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 Minoan Lines Ferries Online Ferry Ticket Sales and Reservations |
MINOAN LINES is a leading Greek company featuring an ultra-modern fleet of ferry ships, linking the ports of Greece, the Greek Islands and Italy with safety and comfort.
Book Minoan Lines High-Speed Ferry Tickets to Piraeus, Patras, Igoumenitsa, Corfu, Heraklion, Venice and Ancona on fully equipped modern ferry ships online and save on brochure fares.
Note: This is not the official Minoan Lines web site. To access the official Minoan Lines web site click here.
ABOUT MINOAN FERRY LINES
Minoan Lines, winner of the prestigous Lloyds List Passenger Line of The Year 2005 award, is a dominant company in the passenger ferry sector that has been growing fast for the last 30 years. A leading Greek company featuring an ultra-modern fleet of 8 ships, linking ports and people with safety and comfort.
Guided by its customer-oriented philosophy, continuous upgrading of quality and range of services, MINOAN LINES managed to capture the highest rankings in customer satisfaction since the very first steps of its foundation.
Currently, the company is in the process of realizing its most ambitious investment program with the building of new and technologically advanced highspeed ferries, enabling the upgrading of its services. This sets the company on a consistent pursue of its future prospects and strategic goals.
Minoan Line Ferries Routes
Minoan Line maintains one of the most diverse and regular ferry schedules between Greece, the Greek Islands and Italy serviced by it's fleet of modern high speed passenger, car and freight ferries.
Servicing an impressive 79 primary and secondary destinations Minoan Ferries connect the Greek mainland with the surrounding islands and their European neighbours more than any other Mediterranean ferry service.
The following ferry routes, all of which may be booked online, are serviced by Minoan Ferries:-
Ancona to Igoumenitsa
Ancona to Patras
Bari to Patras
Corfu to Venice
Corfu to Patras
Heraklion to Mykonos
Heraklion to Naxos
Heraklion to Paros
Heraklion to Santorini
Heraklion to Skiathos
Heraklion to Syros
Heraklion to Thessaloniki
Heraklion to Tinos
Heraklion to Piraeus
Igoumenitsa to Patras
Igoumenitsa to Ancona
Igoumenitsa to Venice
Mykonos to Heraklion
Mykonos to Naxos
Mykonos to Paros
Mykonos to Santorini
Mykonos to Skiathos
Mykonos to Syros
Mykonos to Thessaloniki
Mykonos to Tinos
Naxos to Heraklion
Naxos to Mykonos
Naxos to Santorini
Naxos to Syros
Naxos to Thessaloniki
Patras to Corfu
Patras to Igoumenitsa
Patras to Ancona
Patras to Bari
Patras to Venice
Piraeus to Heraklion
Paros to Heraklion
Paros to Mykonos
Paros to Santorini |
Paros to Skiathos
Paros to Thessaloniki
Paros to TinosSantorini to Heraklion
Santorini to Mykonos
Santorini to Naxos
Santorini to Paros
Santorini to Skiathos
Santorini to Syros
Santorini to Thessaloniki
Santorini to Tinos
Skiathos to Heraklion
Skiathos to Mykonos
Skiathos to Paros
Skiathos to Santorini
Skiathos to Thessaloniki
Skiathos to Tinos
Syros to Heraklion
Syros to Mykonos
Syros to Naxos
Syros to Santorini
Syros to Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki to Heraklion
Thessaloniki to Mykonos
Thessaloniki to Naxos
Thessaloniki to Paros
Thessaloniki to Santorini
Thessaloniki to Skiathos
Thessaloniki to Syros
Thessaloniki to Tinos
Tinos to Heraklion
Tinos to Mykonos
Tinos to Naxos
Tinos to Paros
Tinos to Santorini
Tinos to Skiathos
Tinos to Thessaloniki
Venice to Corfu
Venice to Igoumenitsa
Venice to Patras |
Click Here to view current Minoan Lines sailing schedules and timetables.
MINOAN LINES FERRY FLEET
Minoan Lines maintain a fleet of modern high speed ferries. All ships are of recent construction and in keeping with the policy of quality service, safety and passenger comfort were aquired new (not refurbished) by Minoan Lines.
