Review of the CFC RENAISSANCE's 'EN VOGUE' experience (page 4 of 6)

The laundry is on deck 6, not deck 9—yes, I saw it. It’s not bad, but apparently they charge for detergent 😄

Hey Isa,

Can you picture yourself on a transatlantic crossing on this ship with that kind of noise? It’s unbearable!

I usually enjoy transatlantic trips, but can you imagine 20 days or more without sleeping at night? No way, it’s unthinkable.

As I’ve said before, this ship isn’t for us. And when I say “us,” I mean you, me, Catherine, and the others. For regulars like us, no, it’s really not our kind of thing.

I’ll be there for the wrap-up!

I totally agree with you! On this ship, the cabin situation is like Russian roulette… My mom was on deck 6 with an old-school ventilation system, but she didn’t have that problem.

I can't help thinking they're really quite amateurish!!

There are just so many things going wrong!

As I've said before, this boat isn't for us. And when I say "us," I mean you, me, Catherine, and the others. For the regulars, no, it's really not for us.

Hi Alfred, Hi Isa,

Unfortunately, we’ve come to the same conclusion about this company.

I hope I’m not joining the "club"🤪 but I have my doubts... you’ll have to overlook a lot of things... just hope it’s not sleep, at least.

I’ve just finished reading all your posts with great interest, and I really want to thank you because I got back 2 days ago from a terrible 8-day experience on the MSC World Europa (I’m putting together a short review of this “giant of the seas”), and I decided to check out CFC instead. I already remember Catherine’s less-than-stellar experience last year… and this time? More of the same. Between the cold pool, the noise, and everything else… the verdict’s in—I’m looking elsewhere! Thanks to everyone. Francis

Hi there, Yes, it’s pretty risky to book with this company unless you get a really good deal, since their prices are high. Why not try an American cruise line like CELEBRITY, PRINCESS, OCEANIA, or AZAMARA, depending on your budget? I’m familiar with these lines—if you tell me what you’re looking for, I can point you in the right direction ;)

CONCLUSION First of all, I don’t regret this experience. Being able to test a ship under these conditions is, at its core, a great idea. Seriously, I’d love for other companies to take inspiration from it! But… what a shame they didn’t go the extra mile to win over future customers. You could tell there was real potential, left a bit at the dock. Sure, the ship is old, and we knew that when we boarded. But since it was renovated, we could’ve hoped for a more… convincing refresh. Let’s just say they probably prioritized the essentials—though, faced with slightly cracked cabin walls, you do wonder where the “essentials” begin and end. That said, a ship with a bit of history wasn’t what bothered me most. After all, it almost gives it charm… almost. The most negative points:

No swimming or jacuzzi access—so much for a relaxing cruise. A pretty glaring lack of staff. At times, you’d wonder if the crew hadn’t gone on an excursion without us. 😉 An embarkation and disembarkation process that felt like a nightmare, with security checks that seemed more amateur than reassuring. Given there’ve already been incidents during tender disembarkations, it’s not exactly comforting… Repeated technical issues: finicky air conditioning, unreliable ventilation, chaotic check-in, leaks, and even hot water shortages (a shout-out to my mom, who couldn’t wash up the morning of disembarkation, and my husband, who got lukewarm water for his shower…). Staff not always attentive, and not as French-speaking as promised, which can be surprising. A value-for-money ratio that’s hard to justify: the prices are clearly higher than the quality of services offered. Few onboard activities. Without a usable pool, days at sea can quickly start to feel like… well, long days at sea—or even in a retirement home. 😄

The positive points:

Food was actually quite good, whether at the buffet or the restaurant (though, again, the lack of staff was noticeable). Shows were decent quality—if they’re all at the level of the one I saw, that’s a real highlight.

In short, you’ve probably gathered that this experience didn’t make me want to sail with this company again. At this rate, I’m afraid they’ll end up joining some of those old cruise lines in the “memories” section. A shout-out to that dear agency PLANETE CROISIERE—this experience also showed me just how dishonest and bad-faith they were! THANKS FOR FOLLOWING ALONG 🙂

I can’t help thinking they’re really quite amateurish!!

There are just too many things going wrong!

As I’ve said before, this boat isn’t for us. And when I say “us,” I mean you, me, Catherine, and the others. For the regulars, no, it’s really not for us.

Hi Alfred, hi Isa,

Unfortunately, we’ve come to the same conclusion about this company.

