Posts by Micax

In Marseille, if you don’t know the city, take the little tourist train that goes to Notre Dame de la Garde (departure: 174 Quai du Port) or the tourist bus that circles the city (check Colorbus.fr). Visiting the replica of the prehistoric Cosquer Cave is also really interesting (max 2 hours). You’ll explore the "cave" in an "exploration module"—a kind of gondola where you’re seated, so no walking required. Access is right across from the MUCEM. Best regards

The *Sirena* is being renamed the "Ambassador Ambella" and will be operational in 2028. If Ambassador is dedicating a ship to the German market, it’s not so they’ll come aboard the Renaissance!!!

This was my fourth cruise on the Renaissance in August 2026, and I didn’t notice any significant changes in the clientele compared to 2025 and 2024—except, of course, a few more young couples with kids (but this was the first time I traveled during school holidays).

I never heard any language other than French among the passengers, though there were definitely more Northern accents than Southern ones. That wasn’t the case in 2024, even for a departure from Le Havre.

To be honest, there were several dozen passengers of Chinese or Vietnamese origin who spoke in their native languages, but they all lived in France.

The only foreigners we met were a Belgian couple who had booked through CFC’s French website.

For a while, they’ll attract a new clientele who won’t have known CFC in its early days—Northern French, Belgians, Dutch, Germans—but it’ll settle down, and many southern clients like me who sail from Marseille will leave this company.

Ambassador’s clientele is mostly English and Dutch, and on their site, the Renaissance is only sold for Caribbean cruises (boarding in Barbados for the English and Curaçao for the Dutch). Cruises departing from Dunkirk or Marseille aren’t sold. As for the Germans, they have AIDA, TUI-Mein Schiff, Phoenix Reisen, etc... I don’t see what they’d come to the Renaissance for. In short, for now, it doesn’t seem like Ambassador Cruise Line wants to "attract a new clientele" for cruises departing from France. Best regards

Hi Mum, English was already the dominant language on the Renaissance. For the August 1st cruise, there were 539 crew members, including 11 French and around 150 French speakers (76 Mauritian and 68 African). The rest of the staff communicated with passengers exclusively in English (154 Indians, 85 Indonesians, 78 Filipinos, etc.). Yesterday in Ajaccio, CFC disappeared, and the "A" from Ambassador was painted on the funnel as well as the hull. However, "RENAISSANCE" is currently displayed alone to identify the ship and isn’t paired with "Ambassador." Best regards,

What exactly is the problem with Italians...... 🙁

These comments about "no Italians" refer to Costa and MSC. Italians act like they own the place, while other nationalities are just tolerated. The vast majority of the staff on these ships are Italian, and as soon as an Italian passenger has an issue, they go straight to them. The "lower-ranking staff" know this and fear Italian passengers, so the latter think they can get away with anything toward the crew and other passengers. For example, if you call reception in Italian to replace a blown lightbulb in your cabin, someone comes in 5 minutes. If you call in French, you might wait 2 hours. Best regards

Hi Isa

Please add me to the AUGUST 2026 calendar:

08/01 - Micax / CFC RENAISSANCE / 11 days / Iberian Splendors / Dunkirk

Hello, On the port of Bergen’s website, the Renaissance is scheduled to dock at Bontelabo quay. It’s less than 1 km from Bergen’s city center and the famous Bryggen district. Best regards,

Hello, There are tables for two, but this option isn’t offered when booking online. Best regards,

We received the disembarkation details yesterday, and there are several time slots for each item

Thanks for the clarification!

Hi Mum

Thanks for the reply.

On my last CFC cruise, there were only Option 3 and Option 1 with just one bus at 8:00 AM. Do you know if for Option 2 (which requires signing up) there were multiple buses and departure times?

Best regards

Hi Mum, Thanks for this report. I didn’t quite get this sentence: "individual disembarkation with your luggage is possible, but hauling your suitcases to the terminal." Does that mean we can put our luggage in the bus’s hold for the ride from the ship to the Model Pavilion? Best regards

Hi there, Where are you boarding? In Venice or in Trieste?

