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

Thoughts for the cruisers currently in the UAE...

Apparently MSC has kept its ship docked in Dubai for now...

Hello,

We had booked a sea-view cabin through a Costa advisor in October 2023 for a departure on 13/10/24 on the Costa Favolosa, with a cruise lasting until 22/10/24. When we saw the cabin, what a disappointment: only one stool, no armchair or sofa like we were used to with Costa. The sea view wasn’t great because of a film on the porthole, and the cabin faced the crew promenade. The space between the wall and the edge of the bed was about 30 cm... not easy for getting into bed. We immediately asked to change cabins. After two days, the answer was that no cabins were available. We spent our days in the lounges because there wasn’t enough room for two people to sit—one had to sit on the stool and the other on the bed... Two days before disembarking in Marseille, reception offered us a sea-view cabin on deck 2. We asked to see it: what a difference—space, a sofa, an armchair, a stool, and a real sea view. Unfortunately, with only two days left before disembarking, it was difficult for us "seniors (85 and 73 years old)" to pack our suitcases and bags, unpack them in the new cabin, deal with the walker, and then repack two days later for disembarkation. We filed a complaint with Costa’s customer service, which responded quickly: "You found the cabin small. Please note that our cabins meet standards and are allocated accordingly. It is indeed possible to change cabins if the ship’s occupancy allows it. We offered you this change, which you later declined." In the end, they offered a "commercial discount as an exceptional gesture for booking a future cruise." This cabin 9201 is for one person, not two. The onboard staff were always as friendly and smiling as ever. There were long lines to access the buffets, so it was better to go to the restaurant at lunchtime when we didn’t have excursions. The shows were varied, and the indoor pool was very chilly. We won’t be sailing with Costa again. We’ve booked with MSC for 2025, but after reading some reviews... Mum49

Hi there, I’d love to go on a Mediterranean cruise, but I’m a bit nervous about doing it solo. Thanks for your advice!

Hi there, I’m about to book a cruise on Explora 2 in May 2026... (option) I’ve never used this company before (did AZAMARA in 2024 and September 2025). The ship is more luxurious—really tempting, plus the amenities! Have any of you taken a cruise with them on one of their ships? Thanks for your feedback, good or bad... 😊😬

Hi, For my upcoming trip to Madagascar in November, I’d like to take a cruise on the Pangalanes Canal. We’ve been offered a 3-day, 2-night trip between Mananjary and Mahanoro. Has anyone done this? Are there too many hours on the boat? Is it worth it? They’re offering either a bivouac or a hotel—what do you think? Thanks for your feedback.

Hi there,

Does anyone know the agency "Wondercruises" based in Belgium?

I came across a (really interesting) cruise on the Mein Schiff 4, and apparently, no French agencies sell Mein Schiff cruises. After several searches online, only Wondercruises and Seascanner work with them.

The advantage of Wondercruises is that they’re partners with "Flying Blue," and you can earn miles.

I love a good challenge, so why not try out this company—it seems pretty solid!

Best regards,

Alfred

Does anyone know about cruises with the MS Rotterdam? Northern Europe cruise

Hi, can you eat in the evening at the Costa Smeralda’s cafeteria, or do you have to dine at the restaurant? Thanks for your reply.

Hello, we’re taking the Celestyal Journey in August. We’re used to cruises, but we don’t know this company or this ship. I know it’s not very big, but that fits our expectations better these days. If anyone has already been on this ship, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Thanks for your feedback!

Hi there, On the MSC Musica, there’s no Yacht Club—do you know if there’s a dedicated Aurea restaurant? Thanks in advance for your reply..

