CDF Croisières de France
Encyclopedia
CDF Croisières de France is a France
-based, Norwegian
-American
-owned cruise line
which caters to the French
cruise market, with French as the only language used onboard their ships. CDF will offer cruises on the Mediterranean and the Caribbean
.
Founded on September 2007 as a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
, CDF begun in May 2008 with Bleu de France
as their sole ship. During the north hemisphere summer season the Bleu de France operates cruises in the Mediterranean out of Marseille
, while for the winter season she relocates to the Caribbean
, with La Romana, Dominican Republic
as her port of departure. The company offers an all-inclusive product, with not only accommodation and meals but also all drinks and tips included in the price of the cruise.
In November 2010, CDF confirmed that they had sold Bleu de France to British Over-50's Cruise Line Saga
, although they will continue to charter the ship from them and operate it as the Bleu de France until 2012 when they will receive a new ship, L'Horizon, transferred from another Royal Caribbean subsidiary, Pullmantur. No further information about L'Horizon has been released yet. L'Horizon had previously sailed as Pacific Dream, for Pullmantur, Island Star for Island Cruises
and originally Horizon
for Celebrity Cruises
, all three brands are subsidiaries of Royal Caribbean. (Island Cruises was 50% owned by Royal Caribbean. They sold their share to First Choice Holidays in 2008 and Island Star, which had been chartered to Island Cruises
, returned to Royal Caribbean, who placed it as part of the Pullmantur fleet.)
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
-based, Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-owned cruise line
Cruise line
A cruise line is a company that operates cruise ships. Cruise lines have a dual character; they are partly in the transportation business, and partly in the leisure entertainment business, a duality that carries down into the ships themselves, which have both a crew headed by the ship's captain,...
which caters to the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
cruise market, with French as the only language used onboard their ships. CDF will offer cruises on the Mediterranean and the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
.
Founded on September 2007 as a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. is a Norwegian / American company based in Miami, Florida. It is the world's second-largest cruise line operator, after Carnival Corporation & PLC. As of March 2009, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd...
, CDF begun in May 2008 with Bleu de France
MS Bleu de France
MS Bleu de France is a cruise ship owned and operated by the French cruise line, CDF Croisières de France. It was originally built in 1981 by Bremer Vulkan, Germany for Hapag-Lloyd Cruises as MS Europa. In 1999 Europa was sold to Star Cruises and it was renamed MS SuperStar Europe and year later MS...
as their sole ship. During the north hemisphere summer season the Bleu de France operates cruises in the Mediterranean out of Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
, while for the winter season she relocates to the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, with La Romana, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
as her port of departure. The company offers an all-inclusive product, with not only accommodation and meals but also all drinks and tips included in the price of the cruise.
In November 2010, CDF confirmed that they had sold Bleu de France to British Over-50's Cruise Line Saga
Saga
Sagas, are stories in Old Norse about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history, etc.Saga may also refer to:Business*Saga DAB radio, a British radio station*Saga Airlines, a Turkish airline*Saga Falabella, a department store chain in Peru...
, although they will continue to charter the ship from them and operate it as the Bleu de France until 2012 when they will receive a new ship, L'Horizon, transferred from another Royal Caribbean subsidiary, Pullmantur. No further information about L'Horizon has been released yet. L'Horizon had previously sailed as Pacific Dream, for Pullmantur, Island Star for Island Cruises
Island Cruises
Island Cruises was the brand name of a cruise line operated by Sunshine Cruises Limited, founded as a joint venture between Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and First Choice Travel PLC. First Choice were later acquired by TUI Travel PLC...
and originally Horizon
Horizon
The horizon is the apparent line that separates earth from sky, the line that divides all visible directions into two categories: those that intersect the Earth's surface, and those that do not. At many locations, the true horizon is obscured by trees, buildings, mountains, etc., and the resulting...
for Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises is a cruise line founded in 1988 by the Greek Chandris Group. In 1997, Celebrity Cruises Ltd. merged with Royal Caribbean International to become Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., which operates Celebrity, Royal Caribbean International, Azamara Club Cruises, Pullmantur Cruises and CDF...
, all three brands are subsidiaries of Royal Caribbean. (Island Cruises was 50% owned by Royal Caribbean. They sold their share to First Choice Holidays in 2008 and Island Star, which had been chartered to Island Cruises
Island Cruises
Island Cruises was the brand name of a cruise line operated by Sunshine Cruises Limited, founded as a joint venture between Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and First Choice Travel PLC. First Choice were later acquired by TUI Travel PLC...
, returned to Royal Caribbean, who placed it as part of the Pullmantur fleet.)
Fleet
| Ship | Built | Entered service for CDF |
Tonnage | Flag | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 2008 |  Malta |
Previously Europa, Superstar Europa, Superstar Aries, Holiday Dream | ||
| MV L'Horizon | 1990 | 2012 (Planned) | Malta |
Previously Horizon, Island Star, Pacific Dream |