Safety At Sea
In the nucleus of Minoan Lines Ferries philosophy is the issue of safety at sea. From this concept spin other priorities: respect for the third other, total quality services and customer satisfaction. These related priorities form the nutshell of safe and quality transport both at sea and on shore.
Minoan Lines Ferries is certified as follows, intenational
certifications that warrant the safe transport of pasengers and vehicles:
- Safety Assurance Certificate by ISM (International Safety Management - Code of Safety Management), year 1996.
- ISO 9001 by GERMANISCHER LLOYD, year 2000.
The crew of Minoan Lines Ferries ships is trained regularly at simulated emergency situations at sea and thus acquires the skills needed to handle real-life emergency situations.
Minoan Lines Ferries ships are fully equipped with the most sophisticated life safety appliances.
Continuous patrols of the crew around the vessel during the entire voyage at sea. These crew's check list includes:
- Detection of possible sources of fire
- Influx of water in the garages and double bottom areas
- Fire-safety doors
- Water-tight doors
- Means of communication
- All garages
Fluorescent strips line all areas of the ship and signs are posted to mark your exact location on the ship and also guide you to emergency exits and Master stations.
Minoan Lines Ferries ships are equipped with all kinds of life safety means for use by passengers crew in the unlikely event of an emergency:
- Personal lifejackets with their own light and whistle
- Life buoys
- Life boats
- High speed rescue boats
- Rescue boats
- Life rafts lowered by crane
- Auto release life rafts
- Escape chutes
- Marine Evacuation System (for ships built after 1995)
- Wireless beacon
- E.P.I.R.B. (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon)
All Minoan Lines Ferries ships are equipped with sophisticated fire safety equipment including fire safety doors/hatches that seal automatically to isolate areas of the vessel in case of fire (prevention, detection, fire extinguishing systems). The ships are all built with flame retardant materials.
MORE ABOUT MINOAN FERRY LINES
Minoan Lines Wins Lloyds 'Passenger Line of The The Year 2005'
At a glittering ceremony held on 25 November 2005 at the Athenaeum Intercontinental hotel in Athens for the Greek Shipping Awards 2005, the highly respected and internationally renowned shipping newspaper Lloyd’s List awarded MINOAN LINES the Passenger Line of the Year award.
This award is a particularly special honour, given the high competition in this category and the significance of the institution.
The award was received on behalf of the Board of Directors of MINOAN LINES by the company’s managing director Mr A. Maniadakis. In his award speech to those present, Mr Maniadakis said: “It is with much joy and emotion that I receive the award for Passenger Liner of the Year on behalf of the Board of Directors of MINOAN LINES. It is truly a great honour. We thank you all warmly. We are particularly grateful to our company’s thousands of shareholders – the fundamental basis of every successful company – for the support and trust they have shown to MINOAN LINES. I would like to thank our banks and associates for the excellent cooperation and, most of all, all the passengers and customers who prefer to travel with our high speed cruise ferries on our domestic and foreign lines, demonstrating in this way their satisfaction with the high standards and reliability of our services. Moreover, I would like to express – from the depth of my heart – my gratefulness to our dedicated and excellent staff, on land and sea, for their professionalism, which has made MINOAN LINES the leading company in the passenger sector. We thank them warmly for this wonderful journey that has now lasted for 33 years.”
History of Minoan Lines Ferries
Minoan Lines has a relatively short but extremely vibrant history filled with major successes.
- 1972 - The course to success is set on May 25, 1972 with the signing of the company's Articles of Association featuring a registered capital of 40 million Greek Drachmas.
- 1974 - Minoan Lines creates quite a stir by entering the competition in the marine sector. F/B Minos is purchased the same year and deployed on Heraklion - Piraeus route, on July 5. The reign of the seas by Minoan Lines has already begun.
- 1976 -The second ship of Minoan Lines, the ultra- fast & modern F/B Ariadne becomes the flagship of Minoan Lines' dynamism. Daily services to and from Crete are now a reality.
- 1978 - F/B Knossos is deployed on Heraklion - Piraeus route,
F/B Minos is deployed on Piraeus - Chania route. The two major ports of Crete are linked daily to the mainland of Greece
- 1981 - Minoan Lines takes a big step. The company decides to enter the international competition. F/B El Greco inaugurates the company's services to Ancona (Italy) from the Greek port of Patras. New enterprising horizons are opening up.
