Catania ferry

MS Catania ferry is a Ro-Ro passenger vessel operated by the Italy-based company GRIMALDI LINES. The ship has a max capacity of 938 passengers and 480 cars and 132 trucks (trailers). The vessel was launched in 2003 and currently operates on the ferry routes Italy-Tunisia (Civitavecchia-Tunis, crossing time 20 hours), Italy-Sicily (Salerno-Palermo, crossing time 10 hours) and Italy-Sicily-Tunisia (Salerno-Palermo-Tunis, crossing time 23,5 hours).

Cabins

As cruise ferry, Catania has 93 cabins (of which 89x Inside and Outside, 2x Superior Suites, 2x handicap). All staterooms are air-conditioned, soundproof, with en-suite bathrooms (toilet/shower/washbasin, hairdryer), lower and upper bunk beds (wall-mounted), bedside table-cabinets, mirrored vanity (small writing table with armchair), phone, flat TV, wall-mounted reading lamps. The ferry company provides bed linens, towels, and toiletries.

Outside cabins are with bay window. Superior cabins additionally offer as amenities flat TV (satellite reception), mini-bar, double bed, double sofabed. Two staterooms are wheelchair-accessible (cabins adapted for disabled passengers). The boat additionally offers a total of 62 reclining seats (aircraft-type seats in reserved seating lounges) available for pre-booking.

All passengers must vacate their staterooms 30 min prior to homeport arrival.

Shipboard dining and entertainment options

As facilities, the Catania ship offers:

• The ship has a Self-Service (Buffet) Restaurant. The venue features panoramic (floor-ceiling) windows and is suitable for quick meals prepared by Italian master chefs. Personalized menus are also available, offering dishes made with gluten-free products. Booking onboard dining in advance (online) offers up to 50% off the onboard prices.
• Onboard dining includes 2 restaurant menus (Standard and Business) each with fixed (per person) prices for Breakfast and Lunch-Dinner.
• Standard menu includes Breakfast (1 hot drink, 1 croissant (or 2 butter and jam sandwiches), 1 glass of fruit juice), Lunch (1 first course, 1 main course, 1 side dish, 1 bread, 1 seasonal fruit, 1 drink / 0,5 L bottled water or 330 ml domestic beer or 250 ml wine / non-alcoholic beverage) and Dinner (1 first course, 1 main course, 1 side, 1 bread, 1 seasonal fruit, 1 drink).
• Business menu includes Breakfast (1 hot drink, 1 glass of fruit juice, 2 butter and jam sandwiches or 1 croissant + 1 yogurt), Lunch (1 appetizer, 1 first course, 1 main course, 1 side, 1 bread, 1 seasonal fruit, 1 dessert, 1 drink / 0,5 L bottled water or 330 ml domestic beer or 250 ml wine / non-alcoholic beverage) and Dinner (1 appetizer, 1 first course, 1 main course, 1 side, 1 bread, 1 seasonal fruit, 1 dessert, 1 drink).
• Vesuvio Club Bar / Snack Bar (Cafeteria / Patisserie) is open year-round and sells sandwiches, cakes, pastries, fruit salads, yogurts, ice cream, hot/cold drinks.
• Children's Room is a kids-dedicated indoor playground equipped with a large flat TV (for watching cartoons), bean bags, small tables with chairs, toys, games, ball pool pit, supervised activities.
• The Sun Deck has a sunbathing area (sun loungers, deckchairs), outdoor seating (small tables and chairs). As highspeed ferry, the ship's sundeck area is protected from winds by transparent glass walls.
• The ship also has a Casino (fully-equipped with gaming tables and slot machines), Video Games Room (arcade machines).
• There are two Reserved Seating Lounges (Economy-Class, Club-Class) fitted with comfortable Pullman seats (fully-reclining armchairs) and large flat TVs. There are also two exclusive Truck Driver lounges (restaurant, bar lounge).
• Onboard shopping options include retail shops (small boutiques and Mini Market) selling at discount prices alcohol (spirits, wines), tobaccos, premium-brand perfumes and cosmetics, designer jewelry, fashion clothing and accessories, footwear, designer watches, handbags, sunglasses, personal hygiene products, travel essentials, confectionery, snacks, toys, books, magazines, electronics and gadgets, special occasion gifts and souvenirs.
• (Lobby Deck) ATM/cash machine is located next to the Reception (Information Desk). Onboard Wi-Fi service is paid. WiFi packages can be purchased online (upon ferry bookings) or on the ship (at the Reception). WiFi service is available on all GRIMALDI ships.
• The ship's top-deck is a Heli Deck with a helipad (helicopter landing area used in cases of emergency).
• The vessel offers plenty of outdoor deck space. Infirmary (ship hospital) provides 24-hour nurse service.

All onboard emergency instructions are displayed in staterooms, on the TV screens and at the ship's assembly stations (aka muster stations). Life jackets are issued at the assembly stations. In cases of emergency, the use of elevators/passenger lifts is forbidden.

