qui sont différentes le reste bye bye mais si tu dois attendre que 40 personnes fassent la photo, c'est sur que le guide ne sait pas tout voir en trois heures surtout que souvent le guide avant ou après vous met dans un magasin de souvenir donc on baccle un peu. A pompéi par exemple ils ont été voir une place qui fait des camées, nous on a vu tout pompéi mais pas la fabrique de camée...
Nous rentrons de cette croisière .pour Pompeï, nous l avons fait avec Costa ( c'est vrai que l'arrêt au "musée " du camée est nulle) nous avons eu la chance de tomber sur un guide qui parlait parfaitement le français et qui était passionné( et passionnant).Effectivement nous n avons pas vu toute les maisons mais si tu veux quitter le groupe tu as une heure de rendez vous avant de reprendre le car qui permet un peu de souplesse.Apparemment on peut louer des audio guides sur place si vous voulez le faire par vous même.
Pour l Egypte nous avions réserver avec un autre famille de ce forum (bonjour Caly)8 au total, une excursion de 2 jours avec merveilleuseegypte, suite à l avis positif laissé par J martin sur ce forum . Ils nous attendaient à notre arrivée à Alexandrie et sommes partis directement pour les pyramides ( Saqqarah et Gizeh, petit repos à l hôtel et le soir son et lumiere au pied des pyramides.)Le lendemain la citadelle et les 2 mosquées attenantes puis le quartier Copte et pour finir le musée Egyptien .nous avons croisé les excursions Costa.Nous avons pu rester pratiquement 3 heures à Gizeh et voir en plus le musée de la barque solaire ( trés bien ) et visiter l intérieur de la pyramide ( bof !!), là ou Costa reste 20 minutes .Par contre pour avoir le droit de ne pas dormir à bord il a fallut négocier. nous avons du signer un formulaire d interruption de croisiere précisant que si nous nous n étions pas à l heure ils partaient sans nous, nous laissant entendre que nous aurions peut etre les bagages à refaire, qu il y aurait surement des frais d entrée et administratifs ( bakchich ? ).Le lendemain ayant laissés les coordonnées de notre agence locale, nous avons signés un nouveau papier quand à d éventuels vols de nos affaires en chambre pendant notre absence !
le jour dit nous sommes descendus sans l'ombre d un contrôle ni de soucis . et sommes partis avant tous les cars Costa.Il faut dire qu ils voyagent avec un garde armé par car et motard à l'avant et l arriere du convoi (un vingtaine de car au minimum )Nous n avions qu un chauffeur et un accompagnateur (remplacé par notre guide une fois arrivé au Caire).
au retour nous étions à l'heure, nous avons même pu changer nos Livres en trop et rentrer sur le bateau petit controle de douane ou l on a demandé si nous étions seul, il faut dire non en Petit groupe 😉 visiblement les autorités n aiment pas les individuels.Il est vrai qu au Caire nous avions une voiture de police qui nous suivait jusqu a l hotel, par contre le soir pour aller au son et lumiere nous étions seuls! ET de voir la vie du caire à raz de chaussée ou du haut d un car climatisé la différence est grande .Par contre les excursions Costa sont arrivés avec 1 heure de retard sur l horaire prévu, mais on les a attendues😏 .
En fait on a compris que le cas était déjà produit mais qu'il leur donné un peu plus de travail administratif puiqu il établissent deux listes de passagers descendant à Alexandrie, mais ils ont été tres correct nous demandant notre numéro de portable et nous laissant le numéro et l adresse de laur gent dans chaque port au cas ou, il tenait à nous revoir quand même.Je penses que de toute maniere cette façon de faire les excursions restera marginale
Limassol un petit tour en ville mais rien de transcendant .
Pour Rhodes, la bonnes solution en descendant c est soit de louer une voiture ou prendre un taxi pour Lindos 40 euros l aller environ (5! KM )et de faire la ville ensuite.Ne pas prendre le bus de ville car c est un omnibus et il met une heure et demi pour faire le trajet.
Pour Athenes, le metro est bien mais en fonction du quai d accostage le metro est plus ou moins loin environ 15-20 minutes à pied (il faisait tres chaud )et descendre à la sation THyssio monter par l aeropage acces à l agora on redescend et on peut reprendre par exemple à la station Monastiraki, 70 cts le ticket .Le prix d un taxi pour l acropole est théoriquement de 8 euros (prix affiché à la gare maritime mais les taxis preferent vous faire faire un grand tour que d y aller directement 😕)
A noter que les grecs parlent parfaitement l anglais ( bcp mieux que les français !)
Pour olympie nous avions pris l excursion Costa le temps d escale étant limite ( nous avons accosté avec du retard ), de plus nous avons fait escale en même temps qu un méga bateau carnival et je ne sais si il restait enormement de taxis disponibles .