Total of 16 days on the ship with the advantage of one day at sea and one day in port, so time to rest in between. NORWEGIAN JOY: 1-Food not as good as on Costa and MSC (fewer dish choices or repetitive meals, no region-specific meals, meats are good but desserts are really not good at all, no real exotic fruits despite the regions you visit, and even the other fruits like melon and pineapple aren’t ripe). No need to dress up for evening meals: freestyle, so don’t bring too many evening outfits. 2-No fixed time or place for meals: queues every time in the restaurants, tables assigned based on your group size, so it’s hard to interact with other passengers. 3-Passengers mostly American: shows cater to their taste, fewer musical-style performances in the theater compared to Costa and MSC. 4-Excursions are very expensive and always in English. Americans still leave huge tips for the guides. ITINERARY: 1-Miami departure port (airport: 3-hour queue for passport control!) 2-2 days at sea, then Cartagena in Colombia: definitely don’t take the Pirates excursion (it’s terrible, even for kids—they make you run all over the city for their lame "show"!). You can even stay at the port where there’s a beautiful park called "Oasis" with lovely birds... and a café. Otherwise, while visiting the city, buy t-shirts ($10 USD—the best quality and markets of all the regions visited) or taste ripe exotic fruits you’ll never find on the ship ($3). 3-Colon/Panama: several interesting excursions to the locks (old and new). They use highways, so you don’t see much of the country. Crossing from the Atlantic to the Pacific via the canal and the lake: not much view of cities during the passage, just a few islands and greenery on the lake. 4-Puntarenas/Costa Rica: We took the coffee plantation tour, which lets you drive through villages and see more of the country. 5-Guatemala: Highly recommended excursion to Antigua: a very pretty old town with a human scale, lots of women trying to sell you all sorts of things but always with a smile and full of color. Enjoy bargaining—it’s a real connection with the locals. 6-Acapulco/Mexico: a big city that reminds you a bit of Rio/Brazil. Beaches right near the port if you want to swim, as well as little shops selling everything. The famous cliff divers: it’s crowded, so it’s hard to find a good spot to really see them jump. Lots of police and heavily armed military, so probably best not to take risks venturing alone into the poorer neighborhoods like favelas in the hills. 7-Vallarta/Mexico: a gem, a small and very pleasant seaside resort with a lovely promenade, lots of colors, statues, souvenirs, and cafés.... 8-Cabo San Lucas/Mexico: The ship stays at sea; you go ashore by small boats from the port. Lots of shops, restaurants, etc., right at the port if you don’t want to take an excursion. It’s quite chilly early in the morning on these small boats, so bring a jacket. 9-Los Angeles: disembarkation—another 3-hour queue for passport control. If you have a flight right after, be careful: either ask for disabled assistance on the ship (they have a fast exit) or hire paid porters who also get you out quickly.

Hi there,

I’m about to book a (potential) cruise with Silversea Spirit (South Africa, Madagascar, Seychelles...) sometime next year. Since I’ve never sailed with this company before and the reviews on Cruise Critic are pretty "mixed" (especially for this ship), I’d love to hear if anyone has already traveled with them or been on this boat.

Thanks in advance!

Alfred

Hi there A few photos from the Explora Journey—the ship is stunning, and I can confirm the dining is on par with Michelin-starred restaurants. Plus, you get to choose between several restaurants where everything is included, even drinks and champagne!

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 everyone on the cruising forum,

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.

https://www.latitudeblanche.com/voyages-grandnord-polarfront/

I already posted a similar message here 2-3 months ago, and it mysteriously disappeared... ??

Hoping for a response this time.

Best to all,

Puma2A

...

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

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?

Thanks in advance

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!

Hi everyone, Here’s a little story about what happened to me—I was supposed to go on a cruise on the CELEBRITY INFINITY on February 16th, but nothing went as planned 😕 We left for Athens on February 14th, had a good flight, and stayed at the same hotel as last year, the PHIDIAS PIRAEUS HOTEL, which we really liked. But this year, it was disappointing—no upgrade from BOOKING, so a smaller room and, above all, noisy because of a compressor sound.... Anyway, we arrived in the late afternoon, took a walk, and found a really nice restaurant in the pedestrian streets of Piraeus. The next day, the 15th, we maybe thought about going to the island of Aegina, but we got up a little too late, so we just went for a walk. We came back to the hotel for a break, then got ready for a massage I had booked online. I absentmindedly checked my phone… an email from CELEBRITY announcing the cancellation of the cruise!!! That’s a first for us—we were a little shocked by the news 😕 TO BE CONTINUED....

Hi there, I’m looking for a cruise for two adults over 75 (with meals included, etc.) to visit Egypt—specifically the pyramids along the Nile and the Cairo museum. Looking forward to reading about other travelers’ experiences. Thanks.