GRIMALDI ferry and cruise deals

As on cruise ships, all Grimaldi ferries offer passenger cabins with modern amenities, individually controlled air-conditioning and en-suite facilities. Some suites are with private balconies.

Occasionally, the largest Grimaldi ships are also used for Mediterranean mini-cruises - especially during the Christmas and New Year holidays.

• Each crossing can be customized, and specifically themed by travel agencies and event organizers thanks to GRIMALDI ships' large-sized event spaces that can be differently adapted according to specific requests. Among the most popular theme cruises, GRIMALDI offers voyages themed on sports, art, culture, history, music, religion.
• On the routes, Rome-Barcelona, 2-day mini-cruise deals are offered.
• By the company's "Ad hoc" programs are organized religion-themed cruises for small and large groups of pilgrims. The itineraries allow pilgrimages from Italy (Civitavecchia-Rome and Porto Torres Sardinia) to Spain (Barcelona, tour to Sagrada Familia), France (Lourdes, tour to Grotto of Lourdes) and Carcassonne (Cathedral, Basilica of St Nazaire and St Celse).
• GRIMALDI FREIGHTER CLUB is reserved for all ferry passengers with minimum 2 crossings on GRIMALDI LINES ships. Club membership allows 5% Freighter Travel discount on the price.
• The ferry company offers group travel discount rates and for all types of passenger groups (minimum 20 people / with or without vehicles), including students, sports fans, religious groups, campers, music bands, etc.
• GRIMALDI's "Nave Piu Hotel" ("Ferry and Hotel") packages are offered for the Italian islands Sardinia and Sicily. The program is via partnerships with local hotels, villages, and residences.
• Shuttle bus service (between Naples and Civitavecchia-Rome) is offered for all daily departures, excepting Sundays. The bus ticket price is EUR 24 pp (each way), added to the ferry ticket price. The shuttle bus ticket can be purchased with the ferry ticket or on the ship. The shuttle service is subject to change and availability. Departure from Naples is at 4 pm (bus boarding starts at 3.30 pm) at Piazza Angioino / in front Stazione Marittima. Departure from Civitavecchia is at 8.30 pm (bus boarding starts at 8 pm) from the port.

GRIMALDI company offers the following discounted ferry travel deals:

• 20% discount for early bookings and departures (January through April 30th) for Sardinia, Sicily, Spain, Greece.
• 20% discount on the routes to and from Palermo Sicily (bookings and departures, January through April 30th).
• 20% discount on bookings that include departure within 7 days after booking. The offer is valid on ferries to Sardinia, Spain and the Livorno-Palermo route (January through April 30th).
• 20% discount for senior travelers (passengers over 60s. The offer includes Inside Cabin with no single supplement. The offer is limited and subject to availability.
• (Spain) 20% discount on campers is offered on return crossings from Barcelona to Civitavecchia and Porto Torres.
• (Greece) 20% discount is offered on return tickets (low season departures) on the Italy-Greece routes Brindisi-Igoumenitsa, Brindisi-Corfu and Brindisi-Patras. This low season discount is also available on the reverse routes (from Greece to Italy).
• (Tunisia) 20% discount is offered on the return ticket on Italy-Tunisia and Tunisia-Italy routes.
• (Morocco) 20% discount is offered on the return ticket on Italy-Morocco and Morocco-Italy routes.
• (Greece) 30% discount is offered on low season crossings from Italy to Greece with combined Grimaldi Lines and Minoan Lines bookings.
• 50% discount for kids 2 to from 2 to 12 years old and 100% discount (kids travel for free) for toddlers up to 2 years old. These offers are for a maximum of 2 kids per cabin and can't be combined with the "Superfamily and Friends" offer. Both offers are for roundtrips and subject to availability.
• 100% discount (kids travel for free) for children up to 12 years old is offered on all lines to and from Sicily Island. The offer is for roundtrips and subject to availability.
• 100% "SARDI DOC" discount (free car or motorbike in tow) and single cabin (no supplement) is offered for Sardinia Island natives and residents. Same goes for the 100% "SICILIANI DOC" discount (for Sicily Island natives and residents). These special offers are limited and subject to availability.
• (early booking through April 30th) 100% discount for cars is offered on the routes from Civitavecchia to Sardinia (Olbia and Porto Torres) for year-round departures. The offer can be combined with SARDI DOC (Sardinia resident discount rate).
• 100% discount on cars and motorbikes are offered on return crossings from Spain to Italy (not on all departures).
• (Spain) Special rates on Wednesday departures are offered on the Civitavecchia-Barcelona and Barcelona-Civitavecchia routes. The offer is limited and subject to availability.
• (Spain) Special rates for couples (2 passengers booked in the same stateroom) are offered on routes to and from Spain. The offer is limited and subject to availability.
• Special rates for kids and children up to 12 years of age are offered on all routes connecting Italy with Sardinia, Sicily, Spain, Tunisia, Morocco, Greece.
• (Spain) "Superfamily and Friends" discount rates are offered for 4 passengers booked in the same cabin. The offer is valid for 2 full-paying adults (3rd and 4th passengers travel for free) on return crossings from Spain to Italy. "Superfamily and Friends" rate can be combined with other discounts and special rates on offer.
• Note: Fixed fees (port charges, Government taxes) are excluded from discount fares.

