Compagnie Francaise des Crocieres (CFC) the new French cruise line, will name its first vessel Renaissance before introducing it on the French market in February next year, company officials said in a webinar shown on Facebook.

The former Maasdam of Holland America Line would be placed under the French flag with Marseille as the port of registry, they said. The 55,575 gross ton ship was built in 1993.

The French company bought the ship last month from SeaJet, a Greek owner, which had bought it after it had been made redundant by the Carnival group member.

SeaJet had named the ship Aegean Myth and laid it up in Greek waters together with three the vessels it had acquired from the world’s largest cruise shipping group. None of these has re-entered service or found a buyer yet.

Renaissance will operate cruises from Marseille and Le Havre, the officials said. Renaissance was also the name of a 12,000 gross ton cruise ship built in 1966 for the now defunct Paquet company.