NISSOS SAMOS (ΝΗΣΟΣ ΣΑΜΟΣ)

-Hellenic Seaways

Built in 1988 (age 36). Registered in Piraeus. Current line: Piraeus-Psara-Oinousses-Chios-Mytilene

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Among the best ferries in the Greek coastal service, the cruiseferry NISSOS SAMOS was built in 1988 in Japan, as the NEW AKASHIA for the Japanese company Shin Nihonkai Ferry. She was deployed on the Maizuru-Otaru lin, where she stayed until 2004, when she was replaced by the newly-built ferries HAMANASU and AKASHIA. She and her sister ship, namely 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 established operator 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 was renamed IONIAN QUEEN. She entered service with Endeavor Lines in 2005, being deployed on the Patras-Kefalonia-Igoumenitsa-Bari line on the Adriatic Sea, 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 on the Patras-Zakynthos-Kefalonia-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Brindisi line, thus being the only ferry of Endeavor Lines to operate for the company that year. However, the enduring economic difficulties of Endeavor Lines forced the company to shut down its 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 she 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 on the Northeast Aegean Sea. In 2017, she was deployed on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Santorini line on the Cyclades, where she operated successfully. In 2018, she returned to the Northeast Aegean Sea, being inserted on the Piraeus-Psara-Oinousses-Chios-Mytilene line.

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PHOTOS (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022):