bonjour a tous nous rentrons de croisiere a bord du splendida pour dire que c'etait merveilleux une croisiere sublime avec de super escales barcelone casablanca les iles canaries madere malaga et rome on en n'a pris pleins les yeux pendant tous le sejour .Pour ce qui est du bateau le top deco super raffine et chic des chambres bien agencees avec balcon .Pour le service tres bien et super souriant rien a redire la qualite de la nourriture tres bonne on c'est regale avec ma femme .Pour les animations bien sympas avec leur show diifferents chaque soir on s'est bien amuse .Pour finir ce fut une experience exceptionnelle et a refaire
oui c'etait notre premiere croisiere et on nous a dit sur place pour une premiere croisiere que l'on avait de la chance super bateau super escales et super prix aussi
ok. je connais l'itinéraire et c'était un super choix. idéal en hiver. pour le bateau, je reconnais que les bateaux MSC sont suprbes. je connais le magnifica de chez MSC.
par contre j'avais été un peu déçu du service à bord, cabine et à table. mais aussi de la qualité des repas.
cela dit, j'ai fait 5 croisières. 3 chez costa et 1 chez NCL. j'ai donc des éléments de comparaison et suis aussi plus exigeant car on devient plus critique avec l'expérience.
mais le principal, c'est surtout que vous soyez revenu enchantés de votre croisière. 😉🙂
Mon amie et moi avons voyagé à bord du MSC SPLENDIDA lors de la croisière du 15.01.2011 au 26.01.2011 (Espagne, Maroc, Portugal, Italie). Nous avons partagé nos impressions avec deux autres couples qui avaient déjà voyagé sur des bateaux de Costa Croisières, Royal Caribbean, Bleu de France et Norwegian Cruise Line. J’ai déjà fait des croisières sur Disney Cruise Line, Carnival et Celebrity et voici un résumé des points forts et des points faibles pour MSC :
INFOS SUR LE BATEAU MSC SPLENDIDA :
- Bateau tout neuf, construit en 2009, très joliment décoré et très bien entretenu.
- 4000 passagers pour 1000 membres d’équipage
- 16 étages, on s’y perd facilement… J
RESTAURATION :
PETIT DEJEUNER
- Petit déjeuner à buffet très complet à Bora Bora et Pago Pago ouvert de 6:30 à 10:00
- Petit déjeuner dans les restaurants Villa Verde et La Reggia ouverts de 07:30 à 09:30
- Petit déjeuner continental gratuit possible en room service entre 07:30 et 10:00 avec possibilité de choisir durant quel créneau d’1/4 d’heure vous souhaitez être servi (l’heure n’a pas toujours été respectée…)
LE MIDI
- Restaurants à buffet Bora Bora et Pago Pago ouverts de 12:00 à 14:30
- Les restaurants Villa Verde et La Reggia ouverts de 12:00 à 14:00
LE SOIR
- Dans les restaurants Villa Verde et La Reggia, 1er service à 18:00 et 2nd service à 20:30.
- Vous êtes installé à une table de 8 personnes avec d’autres voyageurs, comme sur les autres croisières.
- Carte variée. Nourriture correcte mais pas aussi raffinée ni aussi bien présentée que sur les autres croisières. Le pain est servi 2 fois durant le service mais pas à volonté. Bref une cantine améliorée.
- Chez MSC, on ne sert pas d’eau en pichet à table à la différence des autres croisières, obligation de boire de l’eau en bouteille. Mieux vaut acheter le « water package » en début de croisière (23 € + 15% de service = 26,5 € les 12 bouteilles de 1L).
- Le service des serveurs est correct mais pas personnalisé comme sur Disney Cruise Line (où les serveurs vous connaissent par le prénom et connaissent tous vos goûts).
- Sur MSC, les photographes vous harcèlent tous les soirs pour faire des photos aux tables, sans aucune forme de politesse, ils travaillent à la chaîne.
