| |
History | |
---|---|
Name | La Superba |
Owner | Grandi Navi Veloci |
Operator | Grandi Navi Veloci |
Port of registry | Palermo, ![]() |
Builder | Nuovi Cantieri Apuania, Marina di Carrara, Italy |
Launched | June 2001 |
Completed | March 2002 |
In service | 2002–present |
Identification |
|
Status | In service |
General characteristics | |
Type | Cruiseferry |
Tonnage | 49,257 GT |
Length | 211.5 m (693 ft 11 in) |
Beam | 30.4 m (99 ft 9 in) |
Draught | 7.5 m (24 ft 7 in) |
Installed power |
|
Speed | 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph) |
Capacity |
|
MS La Superba is a cruiseferry owned and operated by the Italian ferry company Grandi Navi Veloci. It was built at Nuovi Cantieri Apuania in Marina di Carrara, Italy. [1] When it entered service, La Superba was the largest passenger ferry operating in the Mediterranean, and one of the largest in the world; joined in the following year by the sistership La Suprema, it was surpassed in 2008 by Cruise Roma of Grimaldi Ferries. Its building costed about 120 million dollars. [2]
The ship can carry 2,920 passengers accommodated in 567 cabins and 940 seats and 1,000 cars on four garages, with a total capacity of 2,800 linear meters of cargo. Services on board include one à la carte restaurant and a self-service restaurant with 404 and 402 seats, respectively, six bars, including a panoramic bar, swimming pools, gym, Jacuzzi, shops, boutiques, slot machines, card rooms, lounges for reading, theater, cinema, a disco with 176 places and a chapel. Of the 567 cabins, 31 are double suites, 6 are presidential suites with balconies and 4 are equipped for disabled passengers. [3]
The ship is equipped with four Wärtsilä 16V46C engines, that develop a total output of 67,200 kW. Propelled by two propellers with four blades, it can reach a top speed of about 30 knots. The ship is fitted with two bow thrusters for a total power of 1500 kW, while the electric current and on-board services are provided by four Wärtsilä generators which develop an aggregate 9,360 kW.
La Superba was launched at Nuovi Cantieri Apuania in June 2001. After sea trials in December of that year, in March 2002 the ship was delivered to Grandi Navi Veloci, entering service between Genoa and Olbia. In the following years, the ship and her sister ship La Suprema were employed on different lines served by GNV, including the Genoa-Palermo route. Occasionally La Superba was also used for mini-cruises in the Mediterranean, especially in the New Year period.
On 17 September 2004, around 20:00 hours, La Superba rammed Tirrenia's ferry Nuraghes while mooring in Olbia harbour. Nuraghes suffered damage to the bow, the bridge, and part of the stern; a lifeboat fell into the sea, while an inflatable raft remained hanging in midair. The accident was blamed on the command of La Superba, which did not require the support of a tug boat despite the bad weather. [4]
On 22 December 2009 La Superba, while moored in Genoa harbour, suffered a fire in the engine room. The fire was quickly put out by the crew, and the 1,570 passengers aboard were transferred to another ferry for the trip to Palermo. [5] [6]
In February 2008, the Vietnamese Vinashin shipping company contracted with GNV to purchase both ships at the end of the summer, but the high cost for the sale ended the negotiations. La Superba and La Suprema remain in service for GNV, sailing on the routes between Sicily and Tunisia; La Superba is currently operated on the Genoa-Tunis route.
The Port of Barcelona has a 2000-year history and great contemporary commercial importance as one of Europe's major ports in the Mediterranean, as well as being Catalonia's largest port, tying with Tarragona. It is also Spain's third and Europe's ninth largest container port, with a trade volume of 3.42 million TEUs in 2018. The port is managed by the Port Authority of Barcelona. Its 7.86 km2 (3 sq mi) are divided into three zones: Port Vell, the commercial/industrial port, and the logistics port.
MS GNV Allegra is a cruiseferry owned by MSC. The ship was built by Wärtsilä Marine's Perno shipyard in Turku, Finland for Jahre Line as MS Kronprins Harald. In 1991 she passed under ownership of Color Line, for whom she sailed until sold to Irish Ferries in 2007. She was sold by Irish Ferries to Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) in 2019 and renamed GNV Allegra for service in the fleet of MSC subsidiary Grandi Navi Veloci.
A cruiseferry is a ship that combines the features of a cruise ship and a Ro-Pax ferry. Many passengers travel with the ships for the cruise experience, staying only a few hours at the destination port or not leaving the ship at all, while others use the ships as means of transportation.
Minoan Lines is one of the largest passenger ferry companies in Europe, and one of the dominant passenger ferry companies in Greece, sailing between Piraeus and Crete and in the Adriatic Sea, between Patras and various Italian ports. The company was founded in May 1972. Since 2008 Grimaldi's Compagnia di Navigazione SpA owns and controls 95.9 of the stock of Minoan Lines.
Tirrenia is a privately owned Italian shipping company contracted by the Ministry of Transportation to ship items between Italy's mainland and its major islands. It operates a fleet of 23 vessels.
