Hi there, we’re planning an Adriatic cruise in September 2025 on CFC’s Renaissance ship—we’ve already sailed with them four times.
For this new cruise, when entering passenger details, we’re asked to check the box “I have taken out insurance,” which is the first time this has been required.
For recent sailings on the CFC Renaissance, did they ask you for an insurance certificate?
Thanks
Hi
Has anyone sailed with the French company CFC? What do you think?
Haven’t seen many reviews about this company.
😉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
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
I just got a mind-blowing response. I wanted to book 2 back-to-back cruises in the French West Indies on the Renaissance—arriving in Guadeloupe on December 23, 2025, and returning from Martinique (the end-of-cruise city) on January 13, 2026.
And guess what? It’s impossible because they’re pre-packaged deals. The only solution is to book just one cruise—not two in a row. It’s UNBELIEVABLE.
CFC, the French cruise company—well, no. It’s actually CAC, an English cruise company with "civil servants" wearing blinders.
I’ve never seen anything like this. I’ve often combined two back-to-back cruises without any issues, but those were on "bare" ships. All they had to do was get me to Guadeloupe with the first cruise and have me depart with the second cruise’s start. It’s easy to book plane seats!
For the record, last year I did two back-to-back cruises in the Mediterranean, spending Christmas and New Year’s on the same ship.
Handing control over to the English wasn’t a good solution.
Oh well, I’ll find somewhere else with more open-minded people.
And guess what? It’s impossible because they’re pre-packaged deals. The only solution is to book just one cruise—not two in a row. It’s UNBELIEVABLE.
CFC, the French cruise company—well, no. It’s actually CAC, an English cruise company with "civil servants" wearing blinders.
I’ve never seen anything like this. I’ve often combined two back-to-back cruises without any issues, but those were on "bare" ships. All they had to do was get me to Guadeloupe with the first cruise and have me depart with the second cruise’s start. It’s easy to book plane seats!
For the record, last year I did two back-to-back cruises in the Mediterranean, spending Christmas and New Year’s on the same ship.
Handing control over to the English wasn’t a good solution.
Oh well, I’ll find somewhere else with more open-minded people.
Hello everyone,
I’m so happy to be back on Voyage Forum Cruises. I’ve missed this forum for planning my cruises over the past few years.
Even though we came back very sick with Covid (diagnosed on disembarkation day) and at first we didn’t want to go on another cruise, the call is too strong, and we’re thinking of going again at the end of the year… 😎
After a big disappointment with COSTA (we were on the DIANANT) that couldn’t be resolved, we switched to MSC in Yacht Club and recently with our kids and grandkids in an Auréa Balcony cabin. But I have to admit, MSC’s dining options don’t suit me as well as COSTA’s.
For the end of the year, I’m torn between Costa Toscana and CFC. Could someone give me info on the latter when traveling in a suite? Apart from the cabin size, no details are provided (dedicated restaurant, for example?).
See you soon on the forum.
Good evening, for us, we're leaving from Marseille on December 22, 2024, heading to Italy for Christmas and then to Spain for New Year's Eve, returning to Marseille on January 5, 2025.
Congrats on bringing back the calendar!
Hi there,
By sheer chance, a family housewarming in Brussels gave us the opportunity to depart from Zeebrugge for our first experience with CFC, allowing us to discover ports we didn’t know (which has become rare).
After some questions before departure while browsing the forums, we discovered this company with great pleasure. Of course, luck may have played a particularly favorable part: dream weather, a sea as calm as a lake, and boarding and disembarking almost as if the ship were reserved just for us, since during our departure from Zeebrugge, only a small number of passengers were taking advantage of the unoccupied cabins from the previous cruise ending in Le Havre.
As a result, we couldn’t get a suite, but our balcony cabin was very functional, with plenty of storage and a whirlpool bath we thoroughly enjoyed.
Admittedly, the carpet was a bit worn, but it wasn’t a big deal. Having a large enough table allowed us to have breakfast in the cabin (our usual habit) in excellent conditions.
The ship, a reasonable size, was pleasant, in great condition, and had many comfortable lounges.
A large enclosed and heated space with a pool, jacuzzi, and deck chairs offered a calm atmosphere without intrusive activities (which is rare).
I won’t mention the entertainment since we barely participated, but I think there was plenty of choice, including a "special bridge" activity.
The restaurant had a lovely setting, with quick service and particularly attentive staff, reminding us of cruises from the past.
The food was good quality and well-presented, though portions were quite small—something big eaters might regret.
We loved the charm of an old-fashioned theater with comfortable seats and a table for drinks.