Nous avons eu une guide super, ce qui n était pas le cas les jours précédents selon les passagers qui avaient les excursions Costa les jours précédents.
et c est bien la le problème, on peut avoir un guide extra comme un franchement moyen.
Si vous faites les excursion par vous même il faut absolument un tres bon guide papier, nous n avons pas vu d audio guide en location sauf pompéï me semble t il.
A noter que nous avons fait demi tour au bout de 30 minutes de voyage, le commandant ayant accepté de retourner chercher deux italiens arrivés en retard au moment du départ de Katakolon.A signaler que le commandant (Benini ) était vraiment tres bien il nous a fait passer tres prés des iles (Capri Ponza, Stromboli ) et non à grande distance comme un bateau (holland -america )qui nous précédait.
Je rentre aussi de cette croisière.
Je n'ai pas encore eu le temps de faire de résumé, ni de mettre mes photos car je repars demain mais je compte créer un blog sur cette croisière.
J'en profite pour rapidement vous répondre(et à Isa aussi 😉).
Pompéï: nous avions choisi une nouvelle excursion(récente de 2 semaines) "Pompéï&Sorrente par le Napoli Express"
Excursion bien mais faite au pas de course surtout à Sorrente.On voit la baie de Naples et on a un peu de temps libre dans les rues pietonnes.
On avait tous une oreillette pour écouter les commentaires du guide, très bien surtout pour Pompéï.
En prenant le train, on évite tous les embouteillages, assez pratique!
Alexandrie: "Visite d'Alexandrie", excursion qui était bien aussi.On l'a faite à la journée.On avait un agent de la sécurité par car.
On a fait plusieurs arrêts(la citadelle, la mosquée, les catacombes, les arênes romaines, le musée, la bibliothèque, jardin&palais).Restaurant le midi(au choix viande ou poisson).Des personnes du bateau l'ont fait par eux-même, pas très rassurant!
Port Saïd: Il n'y a plus que 2 excursions au choix.Nous avions choisi "Pyramides et Nil".
Dès la descente du bateau, chacun doit rejoindre son car et il faut attendre toutes les excursions pour partir en convoi!C'est assez impressionnant!
Toutes les rues ont fermées pour laisser la place libre aux cars!Toujours un agent de sécurité par car.
Convoi jusqu'au Caire.Des jeeps de l'armée nous suivent sur tout le trajet et vérifient que des véhicules ne s'infiltrent pas dans le convoi.
Au Caire:visite de la citadelle et de la mosquée (intérieur compris).
Déjeuner sur un bateau qui fait un petit tour sur le Nil, buffet de spécialités et danseurs!
Après-midi aux Pyramides et Sphinx puis arrêt dans une fabrique de papyrus-bijouterie, où nous pouvons récupérer nos cartouches commandés le matin même.
On a eu une super guide:Mervat qui nous racontait plein d'anecdotes, blagues...
Limassol: "Apollon, Curium&Omodos", excursion sympa, le village d'Omodos est très joli!
A Limassol même, il n'y a pas grand chose à voir!
Rhodes: nous connaissions déjà Lindos donc nous n'avons pas fait d'excursion mais la ville fortifiée est tout près du port et c'est rempli de petites ruelles à voir+ le château.
Le Pirée: nous connaissions déjà l'Acropole et on nous a déconseillé le métro car il y avait eu beaucoup de problèmes de vols...donc nous avons opté pour "le Canal de Corinthe&Corinthe".
Le canal est très joli à voir mais pour Corinthe nous pensions voir aussi une ville or ce ne sont que des ruines donc un peu déçu par ce qu'ils appellent "la ville de Corinthe".
Katakolon: Olympie est à presque une heure de car de Katakolon donc nous avons pris l'excursion "Olympie entre légende et modernité" car celle que nous voulions faire a été annulée.
Apparemment la différence entre les 2 était le temps libre à Katakolon pour une et Olympie pour l'autre!
Visite du site d'Olympie, qui est très joli et temps libre à Katakolon(une rue principale avec restaus et boutiques).
* 7 jours 7îles 1999 *Arc-en-ciel tropical 2000
* La magie des Caraïbes 2001 *Les Iles Grecques 2001
* Cuba-Mexique 2002 *Iles&Terres du soleil 2004
* Magique Méditerranée 2005 *Capitales nordiques 2006
* Gdes civilisations antiques 2007
Nous partons le 7 octobre pour la même croisière, 2 adultes et un ado de 13 ans.
A Alexandrie nous avons réservé pour les pyramides en 4x4 et dromadaires, avez-vous des infos sur cette excursion?
Merci
Corinne🙂
2007 Costa Romantica - 2009 Costa Luminosa
2015Costa NéoRiviéra 1-12 mai Découverte Méditerranée Ouest
2016Costa Pacifica 26 juillet-5 août Capitales de la Baltique
2017Costa Diadema 7-14 octobre Merveilleuse Méditerranée
2018Costa Méditerranéa 11-20 juillet Les Fjords
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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
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 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
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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!
