Mega Express

Mega Express in Nice
History
Name	(2001–present): Mega Express
Owner	(2001–present): Corsica Ferries / Tourship Italia
Operator	(2001–present): Corsica Ferries
Port of registry	(2001–present): Genoa, Italy
Route	Toulon / Nice – Ajaccio / Bastia / L'Île-Rousse Livorno / Savona – Golfo Aranci / Bastia
Ordered	1999
Builder	Cantiere Navale Fratelli Orlando Livorno, Italy
Yard number	156
Laid down	1999
Launched	25 March 2000
Completed	March 2001
Acquired	March 2001
Maiden voyage	April 2001
In service	2001
Identification	IMO number: 9203174 Call sign: IBAL MMSI number: 247013400
Status	In service
General characteristics
Class & type	Orlando Fast Cruise Ferry
Tonnage	26,024 GT 4,000 DWT
Length	176.01 m (577 ft 6 in)
Beam	24.80 m (81 ft 4 in)
Draught	6.50 m (21 ft 4 in)
Depth	9.60 m (31 ft 6 in)
Decks	9
Ramps	Stern loading ramps
Installed power	4 × Wärtsilä 12V46C diesel engines (total 46,800 kW / 62,760 hp)
Propulsion	2 × Lips controllable pitch propellers
Speed	29.0 knots (53.7 km/h; 33.4 mph) (service)
Capacity	1,756 passengers (300 cabins / ~1,200 beds) 550 cars / vehicle garage space
Crew	70
Notes	Sister ship to Mega Express Two

Mega Express is a fast ferry belonging to the Corsica Ferries - Sardinia Ferries group. Built between 1999 and 2001 by Cantiere Navale Fratelli Orlando, it is the first in a series of six ships known as Megas, fast ferries offering significant amenities. It entered service in April 2001 on the routes between Toulon and Corsica, its arrival will allow Corsica Ferries to become the leader in crossings to the Isle of Beauty. It is currently assigned to all of the group's routes departing from the French and Italian coasts to Corsica and Sardinia, and more recently to the Balearic Islands and Sicily.

History

Origins

In 1996, the Bastia-based company Corsica Ferries, a leader in passenger maritime transport between Corsica and Italy, inaugurated its first routes from mainland France to the Isle of Beauty. The private shipping company thus became a competitor of SNCM for the first time in the port of Nice. It was in this context that three high-speed vessels were put into service between 1995 and 1996, each assigned to the company's different routes. This type of vessel, introduced in the western Mediterranean by the Italian state-owned company Tirrenia in 1993, represented a true technological revolution that many shipping companies would experiment with, notably SNCM, which also put the NGV Asco and NGV Aliso into service between Nice and Corsica in 1996. This led to fierce competition between Corsica Ferries and the state-owned company, which operated vessels with virtually identical characteristics on the same routes.

With speeds exceeding 37 knots, the high-speed ferries (NGVs) are capable of connecting the French Riviera port and Bastia in just under four hours, compared to six hours for conventional ferries. However, despite their performance, common shortcomings are quickly identified in both Corsica Ferries and SNCM. The small size of these vessels often proves insufficient to meet peak traffic during the season and to offer a significant number of seats at promotional fares. Their operation is also weather-dependent, and they only sail when wave heights do not exceed 5.5 meters; beyond that, they must all remain in port. Above all, the NGVs, equipped with very powerful engines, consume refined fuel that is considerably more expensive than the heavy fuel oil typically used by traditional car ferries. With the price of a barrel of oil tending to rise, the fuel cost becomes particularly difficult to balance financially.

Consequently, in 1998, SNCM ordered a third high-speed ferry (NGV) designed as an improved version of its two predecessors, with enhanced technical and commercial capabilities. Meanwhile, Corsica Ferries' management decided to innovate once again by planning to introduce a type of vessel previously unused on Corsican routes: the fast car ferry. Based on the premise that customers prioritize speed while also demanding reliable service, the Bastia-based shipping company commissioned a study from the Norwegian naval architect Delta Marine.

