Between my previous blog post dedicated to the port of Kyllini published eight months ago and my first visit of that same port for the 2016 summer season five months ago, there were many changes in terms of the area's infrastructure. These were so substantial that the port, which is one of the most important ones on the Ionian Sea as it serves as the main ferry connection of the islands of Zakynthos and Kefalonia (and occasionally Ithaca) with mainland Greece, looked entirely different compared to July 2015, back when I took the pictures that were shown in my subsequent blog post published in April 2016.
The main change which affected Kyllini's overall picture is the fact that new ticket offices were introduced at the entrance of the port, replacing the kiosks that I had showed you in my previous blog post, which were located right next to the ferry dock. These kiosks had been in the port at least since the first time I remembered having contact with the Greek coastal service, back in 2003. They have now been demolished, without leaving any remains. However, the new ticket offices are much bigger and much more modern. There were two tenants for these ticket offices, namely the Ionian Group joint venture (which was established in 2015) and the company Kefalonian Lines (which was established in 2013). The two competitors had their ticket offices right next to each other, which offers passengers the opportunity to choose either operator. Overall, I was pleased with the port's new features, as the ticket offices were much more colourful and stylish compared to the old and basic kiosks. My only concern was that the ticket offices were right next to the port's entrance gate, therefore increasing car and truck traffic in the area. I personally think that the port's new infrastructure was made in order to better accommodate passengers regarding the selection of the operator that would bring them either to Kefalonia or Zakynthos. Indeed, Ionian Group, which is the joint venture between the companies Levante Ferries and Zante Ferries (which are both based in Zakynthos), was formed in the middle of the summer of 2015, replacing the Ionian Ferries joint venture which had included Zante Ferries and Tyrogalas Ferries. This happened right after the latter sold its flagship, namely the IONIAN STAR, to Levante Ferries, who were having their first summer in the Greek coastal service then. With only two competitors remaining (namely the Ionian Group joint venture and Kefalonian Lines) in Kyllini, both with modern and reliable ferries, I think it was a good idea to create these new ticket offices.
One of the two sections of the new port ticket offices, which is entirely dedicated to the Ionian Group joint venture and its two member companies, namely Levante Ferries (which was established in 2012) and Zante Ferries (which was established in 1991). As Levante Ferries has more control in the joint venture (more ships and more awards than Zante Ferries), their area is painted in the latter's main colours, which are yellow and black. Flags promoting the joint venture are also present, with them featuring yellow and black as well.
In the back section of the ticket office (and technically at the port's vehicle entrance), a banner promoting Ionian Group is showing the two most recent ships that had started operations on the Ionian Sea. The first is Levante Ferries' first ferry, namely the flagship FIOR DI LEVANTE, which began operating two years ago. After a spectacular conversion in China, the ship has since been the most acclaimed ferry on the Ionian Sea thanks to her supermodern and impressive indoor and outdoor areas. She was so successful that she managed to remove two ships from the area (namely the IONIS-then operating for Tyrogalas Ferries-and the ANDREAS KALVOS of Zante Ferries, which were transferred to the Aegean Sea) and, subsequently, a traditional company which had been operating in Zakynthos for 42 years (following the sale of the IONIAN STAR), namely Tyrogalas Ferries. But the success did not only stop there. Indeed, in the spring of 2016, the ship was given the 'The Best Ferry in the World' award for the year 2015 by Shippax, which is the highest award given to a ferry on an international scale. Levante Ferries proudly presents the award's picture below the ship in the banner, while also labeling it as 'The Most Beautiful Shipferry in the World' and making the reference to the award with an asterisk. Under the FIOR DI LEVANTE, the company has a picture of its most recent acquisition, namely the chartered high speed craft SPEEDRUNNER III, owned by Aegean Speed Lines, which was used only for the 2016 summer season on the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line, which Ionian Group had reactivated in 2015 after almost two years of inactivity (Ionian Ferries had abandoned the line in 2013, one year after replacing the Kefalonia-based company Strintzis Ferries which had ceased operations in late 2012). The high speed craft became the first ship of her type since the JET FERRY 1 of GA Ferries (which had been sold for scrap earlier this year after 8 years of lay-up in Piraeus) in 2001 to operate on that line. The five-month charter proved to be successful, and it also helped Ionian Group to maintain their three conventional ferries in their Kyllini-based services, unlike in 2015 when the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS of Zante Ferries was sent to operate there. However, this will be the only season for the SPEEDRUNNER III with Levante Ferries, as next year she will return to her familiar Aegean Sea service on the Western Cyclades under her owners, in order to replace her fleetmate and sister ship, namely the SPEEDRUNNER IV, which was recently sold to Golden Star Ferries, which is based in Andros on the Cyclades. Therefore, the future of the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line is currently in doubt, but Ionian Group has promised to continue operating there. In the banner, the ship was rightfully labeled as 'the fastest speedferry on the Ionian Sea', as she was the only high speed ferry in the area in 2016 (and more generally, the first high speed ferry to have operated there since the JET FERRY 1 last did back in 2001).