Sure thing, Catherine! I never doubted your account anyway, but this was a great opportunity for me to see it with my own eyes 😉

I didn’t doubt your account anyway, but this was a great opportunity and let me see it with my own eyes 😉

You were absolutely right—it’s always better to check things out for yourself, and these short immersions are perfect for that. 😎

Hi there,

Just a little backstory—I hesitated a lot before booking with CFC myself. Given all the negative comments you could find, I also came across more nuanced reviews, and the price I was offered was really appealing, so I decided to take the plunge, though not without some apprehension.

In the end, not everything was perfect. Fortunately, we didn’t encounter any major issues on board. The air conditioning breakdown I noticed in my cabin was fixed the same day I reported it.

After weighing all the elements—both the negatives and positives—I don’t regret this trip at all. For us, it had far more pleasant moments than unpleasant ones. But of course, everyone has their own experience, and the balance can tip either way depending on the situation.

I wouldn’t pay "full price" to sail with CFC, but if a good deal came up again, I’d definitely be up for another trip with them. For example, I managed to get two double cabins for the same price as a quadruple, whereas with another company, it would’ve cost me a lot more. And I know how hard it is to find a good deal during school holidays.

The kids really enjoyed their trip too (aside from the pool temperature 😉). Thanks to the French-speaking environment on board, they could take full advantage of all the services and activities—they weren’t bored at all. That was actually one of the things that caught my attention when I booked; it seemed like a great perk for them.

It’s true there probably aren’t as many activities as with other cruise lines (just to give you a few examples: indoor pétanque, mini-golf, molkky, cooking demonstrations, quizzes, etc.), but the ones they had were well-received.

I wanted to give CFC a chance, whereas Costa and MSC still don’t appeal to me at all.

GOOD FOR YOU if you were happy with it! With kids, RCI is 150 steps above, though—gotta say that 😉 After all, there’s something for every taste and every age, but I doubt this company’s staying power when they keep letting technical issues come back again and again without really taking action.

not that I’m trying to defend them (far from it, quite the opposite) maybe when it comes to the ventilation noise, there’s just nothing they can do? You can’t make something new out of something old. But for everything related to organization, yeah, they *should* take action... though since the complaints seem to disappear...

without meaning to defend them (far from it, quite the opposite) maybe regarding the ventilation noise, there’s nothing they can do? You can’t make something new out of something old. But for everything related to organization, yes, they should act... though since the complaints disappear...

Some people say they have cabin issues and get changes—what happens if the boat is full? It probably doesn’t happen often, but still... I actually recorded the ventilation noise, I’ll share it on FB

I had fun asking the AI the question yesterday... and here’s its answer:

The highest-risk cabins On this type of ship, ventilation noise mainly occurs: ❌ near technical shafts ❌ under public decks (pool/restaurant) ❌ close to central areas where air ducts run

Why was cabin 9123 noisy? Makes total sense: located right next to: the main ventilation shafts vertical technical zones so: constant airflow possible vibrations 👉 This is typically the riskiest spot on the deck.

Here’s the letter I sent to the great agency PLANETE CROISIERES. I’ll share their response if I get one.

Hello, I’m writing to file a complaint as a former member of the FAN DE CFC CROISIERES group, following my recent experience and your management of the Facebook group titled « FAN DE CFC CROISIÈRES ». After sharing a factual, measured, and respectful experience, I noticed that my post was deleted and I was removed from the group. My feedback was simply about concrete observations from the cruise, including:

an abnormally cold pool, a jacuzzi that didn’t meet expected standards (no jets, very limited functionality), a particularly disorganized boarding process with inconsistent and sloppy checks, as well as various malfunctions (air conditioning, ventilation, check-in, water leaks).

These points, expressed without aggression, represent a legitimate consumer experience. I also note that this group presents itself as a space for exchange among enthusiasts, when in reality it appears to be a promotional tool, managed with commercial objectives, where negative reviews—even when respectfully worded—are systematically deleted. I’m not the only one who has been subjected to this moderation. This approach is misleading for consumers, as it presents a biased and exclusively positive image of the services offered. I’d like to remind you that such practices may qualify as misleading commercial practices, under articles L121-2 to L121-4 of the Consumer Code, specifically:

hiding the commercial intent of content presented as independent, as well as manipulating or deleting reviews to alter consumers’ perceptions.

