Cruise Talk: BLEU DE FRANCE

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Author

Topic: BLEU DE FRANCE

Lucas L
First Class Passenger
Member # 6091

posted 05-18-2008 11:06 AM

Hello

Here are the first pics of Bleu de France
http://www.fotosdebarcos.com/viewtopic.php?t=15216

classic but pretty good looking in my opinion.

Lucas

Posts: 209 | From: Lyon,France | Registered: Dec 2005 | IP: Logged

NAL
First Class Passenger
Member # 1102

posted 05-18-2008 11:56 AM

Merci bien, Lucas. I also think she [or he] looks very handsome in the new livery. I wish the company well with every success.
Any news on the origin of the crew? When do the cruises begin?

Posts: 2243 | From: Watsontown, PA | Registered: Feb 2000 | IP: Logged

Tom Burke
First Class Passenger
Member # 5238

posted 05-18-2008 12:47 PM

I agree - I think she looks better with the dark hull than did in Pullmantur livery.

She's going to be quite roomy, isn't she? - 37,000 tons but just 750 passengers. There aren't many comparisons with that size, but Fred Olsen's Boudicca is listed as 838 passengers in 28,000 tons while Balmoral has 1400 passengers in 43,000 tons.

Posts: 1469 | From: Sheffield, UK | Registered: Dec 2004 | IP: Logged

ahrpd
First Class Passenger
Member # 6229

posted 05-18-2008 12:57 PM

SILVER WHISPER and SILVER SHADOW have a pax capacity of 382 with a gross tonnage of 28,200!

Tony

Posts: 948 | From: gibraltar | Registered: Feb 2006 | IP: Logged

Pascal
First Class Passenger
Member # 5510

posted 05-18-2008 01:22 PM

The first cruise is due to start on May 25th but the ship will arrive in her homeport Marseille several days before (this Monday or Tuesday), probably to install the crew and everything.

Posts: 1371 | From: Aix en Provence | Registered: Mar 2005 | IP: Logged

dougnewman
First Class Passenger
Member # 11349

posted 05-18-2008 04:17 PM

Lucas - Merci pour les photos. She looks rather nice, I think. Better than she did in Pullmantur livery, anyway.

I can't wait to see what she looks like inside. The interiors have been designed by someone called Glynis Humphreys from Belfast, who I've never heard of and can't find any information on.

Tom - She is certainly very spacious for a mass-market ship. When she was built as EUROPA she carried even fewer passengers, but of course she was designed for the very top end of the luxury market. Star Cruises added quite a number of cabins, and Pullmantur even more.

Pascal - Will you be there to take photos of her?

Posts: 2072 | From: Long Island, NY, USA | Registered: Sep 2007 | IP: Logged

Pascal
First Class Passenger
Member # 5510

posted 05-18-2008 05:10 PM

quote:
Originally posted by dougnewman:
Pascal - Will you be there to take photos of her?

The answer is : YES !

Posts: 1371 | From: Aix en Provence | Registered: Mar 2005 | IP: Logged

dougnewman
First Class Passenger
Member # 11349

posted 05-18-2008 05:27 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Pascal:
The answer is : YES !

I am looking forward to them then!

Posts: 2072 | From: Long Island, NY, USA | Registered: Sep 2007 | IP: Logged

Joe1690
First Class Passenger
Member # 4889

posted 05-18-2008 08:54 PM

She does look far superior in her new livery then in the pullmantur livery. I am also very excited to see the interior pics as well. I do wish her success in this new endeavor and hope that she will be just one of several ships for the line in the next few years. The only thing I don't understand is why the brand is called CDF Crosieres De France. After all doesn't the CDF stand for Crosieres De France which is duplicative in nature? I could understand if they had CDF on the funnel or somewhere else just like Norwegian Cruise Line uses the NCL logo for everything but this seems odd to me.

Posts: 87 | From: King of Prussia, PA | Registered: Jul 2004 | IP: Logged

lasuvidaboy
First Class Passenger
Member # 4527

posted 05-18-2008 11:53 PM

Very Attractive. The dark hull paint could have been a little lower IMO but much better than her former livery.

Posts: 7654 | From: Hollywood Hills/L.A. | Registered: Mar 2004 | IP: Logged

mike sa
First Class Passenger
Member # 5957

posted 05-19-2008 09:41 AM

I agree if the blue had started a little further down she would have looke dbetter, as it is she looks great and I hear that the interior refit has been very extensive and a true quality upgrade. She reminds me of the 80's HAL ships.

She is a quality ship, if they expand they will struggle to find additional second hand tonnage of the same spaciousness and quality, I suppose they would have top look at a Celebrity transfer or they would have to build new.

Has anyone got their web address ?

Posts: 2272 | From: Durban, South Africa | Registered: Sep 2005 | IP: Logged

dougnewman
First Class Passenger
Member # 11349

posted 05-19-2008 04:10 PM

CDF's web site is here.

No real photos yet, but hopefully there will be some soon.

See here for an in-depth look at her before the refit. A real mishmash of different styles and eras. Hopefully she will look a lot better once the refit is completed.

[ 05-19-2008: Message edited by: dougnewman ]

Posts: 2072 | From: Long Island, NY, USA | Registered: Sep 2007 | IP: Logged

Pascal
First Class Passenger
Member # 5510

posted 05-20-2008 02:40 PM

As promised, here are some pictures of "Bleu de France" (sorry but the weather was really awfull this morning):

Pic 1

pic 2

Stern Shot

and a funnel close up

I will have plenty of occasions to shoot her again in better conditions, so I will probably post other shots of her soon.

