Moby Lines Europe GmbH

What Moby Lines Europe GmbH does

Moby Lines Europe GmbH is the German-market operating subsidiary of the Italian ferry operator Moby S.p.A., headquartered in Milan and controlled by Onorato Armatori S.r.l. The entity runs the German-language e-commerce platform mobylines.de, which functions as the direct-to-consumer booking channel for Moby Group ferry crossings between mainland Italian ports (Genoa, Livorno, Civitavecchia, Piombino) and the Mediterranean islands of Sardinia, Corsica, and Elba. The firm employs 8 people out of a German regional base and inherits a network of group-owned brands that includes Tirrenia (Sicily/Sardinia services) and Toremar (Tuscan Archipelago services). It also handles German-language customer service, travel-agency relations via the agency.moby.it portal, and marketing for outbound leisure and cargo customers originating from German-speaking Europe.

The core product is passenger and vehicle ferry transport, supplemented by onboard accommodation (cabins and reclining seats), multiple dining venues (à la carte restaurant, self-service, pizzeria, cafeteria), and ancillary services including travel cancellation insurance through Hanse Merkur, a hotel partnership referral program, and a points-based loyalty program called Moby Card. The technology stack is a transactional e-commerce platform with electronic check-in, smartphone barcode ticketing, multilingual support (German, Italian, French, English), and a newly launched personal-area dashboard for self-service reservation management. Free WiFi was rolled out across the four flagship vessels (Moby Legacy, Moby Fantasy, Moby Aki, Moby Wonder) in 2024. Cargo and freight transport is operated under the Moby Cargo sub-brand with the same fleet infrastructure of approximately 20 vessels.

Revenue is generated primarily through transaction-based ticket sales (passenger fares, cabins, vehicle fees), with secondary streams from onboard food and beverage, insurance commissions, hotel referral fees, and a 20% promotional voucher program running from December 2025 to July 2026. Pricing is dynamic by route, date, departure time, and ship occupancy, with multi-tier structures including Best Offer tariffs, resident discounts for Sardinia/Corsica, special PEX rates for campers and commercial vehicles, and free deck passage for children under 12. Distribution is omnichannel: direct via mobylines.de, agency portal, port ticket offices, reservations call center, and self-service personal area. Customer segments span individual leisure travelers, families, island residents, freight operators, and group-travel organizers.

Name

Moby Lines Europe GmbH

Legal name

Moby S.p.A.

Website

https://mobylines.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1895

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Moby Lines Europe GmbH is the German-market subsidiary of Italian ferry operator Moby S.p.A., selling passenger and vehicle ferry tickets through mobylines.de for routes connecting Italian mainland ports to Sardinia, Corsica, and Elba.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Water Transportation (483)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Passenger Ferry Operators (Interisland/Intercity) (TLAFALAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Passenger Ro-Ro Ferries (Vehicle + Passenger) (THAIAJAF)

Keywords

• Passenger ferry services
• Maritime passenger transport
• Vehicle ferry transport
• Mediterranean island connections
• Cargo freight shipping

Headquarters

HQ city

Milan

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Passenger Ferry Tickets: Revenue from ticket sales for ferry crossings to Sardinia, Corsica, Elba, and Sicily. Prices vary based on route, date, departure time, and ship occupancy. Includes deck passage, cabin bookings, and vehicle transport (cars, motorcycles, campers).
2. Onboard Services: Revenue from food and beverage services (restaurants, bars, cafeterias, pizzeria), cabin accommodations, loungers, shopping areas, and entertainment services aboard ships.
3. Cargo/Freight Transport: Moby Cargo services for transporting goods and freight via ferry to Sardinia, Corsika, and Elba. Includes services for commercial vehicles, trucks, and goods transport.
4. Insurance Products: Travel cancellation insurance offered in partnership with Hanse Merkur for passenger bookings.
5. Hotel Partnerships: Commission from partner hotels offered to passengers booking through the Moby website.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Moby Lines Europe GmbH sells passenger and vehicle ferry tickets on routes connecting Italian mainland ports (Genoa, Livorno, Civitavecchia, Piombino) to the Mediterranean islands of Sardinia, Corsica, and Elba. The company also provides onboard cabin and seating accommodations, multiple dining venues, cargo freight services (Moby Cargo), and ancillary travel insurance offered in partnership with Hanse Merkur. Operations are supported by a fleet of approximately 20 ships, with year-round service on core routes.

