CRETAN FERRIES
Rethimniaki N.E.
In
the Golden Era of Locally-based ferry companies, Crete Island
played a very active role: there was established the first locally-based company,
in 1967, and there has the headquarters Minoan Lines, one of the most important
Greek companies. On 1988, the direct ferry services from Piraeus to Crete were
an exclusive of Minoan Lines, based at Heraklion,
main town of Crete, and of ANEK, with headquarters at Chania,
the second biggest town of the island; both the two operators had connections
between Piraeus, Chania and Heraklion,
but no ferry called at Rethimnon, third city of the
island, even if the mayor of Rethimnon is a permanent
member of ANEK board, as long as the mayor of Chania
is. So the community of Rethimnon dedided
to establish its own ferry company, with the aim of linking directly Rethimnon to Piraeus.
The firt ferry chosen by the company was a former
Japanese vessel, the “Arkadi”, which started in 1989
the sailings between Piraeus
and Rethimnon, four times a-week. The service is
successful, so in 1995 the Rethimniaki introduces a
second vessel, the “Preveli”, on the well-known line,
being able to offer daily sailings from both ports; the second ferry was
particularly luxurious and plenty of on-board services. With the new vessel,
also the livery of the company changes, displaying a new “Cretan Ferries”
brand, which became the commercial brand of the company. Anyway this could have
been a too big move for the company, which was bought by ANEK in 1999. Anyway
the Cretan Ferries’s colours remained on the two
vessels for all the 1999 season, with the elegant livery of the company leaving
its place to the blue-yellow of ANEK only in 2000. The company operated also a
catamaran service from Corfu to Amphilochia, a city
of Preveza
gulf, even if I don’t know many details of it.
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