New French Cruise Line Launches with former Maasdam

[Host Jazzbeau]

New French Cruise Line:  Compagnie Française de Croisières launches with former Holland America Maasdam:

https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news/new-french-cruise-line-cfc-revive-long-sea-voyages

 

[rkacruiser]

I responded to this on a different thread.  Host, you know my opinion.  

[fatcat04]

We miss the Maasdam and while dh is a pretty good francophone and the offerings sound delightful, I doubt it will be a choice for us as that kind of longer cruising for us is a decade+ away. But I hope the dear Maasdam has many more years of good and faithful service. Loved that little ship. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

2 hours ago, rkacruiser said:

I responded to this on a different thread.  Host, you know my opinion.  

No, I don't see that response.

[Host Jazzbeau]

25 minutes ago, fatcat04 said:

We miss the Maasdam and while dh is a pretty good francophone and the offerings sound delightful, I doubt it will be a choice for us as that kind of longer cruising for us is a decade+ away. But I hope the dear Maasdam has many more years of good and faithful service. Loved that little ship. 

Never sailed on her, but she looks like a nice 'real' ship [like they don't build anymore].  I'm a big fan of ships that feel like ships, and the longer itineraries and premium price-point [I feel that 'premium' is the sweet spot] are very appealing.  But only sailing out of French ports does limit the itinerary options, and my French isn't good enough to risk being confused constantly on a long cruise!  Still, if the concept succeeds they are talking about getting more ships – and that might force them to give Anglophones equal time [like Ponant does now].

[fatcat04]

15 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Never sailed on her, but she looks like a nice 'real' ship [like they don't build anymore].  I'm a big fan of ships that feel like ships, and the longer itineraries and premium price-point [I feel that 'premium' is the sweet spot] are very appealing.  But only sailing out of French ports does limit the itinerary options, and my French isn't good enough to risk being confused constantly on a long cruise!  Still, if the concept succeeds they are talking about getting more ships – and that might force them to give Anglophones equal time [like Ponant does now].

We sailed her twice and would have sailed her many more times. Perfect sized ship. My favorite promenade deck, wide and spacious with REAL deck chairs. Dh and I enjoyed a cocktail and a stroll on her deck every night we could. And her crew were just wonderful. I wish her life with HAL as a larger excursion vessel could have been longer. 

Edited September 8, 2022 by fatcat04

[UPNYGuy]

On 9/7/2022 at 11:01 PM, fatcat04 said:

with REAL deck chairs

 

does HAL not have the steamer chairs on the promenade any longer?  Granted, it has been roughly 4 years since I have been on a HAL ship.

[mightycruisequeen]

We were on the very last sailing of Maasdam as "Maasdam".  We had just sailed away from Rarotonga when Captain PJ announced that we had been ordered to end the cruise because of the emerging pandemic.  It still took us another two weeks to make our way back to San Diego.  Such a nice little homey ship, and pretty much the best place can imagine to spend the first two weeks of "sheltering in place to slow the spread".  I'll remember the Maasdam lovingly.

[fatcat04]

5 hours ago, UPNYGuy said:

 

does HAL not have the steamer chairs on the promenade any longer?  Granted, it has been roughly 4 years since I have been on a HAL ship.

Their older ships with wide Promenade decks still do. Their newer Pinnacle ships have very little space on the Promenade deck plus the life boats obstruct quite a bit so no. 

[sofietucker]

Why did I think she was rechristened Aegean Myth?

 

We were supposed to cruise on her 4x: twice on Blues Cruises which were cancelled (she was a primary chartered ship) and twice for the Sea of Cortez, both for April 2020 (cancelled) and April 2021 (which they cancelled the week it was booked!). The S class was our favorite (besides the inimitable, beloved Prinsendam).

[bcummin]

Our Maasdam was first bought by a Greek company, so she may well have been named Aegean Myth,

Barbara