Minoan Lines

Minoan Lines is a Greek shipping company based in Heraklion, Crete. The logo of the shipping company was developed from the Lily Prince fresco, which was found in the palace of Knossos.

History

On May 25, 1972 Minoan was founded. The first ferry was the Minos, which undertook a first ride for Minoan Lines in the coastal service from Piraeus to Heraklion on 5 July 1974. It was the former Soya Margareta, a converted oil tanker, built in 1952. Ariadne, a 1967 built for the shipping company Gate Ferry Lines, in 1975 acquired a second ship to sail from now on, the connection to Crete every day can. So the shipping company continued to grow through the acquisition of second-hand vessels, to 1981 with the inclusion of ferry service between Patras and Ancona, the first voyages were made on an international level.

According to the previous additions to the fleet, the Minos of Minoan Lines Ferry was decommissioned in 1984, sold for demolition to Split and replaced by the Phaistos. Just as the success story has begun, the company continued to grow, so in 1986 the transport facilities for simple vehicles were, for example, through the purchase of the Ro / Ro cargo Agia Galini expanded to dangerous trucks.

In 1990, the cruise line with their line Greece - Italy - Turkey, which is frequented by the F / B Ariadne, the connection of the eastern Mediterranean to Europe via Greece ago. With the Erotokritos it was in 1992 for the first time vacationers possible, their caravans and motorhomes on special upper decks are equipped with the necessary infrastructure to bring, and they thus occupy during the crossing.

1995 Minoan Lines provides the high-speed ferry H / S / F Aretousa into service between Italy and Greece. In winter, this ship was also as a cruise ship go. This is the beginning of the complete renewal of the fleet until the turn of the millennium. The ferry Ikarus Palace and Pasiphae Palace acquired in 1997 and 1998 for 56 billion drachmas, used between Italy and Greece, while the ultra-modern Catamaran Ferry High Speed ​​1 and Ariadne in the line Piraeus - Cyclades used.

2000, the high-speed ferry Prometheus from the Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard in South Korea was received and ordered a sister ship. Further, the high-speed ferry Knossos Palace was from the Italian Fincantieri shipyard purchased and used from Piraeus to Heraklion ( Crete). On 26 September 2000, the Express Samina ferry Minoan Flying Dolphins went on a reef off Paros and went down in a short time. In the accident 80 people were killed.

The circulating on the line Heraklion - Piraeus - Heraklion N. Kazantzakis ferry was sold in 2001 and replaced by the sister ship of the Knossos Palace, Palace of Phaistos. Following the acquisition of new high-speed ferry Phaistos Palace is the strategic cooperation between Minoan Lines and Grimaldi, the largest shipping company Group of Italy, announced. Through this cooperation, Minoan Lines expands its range of activity from outside the Adriatic lines and is active in the area of the western Mediterranean. In the first phase, the company West Italy connects with Tunisia, then with various Mediterranean ports of France. In addition, the Phaistos Palace and Knossos Palace are as cruise ships for Grimaldi Ferries in use.

On 10 May 2002, the Europa Palace, by the Fincantieri - was built shipyard in Italy, put into service and used on the route from Ancona to Patras via Igoumenitsa and Corfu. With the acquisition of Ariadne Palace is a considerable investment program of the Company for the construction of seven new ships totaling approximately 670 million EURO is completed. The newly -built ships, which combine a high cruising speed with comfort and luxury, the company has renewed its fleet around. On 31 May 2002, the Ariadne Palace, formerly Oceanos was first on the new route GENOA - used TUNISIA, which open up the Minoan Lines in collaboration with the Italian Grimaldi Group now - MALTA.

In August 2003, Minoan Lines has been certified ( Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) as part of the measures to ensure safety of food and the resulting continuous quality of service on all ships with the new technology system for food safety and HACCP consumers.

Restructuring

The complete fleet renewal was a necessity in order to gain market share and expand. As of 2003, Minoan began with an early repayment of the bank loans and a stronger focus on profitability. Thus, the two built in South Korea ships Prometheus and Oceanus were sold to repay loans and fleet harmonization, there followed in 2004 the separation of the airline Aegean Lines, with the proceeds, the investment in the regional shipping company Hellas Flying Dolphins (now Hellenic Seaways ) to 33, 31 % increased. Finally, the Ariadne Palace ferry was sold on December 1, 2006 to the Italian ferry company Moby Lines, such as Minoan Lines announced in early September 2006.

