KEFALONIA (ΚΕΦΑΛΟΝΙΑ)

-Levante Ferries

ex-NISSOS KEFALONIA (ΝΗΣΟΣ ΚΕΦΑΛΟΝΙΑ) for Kefalonian Lines (2013-2018)

Built in 1975 (age 49). Registered in Piraeus. Current line: None (under refit in Zakynthos)

 

The conventional ferry KEFALONIA is undoubtedly the greatest ship that has ever operated on the Ionian Sea. She was built in Japan in 1975 as the VENUS for the Japanese company Higashi Nihon Ferry. She spent her first 20 years in Japan, operating first on the Hachinohe-Tomakomai line. She then moved to the Aomori-Hakodate line in 1979, before then heading to the Aomori-Muroran line in 1987. She was bought by the Greek company Strintzis Lines in 1995 and was renamed KEFALONIA. Following a major conversion in Perama, she was deployed on the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line, where she would go on to experience a lot success for the next 15 years. Strintzis Lines was transferred to Attica Group and became Blue Star Ferries in 2000. The KEFALONIA nevertheless remained on her usual service. She initially operated under the Blue Ferries division, before beginning to operate under the Blue Star Ferries brandname in 2004. Later in that same year she was bought by the newly-established company Strintzis Ferries. She remained on the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line until 2011, when she switched operations with her fleetmate, namely the EPTANISOS. As a result, she began service on the Kyllini-Kefalonia line. Strintzis Ferries however ceased operations in 2012, and both the EPTANISOS (now the FAST FERRIES ANDROS of Fast Ferries) and the KEFALONIA were laid-up in Drapetsona. The KEFALONIA was detained for 16 months, with many rumours of her being sold for scrap. However, in 2013, to the Greek coastal service's joy, the ship was bought by the newly-established company Kefalonian Lines. She was renamed NISSOS KEFALONIA and was deployed on the Kyllini-Kefalonia line. Later in that same year she also started to operate on the Kyllini-Zakynthos line and on the Kyllini-Kefalonia-Ithaca line, serving the latter only from 2013 to 2015. From 2016 to 2017, she was solely deployed on the Kyllini-Kefalonia line. In late 2017, she combined her operations on the Kyllini-Kefalonia line with the re-opening of the line where she had been acclaimed in the past, namely the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line. She was therefore deployed on a new service on the Patras-Ithaca-Kefalonia-Kyllini line. After the 2018 season ended, she was sold to Levante Ferries and she was again renamed KEFALONIA following a major upgrade in Drapetsona in 2019. She then resumed service under her new owners on the Kyllini-Zakynthos line and on the Kyllini-Kefalonia line. In 2020 she returned to the Patras-Ithaca-Kefalonia-Kyllini line.

 

PHOTOS (2013, 2014, 2016, 2019):