Si on achète un forfait croisière-avion, est-ce mieux d, arriver une journée avant l'embarquement, ou bien si c'est assuré que nous embarquerons sur le bateau la journée même???
Tout dépend de ta résistance au stress!!! Avec ou sans forfait, un jour d'avance c'est la paix d'esprit. Une compagnie peut attendre des passagers pour l'embarquement dans une situation "X". Six mois plus tard, la même compagnie peut ne pas attendre. Il y a de ces impondérables parfois dont nous passagers, n'avons aucune idée. Ce qui fait que parfois les avis/réponses sont si partagés, et ce sur différents sujets (ex. pourboires). Rien de "coulé dans le béton". Alors, oui, un jour d'avance c'est un investissement, mais rendu à ce point, il en vaut bien le prix.
P.S. Sauf bien sûr si l'embarquement se fait dans votre ville d'origine. Mais très rare ici, au Québec.
😉 Je te donnes une réponse mais sous toute réserve. Dans mon cas, je n`avais nullement besoin d`arriver un jour d`avance, en l`occurence, j`imagine qu`il y a certainement des forfaits "vol-croisière" dont c`est le cas. Il s`agit de t`informer chez ton conseillé en voyage.
Dodo😉
" Un Souvenir, c`est L`Image d`une Heure Trop Brève qui ne veut pas s`en Aller) ( Seul ceux qui rêvent peuvent espérer se réveiller, , )
😉Soit dit en passant, cher "petit canard", je te trouve bien sage de poser autant de questions, tu fais preuve d`une grande sagesse en t`informant ainsi avant d`acheter ta croisière. Je te félicite.
Amicalement Dodo😉
" Un Souvenir, c`est L`Image d`une Heure Trop Brève qui ne veut pas s`en Aller) ( Seul ceux qui rêvent peuvent espérer se réveiller, , )
Je te dirais absolument et positivement NON !!! Bien sur si je me remémore notre mésaventure lors de notre derniere croisière en 2003. Souviens toi de la méga panne d'électricité dans la région de Toronto qui avaient clouer tous les avions d'air Canada au sol pendant 2 jours. Nous étions dans ce chaos...
Par chance nous avions décider de partir un jour d'avance et apres bien des maux de tetes nous avons finalement réussi a partir avec une autre cie aérienne.
Avoir parti le samedi au lieu du vendredi je ne sais pas si on aurais "manquer le bateau".
Il y a tellement d'impondérables lors de voyage en avion, que ca vaut vraiment la peine d'investir quelques $$$ pour une nuit dans un hotel pres du port de depart. En plus on commence les vacances plus tot😉
Pouvez-vous m'éclairer? Notre agente de voyages (nous sommes en période de grosse décision) nous a dit que nous pouvions acheter un forfait vol - croisières.
Dans ce cas-là, le bateau doit attendre???? Qu'en pensez-vous???
Elle nous a également mentionné que nous pouvions acheter le vol à part et que de cette façon, elle nous ferait partir la veille. Ce qui est correct.
Est-ce que le bateau attend? Si vous êtes un gros groupe ou pour quelques minutes peut-être mais je n'y compterais pas. Les navires doivent respecter les heures d'arrivées aux escales et il y a aussi les marées à respecter à certains endroit. Et puis il y a 1500 autres passagers qui veulent partir.
ben, tout dépend de la saison et des risques de retard ou d'annulation. En général l'heure limite d'embarquement est à 17h et il faut récupérer ses bagages (donc les recevoir ! ) et arriver de l'aéroport au port.
Jusqu'à présent (2 croisières: une au départ de Hawaii, un de N-Y) j'ai pris les deux fois une nuit sur place par sécurité. Car si vous ratez le bateau ça va vous coûter très cher pour le rattrapper à l'escale suivante.
A New-York (et venant d'Europe) la prochaine fois je viendrai le jour même car les premiers vols arrivent tôt assez.
Hawaii, Ochos Rios, George Town, Roatan, Belize, Costa Maya, Nassau, St-Thomas, St-Johns, Bridgetown, St-Georges, Roseau, Road Town, Acapulco, Ixtapa, P. Vallarta, Cabo S-Luca, Açores, Lisbon, Cadix, Malaga, Ajaccio, Rome, Florence, Nice, Barcel. Samana, St-Kitts, Mer Rge, Canaries, Brésil, Arg ...
Si on achète un forfait croisière-avion, est-ce mieux d, arriver une journée avant l'embarquement, ou bien si c'est assuré que nous embarquerons sur le bateau la journée même???
Comme l'a dit Hal, tout dépend de votre résistance au stress.
