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Mega Express Three in Livorno
History
Name	(2001–2002): Oceanus (2002–2003): Ariadne Palace I (2003–2004): Ariadne Palace One (2004–present): Mega Express Three
Owner	(2001–2003): Minoan Lines (2003–2011): Mega Express Tre S.p.A. (2011–present): Forship S.p.A. / Corsica Ferries
Operator	(2001–2003): Minoan Lines (2003–present): Corsica Ferries
Port of registry	(2001–2003): Heraklion, Greece (2003–present): Genoa, Italy
Route	Toulon / Nice – Ajaccio / Bastia Livorno / Savona – Golfo Aranci Former: Patras – Igoumenitsa – Venice / Ancona Former: Genoa – Valletta – Tunis
Ordered	1999
Builder	Samsung Heavy Industries Geoje, South Korea
Yard number	1280
Laid down	2000
Launched	2001
Completed	July 2001
Acquired	July 2001 (by Minoan Lines) September 2003 (by Corsica Ferries)
Maiden voyage	July 2001
In service	2001
Identification	IMO number: 9208083 Call sign: IBAZ MMSI number: 247089500
Status	In service
General characteristics
Class & type	Samsung 212m Fast Cruise Ferry
Tonnage	29,637 GT 5,200 DWT
Length	212.00 m (695 ft 6 in)
Beam	25.00 m (82 ft 0 in)
Draught	6.50 m (21 ft 4 in)
Decks	10
Ramps	Stern loading ramps
Installed power	4 × Wärtsilä 12V46C diesel engines (total 50,400 kW / 67,587 hp)
Propulsion	2 × controllable pitch propellers
Speed	29.5 knots (54.6 km/h; 33.9 mph) (max) / 26.0 knots (48.2 km/h; 29.9 mph) (service)
Capacity	2,100 passengers (370 cabins / 1,480 beds) 670 cars / 1,900 lane metres for vehicles
Crew	85

Mega Express Three is a fast ferry belonging to the Corsica Ferries - Sardinia Ferries group. Built between 2000 and 2001 by the South Korean shipyard Samsung Heavy Industries in Geoje for the Greek company Minoan Lines under the name Oceanus (Ωκεανός, Okeanós), it was originally a mixed passenger-cargo vessel put into service in August 2001 between Greece and Italy. After serving Malta and Tunisia in 2002 under the name Ariadne Palace I (Αριάδνη Παλάς, Ariádni Palás I), it was acquired by Corsica Ferries in 2003 and remained under the Minoan Lines banner during the summer before heading to Italy where it underwent a major refit to be converted into a car ferry. Since 2004, it has served the Bastia-based group's routes between mainland Italy and France, including Sardinia and Corsica.

History

Origins and construction

Since the second half of the 1990s, the Greek companies Minoan Lines and Superfast Ferries have been in fierce competition on the routes between Greece and Italy. Superfast had indeed revolutionized this service as early as 1995 by putting into service two state-of-the-art car ferries, combining the size and comfort of a classic ferry with a high speed close to that of a high-speed ship, which immediately met with significant success.

To protect itself against the arrival of Superfast, Minoan had also commissioned a new ship, the Aretousa, which also entered service in 1995. But despite its slightly larger dimensions, its speed proved to be lower than that of its competitors. This was rectified, however, with the commissioning of two improved sister ships, the Ikarus in 1997 and the Pasiphae in 1998, capable of reaching speeds equivalent to those of Superfast's vessels. Superfast responded with two new car ferries in 1998 and the announcement of plans to build more units in the short term.

Thus, as early as 1998, Minoan Lines announced a major fleet renewal program worth $900 million . Seven ships were planned for delivery by 2002: two to serve the Piraeus - Crete route, and the other five to operate in the Adriatic. The Adriatic ships were divided into two series: the first focused on passenger transport and the second on freight. The construction of these latter ships, named Prometheus, Oceanus, and Ariadne after the Greek mythological figures Prometheus, Oceanus, and Ariadne, was entrusted to the South Korean shipyard Samsung Heavy Industries.

Their design is primarily geared towards freight transport; thus, the sister ships feature a spacious, two-level garage specifically designed for trailers. Despite this, the passenger facilities offer a high level of comfort, including a bar, a restaurant, an outdoor swimming pool, and approximately one hundred cabins with private bathrooms. These vessels are designed to cruise at speeds exceeding 30 knots, and their propulsion systems are among the most sophisticated in the world. Finally, they are relatively large, measuring 212 meters in length and 25 meters in width.