Si vous ne voulez pas dîner dans votre restaurant, le Bora Bora vous propose moyennant supplément de 5 € de manger une pizza (à peine meilleure qu’une pizza surgelée de hard discount) ou un kebab. Le dessert tout aussi raffiné que la pizza vous en coûtera 2.50 €. Et ajoutez les 15% de service charge…
Il y a un restaurant Tex Mex à supplément que nous n’avons pas essayé.
En tous les cas, à la différence des autres compagnies, pas de restaurant à supplément haut de gamme et délicieux comme sur le Disney Magic (Palo) ou comme sur le Carnival Pride (Michael Angelo).
A la différence des autres compagnies également, le Room Service qui permet de se faire servir dans la chambre par temps de forte paresse n’est pas gratuit sur MSC, il est même très cher pour des plats pas terribles…
Pour résumer, si vous cherchez la bonne gastronomie, évitez MSC !
CABINES :
- Salle de bains confortable et fonctionnelle. Distributeurs de savon liquide et de shampooing.
Ne comptez pas sur les corbeilles de rasoirs, savonnettes et autres goodies comme sur les compagnies américaines. Une prise électrique pour les rasoirs uniquement. Séchoir à cheveux fourni dans la chambre dans le tiroir du bureau.
- Lit confortable et déco de la chambre très soignée. Un grand miroir devant le lit pour faire travailler votre imagination… J
- Télévision à écran plat avec une quarantaine de chaînes européennes dont 2 chaînes françaises : BFM TV et ARTE. Réception satellite nickel !
- Placard de rangement assez spacieux. Coffre de sécurité à code.
- Pas de « PRIVACY SIGN » mais un ingénieux système pour poser sa carte magnétique à côté de la porte qui permet à la fois de prévenir le room steward si nous sommes dans la cabine ou non et à éteindre automatiquement les lumières de la chambre quand nous n’y sommes pas, pour économiser l’électricité à bord.
- 2 prises 220 et 110V, emmenez une multiprise avec vous et pourquoi pas une rallonge pour travailler sur votre ordi sur le balcon.
- L’entretien de la chambre absolument impeccable et les room stewards étaient de l’avis général les personnels les plus souriants et serviables du bateau !
PRESSING :
- Sur le MSC Splendida, point de laverie automatique, pourtant bien pratique pour les familles. Il y en avait sur Celebrity, Carnival et Disney. Donc soit vous faites votre lessive dans le lavabo de la salle de bains et utilisez un balcon pour le sécher, comme un balcon de HLM… , soit vous utilisez le service de pressing (de 2€ par sous-vêtement à 8.90€ pour une robe et même 12€ pour un costume).
SPECTACLES :
- La salle de spectacle « Strand Theater » est gigantesque et magnifique avec une bonne vue d’à peu près partout et une bonne acoustique.
- En revanche, les spectacles d’un avis général n’étaient pas à la hauteur de ceux vus sur d’autres bateaux. Les thèmes étaient différents de jour en jour mais les chorégraphies et les performances des chanteurs et acrobates étaient les mêmes. A la fin de chaque spectacle, le cruise director Mario ne crée aucune interaction avec le public, ne présente pas la prochaine destination ne sait guère que braire un Bingo Bingo Bingo Time !!! pour pousser les passagers à jouer au Bingo. Dommage…
BARS :
- Plusieurs bars à bord dont deux très beaux, le « Purple Bar » et « The Aft Lounge ».
- La majorité des cocktails alcoolisés y sont proposés pour 6,70€. Vous pouvez en début de croisière acheter un « cocktail package » pour 63€ + 15% de frais de service qui donne droit à 12 cocktails alcoolisés ou pas.
- Les serveurs vous abordent courtoisement pour vous proposer un verre, mais ne vous feront pas de la pression toutes les 10 minutes comme je l’ai vu sur d’autres compagnies de croisière et c’est un bon point pour MSC.