- 1985 - Having established its position in the shipping market, Minoan Lines decides to renew its fleet. This starts with the replacement of F/B Minos by F/B Festos.
- 1986 - Expansion of activities: the company deploys Ro-Ro Agia Galini on the Heraklion - Piraeus route for the safe and secure transport of long vehicles, trucks, and tank-tracks carrying all kinds of load.
- 1987 - One more ship is added to the Patras-Ancona route. In response to the increasing demands for this particular service, Minoan Lines deploys the modern, within the European standards, F/B Fedra on the Patras-Ancona route.
- 1988 - Minoan Lines deploys a third ship, F/B King Minos, on the Patras-Ancona route. With this ship the company sharpens competition and claims the top position in the market.
- 1990 - Minoan Lines takes one more step further: the F/B Ariadne is deployed on the route Greece-Italy-Turkey, thus joining the coast of Ionia with Greece and Europe. By deploying F/B Kazantzakis on the Heraklion-Piraeus route, Minoan Lines establishes the quality standards for this service.
- 1991 - The deployment of the state-of-the-art F/B Daedalus on the Patras -Ancona route creates quite an impact in the passenger shipping sector. During that year, Minoan Lines links Crete with Ancona and Western Europe with the refurbishment of F/B El Greco.
- 1992 - Minoan Lines is characterized as a pioneer in the shipping sector by covering its service performance to Italy in just 24 hours. The new and modern F/B Erotocritos combines speed and comfort while she also offers a new service -- Camping On Board -- addressing the needs of passengers traveling in their camper, caravan or trailer.
- 1993 - This year marks the beginning of the most ambitious investment plan for the company - the building of a state-of-the-art fleet with highly sophisticated features combining safety with speed and comfort. The chain of High Speed Ferries starts with the H/S/F Aretousa securing for the company the top position in the list of the major players in the Greek passenger shipping sector.
- 1994 - A national heritage building in the city of Heraklion, property of the National Bank of Greece, is purchased by Minoan Lines and refurbished in a most elegant manner to function as the company's Headquarters and house its administrative operations. The building had suffered considerable damage during World War II.
- 1995 - With this delivery of H/S/F Aretousa the first newbuilding vessel, the company now owns eleven ships. Comfort, luxury, safety and speed, of H/S/F Aretousa portray Minoan Lines' dominant and competitive role in the shipping sector worldwide. The service from Patras to Ancona is now cut down to 22 hours only! The response of the public is amazing.
- 1996 -The ambitious investment plan of Minoan Lines "shocks" the status quo in the Mediterranean coastal shipping sector. By ordering H/S/Fs Ikarus and Pasiphae the company's investment capital rises to 56 billion Greek Drachmas.
- 1997 - The H/S/F Ikarus is launched in Sweden on May 5th and arrives with great pride and enthusiasm in Greece, from the FOSEN shipyard in Norway. In cooperation with other Greek ship-owners Minoan Lines establishes the company, Minoan Lines Highspeed Ferries S.A. during the same year. The Catamaran Ferry Highspeed 1 and F/B Ariadne are deployed on the Piraeus-Cyclades route.
- 1998 - Minoan Lines sets a new record with its listing in the Athens Stock Exchange. The response from the public is unprecedented and inspires the company for even more ambitious investment plans.
The third Highspeed Ferry, H/S/F Pasiphae, is delivered. Along with H/S/Fs Ikarus and Aretousa, the total investment value of the company is now in the range of 80 billion Greek Drachma, the greatest in the Greek maritime sector ever.
One more ambitious goal is set in motion: the building of two more H/S/Fs, Knossos Palace and Festos Palace in Italy. These two identical vessels consist an unrivalled pair and can be characterized as the fastest, largest, and most luxurious ferries of their kind worldwide. Their competitive speed advantage enables them to cover the distance from Heraklion to Piraeus in just 6 hours.
However, the ambitions of the company are virtually unlimited. Two more highspeed ferries are ordered to Italian shipyards for scheduled service in the Adriatica Sea. These ferries were commissioned to the reputed designers "De Jorio".