The Oceanus was laid down at Geoje on October 13, 2000 and launched on January 13, 2001.Completed between January and June, it was delivered to Minoan Lines on July 5, 2001.During its sea trials, it reached the exceptional speed of 32 knots.

Service

Minoan Lines (2001-2003)

Once its construction was complete, the Oceanus left South Korea and crossed the Indian Ocean and the Suez Canal in about twenty days. Arriving in Greece, the ship began its career on August 5, 2001 on the Patras - Igoumenitsa - Venice line then moved from October to the Patras - Igoumenitsa - Ancona line.

In May 2002 it was replaced by the Europa Palace and therefore it sailed from June 2 between Genoa, Valletta, and Tunis under the name Ariadne Palace I as part of a partnership between Minoan and the Grimaldi Group. Consequently, the brands of both companies appear jointly on the ship's sides. The partnership ended on January 10, 2003.

In order to reduce his debts and increase his capital, Minoan decided to sell off several of his ships. The Ariadne Palace I was thus sold in February 2003 to the Corsica Ferries - Sardinia Ferries group for $67 million. The ship was renamed Ariadne Palace One and registered under the Italian flag, but remained chartered by Minoan Lines for a few months. During the summer of 2003, it served the Patras - Igoumenitsa - Corfu - Bari route and made its last crossing under the Minoan banner on September 20 it is then delivered to its new owner.

Corsica Ferries - Sardinia Ferries (since 2003)

Upon delivery to Corsica Ferries, the vessel was immediately taken to the Nuovi Cantieri Apuania shipyard in Marina di Carrara to be brought up to the company's standards. To increase its carrying capacity, significant modifications were made to the onboard infrastructure. The upper car deck was removed and replaced with two decks housing approximately one hundred new cabins; a self-service restaurant was created on one of these decks, and the original decor was updated. The car ferry's hull was then repainted in the shipowner's yellow and blue livery. As Corsica Ferries' third high-speed vessel, it was renamed Mega Express Three. The modifications continued until June 2004.

Delivered with a slight delay, the Mega Express Three was put into service on June 10, 2004 between Livorno and Golfo Aranci. In June 15 it made its first port call in Bastia, where it was presented to the Corsican public. During the summer of 2001, Corsica Ferries revolutionized maritime routes between the mainland and Corsica with the introduction of the high-speed ferries Mega Express and Mega Express Two. The arrival of these ships allowed the Bastia-based company to become the leading passenger carrier on the island's routes by 2002. This immense success then prompted the shipping company to acquire a third vessel with similar specifications, which would be used on the Sardinian routes. The Mega Express Three 's dimensions and speed are equivalent to those of its main competitors operated by Moby Lines and Tirrenia.

On August 9, 2007 at around 4 a.m., the ship came to the aid of the Sardinia Express, which was in distress after a fire in the engine room. Unable to approach the ship at high speed due to the wind, the Mega Express Three extended a cable and took it in tow while awaiting the arrival of the authorities.

On June 15, 2016 the car ferry accidentally spilled a few liters of engine oil off the coast of Savona following a malfunction of one of the hatches designed for this purpose. The ship was then intercepted by the Italian coast guard, who inspected the equipment. It was finally able to resume its voyage a few moments later.

On July 31 between Livorno and Golfo Aranci, the Mega Express Three was urgently diverted to Portoferraio after a pregnant passenger reported internal bleeding to the crew. To avoid worsening the passenger's condition, the ship docked directly in port despite its 212 meters in length, and the woman was immediately evacuated by ambulance.

On February 28, 2019 striking sailors from La Méridionale prevented the ship from entering the port of Ajaccio. It was therefore diverted to Propriano, as was the Jean Nicoli of Corsica Linea. The Mega Express Three made another voyage to Propriano before the port of Ajaccio was reopened.

On the evening of December 22, while the ship was docked in the port of Toulon, a 90 km/h mistral wind caused one of its mooring lines to break, violently striking a vehicle that had just disembarked from the car ferry. Of the three occupants, only a woman in the passenger seat was slightly injured.