The shows were fairly high quality, though opinions may vary. They catered mainly to a French-speaking audience, which is quite rare, and featured a live orchestra.
The excursions seemed reasonably priced for what they offered, but we didn’t participate since we prefer organizing things ourselves.
To sum up, we were pleasantly surprised by this "old little ship" with a mostly French-speaking, very attentive staff, all in a great atmosphere.
Hi everyone,
We were offered a visit to the Renaissance by the new CFC cruise line through Croisiland. After reading all the reviews—some very harsh, others glowing—I wanted to form my own opinion without having to book a full cruise to test it out. This visit to the ship at the port of Le Havre for 49 € per person came at the perfect time, even if I’m a bit put off by having to pay for a ship tour. That’s not how it usually works with other cruise lines, as far as I know.
The Renaissance is a former Holland America Line ship, built in 1993 and renovated in 2023. We’re familiar with this style of ship since we took a long cruise in Polynesia in 2014 on one of its sister ships, the MS Statendam. We remember it as a charming small ship with a lovely pool terrace at the very back.
Off we went this morning for a relaxing day on a ship—always a nice change!
The Pont de Normandie is the last elegant structure you see before entering the vast and rather smelly port area of Le Havre.

The area around the port where the Renaissance is docked is total chaos—cars everywhere and only a handful of taxis. We were supposed to have a reserved parking spot in front of the terminal (we’d even given them our car model and license plate), but we were denied entry. There’s no paved public parking, so we left the car on a vacant lot.

CFC was officially acquired by the British cruise line Ambassador Cruise Line in January 2025. Ambassador Cruise Line, launched in 2010, already owns two ships of the same type and age. They wasted no time repainting the funnel in their new colors.

The line of passengers disembarking and waiting for taxis is endless... and taxis are trickling in. Is this the aftermath of yesterday’s strike, or is this the norm in this port? Either way, I feel bad for the poor travelers waiting—it’s going to be a long haul. Many are leaving on foot, dragging their suitcases. Compared to the port of Marseille, this is pretty dismal.

Forty spots were available for this visit organized by Croisiland, but we ran into a good hundred people at the meet-up. A group from the AVF (Accueil des Villes Françaises) of Le Havre will be joining us. Our Croisiland group consists of twelve people, if I counted right.
Security clearance is done alphabetically, and we quickly board the ship. Now we’re getting to the heart of the matter.
To be continued...
We were offered a visit to the Renaissance by the new CFC cruise line through Croisiland. After reading all the reviews—some very harsh, others glowing—I wanted to form my own opinion without having to book a full cruise to test it out. This visit to the ship at the port of Le Havre for 49 € per person came at the perfect time, even if I’m a bit put off by having to pay for a ship tour. That’s not how it usually works with other cruise lines, as far as I know.
The Renaissance is a former Holland America Line ship, built in 1993 and renovated in 2023. We’re familiar with this style of ship since we took a long cruise in Polynesia in 2014 on one of its sister ships, the MS Statendam. We remember it as a charming small ship with a lovely pool terrace at the very back.
Off we went this morning for a relaxing day on a ship—always a nice change!
The Pont de Normandie is the last elegant structure you see before entering the vast and rather smelly port area of Le Havre.

The area around the port where the Renaissance is docked is total chaos—cars everywhere and only a handful of taxis. We were supposed to have a reserved parking spot in front of the terminal (we’d even given them our car model and license plate), but we were denied entry. There’s no paved public parking, so we left the car on a vacant lot.

CFC was officially acquired by the British cruise line Ambassador Cruise Line in January 2025. Ambassador Cruise Line, launched in 2010, already owns two ships of the same type and age. They wasted no time repainting the funnel in their new colors.

The line of passengers disembarking and waiting for taxis is endless... and taxis are trickling in. Is this the aftermath of yesterday’s strike, or is this the norm in this port? Either way, I feel bad for the poor travelers waiting—it’s going to be a long haul. Many are leaving on foot, dragging their suitcases. Compared to the port of Marseille, this is pretty dismal.

Forty spots were available for this visit organized by Croisiland, but we ran into a good hundred people at the meet-up. A group from the AVF (Accueil des Villes Françaises) of Le Havre will be joining us. Our Croisiland group consists of twelve people, if I counted right.
Security clearance is done alphabetically, and we quickly board the ship. Now we’re getting to the heart of the matter.
To be continued...
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,
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.
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!
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! 😐
Thanks in advance!
Thanks in advance!
Hi
Has anyone taken the CFC recently?
Thoughts?
Thanks
Thoughts?
