Minoan Lines
Encyclopedia
Minoan Lines is one of the dominant passenger ferry
companies in Greece, sailing between Piraeus and Crete and in the Adriatic Sea, between Patras and various Italian ports. The company was founded in May 1972. Since 2008 Grimaldi's Compagnia di Navigazione SpA owns and controls 85% of the stock of Minoan Lines.
Its logo
is derived from The Lily Prince fresco
of Knossos
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2011
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
companies in Greece, sailing between Piraeus and Crete and in the Adriatic Sea, between Patras and various Italian ports. The company was founded in May 1972. Since 2008 Grimaldi's Compagnia di Navigazione SpA owns and controls 85% of the stock of Minoan Lines.
Its logo
Logo
A logo is a graphic mark or emblem commonly used by commercial enterprises, organizations and even individuals to aid and promote instant public recognition...
is derived from The Lily Prince fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
of Knossos
Knossos
Knossos , also known as Labyrinth, or Knossos Palace, is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and probably the ceremonial and political centre of the Minoan civilization and culture. The palace appears as a maze of workrooms, living spaces, and store rooms close to a central square...
History
2003- The cooperation between Minoan and Grimaldi is already ended, only the MS Oceanus was deployed on the Italy-Tunisia route.
- The MS Oceanus, already renamed Ariadne Palace I is sold to Corsica Ferries.
- MS Prometheus is sold to Caronte shipping, an Italian shipping company.
2004
- Minoan decides to focus solely on the shipping sector and sells its stake in Aegean AirlinesAegean AirlinesAegean Airlines S.A. is the largest Greek airline by total number of passengers carried. A Star Alliance member since June 2010, it operates scheduled and charter services from Athens and Thessaloniki to other major Greek destinations as well as to a number of European destinations...
.
2005
- Attica GroupAttica GroupAttica Holdings S.A. is an operator of international ferry services in Europe. The Group’s main operations are with its subsidiary Superfast Ferries which began in 1995 with the launch of its first ships, Superfast I & Superfast II...
acquires 10.23% of the share capital of Minoan, reaching an 11.61% stake in the company. - Minoan sells its 18% stake in ForthnetForthnetForthnet S.A. is a Greek Internet Service Provider established in October 1995 by Minoan Lines SA and theFoundation for Research & Technology - Hellas , also known as FORTH....
to IntracomIntracomIntracom is a Greek group of companies, specialising in computer and defence system software development, as well as development and manufacture of telecommunications and defence equipment and electronics. Its founder and CEO is Socrates Kokkalis.- Overview :...
.
2006
- The MS Ariadne Palace is sold to Moby Lines which operates in Italian waters. All three vessels from the Samsung shipyard are sold to other companies.
- Minoan Lines is Passenger Line of the Year according to Lloyd's List
2007
- In February, Attica GroupAttica GroupAttica Holdings S.A. is an operator of international ferry services in Europe. The Group’s main operations are with its subsidiary Superfast Ferries which began in 1995 with the launch of its first ships, Superfast I & Superfast II...
increases its stake in Minoan Lines. - In June, Attica Group sells its entire stake in Minoan (22.2%) to Access Maritime SA, which is controlled by Mr. Laskarides.
- In December, Sea Star Capital, owner of ANEK LinesANEK LinesANEK Lines is a shipping company in Greece. It was founded in 1967 by numerous shareholders who were inhabitants of Crete. It operates passenger ferries, mainly on Piraeus-Crete and Adriatic Sea lines....
, acquires a 26.05% stake in Minoan Lines from Access Maritime in a privately negotiated transaction.
2008
- In January, Sea Star Capital, signs an agreement with Grimaldi's Compagnia di Navigazione SpA to sell its 26.7 percent stake in Minoan.
- In October, Compagnia di Navigazione SpA, mother company of the Grimaldi GroupGrimaldi GroupThe Grimaldi Group is a private shipping company owned by Guido Grimaldi and based in Livorno, Italy. Grimaldi operates a large fleet of ro-ro vessels.- Shipping :...
, raises its stake above the limit of one third of shared capital and voting rights, which triggers a mandatory bid for the rest of the shares. The offer is launched at the end of October and lasts until the end of November. During this period, Grimaldi acquires an additional 47.9% stake in Minoan Lines, raising its total stake to about 85%.
2009
- In January, MS Pasiphae Palace is sold to SNCMSNCMSNCM is a French ferry company operating in the Mediterranean.Its ferries sail from Marseille, Toulon, Nice on mainland France, Calvi, Bastia, Ajaccio, Ile Rousse, Propriano, and Porto Vecchio on Corsica, Porto Torres on Sardinia, Algiers, Oran, Skikda and Bejaia in Algeria as well as Tunis in...
