GRIMALDI LAUNCHES THE NEW PALERMO-CAGLIARI RO-PAX CONNECTION The Neapolitan Group starts a massive campaign to boost its presence in Sardinia Naples, 6 January 2021: The Grimaldi Group kicks off 2021 with an expansion of its presence in Sardinia: starting from next 15 January the ro-pax vessel Venezia, which currently serves the three-times-a-week Salerno-Cagliari-Salerno connection, will also call at the port of Palermo. The new Palermo-Cagliari connection (and vice versa) will have a weekly frequency, with departure from Palermo on Saturdays at 19:30 hours and arrival in the Sardinian capital on Sundays morning at 09:00 hours. Departure from Cagliari is scheduled every Friday at 19:30 hours, with expected arrival in the Sicilian capital the following day at 09:00 hours. The Italian-flagged ferry Venezia, which will be deployed on the new route, has a service speed of up to 23 knots and a loading capacity of 2,250 linear meters, corresponding to about 130 trucks, plus 1,000 passengers and 200 cars. The vessel has 96 inside and oceanview cabins, all with air conditioning and en suite facilities, some equipped for passengers with reduced mobility and pets travelling in tow, as well as a comfortable lounge with reclining seats. Several services are offered on board, such as a self- service restaurant, cafeteria, video games and slot machine room, shops and play area for children. “With the launch of the Palermo-Cagliari ro-pax connection, we are starting a massive campaign to further boost our presence in Sardinia, an increasingly strategic market for our P R E GroupS S ”,R Edeclares L E A S E Emanuele Grimaldi, Managing Director of the Neapolitan company. "Sardinia is at the center of an extensive network of maritime connections that the Grimaldi Group has built in recent years in the Western Mediterranean, both for the transport of freight and passengers, guaranteeing territorial continuity not only with Continental Italy but also with neighbouring nations". The Grimaldi Group currently operates various maritime services to and from Sardinia: these include the historic Civitavecchia - Porto Torres - Barcelona connection and other regular lines dedicated to the transport of both freight and passengers, such as Livorno - Olbia and Civitavecchia - Olbia, as well as numerous freight only services linking Porto Torres with Genoa and Cagliari with Genoa, Livorno, Salerno and Valencia/Sagunto. The new connection between Cagliari and Palermo aims to satisfy the increasingly growing demand for transport between Italy’s major islands. For more information: Grimaldi Group – External Relations: Paul Kyprianou Ph: 081/496246; Mob: 3204076539; Email: [email protected] _____________________________________________________________________________ The Grimaldi Group, headquartered in Naples, operates a fleet of over 130 vessels and employs approximately 16,000 people. Wholly owned by the Grimaldi family, it is a multinational logistics Group specialised in the operation of roll- on/roll-off vessels, car carriers and ferries. It comprises six shipping companies, namely: Grimaldi Deep Sea, operating in the transport of rolling cargo and container on the Atlantic routes and between the Mediterranean and West Africa; Grimaldi Euromed, specialized in the transport of rolling freight in Europe, in the Motorways of the Sea and in the transport of passengers in the Mediterranean with the Grimaldi Lines brand; Atlantic Container Line, which offers transport services for containers and rolling cargo between North America and North Europe; Malta Motorways of the Sea, shipowning company; Minoan Lines, operating in Greek cabotage for the transport of freight and passengers; Finnlines, operating in freight and passengers transport in the North and Baltic Sea. The maritime connections are the core of an advanced logistics chain, which includes port terminals and road transport companies. The 22 port terminals owned/operated by the Grimaldi Group are located in 12 countries around the world: Italy (Salerno, Monfalcone, Civitavecchia, Catania, Gioia Tauro, Savona Palermo & Livorno), Spain (Barcelona, Valencia and Sagunto), Germany (Hamburg), Sweden (Wallhamn), Finland (Turku & Helsinki), Denmark (Esbjerg), Ireland (Cork), Belgium (Antwerp), Egypt (Alexandria), Cameroon (Douala), Nigeria (Lagos), Benin (Cotonou). Most of these terminals are fitted with Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) facilities, warehouses and workshops. P R E S S R E L E A S E.