Thanks
Hello,
As you may have read or heard—or I’m letting you know now—CFC is merging with Ambassador Cruise Line 😉
I’ve sailed with Ambassador twice already, and honestly, this merger makes total sense! Both companies offer the same type of service (with Ambassador’s English touch), and they generally have similar ships and target the same clientele.
To be honest, I think this is great news! I really hope Ambassador’s influence rubs off on CFC, especially in fixing all the issues I’ve had on Renaissance that I’ve never encountered on Ambassador (food quality, service, cabin problems, etc.).
Leading Ambassador are real cruise enthusiasts—passionate people with a clear marketing direction and a much more professional way of working with travel agents than CFC.
In short, I think this is fantastic news 🙂
Plus, Renaissance will be in the Caribbean next winter, so I assume European cruises will run on Ambience and Ambition. If English doesn’t scare you (too much), and you like the cozy ship vibe with great value for money, check out Ambassador—they’ve got some amazing itineraries! 😉
If you’d like more info on Ambassador, just ask 😉
What do you all think?
Here are a few photos of Ambience
As you may have read or heard—or I’m letting you know now—CFC is merging with Ambassador Cruise Line 😉
I’ve sailed with Ambassador twice already, and honestly, this merger makes total sense! Both companies offer the same type of service (with Ambassador’s English touch), and they generally have similar ships and target the same clientele.
To be honest, I think this is great news! I really hope Ambassador’s influence rubs off on CFC, especially in fixing all the issues I’ve had on Renaissance that I’ve never encountered on Ambassador (food quality, service, cabin problems, etc.).
Leading Ambassador are real cruise enthusiasts—passionate people with a clear marketing direction and a much more professional way of working with travel agents than CFC.
In short, I think this is fantastic news 🙂
Plus, Renaissance will be in the Caribbean next winter, so I assume European cruises will run on Ambience and Ambition. If English doesn’t scare you (too much), and you like the cozy ship vibe with great value for money, check out Ambassador—they’ve got some amazing itineraries! 😉
If you’d like more info on Ambassador, just ask 😉
What do you all think?
Here are a few photos of Ambience
Hi there,
We’ve booked the CFC Viking Legends cruise (departing on 03/31/25), and the excursions have just been posted on the CFC website. What a disappointment... Stop in Copenhagen: 2 excursions offered, one of which includes +1.5 hours of walking Stop in Oslo: 2 excursions, one of which is a hike Stop in Sandnes (Stavanger): 2 excursions, one of which is a hike Lysekil (Sweden): 1 excursion, same as in Kristiansand and Zeebrugge.
We hesitated to book without knowing the excursions in advance, but the itinerary interested us. We were expecting more options for excursions... Since the ship leaves the day before from Zeebrugge, let’s hope there’s still space for the excursions. I’ll share our experience after we return from this first CFC discovery. MUM49
We’ve booked the CFC Viking Legends cruise (departing on 03/31/25), and the excursions have just been posted on the CFC website. What a disappointment... Stop in Copenhagen: 2 excursions offered, one of which includes +1.5 hours of walking Stop in Oslo: 2 excursions, one of which is a hike Stop in Sandnes (Stavanger): 2 excursions, one of which is a hike Lysekil (Sweden): 1 excursion, same as in Kristiansand and Zeebrugge.
We hesitated to book without knowing the excursions in advance, but the itinerary interested us. We were expecting more options for excursions... Since the ship leaves the day before from Zeebrugge, let’s hope there’s still space for the excursions. I’ll share our experience after we return from this first CFC discovery. MUM49
We’ve just returned from a cruise that my wife and I will remember—unfortunately, not in a good way.
There’s so much to say that I’ll proceed chapter by chapter.
Pre-Cruise
On January 24th, 2025, I booked through a supposedly attentive cruise agent the repositioning cruise of the CFC Renaissance to the French West Indies, initially departing from Le Havre, then from Dunkirk, on November 1st, 2025.
The return flight was included in the price of this trip.
From January, right after booking, this adventure got off to a bad start.
Used to major cruise lines, I asked my agent to reserve a table for 4 at the "Vatel" restaurant for the second seating, and to link this reservation to the cabin of friends traveling with us. First brush-off: "Ask the maître d’ at the restaurant entrance on the first night."
"To govern is to foresee, and to foresee nothing is to head for disaster," as Émile de Girardin said.
