When eventuality of war in Europe became fact, the Ile de France was laid up in September of 1939 at Pier 88 in New York, just opposite the Normandie. The ship would undergo conversion to troopship in 1941, after making several supply runs for the British Admiralty. The Ile would serve the British and American interests until September 1945, when she was decommissioned by the British.
In 1947, the Ile was returned to French possession and immediately went to the Penho�t shipyards for rebuilding. Spanning a period of two years, the refit would change many aspects of the ship both inside and out. The Ile's profile would be forever altered as new streamlined funnels replaced the old. The aft dummy funnel was forever and the Ile de France was evermore a two funneled liner. The ships accommodations were also altered to 541 First, 577 Cabin, and 227 Tourist class passengers.
From the start of her first post-war maiden passenger voyage in 1949, the Ile de France enjoyed a prosperous decade of service. Her offering of First Class service and accommodation continued to attract passengers who enjoyed the renown hospitality of the French Line. The Ile de France brushed with notoriety on several occasions during her post-war career. In July 1956, she would aid in the rescue of survivors from the Andrea Doria-Stockholm collision.
By 1959, the jet age was inaugurated and ocean travel was on a rapid decline. Yet another liner to fall victim to this trend, the French Line wished to quietly dispose of the ship and spare the ship any sort of undignified fate. The ship was sold to a Japanese scrapping company and departed Le Havre waters on February 16, 1959. Unceremoniously renamed Furansu Maru for the voyage, the send-off she received was one long remembered in the hearts of those who had occasion to sail aboard the French Line's most popular post-war liner.
Her last public appearance would be as a floating prop for a Hollywood film entitled "The Last Voyage". Partially sunk, and victimized by Hollywood special effects and movie crews, the Ile de France fetched a $4,000/day lease rate from the Japanese scrapper. After filming was concluded, the ship was refloated and towed to the scrapyard for her final indignity as she was reduced to rubble, her grand interiors to be remembered only as the set of a Hollywood disaster film.