Spain's Ministry of the Interior is said to have hired up to three ropax vessels to accommodate national police and civil guard units, including riot police, mobilised to Catalonia to reinforce local forces.

Spanish media name the vessels as the 2,448-passenger cruise ferry Rhapsody (built 1996), 2,180-passenger GNV Azzura (built1980) and 1,650-passenger ferry Moby Dada (built 1981).

The former duo are owned by Grand Navi Veloci (GNV) of Genoa, while the Moby Dada is operated by Italian compatriot Moby Lines.