Product overview

Moby Lines Europe GmbH operates a unified ferry service platform offering passenger and vehicle transport across routes connecting Italian mainland ports (Genoa, Livorno, Civitavecchia, Piombino) to Sardinia, Corsica, and Elba. The core product is ferry transport, supplemented by onboard cabin/seating accommodations, multiple dining venues, vehicle transport, cargo services, and travel insurance. The fleet includes Moby-branded vessels (Legacy, Fantasy, Wonder, Aki, Orli, Tommy, Giraglia, Kiss, Niki, Bunifazziu), Tirrenia vessels (Florio, Rubattino), and Toremar vessels (Marmorica, Stelio Montomoli, Oglasa, Rio Marina Bella, Giuseppe Rum, Giovanni Bellini). The company also operates Moby Cargo for freight transport and maintains a loyalty program (Moby Card).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Moby Club: Loyalty program offering points for each crossing that can be converted to MOBY coupons for discounts on future travel with MOBY and Tirrenia.
• Moby Cargo
• Tirrenia
• Toremar

Quantifiable outcome

• 14,000 ferry departures per year

Segments4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Hanse MerkurminorOthersTravel cancellation insurance provider. Moby offers passengers the option to purchase travel insurance from Hanse Merkur during the booking process for trip cancellation coverage.
• Partner HotelsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMoby announces new agreements with selected partner hotels to offer exclusive rates to passengers booking through the official website mobylines.de. Provides added value for travelers booking ferry tickets.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Stena Line: One of Europe's largest ferry operators with extensive North Sea and Irish Sea networks. Comparable in business model (passenger + vehicle + freight, multi-brand, online booking) but operates in a different geography; useful as a scaled European benchmark.
• DFDS: Large Danish-listed ferry and logistics group operating passenger and freight ferries across Europe. Similar integrated passenger/cargo model and digital booking platform; useful comparable for European ferry scale and route-network economics.

Direct peers

• Tirrenia: Sister brand wholly owned by Onorato Armatori (same parent as Moby), operating ferry services to Sicily and Sardinia. While same-group, it competes in the same market and is often benchmarked alongside Moby in customer comparisons.
• Toremar: Wholly-owned subsidiary brand of Onorato Armatori running ferries to the Tuscan Archipelago including Elba from Piombino. Shares fleet assets and corporate parent with Moby; relevant as internal benchmark and competitive substitute on Elba routes.
• Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV): Italian ferry operator running passenger and vehicle services between mainland Italy, Sardinia, Sicily, and beyond. Direct competitor to Moby on overlapping Genoa–Sardinia and Livorno routes, with similar revenue mix of tickets, cabins, and onboard F&B.
• Grimaldi Lines: Italian ferry and RoRo operator with passenger services to Sardinia, Sicily, and other Mediterranean destinations alongside significant cargo operations. Closely comparable business model combining passenger ticketing, vehicle transport, and freight.
• Corsica Ferries - France: France-based ferry operator focused on Italy–Corsica crossings (Livorno–Bastia, Genoa–Bastia, plus the Santa Teresa–Bonifacio route that Moby also serves). Direct head-to-head competitor on Corsica routes from the same mainland Italian ports.

Regional players

• Balearia: Spanish ferry operator serving the Balearic Islands and North Africa with passenger and cargo services. Comparable business model and Mediterranean island-connectivity focus, but operates in a different regional market.
• Saremar: Regional Sardinian ferry operator handling minor island connections around Sardinia. Smaller and geographically narrower than Moby, but directly comparable in operating model (RoRo passenger ferries, island routes, online booking).
• Trasmediterranea: Spanish ferry operator with passenger and cargo services to the Canary Islands, Balearics, and North Africa. Similar ferry/passenger/cargo model in a different regional geography; relevant for cross-Mediterranean benchmarking.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MobyLinesEuropeTirrenia
• Instagraminstagram.com/mobytraghetti
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/moby-lines-europe-gmbh

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Moby Lines Europe GmbH