Following this maxim, in February, I started looking for transportation to Le Havre, which was initially the departure port. Then, I asked the travel agent which airport the return flight would land at. I knew flights from Pointe-à-Pitre to Paris served both main Parisian airports. Here, I found myself like a ping-pong ball between the cruise agent and CFC: The cruise agent said, "Ask CFC," and CFC replied, "No, your agent is your intermediary—ask them." It went back and forth like that. Impossible to pre-book the flight that would take us back to our final destination. During the summer, we learned that the departure port was no longer Le Havre but Dunkirk. We canceled our transfers to Le Havre but, of course, lost the cost of the reservations. Meanwhile, we purchased our "Beverage" package—we chose the "Fraîcheur" option, which included all non-alcoholic cocktails, canned sodas, fruit juices, bottled water, and regular coffees. This detail is important for the rest of the story. Every month, I followed up to find out the return airport. Nothing until October 28th (3 days before departure), when CFC finally informed me it was Orly, along with the flight number and time. Of course, on top of booking at full price, I had to arrange my final transfer home. Since I had very little time before the return flight, I had to book an Uber in a rush for the Orly/CDG transfer. Right after, we were told that our first stop in Lisbon—the most anticipated for many cruisers—had been canceled due to a strike at the port of Lisbon and replaced with Vigo, Spain. A completely unremarkable stop—nothing outstanding. As you can see, the prelude was already problematic, yet we’re far from reaching the peak of our disappointments. .......... to be continued soon.
"To govern is to foresee, and to foresee nothing is to head for disaster," as Émile de Girardin said.
Following this maxim, in February, I started looking for transportation to Le Havre, which was initially the departure port. Then, I asked the travel agent which airport the return flight would land at. I knew flights from Pointe-à-Pitre to Paris served both main Parisian airports. Here, I found myself like a ping-pong ball between the cruise agent and CFC: The cruise agent said, "Ask CFC," and CFC replied, "No, your agent is your intermediary—ask them." It went back and forth like that. Impossible to pre-book the flight that would take us back to our final destination. During the summer, we learned that the departure port was no longer Le Havre but Dunkirk. We canceled our transfers to Le Havre but, of course, lost the cost of the reservations. Meanwhile, we purchased our "Beverage" package—we chose the "Fraîcheur" option, which included all non-alcoholic cocktails, canned sodas, fruit juices, bottled water, and regular coffees. This detail is important for the rest of the story. Every month, I followed up to find out the return airport. Nothing until October 28th (3 days before departure), when CFC finally informed me it was Orly, along with the flight number and time. Of course, on top of booking at full price, I had to arrange my final transfer home. Since I had very little time before the return flight, I had to book an Uber in a rush for the Orly/CDG transfer. Right after, we were told that our first stop in Lisbon—the most anticipated for many cruisers—had been canceled due to a strike at the port of Lisbon and replaced with Vigo, Spain. A completely unremarkable stop—nothing outstanding. As you can see, the prelude was already problematic, yet we’re far from reaching the peak of our disappointments. .......... to be continued soon.
Hi there,
Here’s a little review of our cruise on the Renaissance from October 18 to 29, 2025 (11 nights). It was our first experience with CFC.
Some other forum members were on board too, so we can probably compare notes and correct me if I’m wrong!
The stops were as follows: 10/18 departure from Marseille 10/19 at sea 10/20 Cartagena 10/21 Almería 10/22 Gibraltar 10/23 Cádiz 10/24 at sea 10/25 Leixões (Porto) 10/26 Vigo 10/27 at sea 10/28 at sea 10/29 Dunkirk
First, a quick intro. We’re a family of four with two kids, ages 8 and 11. We booked this cruise in January 2025, right when it went on sale. At the time, it was priced at 763 € per adult (+ 99 € in tips) and 114.45 € per child (under 12, no tips to pay) for an ocean-view cabin (all ocean-view categories were the same price). Since there was also a single-parent offer (meaning one paying adult in the cabin was enough to get the child rate for the accompanying kid), I asked if we could take advantage of this offer to get two double cabins at the same price as one quadruple cabin (to have more space), and yes, it was possible. So we booked two premium ocean-view double cabins side by side. It was the same price as a quadruple. We booked directly through CFC because my husband had a promotional code from his works council. In total, for the four of us, we paid 1830 €, tips included. It’s true we booked early, but the rate was good, and we had the constraint of traveling as a family of four, so cabin choices were more limited. It’s also worth noting that the single-parent offer is limited.
