The PINAR DEL RIO, a 1992 Incat built catamaran, with a capacity for 520 passengers and 92 cars will be used. Although officially this vessel can achieve 42 knots, Balearia advertise her as a 30-knot vessel.

No sailing schedule has been posted yet, but it is believed that Balearia will offer one round trip between Almeria and Melilla, and one round trip between Motril and Melilla, on a daily basis. Scheduled crossings are approximately three and a half hours on each of the legs.

Of note is the fact that Balearia will be sharing ARMAS's offices in the three ports, which means a high spirit of cooperation exists between the two companies, and they do not see each other as rivals, despite the fact that both will be operating the same routes to Melilla.

However, this is yet more competition for Trasmediterranea, with its public service contract to operate to Melilla from both Malaga and Almeria.

Trasmediterranea has recently brought the ALMUDAINA DOS, a 1997 Fincantieri built monohull with a capacity for 700 passengers and 148 cars, to Almeria to operate a half hour before certain ARMAS sailings to Melilla (and Nador), and it will be interesting to see how they react to Balearia entering this market.

Balearia recently commenced services between Valencia and Mostaganem in Algeria, a country previously seen as a Trasmediterranea stronghold. Balearia also compete with Trasmediterranea on services from Algeciras to Ceuta and Tangier-Med, as well as on all routes linking the Spanish Mediterranean coast with the Balearic Islands.