Epirotiki Line

Epirotiki Line was a shipping company that operated from the mid 1850s to the late 1990s. Epirotiki Line operated mainly cruise vessels, but also operated a variety of other vessels such as cargo and tanker vessels.

Foundation

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.

World War II

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.

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". Epirotiki's fortunes faltered throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. During this period the company diversified into dry cargo carriers and crude oil tankers under separate management. Fears of terrorism diminished the tourist market and a series of incidents took their toll on the company. In 1988 the "Jupiter" was struck and sunk by a freighter near Piraeus. In 1989 a passenger was killed by an unsecured hatch aboard the "Neptune" and the "Odysseus" was forced to harbor in Portugal after it began taking on water. In 1991 an explosion and fire sunk the company's flagship "Pegasus (II)" in Venice harbour, and two months after this the sinking of the "Oceanos" off the South African coast. With less tourists travelling due to wars and recession, and other pressures on the company, 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)" at this time, but by 1995 the partnership had collapsed in the face of Greek cabotage rules. 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.

Fleet

A list of operating vessels in the fleet at the company's last incarnation

Cruise Ship Operations

* "Apollon (II)" - Laid down as the "Empress of Canada" in 1959
* "Odysseus" - Laid down as the "Princesa Isabel" in 1961
* "Olympic" - Laid down as the "Empress of Britain" in 1956
* "Olympic Countess" - Laid down as the "Cunard Countess" in 1974
* "Olympic Voyager" - Laid down in 2000
* "Orpheus" - Laid down as the "Munster (IV)" in 1948
* "Stella Maris II" - Laid down as the "Bremerhaven" in 1960
* "Stella Oceanis" - Laid down as the "Aphrodite" in 1965
* "Stella Solaris" - Laid down as the "Cambodge" in 1953
* "Triton" - Laid down as the "Cunard Adventurer" in 1971
* "World Renaissance" - Laid down as the "Renaissance" in 1966

Notable Events

* On the 2 June 1991 an explosion and fire sunk the company's flagship "Pegasus (II)" in Venice harbour.
* On the 3 August 1991 off the Wild Coast, Eastern Cape, South Africa, the "Oceanos" began taking on water, and had lost power following an explosion in the engine room. The ship sank but with no loss of life due to a successful rescue effort. The sinking caused a large controversy with allegations that the captain and crew had abandoned the passengers and left the onboard entertainers to co-ordinate the evacuation of the ship. Further controversies involved the maintenance level and general seaworthiness of the vessel.

ee also

* "Oceanos"

External links

* [http://www.epirotikigroup.com/index.html Epirotiki Group website]
* [http://www.answers.com/topic/royal-olympic-cruise-lines-inc?cat=biz-fin Company History at Answers.com]
* [http://www.simplonpc.co.uk Simplon Postcards]
* [http://www.maritimematters.com Maritime Matters]