A closer view of the section of the ticket office which is dedicated to the Ionian Group joint venture. Above the office desks, the logos of Zante Ferries and Levante Ferries are seen respectively on the left side and the right side of the area, while the logo of Ionian Group is separating them in the middle. Right underneath, the joint venture's destinations (namely Zakynthos, Kefalonia and Ithaca) are mentioned. Although the SPEEDRUNNER III did not operate in Kyllini, passengers had the chance to get tickets for the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line in this ticket office as well.
On the left side of the offices there was another sign, this time representing the entire fleet of the Ionian Group joint venture for the 2016 summer season, which was composed of three ships operating for Levante Ferries and one ship operating for Zante Ferries. On the top is the flagship of Levante Ferries, namely FIOR DI LEVANTE (she is also, technically, the flagship of Ionian Group), right below her is the MARE DI LEVANTE (the ex-IONIAN STAR, which was bought in 2015 from Tyrogalas Ferries and which was spending her first summer under her new name), followed by the SPEEDRUNNER III (which has now left the joint venture since her charter ended), and by the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS, which is the only Zante Ferries-owned ship still operating on the Ionian Sea (the company's two other ferries, namely the ANDREAS KALVOS and the ADAMANTIOS KORAIS, both operate on the Western Cyclades). Among the four ships, she is also the one with the most experience on the Ionian Sea, as she has been operating there since 1999. She is followed by her former Shikoku Chuo Ferry fleetmate (back when the two ships were operating in Japan together, serving on the Osaka-Kobe-Kawanoe-Niihama line), namely the MARE DI LEVANTE, which has been on the Ionian Sea since 2003. The joint venture's website is also mentioned at the bottom of the sign.
On the other side of the ticket offices, one can find the competitors of Ionian Group, namely Kefalonian Lines. Owned by the Lykoudis family, the company began operations in 2013 after buying the KEFALONIA from Strintzis Ferries. The legendary ferry became the NISSOS KEFALONIA and she has since been operating out of Kyllini. Apart from that ship, the company also operates another Ionian Sea veteran, namely the conventional ferry ZAKYNTHOS I, which has been chartered from ANEZ since 2014. The company serves the islands of Kefalonia and Zakynthos (the latter since late 2013), and for the 2016 season, each ship had an exclusive island to operate in. Indeed, the NISSOS KEFALONIA operated in her namesake island, as did the ZAKYNTHOS I with her namesake line. In 2014 and in 2015, both ships were operating on both islands (while the NISSOS KEFALONIA also operated in Ithaca). In this picture, we can see that the ticket office is, just like it was the case with Ionian Group, dominated by the company's main colours, namely dark blue and white, and its logo (the two wings forming the company's first initial as well as the geographic shape of the island of Kefalonia), although the walls are built with some horizontal shelves giving a wave-like impression, which I thought was pretty original.
As I looked towards the docks, I saw that the amazing FIOR DI LEVANTE had just entered the port and that she was preparing to undergo her maneuvering procedure.
The FIOR DI LEVANTE, the flagship of Levante Ferries, seen during her second summer operating on the Kyllini-Zakynthos line and on the Kyllini-Kefalonia line. She is a true jewel not only for the Ionian Sea, but for the Greek coastal service altogether.
In the meantime, her competitor, namely the ZAKYNTHOS I, was already docked as she was preparing to depart for Zakynthos (she was the ferry on which I traveled that day, but more details will be revealed in next month's blog post).
A picture showing two ships from completely different generations. Indeed, the 43-year-old ZAKYNTHOS I watches the 18-year-old FIOR DI LEVANTE about to dock next to her in Kyllini.
