At Sea with Doug Newman

Compagnie des Iles du Ponant, the cruise subsidiary of CMA CGM, has ordered two new ships from Fincantieri’s Ancona shipyard. The new ships are both slated to enter service in 2010. One will sail to Asia, Alaska and Oceania while the other will visit South America and the Mediterranean.

Each new ship will be 140 m (460 ft) long and will have 130 all-outside cabins and suites, 75% with private balconies. Both ships, like all the company’s existing vessels, will fly the French flag, but will be the first CIP newbuilds to be built outside of France.

CIP is the largest French cruise line. It operates three ships: the 64-berth, 1,189 GT sail cruise ship Le Ponant, the 90-berth, 3,504 GT Le Levant and the 226-berth, 8,282 GT Le Diamant. The first two ships were purpose-built for CIP in 1991 and 1998 respectively, while Le Levant was built in 1974 as a ro-ro ferry and rebuilt in 1986 into the cruise ship Explorer Starship for the now-defunct Exploration Cruise Lines. From 1989 to 2003 she was the much-loved Song of Flower with Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ predecessors Seven Seas Cruises and Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, before joining the CIP fleet.

Click here for a press release from CMA CGM.