NISSOS SAMOS (ΝΗΣΟΣ ΣΑΜΟΣ)

-Hellenic Seaways

Built in 1988 (age 35). Registered in Piraeus. Current line: Piraeus-Psara-Oinousses-Chios-Mytilene

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Among the best ferries in the Greek coastal service, the gigantic NISSOS SAMOS was built in 1988 in Japan, for the Japanese company Shin Nihonkai Ferry. She was originally named NEW AKASHIA, and she was deployed on the Maizuru-Otaru line. She stayed there until 2004, when she was replaced by the newly-built HAMANASU and AKASHIA. She and her sister ship, the FERRY LAVENDER, were therefore both sold to Greek companies. The former was sold to the newly-established Endeavor Lines, while the latter was sold to the experienced Agoudimos Lines (with both companies collaborating on the Adriatic Sea). The two ships arrived in Greece in late 2004, under the names IONIAN GLORY and IONIAN KING, respectively, and underwent a major conversion in Perama, being transformed into very luxurious Ro-Pax ferries. During her conversion, the IONIAN GLORY changed her name to IONIAN QUEEN. She entered service with Endeavor Lines in 2005, being deployed on the Patras-Kefalonia-Igoumenitsa-Bari line, while also being the company's flagship. In 2008, she was deployed on the Patras-Kefalonia-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Brindisi line as the cooperation between Endeavor Lines and Agoudimos Lines ended. She stayed there until 2011. Following that year's summer season, the company began to experience very serious economic problems. Nevertheless, in 2012, despite a few arrests in Igoumenitsa and in Brindisi, she resumed service, being the only ferry of Endeavor Lines to operate for the company that year. For the summer she was deployed on the Patras-Zakynthos-Kefalonia-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Brindisi line. However, the economic difficulties Endeavor Lines were facing forced the company to shut down operations in late 2012, and, as a result, the IONIAN QUEEN was laid-up in Patras, where she remained for the next three years. After several failed auctions and rumours that the ship would be sold for scrap, she was finally acquired in late 2015 by Hellenic Seaways. She was renamed NISSOS SAMOS and was towed to Perama, where she underwent a major conversion once again. She was deployed, in 2016, on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Thessaloniki line. In 2017, she was deployed on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Santorini line, where she operated successfully. In 2018, she returned to the Northeast Aegean Sea, operating on the Piraeus-Psara-Oinousses-Chios-Mytilene line.

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PHOTOS (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021):