Posts: 1371 | From: Aix en Provence | Registered: Mar 2005 | IP: Logged

dougnewman
First Class Passenger
Member # 11349

posted 05-20-2008 04:22 PM

Thanks for the photos!

She looks good, I would quite like to sail in her but the itineraries don't interest me.

I'm now eagerly awaiting the first interior photos.

Posts: 2072 | From: Long Island, NY, USA | Registered: Sep 2007 | IP: Logged

lasuvidaboy
First Class Passenger
Member # 4527

posted 05-20-2008 09:30 PM

Will she remain registerred in Malta or change to France?

Posts: 7654 | From: Hollywood Hills/L.A. | Registered: Mar 2004 | IP: Logged

dougnewman
First Class Passenger
Member # 11349

posted 05-20-2008 11:15 PM

I imagine she will stay registered in Malta. I don't see why she would move to the French register - after all, she was also registered in Malta rather than Spain when she was with Pullmantur.

Posts: 2072 | From: Long Island, NY, USA | Registered: Sep 2007 | IP: Logged

mike sa
First Class Passenger
Member # 5957

posted 05-21-2008 01:13 AM

Given she is a French ship might the pax not expect the Tricolour to fly from the stern ?

There are plenty of cheap options that enable her to fly the French flag.

Posts: 2272 | From: Durban, South Africa | Registered: Sep 2005 | IP: Logged

dougnewman
First Class Passenger
Member # 11349

posted 05-21-2008 02:09 AM

I suppose the pax might be a bit surprised at the flag of convenience given the name of the ship, cruise line, etc... But such is the cruise industry today.

But legally she is still a Pullmantur ship, so it makes sense that she is registered in the same country as all its other ships.

Posts: 2072 | From: Long Island, NY, USA | Registered: Sep 2007 | IP: Logged

NAL
First Class Passenger
Member # 1102

posted 05-21-2008 04:36 PM

I see in her interior photos that some of the furniture is still from her days as Europa. Although I never liked her layout, I liked her Europa public rooms very much. [the decor]

Posts: 2243 | From: Watsontown, PA | Registered: Feb 2000 | IP: Logged

dougnewman
First Class Passenger
Member # 11349

posted 05-21-2008 04:44 PM

Indeed, at least before the refit there were still bits and pieces of her EUROPA decor left, "livened up" by what look like some truly awful color schemes and riotous carpet patterns.

There are a few photos of her original interiors here... In some cases similar to what she was like as HOLIDAY DREAM, but with much more subdued colors.

Sadly, the beautiful theatre pictured was torn out by Star Cruises in favor of a casino.

It will certainly be interesting to see what she is like inside as BLEU DE FRANCE.

Posts: 2072 | From: Long Island, NY, USA | Registered: Sep 2007 | IP: Logged

NAL
First Class Passenger
Member # 1102

posted 05-21-2008 08:13 PM

Yes, Doug, that's a pity that the theater was removed in favor of a casino. We will eagerly await her new decor.

Posts: 2243 | From: Watsontown, PA | Registered: Feb 2000 | IP: Logged

lasuvidaboy
First Class Passenger
Member # 4527

posted 05-21-2008 11:03 PM

Does her name have any meaning in France??

Posts: 7654 | From: Hollywood Hills/L.A. | Registered: Mar 2004 | IP: Logged

Pascal
First Class Passenger
Member # 5510

posted 05-22-2008 12:38 AM

quote:
Originally posted by lasuvidaboy:
Does her name have any meaning in France??

Her name means " France's Blue" of "Blue of/from France". Blue is a national color of France, it refers to the old monarchy symbols as well to some republican ones. Sport teams wear blue and are usually nicknamed "les Bleus", the "blues". It is as well the name of a specific variety of blue.

Posts: 1371 | From: Aix en Provence | Registered: Mar 2005 | IP: Logged

Vaccaro
First Class Passenger
Member # 465

posted 05-22-2008 09:24 AM

In addition to the meanings Pascal told about, in a more imaged language, a "bleu" can mean a beginer or a neophyte. Since this ship and venture is new to French market, in a sense this meaning is not that usurped!

To be more serious, CDF of course didn't mean that.

To be frank, I think this name rather odd and I'm sure it does sound equally odd to a fair number of my fellow-countrymen.

Posts: 1193 | From: France ...where the greatest liners ever are born, ...by far! | Registered: Feb 99 | IP: Logged

mike sa
First Class Passenger
Member # 5957

posted 05-22-2008 11:19 AM

Next will be Verde Du France and will have a green hull and lawn club deck and will do expedition and nature (au natural)cruises. Then will come Noir Du France, Blanc du France etc. ??!

In general though RCI's smaller brands have sucky names, Azamara (although the Journey and Quest bits I like),Pullmantur's lazy approach of keeping or shortening a name, TUI Aqua doesn't set the world on fire - hardly inspirational or aspirational, and Blu du France - mind at least it is French unlike Pullmantur's Spanish names ?

Maybe they need a naming department at RCI as it seems they have just gotten lazy. On the other hand Celebrity are brilliant at it.

Posts: 2272 | From: Durban, South Africa | Registered: Sep 2005 | IP: Logged

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