POURBOIRES :
- Pour les croisières en Méditerranée, il vous sera prélevé sur votre compte à bord la somme de 6€ par jour et par voyageur pour rémunérer vos stewards de cabine et serveurs de restaurant. Beaucoup de Français à bord se sont élevés contre cette pratique et je tiens à donner ces précisions :
o Les stewards de cabine et serveurs ne touchent AUCUNE rémunération des compagnies de croisière. La question n’est pas de savoir si c’est normal ou pas, c’est la politique la grande majorité des compagnies de croisières au monde et ce n’est pas la France qui gère les contrats de travail des « esclaves des mers ».
o Ces personnels, qui travaillent souvent entre 10 et 12h/jour, 7/7 durant 6 à 9 mois, qui font vivre de leur travail leurs familles, enfants et paient la « retraite » de leurs parents méritent amplement ces 6€ par jour qui leur sont entièrement reversés.
o Il semblerait que beaucoup d’agences de voyage en France ne se donnent pas la peine de préciser à leurs clients qu’ils devront payer ces pourboires en supplément. Avant de réserver, faites-vous préciser la chose par votre agence de voyage par écrit lors de la réservation. Ce sont vos agences de voyage qui ont encaissé le voyage et portent la responsabilité d’une mauvaise information… un scandale à bord pour essayer de vous faire rembourser les pourboires à bord est injuste pour le personnel et indécent !
EXCURSIONS ET PORTS :
- Les excursions vendues à bord sont hors de prix. Elles ne comprennent même pas les repas et boisson. MSC conseille même aux passagers d’acheter leurs bouteilles d’eau à bord… du jamais vu ailleurs !
- Pour celles et ceux qui ne prennent pas d’excursion, je vous conseille d’avoir de bonnes jambes. Le bateau étant immense, il est souvent appareillé à ½ heure des centre-ville.
Dans ces circonstances, toutes les compagnies de croisières mettent à disposition des navettes bus gratuites pour leurs passagers pour leur confort et leur sécurité en zone portuaire (comme dans les aéroports). Eh bien pas MSC !
Exemples :
BARCELONE : Navette MSC proposant un aller-retour entre le port et les Ramblas pour
8€ A/R par personne tandis que les navettes proposées par la ville de Barcelone coutaient
3€ A/R par personne, sinon ½ heure à pied…
CASABLANCA : Aucun service de navette, ni par la ville, ni par MSC, juste des taxis non sécurisés avec des chauffeurs qui négocient en permanence. Solution ¾ d’heure l’aller simple pour sortir du port avec des poids lourds qui débouchent de tous les côtés.
SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE : Pas de navettes MSC, ni de la ville mais des taxis ou 20 mn à pied…
FUNCHAL : Pas de navettes MSC, ni de la ville mais des taxis ou 30 mn à pied…
MALAGA : Navettes MSC à 5€ ou 30 minutes à pied.
Attention, grosses escroqueries avec les taxis qui n’hésitaient pas, dans tous les ports portugais et espagnols, à proposer à des retraités âgés jusqu’à 150€ pour une course !!!
AUREA SPA :
- Le cadre du SPA est très beau, les masseuses asiatiques et les prix encore plus élevés que sur les compagnies de croisière américaines.
A l’arrivée au port, un stand pour vendre les prestations du SPA vous proposera 20% de réduction si vous achetez un pack de 5 massages de 45mn (169€ par massage…).
Les premiers jours, les masseuses sont restées au chômage technique parce qu’en Europe, un massage coûte en moyenne 1€/mn et non 3.75€/mn. A ce prix là, montez à bord avec votre masseur personnel et faites-vous masser tous les jours !
Durant la croisière, le navigateur a proposé des massages avec 40% de réduction pour les journées en port.
SALLE DE FITNESS :
La salle de fitness avec vue sur la mer est magnifique et de la même qualité que celles que l’on trouve sur les autres bateau. L’accès est gratuit.
PISCINES & JACUZZIS :
- 5 piscines dont une intérieure à bord du MSC SPLENDIDA et aucune n’est chauffée…
- 9 jacuzzis puissants en intérieur ou en extérieur dont la moitié seulement sont chauffés.
Précision utile, tous les jours à 19:00, toutes les piscines et jacuzzis sont fermés.
