She was built as the Prince of Fundy in 1970 by Schiffbau Gesellschaft Unterweser, AG, in Bremerhaven, Germany, for the Lion Ferry service between Portland, Maine, and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.

The ship was chartered by Brittany Ferries from 17 April 1978 initially to sail on the Portsmouth-Santander route.

On 30 December 1988, she was renamed Reine Mathilde in preparation for her transfer to the Portsmouth-Caen (Ouistreham) route alongside the Duc de Normandie.

In 1991, prior to the arrival of the Normandie, the Reine Mathilde was retired from service with Brittany Ferries and sold.

Beauport was laid up in Southampton until mid-1994 when she was chartered to the Stern Maritime Line for its Bari - Çeşme route.