The "Weekend a Bordo" (Weekend onboard) program gives passengers the opportunity to spend the weekend in Barcelona (Saturday to Tuesday. GRIMALDI's "Hotel on board" formula allows the ferries Cruise Roma and Cruise Barcelona to be used as hotel ships during the Barcelona port stop on Sunday.

• Saturday (0 midnight) - a departure from Civitavecchia (Rome)
• Sunday (8 pm) arrival in Barcelona, free-time city exploration, stateroom (overnight stay on the ferry)
• Monday - free-time city exploration, Barcelona departure 10:15 pm
• Tuesday (7 pm) - arrival in Civitavecchia (Rome)
• While on the ship (during the crossing) passengers can take advantage of all shipboard services and services (including spa, gym, casino, solarium, swimming pool, live music and entertainment, bars, lounges, restaurants).

GRIMALDI also offers honeymoon cruises at most affordable prices.

• Ferry fares are inclusive of Junior Suite cabin, roundtrip ferry cruise (for 2 passengers and 1 car), free entry to the ship's wellness center (plus 1 free spa treatment per person / "Back and Neck" massage), meals (dinner at the ship's restaurant), port fees and taxes, in-cabin dining (Breakfast, complimentary fruits and sparkling wine).
• All these price-inclusive services and amenities are available in both directions (outward and return crossings).
• Honeymoon ferry cruise deals are offered on the ships Cruise Roma and Cruise Barcelona, with prices per couple EUR 640 (low season), EUR 740 (mid-season) and EUR 920 (high season).

Pets on the ship

Traveling with pets / domestic animals are allowed on all GRIMALDI ships. For dogs and cats are available dedicated onboard lodgings. Other animals (rabbits, birds, hamsters, etc) must be in passenger-owned carriers.

• Animals are not allowed in staterooms, seating lounges, bar lounges, and all public rooms. Animals are allowed only on outer decks, where they can be walked by their owners.
• During ferry booking, passengers have to select "Pet up to 6 kg" for animals traveling in pet cages and not requiring kennels. The "Pet over 6 kg" option is for animals needing onboard kennel (which must be booked in advance).
• During the crossing, animals are nourished by the owners. Water is provided by the crew. Animals must be maintained by the owners, who are obliged to remove excrements or any other uncleannesses produced by the animal.
• Visually impaired passengers travel with their guide dogs at no extra cost. Guide dogs are allowed in the cabin. Disabled passengers or those with reduced mobility can also be accompanied by assistance dogs.

Car decks

As freight, GRIMALDI ships allow transportation of semi-trailers, lorries (with or without drivers), cars, motorcycles (only as freight, without drivers), caravans, camper vans (without drivers), cargo containers, mobile machinery, boats (on cradle), industrial products.

Follows a list of car decks related safety procedures:

• Disabled passengers or those requiring specific assistance should visit the ship's Information Desk (open 24-hours).
• Apply handbrake and place the vehicle in park or 1st gear position. Switch off the ignition, alarm, electrical equipment, headlights. Gas cylinders, if any, must be switched off. Lock the vehicle.
• From your vehicle take only valuables and essential hand baggage.
• Make a note of your vehicle's location and garage deck number/stairway before leaving the car deck.
• Access to the ship's vehicle (cargo) decks during the voyage is prohibited.
• Smoking on vehicle decks, as well as in cabins and passenger lounges is forbidden.
• Wait for the onboard announcement before returning to your vehicle.
• In order to avoid air pollution, don't start the engine until instructed.

The shipowner Grimaldi Lines (founded in 1999, headquartered in Civitavecchia-Rome) is an Italian ferry company operating exclusively on Mediterranean shipping routes connecting mainland Italy with Sardinia, Sicily, Spain, Greece, Morocco, and Tunisia. Grimaldi Lines current cruise ferry fleet includes the ships Cruise Ausonia, Cruise Barcelona, Cruise Bonaria, Cruise Olbia, Cruise Roma, Cruise Smeralda, Euroferry Corfu, Euroferry Egnazia, Euroferry Olympia, Europalink, Florencia, Mykonos Palace, Zeus Palace, Florencia.

Initially owned by Levantina Trasporti Srl (Porto Viro-based company), in the period 2003-2009 the vessel was named "Eurostar Salerno". In 2007, the ship was acquired by GRIMALDI LINES and renamed "MS Catania".

Ship's powerplant includes two Wartsila marine diesel engines (model 9L46C) with total power output 18,9 MW. The propulsion is based on two shafts with controllable-pitch propellers.