Dans notre cas, nous avions eu du mal à trouver un vol Montréal-San Juan à un prix correct. Nous avions finalement booké avec United Airlines, mais ce fut un gros risque: il y avait une correspondance à Philadelphie...mais seulement 40 minutes entre les deux vols! Ça m'a beaucoup stressée avant le départ car advenant un retard, même léger, entre Montréal-Philadelphie, nous faisait manquer notre vol Philadelphie-San Juan, et le bateau quittait le soir même. Mais ça c'est bien passé.
"Aloha!Guide sur Hawaii.
Nouveau! Visitez notre blogue "Vivre au Mexique". Aventures et conseils sur la région de Riviera Maya
Merci Nikki, mais je ne crois pas avoir les nerfs assez solide!!! En plus comme c'est le début des vacances pourquoi ne pas les commencer 1 journée plus tôt!!!
A noter qu'il n'y a pas que le mois du départ qui peut influer sur un retard. Bien sûr, ici, en Amérique du Nord, nous avons les grands froids d'hiver.
Mais même en été, il peut arriver un bris mécanique concernant l'avion que vous devez prendre. Logiquement, il restera cloué au sol, et les passagers ne le sauront que plus tard (si seulement l'info est divulguée). Vous serez alors relocalisés sur un autre appareil avec un délai fort possible.
Ou alors, des moyens de pression d'employés d'un des aéroports concernés (au point de départ ou d'arrivée - au choix) ralentissant les opérations et pouvant provoquer un délai considérable.
En été, les tempêtes tropicales/tornades aux États-Unis peuvent obliger les aéroports là-bas à fermer les pistes et détourner les vols vers un autre lieu.
Je ne crois pas qu'il faut crier au loup ou s'inquiéter pour rien, mais la prévention reste de mise lorsque notre investissement flotte sur l'eau là-bas... Un pensez-y bien !
HAL 🙂
Nous venons d'acheter notre première croisière pour le mois de janvier.
Nous avons également acheté le pre-cruise de Princess. C'est-à-dire un forfait: transfert aéroport - hôtel, nuit à l'hôtel et transfert de l'hôtel au port le lendemain.
De cette façon, nous n'avons pas à payer les frais de déviation demandés lorsque nous partons la veille qui sont de 70 $ U.S. par personne.
Nous n'avons pas à payer les frais de transfert aéroport - port qui sont demandés avec l'achat de la croisière.
Ça revient plus cher mais au moins, nous choisirons le vol que nous voulons prendre et nous serons sur place, c'est-à-dire à San Juan.
Allo, nous partons vendredi am le 7, donc cette semaine, notre crosière part samedi, on s'est louer une petite chambre dans un hôtel sur le bord de la mer à Miami, pour relaxer avant d'embarquer sur notre navire. Car quand on se lève dans la nuit pour prendre notre vol et bien arrivée au soir on est complètement fini et tout ce que l'on veut c'est aller dormir un peu mais c'est pas le temps de dormir, on a le goût de visiter le bateau, prendre un drink, défaire les valises, donc au moins on sera reposer et en pleine forme en arrivant la veille et en plus moins stressant coté retard des vols...On a pris un vol à part de la crosière, donc on a payé moins cher, la différence de l'argent on la place pour l'hôtel à Miami et 2 repas. Ca revient à la même chose et l'esprit est tranquille. C'est de la façon que je vois ça! Isabelle😉
Dans notre cas, nous n'avons pas encore acheté le vol.
Princess nous le fait à 799 $ (Montréal - San Juan). Par contre, sur Internet et à l'agence, il coûte un peu plus de 950 $. Donc, beaucoup plus avantageux avec Princess.
Par contre, nous voulons acheter une déviation et arriver quelques jours à l'avance pour pouvoir visiter San Juan.
Encore la, Princess offre un forfait: transfert aéroport - hôtel, une nuit à l'hôtel et le transfert le lendemain vers le port.
Nous avons demandé à l'agente de s'informer à savoir s'il y a un autre hôtel que le Marriott qui est offert.
Si nous décidons d'arriver la veille, nous accepterons l'offre de Princess. De cette façon, nous n'aurons pas à payer les frais de déviation de 70 $ U.S. ni le 34, 50 $ CDN pour le transfert.
Mais c'est certain que nous arriverons avant! Combien de jours à l'avance??? Nous ne le savons pas encore! Notre croisière est en janvier 2007!
Dans notre cas, ce qui coûte cher, c'est le vol!!!! Mais, c'est notre choix!