The ZAKYNTHOS I seen during her third consecutive summer operating for Kefalonian Lines. She had been originally chartered for two years, beginning in 2014, but earlier this year the charter was extended by 6 more years, therefore ending in 2022 (although it is very possible that it will be renewed before that year, assuming the vessel remains seaworthy despite her advanced age).
The ZAKYNTHOS I resting as she sees the FIOR DI LEVANTE preparing to undergo her maneuvering procedure in Kyllini.
The FIOR DI LEVANTE seen maneuvering in Kyllini.
The beautiful FIOR DI LEVANTE maneuvering in Kyllini.
The FIOR DI LEVANTE maneuvering in Kyllini. As it is now known, the ship's hull insignia include, apart from her company's name and website, the 11880 and vrisko.gr labels, which are respectively the telephone service company and information website that the owner of Levante Ferries, namely Georgios Theodosis, also manages.
The logo of Kefalonian Lines seen occupying the funnel of the ZAKYNTHOS I. This was the first summer that the ship spent without the printing of the map of the island of Zakynthos in her funnel, which she had while operating for ANEZ (since beginning service in Greece in 1990) and during her first two years with her current operators (in this case, the logo Kefalonian Lines had been printed in a much smaller size below the Zakynthos logo).
The FIOR DI LEVANTE undergoing her maneuvering procedure.
The FIOR DI LEVANTE almost completing her maneuvering procedure in Kyllini.
The FIOR DI LEVANTE completing her maneuvering procedure in the port of Kyllini.
The FIOR DI LEVANTE having just finished her maneuvering procedure and now ready to dock in Kyllini.
The stern of the FIOR DI LEVANTE seen as she prepares to make contact with the port's pier.
The FIOR DI LEVANTE preparing to dock in Kyllini. Recently, the ship operated for about a month on the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line for the first time in her career, thereby replacing the SPEEDRUNNER III whose charter had ended. Later she headed to Piraeus for her annual refit, undergoing her first-ever drydocking procedure in Greece in November of 2016.
The great FIOR DI LEVANTE preparing to dock in Kyllini.
Right next to the vehicle area was an unattended truck container which had a picture which could be interpreted as unusual in Kyllini, as the company it is representing does not have any connection with the port. Indeed, the container has an advertisement banner of the famous Greek company Superfast Ferries, which is one of the two members of Attica Group (along with Blue Star Ferries), and which operates four ships on both the Adriatic Sea and the Aegean Sea (whereupon it serves Cyclades and the Dodecanese). The banner promotes the company's 20 years of operations, which were celebrated last year (as it began operations in 1995). On the left side of the banner, the company states that it promises that it will set sail for the next 20 years, while the two countries it is serving (namely Greece and Italy) are also mentioned. A picture of the company's flagship, namely the SUPERFAST XII, is dominating the middle section of the container. Built in 2002, this fantastic ferry has been operating on the Piraeus-Syros-Amorgos-Patmos-Leros-Kos-Rhodes line since 2015.
The beautiful FIOR DI LEVANTE as she is seen docking in Kyllini.
The FIOR DI LEVANTE progressively heading towards the ferry pier of Kyllini.
The FIOR DI LEVANTE seen once more, as she has almost docked in Kyllini.
One of the few buildings that remained unchanged in the port. This is the small church of Agios Nikoalos in Kyllini, standing right next to one of the port's lighthouses. The church is there for symbolic purposes, as Agios Nikolaos is the patron Saint of all seafarers.
Interesting picture, right? These are the remains of one of the previous ticket kiosks. This is one more precisely was the one that was lastly occupied by Kefalonian Lines. Here, you can see that local visitors are still looking to buy tickets there ;).
As I mentioned it above, I was pretty satisfied with the upgraded port of Kyllini, as the new ticket offices are much more modern, much more spacious, and much more beautiful than the previous ones, despite being right at the port's entrance and therefore causing a bit of traffic. Since the port is served by reliable ships, I think the port authority and the companies did a good job in creating good-looking ticket offices as well. They are also there to remind locals that the competition between the two main operators on the Ionian Sea remains big, as both the Ionian Group joint venture and Levante Ferries seek to outperform each other, and both have tried to increase their market share in all three islands that they are serving. Both Levante Ferries and Kefalonian Lines are continuing their growth, and it will be interesting to see how their operations will evolve over next season as well as those that will follow.