CDF Croisières de France was a cruise line that catered to the
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
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.S ...
, 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 north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...
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 global cruise holding company incorporated in Liberia and based in Miami, Florida, United States. It is the world's second-largest cruise line operator, after Carnival C ...
, 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 north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...
out of
Marseille
Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...
, while for the winter season she relocated to the
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
, with
La Romana,
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...
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 the British holiday operator
Saga
is a series of science fantasy role-playing video games by Square Enix. The series originated on the Game Boy in 1989 as the creation of Akitoshi Kawazu at Square (video game company), Square. It has since continued across multiple platforms, ...
, 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.S ...
. ''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.S ...
, ''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 PLC, each of whom owned 50% of the company. The company operated in Europe, the Caribbean, and South America, aiming ...
and originally ''
MV Horizon
''Horizon'' was a cruise ship that sailed from 1990-2020, and was the first new build for Celebrity Cruises. She was sent for scrapping in Aliaga in 2022.
Service history
The vessel was ordered on April 28, 1988 at Meyer Werft by Chandris Cruis ...
'' 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 19 ...
; 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