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If you are trying to book a cruise with Croisières de France, the answer fits in one line: the line no longer exists. It ceased operations in early 2017 and no other brand took over its sailings.

This page explains what happened, what became of its ships, and above all what exists today for cruising in French.

What Croisières de France was

The line was founded in September 2007 as the French subsidiary of Royal Caribbean. The idea was simple and sound: a cruise designed for a French-speaking clientele, with service, dining, entertainment and crew in French, on mid-sized ships, in the Mediterranean in summer and toward the Caribbean in winter.

Three ships carried its colours. The Bleu de France from 2008 to 2011, sold on afterwards. The Horizon from 2012. The Zenith from 2014. The brand went by the initials CDF, which was its own acronym rather than the name of a successor.

What happened

In late 2016, Royal Caribbean announced that Croisières de France would cease operations in early 2017. The Paris office closed in February 2017. The ships returned to Pullmantur Cruises, the Spanish house within the same group: the French brand was absorbed rather than renamed.

What followed was no kinder. Pullmantur entered bankruptcy proceedings in 2020. The Horizon was scrapped at Aliağa, Turkey, in 2022. The Zenith was scrapped at Alang, India, the same year. The bankruptcy administrator then put the Pullmantur brand up for sale.

In other words: no line, no ships, no commercial successor. If a site still offers you a booking under this name, it is selling something that does not exist.

Looking for a French-language cruise? Here is what exists

The need itself has not gone away. Cruising without wrestling with English remains a perfectly legitimate request, and several serious options exist in 2026.

MSC Cruises and Costa Cruises provide French-language service on some of their departures, mainly in the Mediterranean. The important point: this is verified departure by departure, not line by line. Two ships in the same fleet, in the same week, can offer very different French-language support.

CroisiEurope is a French house specialising in river cruising, from the Rhine to the Danube by way of the Rhône and the Seine, with French service as standard.

Ponant sells at the top end and in expedition cruising under French-law contracts, with a francophone crew.

Add to that the departures of large international lines that carry French-speaking staff depending on the season and the region. That is precisely the kind of detail a search engine will not tell you and an advisor verifies in minutes.

Did you hold a booking or a credit with CDF?

With operations ending in 2017 and Pullmantur going bankrupt in 2020, there is no longer any office to approach. Anyone still holding a document from that period should turn to the agency that issued the booking, or to the issuer of the card used at the time, without great illusions about the outcome.

If that is your situation and you booked with us, call us: we will find the file and tell you honestly what is possible.

Talk to an advisor

Choosing a French-language cruise means checking the language of service, the ship, the season and the region. That is advisor work, not search engine work.

See our cruise destinations and our full range of cruises.

Speak to an advisor at 1 866 628-6241. We check for you, departure by departure, what actually happens on board.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. The line ceased operations in early 2017 and its Paris office closed in February of that year. No brand took over its sailings.
No. The initials CDF were its own acronym, not a successor. Its ships returned to Pullmantur Cruises, the Spanish house in the same group, which itself went bankrupt in 2020.
Both ships were scrapped in 2022, the Horizon at Aliağa in Turkey and the Zenith at Alang in India.
Royal Caribbean. Croisières de France was created in September 2007 as the group's French subsidiary, then closed by its decision in late 2016.
No. If a site offers you a Croisières de France booking, be wary: it is selling a product that has not existed since 2017.
MSC and Costa provide French service on some departures, mainly in the Mediterranean. CroisiEurope offers river cruising in French, and Ponant the top end under French-law contracts.
Departure by departure, never line by line. Two ships in the same fleet, in the same week, can offer very different French-language support. Our advisor checks for you.
There is no office left. Turn to the issuing agency or to the issuer of the card used at the time. If you booked with us, call and we will find the file.
The Bleu de France from 2008 to 2011, the Horizon from 2012 and the Zenith from 2014.
Royal Caribbean ended the French brand in late 2016 and consolidated operations under Pullmantur. The French-speaking cruise market was subsequently served by other lines.
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