Hellenic Seaways

Hellenic Seaways

Type	Private
Predecessor	Hellas Ferries
Founded	2005
Headquarters	Piraeus, Greece
Area served	Greek Islands, Italy
Key people	Gerasimos Strintzis (Chairman) Antonios Agapitos (CEO)[1]
Products	Shipping
Services	Passenger transportation Freight transportation
Owner	Piraeus Bank (38%)[2] Minoan Lines (33.34%)[3]
Number of employees	1,008 (2013)
Website	www.hellenicseaways.gr

Austal-built Highspeed 5 manoeuvring in the port of Ios Island.

Flyingcat 4 approaching the port of Santorini island.

MS Ariadne departing Venice

hydrofoil Flying Dolphin XVII at high speed level

Hellenic Seaways is a Greek shipping company operating passenger and freight ferry services in the Aegean and Adriatic Seas. The company is owned by Minoan Lines, which currently controls the majority stake.

History

Hellenic Seaways was created in 2005 following the consolidation of Minoan Flying Dolphins and its subsidiaries Hellas Flying Dolphins, Hellas Ferries Saronikos Ferries and Sporades Ferries.

It is the biggest Greek shipping Company, which operates 21 vessels, 9 conventional, and 12 high-speed, servicing more than 35 ports in the Cyclades, North East Aegean, South East Aegean, Crete, Argosaronikos and Sporades. ^[4]

In August 2009 Hellenic Seaways purchased the single-ship, budget cruise line easyCruise from founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou.^[5]

In January 2011 Minoan Lines (Heraklion) cancelled the sale of its 33,35% stake in Hellenic Seaways to ANEK and try to find a new buyer for it.^[6]

Fleet

Hellenic Seaways operate a large fleet of high speed craft,^[7][8] conventional ferries ^[9]

Conventional Ferries

Ship	Flag	Built	Gross tonnage	Length	Width	Passengers	Cars	Speed	Notes
Ariadne		1996	30.882 GT	196 m	27 m	1.845	560	27,5
Nissos Mykonos		2005	14.717 GT	141 m	21 m	1.915	418	28
Nissos Chios		2007	14.717 GT	141 m	21 m	1.715	418	28,4	On charter to Balearia
Express Pegasus		1977	4.863 GT	125,7 m	18,5 m	1.518	200	20
Apollon Hellas		1990	1.821 GT	91,8 m	14,5 m	1.500	98	16
Express Skiathos		1996	1.996 GT	77,9 m	22 m	1.390	184	19
Artemis		1997	1.612 GT	89,8 m	14 m	1.250	74	18
Posidon Hellas		1998	1.802 GT	86,1 m	13,8 m	1.300	74	18
Nissos Rodos		1987	29.733 GT	192,5 m	27 m	1.600	750	23

Highspeed

Ship	Flag	Built	Gross tonnage	Length	Width	Passengers	Cars	Speed	Notes
Highspeed 4		2000	6.274 GT	92 m	24 m	1004	188	35
Highspeed 6		1999	4.913 GT	95,5 m	26,6 m	968	260	40
Hellenic Highspeed		1997	6.360 GT	100 m	17 m	800	175	35

Flyingcat

Ship	Flag	Built	Gross tonnage	Length	Width	Passengers	Cars	Speed	Notes
Flyingcat 1		1991	483 GT	40 m	10,1 m	352	-	30
Flyingcat 3		1998	613 GT	47,7 m	11,8 m	360	-	40
Flyingcat 4		1999	794 GT	55,1 m	13 m	440	-	40
Flyingcat 5		1996	496 GT	40 m	10 m	337	-	30
Flyingcat 6		1997	493 GT	40 m	10,1 m	337	-	30

Flying Dolphins

Ship	Flag	Built	Gross tonnage	Length	Width	Passengers	Speed	Notes
Flying Dolphin XVII		1984	162 GT	32 m	6 m	128	30
Flying Dolphin XVIII		1984	162 GT	36 m	6 m	128	30
Flying Dolphin XXIX		1993	161 GT	35 m	6 m	128	40

Out of Service

Ship	Flag	Built	Gross tonnage	Length	Width	Passengers	Cars	Speed	Notes
Highspeed 7		2005	4.913 GT	85 m	21,2 m	809	154	40	Caught fire on the 24/03/2015.

