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Minoan Lines
Page 1: Origins-1994
These pages are devoted to postcards of the Minoan Lines Fleet. There is an
Alphabetical List
of ships covered on this page.
The Table
gives links to complete postcard history pages on selected individual ships. Below the table are official
postcards of the fleet
in chronological order.
This page shows the ships acquired up to 1995. Subsequent deliveries are shown on
Minoan Lines Page 2
. There is also a brief history of the company on
Minoan Lines Page 3
.
Ships on This Page:-
Agia Galini
- 1986-2002
Aretousa
- 1991
Ariadne
- 1976-99
Daedalus
- 1989-
El Greco
- 1979-2002
Erotokritos
- 1991-2002
Fedra
- 1987-2000
Festos
- 1984-1998
King Minos
- 1987-2002
Knossos
- 1978-1998
Minos
- 1974-84
N. Kazantzakis
- 1989-2001
Ships on Minoan Lines
Page 2
:-
Aretousa
- 1995-2001
Ariadne Palace
- 2002-
Europa Palace
- 2000-
Festos Palace
- 2001-
Ikarus
- 1998-
Ikarus Palace
- 1998-
Knossos Palace
- 2000-
Oceanus
- 2001-
Olympia Palace
- 2000-
Pasiphae
- 1998-
Pasiphae Palace
- 1998-
Prometheus
- 2001-
Associated Pages:-
Minoan Lines Page 1
- this page!
Minoan Lines Page 2
- fleet additions since 1995
Minoan Lines Page 3
- a brief company history
Blue Star Ferries
Marlines
Olau Lines
Strintzis Lines
Tor Lines
Ferry Postcards
Simplon Postcards Home Page
www.minoan.gr
- Official Minoan Lines Website (includes current fleet lists)
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Table of Ship Histories
Name
Other names
Built
Aretousa
Girolata
1995
Ariadne
Tor Hollandia, Ouranos
1967
Festos
Saga, Stena Atlantica, Finnpartner, Olau Finn, Folkliner, Captain Zaman I
1966
Knossos
Svea, Saga, Captain Zaman II
1966
Pasiphae
Pasiphae Palace
1998
Pasiphae Palace
Pasiphae
1998
Minoan Lines Fleet List
Page 1: Origins-1994
Minos
(Minoan Lines: 1974-85)
The car ferry
Minos
was a converted oil tanker originally built as the Soya-Margareta in 1952. She was one of a number of converted tankers in the fleet of Constantinos S. Efthymiadis, under the name of
Minos
. She was acquired by Minoan Lines in 1974 (Efthymiadis Lines later collapsed) and retained her name. She was sold by Minoan Lines in 1985.
This is an official Minoan Lines card of
Minos
. The card was printed in Crete.
Duncan photographic postcard of
Minos
.
Unidentified photographic postcard of
Minos
.
Ariadne
(Minoan Lines: 1976-99)
Ariadne
was built as the TOR Lines vessel
Tor Hollandia
in 1967. She was a slightly larger version of
Tor Anglia
(now
Corsica Ferries
Sardinia Nova
) which introduced the
TOR Line
services from Immingham to Amsterdam and Gothenburg in 1966. Both the pioneer ships were sold in 1976 when replaced by the larger
Tor Britannia
and
Tor Scandinavia
, which remain in service with
DFDS Seaways
as the
Prince
and
Princess of Scandinavia
. Apart from the ex-tanker
Minos
, all secondhand acquisitions of Minoan lines were retained as the line expanded until delivery of purpose-built tonnage in the mid-1990s.
Ariadne
was still listed as part of the Minoan Lines fleet at the start of 1999, but was sold during that year. In 2001,
Ariadne
continues to serve between Italy and Greece as
Ouranos
of Fraglines.
Additional commercial Minoan Line cards of
Ariadne
are shown on the complete postcard history of this ship
on this link
.
A picture of
Ariadne
taken from a Minoan Lines publicity brochure, included because it gives full details of the ship.
This early official Minoan Lines postcard of
Ariadne
shows the original livery with white exhausts, and the logo on the dummy funnel. Accommodation is largely as in TOR Line days, compare with the picture above showing additional superstructure added to aft upper decks.