While fast ferries emerged as early as the 1970s, this type of vessel began to spread first in the Eastern Mediterranean from the mid-1990s. The first to operate such vessels was the Greek company Superfast Ferries in 1995, leading to strong competition with its rival Minoan Lines, which quickly equipped its fleet with similar units. This competition between shipowners allowed shipbuilding to refine and popularize this type of car ferry, which is increasingly attracting shipping companies in the Mediterranean and elsewhere.

For various reasons, Corsica Ferries and other shipowners then abandoned the construction of high-speed vessels and turned to this new generation of car ferries. The design of these ships is indeed more traditional than that of high-speed ferries. In particular, they are propelled by propellers rather than waterjets, and their engines, although significantly more powerful than those of conventional ferries, consume the same type of fuel (heavy fuel oil, not the refined fuel used by high-speed ferries). To facilitate reaching high speeds, these fast ferries have a more streamlined hull than conventional ferries, resulting in a greater length for a given beam. Their substantial size allows them to navigate in all weather conditions and transport a larger number of passengers and vehicles at a speed sufficient to achieve significant time savings compared to ferries. As an added bonus, the comfort level of these ships is comparable to that offered on board traditional vessels and therefore superior to that of high-speed ferries, which in this respect are inspired by airplanes. Finally, these ships are equipped with cabins, which allows companies to also schedule them for night crossings, on routes longer than those served by high-speed ferries. Corsica Ferries plans to put four sister ships into service and officially announces the order of its first two fast ferries in September 1998.

Their construction is entrusted to the Cantiere navale fratelli Orlando of Livorno for delivery scheduled for 2001. These ships will therefore allow the shipowner to position themselves in order to respond to the future call for tenders for the public service delegation between Corsica and the mainland which is also to take place in 2001. Designed for approximately 1,800 passengers, their facilities are intended to offer a level of quality similar to that of SNCM's cruise ferries. Passengers will be able to enjoy a lounge bar, three dining areas, a lido bar with a swimming pool, and a shopping arcade. They will be accommodated in over 300 cabins with private bathrooms, including several suites. The car park is designed to accommodate over 500 vehicles, distributed across the main deck and a removable car deck, as well as in the forward sections of the lower decks. To allude to their speed, like the NGV (high-speed ferries), and also to their size, the future vessels are named Mega Express and Mega Express Two. While four sister ships were initially planned, only two will ultimately be built, and the order for the third, already placed, will be cancelled.

Construction

The Mega Express is laid down on May 25, 1999 at the Cantiere navale fratelli Orlando, of Livorno. It was launched on March 25, 2000 in rainy weather, in the presence of company executives and Gianfranco Lamberti, the mayor of Livorno, the Mega Express was christened by one of the daughters of Pascal Lota, founder of the Corsica Ferries group. It was launched at 11:40 a.m. strains of Gioachino Rossini 's "The Thieving Magpie". Its sister ship, the Mega Express Two, was laid down shortly afterward. The Mega Express was then completed in Livorno over a period of almost a year before being delivered to the Corsica Ferries group on March 29, 2001. It jointly displays on its hull the brands Corsica Ferries and Sardinia Ferries, merged in 1999, as well as navy blue stripes bordering the portholes of the cabins on decks 5 and 6.

Between the ship's order and its delivery, the landscape of the Corsican shipping routes changed somewhat. The success of the routes between Nice and Corsica prompted the Bastia-based shipowner to open a route from Toulon as early as December 2000. While the Mega Express was initially intended to provide services combining Corsican and Sardinian routes departing from Italy, Corsica Ferries ultimately decided to primarily operate it from the Var port. A change in European regulations also benefited the company in 1999: the European law on cabotage liberalization allowed the shipping company to operate its fleet more efficiently across all its routes under a single flag. Thus, vessels usually based in Italy could be used between French ports and Corsica without having to fly the national flag.

Service

The Mega Express was put into service on April 2, 2001 between Toulon and Corsica. The ship then made eight round trips per week to Bastia and also to Ajaccio, marking Corsica Ferries' return to the imperial city after having operated a route from Savona from 1988 to 1989. During the summer season, it made some crossings from Nice. The arrival of the ship and its sister ship in June allowed Corsica Ferries to increase the number of its crossings from 2,700 to 3,400 per year in 2001, a 25% increase compared to 2000.

