ON BOARD FIESTA IN THE MID-1990s
& AS SEAFRANCE CÉZANNE
2: MAIN LOBBY, LE RELAIS GOURMET & LA BRASSERIE

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e-mail: matt@hhvferry.com
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Above & below: Two views of the vast seating area for the self-service restaurant on board the Seafrance Cézanne, amidships on Deck 3. This has retained its original layout as well as its name ('Le Relais Gourmet', although latterly it has been referred to simply as 'Le Relais'; indeed this has been assumed as a fleet-wide brand name). The pictures show (above) the starboard side looking aft and (below) the central section looking forward. The light fittings and the individual chairs are original.
Link: Click here for a Seafrance Cézanne deckplan
Above: A picture of the aft area of seating for 'Le Relais' showing how the central section was on a slightly raised level in a (not entirely succesful) bid to ensure that even those sitting there could have a good view of the passing seascape, over the heads of their fellow diners.
Above: Forward of the associated seating section is the walk-around 'free flow' servery area. Although new floor tiling has been added and the space has been generally spruced up, the structure is as it was when the ship entered service as Fiesta in 1990. The French never installed the McDonalds franchise which swept away the equivalent space on board the Stena Fantasia in her 1993/94 refit.
Above & below: Significant further expenditure on the forward lounge was not considered required when Stena and SNAT split at the end of 1995. It was however felt important to swiftly remove the 'Globetrotter' name and this was done in January 1996 when the area became 'La Brasserie', with a new waiter-service restaurant added on the lower level's starboard side. These pictures were taken just after the initial Seafrance rebranding with the new name in place but with the lounge otherwise still complete with full Globetrotter fittings, including the new mural above the bar counter. The typical Globetrotter diamond panelling is visible, whilst the original seating bears a matching diamond pattern.
Above & below: Seafrance saved on having to obtain an entirely new sign for the lounge: The 'La Brasserie' logo above the bar servery makes simple use of the globe element of the old Stena Globetrotter sign which it superseded.
"Why not visit La Brasserie, our waiter service restaurant? You can indulge yourself with a traditional French meal, from a one course meal to a three course feast. La Brasserie also offers patisseries, sandwiches, snacks and a fully stocked bar." (Seafrance Horizons Magazine 2000)
Above: An early Seafrance shot of La Brasserie's restaurant showing some of the original Fiesta seating covered with the Globetrotter diamond pattern. In the early days of the Seafrance Cézanne, the restaurant remained open-plan to the rest of the lounge. Later refits would see the area more clearly divided.
Above & below: After more thorough refurbishment, the restaurant became a partly enclosed space with new seating. Cézanne prints are displayed throughout both lounge and restaurant. These views are from 2004.
Above: Another indication of the large elements of 'Globetrotter' which remain in 'La Brasserie':
Left A shot of the Stena Fantasia's Globetrotter bar servery.
Right The same area on Seafrance Cézanne in 2003, with the diamonds in place as well as the sign (as noted above). The Normandie looks down from above as the centrepoint of the new mural installed in 1994.
Above: Normandie close-up.
Above: A view looking astern on the port side of the lower level in 2003 showing how, in further refits, the chairs have again been reupholstered, this time in red. Seafrance occasionally rearrange the room with long tables for functions and the lounge is seen in this state in the picture.
Above: From the full height picture windows forward on the lower level of 'La Brasserie', the ship's bell can be seen on the forecastle, still bearing the name Fiesta.
Above: An overall view, looking across to port in early 2001. At some stage, Seafrance have removed the original saucer-shaped light fixtures, although they remain in other areas of the ship.
Above & below: Two views in the lobby on Seafrance Cézanne in 2004. The Bureau de Change (left) and Information desks (right in the above picture, and below) look aft onto the lobby and are entirely unchanged from their original guises. The profile deckplans on either side of this space (see above) were removed in 1996 when the ship received her Seafrance refit. The large oval window on the far side (above) is the original foot passenger entry door which matched the location of the gangway at Calais Berth 5 before the latter was rebuilt and a new entry near the cafeteria established.
Above: The main staircase on Seafrance Cézanne in 2001. The overall effect is somewhat compromised by the clutter of on-board signage, including a large advert for the Parisien Café which, due to its out-of-the-way location two decks above the main passenger areas, requires help in encouraging passengers to give up their 'sit down in the first bar' routine. This view was taken before the space was recarpeted in 2002/03.
Above: Original 'purple blob' Bureau de Change sign and curving wall feature, still in place aboard Seafrance Cézanne. The equivalent on Fantasia was covered over in the 1990s, when Stena installed a false ceiling at standard deck height within the two lobby offices.
Below: Looking across to port on the main staircase showing the sweeping forms of Warren Platner's ocean liner-inspired masterpiece.
Above: The port-side deckplan in the Fiesta's main lobby, amidships on the lower passenger deck, as it appeared after the 1994 refit. At this stage the forward Motorists' Haven became the Globetrotter Café, Business Class replaced the Lay By Lounge and the Video Arcade and Galaxy Bar appeared in place of the Rock Box. (Picture courtesy Richard Seville)
"Le Relais Gourmet - Supreme Cuisine. This well designed, attractive self-service restaurant offers flavours from around the world, with traditional or unusual dishes, grills and vegetarian meals to please every palate" (Seafrance Horizons Magazine No 4)
Above: In early 1994, the forward 'Motorists' Haven' lounge was comprehensively refitted, being rebranded as Globetrotter cafe, in line with her sister. Although this would later become a widely-used Stena brand, in 1994, the association was less obvious, and the French ship received the complete 'Globetrotter look', complete with brown and cream diamond panels, the Globetrotter Cafe sign, and, most eye-catching of all, a brand new mural to replace the previous Platner rainbow.

The new Globetrotter mural featured in the background a series of famous landmarks from (appropriately enough) around the globe, including the Pyramids of Egypt, Big Ben, the Kremlin and the Eiffel Tower. Complementing these were images of transportation - a London double decker bus, steam train, sailing boats, propellor aeroplanes. Dominating it all, and giving a truly patriotic French theme, was the epic, tragic French liner Normandie of 1935 sailing away from the New York skyline.

This view shows the Globetrotter Cafe just after it had been refitted. (Picture courtesy Guy Blanchout)
Above: Looking across to the port side in the lower level of the Globetrotter Cafe.
Above: Looking across to starboard on the upper level of La Brasserie in September 2006.