GNV Atlas ferry
Former names: SNAV Lazio, Pride of Portsmouth, Olau Britannia
GNV Atlas ferry current position
GNV Atlas ferry current location is at West Mediterranean (coordinates 37.77945 N / -0.31886 W) cruising at speed of 16.1 kn (30 km/h | 19 mph) en route to MANDR-ESBCN. The AIS position was reported 1 minute ago.
Current PositionSpecifications of GNV Atlas ferry
Year of build | 1989 / Age: 35 |
Flag state | Italy |
Builder | Schichau Seebeckwerft (Bremerhaven, Germany) |
Class | cruiseferry (Ro-Pax ship) |
Ferry route / homeports | Naples-Palermo (Sicily) |
Speed | 21 kn / 39 km/h / 24 mph |
Length (LOA) | 161 m / 528 ft |
Beam (width) | 29 m / 95 ft |
Gross Tonnage | 33336 gt |
Passengers | 2000 |
Cars | 575 |
Beds | 1720 |
Cabins | 357 |
Last Refurbishment | 2019 |
Sister-ships | GNV Cristal, Princess Seaways, King Seaways |
Former names | SNAV Lazio, Pride of Portsmouth, Olau Britannia |
Owner | Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) |
Operator | GRANDI NAVI VELOCI |
GNV Atlas ferry Review
Review of GNV Atlas ferry
GNV Atlas ferry is a Ro-Ro passenger vessel operated by the Italy-based company GRANDI NAVI VELOCI. The ship has a max capacity of 2000 passengers and 575 cars. The vessel was launched in 1989 and currently operates on the Italy-Sicily ferry route Naples-Palermo (crossing time 10,5 hours).
Cabins
As cruise ferry, GNV Atlas has 357 cabins with a total of 1720 berths. All staterooms are air-conditioned and with en-suite bathrooms (toilet/shower/washbasin, hairdryer). Suites additionally offer as amenities TV (satellite reception), radio, phone, mini-bar, large Porthole Window. Double suites are for 2 people (with 1 double bed). Family suites are for 3 people (1 double bed + 1 sofabed). Cots for children under 2 years are available upon request.
The ferry company provides bed linens, towels, and toiletries. Two staterooms are wheelchair-accessible (cabins adapted for disabled passengers). There are also "pet-friendly" cabins.
All passengers must vacate their staterooms 30 min prior to homeport arrival.
Shipboard dining and entertainment options
As facilities, the GNV Atlas ship offers:
- A la Carte Restaurant (formal venue - gourmet food, Mediterranean cuisine, fine wines, drinks, special children's menus) - 2 courses plus desserts
- Buffet (self-service restaurant, hot and cold meals, children's menus)
- Snack Bar / Cafe is open year-round and sells sandwiches, cakes, pastries, fruit salads, yogurt, ice cream, hot/cold drinks.
- The pizzeria is open high-season only and serves fresh-baked Neapolitan pizzas with traditional toppings.
- Children's Play Area is an indoor playground equipped with a TV (showing cartoons), coloring tables, games, and toys. Supervised by dedicated staff fun activities for kids are provided complimentary during summer.
- Reserved Seating Lounges (fitted with comfortable Pullman seats / fully-reclining leather armchairs)
- At the Ferry Shopping Centre, retail outlets (boutique shops) sell at discounted pricing gifts and souvenirs, alcohol (spirits, wines), tobaccos, premium-brand perfumes and cosmetics, designer jewelry, fashion clothing and accessories, watches, sunglasses, personal hygiene products, travel essentials, confectionery, snacks, toys, puzzles, books, magazines.
- free Wi-Fi, ATM / cash machine (next to Information Desk / Reception)
The vessel offers plenty of outdoor deck space.
The top-deck is Heli Deck with a helipad (helicopter landing area used in cases of emergency).
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.
GRANDI NAVI VELOCI cruise deals
As on cruise ships, all GNV ferries offer passenger cabins with modern amenities, individually controlled air-conditioning and en-suite facilities. Some suites are with private balconies.
Occasionally, the largest GNV ships are also used for Mediterranean mini-cruises - especially during the Christmas and New Year holidays.
- Onboard food includes a huge variety of options. A la carte restaurants provide a combination of international, regional and Mediterranean food with a range of signature dishes for the 3 courses. The self-service/buffet dining provides passengers with an array of different choices in an informal setting. Snack Bars serve fast-food classics for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Pizzeria is open during high season and offers fresh-baked Neapolitan pizzas with a variety of toppings. On the routes between Italy and Tunisia-Morocco are also available Halal meals - permissible by the traditional Islamic law food and drinks.
- Ships' boutique shops sell at discount prices tobacco and alcohol (budget and premium wines and spirits), as well as luxury brand perfumes and cosmetics, designer jewelry, watches, fashion clothing and accessories, sunglasses, souvenirs, toys.
- The shipboard Conference Centre serves the company's "GNV MICE and INCENTIVE" program and offers 5 different formats for group meetings, conventions and corporate events at sea and in port - Charters (full), Part Charters (dedicated onboard areas), Mini-Cruises, Floating Hotel (ship hotel) and Corporate Events (onboard aperitifs, lunches and dinners).
Children under 4 years of age travel free of charge on all GNV ships. Kids under 2 years of age travel free of charge on Tunisia and Morocco routes.
Cots, high chairs, bottle warmers, changing tables and cot sides are provided on request and free of charge.
Car decks
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 Grandi Navi Veloci (fleet, 1992-founded, headquartered in Genoa, Italy) is an Italian ferry company operating on shipping routes between mainland Italy, Sardinia, Sicily, Albania, France, Morocco, and Tunisia.
Other GRANDI NAVI VELOCI cruise ships
GNV Atlas ferry Wiki
The vessel was launched on October 28, 1989, and acquired by the shipowner TT LINE on May 16, 1990. The maiden voyage was on May 21. The ship was previously operated under the names Olau Britannia (1989-1994 by Olau Line), Pride of Portsmouth (1994-2005 by P&O Ferries), SNAV Lazio (2005-2017 by SNAV) and GNV Atlas (since 2017 by GNV).
In the period 1979-1994, the UK-based OLAU LINE (a subsidiary of TT-LINE Germany) acquired 2 new cruise ferries - Olau Hollandia (GNV Cristal) and Olau Britannia (GNV Atlas). They both were deployed on the UK-Holland route Sheerness (Isle of Sheppey)-Vlissingen.
In 1986-1987, TT-Line acquired 2 new ferries (modified-design) - Peter Pan (1986, now Princess Seaways) and Nils Holgersson (1986, now King Seaways). These ships were an enlarged version, designed to provide more luxury and larger interior space for the Germany-Sweden service Trelleborg-Travemunde.
Peter Pan class ferries
GNV Atlas is the 4th vessel in a 4-ship series of sisterships in the so-called "Peter Pan class" - Peter Pan (1986, now Princess Seaways), Nils Holgersson (1986, now King Seaways) and Olau Hollandia (1989 / now GNV Cristal). All ships were built in Bremerhaven Germany (by Schichau Seebeckwerft AG).
In the mid-80s TT-Line ordered two sisterships, with optional two other same-class units - all to serve the UK-Holland routes. The new ships had max passenger capacity 1700 and car capacity 550 (1400 lanemeters garage space).
The order for the optional 2 ferries (GNV Cristal and GNV Atlas) was for TT Line's subsidiary company Olau Line. The second pair were modified (differently designed), featuring more luxurious interiors, higher GT tonnage (33336 tons compared to 31356 tons) and fitted with different diesel engines (4x Zgoda-Sulzer 8ZA40S instead of 4x MaK 8M552).