MS GNV Cristal is a cruiseferry owned by the Italy-based SNAV and operated by their Grandi Navi Veloci brand. She was built in 1989 by Schichau Seebeckwerft in Bremerhaven, West Germany as MS Olau Hollandia for Olau Line. From 1994 to 2005 she sailed as MS Pride of Le Havre for P&O ferries. From 2005 to 2017 she operated as the SNAV Sardegna between Civitavecchia, Palermo and Olbia.
MS GNV Antares, formerly MS Pride of Bruges, is a ship operated by Grandi Navi Veloci.
MS SNAV Adriatico operating under the Ferry Xpress Panama line is a roll-on/roll-off ferry currently operated by Grandi Navi Veloci. She used to be owned by Stena Line and operated on the Karlskrona - Gdynia service. She was built in 1986 by Van der Giessen de Noord as MS Koningin Beatrix for SMZ. In 1989 she passed under Stena Line's ownership and in 2002 was renamed Stena Baltica. In 2013 she was sold to SNAV. On October 23, 2014, Snav leased the ship to Panamanian company Ferry Xpress Panama to start operations on the Colon - Cartagena - Colon and Colon - Bocas del Toro - Colon routes. Since 2015 is operated by Trasmediterránea, and is currently rent by Grandi Navi Veloci to serve on the Naples-Palermo route.
Stena Nordica is a ro-pax ferry owned and operated by Stena Line.
Rigel II is a cruiseferry owned and operated by Greek shipping company Ventouris Ferries. The vessel operates between Bari and Durres.
MS GNV Aries was built as MS Norsea for North Sea Ferries as part of their response to the need for larger vessels in the mid to late 1980s. The 1974 ships MV Norland and MV Norstar were proving to be very popular, and were running at capacity. Therefore, North Sea Ferries designed their "3rd Generation" overnight ferry. The two parent companies within North Sea Ferries placed their orders in two separate locations. P&O placed its at Govan Shipbuilders on the River Clyde, and Nedlloyd placed their order with NKK in Yokohama, Japan.
Sorrento was a ro-pax ferry which was built in 2003 as Eurostar Valencia. She was renamed in 2006. On 28 April 2015, she caught fire off Mallorca, Spain.
MS La Suprema is a cruiseferry owned and operated by the Italian ferry company Grandi Navi Veloci. It was built at Nuovi Cantieri Apuania in Marina di Carrara, Italy. The second of a two-ship class, La Suprema and her sistership La Superba were the largest passenger ferries of the Mediterranean at the time of their completion; they were surpassed in 2008 by Cruise Roma of Grimaldi Ferries. Its construction cost about 120 million dollars.
Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV) is an Italian shipping company, based in Genoa, that operates ferries between mainland Italy, Sicily, Sardinia, France, Albania, Morocco and Tunisia. It was established by Aldo Grimaldi in 1992.
MS Sharden is a cruiseferry owned and operated by Tirrenia di Navigazione. It was built in Fincantieri in Castellammare di Stabia, Italy.
MS Nuraghes is a cruiseferry owned and operated by Tirrenia di Navigazione. It was built at Fincantieri in Castellammare di Stabia, Italy.
In connection with the COVID-19 pandemic, navy from several countries have deployed hospital ships to combat the disease. Aside from providing health services, hospital ships would allow civilian hospitals to offload some of the patients, relieving the pressure on facilities ashore. However, this also means that each ship should battle the onboard outbreaks of their own
MS Zeus Palace is an Italian ferry, which is operated by Grimaldi Lines. The ship built in 2001 at Samsung Heavy Industries South Korea for Minoan Lines and her first name was Prometheus. When the ship was operated for Minoan Lines Prometheus with her sisters ship Oceanus and Ariadne Palace did the route Patras, Igoumenitsa, Corfu, Venice route at list 22 hours trip. After the ship in Summer 2002 transferred to Patras, Igoumenitsa, Corfu, Bari route but it was unsuccessful. The ship then chartered for Caronte and Tourist and then sold. Caronte and Tourist after sold the ship to Grimaldi Lines with the name Eurostar Parcelona. The ship made many charteres in her life for Minoan Lines, Grandi Navi Veloci etc. Then the ship named Zeus Palace for Grimaldi Lines and every day does the Livorno, Olbia route.
MS Kriti I is a RO/PAX ship owned and operated by ANEK Lines. Along with El.Venizelos and her sister ship Kriti II she is the oldest ship in the fleet of ANEK Lines. The ship was built in 1979 at Koyo Dockyard, Japan and her original name was New Suzuran.
MS Rhapsody, is an Italian cruiseferry operated by Grandi Navi Veloci. She was built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, France for the French ferry operator SNCM as Napoleon Bonaparte. She was put in 1996 on the Marseille–Corsica route, replacing the old ferry Napoleon which was put to the Marseille–Algeria–Tunisia. On October 27, 2012, the ship broke its moorings in the port of Marseille due to strong winds, violently struck the dock and sinks in the harbour. Due to its financial difficulties, the SNCM isn't able to repair the ferry and sell it to the Italian shipowner MSC in 2014. Refloated, the ship is renamed Rhapsody and transferred to Grandi Navi Veloci to sail first between Italy and Albania then from 2017 on the Genoa-Porto Torres route.