El. Venizelos (ship) Overview and Information

The El. Venizelos is a ferry that operates in Greece.

It was built in 2004 by the Japanese shipyard Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

The ferry has a gross tonnage of 65,000 tons and a length of 238 meters.

It's a large vessel, but it offers a range of amenities to its passengers, including restaurants, bars, and shops.

The El. Venizelos has a rich history in evacuation operations, particularly during the Libya Evacuation in 2011.

The ship arrived at Heraklion on February 26, 2011, with 2923 passengers on board, and departed the same day to Misurata.

Here's a brief overview of the ship's operations during this time:

In February 2011, the ship arrived at Heraklion with 2923 passengers on board, departing the same day to Misurata.

The ship made multiple trips between Heraklion and Misurata, with the first departure on March 3, 2011.

Between March 6 and 8, 2011, the ship departed from Souda towards Misurata.

The ship carried 2088 passengers on board during its departure from Misurata towards Alexandria on March 9, 2011.

The ship then departed from Alexandria towards Sirte on March 11, 2011.

The ship was laid on a rescue to Sirte for two days, before returning to Souda where it was laid up on March 16, 2011.

Here's a summary of the ship's 2011 operations:

The ship has had a varied history of charters, operating with different companies over the years.

One notable charter was with Italian authorities in July 2001, where the ship was used as a hotel ship during the G8 meeting in Genoa, Italy for a week.

The ship was also chartered to Cotunav, Tunisia from June 2004 to 2011, leaving Piraeus on 17 June and deployed on Tunis - Genoa / Marseille routes.

In 2013, the ship was chartered to SNCM, leaving Piraeus on 19 May and deployed between Marseille - Alger - Tunis - Corsica, but the charter ended abruptly due to poor performance.

The ship's charters have not always been successful, with the charter to GoInSardinia in 2014 also not going well.

Here's a list of some of the ship's notable charters:

The El. Venizelos, a cruise ship that has been a part of the Louis Cruise Lines fleet since 2002. It was originally built in 1999 for the Festival Cruises line and had a few notable incidents during its early years.

One of the most significant incidents occurred in 2005 when the ship collided with a cargo ship in the port of Piraeus, Greece, causing significant damage to its hull.

The ship has also been involved in some minor issues, including a fire in the engine room in 2007, which was quickly extinguished by the crew.

A broken window on deck 9 of the 'El Venizelos' ship caused a temporary issue during its voyage from Piraeus to Chania on December 21, 2024.

The window was broken, prompting a temporary repair by the crew. The ship continued its route to Chania, where it disembarked 279 passengers and a large number of vehicles.

The Central Port Authority of Chania initially banned the ship from sailing, but after presenting a certificate of class maintenance from the classification society, the ship was allowed to continue its route.

The 'Eleftherios Venizelos' ferry experienced engine damage on September 21, 2023, in the Saronic Gulf.

A mechanical failure in its No. 2 electric engine prompted the ferry to return to the port of Piraeus for inspection.

The ferry had set sail from Piraeus with 689 passengers on board, bound for Chania.

The Piraeus Port Authority initially prohibited the ferry's departure due to the engine issue.

After an inspection and presentation of a class maintenance certificate from the classifier, the ship was permitted to resume its voyage.

The Piraeus-Crete service is a popular route that EL VENIZELOS will be returning to in June. Anek Lines is preparing the return of its cruise ferry EL VENIZELOS on this line.

The ship will replace BLUE GALAXY on June 30, 2023, after a significant refit. EL VENIZELOS was previously out of service for almost three years, but has now been reintroduced into the Hellenic Coastal Shipping.

On June 23, 2023, EL VENIZELOS will join her fleet mate ELYROS on the Piraeus – Chania (Crete) line. The ship has been undergoing a full refit, dry docking, and engine overhauling at Perama Repair Zone since February.

Anek Lines is bringing back its cruise ferry EL. VENIZELOS on the Piraeus – Chania (Crete) line after a two-year layup at Perama repair zone.

The ship is currently undergoing a significant refit, having already had a major upgrade and renovation of her interior public spaces in 2019.

Anek Lines' flagship EL. VENIZELOS will join her fleet mate ELYROS on the classic Piraeus – Chania line on June 23, 2023.

The ship was out of service for almost three years and will replace Blue Star Ferries’ RoPax BLUE GALAXY on the route.

El. Venizelos belongs to the fleet of Blue Star Ferries. It operates on various routes, but one of its notable routes is the Piraeus-Crete service. This ferry is a part of the fleet that serves the Piraeus-Crete route.

El. Venizelos is a vessel that belongs to the fleet of Blue Star Ferries.

It operates on various ferry routes, which you can find information about below.

The El. Venizelos is a part of the Blue Star Ferries fleet, and you can find all the necessary information about this vessel in the article.

The El. Venizelos has had a few different liveries over the years. One of the most notable was a blue-yellow diagonal stripe, which the ship wore from 2007 to 2013.

This livery was also used during the ship's charters with Tunisia Ferries. The EU flag was briefly worn by the ship as well.

El. Venizelos has been photographed in Piraeus and Genova while sporting this livery. Here are some specific images to illustrate this:

It's worth noting that during her usage for transporting refugees, the ship had a blue stripe.