Has anyone already done the 40-day cruise in Oceania with Holland America? I’d love to hear your thoughts on the ship and the destinations. Thanks

Hi everyone, I’m leaving at the end of March 2026 with 8 friends to celebrate an event on the MSC World Europa. I’ve been cruising for over 20 years with all kinds of companies and under many skies, but I’ve never traveled on a ship this size (6,800 people), and some specific info about this ship would be really helpful. So, to those who’ve been on this boat before—thanks in advance! SHOWS: Is it true that you have to book the evening show?... Just to secure a spot, or is it an internal rule? THE SPA: Are the saunas and hammams mixed-gender? Are there several of them? Which pools are available? SPORTS: Are there any “spaces” where ball sports like volleyball or basketball can be played? Finally, is the management of passengers flexible and friendly, or quite strict? Thanks! Happy cruising. Francis.

Hello everyone,

What a great forum this is! Someone recommended it to me during my last cruise (my first one, too).

After that amazing trip in January this year, I’d love to go again.

But I’d like to know how to negotiate and which travel or booking agency to use to get the best prices. Normally, I book either in Switzerland (very expensive) or directly with MSC, but I’ve been told not to do that. So, I’m here to find the best way to book with MSC. As for dates, I’m pretty flexible, and my departure point—since I live in Switzerland—would be Genoa, Marseille, or somewhere near Rome.

Thanks in advance for all your future responses!

Best regards, Robert

Hi, I’m traveling on the Symphony of the Seas in February 2026 and I’ve purchased the refreshment package.

I’d like to know if we want an alcoholic cocktail, will we pay the difference or the full price of the drink?

Thanks for your replies.

Hi there! We’d love some tips on organizing stopovers on our own in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Arrecife, Puerto del Rosario, Santa Cruz de La Palma, Las Palmas, and Funchal. Thanks so much for your help

Hi everyone, I really enjoy traveling by boat, and I usually book directly with the cruise line. At the same time, I get a lot of ads for Croisières.fr, which, as a middleman, offers me the same cruises as the cruise lines themselves. I’d love to know if any of you have booked through them before and if everything went smoothly? Thanks!

Hi there! Here’s a quick review of my cruise on the REGAL PRINCESS. This was my 35th cruise and my second on the REGAL PRINCESS, which I first discovered in 2017 during a Caribbean cruise. A few months ago, we received an email from PRINCESS changing the itinerary—DUBLIN and EDINBURGH were replaced by two Scottish islands. We were a little disappointed, but since we’d never sailed around the UK, we didn’t really know any of the ports anyway. The itinerary was: SOUTHAMPTON AT SEA KIRKWALL INVERGORDON AT SEA STORNOWAY GLASGOW BELFAST AT SEA CORK AT SEA PORTLAND LE HAVRE SOUTHAMPTON

A 13-day/12-night cruise for 1350 € per person in a guaranteed deluxe balcony cabin. PRINCESS assigned us a balcony cabin on deck 8 with a large balcony. We ended up happy with our cabin, even though we’d initially preferred a higher deck. I’ll admit I hesitated to choose this cruise because of the weather—I love sunshine and good weather—but the desire to discover new ports won out, especially with the promise of heading to Corsica afterward to soak up some sun again 😉

On PRINCESS, as Catherine mentioned, there’s no card—everyone has a medallion! I loved this system, which unlocks your cabin door as you approach. It’s really well thought out!

We took the EUROSTAR from Lille to London, then a train from London to Southampton the day before. We stayed in a nice IHG hotel near the port.

EMBARKATION It’s Friday, August 1st. After a good breakfast and a quick check-out, we realize our UBER app isn’t working in England ;(. We have to go back to reception to ask for a taxi because, even though the hotel is close to the port, the ship is still over 2 km away—hardly ideal with luggage! The problem is that many hotel guests also requested taxis... so we wait a good 30 minutes before ours arrives! We get to the REGAL PRINCESS pretty quickly but are shocked to see a huge line outside!!! We hadn’t seen that in over a decade! Not the best start! 🙁



TO BE CONTINUED!

Hello,

My husband and I are heading to French Polynesia on August 21st for a cruise on the ARANUI 5 to the Marquesas Islands. If anyone has taken this cruise recently or during the late August/early September period, I’d love to hear your impressions and any practical details. Thanks for your feedback! Elettra69

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...