VESSEL REVIEW | Moby Fantasy – Large ferry for Moby’s Livorno-Sardinia sailings

Chinese shipbuilder CSSC Offshore and Marine Engineering Company (COMEC) (formerly Guangzhou Shipyard International) has completed construction of a new luxury Ro-Pax ferry to be operated by Italian shipping company Moby Lines.

Jointly owned by Moby’s parent company Onorato Armatori and China’s ICBC Leasing, the 69,500GT, 237- by 33-metre Moby Fantasy was designed by Danish naval architecture firm OSK-ShipTech. The ferry will be able to transport up to 3,800 lane metres of vehicles and other freight and 2,500 passengers across 13 decks. The vessel’s size and capacity make it one of the largest ferries currently operating in the Mediterranean.

The passengers will be housed in an armchair seating area with space for 403 as well as 441 cabins in various classes. Among the cabin selections are those for passengers with limited mobility and for passengers travelling with pets. Other facilities include two bars, two restaurants, a promenade, and a children’s play area.

The vehicle cargo is loaded and unloaded via three ramps placed side by side at the stern. The central ramp provides access to the main garage deck whereas the port and starboard side ramps lead directly to the three upper garage decks. This configuration ensures faster and more streamlined loading and unloading compared to Ro-Ro vessels with multiple vehicle decks but with ramps leading only to the lower deck.

The ferry is powered by two 5.4MW diesel engines that can deliver a maximum speed of just over 25 knots and a cruising speed of 23.5 knots. The propulsion system can be modified to allow operation on LNG in the future if needed. Hybrid exhaust gas scrubbers are also fitted.

Moby Fantasy and yet-incomplete sister ship Moby Legacy will replace four older ferries in the Moby Lines fleet for operation between the city of Livorno on the Italian mainland and the island of Sardinia beginning in May of this year. Design work on the new vessels was done in compliance to RINA class rules.

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