CFC-Ambassador Cruise Line Merger

Hello,

As you may have read or heard—or I’m letting you know now—CFC is merging with Ambassador Cruise Line 😉

I’ve sailed with Ambassador twice already, and honestly, this merger makes total sense! Both companies offer the same type of service (with Ambassador’s English touch), and they generally have similar ships and target the same clientele.

To be honest, I think this is great news! I really hope Ambassador’s influence rubs off on CFC, especially in fixing all the issues I’ve had on Renaissance that I’ve never encountered on Ambassador (food quality, service, cabin problems, etc.).

Leading Ambassador are real cruise enthusiasts—passionate people with a clear marketing direction and a much more professional way of working with travel agents than CFC.

In short, I think this is fantastic news 🙂

Plus, Renaissance will be in the Caribbean next winter, so I assume European cruises will run on Ambience and Ambition. If English doesn’t scare you (too much), and you like the cozy ship vibe with great value for money, check out Ambassador—they’ve got some amazing itineraries! 😉

If you’d like more info on Ambassador, just ask 😉

What do you all think?

Here are a few photos of Ambience

Hi there, Actually, it's the whole CFC concept that's going out the window... And in your sentence, if English doesn't scare you, that's exactly it. CFC was supposed to be a company where only French would be spoken, with French gastronomy, and it was also supposed to be an adults-only concept. Basically, none of that exists anymore... so I don't know if it's a good or a bad thing, but I think it's mainly a survival issue for CFC, which has had a lot of problems from the start.

The big question is also whether the French-speaking market is mature enough to sustain a 100% French-speaking cruise line or if the marketing and other aspects were just poor. The world is international, and France and the Francophonie aren’t the center of it. That’s just reality.

Even at Ponant, a large portion of the clientele is English-speaking (British, American, Australian, etc.). If we compare it to hotel vacations, Club Med in winter is 80% English-speaking guests.

I think we also need to open up to the world, and honestly, I’d rather have well-behaved, calm English guests than Italians (personal opinion).

Just FYI, Ambassador is adults-only too. They organize a few multi-generational cruises per year, but it's only a handful of dates, no more than that 😄

Well, I don’t know if this was specifically aimed at me, but English isn’t an issue for me... I actually travel regularly with American airlines. But yeah, that was the basic concept—though it seems it just wasn’t profitable. At any rate, CFC didn’t manage to make it work. Whether that’s because it *can’t* be profitable or because it was done badly, I don’t know...

No no, I wasn’t targeting you at all when I mentioned English 😉 I’m not targeting anyone, actually—I’m just giving a heads-up 😅.

I don’t know if the concept wasn’t profitable or if they just mismanaged things. Sadly, we’ll never know the answer, but if the two companies can pull off a 50/50 English-French mix, it could be really great!

And for info, Ambassador is adult-only too. They organize a few multi-generational cruises per year, but it's only a few dates annually, no more 😄

Unfortunately, CFC isn’t adult-only at all. If it becomes so again, I’d be thrilled though...

I’m still very skeptical about the future of a company that only has old ships....

Hi there, There isn’t much for kids on the Renaissance, and what’s more, kids aren’t “free,” so in reality, it’s mostly adults on board.

hi there some people mention kids being on board—maybe there aren’t many, but it’s still not ADULTS ONLY 😉

On the other hand, NCL is starting to consider it

I think it's the same strategy as Celestyal: buying older ships (which, let's be honest, were sold at bargain prices post-COVID), renovating them with a budget in mind, using them for 5-6 years, and then starting all over again with other ships.

Personally, I don’t find this strategy shocking—considering how long it takes to build a ship and the amounts involved... Ultimately, refurbishing older ships and squeezing every last bit out of them while offering cruises at affordable prices (as long as the price stays reasonable, of course!) makes sense.

I get the feeling this is a section of the ship that’s adults-only, like the solarium on Celebrity.

Yeah, it’s all the aft section over three decks... With the pool but also a bar and lots of long loungers and chairs.