Allo, nous partons vendredi am le 7, donc cette semaine, notre crosière part samedi, on s'est louer une petite chambre dans un hôtel sur le bord de la mer à Miami, pour relaxer avant d'embarquer sur notre navire. Car quand on se lève dans la nuit pour prendre notre vol et bien arrivée au soir on est complètement fini et tout ce que l'on veut c'est aller dormir un peu mais c'est pas le temps de dormir, on a le goût de visiter le bateau, prendre un drink, défaire les valises, donc au moins on sera reposer et en pleine forme en arrivant la veille et en plus moins stressant coté retard des vols...On a pris un vol à part de la crosière, donc on a payé moins cher, la différence de l'argent on la place pour l'hôtel à Miami et 2 repas. Ca revient à la même chose et l'esprit est tranquille. C'est de la façon que je vois ça! Isabelle😉 Isabelle, pourrais-tu me dire quel hôtel tu as réservé à Miami, et s'il y a un transfert offert entre l'hôtel et le bateau, et combien il t'en coute pour la nuit? Comme nous devrions partir en mars 2007, j'aimerais faire la même chose que toi!! Merci!🙂
Petitcanard, si tu pars la veille, tu auras des frais de déviation à payer.
Avec Princess, c'est 70 $ U.S. par personne.
Si tu pars la journée même, avec le vol que ta compagnie de croisière va t'offrir, tu ne paieras ce montant.
Par contre, si on achète le forfait de Princess, on ne paie pas ces frais ni les frais de 34, 50 $ CDN pour le transfert (aéroport - port) qui sont déjà compris avec la croisière.
Et on peut choisir le vol qu'on veut avec la compagnie qu'on veut!
Le forfait, comme je l'ai indiqué, comprend les transferts (aéroport - hôtel et hôtel - port) et la nuit à l'hôtel.
As-tu réservé ta croisière?
Peut-être qu'avec chaque compagnie, c'est différent!
Merci lapuce, je n'ai pas encore réservé ma croisière j'attends d'avoir un prix de voyage CAA, mais j'ai peur de littérallement manqué le bateau!! Si nous arrivons la veille nous irons couché dans un hotel ou motel et nous partirons de là (en taxi ou autre) pour se rendre au port.
Comme nous voulons une croisière en mars 2007 c'est une période propice aux tempêtes de neige, et je ne voudrais pas me faire parachuter à la première escale et manquer 2 jours sur le bateau.
Je ne suis pas insécure de nature, mais comme ce sera notre première fois en croisière je veux avoir la tranquilité d'esprit!
En passant nous avons choisi la compagnie Carnival.
Je suis entièrement d'accord avec toi car nous ferons la même chose en janvier prochain.
Ce que je voulais t'expliquer, c'est que tu auras des frais supplémentaires à payer si tu pars la veille. On appelle ça des frais de déviation.
Nous passerons une journée à San Juan - peut-être plus - avant notre départ. J'aurais bien aimé passer quelques jours en revenant mais ce sera plus difficile à cause du travail.
Nous, nous avons réservé avec Princess et nous partirons le 6 janvier de San Juan. Nous ferons les Antilles du Sud: St. Thomas, St. Kitts, Grenada, Bonaire et Aruba. Plus une journée en mer.
Personnellement, j'avais de grosses appréhensions pour la compagnie Carnival. C'est un choix très personnel. Nous voulons une croisière tranquille et je sais que Carnival est plutôt du genre "grouillant".
Ce sera notre première croisière à nous aussi.
Beaucoup d'appréhension! Mais bon, la réservation est faite et confirmée. Il nous reste les 3/4 du montant à ramasser!!!!! 😛
Salut Lapuce, tu aimeras beaucoup St-Kitt, c'est une toute petite ile! Mon mari est allé travaillé 3 fois à Nevis l'ile d'à côté et il a passé 3 nuits à St-Kitt!!
prenez le vol et hotel par princess même si c'est un peu plus cher . je conseille toujours de prendre les forfaits vol plus transferts plus prénuit éventuelle par le croisiériste et ce aprés une expérience de plus de 40 croisiéres pour la raison suivante . Si vous prenez un vol à part le bateau ne vous attendra pas si probléme ; si vous devez ( je ne vous le souhaite évidamment pas ) annuler votre croisiére vous vous trouverez avec des billets d'avion généralement non remboursables sauf si vous les avez payés "plein pôt" . si vous les prenez avec le croisiériste sa responsabilité est engagé, le bateau vous attendra ou le croisiériste vous fera rejoindre le bateau à ses frais et si votre voyage est annulé les billets d'avion vous seront remboursés sans probléme
Je dois embarquer sur une croisière le 11 mai, départ à 16h00 et mon arrivée en avion est prévue pour 11h45 am après escale à Newark. Si les vols sont retardés…
Partant de Venise ce 25 mai prochain, et voyageant en train, je m'inquiète de ma gare d'arrivée. Certains me disent de descendre à la gare de Venezia Mestre et…
Croisières › France › Provence-Côte d'Azur · 3 replies
Je dois embarquer à Marseille à 14h selon ma convocation pour une mini croisière le 24/04 sur le Costa magica.si nous arrivons vers 13h, pourrons nous…
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
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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!
