Minoan Lines
| Minoan Lines Μινωικές Γραμμές Ανòνυμη Ναυτιλιακή Εταιρεία |
|
|---|---|
| legal form | AG |
| founding | May 25, 1972 |
| Seat |
Heraklion Greece
|
| Number of employees | ~ 1800 |
| Branch | Ferry traffic |
| Website | [1] |
Minoan Lines is a Greek shipping company based in Heraklion on Crete . The Lily Prince Fresco , which was found in the palace of Knossos , served as a template for the logo of the shipping company .
history
It was founded on May 25, 1972. The first ferry was the Minos ; she drove on July 5, 1974 for the Minoan Lines for the first time in coastal service from Piraeus to Heraklion. It was the former Soya-Margareta , a converted oil tanker, built in 1952. The Ariadne , a ferry built in 1967 for the Tor Lines shipping company , was acquired in 1975 as the second ship to be able to operate the connection to Crete on a daily basis. The shipping company continued to grow by purchasing used ships until the first international voyages were undertaken in 1981 with the start of the ferry connection between Patras and Ancona.
In 1984 the Minos ferry was decommissioned by Minoan Lines, sold to Split for demolition and replaced by the Festos . In 1986, the purchase of the Ro / Ro freighter Agia Galini expanded the transport options for vehicles up to and including dangerous goods trucks.
In 1990 the shipping company established the connection of the eastern Mediterranean via Greece to Europe with its line Greece - Italy - Turkey , which was operated by the F / B Ariadne. With the Erotokritos it became possible for vacationers for the first time in 1992 to park their caravans and motorhomes on special upper decks, which are equipped with the appropriate infrastructure, and thus to inhabit them during the crossing.
In 1995 Minoan Lines put the high-speed ferry H / S / F Aretousa into regular service between Italy and Greece. In winter this ship was also used as a cruise ship. This was the beginning of the complete renewal of the fleet by the turn of the millennium. The Ikarus Palace and Pasiphae Palace ferries were purchased for 56 billion drachmas in 1997 and 1998, respectively, and were used between Italy and Greece, while the modern Catamaran Ferry Highspeed 1 and Ariadne were also used on the Piraeus - Cyclades line.
In 2000, the high-speed ferry Prometheus from the Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard in South Korea was received and a sister ship was ordered. In addition, the high-speed ferry Knossos Palace was acquired from the Italian Fincantieri shipyard and used from Piraeus to Heraklion (Crete). On September 26, 2000 the ferry Express Samina of the Minoan Flying Dolphins hit a reef off Paros and sank in a short time. 80 people died.
The circulating on the line Heraklion-Piraeus-Heraklion Ferry N. Kazantzakis was sold in 2001 and from the sister ship of the Knossos Palace , the Festos Palace , replaced. After the takeover of the new high-speed ferry Festos Palace , the strategic collaboration between Minoan Lines and Grimaldi, Italy's largest shipping group, was announced. Through this cooperation, Minoan Lines expanded its area of activity outside the Adriatic lines and became active in the western Mediterranean. In the first phase, the company connected western Italy with Tunisia , then with various Mediterranean ports in France. In addition, the Festos Palace and Knossos Palace are used as cruise ships for Grimaldi Ferries.
On May 10, 2002, the Europa Palace , built by the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, was put into service and used on the route from Ancona to Patras via Igoumenitsa and Corfu. With the takeover of Ariadne Palace , the company's considerable investment program for the construction of seven new ships with a total value of approx. 670 million euros is completed. The company has completely renewed its fleet with the newly built ships, which combine high cruising speed with comfort and luxury. On May 31, 2002 the Ariadne Palace , formerly Oceanos , was used for the first time on the new route Genoa - Malta - Tunisia , which Minoan Lines are now developing in cooperation with the Italian Grimaldi Group.
restructuring
Starting in 2003, Minoan began to prepay its bank loans early and focus more on profitability. The two ships Prometheus and Oceanus, built in South Korea, were sold for loan repayment and fleet harmonization, followed by the separation from Aegean Airlines in 2004, with the proceeds increasing the stake in the regional shipping company Hellas Flying Dolphins (today: Hellenic Seaways) to 33 , 31% increased. Finally, the Ariadne Palace ferry was also sold to the Italian ferry company Moby Lines on December 1, 2006 , as Minoan Lines announced in early September 2006.
In 2008, the Italian Grimaldi group took over a controlling majority.
In February 2009 the Pasiphae Palace was sold to SNCM Corsica Ferries and handed over in March. The Eurostar Barcelona , which is now owned by Grimaldi, was temporarily used as a replacement ; it was renamed Zeus Palace and had already been used as Prometheus for Minoan in the past . Minoan Lines has had Cruise Europa since autumn 2009 and Cruise Olympia from June 2010 . On August 10, 2009, the “Zeus Palace” hit a sandbank in the port entrance of Venice. The passengers arrived at their destination after 14 hours. Since the delivery of Cruise Europa , the ferry chartered by Grimaldi has been in use again for Grimaldi.
As of July 1, 2012, the Venice-Patras line was abandoned as part of the restructuring, the Patras-Ancona line was extended to Trieste from December 2012. At the beginning of 2017, Venice was approached twice a week at night instead.
Minoan Lines is now owned by Grimaldi, Palermo, Italy
Ships
Current fleet
Minoan Lines currently has seven high-speed ferries. This is the third generation after the ships from when the shipping company was founded and the ferries from the late 1980s / early 1990s. They are all new builds and show great similarities in their structure or are sister ships (see table).
