A Ro-Pax ferry owned by Italian transport company Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV) has completed undergoing upgrades in China.
The work on the 2024-built GNV Polaris was undertaken by China State Shipbuilding Corporation subsidiary Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI). According to Chinese media, the project was successfully completed one month ahead of the end of the contract period.
The work mainly entailed the incorporation of an additional 141 passenger cabins. The ferry has since departed China and is en route to Italy, where she will resume operational sailings upon arrival.
GNV Polaris operates primarily on GNV's eastern Mediterranean routes. The ferry has an LOA of 218 metres, a beam of 29.6 metres, a depth of 10 metres, a design draft of 6.45 metres, a gross tonnage of about 46,000, and a design speed of 25 knots.
The ferry's design also ensures low noise levels. Even when underway, the outside noise heard from within the passenger cabins is limited to 55 dB while the noise level in the other public areas does not exceed 60 dB.
GNV Polaris is the first in a series of four ferries built by GSI for the same customer.
