Based in Piraeus, Greece, the Royal Olympic Cruise Lines operated a fleet of mid-sized cruise ships to serve a niche market of more savvy, experienced and educated passengers. This cruise line began operating in 1995 after the merger of two Greek superstars, Epirotiki and Sun Lines. Royal Olympic's principle was to sail a variety of destination-oriented cruises to the most popular sites of historic and cultural significance in the area.
Epirotiki was the Greek Hercules of cruising. Founded in the mid-1800s by Anastassios Potamianos, the company increased in size from its humble start. Fifteen-passenger vessels sailing transatlantic and throughout the Greek Isles were in service by 1926. Several mishaps within the company tarnished its long-term image. One ship, Pegasus II, sunk in 1991 due to a fire in Venice, Italy. Another ship, Oceanos, sunk off the coast of South Africa two months later. The latter was the thorn for Epirotiki´s demise, as the captain abandoned the ship, leaving the passengers stranded onboard. Between major lawsuits, the line looked toward a merger with Carnival Cruise Lines. Never taking place, Epirotiki was forced to sell its assets to their No. 1 competitor, Sun Lines.
Sun Line was founded in 1957. Soon afterwards, the line introduced its flagship, the Stella Solaris, and grew as a resilient contender of Epirotiki. Stella Solaris formally made its debut in 1953 as a French vessel, Cambodge. Some ships were being built in Italy during the mid-1960s, as Italian World War II reparations to Greece, during which one was given to Sun Lines.
The refurbished Stella Solaris and its "new-founded" sister ship the Stella Oceanis became known simply as the "blue ships." The two vessels were named as such for the distinctive hull color matching the hues of the Aegean Sea. Sales soared, but after taking over Epirotiki's vessels to join its already aging fleet, Sun Lines merged with the newly founded Royal Olympic Cruise Lines, Inc.
With two major competitors now out of the way, Royal Olympic appeared more successful and believed it was time for the Greek cruising industry to arrive in the 21st century. Requisitions were granted for two new ships to be built.
Olympic Voyager was the first of two cruise ships built exclusively for Royal Olympic Cruises, with the second ship in this class, the Olympic Explorer. The state-of-the-art vessels would carry 800 passengers and join the fleet of five aging cruise ships.
Explorer was very sleek when compared to her sister ship, and she contained twice the amount of verandas as than on Voyager. At the time, both ships were the fastest of all the new cruise ships being built at the time.
The monopoly held by Royal Olympic Cruise Lines became transitory when an invasion of outside cruise companies set sail to the Greek Islands. The mega-players were seeking new destinations for their loyal passengers and offered cheaper prices, larger cabins, more amenities and plenty of glitz.
In 2003, the title of the company was changed to Royal Olympia Cruises, but by early 2004, Royal Olympia filed for Chapter 11 reorganization. As of March of the same year, the company subsequently failed, and all of its ships--including the newest, Olympic Voyager and Explorer--were sold off to other operators, such as Louis Cruises and Thompson Corp.
Today, Olympic Voyager has been chartered by the Spanish company Iberojet and operates under the name Grand Voyager. The Olympic Explorer is now used as a floating college.
Royal Olympic Cruises continues to operate, but as a booking agent for other cruise lines servicing the Greek Islands.