On January 16, 2023, while the Mega Express Three was laid up in the Genoa shipyards, strong winds caused the moorings of the Tirrenia ferry Bithia, docked nearby, to break. The Bithia then collided with the Corsica Ferries vessel, causing only minor damage to the latter, limited to crumpled metal plates and the destruction of a porthole in the lounge area on the aft deck 7. The two ferries were quickly separated by tugboats, and no injuries were reported.

On July 31, the Mega Express Three suffered a blackout between Golfo-Aranci and Livorno, the ship remained for several hours off the coast of Elba Island before managing to leave again with a significant delay.

Facilities

Originally, the Oceanus had 8 decks (cargo decks 3 and 4 extended over two floors to allow the ship to carry cargo). Passenger facilities were located on decks 5, 6 and 7.

Currently, the Mega Express Three has 10 decks, with the addition of two new levels (a removable car deck and a classic deck in place of the original garage) in 2004. The passenger areas now occupy decks 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. The garage extends over the entirety of decks 3 and 4.

Common areas

When the ship sailed for Minoan Lines, the communal facilities were mostly located on deck 5. The Oceanus featured a lounge bar, an à la carte restaurant, a self-service restaurant, a shopping arcade, and a casino. An outdoor pool with a lido bar was also located on deck 6, and an ice cream parlor was on deck 7.

During the 2004 refit following Corsica Ferries' acquisition of the ship, most of the existing layout was retained, but some modifications were made. The lounge bar was enlarged at the expense of the self-service area, which was relocated to the new deck 6.

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 in the center of the ship on deck 8;
• Dolce Vita, an à la carte restaurant located on deck 7 towards the middle of the ship;
• Yellow's, a self-service restaurant located in the middle of deck 6 offering classic cuisine;
• Gusto, a self-service restaurant offering Italian-inspired cuisine, sharing the same location as the previous one;
• Sweet Cafe, a sales outlet located near the previous ones offering hot and cold drinks as well as various pastries;

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

Cabins

In its former configuration, the Oceanus had 180 internal and external cabins located on decks 5 and 6, at the front of the ship. Most of these had two to four berths, and some had a double bed. All were equipped with a bathroom including a shower, toilet, and sink. A lounge with about 100 armchairs was also located at the rear of the ship on deck 5.

During the modifications undertaken by Corsica Ferries in 2004, approximately one hundred new cabins were added, bringing the total to 368. Like the original cabins, these cabins offered two to four berths and a private bathroom. Another lounge with reclining seats was also added, for a total of 485 passenger seats.

Features

The Mega Express Three is 212 meters long and 25 meters wide, with a tonnage of 29,637 GT (originally 26,995 GT). The ship could accommodate 1,300 passengers in its original configuration and, since its 2004 refit, can carry 2,100. These refits also include a garage with space for 670 vehicles on four levels. The garage is accessible via two ramp doors 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 6. The Mega Express Three is powered by four Wärtsilä 12V46C diesel engines, producing 50,424 kW of power and driving two propellers, propelling the vessel to a speed of 30.5 knots, making it one of the fastest ships in its class. The ship has four large lifeboats, two medium-sized ones and one semi-rigid rescue boat as well as several life rafts.

Routes served

For Minoan Lines, the ship operated the route between Greece and Italy during the summer of 2001, first on the Patras - Igoumenitsa - Venice route, then on the Patras-Igoumenitsa- Ancona route from October onwards. It then sailed between Italy, Malta, and Tunisia on the Genoa - Valletta - Tunis route during the summer of 2002 as part of a partnership between Minoan and the Grimaldi Group. It will sail between Greece and Italy during the summer of 2003 on the Patras-Igoumenitsa- Corfu - Bari route.

From June 2004 the ship serves Sardinia from Livorno and Civitavecchia to Golfo Aranci on behalf of the Corsica Ferries - Sardinia Ferries group.

Currently, the car ferry operates the shipping company's routes between mainland Italy and France, serving Sardinia and Corsica. During the summer, the vessel is assigned to the Livorno-Golfo Aranci route, and during the off-season, it serves Corsica primarily from Toulon to Ajaccio, but sometimes also to Bastia and occasionally from Nice. It also makes some inter-island crossings between Ajaccio and Porto Torres.

Sister ships

• Zeus Palace
• Moby Tommy