ANEK Lines (Ανώνυμη Ναυτιλιακή Εταιρεία Κρήτης, Anonymi Naftiliaki Eteria Kritis, Anonymous Shipping Company of Crete) is one of the largest passenger shipping companies in Greece.[8] It was founded in 1967 as a community-based company by residents of Crete. It operates passenger ferries, mainly on the Piraeus–Crete and Adriatic Sea routes.[9]
In December 2023, ANEK Lines was acquired by Attica Group,[2] continuing operations as the fourth cruise line subsidiary of Attica Group.
History
After the Typaldos Lines car ferry SS Heraklion capsized due to negligence on 8 December 1966, protests broke out in Crete. The ship sank on her way from Chania to Piraeus, resulting in the death of more than 200 people.[10] In the aftermath, several hundred Cretans—including traders, freelancers, pensioners, and farmers—founded a multi-shareholder shipping company following a proposal by the Association of Economists of the Chania Prefecture, supported by the Metropolitan of