CDF Croisières de France was a cruise line that catered to the
French
French may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France
** French people, a nation and ethnic group
** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices
Arts and media
* The French (band), ...
cruise market, with French as the primary language used on board. CDF was a subsidiary of
Pullmantur Cruises
Pullmantur Cruises was a cruise line headquartered in Madrid, Spain. It began operations in the late 1990s as an offshoot of the Madrid-based travel agency Pullmantur. In 2006, Pullmantur Cruises, through its parent company, was purchased by U ...
, and offered cruises to the
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...
operating from mid-March until November. Most CDF cruises were all inclusive. in many, but not all cases, the price included airfare. However, cruises could be purchased without airfare as well. CDF ceased operations in 2017.
History
Founded in September 2007 as a subsidiary of
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
Royal Caribbean Group, formerly known as Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., is a cruise holding company based in Miami, Florida, United States and incorporated in Liberia. It is the world's second-largest cruise line operator, after Carnival Corpor ...
, CDF begun in May 2008 with ''
Bleu de France'' as their sole ship. During the north hemisphere summer season the ''Bleu de France'' operated cruises in the
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...
out of
Marseille
Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
, while for the winter season she relocated to the
Caribbean
The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...
, with
La Romana,
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...
as her port of departure. The company offered 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 the British holiday operator
Saga
Sagas are prose stories and histories, composed in Iceland and to a lesser extent elsewhere in Scandinavia.
The most famous saga-genre is the (sagas concerning Icelanders), which feature Viking voyages, migration to Iceland, and feuds between ...
, however CDF retained the vessel on charter for a further 12 months. In 2012 CDF received a replacement ship, ''Horizon'', which was transferred from
Pullmantur Cruises
Pullmantur Cruises was a cruise line headquartered in Madrid, Spain. It began operations in the late 1990s as an offshoot of the Madrid-based travel agency Pullmantur. In 2006, Pullmantur Cruises, through its parent company, was purchased by U ...
. ''Horizon'', which had previously sailed as ''Pacific Dream'', for
Pullmantur Cruises
Pullmantur Cruises was a cruise line headquartered in Madrid, Spain. It began operations in the late 1990s as an offshoot of the Madrid-based travel agency Pullmantur. In 2006, Pullmantur Cruises, through its parent company, was purchased by U ...
, ''Island Star'' for
Island Cruises
Island Cruises was a cruise line that was founded as a joint venture between Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and First Choice (travel firm), First Choice Travel PLC, each of whom owned 50% of the company. The company operated in Europe, the Caribbea ...
and originally ''
MV Horizon
MV ''Horizon'' was a cruise ship that sailed from 1990 to 2020, and was the first new build for Celebrity Cruises. She was sent for scrapping at Aliağa, Turkey, in 2022.
Service history
The vessel was ordered on April 28, 1988 at Meyer Werft b ...
'' for
Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises is a cruise line headquartered in Miami, Florida, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Group. Celebrity Cruises was founded in 1988 by the Greece-based Chandris Group, and merged with Royal Caribbean Cruise Line in ...
; all three brands are currently subsidiaries of
Royal Caribbean.
In 2014, the ''Zenith'' was transferred to the fleet of CDF Croisières de France, joining her sister ship the ''L’Horizon''.
In 2016, Royal Caribbean sold a 51% stake in CDF's parent division Pullmantur to Spain-based Springwater Capital.
In late 2016, it was announced CDF would cease operations in early 2017, with both ships being transferred back to Pullmantur.
Former Fleet
References
External links
Official website
a
Simplon Postcards
{{DEFAULTSORT:CDF Croisieres de France
Defunct cruise lines
Royal Caribbean Group