On October 12, 2009, the shipping company received the ferry Cruise Europa , with which the entry into the 4th generation of ferries was carried out. Cruise Europa has been operating on the Ancona - Igoumenitsa - Patras route since October 15, 2009. The newest ferry, the Cruise Olympia , has also been operating on this route since July 3, 2010. The Ikarus Palace is now in use for the parent company Grimaldi.
| Surname | Construction year | measurement | length | width | Passengers | Gauge meter | Shipyard | Status / route |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knossos Palace | 2000 | 37,482 GT | 214.00 m | 26.40 m | 2500 | 1500 | Fincantieri | in service Heraklion-Piraeus |
| Kydon Palace | 2001 | 37,482 GT | 214.00 m | 26.40 m | 2500 | 1500 | Fincantieri | in service Chania-Piraeus |
| Festos Palace | 2002 | 36,894 GT | 214.00 m | 26.40 m | 1922 | 1932 | Fincantieri | in service Piraeus-Heraklion |
| Santorini Palace | 2005 | 4,927 GT | 85.00 m | 21.20 m | 1160 | Austal | in service Heraklion – Santorini – Paros – Mykonos |
|
| Cruise Europe | 2009 | 54,310 GT | 225.00 m | 30.40 m | 2850 | 3050 | Fincantieri | in service Patras – Igoumenitsa – Ancona |
| Cruise Olympia | 2010 | 54,310 GT | 225.00 m | 30.40 m | 2850 | 3050 | Fincantieri | in service Patras – Igoumenitsa – Ancona |
Former ships
- Minos (built in 1952 as an oil tanker, ML: 1974–1984)
- Ariadne (YOC 1967, ML: 1975–1999)
- Zakros (Bj. 1953, ML: 1977–1985)
- Knossos (YOC 1966, ML: 1978–1998)
- El Greco (YOC 1972 ML: 1979-2002)
- Festos (Bj. 1966, ML: 1984–1998), drove for Finnlines for many years under the name 'Finnpartner'
- Ro / Ro Agia Galini (YOC 1973, ML: 1986–2002)
- Fedra (Bj. 1974, ML: 1987–2000)
- King Minos (YOC 1972, ML: 1987–2002)
- N. Kazantzakis (YOC 1972, ML: 1989-2001)
- Daedalus (YOC 1973, ML: 1989–2005)
- Aretousa I (YOC 1972, ML: 1991)
- Erotokritos (Bj. 1974, ML: 1991–2002)
- Aretousa II (new building (1995), ML: 1995–2002)
- Ikarus (new building (1997), ML: 1997-2001), was renamed Ikarus Palace in 2001 , was taken over by the parent company Grimaldi and now sails as Cruise Smeralda in the western Mediterranean
- Pasiphae (new building (1998), ML: 1998–2002), renamed Pasiphae Palace in 2002 , was sold to the French shipping company SNCM in February 2009 and renamed Jean Nicoli .
- Prometheus (new building (2001), ML: 2001–2003)
- Oceanus (Bj. 2001, ML: 2001-2002) was renamed Ariadne Palace I (ML: 2002-2003), in 2003 also used as Ariadne Palace One and later sold to Corsica Ferries.
- Ariadne Palace (Bj. 2002, ML: 2002-2006) was sold to Moby Lines on December 1, 2006 and renamed Moby Tommy .
- Olympia Palace (Bj. 2002, ML: 2002–2012) was taken over by the parent company Grimaldi and now sails as Cruise Bonaria in the western Mediterranean
Illustrations
Ariadne Palace (also: 1 )
Europa Palace
Olympia Palace while bunkering in the port of Patras
The ferry connections
Minoan Lines offers both domestic and international ferry connections. The internal Greek routes run between the ports of Piraeus (Athens), Heraklion (Crete), Corfu , Igoumenitsa and Patras .
Since December 2012 Minoan Lines has been offering a new ferry connection between Trieste - Ancona - Igoumenitsa - Patras . The ships Cruise Europa and Cruise Olympia are used . According to the current timetable, Ravenna instead of Ancona is to be called into the main season 2014.
On the ferries in summer next to the trucks v. a. To find vacationers, in the months of the off-season, individual ferries are also used as cruise ships with various destinations.
Awards
- Ferry Company of the Year 2005; from the Greek Lloyd's List
- The Knossos Palace has been named the world's best cruise ferry for the year 2000 by the prestigious European trade magazine Cruise & Ferry Info.
- At the London Cruise & Ferry Conference / Lloyd's List competition, Knossos Palace was recognized as the cruise ferry with the world's best interior design.
- There is also the international Zitelle - Meeting Planner award, which Minoan Lines received for its excellent services.
Web links
- Official website
- The ships until 1994 (S1)
- The ships from 1995 to today (S2)
- Minoan Lines ships
- Press release on the sale of the Pasiphae Palace
Footnotes
- ^ M / S Shiretok Maru. Retrieved January 14, 2018 .
- ↑ From Venice - timetables and prices from Venice to Corfu - Igoumenitsa and Patras danaë shipping ag (Swiss agent of Minoan Lines), accessed on September 27, 2018.
- ^ Equasis - France Ministry for Transport: Administrative data of the ships. Retrieved December 30, 2011 .
- ↑ a b c d Minoan Lines: Our fleet. Retrieved December 30, 2011 .