Royal Caribbean Cruises announced on Sept. 13th it was launching a new French cruise line that will initially operate with a single cruise ship where everything will be French from language to cuisine to entertainment to decor.

The 376-cabin cruise ship Holiday Dream will be transferred to the new line, CDF Croisieres de France, from Royal Caribbean's Spanish cruise line, Pullmantur. After a $60 million renovation and "cultural transformation," the ship will become the Bleu de France.

"We are very excited about bringing French cruising to the French market," said Royal Caribbean CEO Richard Fain. "We have a high demand for the product, a ship tailor-made for the market, and a highly talented team to lead the effort."

"We are thrilled with this opportunity to enter the French cruise market with a custom-tailored brand for French cruisers," said CDF Croisieres de France Managing Director Brigitte Tissier.

Starting in the spring of 2008, the Bleu de France will sail a Mediterranean itinerary, departing from Marseille, and shift to a Caribbean itinerary for winter 2008-2009 sailing out of La Romana, Dominican Republic.