The 218-metre, 45,909 GT RoPax arrived in the port of Genoa and will resume operations on the Genoa–Palermo line from 9 June, in view of the summer season. The vessel arrives in Italy ahead of GNV's previously stated target of the 2026 summer season, with the intervention completed a month ahead of schedule.

The major redesign added 141 new passenger cabins, raising the ship's total to 387 and bringing total capacity to 1,515 passengers. The upgrade aligns her layout more 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 additional cabin capacity will support peak summer demand on the Genoa–Palermo trunk route, one of the Western Mediterranean's busiest crossings. The upgrade further strengthens GNV's offer on domestic routes and is part of the broader plan to renew and strengthen the GNV fleet promoted by the MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company Group.

Delivered in October 2024, GNV POLARIS is the first of eight latest-generation units commissioned by GNV. The modernisation programme will see eight new-generation RoPax units enter service by 2030, four of which are of a larger 237-metre class and not yet delivered.

© Shippax

For comparison, GNV AURORA, second this delivered in the series.