Now, about embarkation: 10/18 Marseille Coming from the north, we took the direct TGV that morning at 7:22 AM, scheduled to arrive in Marseille at 12:24 PM. The trip went smoothly, great weather, and we arrived just one minute late. I had planned to get to the port using the free 35T shuttle from Joliette. To get to the bus stop, there were two options: the metro or walking. Since the weather was beautiful and the kids needed to stretch their legs, we opted for the second option. The route is all downhill, so it was pretty easy even with the suitcases. But I wouldn’t do it the other way around! We arrived at Joliette around 12:50 PM, just in time for the 1:00 PM shuttle, which arrived a few minutes late. Other cruisers got on board too. That day, there were two Costa ships and one MSC ship at the port as well. Traffic was heavy, and the shuttle arrived at the port entrance at 1:30 PM. We were scheduled for 2:30 PM. We were lucky to be at the closest embarkation terminal. So we were among those who had the least walking to do. We dropped off our suitcases and headed to the check-in counter. There were plenty of desks and almost no passengers. So we quickly completed the embarkation formalities—in just a few minutes—and when we boarded, it wasn’t even 2:00 PM yet. We headed to the buffet, where there weren’t many people. As we finished lunch, it was around 3:00 PM when they announced the cabins were ready. We went down to drop off our luggage in the cabins and then went up to the top deck to take some photos. The ship’s daily program said the safety drill would be at 4:00 PM. So we went to deck 6 at the scheduled time. But later, they announced it would actually be at 4:30 PM! In short, we waited 30 minutes for nothing because of a difference between the scheduled and actual time! The drill itself was long. Gathering everyone took about 20 minutes, I think. Just as we finished, they announced the departure, originally scheduled for 5:00 PM, was delayed until 9:00 PM due to latecomers. We went to check out the library, which had tons of board games and books—more than we’d ever seen. What stood out on this first day was that, for the first time, we had a French-speaking embarkation, announcements only in French (except for the safety drill), French-speaking servers, a paper daily program in French, books in French (which we’d never find on another ship), and menus in French. To wrap up the day, we had dinner at Vatel. I had requested the first seating (6:30 PM) and a table for four, and we got it. We were seated upstairs near the window—a very pleasant table that we’d occupy every evening. What was a little surprising, but we got used to it, was that you had to order everything you wanted at once. The portions weren’t big, but you could choose what you wanted. The cheese was French and excellent.
To be continued...
The stops were as follows: 10/18 departure from Marseille 10/19 at sea 10/20 Cartagena 10/21 Almería 10/22 Gibraltar 10/23 Cádiz 10/24 at sea 10/25 Leixões (Porto) 10/26 Vigo 10/27 at sea 10/28 at sea 10/29 Dunkirk
First, a quick intro. We’re a family of four with two kids, ages 8 and 11. We booked this cruise in January 2025, right when it went on sale. At the time, it was priced at 763 € per adult (+ 99 € in tips) and 114.45 € per child (under 12, no tips to pay) for an ocean-view cabin (all ocean-view categories were the same price). Since there was also a single-parent offer (meaning one paying adult in the cabin was enough to get the child rate for the accompanying kid), I asked if we could take advantage of this offer to get two double cabins at the same price as one quadruple cabin (to have more space), and yes, it was possible. So we booked two premium ocean-view double cabins side by side. It was the same price as a quadruple. We booked directly through CFC because my husband had a promotional code from his works council. In total, for the four of us, we paid 1830 €, tips included. It’s true we booked early, but the rate was good, and we had the constraint of traveling as a family of four, so cabin choices were more limited. It’s also worth noting that the single-parent offer is limited.
Now, about embarkation: 10/18 Marseille Coming from the north, we took the direct TGV that morning at 7:22 AM, scheduled to arrive in Marseille at 12:24 PM. The trip went smoothly, great weather, and we arrived just one minute late. I had planned to get to the port using the free 35T shuttle from Joliette. To get to the bus stop, there were two options: the metro or walking. Since the weather was beautiful and the kids needed to stretch their legs, we opted for the second option. The route is all downhill, so it was pretty easy even with the suitcases. But I wouldn’t do it the other way around! We arrived at Joliette around 12:50 PM, just in time for the 1:00 PM shuttle, which arrived a few minutes late. Other cruisers got on board too. That day, there were two Costa ships and one MSC ship at the port as well. Traffic was heavy, and the shuttle arrived at the port entrance at 1:30 PM. We were scheduled for 2:30 PM. We were lucky to be at the closest embarkation terminal. So we were among those who had the least walking to do. We dropped off our suitcases and headed to the check-in counter. There were plenty of desks and almost no passengers. So we quickly completed the embarkation formalities—in just a few minutes—and when we boarded, it wasn’t even 2:00 PM yet. We headed to the buffet, where there weren’t many people. As we finished lunch, it was around 3:00 PM when they announced the cabins were ready. We went down to drop off our luggage in the cabins and then went up to the top deck to take some photos. The ship’s daily program said the safety drill would be at 4:00 PM. So we went to deck 6 at the scheduled time. But later, they announced it would actually be at 4:30 PM! In short, we waited 30 minutes for nothing because of a difference between the scheduled and actual time! The drill itself was long. Gathering everyone took about 20 minutes, I think. Just as we finished, they announced the departure, originally scheduled for 5:00 PM, was delayed until 9:00 PM due to latecomers. We went to check out the library, which had tons of board games and books—more than we’d ever seen. What stood out on this first day was that, for the first time, we had a French-speaking embarkation, announcements only in French (except for the safety drill), French-speaking servers, a paper daily program in French, books in French (which we’d never find on another ship), and menus in French. To wrap up the day, we had dinner at Vatel. I had requested the first seating (6:30 PM) and a table for four, and we got it. We were seated upstairs near the window—a very pleasant table that we’d occupy every evening. What was a little surprising, but we got used to it, was that you had to order everything you wanted at once. The portions weren’t big, but you could choose what you wanted. The cheese was French and excellent.
