GNV Polaris
GNV Polaris is a 218.00-metre high-capacity Ro-Pax cruise ferry owned and operated by Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV). Built in 2024 by Guangzhou Shipyard International in China, she is the lead ship in a four-vessel series of new-generation ferries designed for GNV's fleet modernization. Equipped with cold-ironing shore power capabilities and four MAN main engines producing 41,400 kW, she operates on Mediterranean routes connecting mainland Italy with Sicily and Sardinia.
Service
Leading ship of the Polaris class, it was launched on 25 December 2023 at the Guangzhou Shipyard International shipyards in Canton with the name of GNV Polaris and delivered on 14 October 2024 to the Italian Grandi Navi Veloci, sailing from Guangzhou to Naples on 30 October and calling at Hong Kong on 31 October, Singapore on 3 and 4 November, Colombo from 8 to 10 November, Durban on 18 November and finally Las Palmas on 1 December, arriving in Naples on 5 December.[1] On 21 December it was transferred to Palermo and presented to the public. The following morning it was transferred to Genoa and put into the shipyard to complete the adaptation to the line.[2] On the evening of 7 January 2025 it officially begins service on the Genoa - Palermo line .[3][4]
On 28 November 2025, following the arrival of the third sister ship GNV Virgo from China, the ferry sailed from Genoa to the COMEC shipyards in Canton where she was built, to undergo major extension works, during which an aft superstructure was added, similar to that already present on the other two sister ships, which allowed for the creation of an additional 132 cabins.[5] On 24 December, after approximately a month of navigation, which saw her cross the Suez Canal, the ferry finally arrived at the Canton shipyards to undergo the works. On 20 April 2026, upon completion of the extension, the GNV Polaris again left China for Genoa, where she arrived on 14 May, after having made a stopover in Sète the previous day, during which she carried out cold ironing trials.[6][7][8][9][10]
A few days later it returned to service on the connections between the Ligurian port and Olbia, replacing the Splendid. In mid-June it was finally moved again to the connections between Genoa, Palermo and Naples, exchanging routes with the GNV Sirio.[11]
Sister ships
References
- ↑ "https://www.gnv.it/it/gnv/la-compagnia/comunicati-stampa/2024/09-dicembre/09/16/13/gnv-polaris-a-napoli". www.gnv.it (in italiano). Retrieved 2026-08-05. External link in
|title=(help) - ↑ ITALY, REDAZIONE SHIPPING (2022-11-26). "Avviata in Cina la costruzione del primo traghetto di Msc per Grandi Navi Veloci". Shipping Italy (in italiano). Retrieved 2026-08-05.
- ↑ "Offerte Traghetti Italia 2025: promozioni biglietti navi Mediterraneo | GNV". www.gnv.it (in italiano). Retrieved 2026-08-05.
- ↑ Zunino, Monica (2025-01-15). "Gnv nel 2025 riparte da Polaris, in attesa di Orion e, nel 2026 di Virgo e Aurora". Shipmag (in italiano). Retrieved 2026-08-05.
- ↑ ITALY, REDAZIONE SHIPPING (2025-10-08). "Il traghetto Gnv Polaris torna in Cina per aggiungere 132 cabine". Shipping Italy (in italiano). Retrieved 2026-08-05.
- ↑ "Gnv Polaris: completato il refitting la nave è operativa sulla Genova-Palermo". TravelQuotidiano. 2026-05-15. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
- ↑ ITALY, REDAZIONE SHIPPING (2026-05-14). "Rientrato in Italia torna in servizio il traghetto Gnv Polaris 'aumentato'". Shipping Italy (in italiano). Retrieved 2026-08-05.
- ↑ "Ferrovie.it - GNV Polaris rientra a Genova dopo il refitting con più cabine". Ferrovie.it (in italiano). Retrieved 2026-08-05.
- ↑ TELENORD (2026-05-14). "GNV Polaris rientra in Italia dopo il refitting: aumentano cabine e capacità passeggeri". Telenord (in italiano). Retrieved 2026-08-05.
- ↑ Redazione (2026-05-14). "Gnv Polaris completa il refitting e rientra in Italia con una maggiore capacità di passeggeri". Shipmag (in italiano). Retrieved 2026-08-05.
- ↑ "GNV POLARIS returns to the Mediterranean after cabin upgrade refit". Shippax. Retrieved 2026-08-05.
Category:Ferries of Italy Category:Ships built in China Category:2024 ships
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