She was ordered by the Belgian state-owned Regie voor Maritiem Transport in response to the anticipated opening of the Channel Tunnel.

Uniquely, the ship had a bow door on the starboard (right) for the upper vehicle deck for side loading and unloading in Ostend.

The Prins Filip was built for Belgian operator Regie voor Maritiem Transport (RMT) in 1991, entering service in 1992 on its route between Ostend and Dover.

All publicity at the time was focused on Sally Line and Thanet District Council, the port owners, and not RMT or the Prins Filip.

LD Lines, a French-owned company with existing ferry operations on the Mediterranean Sea, began this service following P&O's withdrawal from it the previous month.

At 13:00 on 17 February 2012, the Norman Spirit was 'relaunched' by model and actress Kelly Brook to start a new service for DFDS Seaways and LD Lines, with up to five return crossings per day on the Dover-Calais route.

The vessel was delivered in May 2021, entering service on 4 August 2021 after sea trials in April, and a lengthy delivery voyage from Weihai, China, where she was built.

[6] Shortly after the Calais Seaways was laid up, speculation and rumours started circulating that the ship was sold to Irish Ferries and was to be renamed Isle of Innisfree.

[7][8] Shortly after the purchase, the ship was reflagged from Le Havre in France to Limassol, Cyprus, in line with the Irish Ferries fleet.

On 17 November she was moved into a floating dry dock at Damen Shiprepair Dunkerque for works before entry into service in December 2021, complementing the Isle of Inishmore.