The 218-metre, 45,909 GT RoPax is tracking westbound through the Indian Ocean and is expected to transit the Suez Canal in the coming days, putting her on schedule to arrive in Italy ahead of GNV's previously stated target of the 2026 summer season.

GNV POLARIS returned to GSI earlier this year for a major redesign that adds 132 cabins, raising her total from 239 to 371 and aligning her layout with sister vessels GNV ORION, GNV VIRGO and GNV AURORA, all already in service. The retrofit reflects a class-wide design variation; GNV had prioritised getting the lead ship operational over delivering it fully harmonised with later units.

The MSC Group-owned operator is expected to redeploy the upgraded vessel on its Genoa–Palermo trunk route, where the additional cabin capacity will support peak summer demand on one of the Western Mediterranean's busiest crossings and round out a modernisation programme that will see eight new-generation RoPax units enter service by 2030, four units of which are of a larger 237-metre class and not-yet delivered.

© Shippax