The investment project of Minoan Lines includes two more high speed ferries (Ro-Pax). These were commissioned to SAMSUNG shipyards of South Korea and are designed with an operational capability of 28.5 NM/hour.
By the end of 1998 the company resources 3 billion Greek Drachma from existing shareholders to increasing its share capital. There is no denying that the company commands the trust of the investment public.
- 1999 - The image of Minoan Lines is that of a new, vibrant and great company. It is the year of unprecedented growth. Hellas Flying Dolphins emerges from the joint venture of Ceres Hydrophils, Minoan Lines Highspeed Ferries and Minoan Lines.
Air Greece and Aegean Airlines pull their forces together to create the biggest air carrier in Greece. After the strategic alliance and eventually merge of the two airlines, Minoan Lines becomes one of the major shareholders in Aegean Airlines. The company wields greater leverage in the market by offering combined services to the public.
One more Highspeed Ferry is on order with SAMSUNG shipyards and two more on Ficantieri (Italian shipyards), thus raising the cost of company's investments to 1 billion USD since 1995.
- 2000 - Public consensus regarding the safety and quality standards is now officially ratified. The company is certified per ISO 9002 by the Greek State representing the Germanischer Lloyd organization. This certification is an acknowledgement of the company's Safe and Quality of Passenger/Vehicle Transport at Sea.
H/S/F Prometheus is launched at SAMSUNG shipyards and one more highspeed vessel is placed on order with the same Korean shipbuilders.
H/S/F Knossos Palace, a modern and fast ferry worldwide, is delivered by the Italian shipbuilder Ficantieri.
- 2001 - The ambitious investment program of Minoan Lines is advancing in full speed with the delivery of H/S/F Prometheus deployed on the Patras-Corfu-Igouenitsa-Venice route.
F/B Kazantzakis, which was deployed on the Heraklion - Piraeus route was sold. By selling older vessels, the company's vision in renewing its fleet is progressing fast.
H/S/F Festos Palace, a sister ferry to H/S/F Knossos Palace, is delivered from Ficantieri shipyards. The "unrivalled" pair was deployed on the Heraklion - Piraeus route altering drastically the quality of services provided, combining luxury, speed and safety.
Minoan Lines announces its cooperation with the leading Italian Maritime Shipping Group Grimaldi as soon as the H/S/F Festos Palace is received. This cooperation provides new opportunities in Minoan Lines' strategy to expand beyond the Adriatic Sea in new European routes, linking Italy (port of Genoa) with Tunisia and Malta, followed by a further expansion into the French port of Marseille.
The course to success continues with the delivery of H/S/F Oceanus from SAMSUNG shipyards. This ferry is deployed on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Venice route.
- 2002 - MINOAN LINES' investment program is proceeding as planned with the delivery of H/S/F EUROPA PALACE on Friday, May 10, 2002 from the Italian shipyards of FINCANTIERI. H/S/F EUROPA PALACE is another addition of an ultra modern highspeed ferry to the company's fleet, strengthening the company's position in the Adriatic market and contributing to the further upgrading of the Greek shipping sector.
The H/S/F EUROPA PALACE, the sister vessel of the H/S/F OLYMPIA PALACE, is the fourth and last ultra modern passenger ferry for MINOAN LINES from the Italian shipyards of FINCANTIERI. The vessel has being deployed on the Patras - Igoumenitsa - Ancona sea route on May 14th, 2002.
Following the delivery of the H/S/F ARIADNE PALACE in the near term from the shipyards of SAMSUNG HEAVY INDUSTRIES, the ambitious and very important investment program with the construction of 7 new vessels of total cost 670 million will be completed, and the Company will enter this new era with a fully fleet of vessels combining speed, comfort and luxury on board.
The deployment of H/S/F ARIADNE PALACE 1. (ex. H/S/F OCEANUS) on the new sea route Genoa - Malta - Tunis, on May 31, 2002, opens up new business horizons for MINOAN LINES on the West Mediterranean with the strategic cooperation with the Italian GRIMALDI group.
Book Minoan Lines High-Speed Ferry Tickets to Piraeus, Patras, Igoumenitsa, Corfu, Heraklion, Venice and Ancona on fully equipped modern ferry ships online and save on brochure fares.
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