I want to express my deep disappointment with these methods, which fall short of the professionalism expected from a travel agency. As a result, I ask that you:

provide an explanation for these practices, and review the management of this group to ensure honest and transparent information for consumers.

Best regards,

Here’s the agency’s response! Of course, I had misunderstood—my removal was temporary! LOL

Dear Ms. Pihen, We have received your letter today regarding your experience on board and your exclusion from the Facebook group « FANS OF CFC CRUISES ». We regret that your stay did not meet your expectations regarding certain facilities (pool, jacuzzis, air conditioning).

Regarding the technical incidents on board: Please note that we take your comments very seriously. We have already forwarded your observations (pool temperature, jacuzzi operation, and boarding organization) to the CFC company to obtain technical explanations for these occasional malfunctions. You will receive a specific response as soon as we have their feedback.

Regarding the moderation of the Facebook group: The group « FANS OF CFC CRUISES » is a private community space governed by a code of conduct that you accepted upon joining.

The reason for moderation: Rule No. 3 of our charter states that while issues can be shared, they must be done so with "moderation" and not be "exclusively negative." The finding: Your comments, though based on your personal experience, were deemed by the moderation team to lack the goodwill required by the community.

Transparency: Contrary to what you feared, we are not trying to hide reviews but to maintain a constructive and courteous exchange, far from the "bad publicity" prohibited by our rules. I remind you that this group is called Fans of CFC.

I don’t want to leave things on this disagreement. If you commit to respecting the group’s charter of goodwill and objectivity in the future, I am fully prepared to lift your exclusion immediately—it was temporary—so you can continue to engage with the community in a more peaceful manner. What do you think? Looking forward to your response, Best regards, Lylian SCHILLINGER Director, Planète Croisière

For info, here’s the message he sent me via Facebook Messenger: I’m sorry, Ms. Pihen, but I’m just doing my job. I’m required to moderate repeated negative comments on a group managed by the agency, as was the case this morning, and you weren’t the only one affected. If I hadn’t done it, the CFC company and other users would have held it against me. It’s not personal at all.

Here’s my final reply

Hello, I want to point out that the criticisms you’ve made against me are unfounded. Throughout our exchanges, I’ve remained objective and courteous. I fully stand by my observations: the pool was particularly cold, even freezing, which clearly displeases you, and the facilities presented as jacuzzis did not meet expected standards. While I may have mentioned certain aspects like dining, the theater, the cabin, and the spa, you didn’t give me the chance to fully express myself. That’s regrettable, especially since I have some visibility in the cruise industry, being active and recognized for nearly twenty years on various specialized forums. I didn’t hesitate to share a detailed account of this experience in several groups, also mentioning your moderation practices at Planète Croisière. Without any pretension, I believe I have enough experience to assess the quality of a cruise line’s services with discernment. I’ve traveled with many well-known companies, such as Costa, MSC, Royal Caribbean International, Holland America Line, Ponant, Celebrity Cruises, Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, and Azamara. Additionally, I’m also familiar with the agency Naja Tourisme, which I’m sure you know. I actually attend the Cruise Salon every year. Under these circumstances, I don’t wish to rejoin your group. On the contrary, I’m particularly shocked by your practices, which I find questionable. Deleting negative reviews simply because of their quantity could be seen as misleading for consumers. I’d also like to remind you that you clearly told me, via Facebook, that you were forced to delete unfavorable reviews about CFC. I still have this written exchange, so I encourage you to adopt more transparent communication. Finally, I should mention that my exclusion isn’t an isolated case, as you yourself confirmed. Several people have also told me, in other groups, that they’ve been banned under similar circumstances. These elements suggest that this is a recurring practice within Planète Croisière. With such actions, not only will you fail to help this company address its recurring technical issues, but you also risk losing other customers who are just as dissatisfied and shocked as I am by these questionable practices. Best regards,

Well said! And the group is public, not private. So it’s even worse because deleting real and justified comments amounts to fraud, especially if those comments are removed by a travel agency—meaning a professional.

On another note, I just found out that the Renaissance won’t be going to the North Cape after all. They’ve apparently canceled the stops, likely due to the weather...

let’s just hope they arrange alternative stopovers for the passengers, otherwise it’s gonna feel like a long haul...

Yeah, but for Norway, there are a lot of posts in the group you like... people aren't happy... we'll see if there's gonna be any censorship :)