Cruises in France: new horizon for CDF Croisieres

Cruises in France: new horizon for CDF Croisieres

The "new Life" of L'Horizon began with the record. The ship’s cabins were booked for 115%. They were booked for a weekly cruise in the Mediterranean Sea. The company predicts the average occupancy of cabins for the 2012 season will be 88%.

The official presentation ceremony of the updated Horizon liner is to be held in Marseille on 28-29 April. Until that time the liner will make in total three cruises along the Mediterranean.

The new L'Horizon liner is well known in the cruise industry. It began its cruise history under the name MV Horizon. The vessel was build at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg in 1990. Initially the liner was operated by Celebrity Cruises. Subsequently the ship operated in Southern Europe and the Caribbean under the name Island Star. Then in 2009 it was bought by the Spanish cruise line Pullmantur Cruises, where it once again changed its name to Pacific Dream. But then the Spaniards returned the ship its original name - Horizon. Until 2011 the liner was managed by Pullmantur Cruises. In 2011 it was decided to transfer it to CDF Croisieres de France, which as well as Pullmantur is part of the Royal Caribbean. After the reconstruction Horizon replaced the liner Bleu de France.

Ship renovation included new painting and cabin updating. All 721 rooms on the ship received new beds, furniture, flat TVs and carpets.

L'Horizon is a liner, which is primarily designed for the French-speaking audience. In addition to the French ship operator it is also proved by the fact that after the reconstruction all service plates of the liner were written in French.

The menu in the restaurant - traditionally important moment for the French - was compiled with the assistance of Francis Leveque, the chef of the Restaurant du Marché in Paris.

Tours on the ship are designed for35-60 year people. On the eve of the L'Horizon premiere CDF Croisieres company organized various advertising campaigns, including campaigns on TV and the Paris underground.

With the new liner the company could increase its sales by more than two times. For example, if in 2011 CDF sold 110,000 beds per night for Bleu de France, this figure for L'Horizon at the moment is 264.000.

Ilya Kalachev

Date: 15/04/2012