How fortunate are we, as English speakers, to have such a huge choice of vessels at our fingertips, with not only the ‘British’ fleet (the vessels of P&O, Fred. Olsen, Hebridean International Cruises and Voyages of Discovery), but also the prolific ‘American’ vessels, registered throughout the world but with a primarily American clientele.

Not surprising then, that those vessels on which the first language is not English tend to be overlooked. As cruising is by and large a social event, it is understandable that English speakers should be reluctant to forego the pleasures of conversation with their fellow guests, and the possibility of meeting kindred spirits and building up new friendships. But in fact potentially we British sometimes have more in common with our European neighbours than with our American cousins across the pond, and we do not hesitate to travel on the European mainland. Are we missing out on a treat by dismissing these ships? Let’s have a look at what’s on offer:

France
Over the years, French speaking ships have come and gone. Many will be able to cast their minds back to the beautiful liner The France, which subsequently became NCL’s Norway, and those who travelled on her speak of her with a nostalgic glow – she was probably one of the best-loved liners of her day. Later, Mermoz was the French cruise ship, remembered particularly for her outstanding music cruises. In recent years, various companies have tried to target the French market, but one has established itself as a long-time player, that is the Compagnie des Iles du Ponant. The isles of the setting sun. From the original Ponant, an intimate 64 passenger yacht with sails, to the sleek elegance of the Levant (the rising sun), to the traditional small ship style of the Diamant, CIP offers a style best described as ‘relaxed chic’ across its fleet, and a selection of attractive port-intensive itineraries in Europe, the Indian Ocean, South America and Antarctica. As we are a nation of Francophiles, these are certainly ships which should please and delight us. Under its new management, CIP has significant expansion plans for the future, and is certainly one to watch

Germany
One of the oldest and biggest names in shipping (a merger between two 19th century companies, Hapag and Norddeutscher Lloyd), Hapag Lloyd, is familiar to us all. With a vast container fleet, an airline, a chain of travel agencies and a cruise line, and ultimately owned by holiday giant TUI, we can all recognise its rather garish colours (orange and blue). As a proportion of the whole, its cruise business is relatively insignificant, but the fleet features some vessels we should definitely consider. Its luxury vessel, the 420 passenger Europa, consistently rated by Douglas Ward in the Berlitz Guide to cruises as the best in the world, is a very beautiful and well-run ship with some fascinating itineraries, whilst its two soft adventure ships the Bremen and the Hanseatic (arguably the very best expedition ship in the world) have much to offer in terms of itinerary. Recent commitment by Hapag Lloyd to a number of bilingual sailings throughout the year, to include menus, daily programmes, excursions and lectures in English as well as German, has made this a very interesting option for the experienced traveller.

The other German line is the privately owned Peter Deilmann cruises, now run by the late eponymous owners two daughters. The river fleet is quite well known here as the finest guarantor of standards on the European river network. Less familiar is the deep sea vessel Deutschland, one of the prettiest ships afloat, with its art deco style and huge collection of original art works. English speakers who take the plunge and commit to this thoroughly German vessel come back brimming with positive tales of great food, a wonderful atmosphere, delightfully friendly fellow passengers all ready and willing to speak in English, and an outstanding spa.

And what about the other ‘foreign’ lines? Royal Caribbean’s recent purchase of Pullmantour, Spain’s largest cruise operator, will probably not lead to a flooding of the UK market with Spanish-speaking cruises, whilst Carnival-owned Costa stays loyal to its Italian roots and management whilst operating as a multi-lingual ship with frequent announcements in four or five languages. MSC likewise features a range of languages on board, and English speakers are perfectly well catered for. Not so NYK’s Asuka II, formerly Crystal Harmony, which is Japanese through and through.