About the indoor pool on Celebrity, there were two hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon when it was family time during the best hours... So I didn’t find that amazing... Here, it seems to be open all the time. I’ll let you know. 😄

Yes, an adults-only space like on Celebrity indeed.

Anyway, I’ll never understand the idea of going on a Renaissance cruise with kids.... Up to 3-4 years old: okay, because there’s a pool and they’re happy. But between 4 and 15 years old.... you need a water park, very specific activities, and things to keep them busy. So a ship that offers all that.

After 15, it depends on the teen in question 😉

Hi, I agree that in this case prices should be lower. That’s not always the case with CFC right now—some cruises are really expensive!

I think it's the same strategy as Celestyal: buying older ships (which, let's be honest, were sold at bargain prices post-COVID), renovating them on a budget, using them for 5-6 years, and then starting over with other ships.

The difference is that Celestyal knows what they're doing!!! Especially with excellent crews, great food, and solid organization.

Ambition was previously the Costa Neo-Riviera. I had a great cruise when this concept launched, with gourmet dining and long stopovers. But I don’t have an unforgettable memory of the ship.

We totally agree!

Just like Ambassador knows how to do it, so I hope they’ll bring that influence to CFC....

Actually, I don’t think that’s the issue. People used to go with CFC because it was French—only French or French-speaking passengers, and everything was in French. Clearly, that won’t be the case anymore, so the original concept just doesn’t exist anymore. As a result, there won’t really be any difference from other international cruise lines.

On the Corendon tour operator's website, the Renaissance is in Ambassador's colors, and cruises departing from Curaçao/Amsterdam are already online for late 2025. Looks like a merger-acquisition!

I really think they’re going to lose customers because the French identity won’t be there anymore.

Moving the ship to the Caribbean is also to let Ambassador send clients somewhere warm during the winter. The goal is to mix clientele, so I don’t quite see why Ambassador would want to expand by taking over a French company. To me, it’s more of a ship buyout than a merger, but time will tell.

Yeah, I think so too... After that, it seems there’s still a lot of work to do on the *Renaissance*... Hopefully it won’t sink both companies.

I knew this ship when it was called the "Mistral" and operated by Festival Cruises, an excellent company that unfortunately went bankrupt! I have very fond memories of this ship and the services offered on board.

Hi, are you sure you’re not mixing things up? The Renaissance is from Holland America Line, hal.

Good evening,

No, I’m not mixing them up! I wasn’t talking about Renaissance, but about one of the two Ambassador Cruises ships, which is the former Mistral from Festival, later renamed Costa NeoRiviera (and in between, Grand Mistral with Pullmantur).

Actually, the topic was about the renaissance, so I didn’t understand your message...

Anyway, it’s about a very old ship too 😅

Good evening,

I’m replying again because I’m not sure my previous response went through. I’m not mixing things up! I wasn’t talking about the Renaissance, but about one of Ambassador’s ships—the former Mistral from Festival Cruises, which was first sold to Pullmantur (as the Grand Mistral), then to Costa (as the Costa Neo Riviera), and finally to Ambassador Cruises (as the Ambition).

