On May 7, Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV), a passenger ferry operator owned by Mediterranean Shipping Group (MSC), announced on social media that it has signed a contract with Guangzhou Shipbuilding International (GSI), a subsidiary of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), for the construction of four new liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered ro-pax vessels.
Construction of the new vessels is expected to start in 2026, with the first vessel to be delivered in early 2028, followed by one every six months. Including the latest order, GNV will take delivery of eight new vessels between 2025 and 2030.
GNV has not yet disclosed the value of the order, but according to the industry’s previous estimates, the cost of a single vessel is more than $160 million, and based on this calculation, together with the option order, the total value of the four vessels is more than $640 million (about RMB 4.624 billion).
The LNG-powered ro-pax vessel is 237 meters long, 33 meters wide and can accommodate up to 2,500 passengers (including passengers and crew). Equipped with 527 cabins and 3,500 meters of lanes, and with a gross tonnage of approximately 71,300, it will be the largest and most spacious ro-pax vessel in MSC. The new vessels will be fully powered by liquefied natural gas and equipped with cutting-edge environmental technology to ensure that each vessel will emit more than 50% less CO2 than the previous generation of ro-pax vessels.
In addition, the new vessel will adopt a more warm and practical design, providing passengers with the most comfortable environment, equipped with spacious cabins, a lounge area with large panoramic windows, high-end furniture, high-quality auxiliary equipment, ergonomic seats and digital services, a dedicated children’s play area, a large outdoor terrace and other facilities.
It is understood that MSC and GSI started their first cooperation in the construction of luxury ro-pax vessels in December 2021, with GSI responsible for building two 1,500-passenger/3,100-meter-lane ro-pax vessels for GNV. In February 2022, GSI announced that GNV’s subsequent order for two 1,500-passenger/3,100-meter-lane luxury ro-pax vessels would take effect. With the latest shipbuilding contract signed this time, the number of vessels jointly built by the two parties has increased to 8.
At present, the first vessel of the four luxury ro-pax vessels contracted in 2021 and 2022, the “GNV Polaris”, was delivered and put into operation in October 2024, and the second vessel, the “GNV Orion”, was delivered on April 16, 2025. The third vessel, the “GNV Virgo”, and the fourth vessel, the “GNV Aurora”, are under construction and are expected to be delivered in 2025, 11 months ahead of schedule.
The first batch of four ro-pax vessels were independently developed and designed by GSI, with a total length of 218 meters, a beam of 29.6 meters, a depth of 10 meters, a designed draft of 6.45 meters, and a designed speed of 25 knots. The vessel has a total of 12 decks, equipped with a buffet restaurant, a cafe, a sightseeing hall, a pizza store, a duty-free shop, an airline seating area, a children’s play area and an open-air bar.
It is understood that GSI is the Chinese shipbuilding company that has delivered the most luxury ro-pax vessels in the world. The company has been deeply involved in the luxury ro-pax vessel market for more than 20 years. The ro-pax vessels it has built are operating on routes in major sea areas around the world, and it has developed a number of core patents for ro-pax vessel design.