ANEK Lines (Ανώνυμη Ναυτιλιακή Εταιρεία Κρήτης, Anonymi Naftiliaki Eteria Kritis, Anonymous Shipping Company of Crete) is one of the largest passenger shipping companies in Greece. It was founded in 1967 by numerous shareholders who were inhabitants of Crete. It operates passenger ferries, mainly on the Piraeus–Crete and Adriatic Sea routes. In December 2023, ANEK Lines was acquired by Attica Group, continuing operations as the fourth cruise line subsidiary of Attica Group.

History

In Crete protests broke out after the Typaldos Lines car ferry SS Heraklion capsized due to a series of safety regulations violations. The ship sank on her way from Chania to Piraeus on 8 December 1966, resulting in the death of more than 200 people. In the aftermath, a few hundred Cretans (traders, free-lancers, pensioners, farmers), following a proposal by the Association of Economists of the Chania Prefecture with the support of the Metropolitan of Kissamos and Selinos, and Irineos Galanakis, implemented their idea to found a multi-shareholder shipping company. Therefore, on

Fleet

The ANEK Lines fleet is composed of eight motor Ro-Ro/passenger ferries, of which six are in use and two are laid up.

Laid up

Former Fleet

ANEK-Superfast

On 7 June 2011 ANEK Lines and Superfast Ferries created a joint venture for the Piraeus-Heraklion and the Patra-Igoumenitsa-Ancona routes with two RO-PAX ships on the first route (the ANEK-owned Olympic Champion and the Superfast-owned Superfast XII) and three in the second route (the ANEK-owned Hellenic Spirit and the Superfast-owned Superfast VI and Superfast XI).

Routes

Affiliates

ANEK Group comprises ANEK Lines, its subsidiaries, and companies in which it holds a minority stake greater than 10%: Former affiliates and investments: RETHYMNIAKI (took over and finally merged into ANEK Lines in 1999) ANEN 19.36%

Accidents and incidents

On 28 August 2018, at 23:45 (UTC+03:00), ''El. Venizelos'', one of ANEK's fleet, caught fire soon after leaving Piraeus for Chania, with 875 passengers and 140 crew members on board. The ferry was able to return to Piraeus, with no injuries.