In 2008, the Italian Grimaldi Group acquired a controlling majority in Minoan Lines.

In February 2009, the Pasiphae Palace was sold to Corsica Ferries SNCM and handed over in March. As a replacement was temporarily the Euro Star Barcelona, now Grimaldi heard used, which was renamed Zeus Palace and was already as Prometheus for Minoan in use in the past. From autumn 2009, Minoan Lines has two new ships, Cruise Europa and Cruise Olympia received (from June 2010). On 10 August 2009 the " Zeus Palace " went to the port entrance of Venice on a sandbank. Only after 14 hours, it was possible to bring the passengers to their destination. Since delivery of the Cruise Europe ferry chartered by Grimaldi is back for Grimaldi in use.

On July 1, 2012, the Venice- Patras was abandoned in the process of restructuring, the Patras -Ancona line was extended from December 2012 for Trieste.

The ships

The current fleet

Minoan Lines currently has seven high-speed ferries. This is according to the ships from the founding days of the shipping company and the ferries from the time the end of the 1980s/early 1990s, the third generation. They are all new and have many similarities in their construction on or are sister ships ( see Table ). On 12 October 2009 the cruise line received the new ferry Cruise Europe, since October 15, 2009 at the route Ancona - Patras is used - Igoumenitsa. Since July 3, 2010 also drives the sister ship, the Cruise Olympia, on the route. The Ikarus Palace today is for the parent company Grimaldi in use.

Former ships

  • Minos (built in 1952 as oil tankers, ML: 1974-1984 )
  • Ariadne (built 1967 ML: 1975-1999 )
  • Zakros ( Bj.1953, ML: 1977-1985 )
  • Knossos (built 1966, ML: 1978-1998 )
  • El Greco ( Year 1972 ML: 1979-2002 )
  • Phaistos (built 1966, ML: 1984-1998 )
  • Ro / Ro Agia Galini (built 1973 ML: 1986-2002 )
  • Fedra (built 1974, ML: 1987-2000 )
  • King Minos (built 1972 ML: 1987-2002 )
  • N. Kazantzakis (built 1972 ML: 1989-2001 )
  • Daedalus (built 1973 ML: 1989-2005 )
  • Aretousa I ( Year 1972, ML: 1991 )
  • Erotokritos (built 1974 ML: 1991-2002 )
  • Aretousa II (new construction (1995), ML: 1995-2002)
  • Ikarus (new construction (1997), ML :1997 -2001), was renamed the Ikarus Palace 2001.
  • Pasiphae (new construction (1998), ML: 1998-2002), renamed Pasiphae Palace in 2002, was sold in February 2009 to the French SNCM and renamed Jean Nicoli.
  • Prometheus (new construction (2001), ML: 2001-2003)
  • Oceanus ( Bj.2001, ML: 2001-2002) was in Ariadne Palace I: renamed, also used 2003 as the Ariadne Palace One and later sold to Corsica Ferries (ML 2002-2003).
  • Ariadne Palace ( built 2002, ML: 2002-2006) was sold on December 1, 2006, Moby Lines and renamed Moby Tommy.

Gallery

Pasiphae Palace

Europa Palace

Olympia Palace ( additional 1, 2)

Olympia Palace during bunkering in the port of Patras

The ferry

Minoan Lines offers Greek domestic, but also international ferry connections. The intra- Greek routes running between the ports of Piraeus ( Athens ), Heraklion ( Crete), Corfu, Igoumenitsa and Patras.

Since December 2012, Minoan Lines offers a new ferry service between Trieste - to Patras - Ancona - Igoumenitsa. Are used the ships Cruise Europe, Cruise Olympia and Europe link.

On the ferries can be found in the summer in addition to the truck v. a holiday, in the months of off-season individual Ferries are also used as cruise ships with different destinations.

Awards

  • Ferry Company of 2005; of the Greek Lloyd's List
  • The Κnossos Palace has been appointed by the prestigious European magazine Cruise & Ferry Info for world's best cruise ferry for the year 2000.
  • When London competition Cruise & Ferry Conference / Lloyd ' s List Κnossos Palace has been as the cruise ferry awarded the world's best interior design.
  • Then there is the international price Ζitelle - Meeting Planner, the Minoan Lines has received for their excellent services.
MS Express Samina Nikos Kazantzakis
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