To be continued...
Hi everyone,
In a month, I’ll be on the *Renaissance* with Compagnie Française de Croisières.
I’d just love to hear your thoughts on this ship—what you liked, what you liked less, etc.
Thanks to all of you!
Have a great day
Hi, we're going on a cruise to Norway departing from Dunkirk and sailing up the coast—can you share some ideas on what to visit? Thanks!
Gigi
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 everyone,
From March 31 to April 10, I took the Viking Lands cruise with CFC.
Out of curiosity, I checked the Renaissance’s route yesterday and noticed it didn’t make the Sandnes/Stavanger stop that we had.
Maybe the itinerary was planned that way?
Best regards,
Hi Poupou, thanks for updating the cruise departure schedule for us—Marseille CFC RENAISSANCE from December 22, 2024, to January 5, 2025
Mediterranean: Italy, Spain, France
Clown 83
My wife and I are going on the "Christmas and Holiday Traditions" cruise from December 22 to January 5.
This is our first time with CFC.
We’ve done dozens of cruises over the past 35 years—including three world cruises with Costa—but we’re tired of the Italian attitude. We’ve also done 3 or 4 with MSC, Club Med 2, and a long time ago, the Mermoz with Croisières Paquet, in short…
Given the reviews, we’re wondering about the all-French aspect, since the Filipino crews are nice but French is complicated for them. And the comments about the food aren’t exactly reassuring. Yes, the drink packages are way too expensive. We’ll have to wait and see how much the excursions cost…
It’s an old ship, so let’s hope everything still works.
See you soon!
Bonjour,
Nous voila de retour de cette croisière.
Embarquement à Dunkerque: les portes ouvraient à 12h environ, étant un peu en avance, je suis allée demander pour que mon mari PMR attende à l'intérieur plutôt que s/ son déambulateur dehors. Je l'ai donc laissé avec les 2 valises et nos 2 sacs à dos dans le petit hall pendant que j'allais garer le véhicule s/ le parking réservé avec CFC au tarif de 10 euros/ jour.
La navette qui devait reconduire les gens du parking au pavillon des maquettes devait arriver dans 5 minutes et au bout de 15 minutes toujours rien. Après 15 min d'attente j'ai vu un Mr qui partait à pieds et je lui ai demandé de l'accompagner. En 15 minutes nous étions arrivés et toujours pas vu de navette car elle nous aurait dépassé.Arrivée au pavillon des maquettes .
Mon mari avait déjà enregistré les valises avec l'aide d'1 personne de CFC.Restaient les formalités à remplir ce qui fut fait rapidement.Nous étions à bord à 12h15. Direction le buffet au pont 11 et attente de pouvoir accéder à la cabine dans 1 salon.
A 14h , découverte de la cabine balcon au pont 9 à l'arrière: spacieuse avec un grand balcon comparé à MSC/COSTA.
Etant à l'arrière, cabine 9202 , toujours un problème d'ascenseur le numéro 4: " car préference".
L'ascenseur numéro 2 s'arrête au pont 10...et l'ascenseur numéro 3 souvent en panne, il ne reste que le numéro 1 pour les PMR pour accéder au buffet pour les personnes ayant également du mal à monter les escaliers.A noter 1 seule enfant à bord et beaucoup de "cheveux gris".
JOUR 2: en mer. Beaucoup d'activités de proposées.
Jour 3: GOTEBORG ( Suède).soleil 19 degrés à 11h
Excursion prise avec CFC: Goteborg et Haga pour tous.
