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»	Cruise Talk » Cruise Lines » Festival Cruises - What's in a name

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Topic: Festival Cruises - What's in a name

Terry
First Class Passenger
Member # 448

posted 05-14-2000 08:35 AM

Festival Cruises, just bought by P&O, does not use that name in the US, calling themselves I believe, First European Cruises.
I came across a crytic comment by Ted Scull, that this was because of a former outfit called Festival that got itself a very bad name in the US. Can anyone tell anything about the Festival Cruises?

Terry

Posts: 391 | From: Brandon, Norfolk, UK | Registered: Aug 99 | IP: Logged

French news
First Class Passenger
Member # 1203

posted 05-14-2000 12:39 PM

Pour les français Festival Croisières est un exellent nom, comme Costa Croisières. Festival recherche particulièrement une clientèle européenne. D'ailleurs, pour affirmer ce fait les deux prochains navires actuellement en construction à Saint-Nazaire, s'appelleront European Vision et European Dream.

For french people, Festival Cruises is an exellent name, as Costa Cruises. So, Festival search european people for custom.
The two next ships under construction to Saint-Nazaire will be called European Vision and European Dream.

Posts: 27 | From: Dunkerque, France | Registered: Mar 2000 | IP: Logged

mikiebaccarat
First Class Passenger
Member # 1026

posted 05-14-2000 07:09 PM

The Name Festival Cruises is used when the ships operate in the winter in the Caribbean. The Bolero for example is totally chartered for the winter to the Canadian RegenT Holidays a sub of the Canadian Air Transat. When the ships are operating in European waters the go under the First European name.

Posts: 53 | From: Kingston,ON,Canada | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged

Barryboat
First Class Passenger
Member # 33

posted 05-14-2000 07:47 PM

Yes there was briefly a Festival Cruises that was primarily for the Latan cruisers, I forgot the name of their one flagship, but it was actually the Mardi Gras which was I think run by carnival cruise Lines. It didn't do too well. I knew and worked with the cruise director...How he got another job on the ships I don't know, but this was the cruise director that was fired because he was trying to drag a 16 year old girl to his cabin to rap her. I was given his job as cruise director after he was fired. He was from Cuba and had a terrible temper. Does anyone remember when Carnival did this? When carnival set aside the mardi Gras for the Latin cruisers? I forgot what they names the ship, but I think the cruise line was called Festival Cruises.

Posts: 1851 | From: Bloomington, Minnesota (Home to the Mall of America) | Registered: Mar 99 | IP: Logged

jwine
First Class Passenger
Member # 634

posted 05-15-2000 08:55 AM

I can't remember the names of the ships either, but I believe it was about 5 years ago. Somewhere in that time frame. It didn't last very long though, maybe six months, year tops.

Posts: 223 | From: Cincinnati, OH USA | Registered: Apr 99 | IP: Logged

DAMBROSI
First Class Passenger
Member # 100

posted 05-15-2000 09:58 AM

Hi Barryboat, yes, as I recall, they
had one ship. It was called FIESTA
MARINA. I don't know if if was the
MARDI GRAS or the CARNIVALE. It was
about 5 years ago. I don't know
if they used 2 ships or not.
But that was a terrible incident.

Posts: 2554 | From: Florida, USA, Where the Legend SS NORWAY sailed from. Moving back to FL next yr. | Registered: May 99 | IP: Logged

gohaze
First Class Passenger
Member # 586

posted 05-15-2000 11:33 AM

Hi...Fiesta Marina, ex CARNIVALE, ex Empress of Britain. Now the Topaz of Thompson Cruises but I think she is chartered from Louis Cruises (Royal Olympic / Epirotiki) et al....peter

Posts: 1909 | From: Vancouver.BC | Registered: Sep 99 | IP: Logged

Patrick
First Class Passenger
Member # 364

posted 05-15-2000 02:18 PM

The ship which was used for Latin American cruises was the CARNIVALE. It was operated by Fiest Marina Cruises (not Festival Cruises) which was a joint-venture between Carnival Cruise Line and Epirotiki Lines. For this case the ship was renamed FIESTA MARINA. The MARDI GRAS became the STAR OF TEXAS (operated by Gold Star Cruises).
But the joint-venture between Carnival and Epirotiki didn´t last because the mentalities of the management were too different and they couldn´t really find a well-working way.
Therefore it was ceased very soon and Epirotiki earned both ex-Carnival owned vessels and started to manage them themself.
The FIESTA MARINA became the OLYMPIC (II) and the STAR OF TEXAS was first laid up at Eleusis Bay and then became the OLYMPIC 2004. The OLYMPIC (II) was then sold and became THE TOPAZ under charter of Thomson Cruises and the OLYMPIC 2004 became the APOLLON which was chartered by Eprotiki to Direct Cruises for a while and now is again without job and docked in Piraeus.

About Festival Cruises I can tell you that this name was not a good one to operate in the States. They chose First European Cruises instead to tell the Americans that they are the very first line to operate their ships in a true and only European style like no other one does. P&O by the way, who bought Festival recently, wan´t to go on this way because it has been very well established in the market and is a real alternative to the currently provided mass-market of the bigger lines like NCL, Carnival, HAL...

Posts: 1680 | From: OSC Luxembourg | Registered: Nov 98 | IP: Logged

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