[1] Eurostar Valencia was built as yard number 197 in 2003 by Cantiere Navale Visentini, Donada, Italy for the Grimaldi Group.

She then operated on various route in the Mediterranean Sea calling at Palermo, Salerno, Tunis, Valencia and Valletta.

[1] On 28 April 2015, Sorrento caught fire whilst on a voyage from Palma de Mallorca to Valencia.

An emergency was declared and a number of vessels went to the assistance of Sorrento,[3] including the ferries Publia and Visemar One.

[6] On 29 April 2015, it was announced that efforts would be made to bring the stricken ferry to a harbour in the Balearic Islands.

This was welcomed by environmentalists, who criticized a decision two weeks earlier to tow a burning fishing vessel out of port in the Canary Islands.

Sorrento had developed cracks in her hull, and was in danger of sinking some 25 nautical miles (46 km) off Majorca.