Visite interessante avec une guide TB. Le quartier HAGA à notre avis plein de pavés et rien de spécial et pas adapté aux personnes se déplaçant avec une canne ou fauteuil.Ascenseur numéro 3 en panne..
Jour 4: Copenhague15 degrés le matin, averses ap-midi.
Pas pris d'excursion ayant déjà fait escale avec CFC en 2025 et s/ les conseils des personnes de ce forum, nous avions pris le bus op-on/op-off face au bateau. Je suis allée quand même revoir la petite sirène .
Plus de TV, ascenseur réparé.
JOUR 5 : en mer , tj pas de TV
JOUR 6 : GDANSK ( Pologne).15 degrés pluie toute la journée.
Il y a 1 navette pour aller dans le C Ville.
Nous avons pris l'excursion:Panorama de Gdansk.
Le guide nous a laissé dans l'entrée du C Ville pour 45 minutes en nous donnant ce qu'il y avait à visiter.RV pour la suite des visites à 15h. Le bus est parti à 15h15 pour faire 10 km pour aller voir la Cathédrale d'Olivia .Nous y sommes arrivés à 16h16....le guide nous a dit que dans ce sens il y avait souvent des bouchons..Nous avons eu 10 min s/ place pour aller ensuite voir le phare et le monument de Westerplatte où là aussi nous avons eu 10 minutes s/ place.
Nous étions bcp à nous interroger pourquoi nous n'avions pas fait le circuit dans l'autre sens puisqu'il s'avait qu'il y aurait des bouchons...
Je suis allée à la réception me plaindre de cette organisation .La personne m'a lu le programme: nous devions commencer par le phare puis aller à la Cathédrale et y rester 30 min pour rejoindre le centre de Gdansk pour 1 courte promenade guidée avec un peu de temps libre pour acheter des souvenirs etc..
Le guide a fait tout le contraire de ce qui était prévu et pas de visite guidée puisqu'il nous a lâché dans la ville....
JOUR 7 : Ile de Bornholm (Danemark) 14 degrés quelques rayons de soleil
Nous avions vu dans les excursions qu'il y avait découverte de RONNE à pieds. Donc comme beaucoup nous avons visité par nous-mêmes. Il y avait 1 petit orchestre pour nous accueillir s/ le port et 2 personnes avec des plans de la ville. Nous avons pris la navette pour sortir du port, navette toutes les 15 min.Office du tourisme à côté du "shuttel bus". Visite agréable à notre rythme.
JOUR 8: KIEL ( Allemagne) 18-23 degrés, beau temps
Nous avons pris l'excursion KIEL pour tous. Guide TB et visites interessantes.
Le port est en ville et en 10 minutes nous sommes dans le CVille en suivant un trait bleu au sol depuis le port jusqu'au centre.Ascenseur 3 de nouveau bloqué...de nouveau la TV.
JOUR 9 : en mer; l'ascenseur 3 fonctionne
JOUR 10: en mer ; l'ascenseur 3 de nous veau en panne...
JOUR 11: débarquement à Dunkerque.
Les cabines doivent être libérées à 7h30.Buffet ouvert jusqu'à 9h.
Ascenseur numéro 1 "réquisitionné" , reste le 2 qui ne va pas jusqu'au 11... problème pour les PMR qui doivent traverser tout le pont 11 et essayer d'avoir un des 4 ascenseurs en fonction à l'avant avec bcp de monde à les utiliser.
Mon avis; escales interessantes.
Personnels à bord toujours aussi accueillants , souriants et parlant français pour la plupart.
Spectacles le soir de meilleure qualité qu'en Mars/Avril 2025 tant chanteurs-danseurs-animateurs et des costumes mieux..
Moins bien aimé ceux du "magicien".
Il y a eu 3 conférences à bord par une personne très cultivée mais qui débordait du sujet et trop historique à mon goût.Je n'ai pas assisté aux 2 autres, mon mari a suivi la 2ème mais pas la 3ème..
Pour cette croisière il y avait le thème du Bridge mais nous ne sommes pas joueurs ni intéressés.
Nous n'avions pas pris de forfait boissons à bord , il y a l'eau à disposition, café, thé, tisanes.
