Virtu Ferries

Last updated

Virtu Ferries
Founded1988
Headquarters Marsa, Malta
Area served
Malta Channel
Adriatic Sea
ServicesPassenger and vehicle transportation
OwnerVirtu Holdings
Subsidiaries Venezia Lines
Website www.virtuferries.com/

Virtu Ferries is a Maltese company founded in 1988 that operates ferry services from Malta to Sicily by catamaran. The company is part of the Virtu Holdings. [1] It has a subsidiary Venezia Lines which runs seasonal services from Venice. It carries over 250,000 passengers and 25,000 vehicles annually. In 2010 the MV Jean de La Valette replaced the Maria Dolores as the flagship, and it carries about 800 passengers and 200 vehicles. It operates the Valletta - Pozzallo route across the Malta Channel, almost daily all-year round. Virtu Ferries currently operates exclusively catamarans. All vessels fly the Maltese flag.

Contents

List of catamarans

ImageShipLengthPassengersRouteNotes
Saint John Paul II, Fremantle, 2019 (04).jpg Saint John Paul II 110m900 Valletta - Pozzallo (Incat Hull 089) Flagship entered into service in March 2019 on the Valletta - Pozzallo route
JEAN DE LA VALETTE at Valetta 2012 P1000511.JPG Jean de La Valette 106.5m800 Valletta - Pozzallo Malta - Sicily route
Malta 299.jpg Maria Dolores 68.4m600 Tarifa - Tangiers On charter to Inter Shipping
San Frangisk.JPG San Frangisk35.25m317 Valletta - Mġarr, Gozo Operated for Virtu Ferries Gozo
San Pawl in Venice.JPG San Pawl35.25m317 Venice - Rovinj Operated for Venezia Lines
HSC GOZO EXPRESS.jpg HSC Gozo Express42.2m322 Valletta - Mġarr, Gozo Operated for Virtu Ferries Gozo
Newly built catamaran for virtu ferries[ citation needed ]

Venezia Lines

Venezia Lines is a subsidiary which operates various services in the Adriatic Sea. It was founded in 2001 and ran its first service in May 2003. It runs a six-month seasonal service between April and October on the following routes in the North Adriatic:

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MV <i>Jean de La Valette</i>

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MV <i>Saint John Paul II</i> Ferry built in 2018

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MV <i>Maria Dolores</i>

MV or HSCMaria Dolores is a high-speed catamaran ferry owned by Virtu Ferries. It was built by Austal in 2005–06, entering service as a ferry between Malta and Sicily in March 2006. The vessel soon became too small to allow for the increasing passenger and cargo traffic on this route, and in October 2010 it was replaced by the larger catamaran MV Jean de La Valette.

References

  1. "Virtu Ferries Limited – Virtu Holdings". Virtu Holdings. 7 October 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2024.