Gnv Virgo, the first company ship powered by LNG, will be delivered in the coming days in China to the shipowner. Christening expected in Palermo
Valencia – The VI edition of the Gnv Awards was held yesterday on board the Excelsior moored in the port of Valencia, the annual event organized by the MSC group’s ferry company to celebrate and strengthen its bond with commercial partners and the participation of about 150 representatives of Italian and international travel agencies. In the two-day program, as usual, the awards ceremony for the presentation of recognitions to 18 commercial partners and the appointment of the new Élite Partners, the best travel agencies selected as part of the namesake program launched in 2017 that guarantees them to benefit from some dedicated advantages and initiatives, in addition to the new Premium agencies.
During the evening, it was announced that Gnv Virgo, the first company ship powered by LNG, will be delivered in the coming days in China to the shipowner at the Guangzhou Shipyard International shipyards. The ship will then depart for Italy, where, before entering service on the Genoa-Palermo route, the christening ceremony is scheduled for December 11 in the port of Palermo.
The event was also an opportunity to announce that October 13, 2025 will be the sales opening date for the next summer season and to present Gnv’s results in the just concluded season: in the June-September 2025 period the company handled 1.7 million passengers, recording a 9% increase compared to the same period the previous year. In Italy, Sardinia confirms its flagship status with a 6% growth in the summer period, thanks to major refitting and digitalization interventions on the ships operating on the routes to the island, which led to a significant improvement of common areas and services, ensuring a growth in the guest satisfaction index.
Excellent results also for Sicily, which marks a 10% increase, driven mainly by the Naples–Palermo route, the new ships, and targeted investments that have allowed to further grow the market and improve the on-board experience. On the foreign front, Morocco stands out with a 6% growth, supported by five dedicated ships and a significant increase in Moroccan staff on board the ships (+100 resources in the last year); in Tunisia, +8% is recorded thanks to a new direct line that improved service times and quality; finally, the start of connections in Algeria is good, confirming the potential of this new market. The Balearic Islands and Albania are stable, marking a result in line with the previous year during the summer period.
“The results of this summer confirm that we are going in the right direction: +9% is not just a number, but the result of concrete choices. We have invested in targeted refitting and digitalization to make the journey increasingly comfortable, convinced that ‘every moment of the journey counts’. In Sardinia we demonstrated it: you can grow even without new ships, by focusing on service quality and rethought spaces; in Sicily, on the other hand, the arrival of new units and a stronger network gave a decisive boost to demand. Abroad we are consolidating our positions, in Tunisia with more direct connections and in Morocco with more local staff on board that enriches the passenger experience, while we open new fronts like Algeria,” stated Matteo Della Valle, chief commercial officer of Gnv.
(In the photo Matteo Catani, ceo of Gnv)