A later Minoan Lines official postcard of
Ariadne
, with additional accommodation aft and painted exhausts, is shown below. This is a German-language postcard, issued for the German market. I have not seen English or Greek versions.
I believe this is the final Minoan Lines official postcard of
Ariadne
, with additional accommodation aft and both painted exhausts and dummy funnel. The card may have been issued in other languages.
Ramsey Postcards
serial 81 using a photograph by A.Stracey.
Knossos
(Minoan Lines: 1978-98)
Knossos
was built in 1966 as the
Svea
of Stockholms Rederi A/B Svea. She was used on the pioneer North Sea 'England-Sweden Line' car-ferry service from Hull to Gothenburg, in collaboration with the Wilson Line's
Spero
. When this service was abandoned in 1972, she replaced her sistership
Saga
on the Swedish Lloyd Tilbury-Gothenburg service, and was also renamed
Saga
. She was bought by Minoan Lines in 1978. Her sistership
Saga
also joined Minoan Lines in 1985 as the
Festos
.
Knossos
remains in Greek service as the
Captain Zaman II
of Diler Lines.
A picture taken from a Minoan Lines publicity brochure, included because it gives full details of the ship.
An early official Minoan Lines postcard of
Knossos
.
An official Minoan Lines postcard of
Knossos
.
An official Minoan Lines postcard of
Knossos
.
An official Minoan Lines postcard of
Knossos
.
El Greco
(Minoan Lines: 1979-2002)
El Greco
was built in 1972 as the Japanese
Ferry Atsuta
.
El Greco
remained in the Minoan fleet until 2002.
El Greco
was built in 1972 as the Japanese
Ferry Atsuta
.
This postcard shows
Ferry Kasii
, sistership of
Ferry Atsuta
.
A picture of
El Greco
taken from a Minoan Lines publicity brochure, included because it gives full details of the ship.
An official Minoan Lines postcard of
El Greco
.
An official Minoan Lines postcard of
El Greco
.
An official Greek-language Minoan Lines postcard of the
El Greco
shown above.
An official Minoan Lines Fleet postcard of
El Greco
,
Fedra
and, supposedly, the
King Minos.
A repeat of the
El Greco
picture has been used for
King Minos.
Festos
(Minoan Lines: 1984-1998)
Festos
was built in 1966 as the
Saga
of Swedish Lloyd. She was one of three sisterships, the others being Swedish Lloyd's
Patricia
, and Svea Lines'
Svea
, which became the
Knossos
of Minoan Lines in 1978. She was used on the Swedish Lloyd Tilbury-Gothenburg service until 1971, when she was sold to Stena Line, and served under the names
Stena Atlantica, Finnpartner, Olau Finn
and
Folkliner
before purchase by Minoan Lines in 1984. She entered service with them as the
Festos
in 1985.
Festos
remains in Greek service as the
Captain Zaman I
of Diler Lines.
A picture taken from a Minoan Lines publicity brochure, included because it gives full details of the ship.
An official German-language Minoan Lines postcard of
Festos
.
An official Minoan Lines postcard of
Festos
.
Agia Galini
(Minoan Lines: 1986-2002)
Agia Galini
is one of the few pure freight ships in the Greek ferry fleets. She was acquired in 1986, having been built in 1973 as the
Rolon Norte
.
Agia Galini
remained in the Minoan fleet until 2002.
This picture of
Agia Galini
, with the
Festos
, is taken from an official Minoan Lines calendar issued in 1993.
Fedra
(Minoan Lines: 1987-2000)
Fedra
was built as the TT Linie ferry
Peter Pan
in 1974. Her sistership
Nils Holgersson
is also in Greek ownership as the
Theofilos
of NEL Lines, having also served as the Tasmanian
Abel Tasman
.
Fedra
remained in the Minoan fleet until 2002.
A picture taken from a Minoan Lines publicity brochure, included because it gives full details of the ship.
An official Minoan Lines postcard of
Fedra
.
An official Minoan Lines postcard of
Fedra
.
King Minos
(Minoan Lines: 1987-2002)
King Minos
was built in 1972 as the Japanese
Erimo Maru
. She remained in the Minoan fleet until 2002.