Cruise Ferry "CRUISE EUROPA" of MINOAN LINES

Cruise Ferry "CRUISE EUROPA" arriving Ancona 14.11.2015. The ship together with her sister "CRUISE OLYMPIA" are operated by the 1972 founded Greek Ferry company "MINOAN LINES", one of the leading Ferry companies in Greece. These mega cruise ferries are on charter from GRIMALDI, parent company since 2008. CRUISE EUROPA was built in 2009 and OLYMPIA in 2010, at 54.000 GT they are the largest cruise ferries operating in the Adriatic Sea, they have two more sister ships the CRUISE ROMA and CRUISE BARCELONA, both operated by GRIMALDI on the Civitavecchia to Barcelona route. These quartet of ships can carry 2850 passengers and get to speeds of up to 28.5 knots. Photos 14.11.2015

Cruising the MED on board GRIMALDI's cruise ferry "CRUISE BARCELONA"

Cruising the MED could be just spectacular, most of the times, the sea is calm and the temperature is warm throughout the year, last Saturday I have sailed once again from Barcelona to Civitavecchia on board GRIMALDI's mega cruise ferry "CRUISE BARCELONA", one of the two luxury sisters, the other being the "CRUISE ROMA", employed on this route with daily departures from each port, apart from Sunday, photos taken nearing the end of the voyage, our almost final approach to Civitavecchia, the Port of Rome. Photos 25.10.2015

GRIMALDI GROUP opens a new Terminal at the Port of Barcelona

GRIMALDI GROUP has been offering regular Cruise Ferries and Fast Ro/Pax ferries on weekly basis from the Port of Barcelona for some years. GRIMALDI sails from the Catalan Capital daily, during the spring/summer months to Civitavecchia, (the Port of Rome) via Ponte Torres in Sardinia, this Historic Italian operator also sails four times a week to Livorno and Tangier once a week. Until the end of June GRIMALDI was using the ACCIONA Terminal, last September I have sailed from there on IKARUS PALACE to Livorno. After an investment of around 20 million euros GRIMALDI has inaugurated their brand new terminal, the 1st of July saw the opening of this brand new facility, a building dedicated to offices, a restaurant, a shopping area and conference room, the new terminal can embark 1800 passengers and disembark the same number of passengers at the same time, it has a total surface of 63.000 square metres, it is a very fine facility indeed, I was there last Saturday to take the CRUISE ROMA, one of GRIMALDI's new Cruise Ferries to Civitavecchia, there will be new updates of that fantastic experience coming here soon. Photos 13.7.2013

M.V. "EXCELLENT" at Barcelona

M.V. "EXCELLENT" was built in Italy by NUOVI CANTIERI APUANIA in 1998 and was the fourth vessel to be delivered to GRANDI NAVI VELOCI, part of the GRIMALDI GROUP, the former three were "MAJESTIC", "SPLENDID" and "FANTASTIC". The ship is 203 metres long, has 39.777 GRT, capacity for 2200 passengers, she is operated on the Sete-Tangier-Barcelona route travelling at an average speed of 22 knots, she has a maximum speed of 26.6. Photos Barcelona 6.7.2012