Mason’s Travel introduces Le Cerf to Seychelles tourism community
The 33.5-metre vessel hosted more than 100
guests onboard comprising hoteliers, suppliers, associates and other partners
of Mason’s Travel, for a cruise out to the Ste Anne Marine Park.
The evening offered Le Cerf an
opportunity to display its comfort, space and versatility, hosting a casual
evening celebration with gourmet food and wine selections catered by ISPC,
followed by music and dancing – complete with an onboard DJ – late into the
night.
Addressing the guests onboard, Mason’s
Travel Managing Director Alan Mason explained the significance of the vessel’s
name, noting that Le Cerf is a new and larger iteration of a
40-passenger vessel that began operating excursions from Mahé to Praslin and La
Digue in 1979.
“From the day she arrived, our day
excursions to Praslin and La Digue became an instant hit and the original
concept is still the basis of the experience we offer our guests today,” Mason
said. “This year marks exactly 40 years since our original Le Cerf
arrived in Seychelles and whilst this new version is much larger and different
in design, I am confident that she will be as ground breaking as her
predecessor and befitting of the same name.”
The new vessel, constructed by Two Oceans Manufacturing in Cape Town, South Africa, is the largest of its kind to be built in southern Africa. Its
capacity of 160 seated passengers or 240 standing will provide much greater
flexibility to accommodate not only passengers of the company’s Praslin/La
Digue excursion, but a wide range of special events and custom excursions for
groups and incentive trips as well as cruise ship clients.
Le Cerf’s 3,000
nautical mile voyage from Cape Town took nearly three weeks and about 380 hours
at sea. Two Seychellois were onboard for the delivery of the vessel: Stephane
Monthy and Harold Maillet.
During his remarks, Mason noted that
Maillet had developed his skills and reputation on the original Le Cerf
and was its primary skipper for many of those years: “I am extremely proud that
(Maillet) was instrumental in delivering her replacement and namesake.”
