2003

Translation by Davide Tognolini

NorTHERN Adriatic SEA

In Trieste, Anek Lines keeps on operating with its three ferries, “Lefka Ori”, “El. Venizelos”, and “Sophocles V.”. Previous year's timetable has been adjusted: the two Japanese sisterships no longer operate five journeys a week. Departures are now on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 7 pm, and on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 1 pm (on Saturdays, “El. Venizelos” leaves at 12 am). This year, “El. Venizelos”'s journeys are a little faster - or, at least, according to the official timetable - than in 2002. Minoan Lines answers back with six departures a Week from Venice, his ferries leaving at 3 pm: “Pasiphae Palace” (on Mondays and Fridays), “Ikarus Palace” (on Tuesdays and Saturdays) and “Ariadne Palace” (on Thursdays and Sundays). From Patras, departures are at 12 pm every day, except on Mondays (“Pasiphae Palace” on Wednesdays and Saturdays, “Ikarus Palace” on Thursdays and Sundays, “Ariadne Palace” on Tuesdays and Fridays). Blue Star Ferries offers only four departures a week, with “Blue Horizon” (on Tuesdays at 7 pm and on Saturdays at 12 am; on Thursdays at 11 pm and Sundays at 11.35 pm from Patras) and “Blue Sky” (on Wednesdays at 7 pm and Sundays at 12 am; on Mondays at 11.55 pm and on Fridays at 11 pm from Patras). As usual, servicing from Porto Marghera is Hellas Ferries, with “Startrailer”, “Navetrailer” and “Cielotrailer”.

ANCONA

Nothing new in Ancona. Ferry services are the same as in 2002: same timetables, same vessels. There's only one change: Anek Lines presents a new, regular timetable for “Olympic Champion” and “Hellenic Spirit”, now departing at 4.30 pm from Italy and at 5.30 from Greece. Superfast Ferries still employs “Superfast V” and “Superfast VI” (leaving in the evening), and “Superfast XI” and “Superfast XII” (leaving in the afternoon and calling at Igoumenitsa). Minoan Lines' ferries servicing the Ancona - Igoumenitsa - Patras are “Olympia Palace” and “Europa Palace”.

BARI

Finally, in Bari, there's a renewed competition among ferry operators. Maritime Way closes its routes to and from Bari, while Minoan Lines opens a route from Bari to Igoumenitsa, Corfu and Patras. The two Korean ro-pax ferries “Prometheus” and “Ariadne Palace I” leave every day at 4 pm from both ports, and arrive the day after at 7 am, calling at Igoumenitsa and, often, at Corfu. However, this route will be closed after summer; the sudden decision will be due to the fact that Minoan isn't really interested in this line. The route has started only not to lay up the two ferries and not as a real market strategy: the two ferries, in fact, have already been sold to Caronte & Torurist and Corsica Ferries respectively. Superfast Ferries still employs the two sisterships “Superfast I” and “Superfast II”; yet, in September, the latter is surprisingly sold to Tasmanian TT Line, which will put her on the Devonport to Melbourne route. The company replaces her with “Blue Horizon”, own by Blue Star Ferries which, together with Superfast, is part of the Attica group. The other operator in Bari is Ventouris Ferries, with  “Venus” and Polaris” servicing the Bari - Corfu - Igoumenitsa route.

BRINDISI

In Brindisi, it's Maritime Way that makes the news: after “King Minos” and “El Greco”, “Erotokritos” arrives in Brindisi and begins operating the Brindisi - Igoumenitsa - Patras route. The other two ferries should follow the same schemes as in 2002; in fact, bigger “King Minos” services the Brindisi – Igoumenitsa – Kefalonia – Patras route and “El Greco” sails between Brindisi and Corfu–Igoumenitsa. The ferry market is definitely shrinking in Patras: Med Link Lines, for instance, employs only  “Maria G”, leaving its other ferries to Platigiali Astakos. HML introduces some changes: beside “Poseidonia”, now operates recently purchased “Egnatia III”, a very big ship. She has been laid up in Drapetsona for some years after various financial problems. The ferry is completely restyled and many thinks that she will be put into service and operate for the entire year. Yet, at the end of September, there is no longer sign of the two HML vessels. The route Brindisi – Corfu – Igoumenitsa is always a very competitive line, among its main protagonists is Fragline with “Ouranos”, Agoudimos Lines with “Penelope A” and  Blue Star Ferries with “Blue Bridge”. 

Photos in this page are courtesy of Egidio Ferrighi, Pieter Inpijn, Fleet File Rotterdam, Dominik Wagner, Emilio Barenghi, Michele Lulurgas, Stefanos Antoniadis; other images are official photographs and postcards.

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