| Industry | Passenger and Merchant Shipping |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1850 |
| Founder(s) | Anastassios Potamianos |
| Headquarters | Pireaus, Greece |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Services | Cruises and Cargo Transportation |
Epirotiki is a shipping company that operated from the mid 1850s to date. Epirotiki Line operates cruise vessels, but also operates a variety of other vessels such as cargo and tanker vessels.
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Anastassios Potamianos began his first shipping venture in 1850 transporting cargo and passengers along the River Danube between the island of Cephalonia the city of Brăila. Assisting Anastassios was his nephew, Giorgos Potamianos. When Anastassios Potamianos died in 1902 Giorgos undertook the management of the company and took the emblem of the Byzantine Cross as the company's trademark, and changed the company name to Epirotiki. In 1916 Giorgos moved to the new centre of shipping of Piraeus, acquiring his first steam powered ship. By 1926 the company owned 15 passenger vessels ranging between 800 to 1500 GRT.
During World War II, Piraeus was destroyed by German air attacks on the city. Only one vessel was saved, the G.Potamianos, which was appropriated by the Allies. At the conclusion of the war Epirotiki began its revival with the acquisition of three ships, ushering in its modern era.
From the early 1950s Epirotiki Line steadily grew its fleet and service. Epirotiki focused entirely on the cruise ship market and started round trip cruises operating in the Aegean Sea, Greek Islands and Eastern Mediterranean. Acquisitions of vessels such as Semiramis, Pegasus (I) and Hermes helped in the company's expansion. In the 1960s, Epirotiki continued to expand its operation, adding a number of Caribbean destinations. Vessels acquired in this period included the Argonaut, Jason, Apollon (I) and Poseidon among others. The cruise industry grew quickly in the 1970s, and Epirotiki became the largest cruise ship company in Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean with additions to its fleet such as the Jupiter, Oceanos, World Renaissance, Odysseus, Mistral, Pegasus (II) and Triton. During the 1980's and after the company diversified into dry cargo carriers and crude oil tankers under separate management. In the marine tourism sector, following external events, Epirotiki sought to solidify its position through partnerships and mergers. In 1993 Epirotiki made a partnership with Carnival Cruise Lines, agreeing to purchase ships from Carnival in exchange for shares in Epirotiki. The company acquired the vessels Pallas Athena, Olympic and Apollon (II). Following a friendly split, in August 1995 Epirotiki agreed to merge its operations with Sun Line, creating a new company named Royal Olympic Cruise Lines. Initially maintaining its two brand names, Royal Olympic Cruise Lines began planning a public offering of the company in 1997. The company restructured its holdings, creating a new entity, Royal Olympia Cruise Lines, and listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange (ROCLF) in 1998. In 2001 Louis Cruise Lines, a member of the Louis Group of Companies, made an offer to purchase the shares in Royal Olympic Cruises, and the ROCL management subsequently passed to the Louis Group.
Today Epirotiki continues its shipping activities under modern management.
A list of operating vessels in the fleet at the company's last incarnation