ARKADIA
LINES
This company was born in
the second half 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.
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