Alors la trempette dans le jacuzzi après le dîner pour contempler la lune comme sur les autres bateaux… oubliez sur MSC ! Tout est bon pour que vous n’ayez plus que les bars et casinos pour vous égayer…
- Les serviettes sont distribuées au compte-goutte sur présentation de la carte de chambre avec menace d’être facturé si on ne la retourne pas. Sur toutes les autres croisières, elles étaient à disposition sur les ponts et à volonté !
Merci pour votre CR, et vos impressions en ce qui concerne le pack d'eau il comprend 14 bouteilles et non 12, 🙂
Tant qu'aux 6€ prelevés par jour et par personne il s'agit de frais de séjour et non de pourboires 🙂 il y a de nombreuses explications concernant ce sujet, et en fait rien ne dit que ces sommes sont retransmises au personnel :
Je l'avais inscrite sur le forum, je ne l'ai pas vue donc je recommence Je pense mauvaise manipulation de ma part Les Escales: Tunisie: descente du bateau,…
Et voila le retour comme promis je vais essayer de vous donner mes impressions sur cette premiere croisiere pour nous en venant de bordeaux nous sommes arrivés…
Le bateau comme son nom l'indique est Spendide, la décoration est magnifique je préfère à Costa beaucoup moins clinquant. Les boissons alcoolisées ou non…
En premier un grand merci pour tous les éléments fournis sur ce forum par de supers forumistes concernant cette croisière sur le MSC Spendida du 23 Octobre…
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 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
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.
I’m looking to get in touch with someone who’s been on an Arctic Cruise aboard the ship POLARFRONT, operated by the French company "LATITUDE BLANCHE", for some info.
Hi there, I was wondering if anyone has ever taken a cruise with this PO Cruise company.
Would love to hear your thoughts!
They’ve got some great itineraries for Norway.
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
Hi there,
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this cruise and its slightly unusual itinerary.
Also, what do you think about the price?
Good deal or too expensive?
Thanks
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,
In June we’re taking a cruise called "Pearls of the Baltic" on board Renaissance CFC Cruises—with stops in Kiel (Germany), Gdańsk (Poland), Rønne (Bornholm), Copenhagen (Denmark), and Gothenburg (Sweden).
This layover in Gothenburg doesn’t really inspire me—could you tell me what’s worth seeing? Are there locals offering excursions around the area by van right when you leave the port, like you often see on Caribbean cruises?
I saw there’s a hop-on hop-off bus, but I’m not sure if there’s a stop near the terminal.
What are your suggestions? Thanks in advance!
Best regards,
Hi! On June 10th, we’re heading off on a 10-day Baltic Sea cruise with CFC Cruises’ *Renaissance*. We’ll be stopping in Copenhagen, and we’re planning to take the City Sightseeing hop-on hop-off buses to explore the city with multiple stops. Could anyone tell me which quay cruise ships usually dock at and how to get from the quay to the nearest stop to board the tour bus? Thanks for your tips and suggestions!
hi there
A group of friends and I are going on a CroisiEurope cruise along the Danube in September, from Vienna to Bucharest.
The excursions are optional and, in my opinion, pricey. I’m convinced we can manage on our own...
* In Vienna, is it easy to visit the city and Schönbrunn Palace in one day? (Since we only have a day, is it better to explore the palace grounds or the interior?) ...97 €
* In Bratislava, is visiting the castle and hiking in the Little Carpathians worth it? ...79 €
* Budapest: Széchenyi Baths ...119 € and the Great Market Hall ...84 €
* Kalocsa: the Puszta nature reserve and a horseback riding show ...76 €
* Novi Sad: a panoramic bus tour followed by a walk to Petrovaradin Fortress ...41 €
* Ruse: visiting the Rusenski Lom Valley ...43 €
For all these cities, can we get around on our own? If so, should we take a bus, a taxi, or is it enough to be good walkers? (Share all your tips!)
Thanks in advance for your feedback.
Best regards
Hi there,
I'm looking at a cruise in the north.
Hi there, I was wondering if anyone has ever taken a cruise with this PO Cruise company.
Would love to hear your thoughts!
They’ve got some great itineraries for Norway.
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!
