Minoan Lines

History

• The cooperation between Minoan and Grimaldi ended, with only the MS Oceanus deployed on the Italy-Tunisia route.
• The MS Oceanus was renamed Ariadne Palace I and sold to Corsica Ferries.
• MS Prometheus was sold to Caronte shipping, an Italian shipping company.

• Minoan decided to focus solely on the shipping sector and sold its stake in Aegean Airlines.

• Attica Group acquired 10.23% of the share capital of Minoan, reaching an 11.61% stake in the company.
• Minoan sold its 18% stake in Forthnet to Intracom.

• The MS Ariadne Palace was sold to Moby Lines. All three vessels from the Samsung shipyard were sold to other companies.
• Minoan Lines was Passenger Line of the Year according to Lloyd's List.

• In February, Attica Group increased its stake in Minoan Lines.
• In June, Attica Group sold its entire stake in Minoan to Access Maritime SA, which is controlled by Mr. Laskarides.
• In December, Sea Star Capital, owner of ANEK Lines, acquired a 26.05% stake in Minoan Lines from Access Maritime in a privately negotiated transaction.

• In January, Sea Star Capital signed an agreement with Grimaldi's Compagnia di Navigazione SpA to sell its 26.7 percent stake in Minoan.
• In October, Compagnia di Navigazione SpA, parent company of the Grimaldi Group, raised its stake above the limit of one third of shared capital and voting rights, which triggered a mandatory bid for the rest of the shares. The offer was launched at the end of October and lasted until the end of November. During this period, Grimaldi acquired an additional 47.9% stake in Minoan Lines, raising its total stake to about 85%.

• In January, MS Pasiphae Palace was sold to SNCM, and became the Jean Nicoli. The replacement on the Venice - Igoumenitsa - Patras route was the MS Eurostar Barcelona, on loan from the parent company Grimaldi, formerly operated by Minoan under the name of MS Prometheus. Eurostar Barcelona was renamed Zeus Palace.
• Ikarus Palace began operating on charter with Grimaldi Group on the Livorno - Barcelona - Tangier route.
• In October 2009, the new MS Cruise Europa was delivered, followed by the sister-ship MS Cruise Olympia in the early summer 2010.

• In January 2011 Minoan Lines cancelled the sale of its 33.35% stake in Hellenic Seaways to ANEK and tried to find a new buyer for it.

• The year began with a significant loss for the company - the closure of the Venice route. The fate of the ships that operated on this line remained uncertain until the end of July 2012, when Europa Palace joined Cruise Europa and Cruise Olympia on the Ancona route. Meanwhile, Olympia Palace was laid up in Perama. Despite the rumored reopening of the Piraeus - Chania route, both ships were then chartered to CIN, owner of the recently privatized Tirrenia di Navigazione, and used on the Cagliari - Arbatax - Civitavecchia route. Europe Palace was renamed Amsicora, and "Olympia Palace" became Bonaria. Both ships underwent a partial refit at Messina, and changed their ports of registry from Heraklion to Cagliari, and their flags from Greek to Italian.
• At the end of 2012 the daily Ancona - Igoumenitsa - Patras route was extended to call at Trieste thrice weekly. The route was operated by Cruise Europa and Cruise Olympia. A third ship, Europalink, was also added to the route in order to increase load capacity. The ship was previously operated by another Grimaldi Group company, Finnlines, but was changed flags from Swedish to Italian and operated in cooperation with Grimaldi.

• On January 5, Europalink experience a failure and was forced to make an emergency stop in the port of Brindisi. Passengers and vehicles were disembarked safely and continued the journey with Grimaldi Group's Florencia. The ship was then brought from Brindisi to Messina yards for repair.

• On September 21, Europalink struck rocks off Peristeres, north east of Corfu, Greece. All 70 crew and 692 passengers were evacuated. It was later refloated and taken in to Kerkyra, Greece for repairs. Europalink was on a voyage from Patras, Greece to Ancona.

• Starting with January the Adriatic line again called at the ferry port of Venice twice weekly, arriving and departing during the night hours.

• Europa Palace, which was chartered to Tirrenia di Navigazione as Amsicora, returns to Minoan Lines as Mykonos Palace on the Piraeus-Chania line.
• Minoan Lines also acquires Santorini Palace, previously operated as Highspeed 7 by Hellenic Seaways, and starts serving the Heraklion-Santorini-Ios-Par

• Minoan Lines puts to her ships scrubbers
• Festos Palace on February renamed Kydon Palace and sails Piraeus-Chania route
• Kydon Palace on 13th Fdebruary replace Mykonos Palace which also be renamed
• Mykonos Palace on 14th until 15th February will be renamed Festos Palace

  Fleet

Conventional ferries

Ship name	Flag	Built	IMO	Callsign	Tonnage	Length	Width	Passengers	Cars	Knots	Photo
Knossos Palace		2000	9204063	SYQO	37.482	214 m	26 m	2.190	700	31,6
Kydon Palace		2001	9204568	SYNR	37.482	214 m	26 m	2.190	700	31,6
Festos Palace		2002	9220342	ICUK	36.825	214 m	26 m	1.922	821	31,5

On charter from Grimaldi Group

Ship name	Flag	Built	IMO	Callsign	Tonnage	Length	Width	Passengers	Cars	Knots	Photo
Cruise Europa		2009	9351490	IBEV	54.310	225 m	30 m	2.850	963	27,5
Cruise Olympia		2010	9351505	IBEY	54.310	225 m	30 m	2.850	963	27,5

Highspeed Ferries

Former Fleet

• Minos scrapped in 1984
• Ariadne scrapped as Diamond in 2010 at Aliaga, Turkey
• Zakros scrapped in 1985
• Knossos scrapped as MV Ancona in 2011 at Alang, India
• El Greco scrapped as Zaman in 2008 at Alang, India
• Festos scrapped as Sancack I in 2003 at Aliaga, Turkey
• Agia Galini sank as Dayana in 2006 at Colombia
• Fedra scrapped as Winner 8 in 2010 at Alang, India
• King Minos scrapped as Mawadahh in 2019 at Gadani Beach, Pakistan
• Daedalus scrapped as Caribbean Galaxy in 2018 at Aliaga, Turkey
• N.Kazantzakis now as Metropolis since 2007 in China
• Erotokritos scrapped as Kritos in 2011 at Alang, India
• Aretousa now as Girolata for Grandi Navi Veloci since 2020
• Ikarus Palace now as Cruise Smeralda for Grimaldi Lines since 2016
• Pasiphae Palace now as Jean Nicoli for Corsica Linea since 2018
• Olympia Palace now as Cruise Bonaria fpr Grimaldi Lines since 2018
• Oceanus as Ariadne Palace I now as Mega Express Three for Corsica Ferries since 2004
• Prometheus now as Zeus Palace for Grimaldi Lines since 2003
• Ariadne Palace now as Moby Tommy for Moby Lines since 2006

  Routes

• Crete
• * Mykonos Palace & Knossos Palace: Piraeus - Milos - Heraklion
• * Kydon Palace: Piraeus - Chania
• Cyclades
• *Santorini Palace: Heraklion - Santorini - Ios - Paros - Mykonos
• Greece- Italy
• *Cruise Europa & Cruise Olympia: Patras - Igoumenitsa - Ancona

  Affiliates

• Minoan Agencies S.r.l. 95,00%
• Cretan Filoxenia S.A. 99,99%
• Minoan Cruises S.A. 80,28%

  Former affiliates

• Minoan Flying Dolphins
• Forthnet