At the end of their first year of operation, the Mega Express and its sister ship achieved phenomenal success, transporting 461,000 passengers and 145,000 cars from Toulon. Fast ferries thus established themselves as the primary mode of passenger transport to Corsica. This success helped make Corsica Ferries the leader on Corsican routes from 2002 onwards and prompted the shipping company to build a fleet of fast vessels.

On May 12, 2004, the Mega Express was caught by authorities while the crew was carrying out a deliberate discharge of oil in a protected area off Cap Corse, while the ship was operating a route between Bastia and Nice. The shipowner, Forship, a subsidiary of the Corsica Ferries group and co-owner of the vessel, was fined €490,000 in 2005. The captain of the car ferry was given a six-month suspended prison sentence and a €10,000 fine.

On November 5, 2009, the ship, coming from Livorno, violently struck the quay in Bastia due to strong gusts of wind, causing a breach in the stern on the starboard side. It was then immobilized for about ten days for repairs in La Spezia.

On April 10, 2024, in the morning hours, the Mega Express, coming from Majorca, arrived for the first time in Sète, thus inaugurating the new Corsica Ferries link connecting the Balearic Islands to the singular island. A few hours later in the evening, the ship set sail for Alcúdia.

Facilities

The Mega Express has 10 decks. Passengers occupy decks 5, 6, 7 and 8 while the crew is housed on deck 8. Decks 3 and 4 are used as garages as well as part of decks 1 and 2.

Common areas

The Mega Express offers its passengers three dining areas (an à la carte restaurant and a pizzeria-spaghetteria on deck 7 and a self-service restaurant on deck 6), a bar, a shop and a lounge on deck 7 and a bar-lido with a swimming pool on deck 8.

Since the late 2010s, the facilities now have a common name for all ships in the fleet.

Since then, the car ferry facilities have been organized as follows:

• Riviera Lounge , a comfortable lounge bar located in the middle of deck 7;
• Lido Beach Bar , outdoor bar with swimming pool at the stern of the ship on deck 8;
• Dolce Vita , an à la carte restaurant located on deck 7 at the rear of the ship;
• Yellow's , a self-service restaurant located at the rear of deck 6 offering classic cuisine;
• Gusto , a self-service restaurant offering Italian-inspired cuisine located in the middle of deck 7;
• Sweet Cafe , a retail outlet located near Yellow's offering hot and cold drinks as well as various pastries;
• Main Street , a small fast-food restaurant sharing the same location as Gusto;

In addition to these facilities, a shop, a children's playroom and an arcade area are located on deck 7.

Cabins

The Mega Express has 300 outside and inside cabins located on decks 5, 6, and 7. Accommodating two to four people, all cabins have private bathrooms including a shower, toilet, and sink. Four of these are luxury cabins located at the front of deck 7. The outside cabins of the Mega Express and its sister ship feature large portholes, offering unobstructed sea views. Two lounges with seating are also available on deck 5, providing a total of 351 seats.

Features

The Mega Express is 176.38 meters long and 24.82 meters wide, with a tonnage of 26,024 GT. The ship can accommodate 1,756 passengers and has a garage with space for 550 vehicles spread over four levels. The garage is accessible via two ramp doors located at the stern, and a third, smaller door, also at the stern, allows foot passengers to directly access the ship's reception area on deck 5. The Mega Express is powered by four Wärtsilä-NSD 12V46C diesel engines, producing 48,600 kW of power and driving two propellers, propelling the vessel at a speed of 29 knots. The ship carries four large lifeboats, a rigid inflatable rescue boat, and several life rafts.

Routes served

At the beginning of its career, the Mega Express operated crossings between Toulon, Bastia and Ajaccio. As these routes developed, it regularly served other routes of the company such as the Italy - Corsica or mainland - Sardinia lines.

Currently, the ship is assigned to the Corsica Ferries group's routes between the French and Italian coasts to Corsica, Sardinia, the Balearic Islands and Sicily. It mainly serves Corsica from Toulon, Nice, Savona and Livorno to Bastia, Ajaccio, L'Île-Rousse and Porto-Vecchio, Sardinia from Toulon, Nice and Livorno to Golfo Aranci, and Porto Torres, Majorca from Toulon and Sète to Alcúdia and also briefly served Sicily in 2019 between Toulon and Trapani.