Louis Hellenic Cruises’ Flies the Greek Flag
Louis Hellenic Cruises officially announced the hoisting of the Greek flag on the Calypso, the fifth cruise ship of their fleet to have such a distinction. The 135-meter-long Calypso, fully renovated in 1994, has 243 cabins, which enables it to serve and host 740 passengers.
The president of the Louis group, Kostakis Loizou, expressed the primary aim of the company is “the parallel development of Greek cruises and Greek tourism, and with the hoisting of the Greek flag on the Calypso we have taken another step in this direction”
The Louis group consists of 13 cruise ships of which four are leased to U.K-based Thomson cruises and one to the German company, Transocean. Louis cruise ships set sail not only from the port of Piraeus but also from Marseilles, Genova and Cyprus.
Louis Hellenic Cruises, whose cruise ships fly the Greek flag exclusively, says its aim is “to contribute to the Greek maritime sector through constantly upgrading the quality of their services to passengers and secure employment for Greek sailors. The presence of the Greek flag on Louis Hellenic Cruises signifies a unified aim to present Greece as an international center of world tourism.”
In addition, the cruise line has recently purchased the cruise ship Opera. The Opera can carry 1,278 passengers in its 483 cabins and suites, and Louis group claims it “boasts all the luxuries of a modern cruise ship.”
The new cruise ship will commence three-and four-day cruises from the port of Piraeus in July on behalf of Louis Hellenic Cruises, and it replaces the Sea Diamond on a permanent basis.
Another measure taken by the group to ensure smooth sailing for the upcoming season includes the lease of the cruise ship Ruby, ex Ocean Countess, from last month until October, which replaces Oceanic II whose lease recently expired.