Hi Mum, The most convenient parking is at Citadelle, right next to the Model Pavilion, but it’s limited to 2 hours. I think Môle 1 (East or West parking) has the same restriction. Best regards

Hi Gigi, Yes, the products (cosmetics, perfumes, alcohol, cigarettes, etc.) at the Renaissance boutique are advertised as "duty-free," but the prices are more or less worth it (compared to prices in France) depending on the item. Best regards

Hi Moongigi, You can buy cigarette cartons at the Renaissance boutique, but these purchases will be kept (like alcohol bottles) and returned to you on the last day of the cruise. However, if you need a quick fix, you can buy a single pack at the bar (usually a maximum of 1 pack per day per person). I don’t smoke, so I don’t remember the prices.

Best regards

Hi Cachou, I actually took 3 cruises with CFC, and over 2 years, we noticed the quality of services declining—this was before the takeover by the Ambassador Cruise Line group. I don’t know what "life on board" will be like under Anglo-Saxon management. For "payment methods," Visa, Mastercard, and cash are accepted. However, American Express cards, bank checks, and ANCV checks are not. As for "internet," I found the package a bit expensive for a connection that, apparently, wasn’t very stable. Some passengers complained that reception wasn’t great everywhere on the ship, especially in their cabins. Best regards

Hi there, I had a Terrace cabin on the Renaissance in August 2024. No issues with the French door in terms of sound or visual privacy, but not many people walk by on the terrace deck. However, it seems the door-opening mechanism from the terrace no longer works for most cabins. If you want to settle in on your loungers on the terrace, you’ll need to prop the door slightly open so you can get back in later. Best regards.

We have a cruise planned for next April in the ABC Islands and we’d love to hear your suggestions for visits, beaches, or special shopping spots. We’ve started our research and noticed that Bonaire isn’t highly recommended for beaches because of all the coral (great for diving, though). Thanks in advance!

Hi there,

Here’s what we did in the ABC Islands:

- Bonaire: We took the little tourist train, which gives a great overview of Kralendijk. It makes a short stop at Kaya Grandi, the main shopping street. Since the tour only lasts an hour and a half, you’ll have time to go back later for some shopping. Walk back to the port along the seaside promenade.

- Aruba: Kralendijk means “coral barrier” in Dutch, and it’s true that the beaches are nicer in Aruba if you want to swim. We went to Eagle Beach. It’s the largest and most famous beach in Aruba, north of Oranjestad. A little farther away is Palm Beach—those who’ve been there said it’s pretty good, maybe less crowded since there are fewer hotels nearby.

- Curaçao: We did everything on foot. The capital, Willemstad, is really charming and very typical. Lots to see, including plenty of shops, especially at the Renaissance Mall, which is in an old fortress (the Rif Fort). The city stretches on both sides of St. Anna Bay, and you’ll cross the Queen Emma Bridge (Koningin Emmabrug). The bridge opens at certain times to let ships pass to and from the Caribbean Sea. Just make sure to check the opening hours so you don’t get stuck on your way back to the port and miss your ship’s departure.

Best regards

Thanks, we'll take the risk with some buffer time. What kinds of themes are there for the evenings? Are there any activities like on MSC?

Hello, With Costa and MSC, the recommended "buffer time" is 4 hours. There’s nothing like that with CFC. When we bought the Marseille-Dunkerque cruise, we were supposed to set sail at 10:00 PM. 15 days before departure, the cruise ticket showed 5:30 PM. Obviously, many couldn’t change their transportation (especially groups), and the ship had to wait. We left at 9:45 PM. The arrival in Dunkerque was also changed, but it was only by 15 minutes.

For the evenings, the "dress code" is "Casual Chic," except for one "Blue, White, Red" evening and one (or two, depending on the cruise length) "Gala" evening. There’s a minimum of activities (games, quizzes, dancing, etc.) and a movie screening every day. Best regards