This company was born at
the end of the 80’s by the union of some little shipowners, buying also the “Shipping
Company of Paros” which provided the first two ships
of the company, the small “Paros” and “Naxos”. This company has a rapid
growth: first on aegean routes, connecting Piraeus to Paros,
Naxos, Ios and Santorini and also to Syros - Tinos - Myconos - Ikaria - Samos; then on international routes: Piraeus - Cyprus -
Israel and Bari - Corfu - Igoumenitsa
- Patras, then reduced to Bari
- Corfu - Igoumenitsa. Then the company had a rapid
decline: first the end of the oriental service, then the Italian line was
served only on alternate days by the “Megistanas”
because of the sinking of “Poseidon Express” and her sostitution by the “Dimitrios Express”, the stop of the service to Ikaria and Samos, due to the big
age of the ferry used on that line, the “Samaina”;
the stop of “Megistanas” and the end of Italy -
Greece line. Finally in November 1999 the sufference of Arkadia
Lines ended with the purchase, by Minoan Flying Dolphins, of the “Poseidon
Express 2”, the only ship still in
service to Cyclades.