, and became the Jean Nicoli ship. The replacement on the Venice - Igoumenitsa - Patras-Route is the MS Eurostar Barcelona, on loan from the mother company Grimaldi, formerly already operated by Minoan under the name of MS Prometheus. Eurostar Barcelona was renamed Zeus Palace. In October 2009, the new MS Cruise Europe was delivered, to be followed by the sister-ship MS Cruise Olympia in the early summer 2010.
2011
- In January 2011 Minoan Lines cancelled the sale of its 33,35% stake in Hellenic Seaways to ANEK and try to find a new buyer for it.
Current fleet
| Ship name | Flag | Year | IMO | callsign | tonnage | passengers | Photograph |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
1998 | 9144811 | SWEW | 29970 | 1528 |  |
|
| |
2000 | 9204063 | SYQO | 24000 | 2500 | ||
| |
2001 | 9204568 | SYNR | 24000 | 2500 |  |
|
| |
2000 | 9220330 | SYHI | 36800 | 1912 | ||
| |
2001 | 9220342 | SZMI | 36800 | 1912 |  |
|
 |
2009 | 9351490 | IBEV | 54310 | 2850 | ||
| |
2010 | 9351505 | IBEY | 54310 | 2850 | ||
Former ships
- FB Minos 1974-1984 (scrapped)
- FB Ariadne 1976-1999 (scrapped)
- FB Festos 1984-1998 (scrapped)
- Ro/Ro Agia Galini 1986-2002 (scrapped)
- FB Fedra 1987-2000 (Today MS Ouzoud with COMANAV)
- FB Daedalus 1989-2009 (Today MS Riviera Adriatica with Adria Ferries)
- FB KnossosMV AnconaMV Ancona is a car-passenger ferry owned by Blue Line International and operated on their service linking Ancona, Italy to Split, Croatia. She was built in 1966 by Lindholmens varv in Gothenburg, Sweden for Rederi AB Svea as MS Svea. As Svea she was used on the joint Sweden—United Kingdom service...
1978-1998 (scraped) - FB El Greco 1979-2002 (scrapped)
- FB N. Kazantzakis 1989-2001 (Today sailing for Pacific Cruises)
- FB King Minos 1987-2002 (Today MS Mawaddah with Namma Lines)
- FB Erotokritos 1991-2002 (Today MS Erotokritos T with Endeavour Lines)
- HSF Aretousa 1995-2001 (Today MS Girolata with CMN)
- HSF Prometheus 2001-2004 (Today Eurostar Barcelona with Grimaldi lines
- HSF Oceanus 2001-2002 (renamed Ariadne Palace 12002-2003) (Today MS Mega Express Three with Corsica FerriesCorsica FerriesCorsica Ferries and Sardinia Ferries are marketing names used by Corsica Ferries, a France-based ferry company that operates traffic to and from the islands of Corsica and Sardinia...
) - HSF Ariadne Palace 2002-2006 (Today MS Moby Tommy with Moby LinesMoby LinesMoby Lines is an Italian shipping company that operates ferries and cruiseferries between the Italian or French mainland and the islands of Elba, Sardinia and Corsica. The company was founded in 1959 under the name Navigazione Arcipelago Maddalenino .In 2006 Moby Lines purchased Lloyd Sardegna...
) - HSF Pasiphae Palace 1998-2010 (Today MS Jean Nicoli with SNCM)
- HSF Icarus Palace 1998-
Routes
- Greece
- PiraeusPiraeusPiraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
- Heraklio
- Piraeus
- Greece- Italy
- PatrasPatrasPatras , ) is Greece's third largest urban area and the regional capital of West Greece, located in northern Peloponnese, 215 kilometers west of Athens...
- IgoumenitsaIgoumenitsaIgoumenitsa , is a coastal city in northwestern Greece. It is the capital of the regional unit Thesprotia. Its original ancient name used to be Titani....
- AnconaAnconaAncona is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of 101,909 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region.... - Patras - Igoumenitsa - CorfuCorfuCorfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
- VeniceVeniceVenice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
- Patras
Affiliates
Companies that are affiliates of Minoan Lines (larger than 10%) are outlined below.- Minoan Agencies S.r.l. 95,00%
- Cretan Filoxenia S.A. 99,99%
- Minoan Cruises S.A. 80,28%
- Hellenic SeawaysHellenic SeawaysHellenic Seaways is a Greek shipping company operating passenger and freight ferry services in the Aegean and Adriatic Seas. The company is owned by Cyprus based Sea Star Capital Plc.-History:...
33,31%