ZEUS PALACE

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

Ferry delayed due to bomb threat

An anonymous call to the Grimaldi headquarters in Rome triggered a bomb threat:emergency protocol aboard the 'Zeus Palace' on the evening of July 19, 2025, in Livorno. The anonymous tip-off, which led to the immediate evacuation of the crew and the mobilisation of the bomb disposal squad. The alarm was raised around 7 p.m. The authorities immediately activated the security protocol for major emergencies, involving the joint intervention by police, firefighters, and medical personnel. There were approximately 1,500 passengers and 700 vehicles on board. Two initial checks, conducted by the ship's crew and the police, found no anomalies. Subsequently, the bomb detection dog unit conducted a further inspection, definitively ruling out the presence of dangerous substances. The entire security plan was coordinated by the prefecture, which confirmed at the end of the operations that no critical problems had been identified. After hours of waiting, the green light was given for the departure of the 'Zeus Palace'. The ship was temporarily relocated from Darsena Toscana to Calata Bengasi to facilitate the entry of the 'Cruise Europa' p into the port, which had anchored off the port due to the ongoing emergency. The 'Zeus Palace' left the port around midnight, gradually returning the situation in the Tuscan port to normal.It was unclear whether an investigation will be launched to identify the person who made the anonymous call that led to the port closure and the delay in departure.

Ferry lost life raft

The "Zeus Palace" lost a life raft overboard in the Tyrrhenian Sea on May 9, 2019, in position 40 43 00 N, 11 49 06 E. The life raft was of a capacity to hold 101 people.

Grimaldi Group enhances its services to Olbia

Following the success of its recent initiatives, the Grimaldi Group proceeds to enhance its maritime links for passengers and freight between mainland Italy and Sardinia. As from mid-April, the Livorno-Olbia link will be further strengthened while, at the same time, a daily connection between the ports of Civitavecchia and Olbia will be launched, the company said in its press release. Inaugurated last 11th of January, the daily Livorno-Olbia link will be enhanced with the deployment of the vessel Cruise Olbia, a new generation ro/pax ferry, which will replace the Zeus Palace currently deployed on the service. With a length of 204 meters, the Cruise Olbia is able to transport 1,600 passengers and 2,400 linear meters of rolling cargo and accompanying passenger vehicles. The ferry has 242 comfortable cabins, fitted with bathroom and air conditioning, for a total of 834 beds, a self service and an à la carte restaurant, three bars, a shop, a children's play room and a discotheque. The deployment of the Cruise Olbia will allow the Grimaldi Group to further improve the quality standards of its onboard services, thus meeting the needs of its customers. The "top quality" services offered on board will be also combined with a "low cost” pricing policy. The ro/pax vessel Zeus Palace, instead, will be deployed on the new Civitavecchia-Olbia service, whose frequency will be daily both ways, with departure from Civitavecchia at 10:45 p.m. and arrival in Olbia the following day at 07:00 a.m.. The return from Olbia will be at 12:30 p.m., arriving in Civitavecchia at 7:00 p.m..