CMA CGM acquires stake in French cruise company

CMA CGM acquires stake in French cruise company    CMA CGM, France’s largest container shipping company, said it has agreed to acquire a 70-percent stake in Compagnie des Iles du Ponant, a cruise ship operator based in Nantes, France.
   Founded in 1988, Compagnie des Iles du Ponant owns three small luxury cruise vessels, the Ponant (64 passengers), the Levant (90 passengers) and the recently acquired Diamant (226 passengers).
   CMA CGM said the acquisition is part of its policy of diversification.
   Other container shipping companies active in the cruise shipping market either directly or through affiliates include Mediterranean Shipping Co., NYK, Hapag-Lloyd and the Tung group, which controls OOCL.