It should also be noted that initially, CFC aimed to call at ports where Costa and MSC didn’t go. However, during the Christmas and New Year cruises, we found the usual stops: Genoa, Civitavecchia, Livorno, Valencia, Barcelona... apart from Olbia, which isn’t very interesting, and Elba Island, which was canceled. And the cruises that offer more exciting stops, like the "Odyssey Homeric," are expensive—starting at 2300 € per person, though that’s for two weeks. There were a few kids during Christmas and New Year, but they were better behaved than on Costa or MSC—no issues there. I came across some teens who didn’t really know what to do besides puzzles... We had discovered Renaissance outside of school holidays and enjoyed the fact that there were no children and that everyone spoke French. A single embarkation per cruise is comfortable (just one safety drill), as is the reduced number of passengers. I’m waiting to see the result of the merger with Ambassador and what Renaissance will be like after its maintenance. But if we go back, it’ll be outside of holiday periods and school breaks, hoping that the Christmas and New Year hiccups will be fixed and that we’ll get the previous quality back without the downsides: - The quality of desserts served has dropped, especially. Before, they were made on-site and varied, but by the end of the year, many pastries, cream puffs, éclairs... were thawed. - The disorganization of service when the ship is full. - The coffee from the machines wasn’t as good as before. I saw staff refilling them with a powder like Nescafé, but at least it’s available, along with water dispensers. - There’s no airlock between the exit gangway on Deck 3 and Deck 4, where the outside air rushes in. I came back with a nasty cold, like others... On the other hand, the cabin was at 26°C. Impossible to regulate the temperature. - Water leak under the bathtub. - During the loyalty cocktail for repeat customers, my wife and I were given two canapés placed on a napkin. When the server came back, we asked for more appetizers, and he replied, "You’ve already had some!" In over 40 cruises, I’d never heard that before. Not to mention servers who don’t speak French at all and get orders mixed up. I noticed that passengers coming from Costa or MSC on Renaissance for the first time were disappointed and didn’t think they’d return. So, we’ll see if CFC can fix all this or if, on the contrary, it’ll lose its original identity with the Ambassador merger...

Oh wow, your story doesn’t exactly make me want to book!

I sailed for 3 days on Renaissance, and I didn’t particularly enjoy it... overall, it wasn’t bad, but there were way too many hiccups of all kinds that made the experience less than excellent in the end! And after having done quite a few cruises and cruise lines, I thought: there’s better out there for the same price!

We’ll see what the merger brings—I really hope Ambassador can bring some order to all this and add their professionalism, but I’m obviously worried that the 100% French-speaking aspect might take a backseat, since Ambassador’s clientele is mostly English-speaking. I don’t see why they wouldn’t want to promote Renaissance to their English customers...

Wait and see, as they say!

Despite everything, we’re having a good time...

I had a great time, but the air conditioning in the room was honestly a problem, and when you don’t sleep well, you’re not always in the best mood! 😉

I’m far from writing off CFC, and I think they have huge room for improvement. The idea of a French-style cruise deserves support and backing 😉—which they have from me 😉

Hi there, The Renaissance-style cruises (Ambassador-style) to the Caribbean this winter are now live on the CFC website. Best regards

Hi Micax,

Thanks so much for the info. Interesting itineraries. Mum49

Hello, The Renaissance-style cruises (Ambassador style) to the Caribbean this winter are now online on the CFC website. Best regards

Apparently, they no longer offer solo cabins without a supplement.

Hi, I’ve looked at several cruises, and most of them didn’t have solo cabins—or when they did, it was with a hefty supplement. Another perk that’s disappearing! And I’m not even talking about the onboard service fees that are now charged extra. There’s nothing left of CFC’s original concept.

Totally agree with your comment

Nothing remains of CFC's original concept.

Hello, Just reread the first brochure—the "original concept" of CFC was first and foremost Francophonie on board and French gastronomy at Vatel. So far, Ambassador-CFC hasn’t said anything about this. Best regards

I’m quoting an article I found online: "The Renaissance will continue to primarily welcome French-speaking guests but will also open up to the British and Dutch markets with new itineraries."

Along the way, it’s losing its blue, white, and red colors, which are being replaced with purple...

Hello, After having taken several cruises with Renaissance, always to our great satisfaction, we’re a bit skeptical about this merger. Sure, growth is necessary, but not at the expense of the very founding principles of this company. On the other hand, the Caribbean itineraries might end up competing with Costa, MSC, or even Ponant... we’ll have to wait and see. If the market opens up to the British and Dutch, English will become the common language, and we won’t be able to say it’s "primarily French" anymore. Evolution is necessary, but not at any cost. We’ll also need to see the improvements made to the ship since it’s in dry dock and whether the prices are justified. In any case, even if we don’t sail with Renaissance again, we won’t regret our choice to have experienced it in its early days. Best regards