GNV Aries ferry

The 1987-built (scrapped in 2025) GNV Aries (formerly "Pride of York") was a Ro-Ro passenger ferry last owned and operated by the Italy-based company GRANDI NAVI VELOCI. She had a maximum capacity of 1250 passengers, 850 cars, or 180 trucks (semi-trailers). The vessel was launched in 1987 as Norsea and last operated the Italy-Sicily route Naples-Palermo (crossing time 10-11 hours).

The ship was renamed from Norsea to "Pride of York" in January 2003 and began service for P&O in October 2002 (English Channel crossings) under the ownership of P&O North Sea Ferries Ltd.

In mid-February 2021, both P&O vessels deployed in the North Sea – Pride of York and Pride of Bruges – were put up for sale. At the time, they were among the largest passenger ships in the UK. This followed P&O Ferries' decision to terminate the England-Belgium Hull-Zeebrugge route (13-hour crossing) in early January 2021. The service was described as "loss-making" due to a steep decline in demand, mainly caused by COVID- and Brexit-related travel restrictions and complications.

In April 2021, P&O announced the sale of both ferries (Pride of York and Pride of Bruges) to GNV. Pride of York’s registered owner became the Cyprus-based Pride Ferries Shipping Ltd.

In 2019, the vessel's flag state changed from the UK (MMSI 235001426/London) to The Bahamas (MMSI 311063300/Nassau). Following her acquisition by GNV, the ship (IMO 8501957) was reflagged to Italy (MMSI 247435700) and registered in Napoli/Naples. Her final flag was Cyprus (MMSI 210219000/Limassol).

In January 2025, the 38-year-old GNV Aries was sold for scrapping at Aliaga, Turkey.

Cabins

As a cruise ferry, GNV Aries had passenger staterooms, all air-conditioned and with en-suite bathrooms. Bed linens, towels, and toiletries were provided. The ship offered 2-berth and 4-berth standard cabins (with bunk beds), available both inside and outside (with sea view).

Premier-class cabins were available as 2-4-5-berth (some with bunk beds), located inside or outside with sea view. Club-class cabins all had sea views and prime deck locations. They were larger and included extra amenities such as TV, phone, fresh fruit, and tea/coffee-making facilities.

Wheelchair-accessible cabins were also available, adapted for disabled passengers.

Shipboard dining and entertainment

The ship's main passenger facilities included:

The Kitchen (Green Deck 4 – casual restaurant serving international cuisine and traditional British fare)

The Brasserie (Green Deck 4 – French restaurant offering gourmet food and fine wines), plus patisseries (coffee shops with light snacks, pastries, hot and cold drinks)

Starbucks Coffee Bar (Red Deck 5)

The Flying Dutchman Bar (Blue Deck 6)

Casino (Red Deck 5 – closed on the Hull-Zeebrugge route)

Show Lounge (Red Deck 5)

Cinema (Blue Deck 6 – tickets available at the Information Desk)

The Lounge (Blue Deck 6)

The Reserved Seating Lounge (Club-class bar lounge with leather couches, pre-bookable, including complimentary beverages and newspapers)

A dedicated family lounge with its own bar serving light snacks and drinks. During summer, an outdoor alfresco bar also opened.

Onboard shops offered a wide range of products at discounted prices compared to UK high street. Discounts reached up to 40% on luxury perfumes, skincare, cosmetics, and up to 30% on alcohol (spirits, wines, beers). Shops (Red Deck 5) also sold books, newspapers, magazines, toys, and games.

Children’s facilities included a playroom (indoor playground) and a movie room. During school holidays, kids’ entertainment was provided with supervised activities such as painting, drawing, treasure hunts, arts, and crafts.

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Like cruise ships, GNV ferries featured passenger cabins with modern amenities, individually controlled air-conditioning, and en-suite bathrooms. Some suites also had private balconies.

The largest GNV ships occasionally operated short Mediterranean cruises, especially during Christmas and New Year holidays.

• Dining included à la carte restaurants with international, regional, and Mediterranean cuisine, self-service buffets with a wide variety of options, snack bars serving fast food, and a pizzeria (high season) with Neapolitan pizzas. On routes between Italy and Tunisia-Morocco, Halal meals were available.
• Onboard boutiques sold tobacco, alcohol, luxury perfumes, cosmetics, jewelry, fashion, accessories, sunglasses, souvenirs, and toys at discounted prices.
• The Conference Centre supported the company’s "GNV MICE and INCENTIVE" program, offering five formats for group events at sea or in port: Full Charters, Part Charters (dedicated onboard areas), Mini-Cruises, Floating Hotel, and Corporate Events (aperitifs, lunches, dinners).

Children under 4 years of age traveled free on all GNV ships. Kids under 2 years of age traveled free on Tunisia and Morocco routes.

Cots, high chairs, bottle warmers, changing tables, and cot sides were provided upon request at no extra cost.

Car decks

Safety procedures for vehicle decks included:

• Emergency instructions displayed in cabins, on TV screens, and at muster stations. Life jackets issued at muster stations. Elevators were not to be used in emergencies.
• Passengers requiring assistance were advised to visit the 24-hour Information Desk.
• Apply handbrake, place vehicle in park or first gear, switch off ignition, alarm, electrical equipment, and headlights. Gas cylinders must be turned off. Lock the vehicle.
• Take only valuables and essential hand baggage from the vehicle.
• Note vehicle location and deck/stairway before leaving.
• Access to vehicle decks was prohibited during the voyage.
• Smoking was forbidden on vehicle decks, as well as in cabins and lounges.
• Wait for the onboard announcement before returning to vehicles.

To prevent air pollution, engines were not to be started until instructed.

Grandi Navi Veloci (fleet), founded in 1992 and headquartered in Genoa, Italy, operates ferry routes between mainland Italy, Sardinia, Sicily, Albania, France, Morocco, and Tunisia.