1990

North Adriatic

Also this year we see again once time the Sealink – Adriatica match on the long service from Venice, obviously with the “Orient Express” and the “Espresso Egitto”. In October Adriatica introduced a change in its timetable: the “Espresso Egitto” started to call also at Dubrovnik, after the departure from Venice and before her arrival in the lagoon. Anyway, this timetable was performed only in October, then the “Espresso Egitto” was sent to INMA for her rebuilding work. The new fact of this year anyway, is the “Orient Star”, which although without Strintzis colours and the “Ionian” prefix, seemed still under their interference. Her service linked Venice with Split, sailing again across the Adriatic to Brindisi, finishing the trip at Igoumenitsa.

ANCONA

All the operators of Ancona, except the very ill one, Karageorgis, answered to the appearance of Anek Lines and its cruise-ferries “Lato” and “Lissos” on the market. The most interesting new fact of summer 1990 was the introduction of a weekly Ancona – Piraeus link via Corfu and Cephalonia, then calling also at Paros and Samos before of ending up in the Turkish port of Kusadasi. The company which launched this service was Minoan Lines, which introduced on that line the veteran “Ariadne” after the deployment of the new flagship “N. Kazantzakis” on domestic services. Minoan anyway continued the Ancona – Igoumenitsa – Corfu – Patras line with the “El Greco”, “Fedra” and “King Minos”. Strintzis Lines instead introduced the sister ships of “Ionian Galaxy” and “Ionian Harmony”, respectively “Ionian Island” and “Ionian Fantasy”. The “Ionian Fantasy” is very similar to her sister and replaced the “Ionian Star” on Ancona – Dubrovnik – Corfu – Patras and Ancona – Split services; the “Ionian Island” which replaced the “Ionian Sun” on Ancona – Corfu – Igoumenitsa – Patras instead was quite different from “Ionian Galaxy”, being in fact an improved version of her former sister, with her overall appearance very altered from her Japanese days, being also altered in her internal spaces with the addiction of a bar at midship and the disco at stern. Marlines sold her flagship “Queen M”, replaced on the same service by the “Duchess M”.

BARI

For 1990 season Ventouris Ferries introduced again new ferries, even if the overall number of ships serving Bari remained five, The “Patra Express” was sold and was replaced by the new “Venus”, a former DFDS ro/ro which was rebuilt to reach a passenger capacity of 600. Anyway this work let her to sail between Bari and Patras only on September. On summer we’ll find the four known ferries “Athens Express” and “Grecia Express” and also the sisters “Europa II” and “Europa”, which were bought by the company and respectively renamed “Saturnus” and “Vega”.

BRINDISI - Otranto

Adriatica confirmed the three-ferries timetable replacing a ferry, sailing to Greece with “Espresso Grecia”, “Espresso Venezia” and “Tiepolo”. One should question what ferry was replaced: the answer is the “Espresso Venezia”, which was renamed as the “Espresso Malta” and transferred to Tirrenia, while the “Espresso Ravenna” was renamed as the “Espresso Venezia” and replaced her sister. HML added at the poker formed by “Egnatia”, “Corinthia”, “Lydia” and “Poseidonia” the “Apollonia II”, bought from Corsica Ferries, for Brindisi – Corfu – Igoumenitsa line, allowing the company to relocate the “Poseidonia to Patras services. Mediterranean Lines introduced along the “Valentino” the “Raffaello”, a ship which hasn’t so much admirators here, but was well known as the first Japanese ro/pax “Ferry Hankyu”, being able to offer a daily link between Brindisi and Patras. Fragline remained with “Eolos” and “Ouranos”. Adriatica riconferma l’orario con tre navi dell’anno precedente, cambiando una nave e proponendo “Espresso Grecia”, “Espresso Venezia” e “Tiepolo”. Ci si domanderà che cambiamento c’è stato, e la risposta è che si è trattato di un cambiamento realmente impercettibile. Infatti la “Espresso Venezia” viene rinominata “Espresso Malta” passando nuovamente a Tirrenia, mentre “Espresso Ravenna” prende il nome “Espresso Venezia” e sostituisce la gemella. HML alle quattro “Egnatia”, “Corinthia”, “Lydia” e “Poseidonia” aggiunge la “Apollonia II”, acquistata dalla Corsica Ferries, la quale permette di spostare una nave, la “Poseidonia”, sulla linea di Patrasso. Mediterranean Lines non sta a guardare ed alla “Valentino” affianca la “Raffaello”, nave che in Grecia non ha mai fatto parlare molto di sé, ma che come “Ferry Hankyu” in Giappone è ricordata quale la prima nave sulle “autostrade del mare” nipponiche. La Brindisi – Igoumenitsa – Patrasso diviene così giornaliera. Fragline rimane a guardare con “Eolos” e “Ouranos”.

Photos in this page are courtesy of Matteo Fasce, Pieter Inpijn, Fleet File Rotterdam, Kurth Warth, Emilio Barenghi, Michele Lulurgas, Stefanos Antoniadis, plus some official shots.

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