Fincantieri and the Grimaldi Group have signed a letter of intent for the lengthening and refurbishment of the cruise ferries Cruise Roma and Cruise Barcelona. The construction of the two mid-body sections will begin in 2018, while the completion of the works at Palermo shipyard is foreseen within summer 2019.

The two vessels, currently in service on the daily route between Civitavecchia- Porto Torres-Barcelona with the Grimaldi Lines livery, have been built by Fincantieri’s Castellammare di Stabia shipyard and delivered to the Neapolitan group in 2007 and 2008 respectively. They are 225 meters long, with a gross tonnage of 54,000 tons and capacity to transport about 3,000 passengers, with a 2,400 square meters car deck and approximately 3,000 linear meters for heavy vehicles.

After the lengthening, the vessels will have about 600 additional linear meters for heavy vehicles, 80 sleeping accommodations in new passenger cabins, two new public spaces with a total capacity of 450 Pullman beds and a new family-oriented 270-seat self-service restaurant. The new sections will be 29 meters long.

Existing public areas will also be refurbished and safety equipment upgraded to comply with the increased passenger capacity.

Technical work during the drydocking include the installation of scrubber systems for exhaust gas cleaning as well as a system to power the ship during the turnaround time in ports, based on mega-lithium batteries, in order to avoid the use of the diesel-powered generators, achieving the goal of zero port emissions, pursued by the Grimaldi Group.

When the lengthening project is completed, which is to be carried out by Fincantieri’s Ship Repair and Conversion, part of its Services division, each ship will be about 254 meters long, having a gross tonnage of 63,000 tons and being able to transport 3,500 passengers, with a 3,000-square meter car deck and over 3,700 linear meters for heavy vehicles.

Fincantieri has built 30 different types of vessels for Grimaldi.