Royal Carribean Launches New French Line
If hanging out with French-speaking vacationers is your sort of thing, you might want to check out the news today from Royal Caribbean, which plans a new cruise line catering to the French.
The new brand, CDF Croisieres de France, will debut in May, 2008 with a single ship, the 752-passenger Blue de France. The vessel will sail a Mediterranean itinerary out of the French port of Marseille during the summer and spend its winters in the Caribbean sailing out of the Dominican Republic.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., the parent company of Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises, is just the latest to tap into the growing demand for cruises among Europeans. Just last week, Carnival announced plans for a new Spanish cruise line, Iberocruceros. Carnival also has pumped big bucks in recent years into its Italy- and Germany-based brands, Costa Cruises and AIDA Cruises, and Royal Caribbean also recently acquired Spanish-based Pullmantur.
The Blue de France, for those wondering, is a 26-year-old ship that has been sailing for Pullmantur as the Holiday Dream. Those with long memories will remember it as Hapag-LLoyd's original Europa.
Royal Caribbean says the ship will get a thorough overhaul -- to the tune of 30 million euros -- to transform into something unmistakably French in ambiance. Expect French decor, French food and, yes, a completely French-speaking staff.
If hanging out with French-speaking vacationers is your sort of thing, you might want to check out the news today from Royal Caribbean, which plans a new cruise line catering to the French.
The new brand, CDF Croisieres de France, will debut in May, 2008 with a single ship, the 752-passenger Blue de France. The vessel will sail a Mediterranean itinerary out of the French port of Marseille during the summer and spend its winters in the Caribbean sailing out of the Dominican Republic.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., the parent company of Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Cruises, is just the latest to tap into the growing demand for cruises among Europeans. Just last week, Carnival announced plans for a new Spanish cruise line, Iberocruceros. Carnival also has pumped big bucks in recent years into its Italy- and Germany-based brands, Costa Cruises and AIDA Cruises, and Royal Caribbean also recently acquired Spanish-based Pullmantur.
The Blue de France, for those wondering, is a 26-year-old ship that has been sailing for Pullmantur as the Holiday Dream. Those with long memories will remember it as Hapag-LLoyd's original Europa.
Royal Caribbean says the ship will get a thorough overhaul -- to the tune of 30 million euros -- to transform into something unmistakably French in ambiance. Expect French decor, French food and, yes, a completely French-speaking staff.
posted by The Cruise Cafe | 9:04 PM
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