Nous avons eu un problème d'infiltration d'eau dans la cabine la veille du débarquement.Nous l'avons signalé et une fois le personnel technique passé ( avec traducteur ne parlant pas anglais), on nous a demandé de laisser la cabine pendant quelque temps pour la réparation.Nous sommes allés dans un salon et au bout d'1h30 je suis allée aux nouvelle à la réception. Réparation + longue que prévue...il fallait changer de cabine.....pas évident la veille du débarquement. Plus de cabine balcon disponible, nous avons eu 1 vue mer la 6075 avec baignoire ( impossible de l'utiliser pour nous deux). Nous avons donc fait nos valises , pris 1 douche dans notre cabine et nous sommes descendus dans la nouvelle.Bruits de chaises jusqu'à 0h30 car cabine sous un salon et un bruit continuel de ventilation dans le couloir.....le sommeil a été difficile à trouver. Débarquement: bien organisé. Nous avons été aidés pour le transport des 2 valises + sacs dans la salle d'attente le temps que je prenne la navette pour aller récupérer le véhicule. Guylène
Nous avons eu un problème d'infiltration d'eau dans la cabine la veille du débarquement.Nous l'avons signalé et une fois le personnel technique passé ( avec traducteur ne parlant pas anglais), on nous a demandé de laisser la cabine pendant quelque temps pour la réparation.Nous sommes allés dans un salon et au bout d'1h30 je suis allée aux nouvelle à la réception. Réparation + longue que prévue...il fallait changer de cabine.....pas évident la veille du débarquement. Plus de cabine balcon disponible, nous avons eu 1 vue mer la 6075 avec baignoire ( impossible de l'utiliser pour nous deux). Nous avons donc fait nos valises , pris 1 douche dans notre cabine et nous sommes descendus dans la nouvelle.Bruits de chaises jusqu'à 0h30 car cabine sous un salon et un bruit continuel de ventilation dans le couloir.....le sommeil a été difficile à trouver. Débarquement: bien organisé. Nous avons été aidés pour le transport des 2 valises + sacs dans la salle d'attente le temps que je prenne la navette pour aller récupérer le véhicule. Guylène
Bonjour Guylène,
Merci pour ce compte rendu. Si tout n’a pas été parfait il semble que la croisière se soit globalement bien passée et que vous en revenez satisfaite, ce qui est le principal.
Bonjour Catherine,
Croisière sympa mais mon mari reste marqué par le changement de cabine . Je pense qu'à partir d'un certain âge les situations prennent une plus grande ampleur alors qu'il y a quelques années en arrière il n'en reparlerait plus. Débarquant le lendemain matin et devant libérer la cabine à 7h30, il y avait le temps de faire la réparation le jour du débarquement , car , une fois une partie du plafond démontée l'ap-midi, rien n' a été fait dans la cabine.... Mon mari s'inquiète de la prochaine croisière que nous devons faire en Aout pour notre anniversaire de mariage.... Belle soirée: Mum49
Croisière sympa mais mon mari reste marqué par le changement de cabine . Je pense qu'à partir d'un certain âge les situations prennent une plus grande ampleur alors qu'il y a quelques années en arrière il n'en reparlerait plus. Débarquant le lendemain matin et devant libérer la cabine à 7h30, il y avait le temps de faire la réparation le jour du débarquement , car , une fois une partie du plafond démontée l'ap-midi, rien n' a été fait dans la cabine.... Mon mari s'inquiète de la prochaine croisière que nous devons faire en Aout pour notre anniversaire de mariage.... Belle soirée: Mum49
Bonjour Guylène,
Je partage votre avis, en prenant de l'âge tout devient plus compliqué et plus impressionnant. Effectivement ces travaux auraient pu attendre le lendemain, je pense qu'ils se sont protégés eux mêmes en vous faisant changer de cabine une veille de débarquement. Ce n'est pas très sympa.
Je croise les doigts pour vous, pour votre prochaine croisière. Peut-être que tout se passera bien, regardez l'expérience de Nathalie qui ne partait pas en toute confiance. 😉
Je partage votre avis, en prenant de l'âge tout devient plus compliqué et plus impressionnant. Effectivement ces travaux auraient pu attendre le lendemain, je pense qu'ils se sont protégés eux mêmes en vous faisant changer de cabine une veille de débarquement. Ce n'est pas très sympa.
Je croise les doigts pour vous, pour votre prochaine croisière. Peut-être que tout se passera bien, regardez l'expérience de Nathalie qui ne partait pas en toute confiance. 😉
Et oui 😉
Je tenterai bien une suite si tarif interressant. Mais en tout cas plus jamais par planète croisière
Je tenterai bien une suite si tarif interressant. Mais en tout cas plus jamais par planète croisière
Bonjour Catherine,
La prochaine croisière sera avec MSC que nous connaissons bien et si ce problème devait arriver, nous attendrons le jour du débarquement pour informer ou pas....
Comme vous l'écrivez, CFC a voulu se protéger et nous le comprenons après coup.
Beau w-end: Guylène