Future Ships

Ship	Flag	Built	Gross tonnage	Length	Width	Passengers	Cars	Speed	Notes
Nissos Samos		1988	30.435 GT	192,9 m	29,4 m	1.600	452	21,8	Ex-Ionian Queen. Bought by HSW on the 02/12/2015.

Current Routes

^[10]

• Piraeus - Syros - Mykonos - Ikaria - Samos -Chios - Mytilini - Lesvos - Kavala (Nissos Mykonos) Public service obligation
• Piraeus – Chios – Mytilini (Ariadne)
• Piraeus - Ikaria – Samos – Chios – Mytilini (Nissos Rodos)
• Lavrio - Agios Efstratios – Limnos – Kavala (Express Santorini)
• Piraeus – Aegina – Methana – Poros (Poseidon Hellas)
• Piraeus – Aegina – Agistri (Flying Dolphins, Poseidon Hellas)
• Piraeus – Poros – Hydra – Ermioni – Spetses – Porto Heli (Flying dolphins)
• Volos – Skiathos – Glossa – Skopelos – Alonissos (Express Skiathos, Flying Cat 6)
• Syros - Kythnos - Kea - Lavrio (Artemis) Public service obligation
• Syros - Tinos - Andros (Artemis) Public service obligation
• Syros -Paros - Serifos - Sifnos - Kimolos -Milos (Artemis) Public service obligation
• Syros -Paros - Naxos - Ios - Sikinos - Folegandros - Kimolos - Milos (Artemis) Public service obligation

Destinations

Terminated Destinations

• Chania
• Rethymno
• Kos
• Rhodes
• Thessaloniki
• Corinth
• Venice

Terminated Routes

Hellenic Seaways covered itineraries to Chania in Crete island in the summer periods from 2004-2006 with the highspeed vessel "Highspeed 4" in 4 hours and 30 minutes, and in summer 2007 with the passenger ferry "Ariadne". The company also launched routes from Piraeus to Rethymno port, in Crete with Highspeed 5 in summer 2008. In the summer season of 2010 Hellenic Seaways launched for the first time itineraries from Piraeus to Dodecanese islands, Kos and Rhodes, (through Paros) with the passenger ferry "Nissos Rodos" but after an unsuccessful period they cancelled them.

Marketing Campaigns

• Summer 2006: "Πάμε Κυκλάδες", "Πάμε Χανιά", "Πάμε Χίο και Μυτιλήνη" (Let's Go)
• Summer 2007: "Πτήσεις για... Κυκλάδες, Αργοσαρωνικό, Σποράδες, Χίο & Μυτιλήνη" (Flights to...)
• Summer 2008: "Πιο γρήγορα από ποτέ" (Faster Than Ever)
• Summer 2009–2012: "Πάμε μαζί" (Let's go together)
• Summer 2013–present:"Πάμε Αιγαίο" (Let's travel in the Aegean Sea)

Bonus & Miles

Bonus & Miles is the frequent program of Hellenic Seaways. For every 1000 miles a member collects, the company refunds them with 10% of the total price of the tickets they have purchased. Upon completion of 3000 miles, the members are upgraded to the "Gold Member" status and enjoy additional privileges on board.

Saronikos Joint Venture

In late 2013 Hellenic Seaways formed a joint venture with rivals Nova Ferries and 2Way Ferries. Created to offer better schedules and better prices for the consumers, the joint venture marketed as Saronic Ferries uses four vessels and covers a total of four destinations.^[11][12]

Awards

In 2007 Hellenic Seaways was awarded by "Lloyd's List Greek Shipping Awards" as "The Best Passenger Line of the Year 2007" and their, then new-building vessel, Nissos Chios, was awarded with the prize of "The Best Ship of the Year 2007".^[13] In 2014 Hellenic Seaways was again awarded by "Lloyd's List Greek Shipping Awards" as "The Best Passenger Line of the Year 2014".^[14]

Former ships

The following list includes former ships of the current company and of predecessors Minoan Flying Dolphins (MFD) and its subsidiaries.

References

External links

• Hellenic Seaways