Dover-based P&O Ferries has sold PRIDE OF YORK and PRIDE OF BRUGES. That is according to an internal email to staff seen by NIFS. PRIDE OF YORK was handed over to her new owner/operator Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV) earlier today. Her part-sister PRIDE OF BRUGES will transfer to GNV within days according to the internal communication.
Update 17.04.2021: PRIDE OF YORK left Rotterdam at around 10am (UK time) this morning with an indicated destination of Napoli (Naples).
Update 16.04.2021: Grandi Navi Veloci has now confirmed the sale of PRIDE OF YORK in a press release. She will sail, as expected, between Naples and Palermo as GNV ARIES. According to the release the ship will be refurbished before being introduced to service. P&O Ferries has still not commented publicly on the sale.
A new crew is already onboard PRIDE OF YORK preparing the ship to set sail for a new life in the Mediterranean. As we reported previously, she is to be renamed GNV ARIES. The P&O email states that she will sail under the Cypriot flag.
In the coming days, PRIDE OF YORK is expected to leave Europoort where she has been laid up for months. Her destination will be Naples according to the P&O message. PRIDE OF BRUGES is expected to follow once preparations for the trip have been made.
